What a treat to visit Aruba again, and this time to have
time to take to two wheels. The classic Sunday morning bike ride here is to the
California Lighthouse, a pinnacle above the rolling sand dunes of this
low-lying isle. Setting off from the Low Rise hotels just after sunset you get
to experience the island waking. Traffic is thin and the coast road takes you
through an arid landscape strewn with cacti on one side and alluring beaches on
the other. I thought I would have the place to myself but already by 7am the beachside
cafés are busy with holidaymakers set on making the most of their day, and the
smell of bacon wafts from them, plus cyclists and joggers are out in number
looking to put in some miles before the midday sun. Pedaling on you reach the
High Rise Hotels zone with its smart shopping piazzas, restaurants and bars. This
is the island’s retail and entertainment hub, pretty at sunset with a craft
market lit by fairy lights. Onwards past the last of the hotels the landscape
becomes wilder, revealing coves that offer enticing snorkeling. A final stretch
of flat takes you past the smart seaside homes of Aruba’s wealthy, often referred
to as Beverly Hills. Then comes the surprise, a steady, winding incline which
gives a simultaneous view of the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans, either side of
the towering lighthouse. As if that wasn’t enough, one of my favourite visions
appears before me. A coconut stand! No better breakfast than coconut water and
jelly!
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Sunshine State Capers
Putting your foot in it is never good, moreover when the ‘in
it’ is an alligator’s head. Here I am in the Everglades. I’d heard Shark
Valley, part of the national park, has a notable 15-mile cycle trail, so I went
to check it out. A flat loop runs straight alongside a canal for six miles to a
viewing tower. The back nine returns you to the starting point via a winding path
through a patchwork of wetlands. Patiently pedaling my rented, single-speed towards
the lookout, I was surreally relaxed in the blue-green landscape, soaking up
the sun, the views, watching the tree-hopping bird life… Then inadvertently, or
intuitively, I dropped my gaze to the bank, and almost toppled on to the
tarmac. Thickset, scaly and menacing, a gator was protruding from the grasses, flexing
his giant jaw, and with his beady eyes on me. And he wasn’t alone. His mates
were all lined up along my route, hidden at intervals. The guidance is, whether
you want to win National Geographic Photographer of the Year or not, you keep 15
feet away from them. This bike ride offers an adrenalin buzz like no other. Want
to ham it up a little more? Pull over for a ranger’s vehicles without looking what
you are pulling over into. Back to my first line. My weight-bearing foot almost
rested on a camouflaged gator’s head. I wonder if travel insurance covers that?
Friday, 29 November 2013
Port Antonio Perfectionism
If you ever need reminding what a beautiful world we live in,
head to Port Antonio, Jamaica.
A ramshackle-chic coastal town, with an infectious Caribbean-bustle
vibe, Portie has a grand church, clapboard gingerbreads and smart marina. It’s
also the gateway to glorious beaches and blessed with a backdrop of rainforest-clad
mountains that could be likened to the Garden of Eden.
Errol Flynn, his harem of Hollywood belles, Ian Fleming and
Noel Coward gave the town a touch of glamour when they made it their hang out
in the 1950s. Their jet-set legacy is apparent in the swagger of the townsfolk,
which says: ‘Our resort is a cut above the rest’. And Portie is still frequented
by the discerning, independent traveller rather than the mass-market tourist.
But where to stay? That was a tricky one for the luxury
market before the new Trident opened. I just got to try it and was suitable
impressed. Here, colonial-design villas dressed with plush, Scandinavian-style retro
furnishings sit right on the ocean with large private terraces and plunge
pools. Seclusion with views, comfort without pretention.
The kitchen completes the escape-from-it-all potential of
this pad on a peninsula. The herb-marinated beef fillet is one of the best
steaks I have had in Jamaica, and the Trident Chocolate Dream, a sweet potato
pudding with mango and scotch-bonnet spiked compote, is a foodie’s delight.
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Cycling Jo's Jamaica
A couple of days off so I head for Negril and one of my favourite bike
rides in Jamaica – the West End at sunrise. A leisurely pedal along Norman
Manley Boulevard, with its avenue of hotels that butt right up to the sand,
brings you to a bridge over the river that’s the gateway to the Great Morass. Turn
right at the roundabout, go past the shopping centres, and you’re on the
home run to rustic Jamaican charm, and a warm and easy feeling.
