Igor passed and we were good to go. Originally we planned on Chicago for week #3, but we canceled that and rebooked our trip for Bermuda. We had to go. Afterall, when do you get a chance to say you have been to Bermuda??? It was a difficult flight going there – a red eye to JFK and then a long layover – but in the end, it was worth it.
Bermuda, in the big scheme of things, is a small island. You can get around either by bus, taxi, or moped. We mainly took the taxi, but we were adventurous for one day and rented a moped. Let’s just say, I couldn’t drive it for the life of me. Thankfully, I just hopped behind Taro and cruised along as he navigated us around the island. Even though the speed limit is not that high (give or take 22 mph), it was the first time I was on a bike of any sort. I loved the openness of it, sightseeing while I had my arms wrapped around Taro. At times it was scary – cars passed on a two lane road – but overall, it was so much fun. Another thing different about Bermuda, besides the modes of transportation, are the beaches. They are absolutely beautiful. The sand is pink. Yes, pink! It is this beautiful shade of baby pink and it feels so gentle and soft! I loved walking on the beach (usually I cannot stand the harsh sand in California) as we headed for our snorkeling adventures. And snorkeling in Bermuda…can I just say, there were some big fish just five feet away from the shore! I was actually a bit scared because they were not only big, but they also were in groups of a dozen! Taro was able to snap some photos with our handy point-and-shoot enclosed in this cool contraption made for the water. Another part of Bermuda that was pretty amazing were the caves. The best one, though, was the cave where we were able to jump into the water and swim around with these amazing formations above us.
Overall, Bermuda was relaxing, amazing, fun, and an adventure. It was beautiful, serene, and a lovely place because the people are just so friendly and it made the stay even better. You couldn’t ask for a better trip nor a better destination for the All-You-Can Jet deal.
One of the first things that we did was book a snorkeling trip with Triangle Diving. Even though we were the only snorkelers amongst a group of divers, we were out in the open water and saw tons of fish and jellyfish. I was pretty intimidated by the jellyfish swimming around us, but they were so beautiful. For the majority of the trip, we used the point-and-shoot; I couldn’t imagine potentially losing our camera or dropping it in the water! It worked out better, though, because we were able to take our camera into the water and capture images of fish swimming by. It was pretty difficult, though, because you couldn’t see so we had to cross our fingers and hope that the photos came out. Luckily, it did and Taro captured some pretty awesome shots of life underwater.
After snorkeling, we walked around the Grotto Bay Resort, which was where Triangle Diving was located at. It turned out the hotel had their own caves (which were free to visit) so we were excited to see what mysterious wonder was at the bottom of the stairs. It turned out to be a beautiful sight!
Taro decided to cannonball into the water, which was freezing cold!
After visiting these caves, we actually grabbed a taxi and headed over to the Crystal Cave. Even though it was beautiful as well, the ones we stumbled upon were much more interesting, especially since we took a dip in the water.
There are different beaches you can go to in Bermuda. Each one is nearly private, with a handful of people here and there.
A sightseeing spot in Bermuda is the Dockyard. It essentially is a fort where you can also visit the Maritime Museum and buy their local treat, rum cake. It was fun exploring around the museum and acting like goofballs.
A photo of the lighthouse and also, me and Taro on the moped.
Leaving Bermuda. As you can see, it is not a very large island.
The last part of the trip that was memorable was our flight back to Los Angeles. Initially, we were frustrated because our flight was delayed from New York to Los Angeles due to the weather. While L.A. was having record numbers, it was raining in New York. Luckily, the Jet Blue terminal is filled with everything necessary – stores, food, and even a nail salon. While Taro browsed on the internet, I had my nails done. When we finally boarded our plane, it was delayed AGAIN because they had to check one of the wings. The pilot, however, stepped out from the cockpit and talked to us and told us a bit about his flying history and informed us that the plane we were on was actually a newer one. He offered the chance for people to go into the cockpit once we landed in L.A. I could not pass up the chance, even though I knew we were landing around 11 p.m. So once we touched down, and I waited after this other girl practically ran into the cockpit, the two pilots let me and Taro go inside and they told us about all the different buttons, controls, etc. I was even able to poke around in there. Taro actually asked if it would be okay if he took a picture of me (since I was in the main seat) and the pilot actually kindly said he would take a photo of both of us! I was so happy and giddy. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable trip.
