WanderLust

It was my wife’s birthday and like every year I was on a mission to find the perfect gift. Unfortunately this year, we both did not have the day off; we kind of did some small, kept it in the family. Bummer. I don’t lead a boring life and although we live in NYC, I was going to surprise her the next day with a trip to the west coast, San Francisco.

Now, the flight from JFK to SFO is not your typical short flight, it’s usually about six hours long so be prepared. It’s almost as long as any trip across the pond to Europe; London, Paris, and definitely past Iceland. Unless you flying business or First class, pack something to munch on, a pillow for your neck and some entertainment like an iPad or laptop.

The plan was to land in SFO, drive to Napa Valley for some wine tasting, have a nice lunch, drive back to explore the city of San Francisco and jet back to NYC. All of these in just under 12 hours. So we had to get plenty of rest on the plane. Fortunately, the flight was half empty, with plenty of seats in the back so it was easy to move around, pick a row of 3 seats, stretch and pass out. Oh, and it was also quiet too, not as chaotic as the “soul plane” I took about five days ago from Atlanta to Las Vegas: “ghettoest” flight ever. I chose to stay in my assigned window seat with my wife napping on my left shoulder. I did not want to miss the majestic view of the Rocky Mountains as we flew over the state of Denver. The crew was very polite, which as every frequent flyer knows is always a plus.

I picked up the rental car as soon as we landed, the attendant suggested that we stopped by Vista Point, which was just off the Golden Gate bridge. Here, you could see a panoramic view of the city of San Francisco and Alcatraz. It’s a great location to take lots of photos and also a nice recreation spot. About an hour later, we headed back on the freeway, further north to Sonoma/ Napa Valley.

This was a great scenic route, one could see the hills littered with lots of livestock such as cattle. As you get closer to Napa, you begin to see the vineyards, which stretched for miles as far as the eyes could see. It was absolutely gorgeous.

Plan ahead as most wineries are open from 10 am to 5pm. Also make sure you are well prepared with a map of the region as there are a couple of vineyards, on both sides of the road. Wine tasting usually goes for $15/ person, some wineries have complimentary tasting while others offer 2 for 1. Whichever one you stop by, it will be a memorable experience. We had a blast and ended up our day tour at Sutter Home. We drove back to San Francisco and since we had a few hours before the “red – eye” back to NYC, we stopped by downtown San Francisco and Fisherman’s Wharf. If you love seafood, Fisherman’s wharf is a paradise. Fresh sea on every block, you could almost taste it in the air. We had a few bites here and there, then started on the long journey back home.

So I’m in Vegas for my anniversary and for the first time decided to stay on the end of the strip, specifically Circus Circus. Now I’m thinking it’s family friendly, I just might want to bring the kids back here sometime.

But oh no. First of, my room is not in the main hotel, it’s in one of the Manors. After going to the middle of the strip to have dinner like I always do here in Vegas, I get back to my room to kick back and relax.

First thing I notice is that the carpet is old and stale, smells like candied yams soaked in vomit. Towels in the bathroom are dingy, I won’t advise no one to use them. And the cherry on top, I have no remote for the 1992 silver Phillips grey tube tv. Where they do that at? Of all my stays in a hotel, this is by far the worse. Housekeeping just stopped by with a remote, but that one doesn’t even work either. As I write this, am still in the room, staring at a blank tv tube, waiting for my remote….

My flight touched down at about 730am, and it was still dark out. Conversations with the crew about how the city of light was still asleep, as we all looked out the window. It hadn’t yet dawned on me that I was already in a different time zone because back home in NYC, it was just past my bedtime.

I exited the airport, and took the RER to the city center. I have never seen rush hour like that, it brought back memories of my trip to Beijing, China, about a year ago.

Parisians during rush hour

Texting Away

Now the transportation system in Paris is pretty easy and one should be able to navigate around the city without any degree of difficulty. All you need is a map of the trains, and then connecting to your final destination. One word of caution, beware of your immediate surroundings at all times because there are pick pockets swarming the metro (train station/ subway). During my last visit, I actually saw a wallet that was probably stolen from a victim, tossed in the corner at one of the stations.

