Here at Amazing Journeys, we’re lucky to have the best jobs in the world—and we think our good fortune is worth sharing. So, when your next journey seems like a distant dream, take a few minutes to explore our WANDERLUST blog—it’s chock-full of engaging tales and helpful tips from our travels around the world.

Our recent tour to Italy was packed full of pleasures and treasures!

Monday, June 24th, 2013

by Malori

The images of Italy in one’s mind are as different as the individual themselves. One may visualize a Tuscan villa set amongst gently rolling hills covered with vineyards and lavender, some picture the greatest art treasures such as Michelangelo’s “David” and fresco covered cathedrals, others see an outdoor café where locals are sipping cappuccino, and some imagine themselves shopping for some of the world’s best leather shoes, handbags and gloves, or amazing ceramic pottery, high fashion or Murano glass. Italy is all this and more!

Last week, 21 Amazing Journeyers returned from an experience in the Northern Italian countryside, cities, villages and lake districts. We experienced Italy “off the beaten path” as we visited such amazing places as Stresa on Lago Maggiore; Lucca, Siena, and Florence, all in Tuscany; Bologna and the always fascinating city of Venice.

We began the tour with a tasting event with vintage wines and aged balsamic vinegars from Rosario, a local woman who has experienced life in Italy from the time of WW II to today, as she shares her passion and knowledge of the foods, spices and wines of Italy. That was only the beginning of more surprises we had in store for us on our journey.

One of the highlights for many of the group was our day spent in a Tuscan villa where we had a cooking class and got our hands into the pasta, which we then rolled out like pros and enjoyed at lunch. We watched a demonstration by our personal chef of a fabulous dessert, which we also enjoyed later, along with the wines we saw them make and then tasted.

Tasting the meats of Bologna (I searched for the statue of Oscar Mayer but he was nowhere to be found!) and the cheeses of Parma were unparalleled. Along with wines, our tour of Bologna was nearly complete. We also saw the University of Bologna where the oldest Torah scroll in the history of the world was just found and dated. It had been in the library there for centuries!

Walking tours of Lucca, Siena, Florence and Venice provided us the insight to experience the rich history of the people of Italy and their culture. With lots of free time in each, we filled our days with exploration, shopping and photography, along with enjoyable lunches in some of the best Trattoria’s, where “Mama” still does the cooking.

Portofino and the Cinque Terra were enjoyed by the entire group. Five fishing villages spread out along the Ligurian Coast as they have been for centuries, connected only by train. Some in the group visited two villages, others three and a few saw four villages. This was true and untouched Italy.

Many in the group vowed to taste the flavors of Italy on a daily basis: some swore to have a gelato every day, others began each day with a cappuccino, some decided to have a pizza-a-day, while others honed in on wine each and every day. Whether your passion was tasting the unusual or comparing the typical, none of us went home disappointed. The foods and wines of Italy are always amazing!

For those who just returned from our Italy’s Treasures tour, your experiences will provide memories you will never forget. If you are heading to Italy with us on our Cruise the Med trip next month, get ready for an opportunity to fill your senses with amazement! Our advise to you—leave room in your suitcase…you’ll be coming home with lots of new-found delights!

Tags: Amazing Journeys, Armchair tour, Italy, Jewish Singles, Memories, pasta, shopping, summer, Travel, Vacation
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The Baseball Game of Life

Thursday, June 13th, 2013

“And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; But there is no joy in Mudville-mighty Casey has struck out.”

Those lines have echoed through the decades, the final stanza of a poem published in the June 3, 1888, issue of the San Francisco Examiner. Its author, Ernest Thayer’s poem has taken a well-deserved place as an enduring icon of Americana. Christopher Bing’s magnificent version of this immortal ballad of the flailing 19th-century baseball star is rendered as though it had been newly discovered in a hundred-year-old scrapbook.

And what does this have to do with Amazing Journeys? Last week a bunch of baseball enthusiasts – aficionados, if you will – went on a road trip of their own, to visit some of the most iconic baseball venues in the history of the game. It was a smorgasboard of baseball; an endless horizon of becoming one with the diamonds of yesteryear as well as today. We met Dwight (Doc) Gooden of the Mets and Yankees….we ate peanuts and Cracker Jacks at Yankee Stadium…we swung (and hit very well) a few fastballs at the batting cages…we remembered the past in Cooperstown…and we became part of the past with a Fenway experience in Boston that words alone cannot describe.