During our month of travel, Taro and I must have been really lucky because we rarely had problems flying with Jet Blue. Our trip to San Francisco was bumpy to start – 30 minute delay – but we made it. Some people on the plane complained openly and vocally about it; I figured it gave me some time to grade those darn IB papers so the slight delay wasn’t that big of a deal. Once we got to San Francisco and our hotel, though, we had to get our priorities straight, which essentially means food. Instead of traveling too far only to wait an hour plus to get a table, we just walked a couple doors down to Chaya, which turned out to be a great experience.
Chaya blends French and Japanese cuisine together. The menu had an array of choices, but we had to figure out what to blend together. To start, we ordered the Rainbow Sashimi and Seaweed Salad (ahi tuna tataki/hamachi/scottish salmon/wasabi pickles/citrus dill/salmon caviar/yuzu pepper garlic vinaigrette). The appetizer was packed with flavor and the sashimi was delicious with the roasted garlic on top. Practically anything with yuzu is a favorite of ours and we thought that this dish was the perfect way to start.
Afterwards, our Kaffir Lime-Scented Seafood Chowder (lobster/shrimp/calamari/mussels/fish) came out. Our waiter actually suggested putting a spoonful of sherry into the chowder in order to accent the seafood flavor. Taro and I decided to do a taste test and we tried the chowder without the sherry first. It had a much more creamy taste to it and once we added the sherry, the seafood really did stand out much more. It definitely gave the chowder a different taste and it was fun experimenting based off the suggestion of our waiter.
Following the chowder, we had Seared Day Boat Sea Scallops (cauliflower/peas/chard/veal jus/truffle sherry vinaigrette). Strangely, I am not a huge scallops fan; I want to say it’s because when I was younger, I would give my scallops to my brother in exchange for his lobster pieces. However, these scallops were fantastic! It had just the right amount of truffle so that it wasn’t overwhelming and the pieces of cauliflower with the vinaigrette gave it nice flavoring. After this, I just might have to reconsider giving up my share of scallops.
The sushi rolls came out next, which were good, but nothing extraordinary. Although we were stuffed, I had to order the dessert after reading reviews on Yelp about the dessert alone. Chaya is known for their Warm Milk Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding (with caramel ice cream). I thought Mastro’s dessert was pretty darn good, but this bread pudding beats it. According to Taro, it was “Goooood.“ It was warm and savory…plus I had to nearly fight to have my share because Taro wanted to devour it up! That alone should tell you how good it was.
Overall, Chaya was a nice way to spend our first evening in San Francisco. We were able to enjoy good food and sake and rest up before the adventure in the Bay area. We definitely look forward to going to Chaya again in Downtown LA!
It was a crazy idea and Taro was the one to bring it up: All You Can Jet for one month. Jet Blue was offering this insane deal to fly unlimited for the month of September. And we decided to do it – fly out every Friday and return on Sunday, visiting a different city for the month of September. It was insane, but an offer we couldn’t pass up, especially since it was an opportunity to travel within the United States.
Our first stop was Las Vegas. Yes, I know. Vegas? What is so special about Vegas? Well, it was the weekend after our wedding and since my uncle from Canada was still in town – he hasn’t visited for many, many years – my whole entire family decided to go to Vegas. So Taro and I flew there and while we were there, we obtained our marriage license. For those of you who didn’t attend our wedding, John, our friend, conducted the ceremony. It wasn’t “official” (since he isn’t ordained), but it was official in our eyes. Yet, we still needed the paperwork. So, while in Vegas, we figured we would do the cheesy Elvis ceremony and make it fun. I laughed the entire way down the aisle – I mean, how can you not when Elvis is singing to you? It was definitely fun and memorable…but nothing compared to our wedding in San Diego.
Las Vegas was a great first stop – hanging out with my family, watching “O” again, gambling and sitting at the Pai Gow tables until 4 in the morning with two Jet Blue pilots (who were not the pilots flying us back), enjoying good food, and sharing in the first husband and wife trip.
A visit to the M&M Store:
Dinner at Gallagher’s Steakhouse in New York, New York Hotel:
Lunch at Mon Ami Gabi in Paris Hotel:
What we always order whenever we go to Mon Ami Gabi, the Steak Frites:
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