It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Oh, how I love this time of year, the wonderful memories of Christmas that has already passed, and the exhilarating anticipation of Christmas yet to come.
Two fabulous places to experience a taste of the holidays are Balboa Park, and the adjacent San Diego Zoo. Did you know that you can actually walk from Balboa Park to the Zoo? It will only take about five to ten minutes to walk from one to the other.
I would like to remind you that December Nights is just around the corner – it’s actually this week on Friday and Saturday (December 7 and 8) …..two wonderful days of holiday cheer, where San Diego celebrates the holidays like no place else.
Here’s three links with more information about this wonderful event – December Nights At Balboa Park, Official Tourism Blog of San Diego and NBC 7 San Diego News.
Here’s some pictures from past December Nights, previously known as Christmas On The Prado
December Nights – Balboa Park, San Diego
December Nights – Organ Pavilion – Balboa Park
December Nights – Organ Pavilion – Balboa Park
Cultural events and activities galore can be found at December Nights
Cultural Events – December Nights – Balboa Park
Cultural Events – December Nights – Balboa Park
These dances took place outside the House of Ukraine at the International Cottages in 2011.
Cultural Events – December Nights – Balboa Park
I think one of the best places to visit in Balboa Park is this very area…..the International Cottages. Here, you will see the House of Scotland, England, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, Ireland, Ukraine, and many others. What can you expect to see or learn from these International Cottages? You will get a big taste of what it’s like to be from that region. You can try samples of the food from any of those respective countries, you may even be in for a treat to a dance from that region – it really is a fantastic thing to experience – you might just see Scottish, German, Russian, Indian and other dances (during December Nights, 2012, I know you can definitely see Indian dances on Saturday evening (I apologize if you read it before and it said Friday, I just got confirmation today 12/6/12 that it’s Saturday evening). Read more about the International Cottages right here: http://www.balboapark.org/in-the-park/house-pacific-relations-international-cottages
This picture of my three kids was taken last year at San Diego Zoo. The Zoo is beautiful at Christmas time.
Merry Christmas from San Diego Zoo
Can you believe the same tree shown above behind my kids actually magically changes and becomes the tree below when it is darker
Christmas Tree at San Diego Zoo
Jungle Bells – San Diego Zoo
Jungle Bells and The Elves – San Diego Zoo
Jungle Bells and The Elves – San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a favorite of my kids – especially Chandi – she absolutely loves it here.
San Diego Zoo
I really love her expression when she saw the orangutans.
Orangutans – San Diego Zoo
Now from my house to yours – I would like to spread some holiday cheer. This is a picture of my kids from two years ago. They wish you a Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas from San Diego
I don’t have a good picture yet of all three of my kids from this holiday season, but will certainly strive to capture one at some point or other, but I do have a picture of my little Chandi which was taken just a few days ago.
The Wonder of Christmas
My daughter Niki is very creative and made these holiday cookies
Go attend some festivities, get into the spirit, and don’t forget to enjoy some holiday cookies!
By the way……you are probably thinking that San Diego can’t look very “Christmassy”. I hope you can see that we still celebrate this joyous season here in a big way. It’s all about getting into the spirit, holiday decorations, festivities, etc., and any place can be seasonally festive. This is a nice place to celebrate it, because we don’t have to deal with the snow. I know many of you might like snow, but I grew up in England, and had more than my fair share of it. I really enjoy looking at it from inside, and seeing the snow fall – it certainly is a beautiful sight, but I can do without trudging through it, and shoveling my car out of it. However, my kids crave it – so what do we do here in San Diego for snow? We go to the Zoo and visit the “Snowerator” – at least I think that’s the word for it!
“Snowing” At San Diego Zoo
We also have places like Julian (one hour away) that are fairly close by, which we can go to if we really need the real thing.
Whatever you do…..I hope you get to celebrate the holidays, and to experience some of the season’s joy. Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!
Scenic San Diego
I really could run out of words to describe San Diego – it surely is scenic, beautiful, fantastic, marvelous, paradise, heavenly and ………. well, I could go on!
