Casa Cupula – Gay Resort

November 3, 2010

Casa Cupula

Luxury has come home to the gay community in Puerto Vallarta. Within walking distance to the beach as well as downtown bars and restaurants, Casa Cupula is nestled in the hills just a few blocks south of the “Romantic Zone”. This magnificent home is named after its distinctive, terra cotta cupola or dome that houses the bedroom of the Owner’s Suite. Designed in modern Mexican style, this delightful home is being completely redecorated in modern tropical style and will be available for the first time in November 2002 as a luxury guesthouse for gay men and their friends.

Enjoy the tropical splendor of Puerto Vallarta, with views of the ocean and perhaps a parasail gliding by. Fresh mangos, papayas and coconuts grow in the lush vegetation above the little river nearby. Casa Cupula is more than just your typical “Bed and Breakfast”. Awaken to a continental breakfast spread of fresh fruits, juices, breads and cereal. For an additional charge, request a freshly prepared breakfast to order! We can serve it poolside, on the terrace or have breakfast in bed.

Beach or Pool?

Spend your day at the beach or stay at Casa Cupola’s private pool terrace with cocktail service and lunch ordered in. After taking in some sun, relax and watch a movie on your flat screen TV, either from our house DVD collection or cable TV. Order an in-room massage. After a siesta, dine at one of Vallarta’s internationally renowned restaurants, and if you want stay out late to enjoy some of the best, most varied and friendly gay nightlife in Latin America.

Romance

Of course romance is on the agenda too. Casa Cupula strives to create the kind of romantic environment you’ll appreciate. It’s quiet luxury – no kids, no loud partying college students on spring break. And no package-deal cruise ship patrons to look at you funny because you’re with your boyfriend. Go ahead: hold hands, kiss, snuggle, swim naked! It’s your vacation. Casa Cupula is small enough to feel comfortable, but large enough to find a private spot to enjoy.

Activities

Playing: There’s more than just a great beach, great nightlife and spectacular weather in Vallarta. Would you like to golf? There are 4 courses nearby. SCUBA? How about a 5 star dive shop? Go whale watching? Take in some art? There are dozens of galleries with great art. Or rent a car and drive north to a quiet beach with water as calm and blue as the Caribbean. Charter a private yacht or sailboat to whisk you and a few friends to a private beach for the day? It’s all within reach. And we’ll arrange it all for you.

All rooms have air conditioning and ceiling fans. – Flat Screen TVs – DVD, MP3, CD and CD-R player in every room – Cable TV – New luxurious pillow-top mattresses – 400 thread count cotton sateen sheets – Oversized fluffy towels – Full line of personal products in the bath. Please Note Feature List Is Preliminary And Subject To Change.

Concierge Service

Casa Cupula employs a staff of 6 to serve 5 rooms, including a full time manager/concierge. So you can expect help when you need it whether it’s to book a dinner reservation, whale watching tour, or just advice on where to go dance that night.

Pool Open 24 Hours, with daytime cocktail service at the pool.

Refreshments and Beer available for purchase at all times

Breakfast Cooked to Order
Enjoy fresh tropical fruits with breakfast just the way you like it in the breakfast nook, by poolside, on the terrace or even in bed! And served on YOUR schedule.

Free Internet Access – WiFi high speed Internet access available, no extra charge. Bring your own Laptop with WiFi card!

Daily Maid Service with Laundry Service Available

Purified Water Throughout House for your Safety

Welcome Gift Basket

In-room Massages Available by Appointment

Travel Insurance

November 3, 2010

Travel is already expensive enough, isn’t it? The cost of air fare, cruises, hotels, ground transportation, food and activities and entertainment are already high enough.  I don’t know about you, but I work hard for my money, and when I travel, I want to keep as much of my money in MY pocket as possible.   Is travel insurance a necessity or a luxury?  Why not cut a few corners here and there. Why buy something if it’s not really needed?

My personal answer is, of course, that I am not independently wealthy and can’t withstand the potential financial losses if I require medical care while I’m traveling.  Not being independently wealthy also means that I’m in the market for adequate but cheap travel insurance. I suspect that you are in the same position, so you, too need cheap travel insurance.  If you’re still not sure about that, consider the following.

Did you know that if you get sick or are injured while traveling abroad, your medical plan may not cover all the expenses you will incur? If the costs of treatment are higher than the maximums of your medical plan, you will be responsible for the difference, unless you have already purchased travel insurance.  In fact, you may not even be admitted into hospitals in some countries without proof that you have health or medical insurance.

