Luxury Travel Review
ATT Elevate 4G portable hot spot on the road
By Gary Cox
ATT Elevate 4G
We like to stay connected when we travel. Our latest gadget in this quest is the new ATT Elevate 4G, a portable WiFi hot-spot that allows up to five devices to share a single data service connection. Traveling with a laptop, iPad, Kindle and Skype phone can be a challenge even with today’s ubiquitous WiFi network access, but the Elevate can make connecting simple. The access speed on a 4G network was great, making Skype calls clear and cellphone and web browsing very usable. Enabling the Elevate for international use proved to be the biggest challenge.
The Elevate is a convenient size, and it can be charged via USB or the AC adapter. The devide supports tethered use via USB or up to five devices via a wireless connection. The microSD card that came with it is pointless, since it is only accessible via the USB connection and not to wireless clients.
The online menu provided useful feedback on ATT and roaming data usage, and access to control a handful of settings. The most critical of these is the option to connect to non-ATT networks when roaming. Failing to turn on this feature prevented it from working outside the United States as by default the modem would only connect to ATT networks. SMS messages were delivered via the menu system.
The menu from the ATT Elevate 4G
It was a simple process using an online form to obtain the device from ATT, but it took multiple calls to customer service to get the domestic and roaming services enabled. Getting international data roaming enabled was particularly vexing, as multiple customer service representatives did not seem to understand how to get these features working. A critical step was getting transferred to the international data desk.
We never could get it to connect on the first trip we took it on to India, Nepal, Thailand and Japan. Before traveling to the Caribbean, where the data plan covered several of the islands we were visiting, we activated an international prepaid data package. We had more luck in the Caribbean, but results were still mixed. Generally speaking, each location either worked or it did not, and no amount of playing around with settings made a difference.
Still it was exciting to be offshore in Saint Barths with WiFi access at 4G speeds for all our devices thanks to the Elevate 4G. Several improvements would enhance the service. For example, the possibility of sharing the microSD card out to the wireless devices and more consistent roaming. At the same time, I find it worthwhile to keep the data connection separate from the gadgets and be able to upgrade the data network independently in the future.
Photos: ATT.com, Simon & Baker Travel Review
Story of Buddha drawn in Japanese manga comic style
By Joachim Castellano
The Story of Buddha A Graphic Biography book cover
Money, power, and beautiful women, three desires of countless men throughout the ages. Imagine a man who has all three. A charmed life indeed, promising years of comfort and pleasure, yet he finds nothing but emptiness. He rejects this life to pursue one of meaning and purpose, and after great struggle, he finds true happiness and enlightenment. Of course, this is the story of no ordinary man, but that of Buddha, the legendary spiritual leader whose teachings have been passed on for thousands of years.
In The Story of Buddha A Graphic Biography (Ichimannendo Publishing, Inc., $10.95) Hisashi Ota tells of Buddha’s life through manga (Japanese comics) in a 248-page softcover book filled with comic panels. Focusing on Buddha’s transformation from the wealthy Prince Siddhartha to a spiritual teacher, I found myself drawn into a world paralleling modern day pressures: opportunities to escape reality and the expectation to live a typical life set by societal norms.
I enjoyed following the story through the expressive faces of the author’s characters, and I especially felt Siddhartha’s struggle to stay true to his own chosen path of life. Chapters end with Siddhartha’s insights, seeds that later blossom into the tenets of Buddhism. It was engaging to learn about Buddhism through the progressive rhythm of a narrative story with stylized visuals instead of a dry historic text.
Hisashi Ota, author, The Story of Buddha A Graphic Biography
Ota poured feeling, action, and passion into each page. The story felt like a mirror to reflect upon modern life. Ota’s book pulses in the present, not the historic past, introducing Buddha’s teachings to audiences new and old, perhaps inspiring others to find joy and meaning in life.
I found Ota’s manga approach to Buddha’s story appealing because of the art form’s cinematic visual style. Ota, a graduate of Nagoya University’s School of Science, has been drawing manga for 20 years and his manga about Buddhism in Japan has been published regularly. Born a Buddhist, to this day Ota continues his training at the Jodo Shinshu Shinrankai Buddhist center in Toyama, Japan.
Photos: Tetsuji Yamamoto, Ichimannendo Publishing, Inc.
