For the second year in a row Virgin America has been named “Best Domestic Airline” by Travel + Leisure. We can't disagree with T+L on this one. Like all domestic carriers right now, Virgin America is struggling; however, you would never be able to tell by their excellent service. Fly VA and treat yourself to a very reasonably day off flight First Class upgrade. Sign up for Elevate, enjoy Red-Beta and In-Flight WiFi, and relax! You will not regret it. 
Our bloggers travel pictures will be switching hosts in the coming months. Please bear with us during this painstakingly slow process. Once updated, you will see many more photos in a much more user friendly display. We thank you in advance for your patience.
What is this? Does anyone know? The only English on the package is on the inside of the box lid & says “Pudding Chocolate”, but the pictures on the box look like cartoon flan. It contains individually wrapped candies that resemble soft white chocolate with a brown top. It doesn’t taste like anything else, especially not chocolate & is super sweet. I acquired this bizarre confection at my local Uwajimaya store.
Uwajimaya has a lot of strange Asian candies & packaged foods. Shopping there is like a wee vacation to a major Asian metropolis encapsulated in a one block area. It’s crowded but fun. I can hardly read any of the food packaging. You can spice up a dull day by purchasing something there which you have no idea what it is & making it. It’s a surprise! Fortunately, many of the cooking instructions are accompanied by pictures.
They not only sell groceries & produce, which are often cheaper than at most chain groce
ry stores, by the way, but contain a bookstore that stocks periodicals, stationery & manga. The candy section & impulse racks are unbelievable, you won’t have a clue what most of it is, & some of it looks like REAL BUGS. (I dare you.) The food court, inexplicably, has a Herfy’s hamburger stand in addition to Japanese, Chinese, Korean & Filipino food stalls. There are also Asian specialty housewares, appliances, & Sanrio products. Combining the latter two, I once saw a waffle iron for sale here that made waffles in the shape of Hello Kitty’s head. I wish I had bought it. Regrets…
So if you want to feel like you are in a foreign city for the day or you just need a takoyaki maker, take a trip to Waji. It’s an adventure. FP
Have you ever purchased a ticket only to hear an announcement your flight has been oversold and they are asking for volunteers to delay to a later flight? Airlines oversell flights for a number of reasons. By overselling, it is a way to ensure that each plane goes out full and the airline receives the maximum revenue. Sometimes there is such high demand for travel on a certain day of the week, the airline will oversell flights one day, knowing they have additional flight later that day or the following day. Although this can be very bad for travelers needing to get to their destination on that day, it also has its benefits. Most airlines offer a Bonus Travel Ticket for volunteers who agree to take a later flight. If you have flexible travel plans it can be the perfect incentive. But don't feel sorry for the airlines, they are not losing money on the Bonus Travel Ticket option. Most report that over half of the free tickets they give out never get used.
It may seem an unlikely time to push tourism in the southern portion of our continent, but now more than ever, North American travelers should choose to spend their precious vacation time & money in the Republic of Mexico.
As a frequent Mexico visitor, I’ve never been struck with the flu or a food-bourne illness there. I often ride the bus & I do enjoy street food. I always apply hand sanitizer first, and when available & appropriate, I squeeze a little lime juice into my food or beverage. Did you know that lime juice has antibacterial properties? I have, however, seen other Americans 
get sick after failing to keep their hands out of their mouths. Mexico is not a more germ-ridden place. The normal germs on things like door handles & table tops just proliferate better in the humid, warm climate, like they did in your gym locker. Don’t be afraid, just be careful.
Currently, the exchange rate for pesos to other North American currency is incredibly reasonable. Of course, this contributes to driving down the cost of living in Mexico. Prices are plummeting, saving money for travelers, but Mexican nationals need you to spend it so much more than North American & European travel markets do. In a conversation I had recently with a Mexican cab driver, he revealed that due to the recent flu related travel restrictions, his monthly income had dropped from 13,000 to 8,000 pesos. This was a significant hardship for him, a parent putting a child through college. Many restaurant & hospitality staffers also told me about major decreases in their work hours & tip earnings due to the reduced tourism. Difficult times for these young adults, many of whom support children or elderly parents. US news agencies also report reductions in income sent home to Mexican families from relatives working abroad.
Beginning Memorial Day weekend, in the Pacific Coast town of Puerto Vallarta, I lived extravagantly off of 3,000 pesos for about 5 days. Bought groceries, restaurant meals, street food, drinks at the bar & souvenirs from vendors. Paid cash only. Didn’t use my debit card once. According to my bank, this withdrawal was for $228 USD. Much, much less than I spend in a week on these items in the States. My lodgings were booked through VRBO, where I scored an amazing condo for $390 USD for 6 nights because rental rates are dropping. If you’ve ever stayed in even a mid-priced hotel, you know this is a ridiculously low price, and it included a rooftop swimming pool, balcony, k
itchen, & was a single block from the beach. Also enjoyed PV Restaurant Week, where gourmet 3 course meals were priced between 179 – 299 pesos at top eateries throughout the city. As you can see, great values are abundant. So please, when planning upcoming trips, consider the wonderful cities & kind people of Mexico. They look forward to your visit much more than the amusement parks attendants and motel employees of the US do. FP 