This is true for everyone, regardless of age or length of time abroad. Suppose you fall ill just a few hours after arriving at your destination. Or suppose you make a day-trip to another country, and you are injured in a traffic accident. Or suppose one of your children is part of a group making a class visit abroad, gets food poisoning and requires hospitalization. In all cases, without adequate travel health insurance, you will be responsible for the costs above and beyond the limitations of your existing medical plan.

Therefore, before going abroad, you need to make sure that you are adequately covered by travel medical insurance that won’t break your budget.  You should check to see if appropriate coverage is already available to you through your medical plan, employee benefits, or even through a credit card.  If the coverage is sufficient for your needs, then you can enjoy your trip without incurring the extra expense of travel insurance. However, if you are not sure of your coverage, or if your coverage is inadequate or non-existent, then your next step should be to research and purchase the travel insurance coverage you need.

How Much Can You Expect To Pay?

When I bought my first plane ticket to China a few years ago it cost around $2000 round-trip, and my travel insurance cost me over $500 because I didn’t shop around for cheap travel insurance online.

A few years later, a little bit older and wiser, and my travel insurance for another trip to China cost me much less–about $300 for roughly the same coverage. The difference? Before buying my travel insurance for the second trip, I shopped around online and got the coverage I needed, at the right price.  If I’d have purchased my travel insurance for this latest trip from my travel agent, it would’ve cost me about $600 for the trip, and my plane tickets only cost $1,500!  Not exactly the smart way to go.

So how much will it cost you? Not as much money as it will cost you if you get sick or injured abroad and you don’t have any travel insurance coverage! That’s the obvious answer to the question.

In fact, how much travel insurance costs will depend on your age and the type of coverage you choose. Basic policies cost as little as $5.50 USD per $1000 of coverage. On the other hand, you can expect a full coverage policy to cost you from 7 to 10% of the cost of your trip, depending on your age. The older you are, the more you will pay. No matter what the cost of the policy, however, it’s sure to be much less than the cost of medical evacuation!

The good news is that you can easily, conveniently and quickly research and locate excellent but cheap online travel insurance and reduce the costs while making an informed purchase.  This is much better than taking what you are offered at the travel agency because you can choose from hundreds of travel insurance companies and polices and save yourself a lot of money in the process.

What You Should Consider When Buying Travel Insurance

To assist you in your research, here are some suggestions to help you make an informed purchase.

1.  Consider the worst-case scenario. If you can financially withstand the worst-case scenario then maybe you don’t need travel insurance or maybe you don’t need a comprehensive policy.

2.  Make sure the policy you are considering provides adequate medical/dental coverage, including medical evacuation coverage just in case you need medical care in a place where the best treatment available is below the standards you are accustomed to in your country.  This can happen if you fall ill in a developing country or even on a cruise ship.

3.  Check your existing insurance policies for possible coverage. There is no sense in paying more for what you already have in your homeowner or tenant policy, such as theft and loss coverage.

4.  If you are a frequent traveler, you should consider annual or year-round travel insurance policies. Sometimes they are called multi-trip travel insurance policies. Whatever the name, these policies can be relatively cheap when compared to single-trip travel insurance policies.

5.  Know what you are buying, so read the fine print. Make sure that you understand what the company considers to be a legitimate reason for cancellation or interruption.  If the list is too restrictive, maybe you should consider another policy.

6.  Don’t restrict yourself to buying only from your travel agent. He/She will probably only have one company’s product(s) available, and it’s there for your convenience, but that convenience can be quite costly!

7.  Ask lots of questions about the coverage. Play the “what if” game. Ask for clear explanations of terminology.  Make sure that you and the travel insurance company are speaking the same language.

8.  Don’t buy the insurance through your transportation provider. If the airline goes bankrupt, how adequate will your insurance coverage be?

Once You’ve Bought Your Travel Insurance

Remember that your travel insurance policy covers you between certain specific dates, so don’t start your trip early or extend your trip without first changing the dates of coverage on your travel insurance policy. Of course, this might cost you extra, but that’s cheaper than finding yourself without coverage when you need it the most.

Also, it almost goes without saying that you should bring your travel insurance policy with you when you go abroad.  You can’t consult the policy if it’s sitting on your desk at home.  You should also carry your travel insurance company’s toll-free assistance phone number and other contact information with you wherever you go.  It does you no good if you get ill or hurt and the necessary policy information is sitting in your hotel room.  It’s also a good idea to bring your regular medical coverage cards and info with you.

