When is a Circus not a Circus?

What do you get when you combine a 35,000-gallon water tank with acrobats and aerialist? You get two hours of artistic entertainment; limited only by your imagination as you watch the water show, jugglers, laser light show, acrobats, clowns, and aerialist. During the intermission, you may even sit on the oyster shell with the mermaid or stand next to the lifelike dinosaur to have your picture taken.

The 40 entertainers and support crew travel in a caravan of trucks, trailers and campers to each site where it takes two days to set up; that in itself is probably a site worth seeing, and then they perform for three or four days. There are no animals used in a “cirque” production, which is based on a European environment, unlike US circuses that have dogs, lions, elephants, and tigers.
Concession and souvenir stands are in the “lobby” of the tent and hawkers circulate throughout the auditorium selling food, refreshments, and souvenir items. You are not only well entertained, but you did not have to leave hungry. We had a near sell-out performance, the room temperature was pleasant, my seat was comfortable and I had plenty of leg room.

The tickets were $10-$50 and most seats offered good visibility. The performances may not have been the most spectacular I have seen, but they were colorful, skilled, and well choreographed. You see a lot of entertainment in the two-hour production and judging by gasps, sighs, laughs, and applauses I would say it was enjoyed by all. For me, the laser light show was fantastic. I had a difficult time hearing the audio throughout the program, but it was not a distraction.
When you get a chance, you really do not want to miss seeing Cirque Italia.

https://cirqueitalia.com/

Travelers Cause Chaos at Airport Boarding Gates....What Can You Do To Make Your Take-Off and Landing Stress Free?

We have all witnessed it, passengers chatting with their friends, eating, people-watching or reading when all of a sudden the dreaded announcement was made. Chaos reigned! Frustration, impatience, anxiety, and panic could now be seen on the passengers' faces.

Planning a trip starts at home. Be practical, DO NOT plan on taking a carry-on suitcase on the plane – especially if you are not able to wheel it or lift it yourself! It is an unearthly nuisance dealing with luggage when you have to rush or make a connection. They are awkward in restrooms, restaurants and fellow traveler's trip over them. There is nothing relaxing about the experience.

Keep in mind that in 2017 airline policies are changing and only “one” carry-on item will be permitted.

Experience has taught me to travel very light; a small crossover strapped bag. However, I have seen many with three and four shopping bags, plus a purse or briefcase, and their roller bag.

“Comfort” and “must” items may be placed in a tote or backpack. Pack and check everything else. Comfort and must item suggestions: reading material, sweater or jacket, puzzle book, neck pillow, medicines, and munchies. Ladies put your purse in the backpack or tote – it is one less thing to keep track of and handle. It should not be so bulky that it will not fit under the seat in front of you and still leave room for your feet.

Use common sense; do not pack the kitchen sink or take a week’s worth of entertainment for your flight. Remember, what you carry on the plane and in the airports is your responsibility alone. While the other passengers may assist upon request, out of courtesy, the ultimate responsibility is yours.

Follow the rules, do not attempt to go through TSA (airport security) or board planes with items that are not sanctioned. Know before you pack your tote bag what is allowed. Do not argue the case at the airport, you will not win. Carrying the minimum items will expedite your TSA and boarding experience.

When the Gate Agent announces that groups will be called soon to board the plane and that you should wait in your seat – wait in your seat! Do not bottleneck the boarding area and gangway; people get hurt that way. You have your reservation and seat assignment. There is no reason to rush or panic that you will be left behind.

It has been my experience in US airports there will always be “chaos” at the boarding gates. But, I have been at international airports where the boarding agents simply made announcements “Everyone sits down unless your group has been called – or no one boards.”. Amazingly, everyone sits down immediately.

When the Captain announces you have landed and are taxiing to the gate and asked you to: “Remain seated until we reach the gate and doors are opened.” Do that; stay seated! Do not bottleneck the aisles. People get injured - don’t be one of them.

Display good manners; be considerate. Do not cut in front of people; bite your tongue if you have to but be courteous.

Lastly, be patient. It is a small price to pay. A bad attitude will simply blemish your trip.

You have done or not done what you need to. Sit back and relax; have a safe, stress-free trip.

