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Porterra Travel - A different kind of travel company

Why Colombia?

10/29/2015

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Colombia is one of my favorite places to visit. It has the fastest growing and most stable economy in South America. The government has been investing heavily in infrastructure, and the kidnappings and drug cartels of the 80's and 90's are ancient history. When visiting Colombia you can feel the energy and excitement. People are happy. In fact Colombia consistently rates in the top 5 countries in the world for happiness. Education is accessible and opportunity abounds. In the cities there is electricity in the air. That's not to say that everything is perfect, but it certainly seems to be headed I the right direction.
 
Less than five hours by air from NYC, Colombia is beautiful country in the northwest corner of South America with soaring mountains, pristine coastlines on the pacific and Caribbean, and some of the lushest countryside you'll ever see.  No disrespect to Ireland, but there’s a lot more than forty shades of green!
 
And then there's the coffee. Colombia is the fourth largest producer of coffee in the world, and arguably grows some of the best tasting stuff on the planet. It's all arabica, more flavorful and less bitter that the robusta bean grown elsewhere. In these parts most of it is still grown the old fashioned way on small family farms pitched on steep mountain hillsides and picked by hand. The image of Juan Valdez and his trusty mule loaded down with sacks of coffee is part of everyday life here. In the mountain towns men with dusty boots, cowboy hats and machetes strapped to their sides are the norm. It's a place where tradition is important and people help their neighbors.

Our most recent group trip there was nothing short of spectacular. We spent a week in Colombia's coffee country, high up in the eternal spring of the Andes, a place known as the coffee triangle. A day in Manizales gave us a taste of the big city life here. The main drag runs along the ridge of the Cordillera Central, one of the ranges that constitute the Andes mountains. At 7,500 feet above sea level, the cross streets fall precipitously away on either side, making for amazing vistas and white knuckle taxi rides. For only 1,500 pesos (about 60 cents) you can glide over the city from ridge to ridge in a cozy enclosed cable car and take in the sweeping views of the surrounding countryside and the city below. A five minute ride on El Cable can save a 40 minute drive through the city's twisty jumble of insanely steep streets. It's an amazing piece of modern efficiency that almost seems out of place in a city where you can still see cows grazing in people's yards.

While Manizales offers some great restaurants and cultural experiences, the true allure of the region is all about getting out into the countryside. It is absolutely stunning. Crazy single track mountain biking, killer hikes through the cloud forest studded with 200 foot tall palm trees, horseback riding, swimming in waterfalls, hot springs and mud baths, zip lining and some of the best bird watching on the planet. We spent two days on a ranch with a volcanic hot spring fed swimming pool in the front yard and a 300 foot waterfall for a backdrop. Vanessa and Marta cooked our meals on a massive wood fired cast iron stove while Ernesto took us out horseback riding to see some of the other seven waterfalls on the property. It was heaven.

So is Colombia safe? Of course it is. People smile, say hello and are quick to lend a hand. I never felt the least bit uneasy. Even the cab drivers in the larger cities are friendly... Never once did they try to rip me off, and I look unquestionably like a gringo with a capital G. But far more than being safe, it's fun. Tourism is in its infancy here. Now is the time to go and have an authentic experience before the mainstream discovers it. And if you love adventure and the outdoors it's a no brainer.

Porterra Travel specializes in small group tours to Europe and the Americas. The next trip to Colombia is January 31 to February 7. We’ll stay at some amazing places along the Caribbean Coast. $1499 includes air, hotels and transportation. For more information and other Colombian adventures visit www.PorterraTravel.com or email Larry at PorterraTravel@gmail.com.
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Face your Fears, with a little help from your loved ones.

10/23/2015

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It was June 2009, just after the big crash, and my corporate career was coming to an end. I wasn’t afraid of that, I was rather looking forward to it. My brothers and I had opened Porters’ Pub & Restaurant about 20 years earlier and I was finally going to get my chance to pour all my energy and focus into one job. Really roll my sleeves up and kick the restaurant up a notch.

But I needed a break first. At the time I was sharing an inexpensive apartment, with no car payment and very little overhead. I could depend on my brothers to run the business in the short term.  I had seen most of the United States and parts of Europe traveling on the company dime, and I lead our restaurant customers on weeklong Pub Crawls to Europe a couple times a year. I was pretty burned out trying to juggle two full time jobs for so many years and I needed to do something big, something life changing, something epic.
 
A two month backpacking journey through Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece  would do the trick. It’s a part of the world I had always wanted to see. Through all my traveling I had become quite a history buff, and that part of the world is littered with Greek, Roman and Byzantine ruins. Istanbul was the center of the universe for centuries. I was so excited. I purchased a couple books on solo travel and studied up my destination on the internet. I worked out a very rough itinerary figuring about three weeks in each country and bought a ticket to Sofia, Bulgaria returning from Athens, Greece two months later. I would work my way around the Mediterranean by foot, bus and ferry. I was ready.
 
About three days before departing I was having serious second thoughts. I had never traveled alone before in countries where I couldn’t understand the language, never lived out of a backpack for that length of time, never even seen a hostel, let alone stay in one. What was I doing? Am I crazy? Would I be homesick?  Two months is a long time to be away. I was worrying myself sick, could hardly eat. This is insane. I just can’t do it. I have to call the trip off.
 
