Category: Guest Posts

After spending two wonderful weeks in Guayabitos, Mexico with my Earnshaw family, the day had finally come. I had been dreaming of visiting the famous city of Medellin, Colombia for some time, and I had finally decided that this would be the year.

To say I was a bit nervous would be an understatement for sure. This was the first time I would do a solo trip. My sister-in-law, Karen, sets up the entire trip for me when we go to Mexico or Cuba. All I have to do is grab my suitcase for follow everyone else.

Karen re-assured me that I could navigate the big airports myself, no problem. Plus, I  had my cousin, Jody, waiting on the other end to greet me when I landed in Medellin. That was a huge comfort as arriving at 22:30 was daunting. Hell, it would have been scary even in the daylight.

Things did not start out as planned, which I‘ve learned is part of travel. My flight from Puerta Vallarta to Mexico City was three hours late, which caused me to miss the connection to Medellin. I was very stressed about spending the night in Mexico City, but the airline assured me that tomorrow I would get to Medellin. They shuttled me to a very nice hotel and gave me vouchers for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning.

The following afternoon, I was back at the airport to wait for the flight. A few hours later I was wowing at the awesome view as we descended into the famous city of Medellin. I knew my stress level would drop considerably as soon as I saw cousin Jody, and there she was.

After a big hug and smiles, she handed me a wad of Colombian pesos and led the way to where the buses back to the city were waiting. A cab ride after dark is not a good idea as too much can go wrong.

Jody had booked a room for me in the same hotel/hostel where she lives. A very nice little apartment type of accommodation with a TV, fan, and the all-important private bathroom.

They don’t rent daily or weekly so I had to pay for a full month, a whole $300CAD, That included wifi, the communal kitchen and everything. Back in Canada you would be lucky to cover two nights for that price.

Meeting Jody’s freinds made me realize that she was pretty much a celebrity in their eyes –the “North American gringa” with the bright red hair. We wouldn’t get very far down the street before bumping into one of her freinds. Then theres would be hugs, the traditional kiss on the cheek and a short chat, before we were on our way again. I could only hope to fit in as well as she does.

I met Alvaro at Andres’s little store, a little convenience shop where you can also pull up a chair and have a drink if you like.

I liked Alvaro right away, A very interesting man, in his early 70’s.

He lived in New York for 12 years and speaks English well. When he returned to Medellin, he became a former big-time food caterer, and his clients included Tata Escobar, Pablo’s wife. A serious car accident left both his legs badly damaged, He lives in the Boston area, the same as Jody.

Mayra is a young very ambitious woman who helped me out big time with my phone problems. She set me up so I was able to stay in touch with family back home in Canada, She is an expert with cell phones, which explains why the electronics store where she works is always busy. Ya, she makes me wish I was about 30 years old again.

Jody’s freind Will —short for Willington – impressed me as soon as I met him, A smart good-looking young guy who speaks very good English. He works for an international company called UPS.

He has the personality and the tech skills to do very well. I was a bit surprised at his monthly wage of about $400USD per month.

Fernando and Hiro are two brothers who run a small streetside restaurant with the best Venezuelan food you could hope to find. You need to make a reservation a couple of days ahead of time and they will cook an awesome Venezuelan meal for you, It costs about $6CAD.  Great guys to sit and visit with as well. Fernando also makes empanadas in the evenings and they are usually sitting outside ready for a visit from their many friends.

I was able to meet Jorge – which translates as George in English. He is a very famous Colombian artist. This was an honour for me because he is a personal friend of Jody’s. His apartment and studio are the entire sixth floor of the apartment building, so it is huge.

His  late wife, Ethel Gilmore, was also a legend and her work covers the walls.  This is not something you will find in any tourist pamphlet anywhere. Although his health is failing, I was able to shake his hand and his personal caregiver, Lidis, gave me a tour of his home and the famous paintings while Jody visited with Jorge.

Then we were introduced to a man named Don Rodrigo, who lived in the same building on the entire 18th floor, He showed us around his beautiful home and I was able to snap some impressive photos from his balcony. The opportunity to meet people like this is quite humbling.

Santa Elena – a town up the mountain — was an interesting place to go on a Sunday afternoon. Its about an hour’s bus ride and costs about one dollar for a ticket. It is a small town that attracts quite a few tourists.

