April 26, 2024 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif discuss this week's travel news and Hot Deals!
Join us on this exciting episode as we dive into the vibrant world of Cinco de Mayo! Learn about the historical significance of this Mexican holiday, which commemorates Mexico’s victory at the Battle of Puebla in 18621. We’ll explore the cultural richness of Mexico's authentic cuisine. Whether you’re planning a trip to Puebla or simply want to enjoy tacos, guacamole, and a margarita, this episode has something for every traveler. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us!
Join us on this exciting episode as we dive into the vibrant world of Cinco de Mayo! Learn about the historical significance of this Mexican holiday, which commemorates Mexico’s victory at the Battle of Puebla in 18621. We’ll explore the cultural richness of Mexico's authentic cuisine. Whether you’re planning a trip to Puebla or simply want to enjoy tacos, guacamole, and a margarita, this episode has something for every traveler. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It'sa travel show and podcasts from your friends
at the wishing Well two forty threef Avenue in Harrisburg and online at the
wishing Well dot This. The wishingWell is your ultimate luxury concierge, travel
agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is atravel show and podcast hosted by Terry Dean,
bringing her over forty years of experiencein the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be around the block,
around the country, or around theworld. Let's bring in Terry Dean.
Say hello, are you Chris?Oh it has been a week. Yes,
Before we get into my week,let me say hi to Harry as
well. Hi, Harry, WellHillo, Chris, Hi, Hello,
Heillo. Hello to you too herewell hello Chris. If today's show is
(00:44):
anything like the last fifteen minutes havebeen before we started this, we're in
trouble today. Well, you knowwhat, some days it's fun to just
let it go off the rails.Yeah, we're off the rails today.
I'm sure all right. Well,yes, I had a great week.
I don't remember if you asked methat or not. I don't believe I
did. But thank you great.How about you? You know the week
(01:06):
has been a blur, is whatI can tell you. I don't remember
when it started, and I forsure, no, it hasn't finished yet.
So it's been one of those weeks. And plus it was a full
moon. Oh we need to talkmore about that. Oh no, we
don't know. No, we don'tneed to spend any more time on that.
M carmichael house. We got apuppy. We adopted a puppy this
(01:26):
week. No way, yeah,what kind? We think? It's an
English foxhound? Okay, you think, well, it's a three month old
puppy. This is what it lookslike. We're nice, we're fostering it
and then we'll be adopting it.Okay, what's its name? Well,
the shelter named her Bella, butour next door neighbor has a dog named
(01:47):
Stella, and we thought that wouldbe confusing. I think so, so
we've named her Penny. I haveto tell you a story because I have
a dog named Buck. My dad, when he was a young boy at
home, okay, had a dogand he thought it would be really fun.
My daddy had a great sense ofhumor even when he was young.
He named his dog help, sohe would run through the neighborhood calling his
(02:10):
dog. You can only imagine howthat sounded to the other neighbors. Come
here, help, help, Comehere, help. My dog's name is
Buck. And oh that's that's close. Yeah. I worry when I yelled
that people must think that I'm havingsome sort of sort of fit. But
that's why we named our new puppyPenny, because we've got a buck and
(02:32):
a penny. Well it's nice.Yeah, what happened to Spot and Rover?
And we're a good dog na welike money, so we thought,
you know why any well, becausefucking all right, look we did our
best. Okay, yeah, Imean Benjamin Franklin would have been a really
(02:53):
nice name for a girl puppy.It's one hundred dollars bill, that's right.
Oh my gosh, she would neverknow. I'm off to a great
start. I'm really sorry I broughtthis up. That's a very fun topic.
But I think probably people tune intoa lifeless ordinary because it's possible that
(03:15):
they might be interested in some travelinformation and well, let's talk to you.
Yes, I gave Harry the taskof sharing with us the travel industry
news. This week. So sohere I go. So one of the
things that's happened this week, CarnivalCruise Line says christ and a new boat,
uh, the Forenza, which alittle bit Italian sounding, right,
(03:38):
I could have named the dog Forenza. That would be a good name too.
So this, this new ship isactually a very pretty ship. She's
going to be sailing out of LongBeach, California, And one of the
things that I found especially interesting isshe's going to be doing some short sailings
to begin with, some two anywherefrom two to five day sailings, which
a lot of people like, butthey're difficult to fine. So if you
(04:00):
want to combine a trip to Californiawith a nice short sailing on a brand
new boat, Carnival's new Forensa mightjust be your choice. Filled with some
great Italian eateries. I looked upsome of the names. There's a Michelangelo's
Medici, and of course they havenot given up their staple. Almost every
Carnival ship has a guy fieraz Burgerjoined there, so yeah, you'll find
(04:27):
that there. I think that's great. Carnival, like a lot of cruise
lines, has a godfather for allof their ships, and Jonathan Bennett is
the godfather for this ship. Hecomes from the Broadway revival of that show
spam Alot, so he is thegodfather of the new Carnival Forensa. So
that's one piece of news. SouthwestAirlines has some news this week to Chris.
(04:51):
Yeah, and this one was ashocker. When Terry and I saw
this, I think we both saidwhat Southwest has been famous for their policy.
They defy all of the other airlineswith their seating policy where you don't
reserve a particular seat, but youeither buy early boarding or you just get
(05:13):
on board in your zone and youfind the seat or seats that you'd like.
And that's been very long time.But Southwest is having a little bit
of financial challenges lately, and sothey are looking at the big boy airlines
the rest of the big boy airlinesand say, hey, they sell seats,
maybe we can do that too.So we're not sure what Southwest is
going to come up to as asolution for raising some money. But when
(05:38):
they hint about this seat change orthis change in the seating policy, I'm
thinking it might have something to dowith buying seats, and that would be
very sad for a lot of people, because that's one of the things I
think that really sets Southwest apart.I don't know if you've ever flown on
them or not. I haven't.Usually I think I'm on American. That's
(06:00):
what finds out of Charlottesville to Charlotte. Well, there's a lot of carriers.
Actually a fly out to Charlottesville.You've got United American Delta Richmond to
get onto Southwest. But they havebeen famous for years, and of course
they've been affected a little bit byall of the issues with the seven thirty
sevens. They are a seven thirtyseven airline, Bowing seven thirty sevens have
(06:21):
had some challenges lately and that's certainlyher Southwest. So that's their response to
the problems that they're running into financially. See what happens. Yeah, we'll
watch that one and let you knowwhen we find more out about that.
If you're heading over to Venice thisyear. They've learned from our friends up
in New York who are thinking aboutcharging to come into the city. You've
(06:44):
always paid to come into New Yorkbecause if you cross one of the bridges
into New York, you had topay a toll. Now they're talking about
more tolls in New York. Well, Venice is looking at that, and
they have instituted a very controversial entryfee of five euros, which is just
over five dollars about five and aquarter five thirty. They are charging people
(07:05):
to come into the city as away to alleviate some of the crowding.
Venice has gotten very very crowded lately. Now I tell you what. That
has actually sparked some controversy with travelclients who are going. However, I
actually have to commend the city ofVenice for doing something like that because it's
(07:26):
actually just talking to somebody about thistoday and it's I mean, when was
the last time you were in downtownNew York City in and around Times Square.
It's almost bumper to bumper. Imean it's human beings are so close
to each other that you can't walkcomfortably down the street. And this is
(07:46):
an opportunity that Venice has taken tosay hold it, folks, this is
not what we want to be.We want to be something that is more
manageable. We want people when theycome to be able to enjoy their time
here, want to be able tocontrol the level of tourism. So I'm
not opposed to this, I understandit, but I see it as just
(08:07):
another way, you know, liketolls on highways and things. You spend
so much money collecting and enforcing thetolls and the entry fees, and you
collecting an extra you know, twodollars for this or three dollars for that.
Sometimes the end and the means don'tseem like they're pointed in the same
direction. And in fact, there'sa lot of controversy over this fee,
(08:31):
particularly from people that are in thecity. Some of the merchants are saying,
wait, wait, wait, holdon just a minute. We would
not like to see the number ofpeople here reduced. So it's another one
like Southwest Airlines that we're gonna haveto watch and see where this goes,
see if this holds on, andalso to see if other cities start looking
(08:52):
at this and saying, maybe thisis a good idea, will adopt it
too, And so you'll have towalk around when you're traveling from place to
place with a pocket full of coins, so you can get in every city
you want to visit. Well,I think the merchants actually in Venice might
be pleasantly surprised to see what thisdoes, because as it is right now,
all of the locals can come inand just loiter. They don't have
(09:15):
to go into the shops, theydon't have to buy anything. But once
you know you're actually charging people afee to get into someplace, these are
people who are actually there because theywant to go into the shops, they
want to purchase, they want tobuy again. I'm a fan. I
just don't think that's a bad thing. Well, they're going to let it
run through the middle of July andthey're going to collect some data, see
(09:37):
what happens, and look at it. And that probably is the smartest part
of this decision, that is,try it, let's see what happens,
we'll look at what the results are, and we'll decide what to do going
forward. I'm trying to think thisthrough from a tourist point of view.
If I'm spending however much it coststo fly to Italy and I want to
(09:58):
go to Venice, an extra fivedollars isn't going to stop me. Most
certainly will not. But if Ilive there and I've got to pay it
every day to go into the city, it sounds like it's hurting the locals
more, and it's gonna slow down, slow down tourism exactly. And that's
that was really my point to Chris. I think you're exactly right. I
think the locals will balk about itfar more than tourists will care. Yeah,
(10:18):
those are fair points. And Ithink the idea of instituting a trial,
see how it works, step back, take a look at it,
and decide what to do go goingforward makes a lot of sense. They
just need to fence off big newsfits off the plaza that everyone wants to
go to and charge admission into theplaza. I guess that's my observation.
(10:39):
So that's what I've got this morning. Okay, So I want to move
into some sale fares that we've gotgoing on out here, you know,
Harry, I want to piggyback onthe launch of the new Carnival Forenza that
you were talking about. It's goingto be going out of the West Coast
area because Frontier Airlines is actually they'vegot a heck of a sale going on
(11:01):
there. They've got one million seatsthey say, on sale starting from nineteen
dollars each way. Now that's notto every destination that they go to.
But I did check some coast tocoast fares and Washington to the West coast,
particularly to LA you can get foras little as two hundred and fifty
dollars round trip. That's tremendous.That's a tremendous deal right now, based
(11:24):
on how airfares are going. Soif you are interested in something on Frontier
airlines, you do have until Aprilto twenty ninth to actually purchase these tickets,
which are valid for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through June the
thirtieth, and then again until there'sa blackout period and then they'll take them
(11:50):
again until October the thirty first,So those blackout dates may apply an exclusion,
so you have to check that.But really, nineteen dollars eight airfares,
where do you want to go?You know? This is this is
really a great time if you're lookingfor some travel fairs, say for summer
vacation. Yeah, really got afamily of four. There you go.
