Portugal's Alluring Alentejo Region

You have to give it to those Romans -- they certainly knew how to pick their vacation spots. The Alentejo region in Portugal was considered their favorite. Just an hour from Lisbon, the region has plenty to satisfy my love of everything medieval. But the roads snaking through this region are to be enjoyed as well: rolling and twisting ribbons that wind past lush olive groves, well-tended vineyards and gnarled cork oak groves. Atop the hilltops, I spied many a fortified whitewashed village to explore.

The Alentejo region, Portugal's largest, has never seen the kind of tourist traffic that flocks to the Algarve or other regions. I've visited the Alentejo many times and have written about it in the print media over the past several years. But now we're seeing an increased interest in the Alentejo with features appearing recently in the New York Times and the Boston Globe.

Here I'll take you to some of my favorite spots in this region that I hope will remain relatively unspoiled:

1. In Castelo de Vide, I wandered the narrow streets that are lined with colorful blooming flowers and discovered the old Jewish Quarter with the oldest synagogue in the country.

2. A former Knights Templar fortress provides spectacular views of the countryside from the 13th century keep in Monsaraz. Here, I walked the schist-lined street flanked by centuries old houses to the Sacred Art Museum to view a lovely 15th century fresco.
3. The walled city of Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has something for everyone, from foodies to history buffs. Some of the most striking sights include a 16th century aqueduct and a Roman temple that has survived, and my favorite: the macabre Capela dos Ossos, a chapel that's entirely constructed from ceiling to floor of human bones. (An appropriate venue to meditate on the frailty of life.)
4. Marvao has one of the best preserved castles in the country where I wandered the battlements, towers and vast courtyards.
5. It's easy to spend the entire day in Serpa that's noted for its array of museums. The Watch Museum displays more than 1,000 time pieces, an Ethnographic Museum provides exhibits of equipment used in regional occupations, from shoemakers to blacksmiths, and the Archeological Museum has artifacts that date to the Stone Age. Serpa is also well known for its cheese production. In fact, I visited several artisanal producers and tasted the queijao de Serpa.

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Wandering in Turkey's Cappadocia Region

I've posted quite a bit about my adventures in Turkey, including Istanbul, Bozcaada Island and Kas. Perhaps one of my most atmospheric journeys in Turkey was walking and hiking in the Cappadocia region. Typically, visitors sign up with a tour group that either drives from village to village hopping off at key sites or they take a hike with a large group that wanders through some of the most popular valleys. Still others take to the skies, floating over the land in multi-colored hot air balloons. Others stroll the trails on their own, hoping to soak up the atmosphere with no particular agenda in mind and probably also missing some historically significant but off-the-radar sights. But traveling with Walking Mehmet is perhaps the most authentic way of learning about this area with its cave-carved churches, monasteries and chapels with curious monoliths termed fairy chimneys adding to the exotic aura of this area.
I recently wrote about my day of Zen-like hiking in this area on National Geographic Traveler's Intelligent Travel blog.http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/16/mindfully_meandering_in_turkey/

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Birds and Botanicals in Bermuda

I found plenty to keep me active in Bermuda that's known for its pastel-colored houses and tidy hedge-rimmed English gardens. But after walking the narrow streets of St. George's where 17th century buildings and a sense of British colonial history abounds, and then exploring the hidden coves and the soft pink sand of Horseshoe Bay, I sought out more leafy venues for walking, hiking and biking. That way I could learn about Bermuda's flora, including the endemic, as well as check out the bird species, because I heard that Bermuda is a great place for birding, almost year round. In the fall, in particular, Bermuda is the place where migratory birds rest on their way from Canada to South America. In addition, birders delight in spotting the rare petrel that was though to be extinct for hundreds of years.

1. Eighteen miles of rail bed once traversed by the Bermuda railroad (up until the late 1940s) have been converted to the Railway Trail. This path skirts the coastline, passes traditional manor houses and winds through woodlands, fields and a palmetto forest. Walk or bike even part of this secluded trail. You'll be far from any street traffic -- the trail meanders along the coast at times, at other points you'll be under a canopy of foliage and pass old manor houses. Just be aware that it's westernmost part that's the easiest: relatively flat and mostly paved. And, to get the most out of your journey, try to pick up the Bermuda Railway Trail Guide available from the tourism offices on the island.

