Weech's Travel Map

There is a viral hit making its rounds on the Internet where people can "map out" the places that have visited in the World.  You can get your own travel map from Matador Network, but in the meantime, here are the "countries" that I have set foot on in my lifetime.

Ray has been to: Argentina, Austria, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Italy, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands Antilles, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Switzerland, U.S. Virgin Islands, United States.

How many countries have you been to?  Which ones?

Tasty Travels - Casa do João

Our group had one more night in Bonito before making an early morning trek to the Pantanal, the World’s largest wetland system, where we would be staying at a remote ranch for the next two days.  We decided to celebrate our last night in civilization by eating at Casa do João, one of Bonito’s oldest restaurants whose specialty is Traíra, a type of predatory fish found in Brazil.

The History
Casa do João was originally a wooden colonial house in the middle of a large field surrounded by many animals and an orchard of exotic fruits.  It was a popular place for family gatherings and entertaining friends.  As a result, João came up with the idea of opening his home to locals by adding a bar and offering traíra, which is a predatory fish found in the Amazon, and extremely difficult to de-bone.

Casa do João's Main Bar

As the popularity of the restaurant grew, so too, did the need to expand!  Everything that you see at Casa do João – from the veranda to furniture – is made from recycled wood.  The materials used at this restaurant come from old forest fires, fallen trees, disused corrals, and abandoned houses.  Casa do João is by far the most eco-friendly restaurant that I have ever eaten in.  Today, several of João’s children and friends help run Casa do João.  Many of their positions range anywhere from cooking to hosting to running the souvenir shop next door.

The Location
Casa do João is located a couple of blocks away from the town square of Bonito at Nelson Felicio 664A.  It’s about a 15 – 20 minute walk from Muito Bonito Hotel where we were staying, and not the easiest place to find if you are unfamiliar with the side streets in town.  To get there, you will head down Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá until you pass Taboa Bar. At the next intersection, you will make a left down Rua Sen. Filinto Müller and keep walking straight for the next two blocks until you pass Rua Vinte e Quatro de Fevereiro.  You will see the sign for Casa do João on your right-hand side.

Busy night at Casa do João's

The Menu
Casa do João is renowned for its fish platters.  If fish doesn’t tickle your fancy, then you can also try their filet mignon or grilled chicken options.  Side dishes include items such as potato wedges, sautéed potatoes, white rice, cheese, and fish sauce.  All of these extra items come with a charge between $5 - $9 Reais ($2.50 - $4.50 US).  You can also order different broths for appetizers, such as soups and salads.  I tried piranha broth, which came with Parmesan cheese, spring onions, and croutons, for about $17 Reais ($8.50 US).

Piranha Broth

The house speciality is traíra, which is a predatory fish found in the Amazon, and extremely difficult to de-bone.  Of course, I ordered a plate for myself, which comes with rice, fresh salad, traíra pirão (famous fish sauce), and a special home-made sauce for about $30 Reais ($15 US).

Traíra wasn’t originally my first menu choice as I had initially wanted to order some caiman.  But, since caiman were out of season at the time, I opted for traíra instead.  You can also order other exotic fish entrées, such as pirarucu, pacu, tilapia, and pirarara.

Traíra for One!

Dessert options include ice cream, homemade sweets, local fruits, cakes, and mousse.  Drink options range anywhere from liquor to beer to pop to caipirinhas to wine to coffee.

Armazém do João
Armazém do João is the gift shop next to the restaurant.  Here you can find all sorts of handicrafts, artworks, and small trinkets to bring home for souvenirs.  I bought a few fridge magnets myself.  The gift shop is definitely worth a quick visit!

Armazém do João

Overall, I have to admit that I was very impressed with Casa do João.  From the ambiance to the architecture, this place has a very relaxing, romantic vibe to it.  The portion sizes of their entrées are ridiculously huge, so you get fair value for what you paid for.  My only two minor complaints from dinner was having to wait over a half hour for my piranha broth and not being able to try caiman.  Otherwise, I would recommend checking out Casa do João while you are in Bonito.  The traíra is well worth it!