(12:11):
It really is. But you gotto watch those dates. You said it
was sup to twenty ninth, whichI mean as soon as we don't want
you to stop listening right now,but as soon as this show is over,
you better go check on those faresand grab some of those tickets immediately.
Another sale that has been coming acrossmy desk lately, and something that
I have seen happening, is thedrop in airfares, particularly to Europe.
(12:35):
Now, Chris, you might rememberfrom some of our other previous Lifeless Ordinary
shows we talked about how high priceshad gotten and had escalated, particularly to
Europe. Well, right now youcan buy premium economy and even some business
class airfares as low as twelve hundreddollars each way to Europe. So if
(12:58):
Europe happens to be on your bucketlist this year still you're interested in going
someplace to Europe for the summer season, you can maybe obtain those for quite
a reduced rate. Yeah, lastweek we talked about that super fair also
to Alaska, and I just wantto jump in real quick and thank all
the listeners who have called us thispast week. That's been tremendously popular,
(13:24):
and we've even been able to getsome people on dates other than the one
you mentioned, Terry, so there'sa limited number of those out there,
but that has been real popular.The response has been fantastic, So We
know people are listening about these specialdeals, Chris, that's for sure.
And we were advertising, just asa reminder, we were advertising Alaska seven
(13:46):
day cruise fares starting as low asthree hundred and ninety nine dollars per person.
Our phones have not stopped ringing often. Look, and we have sold
a ton of those. So wethank you. We appreciate the support.
More importantly, we're so happy thatyou're finding these enticing and that they're actually
getting you up off the couch andyou're going somewhere. We love that.
(14:09):
Now, speaking of getting up andgoing, Sandals vacation properties are offering special
rates from one hundred and ninety ninedollars per person per night. Now that's
pretty unprecedented for them. For yearsand years, Sandals advertising slogan has always
been sixty five percent off every day, all day, anytime you want to
(14:31):
go. Well, now they havelowered that rate to one hundred and ninety
nine dollars per person per night whenyou book your Jamaican all inclusive vacation by
June ninth. Now, I willsay this full transparency here. Jamaica has
been going through some tumultuous times sinceCOVID. The country there has been very
(14:56):
stressed economically. The Sandals resorts arekind of their asin the hole there.
Tourism is number one income for Jamaica, and nobody does it like Sandals.
I will tell you that they werekind of the leader and the forefront of
all inclusive vacations. They did itwhen nobody else was the all inclusive where
(15:18):
you had at least sixteen restaurants toeat from butler service. The all inclusive
included premium drinks where other resort propertieswere just doing local beverage companies. They
were doing prime and premium ones andliquors at Sandals. They still do so
(15:39):
if you're interested, the special ratesat the Jamaican Sandals are running until June
ninth. If you book five nightsor more, you actually get a free
catamaran cruise for two in that deal. And if you book seven nights or
more they will throw in a twohundred and fifty dollars resort credit when you
book these. So lots of greatthings going on at Sandals, lots of
(16:02):
great airfares out there. No bettertime to book a vacation. Sounds good.
We've got a couple of holidays comingup over the next couple of weeks
we do and it's going to beexciting. We have one that we're going
to talk about today here on aLifeless Ordinary, Sinko Demayo. Oh,
I like this. And we haveMother's Day that we're going to be talking
about next week. But when wecome back, we are going to peel
(16:23):
the onion back on. Sinkle Demayo. Tell you what it's all about,
why it's significant, and who celebrateswell and look into all of that as
we celebrate Sinco Tomayo next here ona Lifeless Ordinary. Protect your vacation investment
with guidance from a travel professional.The wishing Well knows travel and help you
avoid pitfalls. They can spoil yourhirer earned vacation. We'll plan your trip
(16:45):
and have your back as you travel. All of this without support or so
called convenience fees. We're on theweb at though Wishingwell dot biz or call
us at five four zero nine zeroeight two three three three. That's five
four zero nine zero eight two threethree three. The washing Well really does
make dreams come true and welcome backto a Life less Ordinary, the Travel
(17:07):
Showing Podcast from your friends at thewishing Well. Those friends by the way,
are Terry Dean and Harry right thereboth here this morning? O la,
Yes, we're gonna be celebrating Sinkoto Mayo. We are. If
you'd like me, you have gotto calm down. You are wound up
today. If you like information aboutanything we discussed today here on a lifeless
ordinary, you can contact the WishingWell at You can stop by two forty
(17:32):
three and f Avenue and Harrisonburg areonline at the wishing Well top Biz or
give them a call at five fouroh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three.
Terry has already been hitting the margaritasand getting ready for Sinko to Mayo,
which is I think next Sunday,May fifth. Yeah, yeah,
always, always, always, Andactually I got to tell you there is
so much more to this holiday thatI found out about than beer and mariachi
(17:57):
bands and wild party. It's alot more than that, though we wouldn't
think so, because that's all weever see, right, But it is
so much more than being an excuseto treat yourself to nachos and tacos,
Chris and margaritas. I have nocomplaints for any holiday that requires me to
(18:18):
eat tacos, nachos and drink margarite. I can't complain about that myself.
But Cinco Demayo has a history thatruns really deep. I want to talk
about that, and it continues toserve as a celebration of Mexican culture,
pride, and values. So forthose listening to us who celebrate this in
all of its glory and all ofwhat it means, we salute you.
(18:42):
This is your time and it's ourtime to have fun with you. So
we love that. Thank you.Here's a few things that I learned about
this celebration as I was putting theshow together today, and some you might
know, some like me, youmight not have ever heard before. Is
what's the significance of Cenco de Mayoanyway? Does anybody know? Do you
(19:06):
know? Is it Mexican Independence Day? It is not, And that's the
biggest misnomer about Cinco de Mayo.In fact, Mexican Independence Day doesn't occur
until September sixteenth or nineteenth, oneof those two. But that is often
the most misunderstood thing about Cinco deMaya. But it actually commemorates Mexico's unexpected
(19:27):
victory over France in the Battle ofPuebla on May the fifth, eighteen sixty
two, and this conflict between thetwo countries started in eighteen sixty one after
Benita Juarez, then the president ofMexico, suspended the nation's foreign debt payments,
and Napoleon the Third responded by sendingFrench troops in to invade. But
(19:52):
that victory in Puebla galvanized the Mexicanforces but turned out to be short lived
sadly, and France later occupied thecountry, installing Maximilian the First as emperor.
It wasn't until eighteen sixty seven thatthe new Mexican Republic finally expelled the
French, executed Maximilian the First andregained finally in complete control of their country.
(20:18):
So I would say that is reasonenough to celebrate when you actually are
able to declare all of that.I think Maximilian the First was Napoleon's brother.
Is that right? I'm going tolove you because but this was really
interesting to me that And you know, as I've read over this, I
go, well, what's the differencebetween that and their independence day? So
(20:44):
that part is still a little bitunclear to me. I want to do
a little bit more research. Butthat is the significance of Cinco Demayo.
It's when they Mexico actually freed themselvesof the invaders of Napoleon and Maximilian the
First So when and where is Cincode Mayo celebrated? Well, I already
(21:06):
said it's it's May fifth, andCinco de Mayo literally means May five in
Spanish, which is when this celebrationof Mexican heritage falls every year in the
day, mostly commemorated by Mexican Americansnorth of the US border, is also
celebrated in Puebla, the town andregion southeast of Mexico City where the holiday
(21:32):
originated. But interestingly enough, Cincode Mayo is not so widely celebrated in
Mexico as it is in the UnitedStates. Every college campus in the United
States always as Americans look for somereason to celebrate. But I found that
(21:52):
really interesting that it really is notthat much of a traditional of festive celebration
in Mexico. It just is not, and I need to correct. It
was not Napoleon's brother. He wasthe brother of the Emperor of Austria.
Okay, younger brother, Okay,thank you for that. Americans do like
holidays, especially when they are notjust American holidays. Think of Saint Patrick's
(22:15):
Day, think exactly Mile two greatholidays where there's a lot of celebrating that
goes on Boxing Day. Yeah,not yet probably, But I did find
in my notes, just to beclear, that Mexican independence is actually celebrated
on September the sixteenth, and soback in the eighteen hundreds, the Mexicans
(22:37):
really ticked off more than a fewEuropean countries and they took back control.
And also they get a second celebration. Then September the sixteenth is their Independence
Day. So how did the holidaycome to be celebrated in the United States.
Well, Cinco de Mayo has beencelebrated in California every year since its
inception in eighteen sixty. In thatfirst year, Mexicans and Americans in the
(23:03):
state of California came together to markthe anniversary of the Battle of Puebla,
and they use it to raise moneyand recruited men to aid those still fighting
under the leadership of Juarez against theFrench. So the Americans were involved in
that to some degree. Those earlycelebrations were mostly about fighting for democracy and
freedom. Both Mexico and in CivilWar era California, where Latinos mostly favored
(23:30):
a Union victory over the Confederacy.Now, the celebration gradually became a festival
for Mexicans and Mexican Americans across thecountry as well as part of a developing
Mexican American civil rights movement that startedin about the nineteen forties, and a
lot of activists started pointing to Cincode Mayo as a source of pride for
(23:56):
Mexican people. So over time thatmessage of cultural pride seemed to get lost,
and Sinco de Mayo began to takeoff in the United States in the
nineteen seventies. In the eighties whenthis is interesting, when brewing companies began
capitalizing on it as a way toappeal to consumers with the rising popularity of
(24:18):
Mexican restaurants. So by the nineteennineties, most of the public's attention about
Cinco de Mayo had been refocused asa time to consume imported beer, tequila,
and Mexican food, and so itgoes. So it actually has developed
then into really a consumer's holiday,and most importantly a holiday where a lot
(24:44):
of our American beer companies have capitalizedon that as a time to make money
and to sell their product. Makesperfect sense to me. So what are
some ways people actually celebrate Sinco DemayoIn Mexico. The festivity is marked in
the state of Puebla with historical reenactmentsof the Battle of Puebla. They have
(25:07):
parades, they have these mariachi musicbands of course, colorful costumes and fireworks.
And for many Mexicans, though Mayfifth is a day like any other,
it's not a federal Their banks,their offices, and stores aren't even
closed. They just don't celebrate itto that extent like we do here.
Celebrations are more visible, for surein the United States, and some communities,
(25:33):
especially those with roots in the Pueblaregion, have attempted to reclaim this
celebration as their own in recent years. Those efforts are mostly visible in large
cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, where events are dedicated to
the celebrations of dance, literature,and food from Puebla, and in New
(25:56):
York City. Some Mexican folkl woretroops are also creating and treating Cinco Demayo
as an opportunity to direct attention tothe historic events and culture of the Puebla
region. So it's really interesting thebackstory of Cinco Demayo, I think,
and where it actually came from,how it evolved into something that became more
(26:22):
of an American celebration than a Mexicancelebration. I find it very interesting.
