Sequim Vacation Round-up May 2012
Dear Sequim Town visitors,
We are well aware that temperatures in Arizona and Texas are gradually climbing. So are your ready for your Sequim vacation? Moderate Sequim weather is perfect getting a break from the heat. If you had just known that our normally cooler May in Sequim had turned out to be the nicest spring month ever, we are sure you had planned an early Sequim vacation this May.
Blue skies with snow-covered Olympic Mountains as a backdrop, warm day-time temperatures and all the colorful spring flowers like lilac and cherry blossom trees with their wonderful scent in the air have been spoiling us for most of this month of May. We are thrilled.
Here is our personal short round-up on Sequim May weather and Sequim events.
Our 117th Sequim Irrigation Festival was a full success with 130 entries in our Saturday May 12th parade. As usual, big fun for everybody, participants from everywhere and Sequim spectators, resident and early Sequim visitors. The weather was just gorgeous! BTW we decided the fireworks on Friday night before the parade was absolutely the best we have ever experienced in our 6 years (!) of life in Sequim. It got many 'Aahs' and 'Oohs' from us from our prime seats on our balcony overlooking Sequim town.
Carrie Blake Park invites Sequim residents and visitors for walks, bike rides, jogs or just resting on a bench and watch our plentiful wild life. Sometimes the dear creatures are not that welcome but without them Sequim wouldn't be the same attractive to all of us. The deer ate my beautiful pansies - actually they skillfully bit off the blossoms - and the Canadian geese graze on the new soccer field despite they are not supposed to do so. What can you do? It's their home.
Speaking of the Canadian geese, there are not many of these who have babies this year. We only came across on goose family with seven chicks. They must have just hatched but were already going with mama and papa for a swim in the pond in the park.
Hummingbirds are entertaining us again when having breakfast. All those different looks they have!
Our Peonies and Irises are ready to pop. That's when real spring starts in Sequim.
Our Sequim vacation rental has opened for the 2012 vacation season with guests from Iowa and Missouri. We are looking forward to your Sequim town visit.
Scenery next to your Sequim vacation rental outdoor sitting area. Since this is a favorite deer crossing, it contains mostly ground cover and lavenders which deer do not like.
We are well aware that temperatures in Arizona and Texas are gradually climbing. So are your ready for your Sequim vacation? Moderate Sequim weather is perfect getting a break from the heat. If you had just known that our normally cooler May in Sequim had turned out to be the nicest spring month ever, we are sure you had planned an early Sequim vacation this May.
Blue skies with snow-covered Olympic Mountains as a backdrop, warm day-time temperatures and all the colorful spring flowers like lilac and cherry blossom trees with their wonderful scent in the air have been spoiling us for most of this month of May. We are thrilled.
Here is our personal short round-up on Sequim May weather and Sequim events.
Our 117th Sequim Irrigation Festival was a full success with 130 entries in our Saturday May 12th parade. As usual, big fun for everybody, participants from everywhere and Sequim spectators, resident and early Sequim visitors. The weather was just gorgeous! BTW we decided the fireworks on Friday night before the parade was absolutely the best we have ever experienced in our 6 years (!) of life in Sequim. It got many 'Aahs' and 'Oohs' from us from our prime seats on our balcony overlooking Sequim town.
Carrie Blake Park invites Sequim residents and visitors for walks, bike rides, jogs or just resting on a bench and watch our plentiful wild life. Sometimes the dear creatures are not that welcome but without them Sequim wouldn't be the same attractive to all of us. The deer ate my beautiful pansies - actually they skillfully bit off the blossoms - and the Canadian geese graze on the new soccer field despite they are not supposed to do so. What can you do? It's their home.
Speaking of the Canadian geese, there are not many of these who have babies this year. We only came across on goose family with seven chicks. They must have just hatched but were already going with mama and papa for a swim in the pond in the park.
Hummingbirds are entertaining us again when having breakfast. All those different looks they have!
Our Peonies and Irises are ready to pop. That's when real spring starts in Sequim.
