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In search of the best breakfast in Antigua? So was I. Here’s what I found.

We had the good fortune to spend a few days wandering around Antigua, Guatemala. I don’t think I had a bad meal the whole time, but breakfast was my favorite. Every morning I tucked in to eggs with black beans, avocado, potatoes and meat with a steaming cup of coffee. My favorite breakfast spot, however, was a short stroll outside of town.

Caoba Farms is located at 5a. Avenida Sur Final #6, just south of Antigua’s main streets. It’s approximately a 15 min walk from Central Park Antigua. It’s an easy walk and well worth it. Using farm-to-table principles and organic, locally-sourced ingredients, Caoba Farms delivers a delicious breakfast.

I should add that they’re also open for lunch and dinner. They serve microbrews, wine, homemade pizzas, and artisan bread. On Saturdays, there’s a farmers market with live music. There’s also a health food store on the premises.

The Caoba Cafe can do farm-to-table because it’s a working farm. You can volunteer to help with the farm in exchange for a large bag of organic vegetables.

The Caoba Cafe is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but Wednesday through Sunday it opens at 8 am to serve the best breakfast in Antigua. Start your day off at Caoba Farms and you will not be disappointed.

Directions: Walk south on 5th avenue south, towards Agua Volcano, past Mezon Panza Verde and La Escalonia Café.

Office tel: 7832-9201
website: caobafarms.com

Check out their Facebook page for the latest events.

I’ll put the disclaimer up front – this is a rant. I’ve had lots of glorious travel days, full of soft-focus sunsets and sweeping orchestral music. Every once in a while, though, the odds are not ever in your favor and you end up with a bad travel day. This was mine.

I suppose I was asking for this, since my last post talked about the illusion of control. That illusion was shattered last week when I tried to get home from a business trip.

Meetings ended a day early, so I switched my flights to come home a day early. So far, so good. I arrived at the airport at 8 am for a 42 minute flight to Newark. As we taxied to the runway, I smiled at the pink flamingos that someone had put in the grass at the far end of the runway. Cute, I thought. Then the captain announced that due to a mechanical issue, we were returning to the gate. Still not a bad travel day, just a temporary delay. We de-planed and waited for an update.

The updates trickled in throughout what became an eight hour delay. I could have driven to Newark twice in the time that it took to not fly there. To make things worse, this was not a large airport. Roughly the size of my high school. Entertainment and food options were limited. To say that I’d missed my connection to Hong Kong was something of an understatement. We finally arrived long after dinner time.

The airline put me up in a hotel near Newark. Thanks to the efficiencies of the New Jersey highway system, we passed the hotel twice in the shuttle bus before finally turning into the driveway. After a fitful night’s sleep, I schlepped my stuff back to the airport to try again.

I will hand it to the airline staff though. They were patient, courteous, and helpful. I appreciated that and I tried to show that appreciation by being courteous in return. Even on a bad travel day, keep in mind that the staff are not to blame.

 

Budget airlines offer significant savings for travelers, but at what cost? Several high-profile aviation accidents in the last few years may have you wondering if budget airlines are as safe as the major carriers.

Budget airlines are cheaper because they offer reduced services, amenities, and service. You may have to pay additional fees to check luggage, get a meal, or pick your seat. Major carriers include these features automatically but pass on the costs to you in the price of the ticket. Budget carriers give you a choice about whether to have those amenities. They don’t cut corners on safety.

According to the annual safety index of the world’s 60 largest carriers produced by the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre in Germany, several low-cost carriers (AirAsia, JetStar, and EasyJet) were rated safer than 2 of the major U.S. carriers.

So the short answer is – Yes, budget carriers are just as safe as major carriers. Airlines realize that accidents are going to have a significant impact on business. They may cut corners on meal service, but not on safety.

If you’re still worried, there are a few ways to research the airline in question. You could consult the EU Banned List to see which airlines are not allowed to operate in the EU. The FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment doesn’t apply to specific airlines, but instead deals with the Civil Aviation Authority in the countries that they are based in.

If you’re still nervous, maybe you should book your travel with a major carrier. Just realize that you’re going to pay more, and it’s not because they’re safer.