Boston Public Gardens is a large park located in the heart of downtown Boston. It was built in 1837 and is next to Boston Common, another public park in Boston. As soon as I visited Boston Public Gardens, I immediately fell in love with its beauty. It was so well kept, so green, so lush, so relaxing, so tranquil. I couldn’t stop snapping shots everywhere and at one point, I nearly fell asleep on the grass with a smile still on my face.

Many people come to visit Boston Public Gardens to take a ride on the famous swan boats. A popular attraction at the park is the statue of George Washington. There were so many flowers in the park, but my favourite were the Allium flowers, they were so purple and round – so cute! You can’t forget those cute squirrels too though :)

Boston Public Gardens Video Guide in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Boston Public Gardens Photos in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

About The Thousand Islands (Ontario, Canada & New York, USA)

In late July of 2011, we decided to hit the road and make it to the 1000 Islands (The Thousand Islands). This is an archipelago (cluster of islands) situated in the Saint Lawrence River at the border of Ontario, Canada and New York, USA. It emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario and stretches for 50miles (80km) which makes it perfect for Canadians and Americans to visit and enjoy many of their summer hobbies such as boating, kayaking, fishing, and simply just vacationing in a cottage.

Kayaking through the Thousand Islands

It has gorgeous and serene atmosphere, especially when the water is still. Even when a boat zooms by, it makes small ripples in the water and then its back to stillness is no time. This made it perfect for kayaking which I never knew how much effort it would take! It looks so relaxing to watch, but not AS relaxing to do. Nevertheless, it was still extremely enjoyable. It was my first time kayaking and I was especially tense as I was worried I would tip over (which was silly considering how still the water was).

It was a great work out for my arms and abs and is relaxing if you aren’t as worrysome as myself. The second time I kayak I think I would be more confident so I would be able to take better strides, be a much more efficient kayaker and thus, enjoy it much  more.

Nevertheless, the Thousand Islands was perfect on a sunny day, it was so nice to just sit back in my kayak and feel the sun on my face and arms. The Thousand Islands is approximately a 3 hours and 30 minute drive from Toronto and approximately 6 hours from New York City. It was a worthwhile road trip.

Kayaking and The Thousand Islands Photos

Driving Directions from Toronto to the Thousand Islands

About Playa Blanca Beach in Cayo Largo, Cuba

In a recent post, I blogged about how I vacationed at Playa Blanca Resort in Cayo Largo, Cuba. The name “Playa Blanca” actually means “White Beach” which rings very true. It was beautiful to stay at Playa Blanca Resort (a beachfront all inclusive resort) to be so close to long stretch full of white sand and clear blue skies. We could just wake up and walk over to the beach which was so relaxing, especially since the beach was kept so peaceful. It was the perfect Caribbean getaway.

In Cuba, you can actually sunbake nude on the beach. As long as you are not sunbaking nude in front of the resort. The beach was so large, you could go far in the distance to sunbake nude peacefully. I would recommend this place for honeymooners or just people trying to get cheap travel to a relaxing beach vacation.

We managed to get 7 nights at this resort for only $630 for the whole vacation package trough Travel Zoo (all inclusive of flight, accommodation, all meals, unlimited drinks, and unlimited use of non-motored watersports). Such an awesome cheap travel deal especially for an island vacation.

Playa Blanca Beach Photos at Cayo Largo, Cuba

(Fotos de Cuba)

May of this year, I flew into a small island off Cuba called Cayo Largo del Sur which was extremely beautiful. I couldn’t believe how remote this island and far away we were from the main island! I was a little worried about being on a separate island to the main Cuban island, but it was really lovely as it was a natural paradise to really relax away from city life. Although the island was primarily for tourists (I automatically think, ugh!), I feel so fortunate that we came here because there were only about 5 resorts on the whole island, with no locals (except the ones who worked there) and it was safe to roam around the island as you please. This was a must for me, because I seriously worry about safety whenever I travel – especially in Cuba!

Every day the resort had a free ‘train’ that took you to the two main public beaches 1. Playa Paraiso and 2. Playa Siena. Both beaches were absolutely lovely but served different purposes. While both were peaceful, Playa Paraiso was mainly for relaxing and more of a nude beach, where as Playa Siena was more for the free watersports such as kayaking, paddle boating, taking out a katamaran, etc. They also had a full service bar/restaurant.

We found however that we didn’t end up leaving the Playa Blanca resort often because we found so much to enjoy there! There was 3 restaurants, 1 of which was open in the morning and in the evening and served a full buffet. The second restaurant was only opened for lunch and dinner (reservation is required for dinner). And the third restaurant was the snack bar from 11 til dinner time to which they also served dinner by reservation. There was a 24 hour bar and a stage for nightly entertainment (dances, primarily).

