Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas

 

My family and I decided to take a cruise despite the little Italian accident... we have not been on a cruise in over 10 years and my husband hates crowds and small spaces, I was freaking out! But we were pleased to find out that our room 11502 was on the front of the ship and had a window that was on an angle and it actually gave us soooo much more room! 

 

Also we were stunned on how huge and efficient the main dinning room was! we never had to wait more than 15 minutes for our dishes, the diversity of the menu was outstanding! And the a la carte options were outstanding, our favorite was Giovanni's Table, $20 charge per person all the dishes you can eat excluding alcoholic drinks, it was really a steal. The Chops Grille was not good, at all! $30 a person and the quality of the food and service was least than poor....

Enough said, in better news the entertainment was amazing, Chicago, was very tastefully made! the costumes were incredible, and the actors amazing.. Madagascar for the kids is very good, very interactive. Oceania, the water show is excellent, inspired by Cireu du Soleil, it is very nicely done and the quality of performers is unbelievable! The surfing pools are the best thing on the boat the kids and adults love it, private lessons are worthless you get the same amount of information just going on the first day while the ship is departing!

The  ship stops in Labadee, on a private beach club, my advice: go to the beach EARLY so you can get a space infront of the sea, later on the people start getting crazy and it is no fun! the food in the island is ok, nothing outstanding...

The second stop is on Jamaica, my advice, stay on the ship, there is nothing to do or see; and the cabs are ridiculously expensive!

Last but not least Cozumel, Mexico; we loved it! took the ferry to Playa del Carmen, where we ate and did some shopping, it was a great time! the musicians on the street, the street artists and just the mexican charm was a definately win for us!

Cuenca, Ecuador

I have never been a big fan of the altitude, but since my husband and I were exploring my home country of Ecuador we decided to embark on a trip to Cuenca, 2.5 hours from Guayaquil, we drove through the cordillera to the city where the "panama" hats were born...

Our first stop was the natural reserve of Cajas, you can stop in the park and enjoy the view of beautiful lagoons, be careful though cause at over 3,000 ft above sea level, it can get tricky for people that tempt to get dizzy or light headed.

The weather is also a little cold in January, a sweater and a rain coat would be enough to keep you warm! In the same route you can find lots of bed and breakfasts were you can fish for trout, which can be cooked for you to enjoy instantly! 

In town we stayed at the Mansion Alcazar Hotel, very pretty establishment, rebuilt colonial mansion, gorgeous! internal courtyard, the patio was gorgeous! Their restaurant is superb as well, you can sit and enjoy a private dinner in their glassed pergola overlooking the moon! very romantic!

Strolling down the crowded streets of Cuenca, you will ran into beautiful architectural masterpieces on every corner! From colonial churches and cathedrals to antique mansions and municipal buildings. The  historic center of the city is heavily guarded by municipal guards, very safe for tourists, my favorite area of town is the flower market next to the Old Cathedral and the 10 de Agosto market, love to stroll around with blossoms of roses, enjoying freshly made empanadas, and enjoying this amazing town!

Most of the art pieces in the churches are original from the colonial era, everything has been preserved and restored between the Ecuadorian and Spanish government on their attempt to make Cuenca a patrimony of humanity. 

We visited a home that has been standing in the streets of Cuenca for over 200 years, it is now considered a museum, the owners still live inside and the bottom is now an antique store. Very cute and interesting, you don't see this every day! 

The interior balcony, a masterpiece in the building!

Hand carved door... breath taking!

We were lucky enough to be in town for the kids' parade to the 3 wise men, handmade costumes and typical dances were some of my favorite times of this amazing weekend! 

Inside the Old Cathedral ... I have no words to describe it's beauty!

Montanita, Ecuador

This year while we were on our New Year's break my husband and I decided to visit the town of Montanita, it is a small beach village an hour and thirty minutes away from the popular beach of Salinas, this little village is very colorful and filled with people of all nationalities! We absolutely fell in love with the laizes faire atmosphere that wraps the village! The streets are filled with crafts and handmade goods from jewelry to kids toys and clothes...

You can get all sorts of fresh seafood and other local snacks like arepas con queso (maize tortillas filled with cheese) and prensados (shaved ice with flavored syrup and condensed milk) ceviches are made in every corner and the little drink kiosks that use fresh fruit to make all sorts of margaritas, mojitos or smoothies! 

This town is a charming as they come! With many hostels for backpackers to nicer hotels it is a marvelous beach town to explore! At nights the environment is very festive, lots of street artists and street bars where to have an amazing evening!