Matthew Henson

After losing his parents at a young age, Matthew Henson (1866-1955) had a few odd jobs before becoming a cabin boy on a merchant ship. His time on the ship started a life of full of travel experiences, which included adventures in China, Japan, Russia and the Phillipines and turned him into a skilled navigator, mechanic and carpenter.

Henson is known for being one of the first people to reach the North Pole as part of an expedition led by Commander Robert Peary in 1909. It was one of his many expeditions with the Commander, which included visits to the Arctic where he learned the Inuit language and various cold weather survival skills. Accounts of the story vary (when I was researching this post, I found two different ones!). In one account, Commander Peary was not able to continue at a certain point during the North Pole expedition. Henson led another group that continued northward, and Henson ended up reaching the exact position of the North Pole first. Another account has them both Henson & Commander Peary reaching the North Pole at the same time.

Unfortunately for Mr. Henson, he wasn't acknowledged as being one of the first men to set foot at the North Pole for many years. Henson was later recognized for his accomplishment by Presidents Truman and Eisenhower before his death in the 1950's. He's also been honored by the Explorers' Club and the National Geographic Society.

Matthew Henson is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

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Back Trackin' - Cocos Hotel, Antigua

For those of you in the middle of winter, this is for you. Daydream, if you will...

While I've written about the hotel where we stayed in Antigua this past August, Sugar Ridge, I haven't written about the one we stayed in back in 2008 for Husband J's first time in Antigua. Cocos Hotel is actually in the same general area as Sugar Ridge (you can see it from there actually), but it couldn't be a more different resort.

I would say that Cocos is the exact opposite of Sugar Ridge. Sugar Ridge is modern with all of the comforts you could want with opportunities to eat high end food. Cocos is a much smaller resort with rustic rooms, and its own beach, which Sugar Ridge clearly lacks. You could honestly stay there the entire time at Cocoas and never leave, which I know is very common for many people's trips to the Caribbean.

When I say that Cocos' rooms are rustic, I mean it. The rooms are sparsely decorated with a bed with netting, no TVs and just a dresser and a small refrigerator. There is NO air conditioning, which at times even I wanted (I LOVE heat. Give it to me, but even I need to cool off eventually).

The bedroom (I forgot there was a fan.)

My favorite part of the room was the outdoor shower. At first, I was worried that someone might be able to see me, but I usually think "If I can see them, then they can see me."

Since I couldn't see anyone, I figured I was safe.

Cousin C (remember him?) testing out the outdoor shower.

Cocos is beachfront and is actually right next to a larger resort complex and beach called Jolly Harbour. It's nice when the beach is right there.

Cocos' beach area + Husband J's feet

Cocos' best feature though is the views. All of the little bungalow rooms are built into rock and have beautiful views of Ffryes Bay and the Jolly Harbour area. Unfortunately, you have to work to see it all. The walk up and down to the beach and possibly to your room is not for the faint of heart or the out of shape. It's up a cement path that can have steep inclines in some parts. Also note that we got a room with a nice view (you can specify) because that was all they had left. :)

Can you see the incline in the path up from the beach?

Cousin C and Husband J ahead of me on the walk up. It's a crazy incline, and it gets worse at some parts of the path.

When you are rewarded with a view like this, then you realize that the walk up was worth it and a good way to fit in exercise.

The bedrooms open up to a large covered balcony/verandah. I had fun taking this picture from the bed.

If you look closely, you can see the sand on my feet.

As for the food and service, it was fine. I am usually worried about the food at all-inclusives, but the food at Cocos was very good and exceeded expectations. I think because it's a smaller resort, food isn't going to be mass-produced as much. The staff was very friendly.

If Acari, the bartender, is still there, then you are in luck. He arranged this ridiculously delicious lobster lunch that I wrote about here for us and another couple. He made sure that I got some of the local drinks that I like when I visit Antigua, and I appreciated that so much.

Some homemade ginger beer that Acari made for me

Some things you should know:

-Don't come here if you want a happening hotel with a hopping party scene - Cocos is about relaxation, and since it's a smaller resort there really is no bar/party happening. One time there was a steel drum/pan (as we call it in the Caribbean) group, but that was it. The resort is pretty quiet by 9pm (at least it was when we went). If you want a party, go to the neighboring Jolly Harbor or to other spots on the island.

-Don't come here if you want to be totally sequestered away on the beach. Some hotels try to patrol their beach, but Cocos does not. You'll get folks selling their wares and services. That's just how it is.

A necklace I bought on the beach

-Don't come here if you want luxurious rooms - The rooms were clean and comfortable with breathtaking views, but just simple. Honestly, you'll be at the beach most of the time anyway. :)

-Do come here for a quiet (really quiet), relaxing, beach focused vacation. Husband J was looking at these pictures as I was writing this post, and he remembers only good things about Cocos.