American discusses yearlong experience in Venice
By Joan Leacock
The Venice Experiment book cover
Photos: News & Experts
In this book, the author shared the story of how he quit the rat race of Florida in the United States to live as a resident of Venice, Italy. He and his wife took a year long journey, a cultural exchange from their lifestyle and expectations, and threw themselves at the mercy of living and being Venetians, experiencing the oddities of being foreigners abroad.
Having visited Venice many years ago and only vaguely remembering taking gondola rides up the Grand Canal, I found myself easily transported to the squares, bridges and streets of Venice and imagining all the characters mentioned in the book, as easily as if they were long lost friends. The Venice Experiment: A year of trial and error living abroad (Savory Adventures Publishing 2011, $14.95), a 238-page book by Barry Frangipane with Ben Robbins, captures the flavors, smells, warmth and frustrations of the year he and his wife spent living in The Floating City. I fell in love with Venice, through the eyes of the author, all over again.
Frangipane navigates the problems he encounters as a foreigner living abroad well. I laughed and moaned at the difficult situations he found himself in, as he and his wife fumbled their way through the narrow corridors of the Italian language, the city’s unique history and diverse personalities.
Barry Frangipane, author, The Venice Experiment
The book provides a concierge service of do’s and don’ts surrounding the legalities of moving to Venice. It became a fun expose of the complexities he experienced with language, assumptions and misinterpretations of cultural norms and, in particular, time management as he wondered at the beginning of their adventure, “Would I learn to see things from their perspective? Given a whole year to figure it out, how hard could it possibly be?”
Overall, I found this book to be an easy read with wonderful references to use and visit should I ever find myself in that part of the world. It is a quaint, funny and informal source of relevant information. The author provides a humorous induction of his move to this city, by cleverly disguising and exposing the red tape that he encountered. I was left with a comprehensive checklist of doable tasks in relation to the transferring of pets, visa requirements, how not to organize a lease for an apartment, the choice of ground floor versus first floor apartments, postal boxes, water taxis, vehicle parking and where to purchase everyday items in unexpected places.
Happy New Year!
From all of us at Simon & Baker Travel Review and Luxury Travel Review
Squam Lake visit keeps my Golden Pond memories alive
Article and photos by Josette King
Squam Lake panorama
I took to the hills this past summer, and discovered one of northern New England’s best-kept secrets. A merciless heat wave had settled over the Boston area like a steamy wet blanket. There was no end in sight. Thoughts of the Lakes Region, in the southern foothills of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, were getting more compelling by the day. I became particularly intrigued by Squam Lake. A large lake (the second largest in New Hampshire), secluded within densely forested shores, a short two-hour drive from my urban Massachusetts home, and I had never heard of it? I was on my way to what became a deliciously relaxing summer break.
The house made famous by the movie On Golden Pond
As I soon found out, the lake has been a favorite retreat from the heat of the cities to the south for wealthy New England families for generations. A number of them built summer homes in the lush hills and shores around the lake as early as the second half of the 19th century. Some of these have remained private homes to this day, while others have become welcoming bed and breakfasts and country inns. One of the latter was the exquisite The Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness (the largest of the villages scattered around the lake), which I had the good fortune to call my home on the lake for this impromptu summer escape.
Loons are a frequent sight on Squam Lake
Nestled among groves of ancient pines and rolling lawns on a slope overlooking the pristine waters of Squam Lake, the property was originally built in 1904 as a summer home for wealthy British businessman Isaac Van Horn. At a time when industrialists were building ever more extravagant summer residences, Van Horn opted for an elegant country manor that reflected his English heritage. Over the past decade, its current owners Brian and Mary Ellen Shields have lovingly restored the graceful stucco and wooden shingles home to its timeless old world elegance, albeit with the latest modern comforts and an intimate gourmet restaurant, the Van Horn Dining Room.
The Manor on Golden Pond
Another revelation was that I had previously heard of Squam Lake, under its Hollywood pseudonym. It was the setting for On Golden Pond, the award-winning 1981 film starring Katherine Hepburn and Henry and Jane Fonda. Little has changed on the tranquil lake in the past three decades, as I was able to ascertain on a memorable morning cruise with Cindy O’Learey, owner of Experience Squam, the only private boating excursion company on the Lake, aboard her slick 23 foot Sea Ray Bow-Rider. Captain Cindy has grown around her beloved lake; first spending her childhood summers there before permanently settling in Holderness with her own family. She was just a girl that summer thirty years ago, but old enough to remember every star studded instant of the filming. She took me past all the sights made famous by the movie. We stopped by the house, gazebo, fishing spots and the “jumping rock.”
