Tag: retirement

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Colombia’s Otherworldly Cathedral of Salt

We ventured 2 ½ hours south of Bogota to the Salt Cathedral, the “First Wonder of Colombia.”  The Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá is an underground Roman Catholic Church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 660 feet underground inside a  mountain near the city of Zipaquirá, Colombia. It’s a huge tourist destination and a popular pilgrimage spot.

This massive subterranean cathedral is truly spectacular, with dramatic lighting, sculptures, light shows, Gregorian Chants and choir music, a mining tour, an underground mall, and even a train. Following the Stations of the Cross is a fascinating experience. The eerie combination of otherworldly and touristy is not to be missed!

We paid about $40 for the entry fee, plus the cost for the tour guide who drove us through the mountains.

Salt cathedral image
Salt cathedral image
Salt cathedral image
Salt cathedral image
Salt cathedral image
Salt cathedral image

Info:

Salt Cathedral Info
Map

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Madrid’s Astounding Royal Palace (Palacio Real)

No trip to Madrid is complete without a visit to the Palacio Real, or Royal Palace, a stunning structure that has more than 3,000 rooms, most of them embellished with gold. Bob’s camera is unusually tilted during this video, so try not to get dizzy!

Entrance tickets cost 12 euros for Lisa, half price for Bob as a senior. (There are some advantages!)

It’s hard to describe the beauty. You’ll have to watch to see!

Info

Madrid Tourism
Palacio Real
Map

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Lisbon: Boat Tour on the Tagus River

Lisbon’s lovely Tagus River beckoned, so of course Bob hopped on a boat! He was a little underwhelmed.

It was a fine tour, nothing spectacular. Bob enjoyed a relaxing couple of hours seeing Lisbon’s main monuments, such as the 25th of April Bridge, Praça do Comércio, and the Tower of Belém, among many others. The one-and-a-half-hour round-trip tour cost 26 euros, or about $28 US. You can also choose to go just one way for less.

We don’t recommend it if your time in Lisbon is short.

Info:

Portugal
Lisbon
Tagus River Boat Tour

Map

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A Mexican Mega-Resort Experience, Part 3: Even More Vidanta

Want to feel like you’re rich and famous? Come with us on Part 3 of our tour of a Mexican mega-resort, the luxurious Vidanta Nayarit on the west coast of Mexico.

We’ll tour more of enormous Vidanta, including La Cantina, Gong, and other restaurants; the Grand Bliss; the Mayan Palace; walking on the boardwalk pathways that connect the resort; the Plaza marketplace that carries everything you need (groceries, bakery, froyo, flip flops, sunglasses), and everything you don’t ( gourmet chocolate, jewelry); the Sanctuario entertainment hub; and many other parts of this breathtaking resort.

Want to see what you missed? Part 1 took us from arrival at Puerto Vallarta Airport, through transit to the resort, and the check-in experience. 

In Part 2, we took an early morning tour of Vidanta’s Grand Mayan Hotel and beyond, including breakfast, restaurants, beach, pools, fitness center, a lazy river, and the sky dream gondola. Soak up the lifestyle of the rich and famous! 

Thanks for joining us on this three-part tour of this Mexican mega-resort!

INFO

Vidanta Resort
Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta

Map

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A Mexican Mega-Resort Experience, Part 2: More Vidanta

When we bought a fractional ownership at Vidanta Resort in Mexico, we had no idea the world of luxury we would soon encounter. We’re a middle-class family, not accustomed to the perks of the super-rich that we find at Vidanta. If you’re like us, you’ll enjoy taking me take a three-part tour of this Mexican mega-resort, and spend a few minutes feeling like one of the rich and famous.

In this Part 2 of our Mexican Mega-Resort Experience series on the Messy Suitcase travel channel, we’ll take an early morning tour of Vidanta’s Grand Mayan Hotel and beyond, including breakfast, restaurants, beach, pools, fitness center, a lazy river, and the sky dream gondola. Soak up the lifestyle of the rich and famous!

Part 1 took us from arrival at Puerto Vallarta Airport, through transit to the resort, and the check-in experience. 

Part 3 – coming soon! – will feature a tour of more of the enormous Vidanta, including La Cantina, Gong, and other restaurants; the Grand Bliss; the Mayan Palace; walking on the boardwalk pathways that connect the resort; the Plaza marketplace that carries everything you need (groceries, bakery, froyo, flip flops, sunglasses), and everything you don’t ( gourmet chocolate, jewelry); the Sanctuario entertainment hub; and many other parts of this breathtaking resort.

INFO

Vidanta Resort
Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta

Map 

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Arriving in Lisbon

It’s Messy Suitcase’s first visit to Portugal, and Bob is traveling alone! He plans to spend a few days in Lisbon courtesy of a layover opportunity through TAP Air Portugal.

Because his flight landed at 530 AM, Bob stowed his luggage in Lisbon through an app called Bounce so he could explore the city before he checked into his Airbnb. He discovered amazing tilework in the cobblestones, plazas, parks, the Marques de Pombal statue, Avenida Libertad, and a lot of truly brilliant architecture.

Of course, he hopped onto the Hop On Hop Off Bus and gave us his impressions from the top of the HOHO. He got on the first one of the day, and found it to be a great way to get oriented to the city despite jetlag.