I really do. So we're goingto travel we are, right, I
want to take a look at someof the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations and
where they're held and what actually goeson there. And I'm going to start
with the lesser important ones and moveup to the most important, because I
(26:47):
want you guys to kind of thinkabout that and tell me where you think
the number one city might be.But I'm going to start out with Saint
Paul, Minnesota. I wouldn't havethought that, would you know? I
mean, is that not shocked?But it's like number four, the fourth
biggest celebration there. If you thoughtthat only Southern States celebrated Cinco de Maya,
(27:07):
you'd be dead wrong. Saint Paulhas a significant Hispanic and Latino population,
making up nine percent of their citizens. But what race you belong to
really doesn't matter. In Saint Paul. Every single citizen celebrates this festival with
equals zest. Let me tell youthe biggest draw is the Cenco de Maaya
(27:30):
West Side, which is a daylong event that includes of course they're parades,
they have street entertainment, they haveperformance artists. They go all out
and it starts on Caesar Chavez Streetand it extends downtown as that day progresses.
Now, some fun activities you cando include competing in the algirito contest
(27:52):
that's when you try to scream theloudest or you beat the literal heat at
a jalapena eating contest. And youcan also try sampling the roadside food and
festivate festivities. Motor Heads can alsoenjoy truck and bike shows organized by the
city's auto enthusiasts. But I'm interestedin this jalapeno contest because I do not
(28:18):
like spicy food. I just oh, I don't. And I know there
are some called the ghost peppers.Yeah that can literally take your breath.
Yeah, you don't want to bemessing with ghost peppers. Yeah. So
all of that's part of the Cincode Mayo celebration and contest in Saint Paul,
(28:38):
Minnesota, of all places of allplaces second on the list. Moving
from now more popular destinations, Californiansare really competitive when it comes to Cinco
de Mayo celebrations, and San Diegohas a deep connection with Mexican history.
It was, in fact, thefirst Spanish settlement on the West coast.
(29:00):
Now, I know you know alot about trivia. Did you know that,
Chris? No? Yeah, Sothere's reason to celebrate Sinco Demayo in
San Diego, California with some extrazeal as well. The annual Festiva Old
Town Sinco de Mayo celebration is goingto be held at Old Town San Diego
(29:23):
State Historic Park on May fourth throughthe fifth this year, and you can
visit Artisan Mercado. This is agreat eclectic folk mall, I would call
it, with lots of local artisansand there you can also browse to a
wide variety of trinkets. They've gothandcrafts, foodstalls. Apart from that,
you can hog it up on alot of fresh fruit. They bring in
(29:47):
barbecue corn on the cob a lotmore. I would like that. That
sounds good to me. It doesn'thave to be Sinkle Demayo for me to
like barbecue and corn on the Cobbut previous years they've also had Luca liber
which is Mexican wrestling. Oh yeah, they wear the masks they do,
and Mexican folk dancing and the vibeis kind of the same every year.
They're going to do that again thisyear with outdoor dining, plenty of space
(30:11):
no matter how big the crowd.They've really made it advantageous for a lot
of visitors, and they want alot of visitors to come in for this
now. I won't lie. Ithought this city was going to be number
one, the next one that we'regoing to talk about for Cinco Demiyo celebrations,
but no, it actually came inas number two on the list.
Do you have any idea what cityI'm talking about? We're a number two
(30:34):
or number one on the list.This is going to be number two after
this is number one? Okay,I'm gonna guess Miami. I'm gonna guess
La Okay. No, San Antonio, Texas comes in at number two.
And I really thought that was goingto be the number one destination for Cinco
de Mayo. And it's not justa one day celebration in San Antonio,
it lasts an entire week. Whythis didn't take the number one position.
(30:57):
I'll never know, but you participatein festivities there and then you head on
over to a lot of Mexican heritagesites with also deep connections to the Hispanic
community. The Commemorative Week in SanAntonio is held every year from May the
first to the sixth, and itfollows the tradition that honors the establishment of
(31:19):
the Alamo Mission in San Antonio,which is a historic Roman Catholic mission and
fortress. Did you know that?I know you're Catholic, so little trivia
there for you as well, Chris. The Friday night fireworks here are a
site that you just should not miss. Another landmark revered during Sincro Demayo is
(31:41):
the Presido San Antonio de Beckstar,a Spanish fort Now, once these visits
are out of the way, youcan head on over to Market Square to
participate in some live music. They'vegot folk dancing, also performances, and
a lot more. If you're among the more adventurous, you can also
head on over to four Sam Houstonfor their sky diving exhibitions. And here's
(32:05):
actually where they line up and dotheir dirt doves on the ground. They
formulate what they're going to do upin the sky, and then actually as
a group they do these formation dovesthat take place in San Antonio, and
you, as a spectator can actuallywatch what they do up in the air
above you. It's amazing how theycan. It's almost like an orchestrated ballet
up in the sky. It's actuallyphenomenal to watch, and you then end
(32:30):
the countdown. This is our numberone largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the
United States, Albuquerque, I'm goingto guess, I'm going to guess,
Miami, And in fact, thenumber one largest Cinco de Mayo celebration takes
place in Los Angeles, California,a large Mexican American population there. Los
(32:54):
Angeles is known for the country's largestCinco Demayo festival, Festiva Broadway Festival.
It has been a staple of thecity for the last three decades and this
year promises to be no different.The festival consists of equal parts of parade.
They've got food festivals, street fairs, undeniably Mexican vibrations. Are going
(33:20):
to put a spring in the stepof every visitor that goes there. And
you can also visit famous Mexican Americanlandmarks like the El Pueblo de la Los
Angeles Historical Monument and the Museum ofLatin American Art. To top it all
off, visit any of the authenticMexican restaurants in town. Can chow down
on your favorite dish of choice,whether it's tacos, burritos, nachos,
(33:44):
or tortillas. Personally, I likeburritos. Those are my favorite. I'm
a street taco kind of guy,are you. Fiesta Broadway is scheduled to
be held on April to twenty eighth, So that's just a few days away,
a long Broadway and the streets aroundCity Hall at two hundred North Spring
Street. So some of the thingsthat are interesting about Sinco de Mayo.
(34:09):
I think Harry's got a couple ofthings too that he wants to share about
this fabulous and festive and fun holiday. I mean, I don't think you
could talk about this holiday and notthink of it as being fun. Well,
you mentioned tacos, I mean tacosfood. Okay, so you got
food, You've got something to drink. Well, you talked about Margarita's a
(34:30):
little bit you can't have sinkle demayowithout some margaritas. You mentioned beer also,
but what about those wonderful Mexican sombreros. You've got to have Mexican sombreros.
If you're celebrating, you got tolook to park. If you're gonna
be there and celebrate, you gotto look part right. So if you're
gonna be looking right, eating right, maybe enjoy an adult beverage a little
(34:51):
bit. So it's it's the ultimateguide to sinkle de mayo. So let's
start with margarita's. If you don'thave margarita's, I don't know how you
can celebrate Sinko demayo. It's aperfect excuse if you need one to indulge
in little extra kick, maybe alittle jalapeno, Chris, you said you
liked the hot stuff little jalapeno in. There lots of different ways you can
(35:15):
doctor up a margarita and make it, make it perfect. It's also not
just a holiday for the parents toparty, but it's a holiday for kid.
It's a festival, all right.So it's it's color culture, parade,
street parties. You talked about someof the great cities Terry where travel
show you can travel to these kindsof cities very easily. Los Angeles is
(35:35):
one of the easiest places to getto, especially out of our local airport
here. You see, you canget down to the West coast and it's
very economical. So if you're thinkingabout this great opportunity. See some of
the pinatas, all of the bannersfloating around the maharachi mariachi bands. Of
course we saw those down in NewOrleans too, but you can see them
(36:00):
during all of these festivals. Ifyou're gonna be having a little contest,
I'd go down there, Chris.We can go down there and do a
taco contest and come back with ourtop ten list. Think how does that
work? Because if this is requiringme to eat a lot of tacos,
you're gonna lose tacos. No,I say, if it requires eating a
(36:21):
lot, you're gonna loa. I'mgonna yeah, I will see that.
I will eat anybody with tacos.I mean, I'm not a competitive eater,
but I think i'd give it,you know, the old college try.
What about the fish tacos? You'regonna have fish tacos. Also,
I'm not a fan of the fish. I'm not a fan of and that
actually is a popular sinkle demayo dishor fish is, but I'm wondering if
(36:44):
those aren't something that was invented inthe United States. I'm not sure.
But you may beat me in thetacos, but if I'm having my tequila
and beer, I think I'll beatyou in the next thing I have on
my list, Chris, and that'sdancing until dawn. Bring your dancing shoes.
Brother. You know you're gonna godown there and shake everything your mama
(37:05):
gave you. Whether you are doingthe salsa or some other dance, it's
a great time for partying and peoplejust get happy. And I think another
important thing that we talked about today. Don't want to make light of this.
We talked about a lot of thereasons in history behind sinco demayo.
So while we're having a lot offun, it's also a great opportunity to
(37:25):
learn about another culture. And that'spart of the joy for me of a
less ordinary is and we talk aboutdifferent cultures, we talk about different parts
of the world, we talk aboutdifferent traditions. Even if we have built
a lot of that tradition in theUnited States, it's still based on the
history of Mexico. So what agreat time to learn about that history and
(37:50):
to visit some of these historical sites. And you know, that's one of
the reasons why when I go onvacation or I go site inspecting to destination,
that I don't want to just secludemyself to a property or resort and
stay there, because I'm always soaware that there is a whole nother culture
(38:12):
of people and food and exciting thingsto do and see around me, and
so I hardly ever will just stayon a property unless it's for a meeting,
for the whole time of my durationwhere I am exactly and that's part
of the immersion. And that's partof the magic that you get when you
(38:34):
go visit someplace new. You know, I love that, Harry. Maybe
as you're listening to today's show,you're getting inspired you want to maybe go
to Mexico and visit their culture,or you want to head somewhere next weekend
here in the United States and celebrateterry. You're the place to get in
touch with, right you those arrangements, you know, the wish and one
would love to help you plan atrip to Acapulco, Porto vell Yarta,
(38:59):
Mexico City, the rivier Amaya,And I can tell you this. You
know, for those of you wholistening may or may not know, I
have a special needs daughter and oneof the very first trips that I ever
took her on was to Mexico,and in that experience she got completely immersed
in a completely different culture, language, and everything else, and it was
(39:22):
one of the best educations I haveever provided to her. So I can
tell you this. If you aresomeone who has gone the safe route most
of your life, you've traveled withinthe United States, give it a chance
sometime. Make yourself a list ofplaces that you want to go where you
can experience a different culture, maybeeven a different language, and maybe some
(39:46):
different food exactly. Best part ofall are some of the foods that you
experience on a vacation. Can wetalk food next? We sure can.