Playa Blanca also had an outdoor pool in the centre of the resort, but we were hardly ever there because the resort sat right on the beach. I mean, why sit at the pool when you can sit right on the beach?

The rooms were old and they provided us with 2 double beds instead of 1 queen (annoying), but they were clean-ish and the resort staff were extremely easy-going and friendly who spoke decent English which was great for me because I really struggled to use any Spanish over there! We made sure to leave the maid a tip (or a gift) each morning as well.

In all, I had a really enjoyable time in Cuba and would recommend this resort however I would probably suggest you try Sol Cayo Largo as better accommodation as it is the #1 resort on the island. If not, Playa Blanca was still very good and enjoyable. We did not have too much to complain – the food was decent and we were on the beach! How can you complain about anything with that? :)

It is very well known that baseball is America’s favourite past time and is a major part of Boston’s culture. The fans of Boston Red Sox (Boston’s team for the National Baseball League) are known for their fanatical devotion to the team and knowledge of their history.

Fenway Park is home of the Red Sox and is the oldest ballpark in the Major League, having being built in 1912. It has become Boston’s most iconic and cherished landmark, and is located west of Boston’s downtown core in the neighbourhood of Fenway.

We came across Fenway Park accidentally, actually. We were based in Back Bay, the neighbourbood just east of Fenway and we had biked all the way to west to Boston University on Commonwealth Avenue that morning. On our way back to our hotel in Back Bay, I noticed the Citgo sign – which means baseball. Everytime the Red Sox hits a home run over the leftfield wall at Fenway Park, the Citgo’s colourful logo is seen by thousands of fans and has thus become symbolic to baseball in Boston.

One sharp turn right on Brookline Ave, and we were there. If anyone could have seen our faces at this point when we caught sight of the beautiful ballpark as we rode over the hill, they would have known how delighted we were to ‘accidentally’ stumble upon such a grand thing. There it was, in all it’s glory: Big, green and lots lights. We were grinning as we pulled out our cameras quickly to take a bunch of snaps (see the Fenway Park photos above!)

We were lucky that we came across Fenway Park via bikes because we had such short time to spare and we could ride around quickly and get all the best angles. And because we had such short time to spare, we unfortunately did not have time to take the 1 hour tour through the stadium which would educate you in all its baseball history. But to our amazement the guy who guarded the entrance was kind enough to let us in for 2 minutes just to take a quick peak. He understood we were short on time and we were leaving Boston only the next day. How kind of him! It really made us feel so welcomed into Boston and that the people here were so friendly and generous. It was at that point, I had the great opportunity to take the beautiful panorama of Fenway Park.

At first we were upset that we did not have time to make a game, but this was better. We could see everything. We could see all 39,000+  seats, the Green Monster in full view (the towering leftfield wall that compensates for the relatively short distance from home plate. It alters the regular course of play as a lazy fly ball could actually drop over the Monster for a home run and what appears to be a sharp double into the gap may be played off the wall to hold the runner to a single), all the lights, the home base. I was so stoked, we felt so fortunate. It could not have been a better morning.

One of the most known places in Ottawa, Canada is The Rideau Canal (French: Canal Rideau) which is also known as the Rideau Waterway. It was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today as it connects the city on the Ottawa River to Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. It is the most scenic waterway in North America.

In 2007, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is operated today by Parks Canada as a recreational waterway. The locks on the system open for navigation in mid-May and close in mid-October.  Each lock is unique and the lock staff are always ready to offer the tourist any assistance they can. Most locks provide washrooms, overnight mooring and picnic facilities, including tables, benches and barbecue grills.

The best way to visit the Rideuau is via boat – to experience the atmosphere in its full. However, I made a quick stop to check it out in Ottawa near Parliament Hill. Unfortunately the day I went to see this – it was pouring rain! We quickly took some snaps and quickly got some shelter to dry off. Nevertheless, it was still all lovely sight to see and visit.

In the winter, the water is frozen and becomes the famous Rideau Canal Skateway – the world’s largest skating rink! That’s right, you can skate your way through the heart of downtown Ottawa. The skateway begins just steps away from Canada’s Parliament Buildings and is 7.8km long. It is typically opens to the public for skating in January for Ottawa Winterlude.

Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada Photos

Ottawa Rideau Canal Map

Location: Rideau Canal, Ottawa, ON 1KM

View larger map

Late May of 2011 (two weeks ago now), I flew into a small island of Cuba known as “Cayo Largo”. It’s a truly beautiful island - with most of its land so untouched, it is still in its natural beauty. It was so surreal to be flying into this place – it almost felt magical.