Captain Cindy O’Leary at the helm of her speed boat
Children were still shouting with glee as they hurled themselves into the water. We went by a boat dock, “where Jane Fonda did her back flip. And she did on her first try, “ Captain Cindy reminisced. We continued on to “the place where they crashed the boat,” and I got to hear all the details of how it was accomplished. We then left Hollywood memories behind and headed to remote coves where loons fished to feed their young, and juvenile bald eagles were experimenting with the dynamics of flight.
A jumping rock on Squam Lake
A family was picnicking under the trees on one of the lake’s tiny islands, their boat secured on a sandbox-size beach. I regretted that I hadn’t allowed myself enough time to plan for a wilderness lunch. Although it was over too soon, my morning with Captain Cindy remains to my mind the ultimate way to experience Squam Lake. Visit the Simon & Baker Travel Review to read more about Squam Lake, my stay at The Manor on Golden Pond and my dinner at the Van Horn Dining Room.
With video – modern Japanese ryokan Arcana Izu creates magic in the mountains
Article, video, music and photos by Joachim Castellano
Travelers in Japan have the opportunity to stay in ryokans, traditional Japanese inns. Typically ryokans involve sleeping on the floor in tatami-matted rooms, bathing in a communal bath, and consuming an excellent Japanese dinner and breakfast included with the room charge. Recently while traveling in Izu, an area of Japan famous for its ryokans, I stayed at Arcana Izu (the hotel writes it arcana izu all in lowercase letters), a luxury ryokan that blends the traditional Japanese ryokan with Western concepts.
Arcana Izu blends modern architecture with the nearby Kano river
The fusion of East and West began with its name. Arcana is Latin for mysteries. Furthermore, Arcana Izu bills itself as a luxury auberge, and the hotel had a noticeable French influence, exemplified most by its Lumiere restaurant. After my taxi driver pulled into a stony entrance barely visible from a windy, rustic road, it seemed like I had discovered a secret place in the mountains.
High quality Thann body wash, shampoo, and conditioner
How had this mysterious and luxurious inn in Japan come to exist? Three Japanese entrepreneurs collaborated to create it: A French chef, a designer, and a graphic artist. Good design is about making tasteful choices. And almost every detail at the hotel revealed a discriminating eye, starting with its picturesque location near the Kano River.
I was delighted by the chocolate center of this berry treat
I was greeted by name at a large entrance gate, and ushered into River View Suite Number 5. A hotel butler checked me in inside the room itself, as there was no traditional front counter. Besides confirming the details of my stay, my butler briefly explained the amenities of the room and asked my preferred dinner and breakfast times. Another staff member entered the room and served me a welcome treat of bubbling fruit juice, ice-chilled berry, and a cookie.
A view of the Kano River
Check-in completed, I had a chance to consider my room while sipping the welcome drink. I was awestruck by the incredible view before my eyes: tall door-length windows wrapped around the room, showcasing Mount Amagi’s lush forest across and a rushing Kano River below my room.
An instruction card suggested drawing and painting techniques
To the left I spotted Arcana’s hallmark feature, an outdoor private hot spring bath. This bath was connected to my room via the bathroom, which had three sections. My room was the smallest room offered at Arcana Izu, yet I didn’t feel cramped at all; the room was spacious and modern.
From the hot spring bathtub, I could view of my room and the river below
During my stay I felt relaxed and rejuvenated. The staff were friendly, attentive, and easy to communicate with. Soaking in the views of nature from my bath and from my room soothed my city-worn spirits. Staying at Arcana Izu even inspired me, a technology addict, to include more nature-related breaks in my daily life.
Shinjiro Kobayashi, the sommelier, guided me through Arcana Izu’s twelve-page wine menu
Next time, I’ll be sure to bring along someone special to share in the wonderful secrets of this magical ryokan. The total experience, the private bath, the view, the French food, and the excellent service added up to artistry in action, a masterpiece in the mountains called Arcana Izu.
