My Recent Cuba Trip and Life With Brand New Perspectives

Destination Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba

First Published Date : January 28, 2011

Living in one of the wealthiest nations on Earth where resources are plenty and where many of us can afford to buy anything we want, we often forget how fortunate we are and take everything for granted. My recent trip to Cuba added brand new dimensions to my life, and I am more grateful to God (or mother nature, if you don’t believe in God) than ever before for what we have.

To help you visualize what I really mean, consider that in Cuba:

– You have no freedom.

– You are not allowed to start a business and make money (like anywhere else
on Earth).

– There is no wage difference between a highly-educated professional and a general worker.

– You don’t own anything. Everything belongs to the government.

– Let’s say you have a cow and you get milk from this cow; you wont be able to keep this milk and the cow belongs to the state as well.

– You are prohibited from using the Internet and can’t read any newspaper and books as well.

– You are not allowed to leave your own province.

– Boarding on a plane and going to a foreign country is an impossible dream which will never come true.

– And much more.

However, there are good things I have noticed in Cuba as well. Today, I am going to take you to my Entrepreneur Journey site to read a very different type of article based on my Cuba experience. Let me disappoint you ahead of time if you are hoping to read a nice travel-log type of article, because it isn’t. Although it has some travel elements, it is more filled with socio-economic aspects – the Cuba I have seen and analyzed from different angles. What I can tell you for sure is that you will like it – because it is different.

What You Must Not Miss When You Have Only 24 Hours in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Offers So Much to See

Just finished my 3-day Las Vegas trip. I had to finish so much in 3 days that I was always on the run. Especially when my Grand Canyon trip took one whole day. So basically I had time to spend one full day visiting free tourist attractions and I decided to give you a brief rundown of what you must not miss if you have only one day in Las Vegas.

Bellagio Fountains: This spectacular water show is not to be missed.

The Mirage Volcano: Watch an exploding volcano in the forest without the risks of going into the actual forest.

The Venetian Grand Canal: Who says you need to go to Italy to experience Venice-style canals? The Venetian Grand Canal mimics the canals of Venice, complete with a gondola ride.

After experiencing the above three, if you have time you can go through Paris the Eiffel Tower, New York New York Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Fremont Street Experience, Caesars Palace, the Luxor, etc. And obviously, taking part in the things I mentioned will give you the experience of watching The Strip as well.

Las Vegas has so many things to see that you will need about five days if you need to experience a bit of everything, including the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. However, if you are time constrained, in my view what I mentioned above should be good enough to claim you have visited Las Vegas.

In this video LINK, I have captured the three important things I mentioned. And keep an eye on my YouTube Channel for more video clips in the future.

What Happened to My OnePlus One in Las Vegas?

OnePlus One and the Luxor Hotel

Just completed my 3-day Las Vegas trip. I was having a vacation full of surprises and the unexpected, especially after seeing one of the seven natural wonders of the World in the Grand Canyon. However, all my excitement was shattered by an unfortunate event just the day before returning to Toronto.

After having a quick breakfast in Wendy's located in front of my hotel, New York New York, I decided to visit the Luxor hotel before heading to the Las Vegas South Premium Outlets mall. The Luxor hotel is named after the Egyptian city Luxor and it mimics pyramids both inside and outside.

I was very excited to take video and pictures of the Luxor hotel from the sidewalk across the street in front. And then bad luck struck me. All of a sudden, I don't even know how, my OnePlus One phone slipped out of my hand and landed on its screen on concrete. The screen got shattered, but the phone was still working. However, the shattered screen lost its touch sensitivity and I was unable to access anything on my phone.

I was very found of my OnePlus One phone and it still looked new after using it for a year and a half. So breaking it made me very upset and I was unable to enjoy my vacation 100% after the incident. I did buy a new OnePlus Two phone when I got the invite, so this is what I am using as my primary phone.

I don't see any point in trying to fix my OnePlus One, as I did some research and it looks like the cost is about $200 to fix it. I was able to retrieve all my pictures and video clips from my trip via Dropbox. I will be posting all the videos on my YouTube channel one by one. Here is the link you can check, you especially don't want to miss the Grand Canyon video.