Actually, they were the first ’outsiders’ I had seen since I arrived. Jody doesn’t know any foreigners, which is why she gets to be ‘la gringa.’

We toured the town on foot and sat down at a small bar for a drink. There we watched the locals playing Sunday afternoon soccer, We later found a nice little restaurant and had lunch before heading back down to Medellin.

Another nice little place Jody introduced me to was La Polonesa.

A striking little bar that is famous for salsa dancing between the tables. And the coffee there was very good.

We took a cab to the suburb called El Poblado. This is a place that attracts lots of tourists.  Its obviously a wealthy part of the city judging by the houses and apartments, the price of pretty much everything goes up accordingly as well. Although it was very nice, I would much rather be off the tourist path and back in the Boston area of the city.

Jody introduced me to her freind Alex and I liked him right away, He grew up in the “communa”, a very tough part of Medellin, We had no worries about being safe around Alex and he is a great tour guide.

We went to Parque Arivi with Alex. To get there we had to First, we took the metro train, It is a public transit system which is awesome. Next, it was onto what I called the “sky tram cars”. They are like ski lifts and take you up the side of the mountain over the slum areas of the city, It is probably about three or four kilometers of the jungle before reaching Parque Arivi.

There are a lot of interesting things to check out in this park, so we did lots of walking and admiring the view before we came to a restaurant. It was a pretty hot day, and it was nice to sit and have a drink and just enjoy the view.

As we sat there I couldn’t believe who I was seeing, A young guy named Jordan whom I had met in the airport in Mexico City was walking by with some other people, He didn’t notice me so I yelled,” You gotta be kidding me”. Of course, we laughed and snapped a couple of pics and yakked a bit, and then we were on our way again. What are the chances of that happening?

A few days later we met with Alex again to go to a place called “Communa 13”. This is a slum area made famous by none other than Pablo Escobar. Escobar had one of his headquarters in this communa, and he hired many of his people from there. He also often hid there from the many different sources that were constantly looking for him.

Although the place is attracting alot of guided tours, I would not want to be here alone when the sun goes down. I did see a flashy Colombia hat I liked, so I bought it. Thats when Jody and I noticed Alex admiring a hat with an embroidered semi-truck on the front. We knew he liked it, but it probably wasn’t in his budget, so  I went and bought it for him. He was so happy. We both looked pretty sharp in our new hats.

We also took Alex for Chinese food. The portions were huge and there were plenty of leftovers, so Alex took them home to enjoy a Chinese supper with his mother that night. How good is that?

I wanted to see Alex once more before I left so we arranged to meet at Parque Boston. Alex is a huge soccer fan. He almost made me cry when he presented me with an official jersey of his favorite soccer team. He gave me a hug and said ” mi hermano,” which is Spanish for “my brother” It would be hard to top that moment.

In the Boston area of Medellin where I was staying, I quickly became known as “Primo,” Spanish for “cousin” because of my relationship with Jody. That made me feel good. More than once when I was out on a walk I heard someone call out “Hola Primo” — hello cousin, I felt like I was fitting in with Jody’s friends just fine.

Adela lived in the same building where I was staying in.

She is a very nice Colombian woman who spent several years in the USA. She speaks very good English and loves to excersise and she asked me if I would like to go walking with her, I really enjoyed getting to know her. We went for coffee and spent some time in Parque Boston just enjoying each other’s company.

Jody had arranged Spanish lessons with a teacher by the name of Isabel. Another very nice person. I know my Spanish is pretty limited, but everyone encouraged me, saying i was really learning fast. I didn’t notice it, but I think if I lived in Medelliin for a year, my Spanish would be pretty good.

I was quite impressed with Jody’s ability to communicate in Spanish. If I were at that level, I would be more than satisfied. The toughest part for me is understanding as Spanish is the second-fastest spoken language in the world.

Did I stick out like a tourist? Ya probably, but I did my best to try dress like the locals in jeans, a button-up shirt and running shoes,

I came away with a whole lot of ambition to continue improving my Spanish.  You don’t learn a new language in a few weeks, for sure. In the Boston area of Medellin its pretty rare to see tourists and very few people in this barrio speak English, so it is advisable to know enough Spanish to communicate or have someone with you who can. It makes being there so much easier.

A couple days before I was supposed to leave Jody came down to my room and said, “You wanted adventure. Well, now you’ve got a story” She showed me an email she recieved from the Canadian Embassy, advising against all travel in Columbia for 72 hours.