Me, too.

If you've been on a beach-y vacation, what types of resorts do you prefer? Large ones with options for dining and entertainment or smaller, quieter places? Weigh in in the comments section!

Friday Foodie Pinspiration - S'Mores Cookie Bars

Well, there was Tuesday Travel Pinspiration, but how about some Friday Foodie Pinspiration? On Fridays, I'll have some lovely food to look at. Hopefully, it will inspire you to cook something new, bake something different and try a new cuisine.

I may have mentioned in my 101 things in 1,001 days that I want to bake more. I have no idea who will be eating all of these baked goods, but that's besides the point. I think it would be nice to be the complete home cook and be able to bake. These S'Mores Cookies Bars look deceptively simple and might a great first attempt at homemade bars.

S'Mores Cookie Bars

Via Lovin' from the Oven

If anyone makes them, please let me know how they turn out!

Happy Friday!

Japadog

I'm not a hot dog person. Since I allowed meat back into my life a few years ago now, I have gravitated more towards burgers. My first review ever on this blog was for Bark Hot Dogs here in Brooklyn, but even with their great chili cheese dogs, I'm still not a hot dog convert.

When I heard via the lovely Carly of The Less than Domestic Goddess that Japadog was coming to New York City, I knew that I going to have to check out some Asian inspired hot dogs from this Vancouver, Canada import. I'm still waiting to try Asia Dog, which is New York City's version, but these Canadians reeled me in.

I decided to go with the combo option since that allowed me to try any hot dog on the menu, fries and a drink of my choice (primarily sodas in the Coca-Cola family or water).

A Terimayo hot dog and the Shichimi & Garlic fries

Terimayo Dog - Teriyaki sauce, mayo and seaweed

I picked this hot dog in particular because I wanted to try something that most definitely would have Asian flavors, and it's also considered Japadog's signature dog. When I bit into it, I could sense the hot dog's crispness, and I tasted a nice subtle meaty flavor. Whatever the dog is made from, it's definitely the real deal. I think the hot dog would be great plain with a little spicy mustard. I really do like seaweed, so for me it didn't take anything away from the taste. I didn't feel the need to add anything else to the dog even though Sriracha, relish and other condiments are available. Eating the hot dog could be a little hard at times because the dog kept slipping a little in the bun, but that's hot dogs for ya. Did I like it? Yes. Wowed? Not really, but I'm okay with that.

Shichimi & Garlic "shaken" fries

Shichimi is a Japanese spice mixture. Even if the name was unfamiliar, the taste was a little bit of deja vu. Crispy fries coated in anything akin to seasoned salt will never do you wrong. I was eating these faster than the hot dog, so I think my taste buds were telling me something.

All in all, I thought Japadog was a tasty and cheap lunch. At less than $9 for the combo, I wouldn't mind going back for a snack or inexpensive, quick lunch if I'm in the area. Japadog still hasn't turned me from my burger ways, but an occoasional trip from time to time may convert me some day.

Do you prefer burgers or hot dogs?

Japadog

30 St. Mark's Place

New York, NY

ReWind - Rio's Escaderia Selaron

Here's an "oldie but goodie" post from the beginnings of my blog.

I know that people around here in New York City say "Only in New York..." to something that is pretty odd or out there that only a New Yorker would not bat an eyelash, but I thought I would tell you about my experience that is psuedo-touristy but maybe an "Only in Rio..." kind of experience.

I had the wonderul opportunity of going to the Escaderia Selaron in Rio with my guide, Madson. Where and what is this? For those of you familiar with hip hop music videos, you've actually already seen this site in Snoop Dogg and Pharell of the Neptunes' video for the song "Beautiful." Don't remember that particular MTV/BET moment in time? Click on the link for a reminder.

Here are the Escaderia Selaron in all of their glory.

The Escaderia Selaron is a work of genius or perhaps madness depending on who you ask. Located in the hot (although not always safe) nightlife district of Lapa, Jorge Selaron began to transform these stairs leading from Rua Joaquim Silva and Rua Pinto Martins in 1990. Selaron is an artist who also draws and paints, but his biggest claim to fame has been these stairs made of colorful carefully broken tiles that he continues to craft and reshape continuously. Here's a close-up of what the tiles actually look like.

He claims that he will never stop changing the stairs until the day he dies. After his project became famous, people from around the world started to visit him. He began asking them to bring tiles from their country of origin. Recognize any of these places?

So every artist has their signature style or image; and for Senhor Selaron, it happens to be the the image of a pregnant Black woman. Hmmm...some people have their theories (I think this is the one I favor) that this is the image of a woman who was his pregnant lover who died in childbirth/or was pregnant with his child and they had a major disagreement, which destroyed their relationship. Selaron says it's a personal matter. A'ight, bruh. I understand. What do YOU all think? He's even created a version of the image with HIS head on the pregnant body. Here's the image on one of his tiles.

