State of Emergency in Jamaica

From CNN International:

(CNN) — Authorities in Jamaica declared a state of emergency in Kingston on Sunday night after gang members blockaded a large swath of the capital city and attacked at least two police stations.

The declaration follows the United States issuing on Friday a travel alert for its citizens concerning the Caribbean nation. The U.S. cited unconfirmed reports of criminal gang members amassing in Kingston and the mobilization of Jamaican defense forces.

“The possibility exists for violence and/or civil unrest in the greater Kingston metropolitan area,” the alert said.

More Details here: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/23/jamaica/index.html?eref=edition&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=cnni

Most American tourists are likely to be headed to all inclusive resorts outside of the Kingston area however transit between the airport and the resorts may involve crossing through potential conflict zones so that’s something to think about. The world is a complicated place. On one hand as a traveler you don’t want to cancel a trip over situations that are magnified through mass media. On the other hand I know I wouldn’t be able to relax on the pool deck and sip rum drinks in the middle of a raging class warfare especially when I don’t know enough about the position points of each side. This is where a little research is necessary. The Jamaica Observer has several stories that provide insight into the present situation and which indicate that the unrest involved ” co-ordinated strikes on four police stations in West Kingston by criminal gunmen“. This doesn’t sound like it necessarily affects the average tourist, however tourists should exercise normal precautions and probably should not be wandering about this area alone or at night.  As always before traveling, be sure to check up on the conditions you can expect at your destination. Read the State Department website for travel advisories and be sure look up local news and weather reports on the internet. Whatever your travel destination, have a safe travel week.

More sources for updates on the Jamaica situation:

http://www.caribbeanworldnews.com/middle_top_news_detail.php?mid=3530

http://www.caribbean360.com/

Janet in London with Short hair

Janet Jackson

Click here for a few more shots of Ms Jackson.

a) She looks fab.

b) Why do the Jacksons look so much alike? I know people say my family looks alike but with the Jacksons the resemblances are uncanny.

c) If you’re gonna be in London, being there with an ultra chic short crop is the only way to go. (Can you tell that I’m trying to talk myself into something?)

d) I feel a post about things to do in London coming on. This will be about all the things I’ve been wanting to do in London for most of my life because I haven’t been there since I was 5 or 6 years old.

e) Here’s hoping she does like Solange and keeps it – at least for a while. It’s about time the trends started to turn in favor of short hair.

Celebrity Travel Notes, week May 9, 2010

Venus Williams who is in Spain to play in the Madrid Open tweets that she had to change hotels because the beds were too short. She is 6’1”. As a tall woman myself, I know it’s durn near impossible to sleep in a bed that’s not long enough. Since Venus can’t be the only six footer to stay at this hotel, maybe this establishment needs to look into upgrading their bedding so as to avoid losing future customers. Venus will also play doubles at this tournament with her sister Serena.

Solange Knowles is renting a house for a month in Santa Barbara, CA where she is recording her new album. She tweets that the house has “mountainside ocean views” and “lemon trees, avocados, bees for honey, hooting owls, coyote calls, vineyards all in our back yard”. This sounds lovely and invokes a twinge of nostalgia for the house where I spent most of my childhood – minus the ocean views and the coyote calls. I’m working on ocean views a regular part of my life, and I can always do without the coyotes. But suffice it to say, with all that ambience, it sounds like Ms Knowles can’t help but be inspired to deliver music that’s on point.

Expedia’s 12 best reviewed U.S. hotels (continental)

What makes a you give a hotel a good review? The Huffingtonpost story based on U.S. hotels in Expeida’s Insiders’ Select user ratings gives major for things like free wifi and no extra cost breakfast buffets. Some of the hotels on the list are no surprise. The Ritz Carlton offers a five star experience wherever you go and the same can probably be said for most Residence Inns which are three star suite accommodations. The eco-friendly focus in the Hutton Hotel in Nashville is moderately appealing but I’m not sure how I feel about paying good money to stay in a hotel with water free urinals. On the other hand the view from the Epic Hotel in Miami looks lovely (assuming you get a room with a view similar to the one in the Huffpo picture) and I’m a reader so the Epic Page Turner guest reading program with books available in print and digital formats sounds great to me and I just might be sold on this establishment. Epic Hotel online reservations is quoting rates from about 240.oo USD/night for this month.