Sandy beach
turns to cliff top this side of town. Pick out your snorkelling spot; visualize
the days of pirates past from the lighthouse headland; pick up a hot and fresh
ackee and saltfish loaf from the Out of Town Pastry, wash it down with a
coconut water from a roadside stall and cycle round the goats that make the
tarmac their own.
After a fork
in the road is my secret find. Hide Awhile. So discreet is its façade that I
didn’t discover it until recently. No trees have been harmed in creating this
stylish and understated accommodation. A handful of enchanting abodes emerge
from a glade of tropical planting, to claim ocean views across a jagged,
natural limestone pavement.
Jamaica has
an omnipresent, mystical spirit that Bob Marley, Noel Coward, Ian Fleming, Laura Facey et al have drawn
on. The designer of Hide Awhile must have, too,
to envision such an address. Simple and inviting, clever and secretive is Hide Awhile. The perfect
place to escape with your lover or your creativity.
Friday, 25 October 2013
St Lucia's Cycling Time Machine
After some city slicking, I’m back with my other on-going
tour, Caribbean Islands. My current location is the very fair isle of St Lucia.
Rising from the ocean in a flurry of greenery the south is where it’s at for
mountain biking. Behind the beach at Anse Mamin, a 500-acre estate awaits with
trails to temp all levels – easy-peasy, moderate and are-you-serious! They take
you uphill, downhill, and loop you through grapefruit and banana trees, ginger
lilies and ferns, dense and humid. Certain turns reveal the ruins and abandoned
workings of this former plantation. An education as well as a thrill ride. Throw
in a dip afterwards at Anse Mamin, which boasts some of the best snorkelling on
St Lucia, and this ride ticks plenty of sight-seeing boxes.
Friday, 18 October 2013
Taking it slow in San Francisco
My tour continued with a brief stop in San Fran where I played tourist by bike for a morning. October is summer in Fog Town with bluer skies and plenty of sunshine. It's a mainly flat ride along The Bay to and across the Golden Gate. In just over an hour you can be looking back at Alcatraz from Sausalito. A popular route, so hit it early and be prepared for varying speed limits and paths that segregate cyclists and pedestrians. All very organised.
My bike was rented from Bay City Bike, conveniently located a couple of blocks from Fisherman's Wharf, where there's a branch of the fabulous In-n-Out Burger, home of the superb Protein Burger where they replace the bun with lettuce.
My bike was rented from Bay City Bike, conveniently located a couple of blocks from Fisherman's Wharf, where there's a branch of the fabulous In-n-Out Burger, home of the superb Protein Burger where they replace the bun with lettuce.
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Cycling with Snakes in Toronto
In my quest to test the city cycle trails of the world, I saddled up on a cute little three-gear, courtesy of Cambridge Suites hotel, and hit the road in Toronto. I’m told that cycling Canada’s largest city is a controversial activity. The mayor doesn’t keep it quiet that he is no fan of us free wheelers. But while he and other motorists may feel as much love for us as a speed hump, less cars on the road, means gas guzzlers do get around faster. Swings and roundabouts. And talking of swingers, shoppers of Bloor Street, please note, those things on your car doors are not vanity mirrors, glance in ‘em before swinging open. Never have I had so many near somersaults.
Drivers are not the only hazard to cyclists in this metropolis. Snakes and tram lines also need to be given a wide berth. I did a fabulous BMX-style stunt to stay upright when my front wheel got into an altercation with the latter.
The former I was warned of on a leafy peninsula detour from the main waterfront trail, into Tommy Thompson Park.
I started my tour at Yonge Street, cycling from west to east on Queen Street. It becomes trendier as you near The Beaches, a des res delight. How can you not love a community where queues form outside the independent coffee shops, while there are seats free at their major chain rivals?
Turning right at Woodbine Avenue I reached Lake Ontario’s shoreline got into cruise mode and savoured the changing terrain. About an hour later I reached the junction with Yonge. Heading north under the shadow of skyscrapers I stopped in at the Hockey Hall of Fame. From there I cycled through up-scale Yorkville with its designer stores, to the faux-medieval folly of Casa Loma, all formal gardens and fountains. Freewheeling back downhill I popped into the Bata Shoe Museum to learn about the male versions of Imelda Marcos and their vast sneaker collections, finishing up at the Royal Ontario Museum for a history tour.
All in a day’s work, and highlighting once again, that you can get more done and have more fun city sighting as a cyclist.
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