Passports and Postcards

Hello. and welcome.  News to share with you all. Yes, I have been away for a while. It would take me hours to tell you all the reasons why I have been away. 

I am getting back into travel as a travel advisor under my own brand Passports and Postcards Travel. I am licenced to sell travel to Canadian travellers. However, since a lot of you are international listeners you can be my source in the destination.

For my Canadian listeners, you need to book with a professional...

In this episode, I try to explain why there has been such a disaster at airports. I explain that the majority of staff, from pilots to cabin crew, to baggage handlers, to Check-In staff are short-staffed. When everything shut down in 2020 and we thought we might be able to ride this out, the longer it carried on, most Airlines laid off staff, or let staff go. Staff was hopeful that the pandemic would end soon, however, it has not...

In this episode, I look into the Status of Airports after returning and flying over 36000 km. I flew through Pearson International Airport, Schiphol International, Cape Town International, Johannesburg International, Paris International and back through Toronto International Airport.

Do not believe everything you have heard or seen through the media or social media. I had no real bad experiences with lineups. Yes, there were some other issues....but you have to listen to hear. 

In this podcast, I give a little synopsis of our first two days in Zaandam and Amsterdam. Viator failure to inform us that our Tour to Zaanes Schans to see the Windmills had been cancelled. To people watching from the lobby couch and having our first romantic dinner at McDonalds.

We head on a search to Sugar City, Halfweg to the Style Outlets in search of Trekking Poles at Solomon...

On this episode we finally make it to see the windmills of Zaanse Schans, just north of Zaandam. This after our Trip with Viator was cancelled. We did receive an email around 10:30 at night the day of the Viator trip that a refund had been requested. I did not request one, but I guess they cancelled the tour.

I talk about the trip to see the Windmills, and our trip to Bever so that my wife could purchase her Trekking poles.  Also we explore parts of Amsterdam by just walking...

I generally don't like to come out and rip into a tour company especially being a travel professional myself. I have to come out and warn travellers to stay away from this company.

I used this tour company for our trip of a lifetime, and financially it was and the experience was not so exciting. I must say that I enjoyed the Safari portion of our trip and the people in destinations Cape Town, Humala, Tshukudu and Kruger National Park were amazing...

Yes, Africa Mother Land, touchdown. We have arrived in Cape Town, South Africa and we stay at the lovely Hotel Verde and our South Africa tour starts the next day with a full week in and around Cape Town. 

We journey to Belle Maroc Boutique Hotel in Bloubergstrand and have our first experience of the beach, the South Atlantic Ocean and of course Table Mountain...

Probably the most visited Museum in South Africa, Robben Island has a history dating back several hundred years. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of 27 incarcerated years here on Robben Island.  Nelson Mandela, a Political activist and Lawyer fought to end apartheid in South Africa.

We did also visit some artisans at Watershed, visited a Diamond Museum and had dinner at Cape Town Fish Market before being whisked away to Belle Maroc and some much-needed sleep. 

Day 2 of our Cape Town adventure and they take us to Langa Township. Langa has been stated to be the safest Township to visit and probably the most walkable. The day was not all about Langa, however, my experience has left an impression and one that I wish there was more that I could do to eradicate racial discrimination even knowing that Apartheid was abolished many years ago, the race classification is still in the minds of all...

In this episode, we continue with our South African Experience. Today we find ourselves waking up at The Shark Bay Hotel & Spa in Langebaan, West Coast South Africa.

We explore Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, Cape Columbine Lighthouse, and lunch at Die Gaaitjie Restaurant in Paternoster-right on the beach, with the South Atlantic Ocean as our backdrop...