Baseball teaches us so much about ourselves. It is a game of life; a game with so many metaphorically similar lessons to learn that it’s a wonder we all don’t fall in love with the game.

Just think about it.

A player is surrounded by teammates, coaches, fans as well as opposing players, and their advocates. A person in life is surrounded by siblings, parents, cousins, co-workers, acquaintances and friends, as well as those who compete against them for jobs, parking spots, short lines and other competitive routines of daily living. Like the pitcher who just gave up a grand slam and needs to be replaced, he still gets a pat on the tush from his coach and the support of his teammates. In life, our inner circle of family and friends – real friends – support us even when we fail. Together, the team and family learn about the joys of succeeding, the trials of failing, the challenges of improving and the results of their efforts.

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball – an illness, a bad evaluation at work, a car accident or perhaps Mother Nature reaps havoc. This is where life can be like the impossible baseball game; sometimes the game seems like it can’t be won, but miraculously it often can. In 2004 the perennial losers of baseball, the Boston Red Sox were about to embarrassingly bow out yet again to the mighty Yankees having lost the first 3 games of the best of 7 in the American League Championship Series. Down by one run in the bottom of the 9^th in Game 4, and only moments before their curse would continue….history changed forever. The Sox tied it, went on to win the game in extra innings and then all the rest of the games in the series. They then went on to blow out the St. Louis Cardinals for their first World Series win in 86 years.

Hope! Never give up.

If not today, there’s another game tomorrow where you get to start all over again. Perseverance can pay off in big ways if one can get up, dust themself off and figure out a new way. Just like the player getting thrown out trying to steal 2^nd base. He’ll get another chance. Skills such as determination, focus, ambition, patience, practice, sportsmanship, and respect enhance the meaning of the word “hope”. To sit at home and hope that the love of your life will knock on your door is futile. But by getting out and doing things, you put yourself in position (notice the baseball lingo here) to make a catch.

As they say “even the longest journey begins with just one step”. Think of career minor leaguer John Lindsey. He spent 16 years in the minor leagues before getting his break in September of 2010 when he was called up to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers; his first stint ever in the Majors. He played in 11 games that season and is now still a prospect with Major League credentials with the Detroit Tigers organization.

Hope springs eternal. One never knows what can happen….if they continue to hope.

Such as in life, a player will only succeed over a period of time if he wants to; if he truly desires to. As Babe Ruth once said – “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”

Tags: Amazing Journeys, Babe Ruth, Baseball, Baseball Hall of Fame, Boston Red Sox, Casey at the Bat, Coach, Cooperstown, Detroit Tigers, Doc Gooden, Dwight Gooden, Ernest Thayer, Ernest Thayer's Casey at the Bat, Fenway Park, John Lindsay, Major League, Major Leagues, Mets, Minor Leagues, New York Yankees, World Series, Yankee Stadium
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Slicha, Bevakasha

Monday, June 3rd, 2013

If you thought New Yorkers were tough, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve been to Israel. One of the first phrases we learned in Hebrew was “slicha, bevakasha”, or “excuse me, please”. So anywhere we went, we were saying “slicha, slicha, slicha”. It’s hard to move around without bumping into people… Israel is a wonderfully crowded place.

We squeezed our ways past people, cars, and bikes as we went on our food tasting tour in Tel Aviv. We wiggled our way into the Western Wall, passing all of the orthodox who came from near and far to pray. We even ventured to the shuk (market) in Jerusalem on Shabbat! Yes, on Shabbat. What are we, crazy? All of Jerusalem goes to the shuk to shop for their challah, fish, and vegetables for Shabbat, not to mention their chalvah, wine, dried fruits, and more, oy! I think all of Jerusalem was there at the same time! So we “slicha-ed” our way through the shuk, going from stall to stall for our “Shuk Bites” where we tried everything from cheese and burekas to ice cream and fruity drinks. It was definitely an experience!