Casa do João

Casa do João

Address:  R. Cel. Nelson Felício dos Santos, 664 - Centro, Bonito - MS, 79290-000, Brazil

Hours:  Thursday – Tuesday from 6pm to 11pm

Phone: +55 67 3255-1212

World Cup & Nearly Bust!

It was Friday the 13th, and the day had already gone off to a bad start.  Nearly packed, and ready to head out the door, I realized that I had no battery charger for my waterproof camera.  I had bought it to take some great snorkeling shots in Bonito, as well as some beach shots around Copacabana.  Instead of leaving to meet my Girlfriend, I had to wait a couple of hours for the nearest photography store to open so I could get a charger for the trip.

After I got the charger, I had realized that I had left Kooks’ neck pillow in my condo.  It was going to be a long trip – Toronto to New York City to Sao Paolo to Rio – over the next 24 hours, so a neck pillow would at least make the overnight flight somewhat bearable for her and for me as well as I wouldn't have to hear about her sore neck along the way.

World Cup of Bust!

Finally I was en route to Kooks’ house where we got a cab together to the airport.  Thinking everything was going to be smooth sailing from this point on, I relaxed in the back of the cab while Kooks talked to the driver about our Brazil trip.  My relaxation was short-lived as the car in the lane next to us nearly plowed into the back of a transport truck before almost cutting off our cab driver.  Surely this was the sign of bad things to come as my gut feeling was telling me.

We arrived at the airport on time albeit a bit perturbed about the bad omens that we experienced this morning.  Checked in and ready to go, we made our way to our gate waiting in anticipation for our flight to New York City for 3pm that afternoon.

At first, the ladies at the gate reassured us that our flight was still scheduled to leave on time.  Then they said there was a “slight delay” due to inclement weather, but nothing to worry too much about.  15 minutes passed.  Then 30 minutes.  Then an hour before finally the dreaded announcement was made by Air Canada that our flight was cancelled due to the weather in New York City.

Kooks and I were just a couple of passengers out of 20 or so all heading off to Brazil for the World Cup - most who were expected to attend matches in less than 48 hours.  The lady from Air Canada told our disgruntled group that due to the cancellation of our flight, we had to head to baggage claim, grab our luggage at Carousel 11, and re-check in with Air Canada for alternate flights.

Sounds easy enough, right?  Yes, but some things are easier said than done.  What we didn't expect in this situation was the gross mismanagement of communications between the Air Canada employees at the gate check in and baggage claim!

Before our flight was cancelled

While we were told that we had to go to baggage claim to grab our luggage and re-check in, what the gate staff failed to mention is that we would still be required to fill out forms for Canadian customs.  Rather than mention that to us, our Air Canada rep just opened the door that would lead us to Customs and baggage claims and just told us “to follow the signs.”

We were all in a rush to get our luggage and find alternate flights to Brazil, so for us to be asked to fill out forms for Canadian customs was both surprising and disgusting given we hadn't even left the airport let alone the country!  Air Canada should have had the decency to let us know about this policy.

After wasting another 10 minutes filling out forms and checking through customs, we all arrived at Carousel 11 with no sign of our luggage anywhere.  There was no one at Air Canada, either, to direct us or give us more information about the whereabouts of our luggage.  There were, however, three guys from Air Canada baggage claims a few carousels over sitting at their booth doing absolutely nothing.

We sat and waited for our luggage.  15 minutes passed.  Then 30 minutes.  Then an hour passed before everyone’s patience began to wear thin while two other flights had arrived to Toronto and picked up their luggage at Carousel 11 during this time.  Where the fuck was our luggage?

Extremely agitated at this point by the lack of direction and customer service by Air Canada, I headed towards the three Air Canada baggage claims representatives to find out the status of the missing suitcases along with a couple other passengers on my flight.  The head of the group had told us that “no one had told them that our flight was cancelled nor that they were to put the bags on Carousel 11.”   Bullshit!  They all had walkie-talkies on them, so they had the means to communicate with the gate staff who cancelled our flight.

Not a happy Air Canada customer!