Luxury perks, niceties and bells and whistles aside, in any hotel, I like clean rooms and bedding (obviously). I like the sheets to be cotton because it’s unpleasant to sleep on cheapie polyester or poly blend sheets – especially if they’re old and beaded up. I like comfortable beds – and who doesn’t. Complimentary breakfast is nice if healthy foods are offered. But I’ve stayed in quite a few decent hotels where the free breakfast consisted of bagels, waffles, syrup, danishes and highly concentrated orange juice – i.e. carbs, carbs and more carbs. This kind of bleached flour and refined sugar breakfast freebie is no help and unless you are in a rush and the hotel buffet breakfast is your only chance to eat that morning you’re better off passing on the freebie and paying for a more healthful breakfast somewhere else. Free wi fi is not a make or break for me because free and fast is good, but free and so sluggish that it feels like dial up is not helpful. One of the fastest internet connections I’ve used was at the airport Days Inn in Philly, a two star hotel, and I did have to pay for it.  Otherwise, this hotel is nothing to write home about. Some construction workers grill dinner outside their rooms, and the only microwave on premises is in the little kitchenette behind the front desk, but the front desk manager had no problem heating our food up for us and was friendly.  In short, not fancy accommodations by any stretch of the imagination, but if you need to be in town on short notice for a funeral as I did when I stayed in this hotel, then you’re less inclined to be a nitpicky traveler. As long you have a bed with a door, and a lock and you need an internet connection so you can get your homework done then it fits the bill. Click here for the complete list and photos of Expedia’s 12 best reviewed U.S. hotels.

Great Last Minute Mothers Day Gift Ideas

If you are like me and tend to wait till the last minute to choose gifts – including mother’s day gifts there is still time to find your Mom a travel gift that she’ll appreciate and enjoy. Travel is the perfect Mother’s day gift because all Moms need a getaway every now and again but many, especially of the older generation need a little coaxing and prodding to be convinced that it’s okay to indulge in some “me time”. And while it may be a little late to find getaway reservations for the weekend of May 9, 2010 – or practical to drop a trip on Mom at short notice, this is okay because you can always book a trip for your Mom now that can be enjoyed later this spring or in the summer months ahead.

Here are some travel gift ideas that are sure to make Moms and Grandmom’s happy.

When in Venus’ favorite city – Rome

Venus and Serena Williams are in Rome this week to play in the Rome Open. Yesterday Venus tweeked (eeeek! on twitter) about a cockroach in her room. This minor incident aside, Venus says that Rome is her favorite European city – Serena likes the history in Rome but prefers Paris. I’m down for whichever city has better shopping – and of course the overall service. I’m also interested in seeing in Rome is the old architecture other than the Coliseum (for some reason I’m still disturbed by the fight scenes in the movie Gladiator) – and the Vatican.

Click to read a May 2, 2010  interview with Venus and Serena on the BNL D’Italia website translated into English or in Italian.

Travel of course is a different when you’re not a world class tennis player with VIP, and I’ve heard so much about how legendarily expensive Rome is,  however this may not apply to travel and accommodations during a global recession because expedia seems to have plenty of package choices for under USD 2000. A six night stay at the Residence Candia, an aparthotel close to St Peter’s Basilica, a produce market and the metro goes for about USD 1160 per person this summer. This  price includes flight from Reagan National Airport. The close proximity to a market means having your own kitchen is a plus, however a commenter on Expedia warns that this hotel isn’t for  people from the US who aren’t used to living the European way and another mentions that there was noise by partying college students. I have to say the noise factor is a strike against this option. The Courtyard by Marriott, is designed for business travelers and offers a more “standardized” chain hotel experience for just about 100 USD/per night more, but is not close to metro, central Rome or the Vatican, but comes with free shuttle service. Decisions, decisions and quite enough to think about if you plan to attend the Rome Open and see Venus play in her favorite city next year.

The Michael Jackson Fanvention

If you’re a fan of Michael Jackson, or the Jackson family, and would like to celebrate his birthday weekend near his Gary Indiana birthplace, consider the MJ Fanvention by Fluid Entertainment. This event takes place from August 26-29 2010 at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza and Star Theare in Merillville, Indiana. Some Jackson family members and friends, and authors who wrote about Michael Jackson including Aphrodite Jones and Teresa Gonsalves, will be on hand to share their remembrances of the King of Pop. Fans will also have the opportunity to take a tour to MJ’s birthplace, the famous little house on Jackson Street. And it seems that there is a voluntourist aspect to this trip to the house on Jackson street because fans will also be involved in tree planting.  This remembrance event for fans is one of the first of it’s kind following Michael Jackson’s passing last year. To be honest, this travel package would be a lot more attractive if it involved a stay in LA or Las Vegas … or the Bahamas. But then again if they were in LA or Vegas, they couldn’t include a tour to the birthplace, and for what it’s worth, and not that I’m a celebrity but there probably aren’t many travel bugs who would want to put too much into going to my hometown either even though it’s a lovely place.  Click HERE for more information about the MJ Fanvention schedule and the cost of the packages for this events.