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Amériques

Skydiving for the wuss at SkyVenture Montreal

Skydiving For the Wuss – A day With SkyVenture

I’ve always wanted to try skydiving, and one day I will. The problem is that I’m a total wuss and the idea of jumping from a plane never comes to my mind. I have no problem diving, rafting, hiking… but skydiving is just a little too scary for me. Fortunately, there’s an alternative for us, wuss of the world, and it’s called SkyVenture (or iFLY), and they are in Canada, United States, UK and Asia! What is it? The concept is simple: you fly in an indoor free fall simulator. It’s exactly the same feeling as skydiving, but you don’t have the odd part of jumping from 12 000 feet. (Yay!) After a short class with an instructor, you just have to gear up and you’re ready to go into the cylinder. You’ll learn how to position your body and to communicate. Once inside the cylinder, you cannot hear anything but the wind, so you’ll use the signs to communicate with the instructor. The wind blows at a speed of 175 km/h approximately, and it is enough to lift you of the floor. How does it feel like? “I’m flyiiiinnngggggg!!!!!!” Despite what you may think, it is really smooth. It is almost like […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Destinations, United States

Boston – The truth About Love and Entrepreneurship

Last weekend, I went to my first Women in Travel Summit in Boston. To be honest, the conference really appealed to me, but I was apprehensive that I might hate being there. I’m an introvert, I’m not good at networking, and I generally lose the “How many countries have you visited?” contest. I didn’t want to have to justify my existence to other more experienced bloggers. I wanted to meet new people, share about our passion for travel and just generally enjoy to be in Boston. Well, this is exactly what happened. Was that some kind of “law of attraction”? …I don’t think so. I now believe that women entrepreneurship is inherent with love. Three speakers catch my attention and gave us tips we can apply not only in our business, but also in our lives. (And I couldn’t resist putting pictures of my highlights in Boston here and there…) 1. Catrice M. Jackson – Cashing in On You Catrice started her conference with a simple-not-so-simple question: “What would you do differently if you knew for sure that the only REAL currency in life is YOU?” If you were in a situation where there’s no money except your personality, your soul, the way you […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Brazil, Destinations

Ain’t just beans and rice! – Discover Brazilian cuisine

When I announced my trip to Rio de Janeiro, it was very clear that I wanted to discover Brazilian cuisine. Sometimes, I think the most adventurous expats are the best persons to show us a new culture, because they know what is interesting for foreigners. When people ask me what they should eat in Montreal, I never really know what to say… Sure I wrote a guest post about 6 Delicious Food you Have to Eat When You Visit Quebec, but I had to ask around me to be sure that what I suggested was a good choice of Quebec cuisine. On the other hand, I’d have no problem writing about Portuguese cuisine. Meh… So, when I met Tom, a British expat in Rio de Janeiro, and guide for the Eat Rio Food Tour, I knew he would exactly know what we need to taste while visiting Brazil… and it’s not just beans and rice! Update on July 26th, 2015: Note that the Eat Rio Food Tour is is no longer offered on a regular basis. It can be booked in private with the customer support of RDJ4U. Fruits It’s very cliché to talk about fruits when you think about a Southern country, but Brazilians […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Brazil, Destinations

Getting the Carioca Vibe and Learning Samba in Rio de Janeiro

You know how much I enjoy learning new things. So, it was absolutely impossible for me to go to Brazil without trying to learn Samba in Rio de Janeiro. Since I already dance lindy hop, which is also a partnered dance, I must admit I was a little over-confident in my capacity of dancing Samba. Well, you know what? It didn’t help me at all! Ahah! I think there is definitely something different in the constitution of the hips of North Americans versus South Americans. Seriously, how can you people do that? Fortunately, this is why beginner Samba workshops exist and I had the chance to have the very comprehensive and funny Helio as a teacher. Getting the vibe My Samba class was just the day after I landed in Rio de Janeiro and I couldn’t say how much of a relief it was to move those feet after more than 12 hours of transportation from Montreal. In a yoga studio of Copacabana, Helio welcomed the group and made sure everybody was comfortable. None of the seven people in the group (Guess who was alone?) had experience in Samba. So, if you plan on doing this activity, no need to worry about […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Brazil, Destinations