As we stood there in utter disgust and disbelief, I clearly heard a person on the other end of the walkie-talkie tell the baggage claim staff that they were supposed to have our luggage on Carousel 11 over an hour ago and that it was sitting on our airplane.  What the fuck?  You are telling me for the past hour while these three buffoons stood here doing nothing, our luggage was just sitting on the plane?  Un-fucking-believable!

Caught with their tail between their legs, the baggage claims staff quickly called in the rest of their team to get our luggage onto Carousel 11 as soon as possible.  Within minutes, our luggage appeared on the conveyor belt.  Everyone’s luggage that is, except for Kook’s!  Seriously, Air Canada?!?!

After not seeing Kook’s backpack on the conveyor belt, I went back to baggage claims extremely pissed off at this point wondering what the fuck these guys were getting paid for and how the hell they could lose a backpack on an airplane that hadn't even left the tarmac?  A few minutes later, Kooks’ bag finally showed up on the belt, so we scrambled to grab it quickly and go back to Air Canada to check into another flight.

As we got to the second floor of the airport, I used the grey customer service phones that Air Canada had directed us to use to re-route our flights.  This was the only bit of information Air Canada gave us that was actually correct surprisingly enough!

Unfortunately, the passengers on our flight had already been on the phone with Air Canada reservations for more than 15 minutes at this point getting nowhere with them, so the prognosis was not looking too good at this point getting the next available flight to Brazil.

Dinner compliments of Air Canada

After being on hold for what seemed like an eternity, the Reservations Agent on the other end had the gall to tell me the next available flight to New York City would be the following day at 4pm afternoon.  You read that correctly!  She was trying to get me to re-book the same flight route to Rio 24 hours later.  “Unacceptable,” I said as we were to be in Rio Saturday afternoon to meet up with the rest of our tour group.  Had we gone with this flight, we would have been in Rio two days later when our tour group would already have been in Curitiba by that time!

Nearly a half hour later with this Agent, I finally asked her if there were any flights that could get us to Sao Paolo for the next morning in order for us to make our connecting flight to Rio.  “Well, there is a direct flight from Toronto to Sao Paolo that we have.  Oh, but that departs in 30 minutes, so you can’t book that now!”

Really?  You knew I was originally booked with Air Canada to have a flight from Toronto to New York City and then switch with your partner, TAM Airlines, to go from New York City to Sao Paolo then Sao Paolo to Rio for the past 30 minutes only to tell me just now that you had a direct flight from Toronto to Sao Paolo?  Making the situation even worse was the fact that she admitted to me that this flight was leaving with 10 available seats!  This would have covered all the passengers on our flight who were going from Toronto to New York City to Sao Paolo, including Kooks and I!

Accepting that we were going to miss out on our first day of the tour, a hotel that we already paid for with this tour package, and a flight that we had already paid for to get us from Rio to Curitiba on the second day of the trip, I had asked the Reservations agent if there was any way possible that she could re-route us to Sao Paolo and then take a flight from Sao Paolo to Curitiba instead of Rio so we could meet up with our tour group there.

“Well, actually there is.  We can send you to Mexico City tonight, comp you for a hotel room since Air Canada is at fault here, and then have you in Sao Paolo Sunday morning where we would then re-route you to Curitiba instead,” she said excitedly.

A slight "detour" through Mexico

“Alright, we will take that,” I said while Kooks was busy calling our tour company, G Adventures, about the dilemma we had getting to Rio in time for this trip.  “How do we get comped for this hotel in Mexico City then?”

“Well, Sir.  I am not really sure how that will work.  You will have to speak with our Guest Services team in Mexico City once you land in the airport.”

“Alright, thanks for your help!” I had sighed in frustration and relief that our nightmare experience with Air Canada was nearly over.  Or so we thought.  What we didn't realize at the time was that this was only the beginning of further problems to come with Air Canada.

An Unlikely Friendship

“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation.” ― Paulo Coelho

It was an early Monday morning in mid-August and I had a few hours to kill in downtown Atlanta waiting for some of my co-workers to arrive in town.  The plan was to meet at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and then take make the 90 minute drive Northeast to Georgia's High Country region for our Sales retreat.