The island’s official name is “Cayo Largo del Sur” and is about a 4 hour boat ride from the main island. We flew into Cayo Largo from Toronto via Santiago De Cuba and it took us about 7 hours (including the stop over). A direct flight back to Toronto is only 3 and a half hours long.

Cayo Largo is so lovely because it is an almost virgin island that is non-commercialised, quite, and far away from the massive tourism that Varadero, Cuba gets. It is also known for the down to earth atmosphere on the island as the Cuban resort workers are so friendly!

Please enjoy my photos below of flying over Cuba and into Cayo Largo. Check out that water, those beaches and the blue skies – soooooo gorgeous!

Please stay tuned for more blog posts and photos of my trip to Cuba!

This is the airport at Cayo Largo. You don’t need a visa to travel to Cuba, you just need to fill out a Cuban Tourist Card and pay 25 CUC to depart the country.

Hopetoun Falls is located just five kilometres east of Beech Forest in Victoria, Australia. We visited it on our road trip to Apollo Bay and was a very easy walk from Apollo Road. The falls have a large set of well-built and maintained stairs that lead down to the foot of the waterfall. Above is a photo of what you see from the top!

As you walk down to the foot of the falls, you are greeted with such a serene, calm atmosphere. It was spectacular! Nature at its best.

Below are photos of what was behind me. Isn’t it beautiful!

It’s amazing at how much of its natural characteristics have been preserved. We spent quite a bit of time here just soaking up the serenity. See the video below to see what it was like!

Hopetoun Falls

(The Otways, Victoria, Australia)

On the way back, we came across a wild echidna! So cute! Watch the video below to see the cute little one waddle. :)

Wild Echidna

In December 2007, my brother & I excitedly visited Disneyland in Anaheim, California, USA. It really was the happiest place on earth! My brother and I had a 2-day park pass and we sure had ear to ear grins for the entire 2 days.

We had quite the grand entrance, because as we entered through the gates there was a band there to great us along with the Mad Hatter (see above).

As we went in December, the entire park was dressed in Christmas decorations which we absolutely LOVED. The atmosphere was so fantastic – it was so joyful and festive but it was still quite warm and sunny. We could not have picked a better time to go to Disneyland!

What better way to enjoy Disney but on a horse carriage?

I love Disneyland Main Street because of all the stores! There were parlours and boutique stores and this was my favourite – penny arcade!

In one of the many stores – we spent a lot of time marvelling at all the cute souvenirs. Too cute!

Here are one of the many Disney houses. They are so colourful and adorable!

We always had time for happy snaps of ourselves. :)

The famous teacup ride!

The Haunted House

I got splashed on Splash Mountain! It was so much fun.

I love Disneyland because you can dress up like a cartoon character for even just a minute as you pass by a store to try on these cute hats. Here’s my brother in a Goofy Hat! Hehe!

And here’s me in the wizards hat from Fantasia! Hehe!

I love this photo – here’s my brother in Pooh and me in Tigger :)

And of course there was Santa who graciously came to visit!

Disneyland was beautiful at night as all the buildings were lit up.

The Disney castle was so stunning at night!

At night, people filled Main Street to catch a glimpse of the Christmas fireworks. In December as it approaches the big day, Disneyland holds nightly Christmas fireworks to celebrate (see below video).

And afterwards, there was “snow” (some fake white flakes poured down from the lights). Regardless of the fakeness of the snow or not, it was so beautiful! It was my first time I ever experienced “snow” falling on me and it was a beautiful thing to experience in Disneyland.

HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!

Japantown, San Francisco

Japantown (??? Nihonmachi) in San Francisco is also known as Little Osaka, Funayville and J Town. It is the largest and oldest Japanese town in the United States and spans over six blocks on Post Street, between Laguna Street and Webster Street. The focal point of Japantown is the Japan Center, which opened in 1968 and is three Japanese-oriented shopping centres.

Peace Pagoda, Japantown

The other main focal point of Japantown is the Peace Pagoda (shown above), a five-tiered concrete stupa which was designed by a Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi and was presented to San Francisco by the people of Osaka in Japan. It is located between Post and Geary St at Buchanan and is part of the Japan Center complex. Look how small I am compared to this Peace Pagoda! It’s absolutely massive.

Japantown is full of Japanese restaurants, supermarkets, indoor shopping malls, hotels, banks and other shops, including Kinokuniya.

I took my brother here for his birthday to treat him to lunch!

This was the first time I’ve ever had such good Japanese food before. It was so authentic and it was so much food! Mmmm.

Miyako

(Japantown, San Francisco, California)

1707 Buchanan St, San Francisco, California