Local Travel Tip

I recently took 2 friends of mine with me to the pet store when I went to buy crickets for my pet tarantula. The excessive amount of cute puppies, birds, fish, and gerbils influenced them that it was time to fulfill there dream of having their very own pet. After a lot of consideration they decided that a gerbil would be a good option.

When we were standing in line a nice veteran (not veterinarian) very easily convinced these 2 girls that a rat makes a much better pet. They picked the most timid and pale of the litter and spent $40 on accessories to make their $1.50 rodent comfortable. While looking at Borat (thats his christened name) I remembered a story about some naive tourists who brought an overgrown sewer rat home from Mexico because they thought it was a Chihuahua.

I did some research and found several variations of the story. Some where duped by a man selling baby chihuahas, others rescued a drowning dog in San Francisco Bay. Some versions claimed that they took it to the vet for shots and the vet broke the news and others said that they came home from work only to find that their pet cat had been eaten. Even though there is alot of material online I still wasn’t convinced. I have always called chihuahuas rats but are there really any rats that could be mistaken for a dog, or tourists that are stupid enough to confuse them? Check out the pictures and tell me what you think.

The best honeymoon spot is going to be different for every couple. There are three things each couple should consider when planning where to travel for a honeymoon:

• When the wedding date is and when you can steal away
• How much time you have
• How much money you can spend on your honeymoon

There are three main categories for honeymoon getaways:

1-      Classic- This is traditional image of a honeymoon getaway. The sun, the sand, the beach… and the two of you. This would include trips to places like Hawaii, California, Mexico, Bali, Florida, and the Caribbean.

2-      Tucked Away- This is for couples who want seclusion from the rest of the world. Often these escapes are tucked in the wilderness in a cabin or a bed and breakfast. For this type of honeymoon you can stay pretty close to home or venture away. Just find a charming little town and a nice place to stay.

3-      Sight Seeing- This is for couples who don’t want to miss out on the action. They want to have an adventure honeymoon. Ideas for this include a European tour, China, or any other place that attracts lots of tourists.

Do you think you can find culture in a cup? Coffee is grown in more than 50 countries around the world, yet each country has different likes and dislikes when it comes to this common drink. Here are a few examples of coffee around the world:

Hawaii

Hawaii is famous for its Kona coffee.  Kona coffee is one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world.

Mexico

Even though coffee in Mexico primarily comes from small coffee farms rather than large plantations, coffee farmers number over 100,000. Mexico ranks as one of the largest coffee producing countries in the world. A cup of Mexican coffee can offer a wonderful aroma and a depth of flavor, often with a pronounced sharpness that gives it a kick.

Guatemala

In the cup, a Guatemalan is a medium-to-full bodied coffee, often with a depth and complexity of taste that is almost spicy or chocolaty to the tongue.

Brazil

Brazil is unquestionably the biggest coffee producing country in the world. A fine cup of Brazilian is a clear, sweet, medium-bodied, low-acid coffee.

Ethiopia

Coffee legend tells of the discovery of the first coffee trees in Ethiopia. Indeed, it is not hard to believe that coffee may have originated in a land where wild coffee tree forests are still the primary source of harvested coffee.

Yemen

One still is able to find coffee growing in the age-old, century-proven manner. Due to a lack of water in Yemen, Yemeni coffee has an especially distinctive taste that is deep, rich, and entirely unique.

Vietnam

Today, small plantations, located in the southern half of the country, produce mostly robusta coffee.  In the cup, Vietnamese coffee has a light acidity and mild body with a good balance. It is frequently used for blending.

Coffee Cup

As you travel, you can experience many different types of coffee around the world.