Sweet Auburn was only a 20 minute walk north-east of my hotel, so I thought I would pay my respects by visiting Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthplace.  Martin Luther King’s vision for a greater America – one that would let all people of colour have equal opportunity – had come a long way since the Civil Rights Movement era as Barack Obama was already 8 months into his first term as the first Black President by the time I had visited Atlanta.

Fairlie-Poplar District

Casually walking by the Fairlie-Poplar Historic District along the way, I decided to stop at one point to take a photo of this beautiful tree-lined side street and the surrounding area.  It was here when a homeless man approached me to ask if I would like my photo taken.  Slightly confused at first, I agreed and allowed him to take my picture.  Normally I do not interact with homeless people – let alone allow any of them to take my photo with my camera – but my gut instinct said he was harmless and someone I could trust.

He was a middle-aged, portly black man not much taller than me with a bit of a beer gut and a ball cap wearing a bright blue t-shirt, slightly dirty blue jeans, and a knapsack.  I could tell right away that he hadn't been living on the street for very long – maybe for a few days or even a week.  His physical appearance gave off this positive vibe.

Underground Atlanta

After taking my picture and exchanging pleasantries, he asked me what I was up this morning.  “I'm actually waiting for some co-workers to arrive around noon before we head off to our retreat, so I wanted to check out downtown for a bit.”

He offered to be my tour guide for the next couple of hours and show me around, including Sweet Auburn.  “Look, I can either beg you for some change or I can earn my keep and do some work to earn it.”  He had a point.

Georgia State Capitol

Before we headed off to Sweet Auburn, he took me to a few nearby attractions, including Underground Atlanta and the State Capitol building.  During this time, he shared his life story with me.  Divorced with a couple of grown children with one heading off to College soon, he was a successful blue collared worker some 15 odd years ago.  But, his marriage fell apart when he caught his wife cheating on him with his Best friend. 

Devastated, he turned to booze to numb the pain.  As with any alcoholic, his drinking became unmanageable and he ended up losing his job and home while bouncing between shelters since then.

“Do you still keep in contact with your family at all?”

“Oh yes, I do.  In fact, they have even offered to take me into their home,” he replied.

“Well, why don’t you just go and stay with them and get off the streets for good?”

“Look, I appreciate their offer.  But, I got myself in this mess and I am determined to get myself out of it one way or another.  I want to be successful again on my own terms.”

It was a bit crazy that he refused the support, but I was in no place to judge here as he was taking accountability for his own mistakes and working hard to make up for them.

Sweet Auburn

We continued making small talk by the time we entered Sweet Auburn.  My first impressions of the area were negative.  A run down, poor neighbourhood stuck in the oppressive 1960s contrasted the dominating downtown skyline only a few blocks away behind us.  It was mind-boggling to see boarded up restaurants and questionable characters roaming around the streets here.

 “Relax, nothing’s going to happen to you.  They know you are here with me, so they’ll leave us alone.”

Not realizing my inner turmoil was showing on my face, I was embarrassed by that comment, but proceeded to walk further into Sweet Auburn.

Contrast between Sweet Auburn & Downtown Atlanta

It was only a few more blocks before the old, rusted Ebenezer Baptist Church sign appeared before us.  We had arrived at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.

Here at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, visitors can take a look at the historical Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. King gave sermons as a Pastor although it was in the process of being restored while we there.  The current Ebenezer Baptist Church sits right across the street to accommodate an ever-growing congregation in the years following Dr. King's death.

Beside the current church is the Visitor Center dedicated to the life and accomplishment of Dr. King.  Even though we may have had a few stares at our direction by the other visitors in the Center, I was too oblivious to notice or even care as the homeless man and I engaged in serious discussion about the Civil Rights Movement.  Appearances aside, I was dealing with an articulate and intelligent man here and it clearly showed.

Ebenezer Baptist Church

After giving me as much time as I needed at the Center to read up on Dr. King’s accomplishments, we proceeded to head further East another block along Auburn Avenue before we arrived at Dr. King’s birthplace.  We paused for a few moments as there was a tour going on and we were listening in on the conversation.  I snapped a few photos here before deciding that we needed to head back towards my hotel as it was getting close to noon.  Before we did, though, we stopped by Dr. King’s tomb to pay our last respects.