A group of rebels had announced an armed strike from 06:00 Friday, February 14th to 06:00 Monday, February 17. it was not safe to be out and risk being caught in the middle of a very serious clash between the rebels and the authorities.

Great, so now what? I was supposed to leave on Saturday, February 15th right in the middle of it. Jody’s idea was to talk to the locals and find out how they felt about chancing the bus ride to the airport. She got alot of different opinions, but the general feeling was that it would be safe to try getting to the airport,

Her plan was simple. We would take a cab to the the bus stop at 09:00, by then the buses would have made several trips to the airport. If they were getting through, no problem, If they weren’t, then we go back to the hotel and rebook the flight for Monday.

Turns out they were running so we hopped on the bus and 45 minutes later we were at the airport, It was a huge relief, but I was still worried about Jody getting back safely, which she did.

There were a lot of police and military presence, choppers in the air as well, the airport was not near as busy as it normally would be, but I was there, My flight didn’t leave for several more hours, but I had no problem killing time,

I felt pretty safe as its unlikely there would be any problems at an international airport. From there it was pretty easy, a short flight to the capital city of Bogota, then on to Toronto and then the final leg of the journey to Regina.

Overall it was an amazing trip, and I would — and probably will — go back without a second thought. Some may find it a bit silly that I was so stressed at times, but managing the huge airports, the plane delays and an armed Colombian guerrilla threat was a pretty big accomplishment in my mind, especially on my first solo trip.

I rode bulls when I was young, I practised baseball with a semi-pro team in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, I even fought a bull in Cancun, but this trip ranks highest on my list of awesome experiences.

Other ‘out and about’ photos:

5 Tips for Dealing with Acid Reflux When Travelling

Having lived with acid reflux symptoms for quite a few years I know that sometimes travelling particularly on long haul flights where you don’t know your food options can be quite troublesome or worrying.

Undoubtedly when you are travelling there are a lot of things to consider, particularly for someone with acid reflux. Luckily though if you have minor or even more severe acid reflux with a little preparation beforehand and with a little thought you should be completely fine when travelling.

Below are my top 5 tips on how to deal with acid reflux when travelling from my own personal experiences.

#1 Don’t Overeat

Probably my top tip when travelling is to not overeat. There are a couple of reasons I recommend this. The first reason being that when you eat too much in one sitting it puts more pressure on your stomach and importantly the valve about the stomach. When there is more pressure on this valve means more likelihood of acid reflux which we want to avoid.

The second reason is because when you are eating new foods in airports or on planes it will be often something you are not used to. So eating too much is not the best idea, particularly when you overload the stomach with foods the stomach isn’t familiar with.

#2 Drink Bottled Water

If you drink tap water or water that you aren’t used to this can lead to some possible issues with the stomach. Ideally try to drink only bottled water because this kind of water shouldn’t cause you any problems.

It’s also worth mentioning in certain countries you shouldn’t drink the water at all so it’s worth researching before you leave for your destination if the water is drinkable. Finally I would like to mention avoiding water when you are on the plane is wise, because the water is stored in big tanks which aren’t usually the cleanest – in this case after you pass through security you should buy water that will last you for your whole flight.

#3 Bring Some Medicine

Of course I would recommend to bring medicine with you. Some people with acid reflux will take medicine regularly whereas some will only take some when they have a flair up. What I suggest is having some medicine in both your hand luggage and your main luggage as well. That way if you lose one you will still have medicine. I also recommend bringing at least 50% more medicine that you expect you will need during your travels. This way you will have enough in case you need more no matter what the reason.

One final thing I wanted to mention is if you take a Gaviscon type liquid like me and want to bring some on the plane you can. Just remember you will need it to be stored in clear bottles 100ml or less and kept in a clear transparent bag.

#4 Eat Plain Foods Where Possible

This may seem obvious but try to eat more plain foods when possible. When you are travelling your body will need to adapt to new foods and spices etc. So it’s best to keep them to a minimum at least initially when travelling. The same thing can be said to avoid trigger foods, things like spicy food, fatty foods, chocolate and coffee to name a few.

#5 Order the ‘Bland’ Meal Choice on Longer Flights

When you are travelling on longer flights where meals are provided some airlines provide the option for a bland meal. What a bland meal is, is basically a meal that is plain and doesn’t include spices etc or thing that could worsen acid reflux. They also usually include less preservatives and salt which is an added bonus.