Unexpectedly, most of the group decided that our visit up north to the Golan Heights was the favorite part of our trip. Why you ask? It was so relaaaaaxing! We stayed at a wonderful kibbutz. A kibbutz? “So you woke up at 4am and picked oranges?” No no, don’t be silly, it was a beautiful kibbutz with a lot of smaller buildings on their luscious, green property. Meals there were plentiful and delicious, the rooms were lovely and best of all, we had an AJ exclusive party!

The Golan Heights were amazing! We went on a jeep ride through the fields and right next to the Syrian border where we saw IDF Reservists who had just been called into action. We saw the former borders and how the land had been transformed since becoming part of Israel. We went rafting on the River Jordan and enjoyed the beautiful greenery as we floated down. Okay, it’s more like a lazy river with some tree obstacles. One of our highlights? We were lucky enough to have dinner with some current IDF soldiers! These are 18 and 19 year olds who are in Intelligence, protecting the Jewish homeland. That dinner was so special; it brought Israel close to home. We imagined our friends, our nieces, nephews and our children in their shoes and we quickly understood how amazingly brave and mature these teenagers are.

Overall, our Golan Heights experience was life-changing. It’s a different way of life, different from the “slicha, bevakashas” that we did in the big cities. Don’t get me wrong, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are “must-sees” on any trip to Israel and there is so much to do. Part of traveling is getting to know the people and culture through small interactions. But there was just something special about the relaxing nature of the Golan Heights. Being so close to Syria and Lebanon yet feeling safe, peaceful, and relaxed is an amazing feeling. Israel has that effect – you know it’s a political hot-spot, but you feel safe, like you belong.

So “slicha” if I’m coming off too forward, but if you haven’t been to Israel yet, you must go. And while you’re there, “slicha” your way through the cities and then up to the Golan Heights. “Beavkasha”. You’ll be glad you did.

Tags: Amazing Journeys, Armchair tour, Israel, Memories, Vacation
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Sights and Sounds of a Spice Route

Monday, May 13th, 2013

One thinks of a “route” as a means to get from one point to another. In ancient times throughout history, spices have been as valuable as gold and silver. According to a 15th century saying: “No man should die who can afford cinnamon.”

Think about that the next time you sprinkle a little bit of this sweetness into your coffee or tea.

The spice trade was a commercial activity of ancient origin which involved the merchandising of spices, incense, herbs, and other drugs between historic civilizations in Asia, Africa and Europe. What oil, agriculture, stocks and free markets are today….is what spices, medicine, herbs and other aromatic pleasures were of yesterday.

As our group of Amazing Journeys passengers return home to their normal routines, what they just experienced in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India was quite the contrary. Life in these parts are not just figuratively worlds apart. Life is a different order here. The value system is vastly different from the western world in so many ways. Rich people live in homes with dirt floors. Poor people have satellite dishes and cell phones. Washing your clothes at a river is commonplace. Creamating the dead along a river is custom. A road is means to get where you’re going, but it doesn’t matter how you get there or by which means. Camels, rickshaws, trucks piled high with a hundred laborers, tuk tuks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_rickshaw), bicycles, motorscooters, cars, busses and anything that moves, moves on these roads. And in any direction where there is an open space. Western folk tend to cringe at every turn on the roadways, while the locals are just navigating their way through another day in the life.

Men wear turbans, women wear saris. Kids play cricket on the side of the road like we shoot hoops in our driveway. Laundry hangs out to dry; sometimes in a window, sometimes along the median in the road….sometimes as an full-fledged business along the highway. Goats and cows roam freely, but they are all owned by someone; someone who just let them out for the day. At the end of the day…yes, the cows do come home. You have something to sell? Just bring a table and set it all down on the sidewalk and start selling. Or, just hawk the tourists when they come by. Need to pray? The nearest mosque, shrine or temple is closer to you than the nearest Starbucks in Seattle. Want to see some wildlife (beyond the cows)? Just look up – monkeys abound like unsupervised children.

