Had A Little Time and Here's Another Fast Five! Bonus Week!

 From way down low to way up high, traditions, locations, and so many unique things this week!

1.    Chimi Lhakhang or The Fertility Temple, Lobesa, Bhutan.   This is different and may not be considered family fun.  However, if family is what you crave and things haven't been easy, this may be for you and your partner.  Originally built in 1499 as a Chorten, this temple grew around the original tomb, and is today a very popular place to visit if you desire to be in a family way.

When you visit, you will notice phallic symbols all over the place.  You can even buy one to leave as an offering.  This Buddhist Temple gets you if you want to have a baby.  People come here from all over the world to be hit on the head with a phallus by the presiding Lama for good luck in conceiving.

I just tell you about it, in case you want a baby or are visiting Bhutan.  You can't make this up.

https://www.chimilhakhang.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g469429-d456259-Reviews-Chimi_Lhakhang_Temple-Punakha_Punakha_District.html

https://www.dailybhutan.com/article/pray-to-conceive-at-the-chimi-lhakhang

https://www.asiaodysseytravel.com/bhutan/punakha-chimilhakhang.html

https://www.himalayantours.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7se8BhCAARIsAKnF3ry85acqod-t3qnLyibliAKmQgMuIUrIEUpWY5pjJf5qpPoMts4Yvw4aAr2JEALw_wcB

2.    Green Grotto Caves, Discovery Bay, Jamaica.  Jamaica is one of the most colorful countries on Earth.  Why should it be any different beneath the surface?  These beautiful caves are located along the north coast of the island between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.  It's a great neighborhood for tourists, and this is a great stop if you're visiting the area.

This cave system is 1525meters long, 12 meters deep, brightly colored and has a lake at the bottom.  For $20 you can take the tour and see some amazing things.  I won't lie, I love caves and I love them in warm locations.  It's a natural way to get out of the heat for a while and see something really cool (pun intended.)

https://greengrottocavesja.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147317-d1005983-Reviews-Green_Grotto_Caves-Runaway_Bay_Saint_Ann_Parish_Jamaica.html

https://www.getyourguide.com/green-grotto-caves-l180331/

https://www.beaches.com/blog/green-grotto-caves/

https://www.sandals.com/blog/green-grotto-caves-jamaica/

3.    Olduvai Gorge, Paleoanthropological Site, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.   That's a mouthful.  Homo Habilis once lived here and this area is an important site for understanding human evolution.  This is a steep sided ravine in the Serengeti's world famous rift zone.  There are a lot of things to see about human evolution and archaeological sites, and a whole lot of learning to do.

Putting all that aside, it's a gorgeous place to visit!  There's wildlife, lots of sediment telling some of the stories of the history of the world, and monoliths where you can see layers of sediment, volcanic ash and so forth.  The view, amazing.  The history, amazing.  This could just be where the history of the world started. 

If you happen to be visiting the crater area of Tanzania, make sure you take a tour of this gorge.  There's so much to learn and such beauty to see.  There are several tours available and even a museum where you can learn more about evolution and the evidence in the area.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Olduvai-Gorge

https://www.ncaa.go.tz/

https://www.expertafrica.com/tanzania/excursions/olduvai-gorge-visit

https://invertebrates.earth.indiana.edu/research/olduvai/index.html

https://www.safariventures.com/destinations/olduvai-gorge/

4.    The Deep Sleep Hotel, Snowdonia, Northern Wales.   This is a record holder.  It's the world's deepest underground hotel and it's located in an old Victorian slate mine in Wales.   This isn't truly an Adventure for Anyone, because it's a little complicated to get to.

You have to follow your guide down into the cave and back out after your stay.  There is a little climbing and spelunking style activities to reach the hotel itself.

The trip is run by Go Below Adventures and it's a weekend thing.  For 375 Pounds per one and 575 pounds for two, you will be provided with the gear you need for the trip.  You'll go with your guide into the mine on Saturday, stay overnight and come back up on Sunday.  The hotel is 1375 vertical feet underground  but has very cozy accommodations.  Meals are provided.  You have time to check out some of the mine with your guide, a chance to relax and of course bragging rights because you stayed the night in the world's deepest underground hotel.  Once in a lifetime!

https://www.go-below.co.uk/deep-sleep.asp

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186447-d2097486-r930158803-Go_Below_Underground_Adventures-Betws_y_Coed_Snowdonia_Eryri_National_Park_North.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clexj27x7xzo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrTBk4lqYZM

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/see-the-worlds-deepest-hotel

5.   Glacier Grawand Hotel, Val Senales, Italy.  From the hotel that's deepest underground to the hotel that's highest in elevation in the world, welcome to South Tyrol Italy in the Otztal Alps, where you can take a gondola over 3,000 meters up to this one of a kind location for your stay.  From this spot, it is said you can see 126 peaks of Alps.  What a view.