These kinds of meals are basically for people who suffer from acid reflux – it’s usually what I opt for when flying long haul flights.

 

 

DIY Travel Hacks That Will Change How You Pack Forever

Admit it, packing for your trip can be both fun and stressful. It only depends on how you do it to determine which will outweigh the other. This is an integral part of traveling, especially when you’re going to a far off place. At times, you’re going to need to bring a lot of stuff to ensure that your trip will be a comfortable and easy experience. But with that, comes the hassle of fitting them all in your baggage and hoping you don’t break any airport rules. You’d also want all the stuff inside your luggage to be well-maintained by the time you arrive at your destination and open your bags up. 

Just because packing can be challenging doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. It’s all about finding the right ways in bringing along all your necessities and more. Nowadays, there are even all sorts of travel hacks you can do to make packing a whole lot easier. Check some of them out.

Weigh Your Bag With You

The weight of your luggage is one of the strictest limits of all the airport rules. They can also vary from country to country, as well universal limits laid out by international bodies for the safety of world travel. But how can you assure that your luggage doesn’t exceed such? Weigh them together with yourself. If the combination of your weight and that of your bags haven’t reached the limit, you’re good to go. Otherwise, you can always gauge how much to take off to still stay within the aforementioned weight limit.

Zip-locks are Your Bestfriends

At times, you’re going to have to bring liquids that are necessary for your everyday life, regardless of where you are. But this will also lead you to worry about them spilling onto your clothes and other belongings. A surefire way to prevent this from happening is to place all your liquids inside zip-locks. Your perfumes, mouthwash, liquid makeup, and more will stay secure inside these nifty plastic containers. They also won’t take up as much space in your luggage.

Pack some Clothes inside Your Carry-On

You never know what might happen on your flight or wherever you end up on before you reach your destination. You can, however, be prepared for anything. If you suddenly need to change your clothes, for example, packing some inside your carry-on will do wonders. A drink can spill on your outfit or your seatmate might accidentally vomit all over you (it has happened!). Whatever it is, at least having some clothes handy will save you a lot of time and less humiliation on your trip.

Roll Your Clothes

Wherever you go, it’s important that you secure your bag to not lose anything or leave it vulnerable to thieves. But securing your luggage is more difficult if your the bulk of your clothes won’t allow it to close properly. With this in mind, try rolling your garments instead of folding them. doing so can leave a lot of extra space and allows you to bring along as many clothes as you think you need. Ultimately, it’ll also be a lot easier to close your baggage and have it stay closed throughout your flight.

Turn Jackets Inside Out

This hack will certainly help you in your business meetings or elegant affairs you’ll attend overseas. a jacket is a quick and easy wardrobe piece that can turn any outfit instantly dressier and more appropriate for business or more sophisticated events. But how can you avoid it getting wrinkled during your flight? Turn it inside out. This way, the lining is more exposed to external forces that’ll wrinkle the garment. And when you turn it right-side-in again, the outer appearance of the jacker will still look smooth.

Belts Help keep Collars Stiff

When it comes to your inner garments, the most challenging ones are ensuring the quality of your shirts while you travel. You should note that despite any earlier hack, crisp shirts for evening or business attire should not be rolled up. And in order to keep the collars stiff, roll up your belt and place it within the neck area of the garment. This will keep the collar straight, stiff, and you won’t even need to iron it again when you land.

Place Gadgets and Other Fragiles in Between Clothes

If you have an important business meeting overseas and you’re going to need your laptop and other gadgets for it, you have to ensure that they’ll stay safe within your luggage during your flight. One thing you can do is to place them in between your clothes. The more layers there are protecting them, the more they’ll stay safe inside your bags. More than one layer will do for both below and above your gadgets to ensure such safety. But if you pack them in your carry-ons instead, wrap them with the clothes you’ll be bringing along inside the bag.

Always Bring your USB Wire

If you suddenly lose your charger but you really need to charge your phone, your USB wire is all you really need. Certain establishments, particularly in airports and in convenience stores, you can find designated areas wherein you can simply connect your phone to your USB wire and it’ll automatically charge your phone. In your hotel room, you can also connect them through the slots at the back of your TV. As long as you have your wire, you can charge practically anywhere you go within the city.

