It's Miami, 4AM local time. Most hotel rooms these days smell like marijuana. I guess that's better than the smoking rooms of years gone by with ashtrays, yellow nicotine stains and a combination of mold and smoke. It feels like what I knew travel to be is as old as that nicotine, and as consistent as the flickering vacancy sign outside an old roadside motel, but a new kind of travel is in the process of being born. 

Breakfast has been cancelled due to the Pandemic, and so has the shuttle to the airport. I know both these points are best efforts by the hotel to cut down on costs, and don't do anything to protect the guests. Hotels are one of the areas that frankly annoy me the most. The 2 star traveler will be lied to directly by the company until the vaccine is in effect, and COVID goes back into the hole of damnation where it belongs. What will they say then? Will the boxes of cereal return? Will they go so far as to provide a microwavable breakfast burrito? Maybe a place to sit in the lobby? I'm getting excited just thinking about it. Not really. The 2 star hotel might as well be a pod hotel like the kind in Tokyo, simply crawl in and close the coffin door, because we've transformed from a hotel into (As Steve Martin from Planes, Trains & Automobiles would have put it) an effing bed, an effing shower, an effing TV and an effing light. That was and has been my hotel experience for some time now, but I digress. 

I'm in Miami for what I believe to be my last international trip of the year. In total and since April of 2020, I've traveled to 38 states and 1 country (Costa Rica). This will be the second, Ecuador. It just so happens I'm traveling over the Thanksgiving week. People think I'm crazy. I am, but this ticket has been rescheduled over 4 times, attempted once with this being the second time. If I don't use it the airline will be happy to provide a voucher equal to the amount I paid in April - $99. No thanks. 

I was here a week ago, and a month ago. The difference is, it's not the creaky wheels of travel starting back up again, its something altogether different. From the hotel, to the Uber Driver to the Airline Check in process, the flight and well, lets see about Ecuador. You see, I think we were stuck in between for a long, long time. From the days of glam travel to the discount, flip flop wearing, cattle heard travel we've come to know and hate. 

The creaky wheels of travel seem to be gone altogether. For a lot of companies, if you were going to reinvent yourself now was the time. Quite literally, it doesn't look, feel or even smell the same. A great deal of it I like. For instance, I just checked in on my American Airlines App. I had a digital boarding pass before entering the airport. Since my backpack was so large, I was asked to check it. Ok, I go over to one of the dozens of screens, check in easily, and print the bag tag right there. I loop it through the hoop of my backpack, and then walk over to drop it off at the conveyor. Easy. Way, way, way to easy. Don't be fooled, these changes have little or nothing to do with COVID, but more to do with innovation and the future of travel. 

While hotels aren't exactly innovating the way the airlines, and cruise lines are being forced to, the benefits are going to have some big payoffs. I enjoy flying American. Did you just hear what I said? I said I enjoy flying {FILL IN HERE}.  I don't know when I've ever said that about any airline! Ever! That's the secret behind these supposed COVID changes. They are innovating and testing these changes under little stress because of reduced passenger capacity. There couldn't be a better time to change, innovate and collaborate. As devastating as COVID has been, my business included, it's change or die. It's not a temporary change, its a permanent one, and I can feel the Heartbeat of a renewed travel industry. Ecuador awaits, and I'm now going to pull my mask down to enjoy a bagel, as the in fight meal has been cancelled due to COVID. 

The election, encouraging news on a vaccine, and (hopefully) the end of the hurricane season.  All these things have resulted in at least some clarity moving ahead. We've all needed that one way or another, because it spells light at the end of a tunnel. 

Back In April before hitting the road, I made a few purchases in airline tickets, knowing that I'd never know the time and place I'd be able to use them. I knew it was a risk, but one I couldn't pass up. I bought tickets to Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile all for around $100 round trip from Miami. Costa Rica and Ecuador had to be used before the end of this month or they would be converted into travel vouchers worth the original amount I paid. I think not!! 

The small investment in Costa Rica resulted in a huge wealth of knowledge and experience. I'm so glad I went. The lovely lady in the picture is named Sabine, and of all the people I met she's become a good friend. One I hope will last a lifetime. The result of the visit are the first two trips to Costa Rica in January and February of 2021, with more to follow. I hope you have a moment to check them out, and join us.

So that leads me to Ecuador. This is the first real fly by the seat of my pants trip. It was scheduled by Avianca, in business for over 100 years, and one of the most vulnerable airlines at the moment financially. As I write this I've been on hold with them for over 7 hours, which as you can imagine makes me a little unsettled. I do have a few contacts there, and with some valuable help, just finished the plan. I'll spend time in Quito, do the Quilatoa Loop, visit the Cotopaxi Volcano and perhaps stop at Chimborazo Mountain, the tallest mountain in the world when measured from the center of the earth! 

I'll be taking a backpack with me, filled with just the essentials, and my camera. Hiking will be for 4 days, a biking trip at Chimborazo and some sightseeing tours as well. It's exciting, but to be honest I'm a little unsettled because of how rapidly this has come up on me. We just got back from a great and safe tour to Key West, only to prepare about 2 days for this journey. I've enjoyed winging it but this is going to be the highest example of just that. I hope you decide to follow along, and if you haven't liked the Facebook page please do, its www.facebook.com/myxoadventures. 

If Its anything like Costa Rica, I'll feel safe. Costa Rica had wash stations at every establishment, hand sanitizer, temperature tests and a person watching to make sure you completed all the steps. They even had wet mats with some kind of solution that you had to step through before entering. If not, well, I'll be outdoors and spend little time if any in the city. I'd like to stay healthy and come home safely. 

Lastly, I just wanted to say that it's my 6th test for COVID yesterday. This one was by far the easiest. It was free, and a drive through offered in Sarasota County. The wait was 20 minutes, and the results came in 15 minutes much to my surprise. It seems like testing is getting better and better each day. If you haven't been tested I encourage you to do so now. If you do decide to travel for the holiday, it's a must. Please be careful and do what you can to keep this thing under control while we wait for the virus. While it's true that I'm all over the world, I am taking every measure possible to be COVID free and I hope I stay that way. Check with your local county resources for free COVID testing, and BTW they don't touch your brain with the swabs. Yes it tickles and tingles but it's not the end of the world!

Stay safe, please join along with me on the travels and I hope to see you on Havana Heartbeat, Costa Rica Exotica or the Mighty Five in Utah next year!

XOXO

Daniel