Here’s a scenic San Diego – at Seaport Village
Seaport Village, San Diego
Here’s a beautiful San Diego at Seaport Village
Seaport Village
Here’s a fantastic San Diego with a downtown city view.
Downtown San Diego
Here’s a marvelous San Diego with the twin towers of the Marriott Marquis & Marina on the right.
San Diego & the Marriott Marquis & Marina
Well, I won’t call the next two pictures paradise and heavenly as those descriptions actually fit the first two more, but those are taken up!
Now, you have a downtown tourist attraction (Seaport Village), you have a place to stay (Marriott Marquis), and now you have to go shopping!
Horton Plaza, San Diego
Horton Plaza is one of the best shopping malls in the world, and undoubtedly the most colorful and most absolutely gorgeous place to shop, dine and see a movie!
Horton Plaza, San Diego
All the pictures above were taken a number of years ago, and may not be as vivid as they could be. Here are some newer pictures of Horton Plaza, however, I think they are all about the same quality.
Horton Plaza, San Diego
Horton Plaza, San Diego
Horton Plaza, San Diego
I actually saw an Indian movie here at Horton Plaza (sorry, I know this might not fit in with scenic San Diego, but I had to tie it in with Horton Plaza).
Indian Movies at UA Horton Plaza 14, San Diego
I took some more pictures of Seaport Village too recently, but I still like the older pictures that I took above.
Seaport Village, San Diego
And lastly, my favorite type of picture – the marina complete with boats, I don’t know why I like the marina so much, but I think it’s because I feel calm, peaceful and content when I see the more relaxing waters of the marina.
San Diego Marina At Seaport Village
Also, it is worthy to note that Seaport Village is within walking distance of such big hotels as the Marriott Marquis & Marina and the Hyatt Grand Manchester (both hotels overlook Seaport Village). Horton Plaza is a nice five or ten minute walk from Seaport Village – it will probably be a good idea to walk there, however, if you are stuck for parking – Horton Plaza validates for three hours with a purchase. You could visit the movies, and get your parking ticket validated too.
Want to know more about Seaport Village? http://www.seaportvillage.com/visitors
Want to know more about the Marriott Marquis & Marina? http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sandt-san-diego-marriott-marquis-and-marina/
Want to know more about Horton Plaza? http://www.westfield.com/hortonplaza/tourism/
You may also want to see my other posts: Some Places To Escape The Heat, Incredible San Diego – La Jolla, Sunsets In San Diego, and Beautiful San Diego
I hope you will visit beautiful, scenic San Diego one of these days, it is absolutely paradise!
The Splendor of Cabo San Lucas
First some island music to get you into vacation spirit – this was my attempt at making a promo video! Also, as you may be aware – my old website at http://www.bindicruises.com is not available anymore – this all had something to do with the discontinuation of Mobile Me, and my decision to not look for another website host. Also, how many websites can one person maintain??!!
I will not write too much about the cruise itself as there are other posts that I have done on the Splendor, but this is all about Cabo San Lucas. Now for some pictures:
We went into a gift shop, and this was the view from within the shop
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Another shot of the same scene but with a different camera (one was taken with the Iphone, and one with my regular camera – a Canon G10)
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
This is my son in the gift shop
Gift Shop, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
We were entertained by various groups of people
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
In case you are hungry, there’s plenty of options
Places to Eat – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Restaurants of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Did you see? That “statue” moved! It just might get you, here it is almost getting my daughter!
Restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Now for a look at the marina area of Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Family picture time, me with my kids Luca, Chandi and Niki, who inspired me to name my business Luchanik named just after them – Lu-Cha-Nik
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
I really like this picture taken near one of the hotels
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Must get in the palm trees of Cabo
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Now for a street scene
Downtown Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Restaurants of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Art of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Some useful information
Tourist Information, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
You may need to cool off and enjoy the sights
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Fancy a large cup of coffee?
Cafe Canelas, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Mexico definitely is colorful!
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
The Carnival Splendor awaits us!
