Photo Courtesy of Barocco Foundation
#TravelTuesday Trip Report - Back to Seoul - Traveling during a Pandemic with a Puppy!
Fynbos Asan in Seoul ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
Welcome Picture with our Puppy © Flyga Twiga™ LLC
243 Days Ago
That was how long it had been since we stayed in a hotel. Oh, so much has changed & so much has stayed the same!
With the entire Korean Peninsula once again open for travel, we were SO happy to be traveling again.
Our first issue was finding a (nice) hotel which took Pets. We found the wonderful RYSE Hotel, part of the Marriott Properties “Autograph Collection.”
Sitting Area Producer Suite RYSE Hotel ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
The Property
RYSE is an awesome hotel, "for creative originals", in the heart of the vibrant Hongdae area of Seoul. They welcome up to two pets per room. As I had been sitting on numerous Marriott Reward certificates, points, and upgrades, we booked one of their 14 Suites and arrived on a Friday evening.
We were immediately struck with friendly, fun staff (shout out Greet Supervisor Chloe Choi!). We felt welcomed like family coming home. And, they went out of their way for our Pandemic Puppy. Fynbos had a comfortable bed, dog food, and dog bowls waiting for his arrival.
Fynbos Welcome Area RYSE Hotel ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
Bathroom RYSE Hotel ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
The Bathroom
If you are a “bathroom” or “bathing” person, this is the hotel for you! While I am rarely impressed with hotel bathrooms – this one blew me away. And although I am a shower girl, I do appreciate a well designed bathtub.
Well done RYSE!
Spacious, Beautifully Designed Bathroom RYSE Hotel ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
Hotel Guidelines© Flyga Twiga™ LLC
What has changed?
There are a myriad of changes due to the Pandemic. Others may have noticed altered conditions I didn’t. Yet, there where three most visible changes which stuck out.
Plastic Covered TV Remote Control ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
1) Plastic Wrapped Remote Control
I found this reassuring, yet interesting. No other surfaces or items in the room were wrapped. Glasses were all the same as usual. The hotel was still using “large supply” soaps, shampoos, and lotions. I guess this is one of the highest touch items in the room.
Empty Hotel Lobby Area RYSE Hotel ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
2) Empty Hotel Lobby
So many hotels, pre-Covid19, were designed to have the Lobby as a focal point, a meeting place. RYSE’s Lobby area was empty, as far as we could tell, during our three night stay.
Communal Areas – in all forms – have taken a hard hit. Which leads me to the greatest change I noticed.
CHARR Restaurant a la Carte Breakfast Menu ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
3) Breakfast a la Carte
One of my favorite parts of a (good) hotel was the opulent Breakfast Buffet. For example, 15 On Orange, in Cape Town, South Africa, had one of the best Breakfast Buffets I have ever experienced. And those of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, are legendary.
RYSE had a good, varied a la Carte Breakfast Menu. That said, by day 3, I would have liked more variety, especially as I do not eat beef or pork.
And, I have to admit to my one “freak out”. For some reason, on Day 2, I really wasn’t in love with having to use tongs, that everyone else had used, for getting ice and the using the communal coffee machine.
The day prior, (and then again the next day), the Wait Staff had offered to get our drinks. In fact, the last morning there was no communal option. The inconsistency felt un-reassuring.
Avocado Toast Breakfast RYSE Hotel ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
Note: This was not the original plating. I asked for the salad on the side, as I felt the Balsamic Vinaigrette didn’t go well with the toast.
Would we do it again?
ABSOLUTELY! We have found a nice, clean, friendly place to stay with our little Fynbos Asan in Seoul. And, more importantly, we have proven that there will be travel again – and it can be enjoyable – in our new world.
Cheers!
CHARR Restaurant, RYSE Hotel, Seoul ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC
#TravelTuesday I did something I swore I'd never do again - and loved it!
Turbus © Flyga Twiga LLC
The History
Back in 2009, I found myself on a bus in Tanzania, headed to Swahili Language School in Iringa. The bus flew around hairpin curves, going well above the speed limit, with no brake bars on the side. I promised myself that if I got back to Dar es Salaam (in one piece!), I would never, ever take a long distance bus again.
Well…fast forward to the end of 2018, nearly a decade since that promise to myself, and where do I find myself? On a long distance bus in Chile!
Long Lines at Calama Airport © Flyga Twiga LLC
The Options
While planning our unusual getaway to Chile, we had our hearts set on going to San Pedro de Atacama. In fact, I booked lodging reservations before even firming-up how we’d get there from Santiago. Unfortunately, I quickly realized a “Road Trip” was simply out of the question. 26+ years of marriage has given us the blessing of knowing each other’s travel limits. Mine include avoiding 8 hours a day of driving in a country to which we had never been.
While we could have flown, our instincts were proven right when we got to the Calama Airport to pick up our truck for the short drive from Calama to San Pedro. While my husband had flown from JFK to Santiago on Aerolíneas Argentinas, I had flown Emirates from Seoul via Dubai. This included the 20 Hour transit via São Paulo, Brazil. A regional puddle jumper was not how I envisioned spending our vacation.
Turbus Machine Chile © Flyga Twiga LLC
What to do?