At the end of the tour, I gave my thanks and sincere appreciation to the man who became more of a fatherly figure to me in the end.  Of course, I gave him some money for his troubles, which he said would be used to stay at the nearby homeless shelter.  Although I had my suspicions, I fought my cynicism as it was his choice to do whatever he pleased with that money.  He earned it after all.

Dr. Martin Luther King's Tomb

Before we said our goodbyes, I gave the man some words of encouragement and hope for getting his life back on track.  “Next time I am in Atlanta, I hope I can look you up online and see that you are doing more tours of downtown Atlanta,” I said to him because he had the gift of the gab and was extremely bright.  He just chuckled and said thanks.

I wish I had written his name down because I no longer remember it.  If I had the choice, I would call him Joe – as in the “Average Joe” – because he really taught me that you can’t  judge people by the way they look, including the homeless.  For all we know, we too can experience some unexpected hardships in our lives one day and have the same fate as Joe. 

Thanks, "Joe!"

But, Joe also showed me what humility and self-determination is all about in his quest to get himself back up on his feet.  It seemed symbolic that these lessons about prejudice were taught to me in Dr. King’s own backyard.  Joe, if you ever stumble upon this blog one day, thank you.  I pray that you have gotten your life back on track.

World of Coca-Cola

Probably one of the most interesting attractions I have ever seen is the World of Coca-Cola.  Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta at Pemberton Place across from Olympic Park and beside the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola is a two-story museum that takes you through the history of the World’s #1 soft drink.  Admission to the museum is $16 US/Adult, and hours of operation vary depending on the time of the year.  Generally speaking, it is open from 10am – 5pm seven days a week and only closes on American Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

World of Coca-Cola

You can either do a self-guided tour or book a VIP tour at the World of Coca-Cola.  I chose to do a self-guided tour as there is enough information around to learn more about what you are looking at.  It will take at least 2 hours to do a complete tour of the museum depending on your interests.

Artwork in the main foyer of the World of Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Loft
Located on the first floor right in front of the entrance, this exhibit displays some very unique, one-of-a-kind artifacts.  Everything from plates and paintings to 1950s café signage and Coke machines can be found here.  This area gives you a brief glimpse of some of the other displays you can find throughout the museum, so at most, spend only about 15 – 20 minutes here.

Coca-Cola Loft

Happiness Factory Theater
This area is more designed for young children and shows a brief animated film of a magical world inside a Coke machine to teach you "the five lessons of Happyfication."  Cheesy, I know.  So unless you bring young children to the World of Coca-Cola, you can either skip this altogether or save it toward the end of your visit.

Sample Coca-Cola artefacts

Milestones of Refreshment
By far this one is my favourite exhibit as it takes you through the entire history of Coca-Cola.  It goes through each decade starting in 1886 when Dr. John S. Pemberton invented the secret formula that would one day become the World’s #1 selling soft drink.  If you are interested in the Sales achievements of Coca-Cola or where they began global expansion or how they helped Atlanta win the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, then Milestones of Refreshment will not disappoint.  You can easily spend up to 90 minutes here and still feel like you have not learned enough about Coke.

Coca-Cola Advertisements & Artwork

Coca-Cola Polar Bear
Much like the Happiness Factory Theater, the Coca-Cola Polar Bear is geared more towards children and located on the first floor.  If you want to get your photo taken with Coke’s famous mascot, then by all means take a few seconds here to get it done.

Coca-Cola parody of the Mona Lisa

Vault of the Secret Formula

This exhibit addresses some of the myths and legends associated with Coca-Cola.  How does it get its taste?  Is there a secret additive to keep customers hooked?  The Vault of the Secret Formula is good for about a 20 – 30 minute walk through as it provides some scientific answers to these types of questions.  After this, go upstairs to the second floor and check out the Secret of the Formula 4-D Theater for a nice complimentary experience.

What really is in the "Secret Recipe" of Coca-Cola?

Bottle Works

Walking through this exhibit gives you a simulated experience of how a bottling plant works.  10 – 15 minutes is more than enough time to spend here, but definitely stop by to take a peak. As you see these bottles pass you by at Bottle Works, make sure you grab a bottle of free Coke on the way out of the museum. 

