Tag: Travel Swellness
Nothing prepared me for getting hit with jet lag on my trip last fall to Hong Kong and Singapore. I’ve managed a six-hour and nine-hour time difference on other trips no problem, but the 12-hour difference in Asia hit me like a ton of bricks. Which is a shame as I feel like I stumbled through the two cities in a comatose state because of it. I only vaguely remember this market in the photo above in Hong Kong.
And when I got my jet-lagged self back to Toronto, it took me well over a week to feel myself again.
Next time I get home from a far-away trip, I know where I’ll be heading: 889 at the Thompson Hotel. I had the chance to try out their signature Jet-Lagged Massage a couple of weeks ago. Each section of the 75-minute massage begins with the therapist applying pressure using steamed compresses filled with ginger, lemongrass, lime, tumeric and plia (all chosen as they help to promote muscle health) and then the oil used in the massage is a relaxing and sleep-restoring blend of lavender, sandalwood and peppermint. At first, I was bit anxious as I’m not a fan of heat, but the temperature is comfortably warm, not hot (think giant tea bags that have cooled a bit after steeping in hot water). Although I was not jet lagged (haven’t been on a plane since June — fixing that this September, though!), I did go into the appointment feeling a bit stressed and tired (work and life can do that to you sometimes, not just jet lag) and when I left, I felt like I was floating.
Sayonara, jet lag!
August 30, 2012
(One of the rooms at LaLuna Resort in Grenada — where I didn’t have the chance to stay, but where I enjoyed a great yoga class and spa treatment in the fall.)
I love, love, love staying in hotels — OK, not so much the budget ones on my dime, but rather the swanky ones I’ve been lucky ’nuff to experience through work. The luxe beds, the super soft sheets, the ginormous bathrooms, the thick bathrobes, and ooh, best of all, room service. I like to pretend I’m Dylan McKay and I live in the hotel — I always thought it was so glamorous he lived in the Bel Age…
Anyhoo, I typically try to avoid learning about the dirt and germs left by the thousands of guests before me. I’d rather not know (much like how I would’ve preferred not to know the calorie count of one of my favourite cupcakes).
But, alas, I stumbled upon this article on the dirtiest things in a hotel room (based on a small study) and will be bringing antibacterial wipes on my next trip before I touch the TV remote and light switches.
That way I can still maintain my love for hotel living…
June 18, 2012
Last week when I was in Florence, one of the most frustrating things about the trip? It wasn’t the crazy number of tour groups. Nor the aggressive merchants at San Lorenzo Market. Or getting lost every 10 minutes.
It was the lack of free wifi.
It was included where I was staying, however, for some reason it wasn’t connecting properly at my last hotel. And if I were a cartoon, I’d be drawn with my head exploding. It drove me bonkers being unable to read Twitter, to check Facebook, to know what’s what. And, yeah, I totally wanted to share the most delicious meal I’d just eaten.
Admittedly, I’m probably too connected to my iPhone. A friend who I’ve travelled with, from whom I demanded the wifi code the moment we stepped into our hotel room, has called it my version of crack — indeed, I did (and do) need my fix of being connected.
I’m not alone, though. A new study from Ryerson to be published in the Annals of Tourism Research has found that smartphones and the like have made the digital divide disappear, with our use of IT affecting our vacations (and how we plan them).
Truth be told, I admire people who have the ability to disconnect when on holiday.
But. I. Just. Can’t. Do. It.
How ’bout you? Do you stay connected or shut it down while on vacay?
(That’s the new Nokia Lumia 900 above, btw, which I’m testing out for a couple of weeks — can it convert me, a diehard iPhone user? Or will it affect my “addiction” in any way? Will it only cause me to feel I need TWO phones to get my fix? We shall see…)
June 14, 2012
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