Carnival Splendor, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Leaving Cabo San Lucas…..this picture was taken from the ship
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
On a previous trip to Cabo San Lucas, I took these pictures
The Arch, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures I took of Cabo San Lucas. This was the first port we stopped at, and the second port – Puerto Vallarta will be in my next post. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Happy Diwali from San Diego
Happy Diwali from San Diego again! This time the festivities took place just outside the Shri Mandir at the annual Diwali Mela on Black Mountain Road in Mira Mesa (about 15 minutes north of downtown San Diego). The 2012 Diwali Mela in San Diego was held on Saturday, October 27th.
First, some pictures:
Rajasthan Dance at Shri Mandir, San Diego – Diwali Mela
Diwali Mela 2012 at Shri Mandir, San Diego
Incase you didn’t see my pictures of Diwali at Balboa Park in San Diego, here are three more:
5th Annual Diwali Celebration – Balboa Park, San Diego
Diwali 2012 – Balboa Park – San Diego
Organ Pavilion Diwali Celebration, Balboa Park, San Diego
Now for a video where I put a few clips together, but there are many dances that I did not capture unfortunately. I also had to cut out a lot from the dances because of background noise. In this video, first you will see a Punjabi dance – Bhangra (one of my favorites – especially since my family is from the Punjab), then you will see a dance from Rajasthan, and then another few clips. At the end of this video, you will see some little kids dancing to Kolaveri Di, which is a cute song that turned out to be very popular, and even my little Chandi sings to it whenever she hears it.
I really wanted to add some more pictures in this post of Indian sweets from a local place on Black Mountain Road, which is a great alternative to going all the way up to Artesia (about one hour and 15 minutes away from where I live). Perhaps, I will add some pictures later on – maybe even on November 13th – the actual day of Diwali. Just fyi – Black Mountain Road is San Diego’s Little India, and Artesia is Los Angeles’ Little India. I really do enjoy going up to Artesia, as there are more stores and Indian restaurants, but I am beginning to get used to our own Little India in San Diego, and love one or two of the places there, such as Ashoka The Great Restaurant, and Surati Farsan Mart (the place where I will get my Indian sweets from this year).
Here’s the video of the performances at Balboa Park in San Diego at the 5th Annual Diwali Celebration on October 21st. Here you will see dances from the many regions of India including Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. You will also see the Diwali Lights display towards the end of the video, and then a finale where everyone dances to Bhangra on the stage.
A new addition to this post – it is now November 12th, and I just got my sweets from Surati Farsan Fart, and here’s some pictures of the fantastic selections:
Surati Farsan Mart, Black Mountain Road, Mira Mesa, San Diego
I just had to get some jalebis, these are yummy and so sweet (actually they have a lot of syrup, and have a great crunch to them)!
Jalebis from Surati Farsan Mart, San Diego
These two boxes have mango burfi in one box (second selection from the top left in the picture from the display selection – see above)
Diwali Sweets, Surati Farsan Mart
The second box has laddoo in them which can be seen more clearly in the picture below. Laddoo are the yellowish round balls in the first big box on the top shelf (on the left). These laddoo are absolutely delicious, and have raisins in them – they almost melt in your mouth!
Indian Sweets, Surati Farsan Mart
I hope you like the videos, and pictures, and I hope you will celebrate in some way on November 13th – even if you light just one or two candles. Happy Diwali!
Get Into The Splendor!