2. Spittal Pond has 60-some acres of unspoiled wilderness (actually protected wetlands) where you can bird watch - this green space is especially good to catch migratory birds -- or hike on densely canopied trails. (This green space may be the best birding spot in Bermuda). Nature or mystery lovers alike will delight in a trek through this woodland. Aside from herons, flamingos and other waterfowl, on your walk past cedar trees, ponds and along the coast, you'll find a giant stone "checkerboard" believed to be formed by water erosion and a plaque at Spanish Rock with cryptic inscriptions. The latter is said to offer the oldest piece of evidence for the island's habitation: Spanish sailors are said to have landed here in the 16th century.


3. In Paget Marsh you'll find two dozen acres dense with palmetto and cedar forests that exists much as it did before settlers first arrived. Here you can wander the boardwalk that courses past grasslands and mangroves and expect to find plenty of bird life, such as king fishers, warblers and great egrets, and maybe even a giant toad.

4. Hog Bay Park is almost 40 acres of expansive forest, farm land and coastal property that sports undulating trails where you can take in the panoramic scenery from a hilltop -- providing maybe one of the best viewpoints in Bermuda. This park has an amazing array of birding possibilities, with more than 100 different species spotted, including purple finches and olive-sided flycatchers. After all the trail hopping, you can cool off at the shore whether by snorkeling or swimming.


5. Allspice and cedar trees are clustered on the landscape that's home to Warwick Pond, one of the island's largest freshwater ponds and a key site for bird life, both migratory and resident. Here you can meander on trails that wind past fields, marshes and, of course, plenty of woodland.


6. The Bermuda Botanical Gardens is hardly a wild locale but still worth a visit. Set on some 36 acres where the aromas are intoxicating, the garden is home to than 1,000 varieties of plant life, from frangipani to a giant banyan tree.


During your stay in Bermuda, if you'd rather hike with a group, check out the Walking Club of Bermuda that offers six-mile hikes or so with routes that change weekly.

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More Packing Tips

I've posted and guest posted quite a bit on my ultra-light packing tips making it possible for me never to check luggage when I'm flying. Whether I'm on the road a week or 7 weeks, everything goes in one Mountainsmith carry-on backpack and a Mountainsmith fanny pack. But, curiously, when I'm in my home turf, my ultra-light packing plans fall by the wayside. Unlike many writers, I don't work at home or in an office. I'm kinda the itinerant journalist, writing, researching and doing interviews in all manner of venues, from cafes and coffee shops to parks, gardens, libraries and other locales that allow for lots of natural light (a key criteria for me).

As a result, I carry around my laptop, and all my notes, notebooks, and research materials in a small but heavy backpack (not a Mountainsmith) and a large shoulder bag plus an addition portfolio (which might be a fed ex pouch) stuffed with more materials. The latter became quite problematic a few months ago when I inadvertently left it near an umbrella stand in a vegetarian restaurant while I ate lunch with friends. It turned out the manager thought it was a bomb -- no joke, that's what he said -- so he placed it outside next to the building's facade in a garbage can! (I was able to retrieve it.)
This all being said, it was time to check out some new baggage options for my jaunts around New York City. Enter Keen, the company that makes my favorite shoes that go on all my trips and are perfect for biking, light hiking, kayaking and walking around town. They sent me a messenger (sling) bag -- the Pearl -- to check out. Here's what I found:

This week, I tested this messenger-type bag because I had a lot of networking and workshop events, some all day and others at night, that required me to walk around a trade show floor and meet and greet a ton of people while collecting their business cards, giving them mine, taking notes of our meetings and then running to the next meeting or cocktail party where I had to transform into the non-itinerant journalist who would be sipping a glass of Chardonnay at, among other places, the Norwegian Consul General's residence here in Manhattan.

The Pearl was perfect. When I slung it across my back, I found a zipper compartment -- great for pens, business cards and small notebooks -- on the left side of the pack (on my back side) but easily accessible while it was still on my back. And, the location prohibited any subway thieves from infiltrating this pocket. Quite an accomplishment. In addition, I stuffed my cell phone into the mesh stretch pocket along the strap, making it also very easy to grab.

On the right back side of the pack was an additional small zipper that afforded access to the pack interior. Perfect for when I needed to remove my digital camera. Again, I didn't even have to remove the pack to accomplish this. The pack itself allowed me to stuff two additional sweaters, and plenty of notes and research materials. Yet, instead of looking overstuffed, the Pearl presented a very slim image. I could easily sit down to meet with clients and feel comfortable with the pack still slung across my back. It felt light as a feather (it weighs just over a pound) -- what a welcome change for me. And the day when I did need my laptop and some additional materials, interestingly the strap on the pack is so adjustable that I could sling it over my backpack and it all fit together perfectly!

