Almost Time for the Nesting of the Giant Leatherback Turtle

by Karen Walrond on

Last
year, one of the first things our family did after moving to Trinidad, was visit the northernmost coast of the island,
in the village of Grand Riviere, to witness the nesting of the Giant Leatherback Turtles.  The experience was
amazing:  these 700-1200 pound creatures lumbering out of the sea, entering into a trance to lay up to 200 eggs,
before returning back to the deep.  The turtles — sometimes up to 200 per night —  tended to wait offshore
until nightfall to come on land and lay their eggs; however, they were often not finished with their task by daybreak,
so we woke up at dawn to see them in the light.

The experience was so wonderful, we made the cumbersome trek
to Grand Riviere twice last year — and we’re quivering with anticipation about doing it again this year.  Since my
daughter Alex will be two, and therefore a  bit more aware of what’s happening, we’re especially excited.

Nesting season begins in May and continues through August.  We’ll definitely be there next month.  Perhaps
we’ll see you there.

Hidden Gems: Key West, Florida

by Nick Vagnoni on

On an island that measures roughly four miles by two miles, it’s hard for anything to really be called
"hidden." Still, there are places in Key West that are a little quieter, a little less likely to show up on
the average tourist’s radar. As someone born and raised in Key West, these are the spots I always recommend to my
friends when they visit.

Being a foodie at heart, Five Brothers
Grocery, at the corner of Southard and Grinnell Streets, is usually the first place I send people. This unassuming
Cuban grocery serves up what most locals agree to be the best coffee and sandwiches in town. Order a cafe con
leche, or, even better, a buchi, a single shot of sweet Cuban espresso. You can’t really go wrong with
any of the sandwiches, but a Cuban mix or a midnite (like a Cuban but on a sweet roll) might be your best bet. A side
of bollitos, blackeyed pea fritters with garlic, and a bottle of Malta Hatuey, and you’re all set.


Just around the corner from Five Brothers is
perhaps my favorite spot in town, the Key West Cemetery. The main entrance you see here is at the intersection of
Margaret and Angela Streets and Passover Lane. Sure, there are a couple of other public parks on the island, but this
is by far the most tranquil area you’ll find.


Since everything in town is pretty close to sea
level, most of the graves in the cemetery are above ground, similar to New Orleans. Since space is so precious, they’ve
taken to stacking people, as you can see on the right.


If you didn’t eat your lunch from Five
Brothers on one of the benches outside, take it over to the cemetery. In the eastern corner, near the intersection of
Frances and Olivia Streets, you’ll fine some shaded benches.

These benches are also conveniently located
near what is perhaps one of the most frequently photographed epitaphs in the world:

If you leave the cemetery
and hang a left on Southard Street, you’ll eventually come to Truman Annex and the entrance to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
(coincidentally, this route also takes you by The Green Parrot Bar). Ft. Zach is
home to the best beach on the island. While you probably won’t be all alone on the beach, the park is large enough that
you won’t have to scramble for a spot in the sun or in the shade of the Australian Pines.


The park closes at
sunset, which is when it’s at its best.


Once the sun is down, a great place to survey
the town is the top of the city parking garage, at the corner of Caroline and Grinnell Streets. The Lighthouse Museum and the top of the hotel La Concha are also good for a
bird’s eye view, but the garage is much quieter. There’s a rear stairwell on James Street (also the site of Finnegan’s Wake, another good watering hole).

For those of you
coming to Key West to shop, I suggest Bésame Mucho, a small boutique
at 315 Petronia St. It’s a great mix of classy little imports, from soap to chocolate, linens to jazz. Truly, a breed
apart from most of the schlock shops in town.

Lastly, a spot I don’t see nearly enough of,
but still one I suggest everyone visit, is Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden. Located at 1 Free School Lane, on Simonton
Street, between Fleming and Southard Streets, this enormous garden occupies the center of a city block and features an
incredible variety of palms, fruit trees and orchids.
Admission is $6, I believe.

As I said,
these are the places I usually send people. Overall, my advice to anyone visiting Key West for the first time would be
to spend an evening away from Duval Street and just wander around the streets and lanes of Old Town.

[All
photos taken by Nick Vagnoni except Bésame Mucho and Ft. Zachary Taylor, taken by John Vagnoni]

GADLING'S TAKE FIVE: Week of March 28

by Adrienne Wilson on

On this Friday it looks as if March has come to an end and before
we say farewell to the ‘madness’ that was, it’s time to take a look back at some of this week’s various travel-related
highlights. Shall we?

5. Where to
Wear Guides: Thanks to Karen’s watchful eye and her passion for shopping, she points travelers with a love
for collecting designer pieces and vintage threads globally to the pages of Where to Wear guide books. Find out where to
nab one of these pocket-sized guides for your next big shopping-spree in the big city.

