Recently in Cultural Travel Category

After I finished my volunteer work, the next phase of my Ecuadorian adventure began. I made the Quito Howard Johnson my headquarters as my partner and I explored Quito and Otavalo. To some, the name "Howard Johnson's" conjures up images of an old-fashioned hotel and restaurant chain where you could get a homemade ice-cream and fried clams, but this is not your grandfather's Howard Johnson. In Ecuador, Howard Johnson's is a thoroughly modern establishment that competes easily with nearby four-star hotel chains and offers comfortable accommodations, full breakfast buffet, exercise facilities, and free Wi-Fi. The Quito HoJos is also well located in the La Carolina district, from which you can explore the botanical gardens or catch a trolley that goes into the heart of the Old Town, which also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site for its extraordinary Colonial architecture that dates back centuries.

Welcome back to Part 2. We stayed 3 days at the Wyndham Durango.  Durango is known for the Narrow Gage Railroad that travels from Durango to Silverton carrying passengers back in time to a small gold mining town of yesteryear.  We did not take the trip this year but have many times in the past.

Several years ago, I found myself on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. As I bobbed along the shoreline, held buoyant by the high saline content of the water, I overheard someone speaking to their companion as they pointed to the beach on the other side. "That's Israel, just over there." I stood and looked to the other side and I recall thinking that it was so near, and yet so very far from the perspective of my ability to travel there on that same trip. Although I enjoyed my trip to Jordan greatly, in that moment, I felt a deep longing to be on the other side.

Our third day in San Jose we dedicated to relaxation in the hotel.  It was the first sunny day we had experienced, so I was anxious to put on my swimsuit and head to the pool.  Due to the rain, and start of the rainy season, the water was cool, so I spent most of my time soaking up the sun and reading some books.  The poolside service is excellent, and drinks and towels are available.  In the evening we enjoyed playing a few rounds of poker at the casino, which also features a jazz bar on the weekends.

Tip #11: The sun is quite powerful in Costa Rica - put on plenty of sunscreen, even when you do not expect to get burnt.

Tip #12: Due to the ecological sustainability practices, the hot tubs are not kept at high temperatures, so prepare for cool waters.

As soon as I read that I was a winner of the Wyndham Women on Their Way Local Nation travel writing contest, I began planning.  Typically planning a vacation means AAA road maps, exploring campgrounds online, and taking an inventory of my gear.  Just knowing that my head would be resting on a comfy clean pillow, and not on a leaky air mattress, got me excited to plan my travels!

I searched through Wyndham's extensive list of resorts and hotels and dreamed of luxurious vacations in exotic places.  I decided to tone things down with the rising cost of airfare and chose an exotic place with a reasonable airfare budget.  I chose the Ramada Herradura in San Jose, Costa Rica due to the great online reviews, their eco-tourism and anti sex-trafficking policies and the reasonable airfare price from D.C.