Excellent, We'll talk about it nextas we celebrate Sinko Tomayo here on life
less Ordinary. Protect your vacation investmentwith guidance from a travel professional. The
wishing well knows travel and help youavoid pitfalls they can spoil your higher earned
(40:07):
vacation. We'll plan your trip andhave your back as you travel all of
this without support or so called conveniencefees. We're on the web at though
Wishingwell dot biz or call us atfive four zero nine zero eight two three
three three. That's five four zeronine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreamscome true and welcome back to a life
(40:29):
less ordinary. It's the travel showingpodcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
Find them at two forty three andf Avenue in Harrisonburg, Online at
the Wishingwell dot biz, or youcan call them anytime at five four oh
nine eight twenty three thirty three.I normally say that we enjoy this time
on a Saturday morning, sitting backwith a cup of coffee and talk and
travel. Today we sit back witha margarita, and I don't think it
(40:53):
would be a shock to anyone ifthey if they've listened this far into the
show, to think maybe we wereactually drinking those margarite. Have enjoyed this
way too much today, So wewere. Before we went to break.
You started to talk about food.I did, and so a lot of
people might be thinking what should Ieat on syncods? Everything I know right,
(41:14):
But there's no official Mexican dish associatedwith this holiday. It can be
an occasion though, to gather andhonor Mexico and Pueblo's own culinary traditions.
There's a guy named Pedro Rains.He's a Mexican food writer and a creative
director at Pallidar, which is aMexican company devoted to the development of culinary
(41:39):
projects. And he said that moleproblano, which is the chocolate rich version
of molay that originated in Puebla,might be a good pick for a Sinco
de Mayo inspired feast. Now Ihave to tell you, I do not
know what that is. I wasjust about to ask. He suggested pairing
(42:00):
this dish, though, with chilupas, which I do know from Taco bell,
small fried tortillas enjoyed with a varietyof fillings. He suggests white rice,
nopoali salad, fried beans, andmaybe some stuffed plantain patties. I
am not a huge fan of plantains, I have to say, I'm just
(42:22):
not. They're more of a potatoconsistency. If you've never had a plantain,
they're really more of a potato consistency. But besides beer and tequila,
beverages could include aquafresca, which isa light fruit drink, and flavors like
hibiscus, horchata, and tamarind,as well as pulke, which is a
(42:44):
fermented alcoholic drink. Now, allof these are what have come to be
known associated with some Sinko Demayo celebrations. Now for Americans with or without Mexican
ancestry, the Synco Demayo celebration hasbecome an excuse to kind of toss back
(43:04):
the tequila shots with salt and limeand gorge on tortilla chips smothered with melted
orange cheddar. That's und familiar toanybody, mostly people in Mexico. That's
that's an American adaptation. I gottashe's whizz and escort cheese. That's that's
American all the way. That's nota Mexican tradition. You've got to get
(43:25):
a good Mexican caso to tip itin, you really do, or some
guacamole. Yeah, I love thoseavocadom Mexico. Yes, yes, now
you're talking. And that brought somecriticism of the holiday, especially because beer
manufacturers and other marketers that I talkedabout before, they've capitalized on this uh
(43:46):
and and some revelers embrace offensive stereotypessuch as fake droopy mustaches and gigantic straw
sombreros. So we've really sort ofdesecrated the tradition, the real tradition of
Sinco de Mayo to some extent.But we do enjoy the fact that we're
(44:06):
able to celebrate. And I thinknow that we know what the backstory is
here, there's reason enough now tocelebrate with more of the cultural experience in
mind. And so I wanted totalk to people who might be interested in
maybe considering adding to your cultural experienceof Mexico. In the diversity of Mexico,
(44:28):
it appeals to everybody's sense of discovery. I think, I know it
does to mine. You can explorereally the ancient culture of the mind.
People there relax on pristine beaches.You can shop at local merchants or in
the world's most famous designer boutiques.I'll tell you what. Along Plia del
Carmen, which is like a littlearea of the Revere Maya in Mexico,
(44:53):
you can shop there in shops likePrada, Delcy and Gabon, Fendi,
Louis Vuitton. I mean Cartier.All of those shops are in the area
of Plia del Carmen of Mexico.But then you don't have to stop there.
I mean, you've got Cabo,San Lucas, Porto, vel Yarta,
(45:15):
Mazitlan, Acapulco, all of theseareas that still have the old world
charm of Mexico. And certainly,if you are looking for a fantastically priced
value vacation where you can actually stayin four and five star hotels, ocean
front beautiful rooms with all the accouturementsthat you would think of for a five
(45:40):
star resort, Mexico has it all. I mean some of the ones that
I can even point you to areover the water bungalows in Mexico, a
beautiful place called Palifito's that have theseover the water bungalows. You can find
those in of course Bali or Fiji, but you don't have to go that
(46:01):
far, and about three hours froma dullest flight, you can be in
an over the water bungalow, allinclusive with butler service, in the heart
of Mexico. Tell me more allof those great things that Mexico has to
offer. You know, Terry,we've talked about this on a previous episode
of A Lifeless to Ordinary. Idid a trip to Cancun back in two
(46:24):
thousand and seven, maybe something likethat. Well a long time ago,
now, man, that was anice trip. It is. We did
one of the all inclusive resort locationsand spent the week there. Had shrimped
the size of lobster tales. Theywere huge. Yeah, and that's really
(46:45):
what sort of that area can kuonRevere Maya, that particular area, apply
del Carmen to Loom, all ofthose places. Those are really what captivated
Americans and even international's attention when itcame to traveling who were seeking out a
more value added vacation. And whenthe all inclusives came on the forefront,
(47:09):
they started in Mexico and suddenly itdrew thousands and thousands of people to that
country. I don't know what theprices are comparatively speaking now, but back
then I think it was one thousanddollars a person that was including airfare for
the entire week. They fed youlike you were royalty. I think that
(47:29):
the adult beverages were included to acertain extent. Yeah. Absolutely, And
we even have some of our topVirtuoso Partner hotels that are in the rivere
Maya area of Cancun. Gran Villasis a beautiful place. It's like none
other that I've ever seen in Mexicobefore. It's set in a very i
(47:52):
would say, jungle like setting.It's on its own sort of a state
area. And underneath that particular hotelthere is a fifty thousand square foot spa
that is literally carved into the cavearea underneath of the grand vilas, and
(48:15):
the treatments there are unlike any otherthat I've ever seen before. They also
have butler service for guests who staythere. They have villas that you can
rent if there's a large family going. Multi generational trips to Mexico are not
unheard of at all, and alot of families go and do experience family
(48:37):
reunions. They'll take their little kiddos, you know, even grandma and grandpa
will go and it makes for agreat family vacation. Mexico has all of
that. In addition, there's alsoa Nickelodeon type facility in Mexico. It's
one of the best values out there. I'm looking at that right now.
Terry for my grandkids, I thinkthere are a lot of things that you
(48:59):
can do for young kids now,and we talked about a lot of adult
things in the earlier part of theshow today, but when it comes to
families, you look at different places. A lot of people like Disney,
and Disney obviously is a big attraction. You've got all the Lego lands the
other places around. But if yougo to Mexico, there is a Nickelodeon
(49:21):
resort down there where they have littlepint size beach chairs. So if you
look at the Andirondack chairs for atwo year old, perfectly sized. They
have their own little pool. It'sjust a little little deeper than an adult's
ankle depth that you can go in. There a very very nice property.
And the thing about a lot ofthe other properties down there too is that
(49:45):
they have kids programs. So it'sa great way for a family to enjoy
a celebration, whether you're celebrating SinkoDemayo, celebrating one of the kid's birthdays,
or just wanting to get away nowthat school is getting ready to let
out, think about going down thereone of these destinations. You're on property,
(50:06):
as Terry said, everything is there, so you've got you know,
phizy sodas for the kids, margaritasfor the adults, a safe place where
you can leave those kids to playfor a while and you can go out
and test your you know, yourfeet in the ocean a little bit.
See how you like that, Comeback and say, yeah, it's absolutely
beautiful. And we really only scratchthe surface today of the places around that
(50:30):
share in the celebration of Cinco deMayo. There are other places Chicago's Lake
Michigan area with Northern Mexico music inballads, and even Houston, New York,
Washington, d C. Even getsinto the celebrations. Phoenix, Arizona
actually is having performers that include LosLonely Boys. They describe their music as
(50:54):
Texican rock. A Sinko Demayo paradeis going to take place in Dallas today,
while you've got Holy Guacamole Sinko Demayathat runs steps off the morning in
the Palisades Park in Santa Monica,California. Again, the very competitive nature
of the Californians. Everybody wants tocelebrate Sinka Demaya. So we've got a
(51:16):
world that is entrenched in celebrations.We've only just talked about one today for
a particular culture, for a particularpeople, And I think the takeaway of
today's show that I'd like everybody toknow is this, there are cultures that
are rich with all kinds of thingsthat we can learn from them. They
(51:37):
always show us a new way tolook at the world and become a part
of it. Our society today ismore global than ever before, and the
more we learn about it, themore hungry I get to learn more.
I don't know about you, Chris, but that's exactly what I want to
do in my life. I wantit to be less ordinary, and so
(51:59):
that's what this show is all.That's what we try to continuously bring to
you week after week. And ifyou need any help with any arrangements or
that there's someplace you want to go, the wishing Well is probably the best
place for you to be, notprobably it is, thank you, Chris.
Yeah, So we've talked about differenta lot of different locations today.
You can go to celebrate in LaYou can go to was at San Jose,
(52:22):
San Antonio, San Antonio in Texas, stant In Chicago, Minneapolis,
York, Paul, Minnesota, orany one of numerous locations in Mexico.
Proper. Absolutely, and you're probablylistening right now thinking, man, I
want to get away and enjoy,even if it's not a Mexican holiday,
(52:44):
I want to enjoy celebrating Senco toMayo. How do we make those arrangements
happen. We are pretty easy tofind. We're located at two forty three
f Avenue in the beautiful city ofHarrisonburg, who will also have some Cinco
to Mayo celebrations going on. Youcan call us at five to four to
oho nine zero eight two three threethree, or look us up on the
(53:04):
web. We're at the Wishingwell dotbiz exactly. So if you haven't thought
about being happy at the end ofthis show, we have had so much
fun here, laughing and joking.Even the segments that you haven't heard,
they're laughing and joking. I hopeyou have two and I hope that you
enjoy a life less ordinary. Thishas been a life less ordinary. The
(53:25):
travel show from your friends at thewishing Well at two forty three NEP Avenue
in Harrisonburg. If you have anyquestions on topics discussed today, please reach
out to the wishing Well online atthe Wishingwell dot biz or five four oh
nine, oh eight, twenty threethirty three Past episodes are available on the
iHeartRadio app, and we'll see againnext Saturday morning at ten for a life
less ordinary from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It'sa travel show and podcasts from your friends
at the wishing Well two forty threef Avenue in Harrisburg and online at the
wishing Well dot This. The wishingWell is your ultimate luxury concierge, travel
agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is atravel show and podcast hosted by Terry Dean,
bringing her over forty years of experiencein the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be around the block,
around the country, or around theworld. Let's bring in Terry Dean.