Over a period of 45 + years I have traveled via planes, cars, ferries, ships and trains to every state in the US, 48 different countries and each continent. People have traveled vicariously through me for more years than I can remember. I have learned patience at the gate and just wait until everyone else has done the “hurry up and wait” syndrome before I peacefully board. It is so much easier.

The Mystic of White Chocolate Is it really Chocolate?

Even after muddling through the scientific, nutritional, medicinal, and harvesting information I still did not find a straight answer. Then, I realized I was over-thinking the question and really needed to get back to just the basics. There it was, the answer, clear as day. Mystery solved!

Basically, pods, similar to papaya, grow on the trunk or thicker branches of cacao trees. When the pod, which are about the size of a football, is ripened, which is judged by various color shades, it is cut from the trunk by using a large knife, like a machete.

One person can harvest about 650 pods per day. The pods are then opened, typically using the machete, to reveal the cacao beans. The outside rind is removed, leaving the beans protected by a pulp-like substance. Each pod has 20-50 beans and one person can separate approximately 2,000 beans per day.

The beans now begin the fermentation process where the cacao beans are laid out for several days to allow them to “sweat-off” the pulp. Next, the beans are sent to the factory where they are roasted, then they go through a “winnower” which cracks and de-shells the bean.

After the cacao bean has gone through a manufacturing process it becomes known as cocoa. The pieces surviving the winnower process are called “nibs”; consisting of cocoa butter and cocoa powder. The nibs now enter the Broma process where the nibs are placed in bags and hung in an overheated room to allow the cocoa butter to melt or drip, from the beans. The substance that is left behind is cocoa powder.

When you mix the cocoa butter with milk and sugar, you get “white chocolate”. While the cocoa butter is a by-product of the cacao bean, it has none of the cocoa powder therefore it is no more “chocolate” than the cacao husk which is converted into animal feed and fertilizer, the bean shells which are used as organic mulch, and cocoa butter which is used to make lotions, soaps, and moisturizing creams.

While not the most healthy of foods, it does have its assets; it is caffeine free and apparently good for the vascular system.

Mystery solved!

Planning that Shotgun Wedding in a “living ghost town”

Just a few lines of a blurb in a magazine and I was curious; a “living ghost town”, a contradiction. What a surprise! I loved it! Such a hidden treasure on historic Route 66, Oatman, Arizona.

I came in from the north, which I would highly recommend if you have a sense of adventure. As I started out of Kingman I saw signs advising truckers not to travel the road and thought that was strange. Driving through the mountains can be slow and tedious but I could not imagine truckers not being able to make deliveries. Well, it did not take me long to realize the warnings were well justified.

This is barely a two lane road, with wash-outs. The shoulders had long since eroded and the outside lane, which is where I was driving, in most places had a drop off that appeared to be into infinity. The scenery was phenomenal as I reached 6,000 feet in altitude on this seriously winding road with switchbacks so tight you rolled rather than drove around the curves. Taking your eyes off the road was not an option because of the cliffs, drop-offs and especially the presence of burros.

From what I gathered, Oatman started out as a gold mining center in 1906. In 1942 Congress declared that gold mining was no longer essential to the war effort so Oatman started a downhill spiral.

The present day locals stage shootouts, gunfights and told me they have arranged many shotgun weddings. The town is four blocks of old western charm, plank sidewalks, and historical buildings. The locals stroll along visiting and conducting their business all dressed in period costumes. In its heyday about 10,000 people lived here; today, maybe 100.

“How the West Was Won” isn’t the only movie to be shot here. Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their wedding night at the Oatman Hotel in 1939 and supposedly still “haunt” the establishment. Several spirits have been known to visit the hotel and tavern, but they are all of a friendly nature.

Actually, there may be more four-legged wild burros in residence than two legged people. When the mines crashed and the miners abandoned the area, they left their pack animals behind. Being durable creatures they have continued to breed and survive in Oatman. They come and go freely roaming up and down the streets and in and out of the buildings. These animals are now protected by the US Department of Interior.

Because Oatman is on Route 66 it was able to sustain to some extent by feeding travelers and providing hotel accommodations. After building the bypass between Needles, CA, and Kingman, AZ in the 1960s the people all but abandoned Oatman.

With the gambling industry moving into nearby Laughlin and the renewed interest in Route 66, Oatman is again enjoying the attention. Oatman receives a mere 500,000 visitors each year and they each leave with a smile on their face.