Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Traveling Bocas

Having been a tourist and a business person in Bocas I thought I would take the time to inform the average tourist what to expect. Just recently Bocas was deemed one of the top tourist destinations for 2016. With that said, you are still looking at a 2nd/3rd world country, so you can't expect all the luxuries of home in every establishment. In this blog I will try to touch upon the basics for food & beverage, accommodations, and transportation for the budget and mid range traveler.

The local eateries. At these places you can find a full meal for between $3-$5 and pretty cheap coffee and tea. These meals are heavy on the rice, but the flavor is pretty decent and it will certainly fill you up! There are some other 'street' style places to eat that usually open a little later in the evening for dinner and are pretty decent, but again not too healthy for you. Then you get into the restaurants and bars. These places will start around $6 but usually aren't more than $18 for an entree unless you're sharing a large seafood platter. Food quality certainly varies so ask around to some of the local expats about where they think the 'good stuff' is!

Beverage is a little more to the point; $1-$2 for a local beer, usually $3-$5 for a glass of wine and anywhere from $3.50-$8 for a cocktail. There are some places with slightly more innovative mixed cocktails, plenty of tropical tiki style drinks and of course a plethora of the national beers.

Accommodations... now things get interesting! Know your budget and do some research online ahead of time. Hostels will range from about $25-$35 a night for a private, dorms are, of course, cheaper, Some lower range hotels will be $30-$45 a night depending on the season, but the rooms will include the bare minimum and you will probably see the occasional cockroach! For all the above options you may have hot water or you may not and sometimes the establishment will only turn it on during certain hours. This is something to remember because you are on an island and the city water is minimal. Almost all establishments also catch their own rain water but if it hasn't rained in several days this can become a problem for the entire city. Please also note that even at the more expensive establishments this can become a problem, though most have figured out ways to deal. PLEASE, don't waste water! For the mid-range traveler there are lots of options between the $65-$105 price range and not only on Isla Colon. You may even want to spend a few nights on various islands to get a real feel for the Bocas nature. These establishments will get you the basics but with a nicer room, usually breakfast, and depending where you are, hopefully an ocean view!

This doesn't completely relate to accommodations but I did just want to note about the waterfront. The Bocas islands do not have many of your pristine white sand beaches with tranquil waterfronts. Most beaches are great for sunbathing but have mean riptides in the surf so be sure to read the signs!! There are certainly some restaurants and cabins that have the calmer water around them and are great for snorkeling and paddle boarding!

And finally, for transportation... how does one get to these marvelous islands?? The fastest way is to fly from either Panama City or San Jose, Costa Rica. Neither of these flights will run you over $200 for a round trip and run multiple times a day. The second way is by bus. From Panama City there is a 12 hour overnight bus that really isn't too bad. It's WELL air-conditioned so have plenty of layers on, but other than that, there is decent leg room and a bathroom on board. With this option you get dropped in Almirante where it's a quick $1 taxi ride to the boat taxis. There are a few different boat taxi stations that run to Bocas and they're all decent. Taxi 25 I'd say is one of the most efficient and have better boats than the others but.... The price is $4-6 though we've not seen the $4 one yet!

Bocas is beautiful and rustic! It has not yet been taken over by large resorts and still has a quaint feel to the atmosphere. My husband and I love living here and we hope you will enjoy your time here too!


*** To view more about RnD check out our other social media sites***
Instagram - rndhospitality
Twitter - @rndhospitality
Facebook - RnD Hospitality Group
www.rndhospitalitygroup.com

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

A new restaurant epidemic

Being back in LA for the past month and a half in a hip LA restaurant not only has me yearning to get back to traveling and being abroad, but has lead to a realization; people have lost all respect for the 'dining experience', not to mention one another! It is on a regular basis that food goes cold table side because all parties involved are on their phones, not eating, not talking. From my personal experience when I go out to dine and am spending a pretty penny on what I'm eating I want to thoroughly enjoy the food and the company I'm with.
In the future I see this as a real challenge for restaurants, not only in having people properly enjoy the food and beverages but in table turn times because minutes are being added in every step of the process, from taking pictures of the food to messaging their entire family half way through the first dish!
The other aspect of this epidemic is that there is now apparently a new dining utensil that needs its' place at the table. Large cell phones! Restaurants do everything they can to keep things neat and tidy at the table but today people just move their share plates and  silverware so that they can lean on the tables and have their phone right next to their hand at all times! What happened to general tableside etiquette? 


*** To view more about RnD check out our other social media sites***
Instagram - rndhospitality
Twitter - @rndhospitality
Facebook - RnD Hospitality Group
www.rndhospitalitygroup.com








Friday, September 25, 2015

Restaurant etiquette

I'm a writing this blog today because of a particular incident that happened last night at the restaurant where I am working for the next month. The experience really made me realize how important it is to teach your children manners and restaurant etiquette.
This gentleman was rude, condescending, and demanded personalized attention from both myself and the manager for a better part of his meal. It was not due to the food or beverages being poorly timed or poorly executed, but simply because he wanted to see what we would do for him that was out of the norm. Even this I can take. Between myself and the manager, his every need was met and drinks and dishes were prepared from off the menu. And he 'loved' everything! Now what was so disheartening was the fact that he then proceded to tip a mere 5%. In a culture where 20% is the norm and more if the server goes above and beyond. 
While of course I was disappointed, that didn't bother me as much as when I thought about the poor girl he was dinning with. She couldn't ask a question without his prior approval and she seemed legitimately uncomfortable the entire evening. 
I do hope one of these days an individual is able to educate this man on how to properly dine in public.