Get into the Splendor – the Carnival Splendor! The Carnival Splendor is a beautiful ship, in fact it is splendid! Some quick facts: it first sailed in 2008; it holds approximately 3000 people; it has a number of swimming pools; and it has the only Indian restaurant I’ve ever seen on a ship – the Tandoor. Quite simply put: it has all the splendor you would need on a cruise vacation. I’m not going to go into all the details of the Splendor, and my cruise on it, but you can take a look at a write-up I did directly after the July, 2011 cruise – my review of the Carnival Splendor. Here are some pictures:
Carnival Splendor
Carnival Splendor
Carnival Splendor
Adults Only Swimming Pool – Carnival Splendor
Main Swimming Pool – Carnival Splendor
Main Swimming Pool – Carnival Splendor
Drinks Service – Carnival Splendor
Outdoor Movie Theatre – Carnival Splendor
Kids Splash Area – Carnival Splendor
Kids Pool – Carnival Splendor
Waterslide – Carnival Splendor
Waterslide & Kids Pool – Carnival Splendor
Waterslide – Carnival Splendor
Carnival Splendor lobby
Gold Pearl Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
Gold Pearl Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
That’s me in the Black Pearl Dining Room
Black Pearl Dining Room
That’s me in the Lido Dining Room
Lido Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
Lido Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
The Coffee Shop – Carnival Splendor
Elevators – Carnival Splendor
The Lobby – Carnival Splendor
Lobby Bar – Carnival Splendor
Cabin – Carnival Splendor
Cabin – Carnival Splendor
Thalassotherapy Pool – Cloud 9 Spa – Carnival Splendor
Spa – Carnival Splendor
Spa – Carnival Splendor
Gym – Carnival Splendor
Spectacular Lounge – Carnival Splendor
Robusto Bar – Carnival Splendor
If you want to stay connected while you’re on your cruise, it is an extra cost (not included unfortunately) – just go visit The Web, which is the name of the Internet Lounge.
The Web – Carnival Splendor
El Morocco Lounge – Carnival Splendor
The El Morocco Lounge is so beautiful, that I just had to include another photo
El Morocco Lounge – Carnival Splendor
Bollywood dance lesson time, and even my little Chandi (in the pink dress) got into the groove, and she was just 20 months old at the time!
El Morocco Lounge – Carnival Splendor
Here Chandi is with two of the UCSD Zor dancers
El Morocco Lounge – Carnival Splendor
UCSD Zor – one of the top Bollywood dance teams in the nation entertained my group – the Bindi Group – this time with Bhangra!
UCSD Zor – Red Carpet Disco – Carnival Splendor
We had Indian food most nights on the cruise in the Gold Pearl Dining Room, here’s a look at just one night’s dishes:
Indian Food – Gold Pearl Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
Did you know that there’s an Indian place on the Lido Deck called the Tandoor where they serve Indian food every day at lunch time? Here’s just a little of what’s on the menu:
Tandoor – Carnival Splendor
I just have to share with you some of the wonderful food that I put on my plate from the Tandoor!
Indian Food from Tandoor – Carnival Splendor
Here’s a look at some other food that was served on the Splendor:
If you want to work off all that food with a swim in the evening, this is what it looks like by the pool at night time:
Main Swimming Pool At Night – Carnival Splendor
Or if you want to just kick back and try your luck in the Casino
Casino – Carnival Splendor
This is where your little ones will be entertained
Camp Carnival – Carnival Splendor
Don’t forget, there’s always ways to have some good family time with activities such as miniature golf
Miniature Golf – Carnival Splendor
Miniature Golf – Carnival Splendor
Now for one last day time pool picture
Carnival Splendor
If you are wondering what the address is for where you can catch your cruise at Long Beach Cruise Terminal, it’s right in this next picture:
Long Beach, CA – Carnival Cruise Terminal
I also recently made another video, and since my pictures are no longer on my blog at luchaniktravel.com (it got redirected to my CruiseOne website), that is why I have put some of them here, and on my video. I had spent so much time putting my pictures on my blog, but now they’re all gone. Anyway, that is why I started this blog (Why I Started A Blog In The First Place?)
Here is my newest cruise video of the Carnival Splendor:
This is different to my ship inspection video of the Carnival Splendor that I did prior to taking the July, 2011 cruise to Mexico.
I hope you like my pictures, and my videos of the Carnival Splendor. Remember, life can be full of splendor, you just have to look for it…….just get into the Splendor, and you may find what you are looking for – a wonderful vacation!
It’s CLIA’s National Cruise Vacation Week!