PHOTOS

INFO

Bounce app
Lisbon Tourism
MAP

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A Mexican Mega-Resort Experience, Part 1: Arrival at Vidanta

When we bought a fractional ownership at Vidanta Resort, we had no idea about the world of luxury we would soon find ourselves wrapped in. Two ordinary, middle-class people who allowed ourselves to get sucked into the timeshare game, we are not accustomed to valets transporting our luggage to our room, or giant soaking bathtubs in our bathrooms, or massive fitness centers, or luxury spas, incredible swimming pools, a lazy river outside the door, or countless other perks of the super-rich that we find at Vidanta.

Come take a three-part tour of a Mexican mega-resort, and spend a few minutes feeling like one of the rich and famous.

Part 1 takes us from arrival at Puerto Vallarta Airport, through transit to the resort, and the check-in experience.

Part 2 takes us on an early morning tour of the Grand Mayan and beyond, including breakfast, restaurants, beach, pools, fitness center, a lazy river, and the sky dream gondola

Part 3 takes us on a tour of more parts of enormous Vidanta, including La Cantina, Gong, and other restaurants: the Grand Bliss, the Mayan Palace, walking on the pathways, the Plaza marketplace that carries everything you need (groceries, bakery, froyo, flip flops, sunglasses),and everything you don’t ( gourmet chocolate, jewelry), the Sanctuario entertainment hub, and many other parts of the resort.

Watch for Parts 2 and 3, coming soon. Enjoy!

Info

Vidanta Resort
Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta

Map

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Charco El Pilón: River Hiking and Waterfall Swimming

The remarkable hike to and from Charco El Pilón in Puerto Rico’s Maricao State Forest is a challenging rocky, muddy 2 ½-mile scramble along — and often through — the “El Chorote” branch that arrives at the El Pilón stream. The forest is lush and shady, and the terrain is hilly and challenging. The payoff is a spectacular waterfall and swimming hole.

You’ll find the trailhead at the end of Route 362, high in the mountains in San Germán, Cabo Rojo, on the southwestern corner of the island. You can park in front of road barriers or alongside the road. The well-maintained trail immediately, just to the left of a little house, takes you down and then up a steep hill, and it’s game on!

Charco El Pilón is a 30-foot-high waterfall with a deep, clear pool beneath, perfect for swimming in (we kept our shoes on).

Here are a few tips to enhance your experience:

·        Start early to avoid the crowds and get a good parking spot. We encountered a guided group of at least 50 people on our way back.
·        Bring lots of water.
·        Wear a swimsuit!
·     Wear shoes with a good grip that you can get wet! I wore Hoka trail running shoes that drained easily and could be washed afterward. Bob wore hiking boots, which were more of a challenge to get clean.

We went with our friends Juan and Rose Marie, who provided some of the photos below, including the title image!

Enjoy Photos

Info

Puerto Rico Day Trips
All Trails Description
All Trails – our hike

Map (Trailhead)

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Ponce Art Museum: After the Earthquake

Many have told us about the outstanding quality of the Ponce Art Museum (Museo de Arte), but two large earthquakes in January 2020 changed all that, when the main building was badly damaged and closed. They finally reopened a section of the museum this year, and we decided to check it out!

After the earthquakes, the Museum displayed items at its gallery in San Juan, and took to the streets with workshops to shelters and schools. When COVID hit, it expanded its digital platform. Now it’s gradually opening again while raising funds to repair the earthquake damage.

The museum still has very limited offerings, though we really enjoyed what we saw. It costs just $6 to get in, half price for seniors. Free guided tours are conducted at 10 AM (Spanish) and 1 PM (English).

Photos

(Note: Ponce is pronounced POHN-say.)

INFO

Museum website
Santurce Gallery
Status of reconstruction

MAP

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Stupid Drunk and Happy in Puerto Vallarta: Tasting Tequila at Oscar’s Destilería

We stumbled upon a tequila micro-distillery right next to the Pacific Ocean, on the grounds of Restaurant Oscar’s, while we were just bopping around Puerto Vallarta.  Blue agave plants and silver barrels beckoned us with the promise of a chance to try Jalisco’s specialty, tequila.

This is how they describe it on their website:

“Embark on a sensory adventure with our Mexican Distilled Spirits Tasting experience, where tradition, craftsmanship, and flavor converge in a symphony of delightful notes. Explore the rich cultural heritage of Puerto Vallarta through an expertly curated selection of premium distilled spirits that capture the essence of this vibrant country. Indulge in an unforgettable journey through the heart and soul of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico with our Mexican Distilled Spirits Tasting.”

We got a very thorough tour and tasting experience from a guide whose name Lisa unfortunately forgot. After giving us a quick history of how tequila used to be made and explaining how it’s distilled now, our guide even taught us how to drink it.

There were more types of tequila than we have seen anywhere else, including passion fruit, kiwi, coffee, vanilla, guanabana, and even one he described as “The Baby Maker” because it makes you “feel like a donkey from the waist down.”

He was so funny, we walked away with an expensive bottle in our hands and stupid smiles on our faces.

Info

Destilería de Oscars 

Map

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