You can hike, ski, sauna and so much more.  This is that one of a kind location that apparently can only be provided in Italy, since there are no others like it.  The price for your stay, starting at around 225 pounds and up per night, includes the cable car ride and there's a restaurant on site for your dining pleasure.

While you're there, you have to walk up to the Iceman Otzi Viewing Platform.  It's achieved several awards for being one of the world's best views.  The hotel is open year round, although weather could impede the schedule for at least the viewing platform.  Nevertheless, this is an Adventure for Anyone and one of those things that you can't do anywhere else in the world.  If you like glacier viewing and activities, it has a glacier too.

https://www.schnalstal.com/en/iceman-oetzi-peak-val-senales

https://www.grawand.com/en/glacier-hotel-val-senales

https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/berghotel-grawand-funivie-ghiacciai-val-senales-s-p-a.html

https://www.snowtrex.us/italy/kurzras/glacier_hotel_grawand/accommodation.html

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/viewing-platform-otzi-peak

From the deepest hotel to the highest hotel, and all over the world, I hope you find these ideas intriguing.  Once again, I like to mention things that may go along with a trip that you're already looking into or planning.  Fast fives are not meant to be the entire trip, but just a little extra to add to an already great trip.

I love to travel and am always anxiously awaiting my next adventure.  I'm not a daredevil anymore and that's why I came up with Adventures for Anyone.  Please follow if you like what you see, and keep reading as I start my very first attempt at a YouTube channel.  I hope that you like what you see, keep reading, keep traveling and enjoy!

Trips, Tips and Activities in This Week's Top Five!

 Sometimes I like to talk about where to go.  Sometimes I like to talk about what to do.  Sometimes I like to just leave a couple good tips for the road.  This week, let's do all of that!

1.    Dog sledding in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.    There are a few locations and companies for this in and around Lake Louise.  What can I say?  I went to Alberta in the winter and it was cold, but it was awe inspiringly beautiful.  And, who doesn't want to take that once in a lifetime pass at dog sledding?  This one just seems like a no brainer to me.

So, check out the option of not only visiting Banff in the beautiful winter, but take a turn with a dog sled while you admire the view.

https://www.banfflakelouise.com/sleigh-rides-dog-sledding/dog-sledding

https://banfftours.com/things-to-do/dogsledding/

https://kingmikdogsledtours.com/

https://www.snowyowltours.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g154910-Activities-c61-t244-Banff_National_Park_Alberta.html

2.    St. Louis Cathedral, Fort-de-France, Martinique.   Martinique is a tropical paradise and it's always a pleasure to visit a lot of the islands of the Caribbean.  But there is that other thing they tend to have in common and that's natural disasters from weather to earthquakes and sometimes a volcano.  Martinique is no exception to that rule.  In this location, there's pretty much always been a church, ever since the missionaries established their religion in the area.

What's different about this church?  Well, it's superstructure is metal; iron to be precise.  It's held together by iron beams, and you can imagine how original that is on a Caribbean Island, but it guards against the elements.  At any rate, it's a beautiful cathedral and well worth the visit if you're in Fort-de-France.  Just another little side attraction to add to your sightseeing day.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147328-d147820-Reviews-St_Louis_Cathedral-Fort_de_France_Arrondissement_of_Fort_de_France_Martinique.html

https://travel.usnews.com/Martinique/Things_To_Do/St_Louis_Cathedral_21322/

https://azmartinique.com/en/where-to-go/places-to-visit/cathedrale-saint-louis-st-louis-cathedral#google_vignette

https://en.martinique-tour.com/offres/saint-louis-cathedral-fort-de-france-en-1356462/

https://www.getyourguide.com/st-louis-cathedral-martinique-l141161/family-friendly-activities-tc2128/

3.    Let's talk a little bit about credit cards and travel.  I know we've done this before, but as I learn, I like to tell you what I've learned so it can benefit you as well.  I'm big on sharing.

One of the things that I can't be more clear about; it depends an where you live, what your budget is and exactly what you're looking for when you choose your credit cards.  There are different cards and different deals in different countries, so first things first; this is for people who live in the United States.  I wish I knew more about cards elsewhere, but I don't.

My first piece of advice is always, and I hate to say this, Discover is great in the U.S. but it doesn't fare all that well in a lot of other countries.  I don't know how many times I've been traveling and no one even knows what it is.  If you're traveling in the U.S. though, it's a great card with great cash back and easy to use the cash back.

Those Chase Cards.  Let's just say it.  They keep floating to the top of the list of the best cards for travel.  I finally broke down and got a Chase Sapphire last year.  I love that card!  Everything you've ever heard about the 75,000 points bonus for your first three months of spending and the ease of actually using the points for travel is absolutely true.  It's a great card and I also highly recommend it.  If you don't have the budget for that particular one, just find another Chase Card.  They all have pretty good benefits.

