Day Tripping in Albuquerque

As you can probably guess, the airport in Albuquerque is pretty small and as long as you have no checked bags, you can get out quickly and shuttle to your car rental within 15 minutes.

Old Town is the most popular area to visit and see the artifacts, many of which are imported in from Mexico.

We spent only a few hours before making the road trip for a one night stay in Santa Fe.  This place brought a warm energy to my heart as it has a homey and vibrant feeling that gets everybody.  They don’t call this place the land of enchantment for nothing.

What to See:

Peruse through Old Town, and make a stop in the quirky shop, Guerilla Graphix, which is a great place for awesome souvenirs, trinkets, and unusual things that bring memories to your favorite episodes of Breaking Bad.

The architecture throughout New Mexico is a sight to be seen.  The Pueblo Revival architecture is an adobe (mudbrick) construction and the walls are usually painted in earth tones.  Wherever we visit in the world, we always admire old church structures. We took a walk through San Felipe de Neri Parish, the oldest church in Albuquerque.  The original structure actually collapsed after a rain storm in 1792 and then this one was built the following year.

Where to Eat:

There is a new area called Restaurant Row, which we heard about from a local, but we decided to stick with the nostalgic icons of Albuquerque and went to The Frontier for classic Mexican eats.  This restaurant first opened in 1971 and it appears the owners want you to feel like it is still 1971.  The establishment is well maintained and the washrooms were well kept. Side note, my mom always told me to visit the washroom of an establishment before dining and if the washroom is well kept it’s a good indication that they operate with high standards in the kitchen.  Anyway…the place really is a down to earth casual style. You order your food at the kitchen counter, step aside and wait for your order number to be called.  The restaurant is huge, the food was cheap and the place was packed.  We took our food to go and we were in and out in about 15 minutes.

Our next stop was a little wacky, but a lot of fans of Breaking Bad take a drive to the house where the show was filmed.  An older couple has purchased the house as their dwelling and are forced to deal with dozens of cars that stop by to take a picture every day.  They have even put up an iron fence to gate the home and pitched a sign that reads “take your photos from across the street”.  Just as we pulled up, the couple decided to sit outside and stare at us and the others that pulled up for photos.  They are obviously annoyed, but we got our pictures and didn’t need to linger for too long.

I’m sure there is more to discover in Albuquerque, but we ended there and ventured out to Santa Fe.

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San Felipe de Neri Parish is located at 2005 North Plaza NW, Albuquerque NX.

Guerrilla Graphix. 206 San Felipe St. NW Albuquerque

Frontier Restaurant is right across the street from the University of New Mexico.

Walt’s house in Breaking Bad. 3828 Piermont Dr. NE, Albuquerque NM

Travel to a Zone That is Outside of Your Norm

Travel to a place that is full of surprise for you.  Shock others by stepping out of your comfortable surroundings. I speak to you the White American that visits only places where others speak the same language as you.  I speak to you all the races and cultures that are residing outside of their native land and when you travel, you only travel to your native land.  This message is for you.

I am so grateful for my travel adventures and every time I am in a new place, I take a moment to try to connect with a local.  For me, it’s about getting a sense of perspective and renewing my mind.  I have my own bias and have to let go and learn.

Stretch yourself to step outside of your norm. Today, you don’t have to travel to another country to experience culture.  Travel a few feet within your office and get to know someone who is from Asia, Oceania, Africa, or South America.  Have conversations with people who are a different race than you.  If your workplace is diverse, you must use the opportunity to connect with others.  Your perspective on things is not the only perspective.  Learn about someone else’s perspective to broaden your own mind and begin to think more globally.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, peace be with you.

 

 

 

Entertain Your Soul Through Travel

Take a vacation that is good for your soul.  If you want to rest and allow your mind and body to be in peace, check out the all inclusive trips in the Caribbean and Mexico.  I reckon spiritual and yoga trips as well, although I have yet to experience this sort of trip.  Most of my adventures in the past two years have totally been to entertain my soul in cities by discovering authentic foods, hidden vibrant streets, cafes, art galleries and having conversation with locals.  Sometimes your soul needs to connect with other people or maybe even with animals around the world.  It always feels good to connect with nature and God’s beautiful creatures.  I took this photo while hanging out with these adorable koalas in Cairns, Australia.  Staring at an animal sounds boring and I typically don’t agree with visiting zoos.  I justified this experience because I didn’t know any other way to see these cute and cuddly animals in their native land.

Fun Fact: Did you know that koalas sleep for 16 hours a day? They need more time to digest the leaves they eat.

Entertain your soul to feel more alive in this journey we call life.

Just Say Hello

Ola, Hello, Bonjour, Kia Ora, Salam, Akwaaba, G’day and so many more greeting across this wonderful globe.  Greetings to each and every one of you.  Every place I visit, I try to connect with locals.  By simply greeting someone, you are welcoming a conversation. Striking a conversation with a stranger doesn’t have to lead to a super intense or long discussion, especially if you are on the go with a tight schedule.  All of my trips have been short and sweet, so I usually have limited time to capture as much as possible, but I always have moments to make an attempt to learn about local life. I appreciate their life, their land and their perspective.  If they want to know about me, I’m happy to share too.

All it takes is a quick greeting and if the individual is open, you can carry a conversation.  While visiting Australia, I wanted to connect with the Indigenous community outside of the museums and touristy sites.  One early morning in Cairns, my husband and I went to the Palm Cove Beach to watch the sunrise.  We did some meditation and then we took a walk along the beach.  There was a couple sitting along the edge where the beach meets the grass and right before reaching a shady woods area.  We started with “hello” and the hand gesture wave.  They responded with welcomes and had we a brief chat with them.  We learned that they were on a short and sweet trip too.  They had pitched a tent right behind them and planned to be there for 2 days as a getaway from their family.  They needed a break from their hustle and bustle.  We had an intimate moment, as the man told us that all the land belonged to them and that unfortunately there is no work so he is currently unemployed.  We also talked about going for a swim at this time of year and the dangers associated with the marine stingers and crocodiles.  We had read in the National Maritime Museum in Sydney that the crocodile is sacred in their culture as they believe that they embody the spirits of important people. The couple had no fear of going for a swim and confirmed what we had read in the museum.  They are both descendants of the Yirrganydji and maintain their spiritual connection with the land.  They proudly shared that they know how to spot and avoid the crocodiles and get of the water safely.

Speaking with them taught me to remove all judgement.  Prior to saying hello, I thought they would not want to talk to a tourist.  I took the risk and said hello anyway.  I believe if you put out love, you will receive love, so that’s what I did and they welcomed me.  We had a good chuckle, listened to a bit of music and then said our best wishes.  We snapped a pic for memories, however out of respect, I have only posted their shadows as we were on the beach and they were in their swimwear.

Thank you God for introducing me to more people and sharing pleasant moments across your globe.

Palm Cove Beach, Cairns, Australia (Queensland)

Buenos Aires: A cemetary that brings joy to tourists and locals

Last year, my husband and I toured through Buenos Aires, Argentina.  As usual we looked at a list of things to do and must see sites and agreed that we must go to the Recoleta Cemetary.  The cemetary was site is right next to a high end shopping mall in quite a favourable neighbourhood.  As we approached the cemetary our eyes widened as we were in awe of the elaborate tombstones and memorial sites of loved ones who passed on.  The Whos who of Argentines were laid to rest here as far back as 1716.

You probably will not see another cemetary like this anywhere else. This is a site to see.