First impressions of Rio de Janeiro

It’s been a while since I travelled to South. I don’t know if I was hibernating because of the winter in Montreal, but Rio de Janeiro got me out of my lethargy quite brutally. Getting out of the plane, the air was so thick I could have eaten it. I didn’t remember what it was to inflict 60 degrees of difference to your body in one day. If I was still hibernating after that, the sight of my good friend Igor at the airport sure fixed that. No tropical climate can beat the warm feeling of seeing a friend abroad that you haven’t seen in a while. People are right about traffic in Rio de Janeiro, but it doesn’t beat the one in Los Angeles. The only difference is the perpetual honks and the motorcycles and people passing between cars. Rio is noisy, just as you would expect South America to be. It’s a chaotic blend between Portugal and Central America. It’s broken colorful buildings and occasional azuelos. It’s graffiti everywhere and people sleeping on sidewalks. It’s a ton of fruits markets and juice places. Rio smells either fruits or garbage. Fortunately, more often fruits. Walking on sidewalks is a […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Destinations, Honduras

4 Reasons to Fall in Love With Copán, Honduras

When I was in Honduras, I totally fell in love with the small village of Copán. It’s definitely a must-see if you go in the country! Of course, it is well-known for its mayan ruins, but it’s also a very good place to relax while travelling Central America. I give you my 4 best reasons to visit this Honduran town. 1. Visit Copán Ruinas Yes, it is the most touristic site in the region but, unlike some other touristic attraction, Copán Ruinas really worth its reputation. Plan at least half a day to visit this UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s huge! Quick tips: Don’t pay to visit the tunnels. There’s an extra fee to enter in the tunnels and it honestly doesn’t worth it. You’ll only see bricks in the darkness. Everything that is interesting is already included in the basic entrance fee. Bring a lot of water. As I said, the site is huge, and, unless they change it since I’ve been there in 2012, there’s no place to buy water except at the beginning and at the end of the visit. Honduras being Honduras, it is very hot. 2. Have a Maya culinary experience Take a tuk tuk up the hills to the Hacienda San Lucas and […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Brazil, Destinations

Announcing my next destination: Rio de Janeiro!

It’s official, my next flight is booked: I’m going to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Woot! I’m completely ecstatic about this next trip. Honestly, I never thought of going to Rio in 2015, but a Brazilian friend of mine invited me so I jumped on the opportunity to discover the ”Marvellous City”. Between the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016, I think 2015 is just perfect to slip between two crowds. I already began to make the list of things I want to learn and things I want to discover in Rio. What I want to learn in Rio de Janeiro I always try to learn things from my trips. I like to let the culture pass through me and let a new place makes me grow. It turns out there are few things I want to learn from Rio de Janeiro. 1. Basic Portuguese I must admit I cheat for this one, because I’ve already began to learn some basic Portuguese. Even if I go see a friend, I’ll be alone for a part of the trip while he’ll be doing things on his side, and people have been very clear about it: it’s rare to find […]

par Annie Anywhere

Jelly Fish in Monterey Aquarium, California

Amériques, Destinations, United States

Monterey Bay Aquarium – Please Don’t Flash the Octopus

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is paradise on Earth. You can see AND you can touch. Isn’t it amazing for a museum? And there’s something very important you need to know about me: I LOVE FISH! We were coming from a very bad day at Yosemite and the thought of just calmly meditating looking at fish was really appealing to me. I’m a diver (a very occasional one), but doesn’t it look cool to say it? Hey hi! I’m a diver. I have my card. Blink. Anyway…The thing is that the most important rule when you dive (except to keep breathing) is to never touch anything ever. And I’m a ”toucher”(This sounds creepy. I’m sorry). I like to touch (Nope… doesn’t sound better). In the Monterey Aquarium, they have special pools where you can touch some crabs, sea cucumbers, bat rays, and other weird creatures I had never seen before. Things you need to know: this place is HUGE. It took me 3 hours to visit all the different sections. And I wasn’t meditating this long in front of each aquarium. Also, even if the visit is long, please bring your kids there! Seriously, they have thought of everything: quests, games, costumes, color everywhere. […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Destinations, Honduras