*** To view more about RnD check out our other social media sites***
Instagram - rndhospitality
Twitter - @rndhospitality
Facebook - RnD Hospitality Group
www.rndhospitalitygroup.com











Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Culture shock...returning home

After traveling for six months and living on an island classified as the 'Wild West' for a seventh, it can be quite strange when you get back to your old 'everyday' life. Everyone has their own version of home, and currently for us our home base is in Los Angeles, a city full of beauty, attitude, pretentiousness, and of course traffic! Every time you go to a new country it's about learning the new cultural ways and the same thing applies when you go back home. What was important to you before you left may be completely different than your views when you return.
While we were traveling we found we really cut back on the notions of 'needs'. Having that new shirt or pair of shoes became obsolete and it becomes more about the next experience. It's also a great eye opener to see how entire countries and cultures can get by with so little yet still be happier than many people in the States who have 'everything'. It really becomes a culture shock to come 'home'.
I certainly don't want this to come off as a negative view on Los Angeles or the United States, but more of an eye opener of how we can start to become happy with less in our lives. This can also help in daily relationships because you start looking for experiences with people opposed to spending money on having designer furniture and clothes. This, by the way is a great way to save money as well!


*** To view more about RnD check out our other social media sites***
Instagram - rndhospitality
Twitter - @rndhospitality
Facebook - RnD Hospitality Group
www.rndhospitalitygroup.com












Saturday, August 29, 2015

You have to just do it

When we do these long trips we often get questions like: how do you pull off traveling for so long or are you crazy?! Well, here are the answers because you can have these wonderful adventures too! And no, we're not crazy!

Why we do what we do:
We both have demanding jobs in an industry that can burn you out in only a few short months. Taking these trips have allowed us to not only rejuvenate but to discover new flavors and cultures. 

Whatever your personal reason to travel is, it's sure not to be a bad one and will be greatly enriching!

One of the best ways to start the planning process is by making a set time line of when you want to travel by. It's amazing how your mindset changes and how much money you'll find yourself putting into savings oppose to spending on frivolous items. It becomes part of your lifestyle very quickly and before long you won't even notice! 
The next step is to figure out where you want to go and for how long. We will decide on a place to fly into and where to fly out of, from there the middle is the adventure. Don't plan too much! As you travel and meet people you will find out so much more information than what the guide books can provide! Many times you will even find wonderful people to spend a week or so with. 

The next part can be a little more challenging, but it's also a great way to take a good look at your personal finances. You will need to figure out how much is needed to pay in bills each month while you're gone. We have always left our apartment and put our belongings in a storage unit, we try to leave our cars with family memebers and cancel any non essential billing services. You could always sublet your apartment or rent it out via AirBnB rather than putting all of your belongings in storage. Then research how much hotels, food, and activities cost in the locations you're planning to visit. When traveling through Africa we realized very quickly that travel and lodging was much more expensive than areas such as Southeast Asia or Central/South America. 

And for one of the final steps, just buy the tickets!! Once you have them you're going and there's no turning back! It can be scary to leave the safety net of home, but I promise, you will make memories of a life time!!

Here is a small checklist of things to do before you leave:

*Moving costs (into storage if applies)
*Figure out monthly finances 
*Research banks to find which have the lowest international rates - credit unions are usually the best for this 
*Tell your banks everything! Too much information is better. We've had our cards declined or just not work because the bank thinks it's fraud or theft!!
*Travel insurance. Get it! We've never had to use it but it could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars if you get hurt or lose your luggage!
*Determine your travel needs and items to bring with you - remember you're carrying everything on your back!
*Get guide books for each country - maps are essential



*** To view more about RnD check out our other social media sites***
Instagram - rndhospitality
Twitter - @rndhospitality
Facebook - RnD Hospitality Group
www.rndhospitalitygroup.com




Monday, August 10, 2015

What we're about...

We are a restaurant and hotel consulting group who can help hospitality businesses of any size. Chef Roger Eggleston has experience cooking all over the world and has worked at some of the finest hotels and restaurants across the United States. With a degree in business management, Danielle's a veteran in the management and customer service aspect of the industry. She has extensive experience integrating service standards and organization into an established business model.

The company also works on an international level, searching out the latest trends and flavors. With such diverse nations today there is a great deal of fusion happening in kitchens world wide. We can take these flavors and concepts and adapt them to any business model.

We will look at all aspects of your business and fine tune any needs. Our passion is to work with people and help them grow their business to its' fullest potential!





*** To view more about RnD check out our other social media sites***
Instagram - rndhospitality
Twitter - @rndhospitality
Facebook - RnD Hospitality Group

www.rndhospitalitygroup.com