Communication Beat

Une longue btisse peinte en bleue me fit oublier la pluie qui s’était mise tomber. Sur une arche de pierre se reposait une sculpture de bois blond indiquant que nous étions arrivés au ” Refuge “. L’auberge est ses premiers balbutiements (automne 2004) et le propriétaire m’accueillit un marteau la main, sans doute une faon de me prouver que lui aussi mettait la main la pte.

L’immense porte-fentre de la salle de repos me mit en présence d’un tableau ce point irréel qu’un instant je crus m’tre endormie dans un des fauteuils verts prs des plantes tropicales. Tel un gnome, le concepteur de ce chef-d’uvre s’activait autour de son troglodyte car ici, passé la porte des farfadets, la vie continue sous terre. Sautant d’une pierre l’autre, il vint ma rencontre. Je restai bouche bée devant cet artiste qui avait créé l’imaginaire. Les mots pour décrire son uvre, enrobés de sa folie, m’entranrent dans un labyrinthe de détails fascinants : Les coupes de bois selon leur fonction, la provenance des sculptures, le banc caché derrire la chute, le bain remous, la terrasse o le feu pétille, les marches bordées de cailloux choisis pour leurs couleurs et leurs formes, qui entranent le curieux jusqu’ la Rivire Simon… Décor naturel qui permet la pensée de vagabonder…

La pluie se mlait la chute d’eau salée, donnant aux pierres une patine et des larmes aux chrysanthmes. Comme pour marquer une signature, un éclair fendit le ciel et ajouta sa lumire aux bougies placées dans les niches du jardin. Dominic m’ouvrit grande la porte et j’entrai dans le sauna. Je vins m’asseoir et me recueillir enveloppée de chaleur, de musique douce qui se faufilait entre les bois du plafond placés avec art et ressemblant si méprendre une coque de vaisseau inversée.

blouie par tant de beauté, je complimentai ce magicien. Avec un sourire timide, replaant son bandana sur le front, il choisit un galet, le plus beau et me l’offrit comme porte-bonheur. Continuez, dis-je, dans votre folie. Elle vous va si bien!

29 chambres spacieuses joliment décorées, quelques-unes avec foyer central double face, grand tourbillon dans un angle du salon. Style B&B avec petit déjeuner santé. Un espace créé pour la relaxation. Le centre de santé ouvrira sous peu. Un prétexte pour y retourner et vous en parler davantage.

Auberge et Spa ” Le Refuge “
Morin-Heights
Réservation : 450 226-1796 / 1-866-996-1796
www.aubergelerefuge.ca

About the Author

Jacline La Flche: Top reporter du Passport Monde. Suivez les voyages de Jacline – des récits truffés d’anecdotes et de coutumes locales d’un bout l’autre de la plante. Pour plus d’information sur Auberge et Spa ” Le Refuge ” voir www.aubergelerefuge.ca.

There are common sense travel tips, like “Check at least three web sites to get the best deal on plane tickets.” Then there are the tips that are more along the line of “secrets.” These are the little-known tricks learned by experience. Here are some of the best of those.

Cheap Travel Tips

Find out where local visitors from within the country stay. The cheapest “tourist hotel” I could find when in a resort town in Mexico was $135. I asked a local businessman where to find a cheap room, and got one for $10. There wasn’t a swimming pool, but the room was spotless. I was there to travel, not to lounge, so this suited me fine.

Negotiating room charges is common in many countries. In Banos, Ecuador, we negotiated our room rate down from $12 to $6 per night, by paying for several nights in advance. The trick here is to be sure that there are other options, then make your final offer and walk away. Most owners will call you back and lower the price.

Consider hostels, if you don’t mind sharing a room. They’re much more common overseas. This saves you a lot if you are single, because you pay for the bed. I once spent four days in a hostel for $4 per day, breakfast included. I shared a room with several others, and a TV room with travelers from 16 countries.

Hotels in the U.S. are less likely to negotiate, but we have done it. Most small chain motels are not company-owned, but franchises, so it is usually the owner behind the counter. Paying for several nights in advance, or just starting to walk away, has resulted in discounts for us many times.

Travel is often only as cheap as your plane tickets. For international travel, search the fares to several countries that you would like to visit. Go to the cheapest one now – the others will be cheap another time, and a savings of $500 can buy a few extra days, or an extra mini-vacation some other time.

Anywhere you go, there are things you can do to keep it cheaper. Eat where locals eat, for example, instead of at tourist restaurants. See the free and cheap attractions first. You might have so much fun that you’ll never get around to doing the expensive things. Higher prices mean better quality with travel bags, but not necessarily with travel experiences.

Other Travel Tips

E-mail important documents to yourself. These should include a copy of your passport, other IDs, phone numbers of the U.S. Consulate offices where you’ll be, and your itinerary or e-tickets for any flights. In this way, even if you are robbed and lose everything, you’ll have access to all the important documents from any internet cafe in the world.

On a streetcar, I once had a pocket unzipped and the wallet removed without feeling a thing. Many pickpockets are experts. Fortunately, it was a “decoy” wallet, with nothing but a few pieces of paper, and a fake credit card. Other ways to protect money, cards and documents include putting a bill or two under the inner sole of running shoes, safety-pinning a hidden pocket inside your pants, and hiding cash in several different places.

I see young travelers in other countries walking anywhere they feel like it at night, and then being shocked that they are robbed. Aren’t there places in New York or Chicago where you wouldn’t walk at night? Ask the locals where it is safe and where it isn’t, and trust your intuition when it warns you. Leave expensive clothing and jewelry at the hotel when you are just out for a walk. Safety tricks are the most important travel tips.

Steve Gillman has been hunting down obscure knowledge and useful secrets for years. Learn more travel secrets and get a free gift at: The Secret Information Site (http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com)