The Bottle Works Exhibit

LIVE POSITIVELY® Portrait Wall
An interesting exhibit located right beside the 4-D Theater, this interactive display explains where and how Coca-Cola is helping society.  Definitely spend about 10 minutes here if you have the time and check out how Coca-Cola is helping to protect the worldwide Polar Bear population.

Coca-Cola parody of American Gothic

Pop Culture Gallery
If he were still alive today, I imagine that Andy Warhol would take great joy in this exhibit.  This is where pop culture and commercialism become one in the same – where Art literally meets with Coke.  Visitors can easily spend 30 minutes here admiring fan submitted artwork displaying their love of Coke.

"American Idol" Casting Couch

Norman Rockwell paintings proudly display the famous red and white logo in them.  American Gothic meets American Commercialism.  And if you get a strain in your neck looking at all the paintings in the room, feel free to grab a seat on the casting couch from the fourth season of American Idol.

Perfect Pauses Theater
This is the last theater exhibit in the World of Coca-Cola Museum.  Unlike the other two theater exhibits, Perfect Pauses is geared more toward adults as it allows you to sit back and watch memorable Coca-Cola commercials through the years and from around the world.

Coca-Cola parody of Whistler's Mother

Taste It!
Whatever you do, make sure you save this exhibit for the end!  Here you can sample every single Coca-Cola brand and flavour from around the World.  With over 100 flavours to choose from, you will certainly get your sugar fix on for a good hour here.  The only thing that really disgusted me afterwards was skipping dinner as I was not hungry for the next few hours due to all the sugar I ingested by sampling each flavour.

Grab a complimentary Coke when you leave the World of Coca-Cola!

Weech’s Warning: There is one flavour here that is so revolting that there are no words to describe it. I once had soap put in my mouth as a child for using foul language, and I would rather taste that again then take another drop of this repulsive soda.  I won’t spoil it for you by giving you the name of it.  You will just have to go to the World of Coca-Cola yourself and figure it out.

Battle Axe Throw Down

Even though I have lived in Toronto for just over 9 years now, this city never ceases to amaze me. Recently, a couple of my friends decided to organize an axe throwing tournament for their joint birthday celebration.  Yes, that is correct - axe throwing tournament.  But, where can you do this you ask?  Downtown Toronto, of course!

Backyard Axe Throwing League Entrance

Location
The Backyard Axe Throwing League (B.A.T.L.) has two locations in Toronto – 213 Sterling Road (Junction Area near Bloor & Lansdowne) and 33 Villiers Street (off Cherry Street about 3 blocks North of Polson Pier.)  B.A.T.L. has been around for a few years, but the Villiers Street site was just opened in December 2013 and is where we had our tournament.

Map location of Toronto's Battle Axe Throwing League

Venue
The Villiers Street site has 4 areas with 4 throwing lanes each in a remodeled industry complex.  For safety reasons, steel netting surrounds all the throwing lanes to protect innocent bystanders from serious injury caused by wild throws or ricochets.  The venue does not have a liquor license to serve alcohol, but they do allow a B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Booze) policy.  No hard liquor or glasses – cans of beer or coolers are acceptable.

Taking some warm up throws

Costs
Each participant must pay $40 CDN to take part in B.A.T.L.  Private events must at least have a minimum of 12 people and can last about 3 hours.  Not a bad price when you think about it!

Equipment
The only equipment that is required for axe throwing are closed toe shoes, a small hatchet axe, and a longer battle-axe for tie breakers.

Battle of the Sexes at B.A.T.L. Toronto

Tournament Rules
Over the course of the 3 hours, your group will take part in a round robin playoff tournament to decide rankings for the playoffs.  Each match is a “Best of 3” series and each player gets five throws each.

At the end of the throwing lane is a wooden target that you are trying to aim at and scoring is easy to calculate:

• 7 points for either of the green circles at the top right & top left corners
• 5 points for a Bull's Eye
• 3 points for any landings between the Bull's Eye & inner blue rings
• 1 point for any landings between the inner blue ring and outer red ring

If an axe lands on a line and it is difficult to decide where on the target you have scored, the ref can bring out a measuring tape device to calculate by the millimetre where you are closest.