For all of you who like good deals, whether it’s reduced deposits, onboard credits, reduced fares, cash back, upgrades, or onboard savings booklets…..an event is coming up that you really ought to know about! This is an incredible week for booking the best cruise vacation deals ever! When? October 21 – October 27, 2012. Why? It’s CLIA’s National Cruise Vacation Week. CLIA is Cruise Lines International Association, and it is the world’s largest cruise association (of which I am a member).
How about signing up for my free weekly newsletter which is an eSaver, and then you’ll be one step ahead of being apprised of all the latest deals. To sign up simply send me an email to dkaur@cruiseone.com , and write Subscribe in the subject line. I’ll be happy to sign you up, or you can sign up at my website at http://www.likecruises.com by inputting your email and zipcode in the green box on the right hand side that is titled “Sign Up for Exclusive Offers and Discounts”, then don’t forget to press Join.
First to clarify what some of the terms above are in plain English:
Reduced deposits – who wants to pay the full deposit, when you could pay half only? You may only have to pay $100 or $200 per cabin. Remember, the ability to pay a deposit instead of paying in full can only occur if you book way before your cruise – at least 60 days before or more. If you book within 60 days of the cruise, you will have to make full payment. It’s better to book early, and to have reserved your cabin with a deposit than it is to book too close to the cruise date (your desired cabin may not be available). Paying reduced deposits is a DEAL!
Onboard credits (OBC) – this is free spending money that you can use to pay for your mandatory gratuities, telephone calls, internet charges, specialty restaurant charges, alcohol and/or other bar purchases, etc. These onboard credits will vary depending on what type of cabin you book. You will get more of a higher OBC for booking a balcony cabin or a suite than you will for booking an interior cabin. You could get an OBC from $50 to $300 per cabin (perhaps less or maybe even more) – this is a DEAL!
Reduced fares – this is your week to get special savings, as fares could be significantly discounted – this is a DEAL!
Cash back – this could be in the form of an OBC or cash back to your credit card, not sure on this, but if you call me – I will find out for you – this is a DEAL!
Upgrades – normally, you only get upgraded within the type of cabin type you book. So booking an interior does not give you an upgrade to an ocean view, but to a better category interior. However, this week is your lucky week where you can get upgraded from interior to ocean view or ocean view to balcony (based upon cruise line availability and cruise line specific offering of this promotion) – this is a DEAL!
Onboard saving booklets – these will come in handy when you wish to save on internet fees, or get a discount in the gift shop (you just might find a coupon in the booklet) or if you are interested in purchasing one of the professional pictures taken by the cruise line photographers – this is a DEAL!
Sorry for using the word “deal” so much, but it really is a great DEAL! So, please visit my website now at http://www.likecruises.com or contact me at dkaur@cruiseone.com and let me know where you want to go to, how many people per cabin, what type of cabin (interior, ocean view or balcony), and it would be helpful if you could let me know if you have ever cruised before. Please also tell me if you have a preference for a particular cruise line. I am registered with all the cruise lines, and can book you on any cruise line that you choose.
Which cruise line you choose, and which particular ship within that cruise line’s offerings, will depend on which itinerary appeals to you, and whether you have a particular affinity to one cruise line over another. These are just some of the ones you can choose from (I have personally been on all these ships):
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Splendor
Carnival Spirit in San Diego
Oceania Cruise Lines
Oceania Marina
MSC Cruise Lines
MSC Musica
Princess Cruise Lines
Golden Princess Cabin
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Of The Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Radiance Of The Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment Of The Seas
Cunard Cruise Lines
Cunard’s Queen Victoria
These are some of my ship inspection videos or a video that I made to help you see what it’s like on a cruise ship, this may help you decide which cruise line you wish to pick:
My ship inspection of the Carnival Splendor:
My ship inspection of the Oceania Marina:
My ship inspection of the Golden Princess:
My ship inspection of the Oasis Of The Seas:
My ship inspection of the Carnival Spirit:
My ship inspection of the Queen Victoria:
My cruise video of the Radiance Of The Seas:
My cruise video of the Enchantment Of The Seas:
Unfortunately, I did not make a video of the MSC Musica, I took that cruise way before I became a travel agent in late 2010, early 2011, and really got into video taping my holidays. I’ve always enjoyed photography, but videography is something I really just got into in the last few years.