Say hello, are you Chris?Oh it has been a week. Yes,
Before we get into my week,let me say hi to Harry as
well. Hi, Harry, WellHillo, Chris, Hi, Hello,
Heillo. Hello to you too herewell hello Chris. If today's show is
(00:44):
anything like the last fifteen minutes havebeen before we started this, we're in
trouble today. Well, you knowwhat, some days it's fun to just
let it go off the rails.Yeah, we're off the rails today.
I'm sure all right. Well,yes, I had a great week.
I don't remember if you asked methat or not. I don't believe I
did. But thank you great.How about you? You know the week
(01:06):
has been a blur, is whatI can tell you. I don't remember
when it started, and I forsure, no, it hasn't finished yet.
So it's been one of those weeks. And plus it was a full
moon. Oh we need to talkmore about that. Oh no, we
don't know. No, we don'tneed to spend any more time on that.
M carmichael house. We got apuppy. We adopted a puppy this
(01:26):
week. No way, yeah,what kind? We think? It's an
English foxhound? Okay, you think, well, it's a three month old
puppy. This is what it lookslike. We're nice, we're fostering it
and then we'll be adopting it.Okay, what's its name? Well,
the shelter named her Bella, butour next door neighbor has a dog named
(01:47):
Stella, and we thought that wouldbe confusing. I think so, so
we've named her Penny. I haveto tell you a story because I have
a dog named Buck. My dad, when he was a young boy at
home, okay, had a dogand he thought it would be really fun.
My daddy had a great sense ofhumor even when he was young.
He named his dog help, sohe would run through the neighborhood calling his
(02:10):
dog. You can only imagine howthat sounded to the other neighbors. Come
here, help, help, Comehere, help. My dog's name is
Buck. And oh that's that's close. Yeah. I worry when I yelled
that people must think that I'm havingsome sort of sort of fit. But
that's why we named our new puppyPenny, because we've got a buck and
(02:32):
a penny. Well it's nice.Yeah, what happened to Spot and Rover?
And we're a good dog na welike money, so we thought,
you know why any well, becausefucking all right, look we did our
best. Okay, yeah, Imean Benjamin Franklin would have been a really
(02:53):
nice name for a girl puppy.It's one hundred dollars bill, that's right.
Oh my gosh, she would neverknow. I'm off to a great
start. I'm really sorry I broughtthis up. That's a very fun topic.
But I think probably people tune intoa lifeless ordinary because it's possible that
(03:15):
they might be interested in some travelinformation and well, let's talk to you.
Yes, I gave Harry the taskof sharing with us the travel industry
news. This week. So sohere I go. So one of the
things that's happened this week, CarnivalCruise Line says christ and a new boat,
uh, the Forenza, which alittle bit Italian sounding, right,
(03:38):
I could have named the dog Forenza. That would be a good name too.
So this, this new ship isactually a very pretty ship. She's
going to be sailing out of LongBeach, California, And one of the
things that I found especially interesting isshe's going to be doing some short sailings
to begin with, some two anywherefrom two to five day sailings, which
a lot of people like, butthey're difficult to fine. So if you
(04:00):
want to combine a trip to Californiawith a nice short sailing on a brand
new boat, Carnival's new Forensa mightjust be your choice. Filled with some
great Italian eateries. I looked upsome of the names. There's a Michelangelo's
Medici, and of course they havenot given up their staple. Almost every
Carnival ship has a guy fieraz Burgerjoined there, so yeah, you'll find
(04:27):
that there. I think that's great. Carnival, like a lot of cruise
lines, has a godfather for allof their ships, and Jonathan Bennett is
the godfather for this ship. Hecomes from the Broadway revival of that show
spam Alot, so he is thegodfather of the new Carnival Forensa. So
that's one piece of news. SouthwestAirlines has some news this week to Chris.
(04:51):
Yeah, and this one was ashocker. When Terry and I saw
this, I think we both saidwhat Southwest has been famous for their policy.
They defy all of the other airlineswith their seating policy where you don't
reserve a particular seat, but youeither buy early boarding or you just get
(05:13):
on board in your zone and youfind the seat or seats that you'd like.
And that's been very long time.But Southwest is having a little bit
of financial challenges lately, and sothey are looking at the big boy airlines
the rest of the big boy airlinesand say, hey, they sell seats,
maybe we can do that too.So we're not sure what Southwest is
going to come up to as asolution for raising some money. But when
(05:38):
they hint about this seat change orthis change in the seating policy, I'm
thinking it might have something to dowith buying seats, and that would be
very sad for a lot of people, because that's one of the things I
think that really sets Southwest apart.I don't know if you've ever flown on
them or not. I haven't.Usually I think I'm on American. That's
(06:00):
what finds out of Charlottesville to Charlotte. Well, there's a lot of carriers.
Actually a fly out to Charlottesville.You've got United American Delta Richmond to
get onto Southwest. But they havebeen famous for years, and of course
they've been affected a little bit byall of the issues with the seven thirty
sevens. They are a seven thirtyseven airline, Bowing seven thirty sevens have
(06:21):
had some challenges lately and that's certainlyher Southwest. So that's their response to
the problems that they're running into financially. See what happens. Yeah, we'll
watch that one and let you knowwhen we find more out about that.
If you're heading over to Venice thisyear. They've learned from our friends up
in New York who are thinking aboutcharging to come into the city. You've
(06:44):
always paid to come into New Yorkbecause if you cross one of the bridges
into New York, you had topay a toll. Now they're talking about
more tolls in New York. Well, Venice is looking at that, and
they have instituted a very controversial entryfee of five euros, which is just
over five dollars about five and aquarter five thirty. They are charging people
(07:05):
to come into the city as away to alleviate some of the crowding.
Venice has gotten very very crowded lately. Now I tell you what. That
has actually sparked some controversy with travelclients who are going. However, I
actually have to commend the city ofVenice for doing something like that because it's
(07:26):
actually just talking to somebody about thistoday and it's I mean, when was
the last time you were in downtownNew York City in and around Times Square.
It's almost bumper to bumper. Imean it's human beings are so close
to each other that you can't walkcomfortably down the street. And this is
(07:46):
an opportunity that Venice has taken tosay hold it, folks, this is
not what we want to be.We want to be something that is more
manageable. We want people when theycome to be able to enjoy their time
here, want to be able tocontrol the level of tourism. So I'm
not opposed to this, I understandit, but I see it as just
(08:07):
another way, you know, liketolls on highways and things. You spend
so much money collecting and enforcing thetolls and the entry fees, and you
collecting an extra you know, twodollars for this or three dollars for that.
Sometimes the end and the means don'tseem like they're pointed in the same
direction. And in fact, there'sa lot of controversy over this fee,
(08:31):
particularly from people that are in thecity. Some of the merchants are saying,
wait, wait, wait, holdon just a minute. We would
not like to see the number ofpeople here reduced. So it's another one
like Southwest Airlines that we're gonna haveto watch and see where this goes,
see if this holds on, andalso to see if other cities start looking
(08:52):
at this and saying, maybe thisis a good idea, will adopt it
too, And so you'll have towalk around when you're traveling from place to
place with a pocket full of coins, so you can get in every city
you want to visit. Well,I think the merchants actually in Venice might
be pleasantly surprised to see what thisdoes, because as it is right now,
all of the locals can come inand just loiter. They don't have
(09:15):
to go into the shops, theydon't have to buy anything. But once
you know you're actually charging people afee to get into someplace, these are
people who are actually there because theywant to go into the shops, they
want to purchase, they want tobuy again. I'm a fan. I
just don't think that's a bad thing. Well, they're going to let it
run through the middle of July andthey're going to collect some data, see
(09:37):
what happens, and look at it. And that probably is the smartest part
of this decision, that is,try it, let's see what happens,
we'll look at what the results are, and we'll decide what to do going
forward. I'm trying to think thisthrough from a tourist point of view.
If I'm spending however much it coststo fly to Italy and I want to
(09:58):
go to Venice, an extra fivedollars isn't going to stop me. Most
certainly will not. But if Ilive there and I've got to pay it
every day to go into the city, it sounds like it's hurting the locals
more, and it's gonna slow down, slow down tourism exactly. And that's
that was really my point to Chris. I think you're exactly right. I
think the locals will balk about itfar more than tourists will care. Yeah,
(10:18):
those are fair points. And Ithink the idea of instituting a trial,
see how it works, step back, take a look at it,
and decide what to do go goingforward makes a lot of sense. They
just need to fence off big newsfits off the plaza that everyone wants to
go to and charge admission into theplaza. I guess that's my observation.
(10:39):
So that's what I've got this morning. Okay, So I want to move
into some sale fares that we've gotgoing on out here, you know,
Harry, I want to piggyback onthe launch of the new Carnival Forenza that
you were talking about. It's goingto be going out of the West Coast
area because Frontier Airlines is actually they'vegot a heck of a sale going on
(11:01):
there. They've got one million seatsthey say, on sale starting from nineteen
dollars each way. Now that's notto every destination that they go to.
But I did check some coast tocoast fares and Washington to the West coast,
particularly to LA you can get foras little as two hundred and fifty
dollars round trip. That's tremendous.That's a tremendous deal right now, based
(11:24):
on how airfares are going. Soif you are interested in something on Frontier
airlines, you do have until Aprilto twenty ninth to actually purchase these tickets,
which are valid for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through June the
thirtieth, and then again until there'sa blackout period and then they'll take them
(11:50):
again until October the thirty first,So those blackout dates may apply an exclusion,
so you have to check that.But really, nineteen dollars eight airfares,
where do you want to go?You know? This is this is
really a great time if you're lookingfor some travel fairs, say for summer
vacation. Yeah, really got afamily of four. There you go.
(12:11):
It really is. But you gotto watch those dates. You said it
was sup to twenty ninth, whichI mean as soon as we don't want
you to stop listening right now,but as soon as this show is over,
you better go check on those faresand grab some of those tickets immediately.
Another sale that has been coming acrossmy desk lately, and something that
I have seen happening, is thedrop in airfares, particularly to Europe.
