Flights

Digging Myself Out of the Snow and Getting on a Plane to Tenerife

by Jason B. on January 14, 2011

The story of my job stress is the same as those of any other moderately successful professional. Not only do my employees – and my bosses – expect for me to check my Blackberry every five minutes, even on weekends, but I have a long commute into the city. I make just enough money to make me feel middle class on some basic level, but not enough to actually enjoy it.

It seems like every morning I wake up this winter, it looks like this outside.

This winter, we’ve had snow in just about every state in America. Even my parents down in Arizona have been snowed upon this season. After Christmas a few weeks ago, as I was scraping the ice from my windshield, was struck by a sudden realization. I didn’t want to go to work. I didn’t want to go to work that day, nor the next week. Nor the week after. This wasn’t necessarily a crisis – I’ve earned the vacation time, and the small company would explode without me keeping everything together. I knew what I had to do. I took out my Blackberry, text messaged my secretary to call in sick, and then began scanning for flights to Tenerife.

The low prices flabbergasted me. One of the up-shots of being a working man in a horrific economy is that guys like me can jet around the world using the money that I dig out from behind the couch. I picked a flight for the following day and reserved a hotel room as part of the package deal.

I fled the snow for the endless ocean.

I opened up my car door and put my ice-scraper back into the glove compartment. Then, I headed back into my house to start packing. I felt at ease, in control of my life. I contemplated leaving my Blackberry behind – just so I could enjoy the sound of the waves smacking against the sand of the Canary Islands without worrying about the rude vibration of my mobile against my hip signifying another round of office drama – but I ultimately lacked the courage.

Blessedly, now that I’m tapping in this post from a seaside café, sipping espresso infused with some sort of strange booze, I have the damn thing on silent. When I’ve gone sailing, at least, the service is patchy. I preface my e-mail to my fellow office drones stuck in my old time zone: “Sorry I didn’t get your message, I was out on a catamaran with my new petite amie, Bridgitte.”

"Elle s'appele Bridgitte." My high school French was just enough to make my Canary Island vacation that much more fun.

The glowers that I’ll get when I return to the office will be more than made up for by the gloating I can enjoy now.

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Cheap Flights to South America

by Jason B. on December 17, 2010

South America is for the adventurous; South America is an adventure. Everyone has to visit this part of the world at some stage in life.

Here are a few travel tips for getting to some of the most popular destinations….

  1. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires is the capital and main gateway to Argentina. Here you can learn to tango and sample an Argentine asado.

You should book flights to Ministro Pistarini International Airport if you want to visit Buenos Aires. This airport is just 14 miles from Buenos Aires and it is the main hub for Aerolíneas Argentinas, which offers connections between Europe, the USA and Argentina.

  1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Everyone loves Rio because of its beaches, scenery and iconic landmarks. Galeão International Airport is just 12 miles from Rio de Janeiro city centre and TAM Airlines is the main company which offers international flights to Rio. If you want to travel from Rio to another destination in Brazil or South America, you should look for airfares with Gol Airlines which is a Brazilian low cost airline.

  1. Santiago, Chile

Santiago is the capital of Chile and it is the perfect base for discovering the city and going for day trips to the Andes, Valparaiso, and Viña del Mar. Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport is just 9.3 miles from Santiago and it is the hub for Lan Chile which offers international connections. Sky Airline is a Chilean low cost airline which operates domestic flights and connections to other cities in South America.

  1. Cusco, Peru

Cusco is one of the most visited cities in Peru. Not only is it the historic capital of the Inca Empire, but it is also a World Heritage Site and gateway to the famous Machu Picchu. International flights usually have one stopover in Lima before a connection flight to Cusco Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport. Check for flights with LAN Perú and TACA Perú.

After spending a day visiting the art museums, devouring tremendous amounts of seafood and a guinea pig, I took a connecting flight to Cusco – also scandalously inexpensive. The dollar buys you decadence in Peru.

Cusco itself reminded me of an ancient Roman city. The Incans were more industrious than you might think. Some of the ruins of their terraced farms still exist. The peasants in the area still use the hand-plowing farming techniques in the mountains that their ancient forebears did. The buildings in Cuzco itself – at least in the city center – have foundations of granite that were originally laid by the Incans. In the outlying areas, the peasants still build their homes with mud bricks. Guinea pigs roam semi-domesticated, fertilizing the fields and supplying meat.

On the morning that I departed for the Inca trail with my travelling party, I drank at least a few invigorating cups of coca tea. In the surrounding villages, peasants sell bags full of the leaves to chew to sojourners. It’s safe as long as you avoid swallowing the leaves.

Look at where you are. Now look at this picture. Sadly, you aren't in Peru. But you could be very soon.

Everyone should experience the Inca trail at least once. It’s unlike most others hikes in that it has a ready-made narrative attached to it. You can see at least a dozen Incan ruins on the way to your final destination of the sacred city of Machu Pichu. You almost trace the route on where the Incans fled the Spanish conquistadors and their native allies. Once you arrive, you can hike back or return on the train to Cusco.

This kind of trip remains in memory for the rest of your life. Airlines like Aerolíneas Argentinas run inexpensive flights to Lima from all over the world every day. Regardless of your budget, this trip is within reach.

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