Jade Seahorse – The Weirdest Hotel in Honduras

As I was planing my trip to Honduras, I ran across an interesting description about eclectic bungalows made out of mysterious findings. Once I took a look at pictures on the net, I decided to derogate my own rules and to take more money in the bank to have the chance to sleep at Jade Seahorse during my stay in Ùtila. I just can’t resist out of the box art creations! Who wants to sleep in a bizarre hotel made of trash? At our arrival on the smallest of the Bay Island, it was hiding behind a colorful wood fence : Nightland. A small world made out of curves, details and surprises. It took the owner and artist Neil Keller 15 years to build the bungalows and sculptures that create the site. Bizarre mosaics and sculptures made of bottles, beads, balls…and plastic bananas. All this just make me want to build gigantic trashy sand castles! Combining original cabins, a restaurant and a bar in the trees (A bar in the trees!!!!) called the Treetanic, Jade Seahorse made my inner artist and lover of puns feel home. During our stay, we had the Mono Lisa cabin, a.k.a the blue one, just up the […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Destinations, Honduras

Honduras – Exploring the Mangrove in Kayak

Each time I plan a trip I tell myself ”This time, I won’t plan too much so I won’t put myself in stressful situation. I don’t need to see EVERYTHING, I just need to enjoy and seize the day”. But reading about the destination and all the amazing places to see, I always reach the point of ”Who needs to eat and sleep anyway?!” Yep. In 5 Tips for a Trip to Honduras, I promised to tell you the story of why I had to beg a taxi driver in the middle of the night. Well, I ended this story in a kayak… I was with my travel buddy and we had planned to go from Copán to Tela. That was simple: one bus from Copán to San Pedro Sula, and another to go to Tela, a child could do that (I don’t have child). We woke up early in our 10$ hotel room to be sure to get the first bus and we said goodbye to the colourful Copán village. The first bus we had to take was coming from Guatemala, which is very close to Copán, but the thing is that it was very late (much more than the usual lateness of bus in Honduras). After […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Destinations, United States

Photo Essay: Alcatraz prison

Alcatraz is a hard place to describe with words so I’ll let images explain it by themselves. I am not a big fan of prison, but I couldn’t miss this part of American history, and it’s a good place to take amazing pictures. You break the rules, you go to prison. You break the prison rules, you go to Alcatraz Prison. It looks like Alcatraz has got me licked” – Al Capone, Inmate #85 Alcatraz was never no good for nobody”. – AZ 1576 Frank Weatherman. Last prisoner to leave Alcatraz Practical Info Cost You can visit Alcatraz with a Day Ticket for around 45US$ or a Night Ticket for around 52US$.The tickets all include the ferry to reach the island (and come back), and an audio guide. You have approximately 2h30-3h00 to visit the island and the prison, which is more than enough. I you plan on visiting the popuIar attractions in San Francisco, including Alcatraz, you should take a look at CityPASS. It’s a bundle including all the major activities, and since it’s a package, you can save around 40%. I highly recommend to book as soon as possible. And when I say “in advance”, I mean MONTHS before you […]

par Annie Anywhere

Amériques, Destinations, United States

What to Pack for California in Autumn

I’m more in a storytelling mood recently, but since you guys always ask me what to pack for different destinations and because my packing list for Iceland in summer has been pinned more than 500 times on Pinterest, I decided to write down this packing list for California in autumn. Planning your trip? Take a look at my 10 days road trip in California, between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Clothes California, especially San Francisco, is the layers’ kingdom. Hot during the day and chill at night, temperature forces you to think wisely about the way you dress. It’s also a state where the “dress to impress” seems the norm, so you may want to bring more stylish outfits than a backpacker usually do. (Unless you’re in the same tribe than me and you just don’t care Ahah!) While I was comfortable all-day in San Francisco wearing pants, it was too hot for Los Angeles. So even if it’s autumn, pack both pants and shorts. Long sleeves and one coat are also essential to go out at night. If you don’t want to carry a coat all day long, a scarf can be a good option to keep you warm. This being said, it’s still […]

par Annie Anywhere

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