While preparing for the trip to Chile, I had begun listening to Podcasts about the country. One good one was Passport Joy. In their podcast they mentioned how the wished they had taken a bus. Their description of the bus and the excellent infrastructure in Chile made me question my complete ban on long distance buses. And I am so glad I did. We found Turbus!
Calama Bus Terminal © Flyga Twiga LLC
Turbus Chile
In less than 24 hours, you can board a bus in Santiago and be in Calama, the closest large town to San Pedro. If you book Premium – you are given a Layflat Seat, a comfortable pillow and blanket, and time to relax and enjoy the trip to the Atacama.
Light snacks were provided on the bus, with an occasional “local” hopping on and off to sell Empanadas. But, most importantly, it gave us time to acclimatize, in our attempts to avoid Altitude Sickness. While I had thankfully never experienced Altitude Sickness, in 2004 during a vacation in Sante Fe, New Mexico, my husband had. We knew to be extremely cautious.
And, sure enough, sitting on the bus, gradually ascending to the Atacama, religiously drinking water we had brought with us, we thankfully were not stricken with Altitude Sickness. We credit that in part to taking the bus.
View from Turbus Lower Level Window © Flyga Twiga LLC
Would I do it again?
In a heartbeat. Chile has long distance bus travel down. This was an extremely relaxing way to traverse the extraordinarily long country that is Chile. My husband and I had a chance to chat, enjoy being with each other, and try something we had not done together in our 26+ years of marriage – take a long distance bus ride together.
So, I did something I swore I would never do again and loved it. Thank you Turbus and Chile for such a great experience!
View from Our Window On the Way to San Pedro de Atacama on Turbus © Flyga Twiga LLC
Louvre Abu Dhabi - A Universal Museum in the Arab World - اللوفر أبو ظبي
Louvre Abu Dhabi © Flyga Twiga LLC
First Sighting
Seeking the warmth of the Arabian Gulf, leaving behind the Siberian High sweeping through Korea, in 2016, my husband and I sought out one of our favorite places, Abu Dhabi. During this trip, our tour guide pointed out the construction of the Abu Dhabi Louvre.
I have traveled numerous times to Qatar and seen its spectacular Museum of Islamic Arts, as well as their unrivaled Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.
I was curious about the new entry in what I call “The Gulf States Arts Race.”
Jean Nouvel Desgin Louvre Abu Dhabi © Flyga Twiga LLC
The Unexpected & The Architect
Open just under a year when I visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi, I was surprised at how I fell in love with the Museum. In the just less than two years since I was last in Abu Dhabi, the project had slipped from my sphere. From time to time I would see an article on its progress, but I was busy with other projects. I simply hadn’t made visiting the newly opened Museum a priority.
The Architect, Jean Nouvel’s vision sees "Bridging Land and Sea." He succeeded. I believe he created the perfect background of calmness with which to view "the cultural achievements of mankind from prehistoric times to the present day."
And, while I certainly wouldn’t call myself a Jean Nouvel “Groupie” I do have a bit of history with his work. I have had the pleasure of seeing his:
Museum Two, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
Doha Tower Skyscraper, Doha, Qatar
100 Eleventh Avenue, Manhattan, NY, USA
Golden Angel (Zlatý Anděl), Prague, Czech Republic
And in my opinion, prior to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, one of his most iconic & my favorite of his work - Gasometer A, Vienna, Austria.
Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum Café © Flyga Twiga LLC
Museum Café
Even the Museum's Café was designed by the Louvre’s famous architect, Jean Nouvel. His vision for the Café was to create a space where, "visitors can hope for waves of the sea to touch the sky," while enjoying your dining experience.
Every detail in the Café has a nod to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, such as the paper placemats with the iconic roof design. The Café’s desire is to tell “international stories that highlight the similarities between us, in harmony with the spirit of the museum."
Dappling Light© Flyga Twiga LLC
A New Light
Nouvel’s play on light in the Louvre Abu Dhabi I feel falls under one of those extraordinarily rare places where even the most vivid of descriptors cannot reveal the experience. Each corner of the Museum offers a new play on light, a new way of viewing the Arabian Gulf, Abu Dhabi, and the piercing Sun of the Desert.
This extends into the play of light in how he offers light for exhibits. During this visit to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, I was particularly moved by an Oriental Rug Display. Light plays on our souls in different ways.
And, while among the great works of art from van Gogh to Picasso to da Vinci and the multitude of early Islamic works and writings, this piece spoke to me of my childhood. The plays of light I grew up with in my family home in Virginia. Light from the sky, enlightening our home.
Oriental Rug Louvre Abu Dhabi © Flyga Twiga LLC
Jean Nouvel Design Interpretation of Light © Flyga Twiga LLC
A Universal Museum in the Arab World
اللوفر أبو ظبي
The Art World and the development of Museums are nearly always plagued by controversy. As someone who incorporates Art into my Travels, I have been blessed with the confidences of those in the Art World who have shared their experiences and opinions with me about several new museums which have recently opened.
I view Museums as much like Theaters. Do I really care if the Director and the Leading Actress had a raging dispute before the play? No. I care about the performance.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi spoke to my soul. I found it to truly be a Universal Museum in the Arab World whose light offers new perspectives on as they had hoped in a "spirit of respect, curiosity, learning, and self-reflection."
View from Louvre Abu Dhabi © Flyga Twiga LLC