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Not one, but two Francis Ford Coppola properties: Turtle Inn, an intimate resort fronting the Caribbean on the narrow peninsula of Placencia; and Blancaneaux Lodge, set in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. See it through the eyes of Austyntatious…

Dish. The ride from the airport to Blancaneaux Lodge can get a little lengthy so stop at Amigos for a traditional Belizean meal. Order up some arroz con pollo, chicken wings with Belizean hot sauce (Marie Sharpe’s is my personal favorite) and one of ten local beers.

Ride. The stables at Blancaneaux are located right at the front of the property, making it easy to explore the surrounding area on horseback. Take a ride through the jungle and the rainforest, all in one breathtaking trail, or head to Hidden Falls for a swim.

Dine. While in Blancaneaux, take advantage of all of the organic produce grown on the property. The poolside restaurant, Guatemaltecqua, specializes in mildly spiced cuisine that fuses traditional Guatemalan cuisine with Mexican, Caribbean and Mayan influences. Open up a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola’s delicious red wine to wash down the hand grown cornmeal, homemade hot sauce and rellenitos, a delicious dessert consisting of plantains filled with sweetened black beans.

Trip. To get a true sense of Belizian culture, take a trip to San Ignacio for the Saturday market. Listen to English, Spanish and Creole as locals trade and sell fresh produce, Mayan handcrafts and souvenirs.

Explore. Situated high on the Vaca Plateau deep in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Caracol is the most extensive Mayan site in Belize and was only re-discovered in 1936. Situated 1600 feet above sea level with no natural body of water nearby, it remains a mystery how such a huge population was able to survive there. Take a deep breath at the top and look out over the fores-clad mountains. 

You asked for it, you got it. The Grit, Photos from Nepal 2011. 

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oundup of my favorite things this week… follow it, don’t judge it. 

Photographer. Ryan Holden Singer.
This week has been all about family, and as I sat in my Uncle’s library last night, I was fascinated by a new piece of art he had acquired at a charity event in NYC. So the story goes “We we’re outbid at the auction, but Uncle Kevin was persistent. He went right to the photographer, and he schmoozed. Next thing I knew, the photo was ours.” 

Photographer Ryan Holden Singer has a very personal approach to photography, one that was clear to my Aunt and Uncle immediately after meeting him. Through portraiture mixed with an anthropological quality to his work, Singer creates images that not only explore the honesty in his subjects but also presents a very real and personal perspective. Singer landed on the continent of Africa where he documented the San Bushmen tribes in Namibia. These powerful images resulted in the Ryan Holden Singer collection consisting of 52 images contained in the Smithsonian Institutes National Museum Of African Art in Washington DC. He gets the good stuff by making it personal, the results are uncompromising and direct… and from our side of the lens, he is one to watch, closely. 

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Tahrir, phone charging via @blakehounshell
Photo by Andrew Burton Photo

#technology #egypt #wow

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ound-up of my favorite things this week. Follow it, don’t judge it. I’ve been waiting a year for us to feature India on Jetsetter, so today I’m dedicating Follow Friday to my favorite place on Earth. It’s is a land of maharajas and swamis, silk and saffron, jewels and jasmine, and expensive cars that share the road with sacred cows…and the cows have the right of way. In India they truly believe the Sanskrit saying Atithi Devo Bhava or “The guest is God.” And that’s exactly how you will be treated on the 10-day tour, during which you’ll see the country’s best — from the Jaipur Elephant Festival to the Taj Mahal to game drives in Ranthambore National Park — and stay exclusively in deluxe Oberoi resorts. So put on your Sari and say शुभकामनाएँ!  (ok it means good luck) as you depart for Marble to Sands India Tour on Jetsetter. 

For me of me and my soulmate….