These links might also help you to make an informed choice on cruising, as this is definitely one of the best ways to travel:
Top 10 Reasons To Cruise and Frequently Asked Questions About Cruising
If you have any other questions…….please don’t hesitate to call me. I’d be happy to hear from you!
Don’t forget, it’s better for you to book with a travel agent, because you know who to go back to each time you have questions, and you won’t get a different person answering the phone each time you call. There are various other reasons as to why you should book with a travel agent. So, please pick up the phone and call 858-427-4972 now……..I really want to hear my phone ringing off the hook during the National Cruise Vacation Week, and even before then. Thank you, and I look forward to booking you on your best vacation ever!
Incredible San Diego – La Jolla
I felt the need to explore today, and have just a bit of “me” time. The kids were at school, so instead of being cooped up with the computer, I figured some fresh air and reacquaintance with San Diego was on the list. I headed for La Jolla which is only about a fifteen minutes drive north from downtown San Diego.
By the way, La Jolla is not pronounced with a “J” like in jolly, rather it is pronounced “La Hoya”. Want to hear the pronunciation in Spanish? http://translate.google.com/#en/es/jolla Just click on the speaker button when the Google Translate page opens. Want to hear the pronunciation in Finnish? http://translate.google.com/#en/fi/jolla – I was inspired to add these two links, courtesy of Matti from Finland (see comment below). Thanks, Matti.
This is what I saw, and photographed with my I-Phone (not the camera of choice), but this had been a spontaneous trip, and was not planned, so I apologize if the pictures are fuzzy.
La Jolla Cove – San Diego
La Jolla Beach, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
Even the sea lions love La Jolla. We have plenty of them, as well as seals, but I think these are sea lions:
Sea Lions, La Jolla Cove – San Diego
La Jolla, San Diego
Tropical San Diego
Tropical San Diego – La Jolla
La Jolla, San Diego
The sky seems so beautiful and blue, but all these pictures were taken on the same day, and I never touch up my pictures.
La Jolla, San Diego
I like flowers by the ocean, so picturesque!
La Jolla, San Diego
Want to see what yesterday morning was like? It wasn’t that nice weather-wise, it was drizzling slightly, and the skies were grey, but something spectacular appeared in the sky – a full rainbow! I have never seen such a big rainbow, I was overjoyed. Again, I only had my I-Phone, and could not capture the entire rainbow from left to right – it was way too big! Actually, this picture did not come out nice, it was nicer seeing the rainbow in person, and was a completely different experience.
Full Rainbow – San Diego – Solana Beach
This picture taken in La Jolla today seems to have a faint shadow of a rainbow, but I don’t think there was one in the sky at the time I was taking these pictures, although I did see another rainbow again earlier today, but not like yesterday’s.
La Jolla, San Diego
The weather has turned a little cooler now in San Diego, but it’s still beautiful during the day. We finally got our morning and evening breeze back, but as always – when we have it back, we wish we had the heat back. Still, San Diego is Paradise on earth, and after seeing it again today – I think there’s no better place.
This is an addition to the post: Look at the picture I just added (below). This is La Jolla Cove, and was taken in approximately October of 1996 (before I moved to San Diego – while on holiday). I just found this picture, and compared it against Image 3088 which is picture 7 (above) – just to make sure it was La Jolla, and not one of the many other beaches around the world. You will see that it is the same place, even if the quality of the pictures is very different – this new addition was taken with an older camera, which was not a digital camera (not sure which camera – probably Olympus), and hence I scanned it onto my computer. I wonder if you notice any real changes other than image quality and color? Anyway, enjoy this “new” picture too.
La Jolla Cove, San Diego – 1996
Here are both pictures of La Jolla Cove closer together.