I hope these tips will help you by the best travel insurance for you.  Then take your trip with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you are insured by the right travel insurance policy at the right price.  Bon voyage!


Secure Flight TSA info

November 3, 2010

Starting today, November 1, 2010 a new aviation security program, Secure Flight, will go into effect for travelers flying into or through the U.S.  Here’s the lowdown on what the program is all about and how it could affect travelers as we head into the busy holiday season.

What is Secure Flight?
Secure Flight is the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) behind-the-scenes watch list matching program, created to establish a consistent watch list matching system, enhance aviation security and more effectively facilitate air travel for passengers.

How will Secure Flight affect travelers?
Travelers will first encounter Secure Flight when they book their flight.  The program requires the airlines to gather additional passenger information, including the passenger’s full name as it appears on the government issued I.D. they will present at the airport, gender, birth date, and Redress Number (if applicable) when making airline reservations.

To avoid unnecessary delays and prevent misidentifications, passengers must provide complete and accurate information when booking airfare, whether they have booked directly with the airline, a travel agent or an online booking site.

What will happen if a passenger’s information does not match the I.D. they present at the airport?
According to the TSA, “At the security checkpoint, TSA strives to ensure your identification and boarding pass are authentic and validate you are who you say you are. Small differences in the name on the boarding pass and ID, like middle initials, should not impact your travel. It is not uncommon for the information printed on boarding passes to differ slightly from the information on IDs, depending on the boarding pass printing practices of individual airlines.”

Chances are, travelers will have no problem making their way through security, but to play it safe and avoid any delays, it’s important to check to make sure Secure Flight information is inputted accurately.

November 1 -Dia de Los Muertos

October 31, 2010

Snack on sugar skeleton, picnic in a cemetery, party in a mummy museum, and build an altar to the dearly departed right in your foyer. While all these ideas might shock you, they’re beloved holiday traditions south of the border. November 1 marks Dia de Los Muertos, the famous Day of the Dead holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and in U.S. cities with a large Hispanic population. Drawing from Roman Catholic Spanish traditions and pre-Colombian rituals, this annual holiday is a time to remember and honor the deceased. It is an exotic and eccentric holiday, but not a scary one, despite all the skeletons on every corner. In the places that really celebrate, street corners and shops display countless homemade altars, while the church steps and sidewalks flow with colorful flower petals and candles.

If there is an epicenter for Dia de Los Muertos celebrations, it might be the tiny island of Janitzio in Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. Indigenous pre-Colombian people believed Lake Patzcuaro might be the doorway to heaven. People have traditionally made pilgrimage to this island each year to observe Dia de Los Muertos through prayer, offerings and traditional dance.

For a zany, unique and somewhat creepy Dia de Los Muertos, visit the city of Guanajuato in Mexico’s interior, about an hour away from the artist colony of San Miguel de Allende. This city is famous for its Mummy Museum, which stores and displays more than 100 mummies naturally created from soil conditions in the cemetery outside. It’s a bizarre and unnerving visual experience that’s actually famous enough to have inspired its own tour: The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato, a 10,000 square foot temporary exhibit that will travel to major North American cities starting in 2010.
Traditional Day of the Dead altar in Oaxaca

Traditional Day of the Dead altar in Oaxaca (Courtesy of the Mexico Tourism Board)

San Miguel is also a striking sight on Dia de Los Muertos because the celebrants create a giant altar in the Jardin, the plaza in the city center. The massive stone steps carpet the front of the church in a beautiful flower petal pattern, and hundreds of votive candles lend an ethereal glow. Bigger-than-life, almost theatrical altars, sprout around town, built, in part, by the departments of Education and Culture, which dedicate each to a notable Mexican personality from the past.

The Mexican state of Oaxaca is known for its colorful and culturally rich traditions for observing Dia de Los Muertos. Most family homes have altars in the biggest or most heavily trafficked room, with offerings of everything from food to cigarettes to images of the saints placed around photos of the deceased. The Oaxacan Dia de Los Muertos gains particular color due to the actual flowers used to decorate the altars: in certain regions, the velvety red flower called “rooster’s crest,” and in the valley regions, the tiny, vivid yellow “Flower of the Dead,” which only blooms in October and November.

While many only associate the Riviera Maya with its major tourist destinations of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, the region also encompasses Tulum and Coba, two famous pre-Colombian archaeological sites. While both comprise magnificent monuments to Mexico’s past, the Mayan cultural heritage site-turned-eco park Xcaret is a better place to learn about Dia de Los Muertos. It will host a number of performances, culinary events, traditional ceremonies and tours centered around the holiday.

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