(12:35):
Now, Chris, you might rememberfrom some of our other previous Lifeless Ordinary
shows we talked about how high priceshad gotten and had escalated, particularly to
Europe. Well, right now youcan buy premium economy and even some business
class airfares as low as twelve hundreddollars each way to Europe. So if
(12:58):
Europe happens to be on your bucketlist this year still you're interested in going
someplace to Europe for the summer season, you can maybe obtain those for quite
a reduced rate. Yeah, lastweek we talked about that super fair also
to Alaska, and I just wantto jump in real quick and thank all
the listeners who have called us thispast week. That's been tremendously popular,
(13:24):
and we've even been able to getsome people on dates other than the one
you mentioned, Terry, so there'sa limited number of those out there,
but that has been real popular.The response has been fantastic, So We
know people are listening about these specialdeals, Chris, that's for sure.
And we were advertising, just asa reminder, we were advertising Alaska seven
(13:46):
day cruise fares starting as low asthree hundred and ninety nine dollars per person.
Our phones have not stopped ringing often. Look, and we have sold
a ton of those. So wethank you. We appreciate the support.
More importantly, we're so happy thatyou're finding these enticing and that they're actually
getting you up off the couch andyou're going somewhere. We love that.
(14:09):
Now, speaking of getting up andgoing, Sandals vacation properties are offering special
rates from one hundred and ninety ninedollars per person per night. Now that's
pretty unprecedented for them. For yearsand years, Sandals advertising slogan has always
been sixty five percent off every day, all day, anytime you want to
(14:31):
go. Well, now they havelowered that rate to one hundred and ninety
nine dollars per person per night whenyou book your Jamaican all inclusive vacation by
June ninth. Now, I willsay this full transparency here. Jamaica has
been going through some tumultuous times sinceCOVID. The country there has been very
(14:56):
stressed economically. The Sandals resorts arekind of their asin the hole there.
Tourism is number one income for Jamaica, and nobody does it like Sandals.
I will tell you that they werekind of the leader and the forefront of
all inclusive vacations. They did itwhen nobody else was the all inclusive where
(15:18):
you had at least sixteen restaurants toeat from butler service. The all inclusive
included premium drinks where other resort propertieswere just doing local beverage companies. They
were doing prime and premium ones andliquors at Sandals. They still do so
(15:39):
if you're interested, the special ratesat the Jamaican Sandals are running until June
ninth. If you book five nightsor more, you actually get a free
catamaran cruise for two in that deal. And if you book seven nights or
more they will throw in a twohundred and fifty dollars resort credit when you
book these. So lots of greatthings going on at Sandals, lots of
(16:02):
great airfares out there. No bettertime to book a vacation. Sounds good.
We've got a couple of holidays comingup over the next couple of weeks
we do and it's going to beexciting. We have one that we're going
to talk about today here on aLifeless Ordinary, Sinko Demayo. Oh,
I like this. And we haveMother's Day that we're going to be talking
about next week. But when wecome back, we are going to peel
(16:23):
the onion back on. Sinkle Demayo. Tell you what it's all about,
why it's significant, and who celebrateswell and look into all of that as
we celebrate Sinco Tomayo next here ona Lifeless Ordinary. Protect your vacation investment
with guidance from a travel professional.The wishing Well knows travel and help you
avoid pitfalls. They can spoil yourhirer earned vacation. We'll plan your trip
(16:45):
and have your back as you travel. All of this without support or so
called convenience fees. We're on theweb at though Wishingwell dot biz or call
us at five four zero nine zeroeight two three three three. That's five
four zero nine zero eight two threethree three. The washing Well really does
make dreams come true and welcome backto a Life less Ordinary, the Travel
(17:07):
Showing Podcast from your friends at thewishing Well. Those friends by the way,
are Terry Dean and Harry right thereboth here this morning? O la,
Yes, we're gonna be celebrating Sinkoto Mayo. We are. If
you'd like me, you have gotto calm down. You are wound up
today. If you like information aboutanything we discussed today here on a lifeless
ordinary, you can contact the WishingWell at You can stop by two forty
(17:32):
three and f Avenue and Harrisonburg areonline at the wishing Well top Biz or
give them a call at five fouroh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three.
Terry has already been hitting the margaritasand getting ready for Sinko to Mayo,
which is I think next Sunday,May fifth. Yeah, yeah,
always, always, always, Andactually I got to tell you there is
so much more to this holiday thatI found out about than beer and mariachi
(17:57):
bands and wild party. It's alot more than that, though we wouldn't
think so, because that's all weever see, right, But it is
so much more than being an excuseto treat yourself to nachos and tacos,
Chris and margaritas. I have nocomplaints for any holiday that requires me to
(18:18):
eat tacos, nachos and drink margarite. I can't complain about that myself.
But Cinco Demayo has a history thatruns really deep. I want to talk
about that, and it continues toserve as a celebration of Mexican culture,
pride, and values. So forthose listening to us who celebrate this in
all of its glory and all ofwhat it means, we salute you.
(18:42):
This is your time and it's ourtime to have fun with you. So
we love that. Thank you.Here's a few things that I learned about
this celebration as I was putting theshow together today, and some you might
know, some like me, youmight not have ever heard before. Is
what's the significance of Cenco de Mayoanyway? Does anybody know? Do you
(19:06):
know? Is it Mexican Independence Day? It is not, And that's the
biggest misnomer about Cinco de Mayo.In fact, Mexican Independence Day doesn't occur
until September sixteenth or nineteenth, oneof those two. But that is often
the most misunderstood thing about Cinco deMaya. But it actually commemorates Mexico's unexpected
(19:27):
victory over France in the Battle ofPuebla on May the fifth, eighteen sixty
two, and this conflict between thetwo countries started in eighteen sixty one after
Benita Juarez, then the president ofMexico, suspended the nation's foreign debt payments,
and Napoleon the Third responded by sendingFrench troops in to invade. But
(19:52):
that victory in Puebla galvanized the Mexicanforces but turned out to be short lived
sadly, and France later occupied thecountry, installing Maximilian the First as emperor.
It wasn't until eighteen sixty seven thatthe new Mexican Republic finally expelled the
French, executed Maximilian the First andregained finally in complete control of their country.
(20:18):
So I would say that is reasonenough to celebrate when you actually are
able to declare all of that.I think Maximilian the First was Napoleon's brother.
Is that right? I'm going tolove you because but this was really
interesting to me that And you know, as I've read over this, I
go, well, what's the differencebetween that and their independence day? So
(20:44):
that part is still a little bitunclear to me. I want to do
a little bit more research. Butthat is the significance of Cinco Demayo.
It's when they Mexico actually freed themselvesof the invaders of Napoleon and Maximilian the
First So when and where is Cincode Mayo celebrated? Well, I already
(21:06):
said it's it's May fifth, andCinco de Mayo literally means May five in
Spanish, which is when this celebrationof Mexican heritage falls every year in the
day, mostly commemorated by Mexican Americansnorth of the US border, is also
celebrated in Puebla, the town andregion southeast of Mexico City where the holiday
(21:32):
originated. But interestingly enough, Cincode Mayo is not so widely celebrated in
Mexico as it is in the UnitedStates. Every college campus in the United
States always as Americans look for somereason to celebrate. But I found that
(21:52):
really interesting that it really is notthat much of a traditional of festive celebration
in Mexico. It just is not, and I need to correct. It
was not Napoleon's brother. He wasthe brother of the Emperor of Austria.
Okay, younger brother, Okay,thank you for that. Americans do like
holidays, especially when they are notjust American holidays. Think of Saint Patrick's
(22:15):
Day, think exactly Mile two greatholidays where there's a lot of celebrating that
goes on Boxing Day. Yeah,not yet probably, But I did find
in my notes, just to beclear, that Mexican independence is actually celebrated
on September the sixteenth, and soback in the eighteen hundreds, the Mexicans
(22:37):
really ticked off more than a fewEuropean countries and they took back control.
And also they get a second celebration. Then September the sixteenth is their Independence
Day. So how did the holidaycome to be celebrated in the United States.
Well, Cinco de Mayo has beencelebrated in California every year since its
inception in eighteen sixty. In thatfirst year, Mexicans and Americans in the
(23:03):
state of California came together to markthe anniversary of the Battle of Puebla,
and they use it to raise moneyand recruited men to aid those still fighting
under the leadership of Juarez against theFrench. So the Americans were involved in
that to some degree. Those earlycelebrations were mostly about fighting for democracy and
freedom. Both Mexico and in CivilWar era California, where Latinos mostly favored
(23:30):
a Union victory over the Confederacy.Now, the celebration gradually became a festival
for Mexicans and Mexican Americans across thecountry as well as part of a developing
Mexican American civil rights movement that startedin about the nineteen forties, and a
lot of activists started pointing to Cincode Mayo as a source of pride for
(23:56):
Mexican people. So over time thatmessage of cultural pride seemed to get lost,
and Sinco de Mayo began to takeoff in the United States in the
nineteen seventies. In the eighties whenthis is interesting, when brewing companies began
capitalizing on it as a way toappeal to consumers with the rising popularity of
(24:18):
Mexican restaurants. So by the nineteennineties, most of the public's attention about
Cinco de Mayo had been refocused asa time to consume imported beer, tequila,
and Mexican food, and so itgoes. So it actually has developed
then into really a consumer's holiday,and most importantly a holiday where a lot
(24:44):
of our American beer companies have capitalizedon that as a time to make money
and to sell their product. Makesperfect sense to me. So what are
some ways people actually celebrate Sinco DemayoIn Mexico. The festivity is marked in
the state of Puebla with historical reenactmentsof the Battle of Puebla. They have
(25:07):
parades, they have these mariachi musicbands of course, colorful costumes and fireworks.
And for many Mexicans, though Mayfifth is a day like any other,
it's not a federal Their banks,their offices, and stores aren't even
closed. They just don't celebrate itto that extent like we do here.
Celebrations are more visible, for surein the United States, and some communities,
(25:33):
especially those with roots in the Pueblaregion, have attempted to reclaim this
celebration as their own in recent years. Those efforts are mostly visible in large
cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, where events are dedicated to
the celebrations of dance, literature,and food from Puebla, and in New
(25:56):
York City. Some Mexican folkl woretroops are also creating and treating Cinco Demayo
as an opportunity to direct attention tothe historic events and culture of the Puebla
region. So it's really interesting thebackstory of Cinco Demayo, I think,
and where it actually came from,how it evolved into something that became more
(26:22):
of an American celebration than a Mexicancelebration. I find it very interesting.