Bull's Eye gets you 5 points

The axe must also stay on the board to count.  There were a few times where I had the axe land on the board only to fall off after 3 – 4 seconds.  You get no points for that.

At the end of four throws, whomever is leading in point must throw first.  Only on the fifth throw can players attempt a clutch shot - an attempt to land the axe on either of the green dots for 7 points.  You must say "clutch" so your opponent and the referee know you are attempting to land the axe on either green dot - similar to calling your shot on the 8 ball in a game of billiards.

Wes admiring his winning throw

If there is a tie after five throws, then each player must take turns throwing battle axes at the targets. If there is a tie after five throws, then each player must take turns throwing battle axes at the targets. Ideally, you are aiming to hit the target to get points, but due to the size and difficulty in throwing these larger axes, it usually comes down to whoever is able to hit the wooden board first.

During the round robin stage, each player will have three rounds regardless if someone loses the first two.  This is to help keep track of scores for when a tie breaker is needed to decide see rankings for the playoffs.  Playoffs are a "Best of 3" series of matches with single elimination.

Axe throwing makes us intense!

While I ended up winning my first match, I lost my next three and was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.  Despite my poor performance, good times were had by all and my friend, Wes, ended up winning the tournament.  For more information on how to book a group event at B.A.T.L. or how you can join their weeknight leagues, please fee free to contact them on their website here.

Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death - Top 5 Sites of Death Valley

Home to the largest National Park in the continental United States, Death Valley is an area full of extremes – from the lowest point of the continental United States (282 ft below Sea level) at Bad Water Basin to the highest point (11,000 ft) at Mount Whitney – and is one of the most desolate places on Earth.  Sand dunes, unusual rock formations, and miles upon miles of desert make you feel like you are on a whole new planet instead of Southeastern California.

Welcome to Death Valley

Death Valley can become a dangerous – and potentially fatal – trip for the ill prepared traveler. Because of the extreme heat, it is not surprising that very few people live in this desolate area of the Southwestern United States and that it fails to attract the same hype and popularity as other nearby tourist destinations - Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon.  But for the intrepid traveler, Death Valley actually offers a lot more as long as you abide by the proper safety precautions.

Map location of Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is located halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas right along the California - Nevada state line.  It is roughly a 2 hour drive from either city, but the majority of the valley resides within Southeastern California.  While it is possible to book a day tour from either Los Vegas or Los Angeles, I have always preferred renting a car instead.  The flexibility of a car rental gives you the freedom to spend as much or as little time as you want on a self-driving tour to the various sites around the area.

Desert driving in Death Valley

Should you choose to do a self-driving tour of Death Valley, then here are some safety tips for you:

• Bring extra bottles of water with you as the weather is extremely hot 
• Fill up on gas before entering the Valley - gas stations are few and far in between here
• Bring a map with you as GPS technology does not work well at all within the Valley
• Off-roading can get you lost and could potentially be fatal.  Stay on the main roads!
• Have a spare tire handy for flats as there are no auto repair shops around for miles

Scotty's Castle
Scotty's Castle is a popular destination within Death Valley National Park.  There is an interesting tale about an unlikely friendship between a con artist and a millionaire that led to this oddity in the California desert.  Scotty’s Castle is open for tours year round, although only about 100,000 people per year actually visit.  I took this tour the first time I ventured into Death Valley in October 2007, and highly recommend it.

Scotty's Castle

Ubehebe Crater
Ubehebe Crater (pronounced YOO-bee-HEE-bee) is a volcanic crater in the Northern half of Death
Valley.  It is actually located about 20 minutes Southwest of Scotty’s Castle, so definitely take the opportunity to check it out as you finish your tour of Scotty’s Castle.  This crater is one of the most unusual geological formations you will see in North America, and best described as a “Moon-like landscape.”

Ubehebe Crater

There are actually two craters here – Ubehebe Crater and Little Hebe.  There are three hiking trails in this part of Death Valley – one trail will take you to the bottom of Ubehebe, a second trail will allow you to walk around the crater's circumference, and the third will take you to the top of Little Hebe. You may also want to bundle up when you come to this part of Death Valley as it is extremely windy here.  Winds gusts can measure as high as 80 Km/hour or about 50 miles/hour.  To put it into perspective that is the speed limit for most rural highways around North America.