Our Sequim vacation rental has opened for the 2012 vacation season with guests from Iowa and Missouri. We are looking forward to your Sequim town visit.
Scenery next to your Sequim vacation rental outdoor sitting area. Since this is a favorite deer crossing, it contains mostly ground cover and lavenders which deer do not like.
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Goa - On a different note
I have been a frequent traveller to Goa in the past but somehow did not visit this lovely coastal State for almost a decade. This time however the trip was purely to visit our ancestral temples. Goa and Temples may not rhyme well since it is better known for its beaches, churches and now Casinos. The Gowda Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) were the early settlers of Goa, where they built Temples dedicated to family deities. However, during the Portuguese persecutions in early 16th century, many GSB families fled Goa along with their family deities to nearby regions of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Although the temples were destroyed by the Muslim rulers in 15th century and later by the Portuguese, they were renovated intermittently by benevolent rulers and hence they still stand tall even to date. I visited few temples since visiting all the temples can consume almost the entire day. Some of the temples visited were – Devaki Krishna and Lakshmi Rawalnath (both at Mashel) ; Navadurga at Madkai, Mahalasa and Ramnathi (near Mardol) and Balaji temple near Ponda.
Since my visit was after a long spell of time, I could see visible changes in Goa. The quality of roads and its network had improved by leaps and bounds. It is perhaps the only State where directions are easily understood and even an outsider can navigate without much difficulty. The cost of fuel (Petrol) is the lowest in India thanks to the new Chief Minister, who abolished local levies and taxes.
I chose a Resort at Porvorim for our stay due to its proximity to 2 major towns – Panaji, the administrative capital city and Mapusa known for its vibrancy and markets. Famous beaches like Candolim, Calungute, Baga and Anjuna are also close to Porvorim. Since we were visiting Goa in the month of May, I was expecting a harsh summer. However this time, the weather was not too hot although humidity was high. Since the local transportation in Goa is not too great, the best way to commute is to hire a car or a bike. I hired a scooter through the Resort and found the deal a tad too cheap (just Rs 300 for 24 hours). I made good use of the bike to visit the famous Mapusa market (8 kms); Panaji (5 kms); Calangute beach (8 kms) and other places like Mira Mar and Dona Paula. However take care to check the petrol content before you start, since I had a tough time in the middle of the highway, when the bike ran out of fuel after just 2 kms. I was very lucky to encounter a friendly mango vendor, who offered me his bike and an empty can to fetch petrol from a nearby fuel station (about a mile away). Such people make Goa a great place. Goans are typically very simple, honest and extremely helpful. The inflow of unruly tourists and people from other States has given Goa a bad name of late. The locals are also protesting the existence of casinos, which is destroying their local culture and heritage. Goa is indeed transforming itself into a “sin” city from a small, calm and sleepy State a few decades ago.
The Calangute beach almost wore a carnival look with thousands of revellers, most of them in high spirits (pun intended). We tried para sailing and jet skiing (water scooter) and after much bargaining I found the deal quite reasonable. The same water sports activity was way too expensive at Mauritius, I felt. I also visited Panaji (the capital city), Miramar beach and Dona Paula just to check its popularity with tourists. Panaji is perhaps the smallest capital city in India but it is well maintained and kept clean and green. Miramar wore a deserted look but people were seen crowding around the Bombay style bhelpuri and pani poori stalls. Dona Paula had a fair share of tourists but honestly there is nothing to see here other than the majestic Governor’s bungalow, located at a close distance. However my visit to the famous Mapusa market was the highlight. I enjoyed speaking my mother tongue, Konkani with the local vendors. Goa is the only state where I can speak Konkani in public although the dialect is different from the one I speak. I was amazed that this market has still retained its old world charm. You can buy the best wet cashews and kokum (no English name for this fruit) at Mapusa. The market has everything to offer, meat, fruits, vegetables, bakery products, clothes, wine and just about anything. I enjoyed bargaining with the local vendors in their local language.
