Chaacreek in Belize: Location for love

by Jamie Rhein on

Travel and Leisure’s 2005 issue listed 50 romantic places. The description of Chaacreek in Belize was attention-grabbing. What does the “Screamer Room” sound like to you? The resort Web site doesn’t list a room with this name, but what a gorgeous looking place. Perhaps the reference is to the Honeymoon Sky Room–it’s set off from the rest of the hotel, perched among the trees.

The resort is a romance magnet, even if you stay in one of the cheaper rooms. First of all, it’s located in a nature reserve next to the Macal River and mountains. At the spa, there’s a menu of pampering treatments for those times when you’re not horseback riding, hiking, canoeing– or whatever you do to conjure up amour.

Romance or not, my kids would love this place. There’s a package called Family Adventure that looks terrific. Children up to age 18 stay for free. That lowers the price tag a bit. Head here before the middle of April for the best deals. The naturalist on staff is a bonus and there are a variety of package options. Even for a solo getaway, Chaacreek looks sublime.

Stephen Wiltshire: genius city illustrator

by Abha Malpani on

After flying over London in a helicopter, Stephen Wiltshire could reproduce by memory a detailed aerial illustration of a four-square mile area in under three hours that included 12 historic landmarks and 200 other structures.

He has done similar illustrations of New York, Tokyo, San Francisco, Frankfurt, and is currently in Madrid doing the same. On his way back to London, he will be stopping in Dubai, Jerusalem and Sydney. He was diagnosed autistic with Savant syndrome when he was 3; drawing became his way of communicating with the world.

Known as the “human camera”, he remembers what he sees by the memories that were provoked in the observation process — and he only has to see things once. At the age of 13, he was called “the best child artist in Britain” by the BBC and more recently he was named by Queen Elizabeth II as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to the art world.

Watch this video and what you see is a 34-year old, confident, artistic genius. Absolutely amazing.

Chinese New Year: Sing like you’re there

by Jamie Rhein on

There is a Chinese New Year song my daughter learned when we lived in Taiwan that we used to wheedle her into singing for guests when she was younger. Eventually, we had to promise to never make her sing it again.

While I was looking for a YouTube video of the song, I came across several professionally made music videos of other Chinese New Year songs. This one has Chinese New Year decorations that capture the flavor of the holiday and a celebratory mood. I sure feel Chinese New Year-like after watching several of them. This is a catchy tune, so perhaps you can sing along.

Year of the Rat: Bring some luck into your life

by Jamie Rhein on

With the Year of the Rat starting today, it’s not too late to attract good luck in order to make 2008 the best ever. Here are three ways. The first two I have tried.

Get a miniature orange tree– When we lived in Singapore we bought an orange tree every year right before Chinese New Year. The experience reminded me a bit like buying a live Christmas tree. Vendors selling these trees popped up all over the city. Size, cost and amount of oranges all figured into our decision making regarding which to buy–even the style of the pot was part of the package.

We set our tree out on the patio of our apartment and managed not to kill it for awhile. I can’t remember if we had any more good luck than normal, but I loved having such a bright, cheerful plant thanks to the oranges that were not much bigger than a golf ball.

Buy bamboo–Unlike our orange tree that didn’t last a year, (it was us, not the tree), bamboo plants will last awhile if you remember to change the water. In Taiwan, we bought bamboo just in case one of these plants would bring us good luck. I can’t say if any of them did, but I loved browsing the choices before making a purchase. The most expensive ones are grown into shapes. Like Christmas trees and orange trees, the size figures into the price as well.

Put away your scissors–Bringing good luck into your house can also be as simple as putting away sharp scissors and knives. If they are out, you can “cut” your luck.

For more Chinese New Year tidbits about how to improve your fortune, check out this link to the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco.

WHS new “Tentative List”: Places to Love–Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii

by Jamie Rhein on

For the Gadling series “World Heritage Site new “Tentative List”: Places to Love” we are covering the 14 sites that have been submitted for possible inclusion as an official World Heritage Site in the United States. The sites will not be posted in order of importance or in the order they appear on the list.

Number 10

Name of Site: Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii

Location: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the surrounding waters. Go 140 miles northwest of Hawaii’s main islands and you are there. The span of this monument continues for 1,200 miles as you keep heading northwest. To see a selection of maps of the area, click here.

Reason for importance in a nutshell: This “string of islands and adjacent waters represents the longest, clearest, and oldest example of island formation and atoll evolution in the world.” The islands are also culturally important because 1,000 years ago people lived here and their artifacts can be seen today.

Jamie’s Take: Where does one begin when talking about a site that covers 137,797 square miles? First of all, this is the best coral reef system in United States’ waters and the “largest marine conservation area in the world.” It’s the least disturbed and the healthiest, probably because it so far enough away from Hawaii’s main islands that people don’t just hop on over on a moment’s notice.

Secondly, along with the green sea turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, 14 million seabirds and other land birds call this home. Add in the diversity of the plant and marine animals found in the area (1/4 of them are only found here) and we’re talking a mega treasure trove of natural wonders.

The area includes: NWII Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Kure Atoll State Wildlife Sanctuary, and the NWHI State Marine Refuge.

As a note, the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge was designated in 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt making it one of the oldest National Wildlife Refuges in the United States.

Also of significance, these islands are a bridge between cultures–the Hawaiian and Polynesian. 1,000 years ago people settled on two of the islands leaving behind their traces. Artifacts have been found that possibly connect the islands’ once inhabitants to Marquesas and Tahiti. Along with those artifacts are ones that connect the islands to more recent happenings. Pearl oyster harvesting, fishing and guano mining once happened here, as well as, the World War II Battle of Midway.

Within the atolls, there are more than 60 vessels and 67 aircrafts that have created a rich history below the ocean’s surface.

Whether or not the World Heritage Site folks name the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii one of the official sites, this is definitely a place to be treasured. I’m happy that there are so many sanctuaries and preserves involved in its protection. What a wonderous place past the boundaries of the Hawaii most people think of when they travel there.