And food! Oh, the food. How about Pani Puri (a crisp doughy cracker dipped in spicey water)…or Aloo Tikki patties made up of mashed potatoes and masala deep fried in oil? You can buy that off the side of the road. Nan that is freshly made in a fire pit is about the closest one can come to heaven of the tastebuds. Thirsty? Have a freshly squeezed sugar cane to drink–literally right off the cane, pressed between two rotating metal wheels. Want to spice up that meal? India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia have thousands of spice variations that can diversify and intensify a diet more than most easterns would care to dare. But its there! Spices and herbs and aromas are an essential part of the culture and of immense important to commerce.

Spices are used in different forms – whole, chopped, ground, roasted, sauteed, fried and as topping. Locals blend food to extract the nutrients and bind them in a palatable form. Some spices are added at the end as a flavouring and are typically heated in a pan with ghee or cooking oil before being added to a dish. Lighter spices are added last, and spices with strong flavor should be added first. Curry is not a spice, but a term used by western people and refers to any dish in Indian cuisine that contains several spices blended together and could be with a gravy base or a dry item. A curry in Indian cuisine typically consists of whey cooked with gram flour, chopped onions, turmeric powder, and several spices blended together and some that are fried and added in the end as flavoring.

Spices and herbs are used for medicinal purposes too. Any ailment or hygenic enhancement can supposedly be aided or cured with an herbal concoction. Your’s truely had a hair removal treatment on my leg, at no extra charge. Or pain for that matter. You can ease digestive challenges….smooth your skin….get rid of hemmeroids….cease balding….increase your metabolism…build muscle tone….and look 20 years younger, just by taking a few natural herbs. We saw the garden of eden…and the man who would say so. And yes, my hairy legs were smooth as a butter. It must work.

Its not easy to get there, but it is so worth the trip. It puts life into prespective and opens your eyes to a whole new world (and sometimes it opens your nostrils too…and makes your eyes water with all that spice). If you live in a developed country, be grateful. Its all relative, but I’m happy to have what I have here in the good ol’ USA. Life along the Indian Ocean isn’t necessarily a bad life; its just a life that I am glad to have visited. But with well over a billion people all vying for space its a bit overcrowded for me. Its so interesting in so many ways…and so different in even more ways. I’ll go again. Will you?

Tags: Amazing Journeys, herbs, India, Indian Ocean, Malaysia, Pani Puri, rickshaw, sari, Singapore, spice, Spice Route, Sri Lanka, tuktuk, turban
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What Exactly Is The Spice Route?

Friday, April 12th, 2013

“He who controls the spice, controls the universe.”

Such were the words uttered by the main character of the movie Dune.In the story, the spice was the lifeblood of a vast empire. For the leaders of this empire, it was essential that at all times ‘the spice must flow.’ The spice trade of the Dune movie was inspired by the historical trade in aromatics from ancient times to the present. At various periods in history, spices have been as valuable as gold and silver. According to a 15th century saying: “No man should die who can afford cinnamon.”

The spice trade was a commercial activity of ancient origin which involved the merchandising of spices, incense, herbs, and other drugs between historic civilizations in Asia, Africa and Europe. These aromatic substances became even more mysterious over time as they were connected in many cultures with the idea of a faraway paradise — Eden

In a few short days, Amazing Journeys will be sailing along the same waters as the traders from the Roman Empire, Medieval Europe, ancient Egyptians and even Colonial Spain. We will be traveling a bit differently, though, as we embark upon a luxury cruise ship for 14 days of ultimate relaxation and unique exploration. Beginning in Singapore, we’ll make stops in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and various ports throughout southern India before heading home. A few lucky souls have also taken advantage of an added 4 night tour into Northern India to see the Taj Mahal.

What oil, agriculture, stocks and free markets are today….is what spices, medicine, herbs and other aromatic pleasures were of yesterday. The next time you sprinkle a little cinnamon on your oatmeal or spice up your kung pao chicken, take pause for a moment to realize that these everyday enhancements were once a means of livlihood and survival for many civilizations.

Tags: Africa, Amazing Journeys, ancient Egyptians, Asia, cinnamon, Colonial Spai, Dune, Eden, Europe, herbs, incense, India, Medieval Europe, n Azamara, opium, Roman Empire, Singapore, spice, Sri Lanka, Taj Mahal
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