Goa is known for its coastal cuisine including seafood. However the locals mentioned to me that the quality and quantity of fish this season was abysmally low. Being a big seafood lover this was certainly not good news. Despite this I enjoyed the limited variety of local seafood dished out by various Restaurants around Porvorim and Panaji. I also paid a visit to O’Coqueiro, although it has lost its old charm. This restaurant is known for 2 things – a) the famous Chicken Cafreal (Portuguese dish) and b) it was here that the international smuggler Charles Sobhraj on the run, was caught by the Bombay police in 1986. His life size statue has been installed outside the Restaurant. May is also the best season for Mangoes. But seems, this year there was no bumper yield and hence the cost had hit the roof, nothing less than Rs 500 for a dozen. There were lots of mango trees in our Resort, but the fruits had not ripened, to our misfortune.
Hopefully next time I visit Goa, the place would still retain its charm and not go the wrong way. Viva Goa !!
Click on the Video above to view the picturesque Dudhsagar Valley and Falls from the Train.
To view the snaps clicked at Goa, please click here >>>>>
Also please check the review of Angel’s Resort posted @ Tripadvisor >>>>>
Date Visited: 29th April 2012 to 3rd May 2012
Sequim computer service needed at Sequim vacation rental?
Dear Sequim Vacation blog visitors,
When moving to Sequim from Hawaii in 2006, we faced lots of adjustments as everybody else who moves to an area they are totally new to. Our 12-day Sequim vacation in October 2005 was more or less focusing on finding the perfect Sequim home to buy which we actually did.
Upon our final moving to Sequim in January 2006, we had our hands full moving into our house in Sun Meadows, finding new kindred spirit friends and make ourselves familiar with Sequim town services with priority being shopping. Well, to find the right guy for overseeing the hard and soft ware of our PC and laptop seemed to be quite challenging. I even called my Hawaii computer expert friends occasionally.
We also tried several times our luck with Sequim guys who advertised their Sequim computer service in Sequim publications which worked mostly just OK till we heard from our good neighbors about a computer guy Bob Bennett from Port Angles. Bob had worked for years in the computer business before he finally started his own computer business in the Port Angeles/Sequim area.
Bob solved any of computer issues to our total satisfaction. Best part when working with Bob is that he set up a virtual assistant meaning he can check our computer from his home without having to come for an appointment to Sequim.
Bob solved any of computer issues to our total satisfaction. Best part when working with Bob is that he set up a virtual assistant meaning he can check our computer from his home without having to come for an appointment to Sequim.
Why do we tell you about Bob's computer service in Sequim? Our Sequim vacation rental offers FREE wireless Internet to our visitors. 95% of our guests take advantage of this offer by bringing their laptop to Sequim in order to be connected with friends + family or their Sequim realtor on their Sequim vacation. Good to know that an experienced computer expert is only a phone call away when Microsoft Windows plays tricks on you.
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A Travel Policy’s Biggest Barrier
What is the biggest issue that stands between a policy and its successful delivery? Is it a lack of knowledge or ability in order to create one? Is it uncooperative or unable suppliers or intermediaries? Is it poor uptake or availability of appropriate technology systems? Or is it simply that end users either cannot or will not comply with edicts and have ways of getting around them?
Depending on your own experiences you could say one, some or all of the above but I think you might be missing something even more important. What is this something? It is what I call the three ‘P’s of internal Politics, Procedures and Processes and these have nothing to do with suppliers, intermediaries or individual travellers.
I have seen so many companies invest huge resources and money to create detailed and potentially rewarding travel programmes only to waste much benefit due to the three ‘P’s. Many of them choose not to identify this as the cause as it would not be considered ‘Politically’ correct to do so especially as the issues usually start at board level. A shame really as board level is where any rectifying needs to start.
So what am I actually saying? I believe that internal politics, inflexible procedures and lack of communication processes are the biggest road blocks when it comes to the delivery of a negotiated and delivered travel programme. I am also saying that non compliant travellers are not the biggest villains, it is more likely the messages they are receiving (or in some cases not) from much higher up the business chain of command.