I really do. So we're goingto travel we are, right, I
want to take a look at someof the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations and
where they're held and what actually goeson there. And I'm going to start
with the lesser important ones and moveup to the most important, because I
(26:47):
want you guys to kind of thinkabout that and tell me where you think
the number one city might be.But I'm going to start out with Saint
Paul, Minnesota. I wouldn't havethought that, would you know? I
mean, is that not shocked?But it's like number four, the fourth
biggest celebration there. If you thoughtthat only Southern States celebrated Cinco de Maya,
(27:07):
you'd be dead wrong. Saint Paulhas a significant Hispanic and Latino population,
making up nine percent of their citizens. But what race you belong to
really doesn't matter. In Saint Paul. Every single citizen celebrates this festival with
equals zest. Let me tell youthe biggest draw is the Cenco de Maaya
(27:30):
West Side, which is a daylong event that includes of course they're parades,
they have street entertainment, they haveperformance artists. They go all out
and it starts on Caesar Chavez Streetand it extends downtown as that day progresses.
Now, some fun activities you cando include competing in the algirito contest
(27:52):
that's when you try to scream theloudest or you beat the literal heat at
a jalapena eating contest. And youcan also try sampling the roadside food and
festivate festivities. Motor Heads can alsoenjoy truck and bike shows organized by the
city's auto enthusiasts. But I'm interestedin this jalapeno contest because I do not
(28:18):
like spicy food. I just oh, I don't. And I know there
are some called the ghost peppers.Yeah that can literally take your breath.
Yeah, you don't want to bemessing with ghost peppers. Yeah. So
all of that's part of the Cincode Mayo celebration and contest in Saint Paul,
(28:38):
Minnesota, of all places of allplaces second on the list. Moving
from now more popular destinations, Californiansare really competitive when it comes to Cinco
de Mayo celebrations, and San Diegohas a deep connection with Mexican history.
It was, in fact, thefirst Spanish settlement on the West coast.
(29:00):
Now, I know you know alot about trivia. Did you know that,
Chris? No? Yeah, Sothere's reason to celebrate Sinco Demayo in
San Diego, California with some extrazeal as well. The annual Festiva Old
Town Sinco de Mayo celebration is goingto be held at Old Town San Diego
(29:23):
State Historic Park on May fourth throughthe fifth this year, and you can
visit Artisan Mercado. This is agreat eclectic folk mall, I would call
it, with lots of local artisansand there you can also browse to a
wide variety of trinkets. They've gothandcrafts, foodstalls. Apart from that,
you can hog it up on alot of fresh fruit. They bring in
(29:47):
barbecue corn on the cob a lotmore. I would like that. That
sounds good to me. It doesn'thave to be Sinkle Demayo for me to
like barbecue and corn on the Cobbut previous years they've also had Luca liber
which is Mexican wrestling. Oh yeah, they wear the masks they do,
and Mexican folk dancing and the vibeis kind of the same every year.
They're going to do that again thisyear with outdoor dining, plenty of space
(30:11):
no matter how big the crowd.They've really made it advantageous for a lot
of visitors, and they want alot of visitors to come in for this
now. I won't lie. Ithought this city was going to be number
one, the next one that we'regoing to talk about for Cinco Demiyo celebrations,
but no, it actually came inas number two on the list.
Do you have any idea what cityI'm talking about? We're a number two
(30:34):
or number one on the list.This is going to be number two after
this is number one? Okay,I'm gonna guess Miami. I'm gonna guess
La Okay. No, San Antonio, Texas comes in at number two.
And I really thought that was goingto be the number one destination for Cinco
de Mayo. And it's not justa one day celebration in San Antonio,
it lasts an entire week. Whythis didn't take the number one position.
(30:57):
I'll never know, but you participatein festivities there and then you head on
over to a lot of Mexican heritagesites with also deep connections to the Hispanic
community. The Commemorative Week in SanAntonio is held every year from May the
first to the sixth, and itfollows the tradition that honors the establishment of
(31:19):
the Alamo Mission in San Antonio,which is a historic Roman Catholic mission and
fortress. Did you know that?I know you're Catholic, so little trivia
there for you as well, Chris. The Friday night fireworks here are a
site that you just should not miss. Another landmark revered during Sincro Demayo is
(31:41):
the Presido San Antonio de Beckstar,a Spanish fort Now, once these visits
are out of the way, youcan head on over to Market Square to
participate in some live music. They'vegot folk dancing, also performances, and
a lot more. If you're among the more adventurous, you can also
head on over to four Sam Houstonfor their sky diving exhibitions. And here's
(32:05):
actually where they line up and dotheir dirt doves on the ground. They
formulate what they're going to do upin the sky, and then actually as
a group they do these formation dovesthat take place in San Antonio, and
you, as a spectator can actuallywatch what they do up in the air
above you. It's amazing how theycan. It's almost like an orchestrated ballet
up in the sky. It's actuallyphenomenal to watch, and you then end
(32:30):
the countdown. This is our numberone largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the
United States, Albuquerque, I'm goingto guess, I'm going to guess,
Miami, And in fact, thenumber one largest Cinco de Mayo celebration takes
place in Los Angeles, California,a large Mexican American population there. Los
(32:54):
Angeles is known for the country's largestCinco Demayo festival, Festiva Broadway Festival.
It has been a staple of thecity for the last three decades and this
year promises to be no different.The festival consists of equal parts of parade.
They've got food festivals, street fairs, undeniably Mexican vibrations. Are going
(33:20):
to put a spring in the stepof every visitor that goes there. And
you can also visit famous Mexican Americanlandmarks like the El Pueblo de la Los
Angeles Historical Monument and the Museum ofLatin American Art. To top it all
off, visit any of the authenticMexican restaurants in town. Can chow down
on your favorite dish of choice,whether it's tacos, burritos, nachos,
(33:44):
or tortillas. Personally, I likeburritos. Those are my favorite. I'm
a street taco kind of guy,are you. Fiesta Broadway is scheduled to
be held on April to twenty eighth, So that's just a few days away,
a long Broadway and the streets aroundCity Hall at two hundred North Spring
Street. So some of the thingsthat are interesting about Sinco de Mayo.
(34:09):
I think Harry's got a couple ofthings too that he wants to share about
this fabulous and festive and fun holiday. I mean, I don't think you
could talk about this holiday and notthink of it as being fun. Well,
you mentioned tacos, I mean tacosfood. Okay, so you got
food, You've got something to drink. Well, you talked about Margarita's a
(34:30):
little bit you can't have sinkle demayowithout some margaritas. You mentioned beer also,
but what about those wonderful Mexican sombreros. You've got to have Mexican sombreros.
If you're celebrating, you got tolook to park. If you're gonna
be there and celebrate, you gotto look part right. So if you're
gonna be looking right, eating right, maybe enjoy an adult beverage a little
(34:51):
bit. So it's it's the ultimateguide to sinkle de mayo. So let's
start with margarita's. If you don'thave margarita's, I don't know how you
can celebrate Sinko demayo. It's aperfect excuse if you need one to indulge
in little extra kick, maybe alittle jalapeno, Chris, you said you
liked the hot stuff little jalapeno in. There lots of different ways you can
(35:15):
doctor up a margarita and make it, make it perfect. It's also not
just a holiday for the parents toparty, but it's a holiday for kid.
It's a festival, all right.So it's it's color culture, parade,
street parties. You talked about someof the great cities Terry where travel
show you can travel to these kindsof cities very easily. Los Angeles is
(35:35):
one of the easiest places to getto, especially out of our local airport
here. You see, you canget down to the West coast and it's
very economical. So if you're thinkingabout this great opportunity. See some of
the pinatas, all of the bannersfloating around the maharachi mariachi bands. Of
course we saw those down in NewOrleans too, but you can see them
(36:00):
during all of these festivals. Ifyou're gonna be having a little contest,
I'd go down there, Chris.We can go down there and do a
taco contest and come back with ourtop ten list. Think how does that
work? Because if this is requiringme to eat a lot of tacos,
you're gonna lose tacos. No,I say, if it requires eating a
(36:21):
lot, you're gonna loa. I'mgonna yeah, I will see that.
I will eat anybody with tacos.I mean, I'm not a competitive eater,
but I think i'd give it,you know, the old college try.
What about the fish tacos? You'regonna have fish tacos. Also,
I'm not a fan of the fish. I'm not a fan of and that
actually is a popular sinkle demayo dishor fish is, but I'm wondering if
(36:44):
those aren't something that was invented inthe United States. I'm not sure.
But you may beat me in thetacos, but if I'm having my tequila
and beer, I think I'll beatyou in the next thing I have on
my list, Chris, and that'sdancing until dawn. Bring your dancing shoes.
Brother. You know you're gonna godown there and shake everything your mama
(37:05):
gave you. Whether you are doingthe salsa or some other dance, it's
a great time for partying and peoplejust get happy. And I think another
important thing that we talked about today. Don't want to make light of this.
We talked about a lot of thereasons in history behind sinco demayo.
So while we're having a lot offun, it's also a great opportunity to
(37:25):
learn about another culture. And that'spart of the joy for me of a
less ordinary is and we talk aboutdifferent cultures, we talk about different parts
of the world, we talk aboutdifferent traditions. Even if we have built
a lot of that tradition in theUnited States, it's still based on the
history of Mexico. So what agreat time to learn about that history and
(37:50):
to visit some of these historical sites. And you know, that's one of
the reasons why when I go onvacation or I go site inspecting to destination,
that I don't want to just secludemyself to a property or resort and
stay there, because I'm always soaware that there is a whole nother culture
(38:12):
of people and food and exciting thingsto do and see around me, and
so I hardly ever will just stayon a property unless it's for a meeting,
for the whole time of my durationwhere I am exactly and that's part
of the immersion. And that's partof the magic that you get when you
(38:34):
go visit someplace new. You know, I love that, Harry. Maybe
as you're listening to today's show,you're getting inspired you want to maybe go
to Mexico and visit their culture,or you want to head somewhere next weekend
here in the United States and celebrateterry. You're the place to get in
touch with, right you those arrangements, you know, the wish and one
would love to help you plan atrip to Acapulco, Porto vell Yarta,
(38:59):
Mexico City, the rivier Amaya,And I can tell you this. You
know, for those of you wholistening may or may not know, I
have a special needs daughter and oneof the very first trips that I ever
took her on was to Mexico,and in that experience she got completely immersed
in a completely different culture, language, and everything else, and it was
(39:22):
one of the best educations I haveever provided to her. So I can
tell you this. If you aresomeone who has gone the safe route most
of your life, you've traveled withinthe United States, give it a chance
sometime. Make yourself a list ofplaces that you want to go where you
can experience a different culture, maybeeven a different language, and maybe some
(39:46):
different food exactly. Best part ofall are some of the foods that you
experience on a vacation. Can wetalk food next? We sure can.