Devil's Golf Course
Despite its name, Devil’s Golf Course is far from being playable!  It is actually a large salt pan at the floor of Death Valley.  It is here that Lake Manly once stood in the mid-1800s, but has since dried out leaving very interesting salt deposits behind.  This site got its name from a 1934 National Park Service guidebook that said “only the Devil could play golf” on this piece of land.

Devil's Golf Course

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
These famous sand dunes are located in the Northern half of Death Valley, and will be the first thing you will see in Death Valley if you are entering from the East along Highway 190.  They are the most well-known and most accessible sand dunes in the area, and are often used in Hollywood movies and music videos.  In fact, you may recognize them from the original Star Wars movies.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

While the sand dunes are not very high (maximum height of 100 meters), they are extremely far from the highway.  Don’t let the scenery fool you, though.  What I thought was probably a 15 – 20 minute walk from the side of the highway is actually close to 45 minutes – 1 hour depending on how fast you walk and the humidity factors involved.  Definitely take a few pictures, but don’t make the same mistake I did and try walking to them.  There are too many other fascinating places to see within Death Valley and not enough daylight hours available.  You do not want to get yourself lost or stuck in Death Valley after dark.  Trust me!

Badwater Basin
If you only had time to see one thing and one thing only in Death Valley, then Badwater Basin would be it.  It is famous for being the lowest point in North America at 86 Meters (or 282 ft) below sea level.  As a comparison, the Dead Sea is almost 7 times lower than this at 427 Meters (1401 ft) below sea level.

Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is a salt flat that developed when Recent Lake evaporated some 2000 – 3000 years ago.  Due to its low elevation, Badwater is also one of the hottest spots in North America where temperatures can reach as high as 120 °F (49 °C) in July and August.  To make matters even worse – or adventurous depending on how you look at it – it is here where the annual Badwater Ultramarathon takes place every July!

A desolate road deep within Death Valley

These are just a few of the amazing sights to enjoy in Death Valley.  I wish I had more time to see the rest of it, but it does require both time and proper planning.  In fact, some areas are only accessible if you are driving a 4x4 all wheel drive.  So, definitely add this to your Bucket list if you ever find yourself in the Southwestern United States.

Partying on the USS Hornet

Sometimes in life, you just get lucky and get to experience interesting places because you are in the right place at the right time.  While I have been privy to many different experiences because of my career, partying on the USS Hornet stands out to me the most because it was the first time I got to experience the “high life” so to speak.  As part of our annual Sales Kickoff, my employer decided to host the corporate party on the USS Hornet, a retired naval carrier moored in Alameda, a suburb 30 minutes Southeast of San Francisco.  Getting to the Hornet was an adventure in itself as we sailed across the Bay from the Port of San Francisco.

USS Hornet

Officially known as the USS Hornet (CV-12), this naval carrier first launched on August 30, 1943.  During its service in the later years of World War II, the Hornet saw lots of action fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific Islands.  Following the war, the USS Hornet did not see major action again until the 1960s when it was used mainly as a recovery ship during the Apollo missions before being permanently retired in 1970.  Since 1998, the USS Hornet has been opened to the public as a museum.

Fighter jets on the U.S.S. Hornet

Upon entry, we were numbered respectively not only so we could take a 2-hour tour of the ship and check out the fighter jets on display, but so that we could participate in a quirky team building exercise, as well.  Each group was given materials to build their own “missile” so to speak, and were given time slots when we could go to the top deck to launch these missiles into the San Francisco Bay for a mock recovery similar to the Apollo missions.

USS Hornet Runway

The only thing that really disappointed me this night was the amount of co-workers who decided to bail early around 10pm PST to take the boats back to our hotel.  This was a monstrous ship with tons of history to take in.  Why anyone wouldn't want to make the most out of their time on this epic venue is beyond me.  Regardless, the USS Hornet Museum is one of the most unique tourist attractions that you will see in San Francisco.  For more info about the USS Hornet Museum, please check out their official website.