Taking a closer look at any company’s board you can see why problems could occur. Rather like a herd of elephants you have the strong patriarch and around him a chain of command with different interests and abilities. Again, like any herd there is a fair amount of head butting and scheming going on. They all represent different interests from finance to sales, operations to procurement and some hold more sway than others.
Eventually these ‘band of brothers’ agree a policy. But do they really? You can be certain that there will be winners and losers but when it comes to something as emotive as travel they seem less inclined to feed their solidarity down the line. In some areas there can be a visible lack of zeal and that is all it takes to undermine a policy. Particularly when there are so many practical ways of getting around it.
Many companies end up with a policy that has been presented by procurement who are by no means top dog (or elephant!) at the board table, which is not satisfactory to all and then they have to communicate it to a sometimes incredulous work force. This is where we come to the second closely linked ‘P’ of procedures. Who is allowed to say what to whom and what are the ‘P’ for processes for doing it. How much can you or can’t you say about your decisions? How much should you justify them? How much should you mandate them?
Let us say those wise old elephants have at least given tacit support to the policy. Who is going to sponsor it and keep on the agenda as the process develops? Who is going to go to senior directors and ask them to pull their folk into line? How are those messages going to transmit through a company that, possibly, apart from payroll has no appropriate method for these types of communication?
My message to corporations is a simple one. Sort yourself out at the top. Put into place procedures and processes and only then consider the creation of a policy that is going to be committed to and enforced across the whole employee base. This will save you more than any supplier or intermediary will.
Depending on your own experiences you could say one, some or all of the above but I think you might be missing something even more important. What is this something? It is what I call the three ‘P’s of internal Politics, Procedures and Processes and these have nothing to do with suppliers, intermediaries or individual travellers.
I have seen so many companies invest huge resources and money to create detailed and potentially rewarding travel programmes only to waste much benefit due to the three ‘P’s. Many of them choose not to identify this as the cause as it would not be considered ‘Politically’ correct to do so especially as the issues usually start at board level. A shame really as board level is where any rectifying needs to start.
So what am I actually saying? I believe that internal politics, inflexible procedures and lack of communication processes are the biggest road blocks when it comes to the delivery of a negotiated and delivered travel programme. I am also saying that non compliant travellers are not the biggest villains, it is more likely the messages they are receiving (or in some cases not) from much higher up the business chain of command.
Taking a closer look at any company’s board you can see why problems could occur. Rather like a herd of elephants you have the strong patriarch and around him a chain of command with different interests and abilities. Again, like any herd there is a fair amount of head butting and scheming going on. They all represent different interests from finance to sales, operations to procurement and some hold more sway than others.
Eventually these ‘band of brothers’ agree a policy. But do they really? You can be certain that there will be winners and losers but when it comes to something as emotive as travel they seem less inclined to feed their solidarity down the line. In some areas there can be a visible lack of zeal and that is all it takes to undermine a policy. Particularly when there are so many practical ways of getting around it.
Many companies end up with a policy that has been presented by procurement who are by no means top dog (or elephant!) at the board table, which is not satisfactory to all and then they have to communicate it to a sometimes incredulous work force. This is where we come to the second closely linked ‘P’ of procedures. Who is allowed to say what to whom and what are the ‘P’ for processes for doing it. How much can you or can’t you say about your decisions? How much should you justify them? How much should you mandate them?
Let us say those wise old elephants have at least given tacit support to the policy. Who is going to sponsor it and keep on the agenda as the process develops? Who is going to go to senior directors and ask them to pull their folk into line? How are those messages going to transmit through a company that, possibly, apart from payroll has no appropriate method for these types of communication?
My message to corporations is a simple one. Sort yourself out at the top. Put into place procedures and processes and only then consider the creation of a policy that is going to be committed to and enforced across the whole employee base. This will save you more than any supplier or intermediary will.
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