Excellent, We'll talk about it nextas we celebrate Sinko Tomayo here on life
less Ordinary. Protect your vacation investmentwith guidance from a travel professional. The
wishing well knows travel and help youavoid pitfalls they can spoil your higher earned
(40:07):
vacation. We'll plan your trip andhave your back as you travel all of
this without support or so called conveniencefees. We're on the web at though
Wishingwell dot biz or call us atfive four zero nine zero eight two three
three three. That's five four zeronine zero eight two three three three.
The washing Well really does make dreamscome true and welcome back to a life
(40:29):
less ordinary. It's the travel showingpodcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
Find them at two forty three andf Avenue in Harrisonburg, Online at
the Wishingwell dot biz, or youcan call them anytime at five four oh
nine eight twenty three thirty three.I normally say that we enjoy this time
on a Saturday morning, sitting backwith a cup of coffee and talk and
travel. Today we sit back witha margarita, and I don't think it
(40:53):
would be a shock to anyone ifthey if they've listened this far into the
show, to think maybe we wereactually drinking those margarite. Have enjoyed this
way too much today, So wewere. Before we went to break.
You started to talk about food.I did, and so a lot of
people might be thinking what should Ieat on syncods? Everything I know right,
(41:14):
But there's no official Mexican dish associatedwith this holiday. It can be
an occasion though, to gather andhonor Mexico and Pueblo's own culinary traditions.
There's a guy named Pedro Rains.He's a Mexican food writer and a creative
director at Pallidar, which is aMexican company devoted to the development of culinary
(41:39):
projects. And he said that moleproblano, which is the chocolate rich version
of molay that originated in Puebla,might be a good pick for a Sinco
de Mayo inspired feast. Now Ihave to tell you, I do not
know what that is. I wasjust about to ask. He suggested pairing
(42:00):
this dish, though, with chilupas, which I do know from Taco bell,
small fried tortillas enjoyed with a varietyof fillings. He suggests white rice,
nopoali salad, fried beans, andmaybe some stuffed plantain patties. I
am not a huge fan of plantains, I have to say, I'm just
(42:22):
not. They're more of a potatoconsistency. If you've never had a plantain,
they're really more of a potato consistency. But besides beer and tequila,
beverages could include aquafresca, which isa light fruit drink, and flavors like
hibiscus, horchata, and tamarind,as well as pulke, which is a
(42:44):
fermented alcoholic drink. Now, allof these are what have come to be
known associated with some Sinko Demayo celebrations. Now for Americans with or without Mexican
ancestry, the Synco Demayo celebration hasbecome an excuse to kind of toss back
(43:04):
the tequila shots with salt and limeand gorge on tortilla chips smothered with melted
orange cheddar. That's und familiar toanybody, mostly people in Mexico. That's
that's an American adaptation. I gottashe's whizz and escort cheese. That's that's
American all the way. That's nota Mexican tradition. You've got to get
(43:25):
a good Mexican caso to tip itin, you really do, or some
guacamole. Yeah, I love thoseavocadom Mexico. Yes, yes, now
you're talking. And that brought somecriticism of the holiday, especially because beer
manufacturers and other marketers that I talkedabout before, they've capitalized on this uh
(43:46):
and and some revelers embrace offensive stereotypessuch as fake droopy mustaches and gigantic straw
sombreros. So we've really sort ofdesecrated the tradition, the real tradition of
Sinco de Mayo to some extent.But we do enjoy the fact that we're
(44:06):
able to celebrate. And I thinknow that we know what the backstory is
here, there's reason enough now tocelebrate with more of the cultural experience in
mind. And so I wanted totalk to people who might be interested in
maybe considering adding to your cultural experienceof Mexico. In the diversity of Mexico,
(44:28):
it appeals to everybody's sense of discovery. I think, I know it
does to mine. You can explorereally the ancient culture of the mind.
People there relax on pristine beaches.You can shop at local merchants or in
the world's most famous designer boutiques.I'll tell you what. Along Plia del
Carmen, which is like a littlearea of the Revere Maya in Mexico,
(44:53):
you can shop there in shops likePrada, Delcy and Gabon, Fendi,
Louis Vuitton. I mean Cartier.All of those shops are in the area
of Plia del Carmen of Mexico.But then you don't have to stop there.
I mean, you've got Cabo,San Lucas, Porto, vel Yarta,
(45:15):
Mazitlan, Acapulco, all of theseareas that still have the old world
charm of Mexico. And certainly,if you are looking for a fantastically priced
value vacation where you can actually stayin four and five star hotels, ocean
front beautiful rooms with all the accouturementsthat you would think of for a five
(45:40):
star resort, Mexico has it all. I mean some of the ones that
I can even point you to areover the water bungalows in Mexico, a
beautiful place called Palifito's that have theseover the water bungalows. You can find
those in of course Bali or Fiji, but you don't have to go that
(46:01):
far, and about three hours froma dullest flight, you can be in
an over the water bungalow, allinclusive with butler service, in the heart
of Mexico. Tell me more allof those great things that Mexico has to
offer. You know, Terry,we've talked about this on a previous episode
of A Lifeless to Ordinary. Idid a trip to Cancun back in two
(46:24):
thousand and seven, maybe something likethat. Well a long time ago,
now, man, that was anice trip. It is. We did
one of the all inclusive resort locationsand spent the week there. Had shrimped
the size of lobster tales. Theywere huge. Yeah, and that's really
(46:45):
what sort of that area can kuonRevere Maya, that particular area, apply
del Carmen to Loom, all ofthose places. Those are really what captivated
Americans and even international's attention when itcame to traveling who were seeking out a
more value added vacation. And whenthe all inclusives came on the forefront,
(47:09):
they started in Mexico and suddenly itdrew thousands and thousands of people to that
country. I don't know what theprices are comparatively speaking now, but back
then I think it was one thousanddollars a person that was including airfare for
the entire week. They fed youlike you were royalty. I think that
(47:29):
the adult beverages were included to acertain extent. Yeah. Absolutely, And
we even have some of our topVirtuoso Partner hotels that are in the rivere
Maya area of Cancun. Gran Villasis a beautiful place. It's like none
other that I've ever seen in Mexicobefore. It's set in a very i
(47:52):
would say, jungle like setting.It's on its own sort of a state
area. And underneath that particular hotelthere is a fifty thousand square foot spa
that is literally carved into the cavearea underneath of the grand vilas, and
(48:15):
the treatments there are unlike any otherthat I've ever seen before. They also
have butler service for guests who staythere. They have villas that you can
rent if there's a large family going. Multi generational trips to Mexico are not
unheard of at all, and alot of families go and do experience family
(48:37):
reunions. They'll take their little kiddos, you know, even grandma and grandpa
will go and it makes for agreat family vacation. Mexico has all of
that. In addition, there's alsoa Nickelodeon type facility in Mexico. It's
one of the best values out there. I'm looking at that right now.
Terry for my grandkids, I thinkthere are a lot of things that you
(48:59):
can do for young kids now,and we talked about a lot of adult
things in the earlier part of theshow today, but when it comes to
families, you look at different places. A lot of people like Disney,
and Disney obviously is a big attraction. You've got all the Lego lands the
other places around. But if yougo to Mexico, there is a Nickelodeon
(49:21):
resort down there where they have littlepint size beach chairs. So if you
look at the Andirondack chairs for atwo year old, perfectly sized. They
have their own little pool. It'sjust a little little deeper than an adult's
ankle depth that you can go in. There a very very nice property.
And the thing about a lot ofthe other properties down there too is that
(49:45):
they have kids programs. So it'sa great way for a family to enjoy
a celebration, whether you're celebrating SinkoDemayo, celebrating one of the kid's birthdays,
or just wanting to get away nowthat school is getting ready to let
out, think about going down thereone of these destinations. You're on property,
(50:06):
as Terry said, everything is there, so you've got you know,
phizy sodas for the kids, margaritasfor the adults, a safe place where
you can leave those kids to playfor a while and you can go out
and test your you know, yourfeet in the ocean a little bit.
See how you like that, Comeback and say, yeah, it's absolutely
beautiful. And we really only scratchthe surface today of the places around that
(50:30):
share in the celebration of Cinco deMayo. There are other places Chicago's Lake
Michigan area with Northern Mexico music inballads, and even Houston, New York,
Washington, d C. Even getsinto the celebrations. Phoenix, Arizona
actually is having performers that include LosLonely Boys. They describe their music as
(50:54):
Texican rock. A Sinko Demayo paradeis going to take place in Dallas today,
while you've got Holy Guacamole Sinko Demayathat runs steps off the morning in
the Palisades Park in Santa Monica,California. Again, the very competitive nature
of the Californians. Everybody wants tocelebrate Sinka Demaya. So we've got a
(51:16):
world that is entrenched in celebrations.We've only just talked about one today for
a particular culture, for a particularpeople, And I think the takeaway of
today's show that I'd like everybody toknow is this, there are cultures that
are rich with all kinds of thingsthat we can learn from them. They
(51:37):
always show us a new way tolook at the world and become a part
of it. Our society today ismore global than ever before, and the
more we learn about it, themore hungry I get to learn more.
I don't know about you, Chris, but that's exactly what I want to
do in my life. I wantit to be less ordinary, and so
(51:59):
that's what this show is all.That's what we try to continuously bring to
you week after week. And ifyou need any help with any arrangements or
that there's someplace you want to go, the wishing Well is probably the best
place for you to be, notprobably it is, thank you, Chris.
Yeah, So we've talked about differenta lot of different locations today.
You can go to celebrate in LaYou can go to was at San Jose,
(52:22):
San Antonio, San Antonio in Texas, stant In Chicago, Minneapolis,
York, Paul, Minnesota, orany one of numerous locations in Mexico.
Proper. Absolutely, and you're probablylistening right now thinking, man, I
want to get away and enjoy,even if it's not a Mexican holiday,
(52:44):
I want to enjoy celebrating Senco toMayo. How do we make those arrangements
happen. We are pretty easy tofind. We're located at two forty three
f Avenue in the beautiful city ofHarrisonburg, who will also have some Cinco
to Mayo celebrations going on. Youcan call us at five to four to
oho nine zero eight two three threethree, or look us up on the
(53:04):
web. We're at the Wishingwell dotbiz exactly. So if you haven't thought
about being happy at the end ofthis show, we have had so much
fun here, laughing and joking.Even the segments that you haven't heard,
they're laughing and joking. I hopeyou have two and I hope that you
enjoy a life less ordinary. Thishas been a life less ordinary. The
(53:25):
travel show from your friends at thewishing Well at two forty three NEP Avenue
in Harrisonburg. If you have anyquestions on topics discussed today, please reach
out to the wishing Well online atthe Wishingwell dot biz or five four oh
nine, oh eight, twenty threethirty three Past episodes are available on the
iHeartRadio app, and we'll see againnext Saturday morning at ten for a life
less ordinary from the wishing Well
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