Cabo San Lucas Mexico; A Perfect Vacation Spot

The Beautiful City Of Cabo San Lucas Mexico

Cabo San Lucas is located on the Baja Peninsula Tip in Mexico. It is most commonly known for its beautiful scenery, luxurious hotels and thriving nightlife. So if you are thinking about visiting Cabo San Lucas on your next vacation, read on to find out all the essential information to make your trip more enjoyable. 
There are several ways to get to Cabo San Lucas, depending on where you are departing from. It has its own small airport located 4 miles out of town. It only serves domestic flights to other cities in Mexico. If you are coming from the United States or an international country then you may have to catch a flight to Manual Marquez De Leon International Airport, which is located in La Pez. It can also be reached via the highways which run through the country, and is a great place to stop off if you are going on a road trip. 
Cabo San Lucas is the perfect place to relax and Unwind. Many of the hotels offer special spa packages so you can get pampered in the most luxurious surroundings. A beautiful coastline stretches along Cab San Lucas, which features picture perfect white sandy beaches as well as amazing cliffs and secret hidden coves. If you are a bit more adventurous then you may want to try out some water-sports such as jet-skiing or banana boating. There are also day and night fishing trips which can be booked through your hotel or travel agent and make a nice day out for all the family. 
A great way to explore the area is to hire your own rental car. If you book in advance you can collect it from the airport you arrive at, or at a specific downtown location. A rental car gives you the freedom to travel where you want when you want – without having to depend on unreliable public transportation or expensive taxi’s. It will also allow you to escape from the crowds and visit areas of natural beauty that are off the tourist trail. 
If you really want to see how the other half live, then it is worth visiting the Los Cabos corridor. This 30km stretch of coastal land is home to some stunning houses owned by the rich and the famous. There are also many Golf courses along the corridor, some are membership only, but other allow one day passes – so you can test out your golfing skills. 
And when the sun sets, Cabo San Lucas turns into a vibrant playground with a great party atmosphere. There are many prestigious bars, where you can enjoy a relaxing drink. Or if you fancy something more crazy why not check out the large clubs where young and beautiful party revellers dance the night away until the wee hours of the morning. Cabo San Lucus does really have it all, so whether you are going for a short weekend away with your friends, or a romantic long break with your partner – you are sure to have a great time. Enjoy your vacation!

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Entrepreneur Journey site. This article originally published on the above website on Feb 27, 2010.

Exploring The Magnificent World Class City Of Toronto

Toronto Travel Tips

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario, home to over 2.5 million people and an amazing place to visit. This article will help you get the most out of your vacation by explaining some of the most popular and well-loved sights in the Toronto area. 

Art And Culture 

Toronto is considered to be the arts capital of Canada. There are numerous musical, theatrical and artistic festivals happening throughout the year. A must visit for any art lover is the ‘Art Gallery Of Ontario’ located in Toronto’s Chinatown area. This impressive gallery houses over 64,000 pieces of contemporary and modern art. Here you can view spectacular pieces up close, from the likes of Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gough and Pablo Picasso. Special exhibitions are held frequently featuring art from up and coming and established artists – check the museums website for up to date information. 

Toronto Zoo 

A great place to visit on a family day out is the Toronto Zoo. Since opening in 1974 this zoo has grown in size and popularity to become one of the world’s largest zoo’s. Not only is it a fun place to view over 16,000 different species of animals from around the globe, it also is educational experience. There is a special ‘Splash Island’ water park area where you can cool down on a hot summers day whilst learning about wildlife and geography. There are great discounts rates available on family tickets, just make sure you book in advance to save yourself some cash! 

Sports 

If you love sports then you are in for a treat, Toronto practices almost every sport under the sun. With the city currently representing home teams in 5 major league sports, including: baseball, soccer, football, hockey and basketball. You can go and watch a real life game in the huge Rogers Centre, a multi-purpose built sports stadium. Formerly known as the dome, this stadium can hold over 65,000 sports fans . It also puts on exclusive concerts from famous musicians, and in the past musical greats such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones and AC/DC have all performed here. 

The Toronto Waterfront 

Take in the amazing skyline from Toronto’s famous waterfront, located on the shores of the massive Lake Ontario this is a must see for anyone visiting the city of Toronto. The waterfront spans a huge 46 kilometres, but there a several specific places of interest along this shore. The first being downtown Toronto waterfront, here you can get a postcard perfect photograph of Toronto’s skyscrapers. To get the best view it is recommend to go on a tourist boat trip just before sunset. Another place of interest is the beautiful Scarborough Bluffs. These are 
stunning limestone cliffs which tower over the lakes below – a beauty to behold. 
So take your pick for any of the activities above, but don’t forget Toronto has so much more to offer including fine dining experiences, up-market fashion districts, amazing botanical parks and gardens as well as vibrant nightlife. Have a great trip!

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Entrepreneur Journey site. This article originally published on the above website on Feb 25, 2010.