My Video – Enchantment Of The Seas to Bermuda – Hamilton (Part One)
Hamilton, Bermuda is a very colorful place. You will marvel at all the colors – be it the colors of the homes or of the businesses in downtown Hamilton. In my video that I made just two days ago, you will see our taxi driver and hear an authentic Bermudian accent, and you will see as we go past the Clock Tower Mall in Kings Wharf. Then you’ll see Gibbs Lighthouse, as well as many colorful Bermudian buildings and homes along the way. You will then see downtown Hamilton, and the Hamilton Ferry Building.
Hamilton, Bermuda
Thank you for watching my video, and please don’t forget to press “like” on You Tube – if you like it! I would appreciate it.
My Video of Snorkel Beach and Kings Wharf, Bermuda
I’m not sure if many of you are into snorkelling – I have never tried it, nor can I tell anything about it – but I can show you a video that I made of a place called Snorkel Beach – it’s in Snorkel Park, Bermuda.
This is the entrance to the beach, and if you watch the end of the video, upon exiting Snorkel Beach, you will see the narrow path I talked about in a previous post, that led to a rather unpleasant incident – yes, it happened right on the street you’ll see in the video, which is also on the same road as the one shown in the picture below.
Snorkel Park Beach, Bermuda
Snorkel Beach is quite different to Horseshoe Bay Beach or Warwick Long Bay – the other two beaches I saw in Bermuda – it doesn’t have pink sand, but it is still a lovely beach.
Snorkel Park Beach, Bermuda
You will get a better feel for this particular beach by watching my video – sometimes pictures capture the essence of a place really well, but sometimes a video can do it even better. I hope you enjoy the video.
Indian Cruises – Cultural Enrichment At Sea
I enjoy Bollywood and Bhangra music and dance. I just love Indian culture, and there’s nothing wrong with that – after all, I am Indian. I may have grown up in England, and now live in the USA, but culture is deeper than where we live, it’s the embodiment of who we are – who we interact with, and what makes us bond together, and what we enjoy. I may be Indian, but I am also British and I’m also American. I may love Bollywood, and Bhangra, but additionally….. I love pop music, soul music, reggae music and jazz, and even a bit of rap. If I didn’t love the other forms of music, I wouldn’t tape them as ardently as I do when I go on cruises, and then show the world…..I only do that – because I love to watch most forms of dance and musical entertainment, and then of course, I love to photograph and video tape it too!
When I had the chance to introduce a bit of culture on a cruise ship, I was all for it. I hired a group – UCSD Zor – one of the top Bollywood dance teams in the USA – to perform on my Bindi Cruise to Mexico on the Carnival Splendor in July, 2011. I didn’t think twice about it. It took a lot of planning, and was quite a huge undertaking for me – a fairly new travel agent at that time (I just started in this business in January 2010). Would I do something like that again? Who knows? Maybe, sometime in the future.
I love Bollywood movies, but when it really comes to Indian music – I have to admit that I love Bhangra just a bit more than I do Bollywood. That’s why I asked Zor – who are really more of a Bollywood team to do a Bhangra routine, and guess what…..they were really good at it. When you have versatility like that, you are true performers. I was really happy with the performances of Zor on the cruise. Here’s a picture of UCSD Zor below, they are fantastic at both Bollywood and Bhangra!
UCSD Zor, performing Bhangra
And here I am with UCSD Zor who are in their Bollywood outfits now, instead of Bhangra outfits (as above)
UCSD Zor – Carnival Splendor
Want to know more about Bhangra? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhangra_(music)
Want to see hear the full-length Bhangra song that was partly shown in my new Enchantment Of The Seas video, and see who the musician is? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJztXj2GPfk
Want to see a fabulous Bhangra dance video that I put together of UCSD Zor – one of the top Bollywood dance teams in the USA, when they were dancing to Bhangra on my Bindi Cruise to Mexico on the Carnival Splendor?
Want to see a fantastic Bollywood dance video that I put together of UCSD Zor when they performed on my Bindi Cruise to Mexico?
Thank you for reading!
luchanik 