I was in Paris last April, when the sun was shining, flowers blooming and the weather was gorgeous. On this occasion, it was a cloudy and rainy. Being that I had just about 24 hours to spend, I had to get a lot done in a little time. Unfortunately, due to the rain, I had to stay indoors for most of the day.

At about 4 pm, I left my hotel room to visit one of my favorite streets in Paris; Boulevard Saint – German. I had a late lunch at the very chic Latin Quarters neighborhood. I love coming here, so many young people dining, drinking and just passing by. There’s something for everyone here, pricey cafes with bad food, and affordable ones with good food. You be the judge of that. If you love to drink, make sure to find bars/ pubs with more “hours” in their happy hour.

Cafe Mabillon

Museo de Louvre

Notre Dame

Light Much

For the most part, Parisians are very nice to visitors, although I have heard the contrary from some not so fortunate tourists. You are most likely to be greeted by a “bonjour” that to be called a “freaking tourist.” Anyways, the alcoholic beverages here are pretty decent, and service is too.

Leffe

Gotta have a Guinness

I remember my very first flight, from Lagos, Nigeria to New York, NY; approximately 11 hours, half of which was over the Atlantic Ocean.

I could barely sit still, and of course I sat in coach. I was a little ”air-sick” for most of the duration of the flight, probably from the fear of flying or the speed at which we were going (500mph). But surprisingly, I had enough courage to look out the window, and I saw hundreds of tiny islands, as we flew from the African continent to North America.

It’s been over 8 years, and thousands of miles later, I now have a passion for flying. Like a fellow colleague once said, “I eat turbulence for breakfast” lol. I still love to sit by the window, gazing down at the clouds, water bodies, and landscape.

When you ask most people what they want in life, they usually say, “a nice job, family, house, car and travel.” Well I am fortunate to have most of these coveted wishes specifically the “travel” part of it. I’ve been to so many different countries in the course of two seasons than most people will ever visit in their lifetime. I love my job and my passion to meet and discover new cultures fuel my spontaneous trips.

Follow my blog as I endeavor on a journey to touch all the corners of the world, one city at a time, usually in a span of 48 hours or less. Bringing you sights and sounds of different places, people and culture.

Next stop: 2nd time in Paris.

Beijing is the capital of mainland China with a population of over 19 million. It’s a city that is rich in culture and history. Most flights arrive around midnight, so getting from the airport (Peking capital, PEK) to the city requires a taxi ride. The ride from PEK to the city is approximately 50 minutes, and costs 60 Yuan. The other alternative is by bus, which is 16 Yuan.

I stayed in the business district Xichen Zhang, getting around throughout my stay was usually by taxi. Of course, there was a language barrier as most of the inhabitants did not speak English, I got around the city by taking one cab after another, constantly pointing to my destination on one of the 3 different maps I had with me.

Nonetheless, visiting Beijing was a unique experience, the people, culture and food. My favorite landmark was the Great Wall, which spans over 4000 miles. I toured the Badaling section of the wall. One could make a reservation, get picked and dropped off at the hotel.

Typical green and yellow taxi in Beijing

Dense fog in the AM

Mode of transportation includes bicycles and rickshaws

Woman and daughter’s early commute

Metro ride costs 2 Yuan each

Rush Hour

Shopping in Beijing involves replicas of high fashion pieces

Nightlife in the city - Susie Wong

Bus ride to Badaling section of the Great Wall, numerous vendors trying to sell goods

Bus conductor

Bus tix

Entrance to the wall, includes a mandatory purchase of life insurance, you have been warned lol

It’s a great workout, the stairmaster ain’t got nothing on this

Are you spontaneous? I am. I love to travel, either planned for weeks, or just a last minute hop on a jet. My appetite for adventure is supplemented by an ability to fly. Like Jay-Z said, “I can touch down and take off the same night.” So, where will I be? Let’s just say, I’ve been to Lagos, Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Prague, Milan, Tel Aviv and the list goes on…. Where will I be? A city close to you.