The interior of the pack contains two additional mesh zippered pockets, one with a carabiner that was perfect for attaching my keys. (No more searching at the bottom of my overloaded bag for the missing keys.) Additionally, it's eco-friendly: the Pearl is made from recycled materials -- even the rubber is recycled.

I'm not saying this small bag takes the place of the load of luggage I normally tote around the city. But, on those days when I need to look trim for a frenzied set of day activities or for evening cocktail networking events, I'll look to the Pearl. It also makes for a fine overnight or weekend bag for that quick trip out of the city. I'm definitely bringing it as my only bag for the Thanksgiving holidays I'm going to spend with friends in Virginia.

I can't wait to wear it in the summer when I want a breathable bag on my back that won't lead to excess sweating as I run all over the city. The Pearl has a nice mesh and foam back side that looks like it'll be quite comfy in the sweltering August heat.

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Radio Show: Unexpected Findings in Macau

I've posted and guest posted quite a bit recently on my travels in Macau and all of the unexpected treasures, whether it was a cutting edge art gallery exhibition in a colonial-style building, or a secluded garden or a hiking track that's smack in the middle of the city, but feels quite remote. Recently, Pat Boyle at the Travel Show on KPAM 860 radio in Portland, Oregan interviewed me on Macau.


I'd like to share with you some of the many curiosities I found, including a museum exhibit of caskets and tombstones reserved for prize-winning crickets (from the heyday of betting on cricket fighting); a hilltop summit that's home to a centuries-old fort, chapel and lighthouse (the oldest on the China coast); and a jogging path where quite a few of the locals jog on a sweltering day barefoot. Listen to this radio interview and you'll see why I fell in love with Macau, a place that has something for everyone, including those gastronomes or oenophiles in your group.

You can listen to my interview on Macau by clicking on the audio player below:

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Portugal Travel Tips

When people find out that I've visited Portugal six times in the past three years, they often wonder what is so enticing about this Western European country. So many people that I know who travel all over the world somehow have missed up on visiting Portugal. And, those who do make it to Portuguese shores, end up just spending a day or so in Lisbon, the capital.
Emily S. Gerson wanted to know what I love about Portugal and how I'd advise others to enjoy one of my favorite countries. Her interview with me appears on her blog Maiden Voyage. There are plenty of tips that can help you plan your itinerary along with hidden treasures galore. Whether you're an oenophile or a gastronome, someone who enjoys hiking in leafy forests or delights in a sense of history, you'll find it in Portugal.

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Wild & Wonderful Jamaica

I'm always on the hunt for authentic experiences and I found it in Jamaica in Port Antonio, a wildly lush land defined by the rugged Blue Mountains in the northeastern sector of the island.

1. Most visitors would probably choose a hotel or inn beside a golden sand beach. Instead, my base was an inn that sat atop a high hill and required driving along narrow winding roads that climbed steeply up the hillside. But it was all worth it. Staying at Jamaica Heights Resort is like bedding down in a botanical garden. The property is littered with red ginger, bougainvillea, wild orchids and hundreds of other botanical delights. It's a low-key, economical establishment where we had panoramic views of the mists coating the tall Blue Mountains. One of the cottages was my favorite: it's got expansive views on all sides so that you look out over Port Antonio right from your bed.


2. We boarded a small boat for nearby Navy Island -- it's officially closed to the public but that didn't stop us -- that was once owned by actor Erroll Flynn who entertained many a celeb guest here. On this little leafy hideaway with the faded ruins of his mansion, we walked through shallow waters from a protected harborside beach where there was some good swimming, to oceanside white sands that were backed with mangrove trees. We had the place to ourselves until a few snorkelers showed up.


3. I'm always up for walking and hiking and found the Swift River Valley provided a perfect venue for scenic treks. Here I found the land thick with cocoa, coffee, grapefruit and guava trees. Walking through the eponymous hamlet beside the trailhead, we spotted freshly-caught crayfish for sale. Further along, locals were fishing for mullet and trout in the adjacent river.
4. Everywhere we ventured in Port Antonio we marveled at the different hued waters. In the case of the Blue Lagoon of Brooke Shields fame, we found jade-colored deep waters. This couldn't be a more perfect place for a placid swim in a amphitheater lush with palms, almond trees and ferns.

5. One of our best lunches was at Winnifred Beach, a swath of sand where shacks sold chicken feet and boiled corn and an old Rastafarian practiced his yoga postures. My fave restaurant was plenty informal. Owned by Cynthia and Painter, this eatery served up large portions of freshly-caught snapper and lobster along with pumpkin and plantains.