A mural with Selaron's head on the pregnant body. Kinda freaky, ain't it? This was in anticipation of last year's World Cup.

My guide, Madson, seemed to be pretty cool with Senhor Selaron, so he brought me to meet him. Oh my...what a guy!! I want to say that Senhor Selaron took a little liking to me. After starting to speak to him in my 5 year-old girl souding Portuguese, I just started speaking Spanish, which weirded him out but made me more comfortable that I wouldn't sound totally crazy and that we could actually talk and understand each other.

After learning that I was born on a small island in the Caribbean, I think that totally set him off. You see, his goal to collect a tile from as many countries in the world as possible, and here he saw me as a golden opportunity to get a tile from a teeny little island that (no offense to my people) probably doesn't have a population that may make the trip to Brazil. He started letting me pick out one of his drawings to take FOR FREE. He even posed for a picture with me!

Madson told me that it's the first time he'd ever seen Senhor Selaron react this way. While I'd like to think it was perhaps my magnetic personality (Ha!), I think it was more that I was from someplace a little exotic. Either way, it was nice to get the royal treatment regardless of Senhor S's motivations.

I have not forgotten him and his request for a tile from my little island homeland. Sadly, I have not been back to Antigua as much as I would like in the past few years, but I intend to keep my promise to him. Senhor Selaron, you will get a tile from me someday soon!!

Have you been to any local curiosities or met any local "celebrities" during your travels?

[PS: I still need to get him the tile.]

SUPER

Wow. I'm still in shock from last night's Giants win. I compromised and watched the first half of the game. Despite some criticisms that she "should act her age", I really did like Madonna's half time show. It was over the top and had great guest artists. I didn't catch M.I.A's middle finger, but I did catch her expletive slip. Oh well.

Our helmet ornaments

I also didn't gloat. I won't until next week. Husband J laid out my little Giants helmet on Monday morning. My husband is too sweet.

This is how we did it food style in the TAO household for the Super Bowl.

There was only four of us, but with I wanted to make sure I got some veggies in. I made sure it wasn't too healthy, so we had blue cheese dressing on the side.

tomatoes, peppers, baby carrots, broccoli. The small bowls are from CB2.

We had a veggie pizza as well as half pepperoni and half cheese pizza.

Layered dip. I have never had this before and I was very glad that my friend made one. It's a layer of salsa, sour cream, refried beans, peppers, and tomatoes topped with cheese and black olives. Loved it! :) My friend said that she used all of the low fat versions of many of the elements. I wouldn't have minded either way.

We also had hot wings.

What's your favorite big game food?

I promise no more Super Bowl talk. :)

A House Divided

We're a house divided today. It's a little "tense" in the TAO household. As some of you may remember, I am a big sports fan. My favorite team in my favorite sport is playing in the biggest game of the season tonight. It's a little thing called the Super Bowl. That would be all fine and dandy if the opposing team wasn't Husband J's favorite team in one of his favorite sports to watch.

We have been acting fairly cordial all week. Husband J is still a little sad over his team, the New England Patriots, loss to my team, the New York Giants, back in January 2008. Back then he was Boyfriend J, and I thought I handled the Giants' unexpected win that year rather well. I didn't gloat until the day of the Giants' victory parade in New York City. I can only be so kind. This time, we're married, so I don't have to be so nice. **evil laugh**

There are lots of other underlying issues I have with this match up that have nothing to do with Husband J that also have me extra fidgety today. I am fairly supstitiuous when it comes to my sports teams. After the Giants lost a few years ago to the Philadelphia Eagles, in a game I watched in full, I haven't really watched many Giants games since. I swore off watching their last regualr season game before the playoffs this season in December and every playoff game since. You know what? It's worked! They're playing in the Super Bowl.

Some couple friends are coming over, and I have already warned them about my aversion/lack of desire to watch (I was partially rooting for a Baltimore vs. San Francisco Super Bowl because I'd be able to enjoy it). My friend is already making threats to tie me to my couch to make me watch.

One of the best Super Bowl catches ever made

The Giants are just as superstituious especially when it comes to their food. They had their favorite post work out pizza flown in from Long Island, New York to Indianapolis just for their Friday practice. By the way, I'm not alone in my craziness. Check out this article.

That being said, I will use the Super Bowl as an excuse to pig out just a teeny bit. We've got pizza, chicken wings, some seven layer dip (I'm not making it, but I promise a picture), veggies and maybe some homemade brownies on tap for tonight.

Anyway, for those of you who are laughing at me and my love of professional American football, go ahead. Just wait for the Olympics this year! Just kidding. :)