4. iPod Resources: Even if I’m the
only person in the world without an iPod, Neil’s post on the growing number of resources available for travelers who
actually do have them makes me want to jump on the bandwagon quick. It’s not just music, movies and audio books
anymore. Think maps and find out how to download the handy subway maps for 23 cities around the world. Lost – no
more.

3. Delicious,
Mouth-Watering Kangaroo: At first I thought the story I found in the Miami Herald about one woman’s food
sampling experience in Australia was pretty interesting, (especially her short notes on the delicious Kangaroo meat)
until one of our readers pointed out how and where to snag pre-packaged Kanga meat in local Aussie grocery stores. Who
knew?

2.
Hidden Gems: Princeton, New Jersey, a photo essay: Journey with Sarah Gilbert and her fisheye cam through
Princeton to discover the areas best hidden coffee shops, ice cream parlors, Indian food, cheap gyros, camera shops,
and spots made famous on the silver-screen. It’s so majestic you’ll want to experience Princeton for yourself. I
promise.

1. Free Ways to
Travel: Excuse me? Yes, you heard correctly. Erik does a most wonderful job in helping us find a will, a
way and the resources to reach our final destinations without going broke. I kid you not, but have a look with your own
two eyes and start saving on your next Central American, African or New Zealand adventure quest. The possibilities are
endless.

Hidden Gems: Princeton, New Jersey, a photo essay

by Sarah Gilbert on


Brad Hill, Princetonite, was my guide on a tour through his favorite Princeton, New Jersey haunts on a grey
Friday in March. But first, I gazed in awe at the ivy-covered Ivy-ness of the University.


It’s beautiful, of course, but
we were looking for gems, and hidden ones, at that. Brad’s favorite spot (and mine, as well): Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon St., where the lattes are
poured fast and the Rice Krispie treats are served in gigantic cubes.


One of the best parts about Small World Coffee is their bean-erific logo, emblazoned on the most
impressive array of schwag I’ve ever seen in a
coffee shop (and boy do I know coffee shops, folks). Most of the items, which range from shot glasses to insulated mugs
to girly-shaped tees, can only be purchased in the coffee shop itself.


The shop has a commitment
to organic coffee and foods and a full complement of Princetonites in all their glory. A 15-month-old tried to share
his cookie with me and the most happy barista I’ve ever met served me a mini cupcake in a plastic bubble. I loved every
minute.


Zorba’s Grill, 183-B Nassau St., is hidden in plain site
between the campus and the main drag. According to Brad, it’s where most of the professors get their lunch, and the
gyros are great and cheap.


As most college towns,
Princeton is infatuated with ice cream. Next door to Zorba’s is the most popular creamery, Thomas Sweet, 179 Nassau St. With its bubbly graphics and
primary-colored logo, the place looks like a chain. Oh, wait, it is a chain!


At
Thomas Sweet, the "blend-ins" are famous and made my
mouth water and stomach grumble for more chocolate. They sound like a copycat of (or precursor to) the Blizzard. And I
know you’re asking, Sarah, what is a popular chain on the main drag doing in your "Hidden Gems"
feature? Well…


…as a contrast to Halo Pub, 9
Hulfish St. (off Palmer Square), the ice cream store that had far, far more character. And, it appeared, far more
customers on a cool not-quite-spring day.


Why are there more customers?
Possibly because the possibilities are mind-boggling. I love an ice cream store that sells so many flavors I can never
pick one.


Even better: the wall of cows.
I don’t know if that’s what they call it. But that’s what I’m calling it. Every ice cream store needs a wall
of cows.


After all that ice cream I’ve worked up
an appetite for something spicy… Indian food! Princeton seems to be a haven for Indian restaurants, and we ate at a
popular Indian spot on Thursday night. We only ate there, it seems, because the "far better"
Méhék, 164 Nassau St., never answered their phone to take our reservation. Their hours are murky and
their phone isn’t answered, but they’re the best in town. Consider yourself informed.


It
wouldn’t be a photo essay without a stop at the local camera joint. The man behind the counter at New York Camera, 173
Nassau St., was studiously answering a difficult question from the owner of an old camera, but he took a break to ring
me up for some interesting and very cheap Kodak film.


The shop, like many in
Princeton, was located in a Colonial-era house connected by walkways to the houses behind — in central Princeton, it
seems, there are few yards.


I couldn’t leave the town
without visiting some of the spots made famous by Hollywood. This room, Brad tells me, was the one where the other
members of the faculty gave John Nash their pens in
A Beautiful Mind. Of course, no such real ceremony exists, and the books that filled the
"library" were added just for the filming. It’s no less stunning and – next time I’m in Princeton — I’m
totally hanging out here with my laptop. The room was empty but for two students last Friday afternoon.


[Photos of Princeton taken March 24, 2006, by Sarah Gilbert.]