Through the Panama Canal – The Washington Blade

Panama Canal - pixabay

Most of us have some things on a bucket list we want to do during our lifetime. One of mine was to travel through the Panama Canal. Fascination with, and dreaming about going through the canal began for me in elementary school when I saw a film on the building of the canal.

Last week, the dream became a reality in a spectacular way on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship Bliss. This spectacular ship only came out of dry-dock for sea tests a few months ago. It is the largest passenger ship to ever traverse the canal. I am on the Bliss for a cruise from Miami to Los Angeles. The Bliss is an amazing 19-deck ship with everything from a go-cart race track to an upgraded spa with ice room. It has eight specialty restaurants and the Observation Lounge, the most beautiful room I have ever seen on a ship. It was designed for Alaska cruising to allow passengers a 180-degree view while relaxing in total luxury. On our cruise it is the nightly meeting place for the LGBTQ+ happy hour or as NCL still lists it on its daily newsletter “Friends of Dorothy.”

Our fifth day at sea was Panama Canal Day. I was up at dawn and out on my balcony. There was a real feeling of excitement. The ship began to come to life at 5 a.m. and by 6 the sun was trying to break through the clouds as we passed Gatum Dam and headed into the lake where there were a least a dozen other ships, most looked like oil tankers, waiting to traverse the canal. The Amsterdam, a ship that had been by our side in Cartagena the day before was just ahead of us. She is a much smaller ship and was going through the old canal while we were headed to the new one.

By Peter Rosenstein – Full Story at The Washington Blade

Panama Gay Travel Resources

Queer Colombo, Sri Lanka – Keep Calm and Wander

Queer Colombo, Sri Lanka - Keep Calm and Wander

Colombo is an organized chaos. It’s the largest and the capital city of the island country, Sri Lanka. The best way to get around it is by tuktuk – if you don’t mind the heat and the dust. If you do, hiring an Uber is cheap so, your $10 can really go a looooong way there.

These are some of the places where I left my footprints in queer Colombo.

Sri Lanka: Top 9 Things to do and see in Colombo

1. Wander off at the National Museum

Large and sublime, the 19th-century building of National Museum holds the past of Sri Lanka from as far as 1877 to the colonial era and beyond. My favorites in this place were the room 5, which contains the throne of King Wimaladharmasuriya II, and room 2, which has the Bodhisattva Sandals made of bronze. There’s a nice café in the museum also.

2. Take a respite at the Dutch Hospital

Built in the 1600s, a hospital in the past and a busy shopping precinct in the present, the Dutch Hospital houses some of the most premium cafes that are located in the vibrant complex of the Fort. Taking a pause and having a cold drink here made me feel as if I was in some Buddhist monetary in a Hollywood movie.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Sri Lanka Gay Travel Resources

Gay Crete Beach Vacations – Gay Star News

gay Crete - pixabay

Gay Holidays in Greece are certainly linked with the most popular destinations of Mykonos, Athens and Thessaloniki. But have you ever considered visiting Crete?

Crete, the second largest island in Greece, is known for its crystal-clear beaches (many of which are awarded with a blue flag), beautiful cities with intense nightlife and handsome locals. So, this island will gift you lots of new experiences to remember!

Cretans are distinguished for their great hospitality, which has also become part of their culture. Their behavior is so honest and sincere, that you will feel like you are with your best friend.

That said, you will notice that some Cretans might become very ‘touchy,’ almost flirting. That’s due to their extreme friendliness and poor understanding of personal space, so don’t misunderstand and think that they are trying to hit on you because you will surely put yourself into a very awkward situation!

Full Story at Gay Star News

Greece Gay Travel Resources

California Dreaming – Once Upon a Journey

California Dreaming

Time flies when you are having fun! After a year in Asia, we fly to the other side of the world. Now we can call our trip a world trip for real! After some fantastic days in Hong Kong and Macau, we fly to San Francisco. The culture shock is huge, the jetlag as well…

HELLO SAN FRANCISCO!

As soon as we arrive, our friend David – who we met in Myanmar – takes us to the Golden Gate bridge. We enjoy the view over the iconic bridge from the best spot you can think of, and David also surprises us with some champagne. We couldn’t wish for a better start. Later on, not only the jetlag but also the champagne kicks in.

During the first days in the States, it’s difficult to adapt. The jetlag is enormous, it’s cold and rainy outside and the people are so different. People talk small talk to us, and we are not used to that at all. Besides that, it’s the first time after a year of travelling that I feel unsafe. Something I never expected to happen in San Francisco. There are so many homeless people, which is shocking to me. Feeling unsafe had something to do with being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would not recommend people to be in the city centre and the areas close to the city centre of San Francisco late at night.

Before arriving in the States we were thinking of hitchhiking from San Francisco all the way down to San Diego (we like adventure), but after hearing a couple of horror stories, we book the first night bus down to Los Angeles. From Los Angeles, we travel further down by bus, to San Diego. The buses in the States are not that bad at all!

By Roxanne Weijer – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

California Gay Travel Resources

Latin America Gay Pride – The Nomadic Boys

Latin America Gay Pride - The Nomadic Boys

During our travels in Latin America, we went to some pretty awesome gay pride events, particularly in Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay.

The most famous is of course in Sao Paolo, which is the largest in the world – these guys sure know how to put on a decent party. Here are our top gay pride events we discovered in Latin America during our travels, which you also need to check out.

São Paulo Pride in Brazil

In all lists about the largest gay pride events, the “Parada do Orgulho LGBT de São Paulo” always comes out top: it is famous for having the largest gay pride festival in the world, with estimates of around 5 million people attending – simply incredible!