Kelly-Jo is my love, my significant other, spouse in all but name. I couldn’t have even contemplated this trip without her understanding and support. She also speaks her mind. “Don’t even think about backing out now! You’ve been planning this trip for months. Suck it up.” She was absolutely right. This was a defining moment in my life. Was I going to let fear keep me from realizing my dream? No way. I needed to face my fear and stick to the plan. I was determined to go, but still had butterflies in my stomach all the way to the airport. Boarding that plane was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. It was also one of the best things I have ever done in my life. The trip was spectacular in every way. Better than I could have ever imagined. Epic. If it wasn’t for Kelly-Jo’s support and encouragement I’m not sure I ever would have gone. But she understood, perhaps more than me, that this was something I needed to do, and for that I am forever grateful.
 

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Belgium Pub Crawls - as published in EastonPop magazine.

1/2/2015

5 Comments

 
People ask me all the time ”Why do you keep going back to Belgium? It doesn’t sound very exciting.” Hmmm… there’s not a lot of space here so I’ll try to keep it brief. First and foremost Belgium produces some of the best beer in the world with hundreds of breweries making thousands of different beers. The food is amazing, think fine French cuisine, but without the pretentiousness and all the heavy sauces. Lots of wild game too… venison, wild boar, hare, and don’t forget about the mussels. Then there are the Belgian waffles and chocolate. Chocolate to die for. Beyond the epicurean treats are the history, architecture and art. Castles, cathedrals, monasteries and museums. Brueghel the Younger, Brueghel the Elder, Van Eyck, Boch. Clubs, all night parties and the best beer bars in the universe. There’s also plenty of French wine around too, if you prefer. That’s my short list.   

  One of my favorite cities on the planet is Bruges, Belgium, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sometimes called the Venice of the North for its canals and beautiful scenery, I describe it as Disneyland for adults. Picturesque cobblestone streets wind their way through a beautiful medieval city frozen in time. It’s one of the few European cities that wasn’t destroyed during WWI or WWII, and there are still buildings that have been standing for over a thousand years. History and beautiful architecture everywhere you look. Canal boats glide under stone pedestrian bridges past the resident swans. It’s truly a magical place. Certainly no lack of amazing places to drink, dine or shop either.  


Another of my favorite cities is Brussels, the capital, with the Grand Place, one of the largest  central squares in all of Europe. The city has a hip modern side too, with plenty of clubs and hotspots including the famous Delirium Café, boasting over 3000 entries on its beer list. I could go on… Ghent, Antwerp, the university town of Lueven… but I think you get the idea.  


“But it’s so expensive to go to Europe!” Is it? I think it depends on your priorities. The typical cable television bill is about $120 per month, or $1,440 per year. When you look back on your life are you going to fondly remember all those Gilligan’s Island reruns? Or will you recall those amazing moments spent traveling, like sipping on a latte and enjoying a chocolate covered waffle while sitting in an outdoor café overlooking a beautiful cobblestone square? I know what I’d choose. Smoking is a no brainer… a pack a day habit could easily pay for two or three trips abroad a year.   

  Planning an overseas visit yourself can be a daunting task, that’s why lots of people prefer a pre-arranged tour or group trip. I’m not suggesting one of those cattle-car type group tours that hit 6 cities in 6 days with a set itinerary, obligatory stops in tourist traps and cafeterias, and then on to the next town. Those kind of tours are hardly vacations… when it’s all over you’re more exhausted that when you began and you can scarcely remember where you’ve been! I’m talking about staying in one or two cities for a week and doing day trips. It’s the best way to really get a feel for a place. Let’s face it, you can’t see everything a country has to offer in a week… so don’t even make yourself crazy trying. Take your time and linger, relax and soak up the atmosphere. Buy the locals a drink and see what secrets they tell you.   This November Porters’ Pub & Restaurant is doing another one of their nine day trips to Belgium for only $1,829 including direct non-stop airfare, hotels (4 and 5 star!) transfers, breakfasts and more. 


Porters' Pub has been hosting "Pub Crawls" for over 15 years. And despite the name, they're not all about drinking... well I guess that depends on who you ask! The trips are very laid back and friendly, perfect for the first time traveler or the seasoned independent minded explorer. You get the security, peace of mind and camaraderie of traveling with a group and knowing that all the details have been taken care of, but you also get the flexibility of going off and doing your own thing. We do a couple of optional group excursions and the rest of the time is your own to pursue whatever you wish. Your hotel becomes a home base for exploring the countryside and a meeting place to catch up and compare notes with your new found traveling friends. One of the biggest kicks I get is popping into a little café on some side street in another country and running into someone I know.   There are plenty of other trips to choose from too and they’re all very reasonably priced. We fly major airlines and stay at value-priced hotels. What we don’t do is spend a lot of money advertising or printing big glossy color brochures. The average group size is between 20 and 45 and very diverse… couples, singles, mid-twenties to mid-seventies! Upcoming trips are headed to Belgium, Barcelona and Colombia. For details check us out at www.PortersPubEaston.com and https://www.facebook.com/PortersPub. Or email Larry Porter at PortersPub@gmail.com to join our mailing list or request information.  And remember... It’s all about priorities. Anyone can travel if they really want to!    
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