Now, if you're like me, you get a lot of credit card offers.  I get them all week long and I love to get cards that benefit me.  Just make sure you read all the requirements of any offer on any card before signing up.  Thousands of points and miles sound great, but beware of the thing that they don't put out there in the large print.  Most notably, fees.  I got an amazing offer for an American Express card last week and it looked so good.  Until I saw the $395 yearly fee.  For that money, I could have purchased my perks outright and not bothered with the card.  It's all about what suits you and not about what everyone else is talking about.

And finally, always remember to think it through.  It may sound ridiculous to spend $4,000 on your new card in three months, but think that through.  You have housing, car, gas, groceries, phone, utilities, insurance, and everything else that you do in a month.  Just use that new card for all your regular purchases.  If your actual all in budget is within the range of the requirements, you can earn those bonus miles without making any ridiculous purchases.  

All food for thought, so always keep it all in mind.  And, if it has foreign transaction fees, then do you really want to travel with it?

https://www.bestmoney.com/credit-cards/compare-travel-cards?utm_source=google&kw=travel%20credit%20cards&c=712829820704&t=search&p=&m=e&adpos=&dev=c&devmod=&mobval=0&network=g&campaignid=21674354559&groupid=166707471306&targetid=kwd-94400973&interest=&physical=9003419&feedid=&a=C777T&topic=&ts=&clicktype=&camtype=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhbi8BhDIARIsAJLOludEE8aEfTOQyUe7AYkzI3ALWrpKAuvfohxi6hh6TAqhLt7aNE0XI2kaAlvTEALw_wcB

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/l/best-travel-credit-cards-v2/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20929645143&accountid=9033979427&utm_content=157289040443&utm_term=kwd-94400973&network=g&device=c&placement=&location_physical=9003419&device_model=&creative=702304703252&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhbi8BhDIARIsAJLOlue7nOmNdp0DyVtTkFIq1t0XaNyaEijVjxDGqF1BiCuwia_OuVVqcQQaAkU5EALw_wcB

https://www.comparecredit.com/credit-cards/best/travel/?utm_source=adwords&utm_campaign=9123840126&ad_group_id=97900334371&utm_content=643438197006&utm_medium=search&acquisition=prospect&ad_position=&network=g&ad_extension_id=&placement=&geolocation=9003419&kw=travel%20credit%20cards&kwid=aud-1840978166860:kwd-94400973&kwmt=e&product=credit_cards&glcid=Cj0KCQiAhbi8BhDIARIsAJLOlufkg25cPcalxIVP8WqgcrB5L9oo6367zpDSHlhFWjlESHFezUMAVF4aAi2vEALw_wcB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhbi8BhDIARIsAJLOlufkg25cPcalxIVP8WqgcrB5L9oo6367zpDSHlhFWjlESHFezUMAVF4aAi2vEALw_wcB

https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/credit-cards/travel

https://money.usnews.com/credit-cards/travel

4.    Villa Palagonia, Bagheria, Italy.  This is Sicily people!  That exotic, how did this get related to Italy, only connected by bridge island hanging off the boot on the map.  There's something between fantasy and criminal about this area of Italy, and this amazing villa is just that one more thing to see.

It was built starting in 1715 and it's baroque and stately and big and almost royal and those monsters.  Monsters?  This villa is known for it's statues of monsters with human faces.  They're everywhere.  The villa became known as the Villa of Monsters, and is still largely known that way today.  There are a lot of theories, but no one knows for sure why the place is covered in macabre sculptures.  It is a great little trip from Palermo, and something you'll never forget.

https://www.wondersofsicily.com/bagheria-villa-palagonia.htm

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1050566-d247469-Reviews-Villa_Palagonia-Bagheria_Province_of_Palermo_Sicily.html

https://en.villapalagonia.it/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/villa-palagonia

https://www.summerinitaly.com/guide/villa-palagonia

5.    Take that long layover in Iceland!   Icelandair has long been famous for offering to schedule a long layover in Iceland while on your way from America to Europe or vice versa.  It's not alone either.  Play and some others will do that too.  It will add a bit to your flight cost and your trip cost, but it's still cheaper than taking a separate trip to Iceland.

This is one of my favorite countries and it gives a whole new meaning to the word exotic.  It doesn't matter what time of year it is, and it doesn't matter where you go while you enjoy that layover.  You really can't go wrong with spending some time in Iceland.

I've known people who just scheduled a long enough layover to get a look at Reykjavik and go to the Blue Lagoon, but I've never met anyone who wasn't glad they did it.  Take my advice when it comes to Iceland, any time you get to spend there is worth it.

https://www.icelandair.com/flights/stopover/

https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-info/what-to-do-during-a-stopover-in-iceland

https://www.going.com/guides/the-layover-guide-to-iceland

https://www.flyplay.com/en-us/campaign/stopover-in-iceland

https://www.northbound.is/blog/266/your-guide-to-having-a-layover-in-iceland

There you have it.  A little bit of where to go, a little bit of what to do, a little bit of how to do it.  It's a well rounded fast five, and see you next week!