It all began in 1997 as a modest political march by the LGBTQ “Paulistas” (local nickname for the people of São Paulo). Today the São Paulo Pride has mushroomed into one mammoth colourful pink event, whilst still retaining a strong political stance, particularly in light of the high levels of homophobic violence across the country.

São Paulo Pride takes place in June. We recommend checking their Facebook events page for the most up-to-date information about the next event.

We got excited when one of our favourite Netflix shows, “Sense8” used Sao Paolo pride for sexy Lito to come out, then publicly kissed Hernando in front of everybody. The cast even attended the 2016 parade and had their own raunchy float.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Walk the Kasbah – Keep Calm and Wander

Walk the Kasbah - Keep Calm and Wander

I always thought that the likes of Paris or Venice were the world’s greatest destinations for avid tourists like me. But like other travelers who happen to evolve with time and finally find their nerves agreeing on visiting a relatively cheaper and distant destination, I found my solace in traveling to Tangier.

Tangier – the city where William Burroughs, Henri Matisse and the rest of the notable personalities found their unsung inspiration – turned out to be a source of rejuvenation for me also.

I was soothed by the fact that Tangier is comparable to New Orleans in terms of music playing everywhere, to Paris in terms of the rampant love and freedom on the streets, and Venice in terms of the culturally absorbed architecture. In my two-day stay here, my thirst of wandering freely on the streets in Tangier was quenched.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Morocco Gay Travel Resources

The Amazing Mojave Preserve – Free Wheel Drive

Mojave Reserve

We had only planned on spending one night in the Mojave Preserve on our way to Death Valley, but we were blown away at how cool this place is so we decided to stay for three days and skip Death Valley. We hadn’t done any research on this place, so we didn’t have a clue. Luckily Camrin just happened to see a photo on Instagram from the preserve and we realized there might be something to this place.

We camped in an amazing spot surrounded by the highest concentration of Joshua Trees in the world and those cool boulder formations. We practically had the place to ourselves. The sunsets were amazing, we hiked through a slot canyon, and took time to enjoy our surroundings.

We felt so lucky to stop here. We almost passed it up so its a lesson to us to do more research on those off the radar places.

By Laura Dierbeck – Full Story at Free Wheel Drive

California Southern Deserts Gay Travel Resources

Just how gay is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico?

puerto vallarta gay travel
puerto vallarta gay travel

Just how gay-friendly is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico? What is gay life really like there?
Many people exaggerate about a destination being super gay only once it is visited discover it really is not. Mister BnB just produced an article about how gay friendly Tel Aviv is so we used the same criteria to produce our answer to just how gay Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is. The destination has been known as a gay mecca since the 1980’s and until recently Puerto Vallarta’s tourist season was very limited *the busiest months from November until Easter. Recently, Puerto Vallarta has been moving toward a year round busy season and its increasing appeal to LGBT travelers and residents is due to several factors.  Among them are increased national airline flights into Puerto Vallarta, the rising Mexican middle class traveling more, and the increased marketing and awareness of Puerto Vallarta as an LGBT destination.

Why the popularity of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico among the LGBT travelers?
1. Puerto Vallarta has the most well developed gay nightlife in Mexico! The first gay bar opened more than 20 years ago and today more than 25 hot gay bars and clubs are operating *some until 6 am, each unique and all located in the gayborhood.

2. Puerto Vallarta has a true Gay Zone. The Zona Romantica is a true gayborhood with all the gay bars, clubs, businesses, restaurants, and gay hotels within a safe walking distance of each other. With some rare exceptions, you never have to leave the gayborhood for anything!

3. Puerto Vallarta is for foodies! There is something for every culinary appetite and budget, from street taco stands to fine dining and everything in between.

4. Puerto Vallarta has an amazing arts and culture scene including the best gay cabaret scene in Mexico! We have three great cabaret venues producing two shows 7 nights a week from November until May…with 2 of them open year round. Also we have numerous great art galleries and artists exhibiting and living in town. Mix in festive Mexican culture and rich traditions for an amazing treat for everyone.

See much more about GAY PUERTO VALLARTA HERE.

Barren Breeze Bed and Breakfast – Kentucky Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfast

Barren Breeze Bed and Breakfast - Kentucky Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfast

NEWLY RENOVATED….ALL NEW FURNISHINGS!

Experience the relaxing atmosphere of Southern Hospitality at its best! Our goal is to provide a good night’s sleep, a hot country breakfast, and great conversation with our guests.

Wake each morning to the smell of fresh coffee and homemade Cinnamon rolls as you take in the view of the nearby farmland country side. Breakfast is served to suit your schedule…as long as it’s before 10:00 a.m.!

We’ll even prepare a wonderful breakfast for those fishermen who need to get on the water before the fish wake up!

See the Barren Breeze Bed and Breakfast Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Kentucky Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Ravenna’s Magnificent Mosaics at the Basilica di San Vitale – Keep Calm and Wander

Basilica di San Vitale - Keep Calm and Wander

Ravenna is called “The City of Mosaics” for places such as the Basilica di San Vitale. I was dazzled by the Byzantine mosaics that played before my eyes and I couldn’t help but contemplate all its historical attributes of this place, not to mention its architectural magnificence.

The first stone foundation of the basilica was laid in 526 and after treacherous years of construction, it was finally completed by the 27th Bishop of Ravenna known as Maximian.

The Splendid Mosaics of Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna

The basilica has all the elements of Roman Empire from its dome, towers, doorways, and that of the Byzantine elements of narrow bricks, perfectly illustrious mosaics and a polygonal apse. That is the structural brilliance that the place is built with.

However, more than this, what really captures the eyes and the heart of a visitor are the mosaics that are dotted around the building, lining its walls, and creating moving depictions of the old testament – all the way up to the dome.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Emilia Romagna Gay Travel Resources