Store Items inside Old Sunglass Cases

Sometimes, the worst items to pack are the smallest ones. Jewelry, gadgets accessories, and the like. You’d like them to safe and secure inside your bag, but since they’re so small, it’s easy to lose them and you’ll have to ravage throughout all your belongings to find them. But not anymore. If you have old sunglass cases lying around, you can use them to store all your precious. Your earphones will probably benefit the most, as it won’t end up tangled by the time you land on your destination.

Refill Old Toothpase Bottles

Don’t waste your money by buying multiple pairs of toothpaste for your trip. By the end of one, store your empty bottles aside for future use. And when it’s time to travel again, get your normal sized toothpaste (which are usually large) and extract some to put into the stored travel-sized bottles. IT’s easy to do and a lot cheaper than buying a new one altogether.

Don’t let the packing ruin your trip when it hasn’t even officially started yet. These hacks and more will make life much easier for you, both before and during your world travels!

 

Hawaii Capping Uber Surge Pricing: What Does this Mean for the Industry?

Lawmakers in Hawaii delivered a severe blow to the ride-sharing industry with new legislation that puts a cap on “surge pricing.” Honolulu is the first city to restrict how much money ride-sharing companies, such as Lyft and Uber, can charge consumers during times when demand is high. The legislation, officially called Bill 35, prohibits the companies from charging higher rates during rush hour, severe weather, and major events or concerts.

One Councilwoman who voted in favor of the limits, Kymberly Marcos Pine, voiced her concern when sailors from the U.S. Navy were given rates as high as $221 to travel from Pearl Harbor to Waikiki. By comparison, cab fare was only $44 for the same distance. A spokesperson for Uber said that the trip, which never actually occurred, was during an extremely busy time and for a higher priced-tier of rides in the “Uber Select” program instead of the basic rate.

Lyft and Uber both argue that the market shouldn’t be concerned with price gouging because customers know how much the ride costs before they book it so there are no surprises at the end of the trip. A driver for Uber, Michael Goodman, agrees that people don’t want to pay more during busy times, but they see the prices before requesting a ride. 

This pricing model enables Lyft and Uber to encourage more drivers to work during periods of high demand, creating more options while taxicabs are limited by the size of their fleet and drivers available during those hours. Surge pricing was a significant factor in 38 percent of drivers deciding to work during those hours. The incentive increases how many drivers are on the road, reliability, and reduces wait times for customers. Eliminating that incentive for drivers would negate these benefits and lead to less reliable transportation options

Tabatha Chow, senior operations manager for Uber in Hawaii, notes that there hasn’t been a single complaint in the city about the structure of pricing. If the bill passes, innovation decreases and consumers are left with fewer choices for services. Adrian Durbin from Lyft said that if the law passes, customers would have less access to reliable and safe rides that they depend on for their day-to-day activities.

The bill creates an interesting perspective for the ride-sharing industry, but transportation experts don’t foresee other cities implementing similar legislation. A transportation policy expert with experience working at Uber, Pete Gould, stated that price caps were implemented when the concept of ride-sharing was new to the market. Surge pricing presented itself as an issue before Uber and Lyft entered the market with upfront pricing. Customers can see how much a ride costs without experiencing shock when they arrive at their destination and have to pay a fare exponentially higher than they expected. Customers embraced the transparency ride-sharing companies provided.

Both Massachusetts and New York have laws that prevent ride services from increasing rates during natural disasters or states of emergency to protect consumers from price gouging practices. Both companies responded to the legislation by announcing that they have their caps in place for natural disasters, storms, or other emergencies where demand for transportation is high. Cities are moving on and examining other issues related to ride-sharing services such as taxation and the rights of drivers, who are independent contractors and self-employed, to collectively bargain.

 

Gould described the law as an attempt to level the playing field between taxis and ride-sharing services but noted that attempts to do it was taxis failed, and it was unfair to limit consumer choices. He ended by exclaiming that the policy is something that could have been an issue in 2015, but it’s long past that in 2018 and there is no need for debate.

 

Mayor Kirk Caldwell has ten days to sign the bill and make it a law, veto it, or allow it to sit and become law by default without his signature.

Lisa contributes all sorts of content to Deal Meisters, with a special interest in food related topics. A true foodie at heart, in her free time Lisa enjoys cooking, trying new local restaurants, creative writing, and relaxing at the beach.

 

Photo credit to tshein at Flickr.