6. Another culinary find is Dawn's Bar, a roadside stand in the seaside village of Manchioneal. Their seafood can't be beat -- we ordered the conch soup with crayfish and sweet roasted doctor fish stuffed with okra.
7. You can't leave Port Antonio without walking, hiking and taking a dip at Reach Falls. There are plenty of pools to take a dip. Along the way, we walked barefoot in the shallow river and along the parallel trail half a mile upstream, passing mini-waterfalls and plenty of foliage, including heliconia, and ferns.
8. Another activity that is synonymous with Port Antonio is a river rafting trip down the Rio Grande River. This was no ordinary raft, however. We sat in a 30-foot-long bamboo raft piloted by Captain Bell, a river veteran who once took Errol Flynn's guests rafting. For seven miles, we cruised through a serene landscape with great blue herons, vine-covered trees, shore-side boulders and towering cliffs.

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Radio Show: Adventuring in Israel

Though I've posted extensively on my trips to Israel, Pat Boyle at the Travel Show on KPAM 860 radio in Portland, Oregon recently interviewed me on that country as a venue for cool adventure travel.

And, surprisingly, even savvy travelers don't associate Israel with mountain biking, hiking, skiing and scuba diving. Listen to my take on the subject and I'm sure you'll come away with an entirely new view of this country.

You can listen to my interview on Israel by clicking on the audio player below:

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More than Mummies in Mexico's Guanajuato

The old colonial town of Guanajuato, Mexico is one unique city, that's for sure. And for someone like myself who has what I terma geographic dyslexia -- no matter where I travel, once I leave my hotel, I'm always a bit lost even when carrying an array of maps -- this town with its narrow cobbled lanes and alleyways that twist and turn in myriad ways presented a challenge. But that's fine, because Guanajuato has plenty of charm and surprises to boot.

Probably the biggest surprise was the Museo de Los Momias or Mummy Museum. It seems the minerals in the soil and the inherent dry air helped preserve the dead. But these more than 100 mummies that are on full display within glass cases are not all neatly wrapped as you might expect from ancient mummies you've heard about in Egypt. No, these leather-skinned mummies are sometimes naked, sometimes in their now-tattered funeral clothing displaying smiling, somewhat placid or gruesome facial expressions. As someone who gets frightened in Friday the 13th or other horror movies, the exhibit had a high freak factor for me. But that doesn't stop many local parents from bringing their kids who don't seem to have a problem with the displays of mummies of all ages and in all degrees of decomposition. Nonetheless, it was definitely worth the visit, more because how often do you see this sort of display. Plus, you can walk away with a mummy t-shirt or a piece of mummy candy sold outside. It's a great conversation starter.

The museum is just outside this vibrant university town which couldn't be more atmospheric. Guanajuato, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a maze of streets lined with dwellings that bear carved wooden doors, handpainted tile walls and wrought iron balconies. Soft pastel- and hot pink-painted houses hug the hillsides in this town that's nestled in a rugged river gorge. No wonder there are so many steep streets, some bearing staircases.

During the day, Guanajuato warrants strolling and relaxing. And my favorite stop was the Jardin de la Union, a tree-shaded plaza surrounded by flowers in the heart of the city that's perfect for people watching, dining in one of the outdoor cafes, listening to a mariachi-type band or sipping a glass of wine.

Another favorite activity of mine was wandering the steep path to the Pipila monument high above the town. At this hillside plaza, I had panoramic views of the boldly-painted houses that dot the terraced hillside as well as views of the rugged Sierra Madre mountains.

With all the miniscule streets, it's only natural that the town boasts an interesting legend behind the Alley of the Kiss, a mere two-foot-wide alley. It's said that two lovers who lived across the alley but were forbidden to meet were able to kiss from their respective houses.

And wandering at night is also a perfect activity when the old-fashioned street lamps are lighted along the winding lanes where you might see troubadours dressed in traditional garb.

I wish I were in Guanajuato over the next couple of weeks when the town plays host to the Cervantino, a festival of art, dance, music, theater, and other performances. It's held every October and this year it focuses in on the 400th anniversary of Galileo.

But of everything I experienced in Guanajuato, my most memorable was staying at La Casa de Los Espiritus Alegras where the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition is alive and well and fun. Everywhere I looked I found something unexpected: hand towels wrapped with a cord decorated with hand-painted skulls, a dresser topped with a ceramic red devil and a sax-playing skeleton hanging above the kitchen stove. This inn is like a museum, thanks to the folk art and other crafts that the owners collected both from every state in Mexico, as well as their journeys to India. For example, the Raj Majal suite with its antiques and embroideries transports guests to India, while Nagual is decorated with animal mask -- appropriate given that the room takes its name from the word for the animal spirit that inhabits all of us.

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