We just returned from a 7 day Alaskan cruise to Glacier Bay, and it was honestly a terrible experience, all in all, and it was our first time cruising. I hope it's okay for us to share our experience here. I've seen many other posts here reviewing Princess cruises and sharing experiences, so hopefully this is okay.
Warning, this post is a bit long. TL;DR, Princess dropped the ball multiple times, and created a terrible first time cruise experience for us.

• First, due to weather delays, our initial flight took off an hour late. Then, when going to land, our pilot missed the landing due to the wind, causing us to have to ascend again, loop around, and land again, all in very heavy turbulence. Our gate was on the other side of the airport, so we ran the distance between the two gates, and missed the gate closing by 1 minute. (Never mind the fact that the plane then sat on the tarmac for over an hour due to, you guessed it, weather delays). I mainly blame Denver Airport for this, but it's important context for how Princess handled what came next.
• All of those airport delays isn't really Princess's fault. What follows IS their fault, however. We booked these flights through Princess EZ Air, we figured this was a good idea as it had a guarantee we'd be on the boat when it set sail. That is how they market their "EZ Air" program. So, after missing our connecting flight, we call Princess, and they were absurdly unhelpful. They misunderstood what we said, they tried to blame us, and finally told us we just had to contact United Airlines to get a new flight, stating that United was responsible, not Princess.
• (EDIT: Many of the comments seem to interpret this as me blaming Princess. I do not blame them for the weather delays, and yes, we SHOULD have flown in the day before. But Princess Customer Servicer was combative and rude, and tried to blame us for missing the flights. Please read the entire post, there is multiple greivances here that are entirely on Princess's end)
• United did get us a new flight, after 30 minutes of chatting, but the new flight was 2 hours later, and then on top of that, it was delayed another hour and a half. So by now, we're getting very worried that we don't arrive in time for departure in Vancouver now. We were supposed to arrive about 5 hours before departure.
• When we arrive in Vancouver, we have 1 hour to go before the ship departs, but we're still in the airport. After finally making it through customs and getting our luggage, we make it to the Princess representatives, as we paid extra to get a shuttle from the airport to the cruise docks. We've been running through the Vancouver airport for all this, and when we arrive, they tell us it's too late, they can't get us to the cruise ship in time, and we'll just have to call Princess customer support again.
• And now we're back to Princess being awful again. It took over an hour of being on hold, and explaining the situation multiple times to multiple people. The called dropped once too, and they never called back, despite me just giving them my callback number. We weren't the only passengers to have missed the ship, either, and all of our groups were struggling to get through to customer service.
• Again, they tried to blame us, stating that they saw "none of our flights were delayed", when they clearly had been, when we clearly told them they had been on multiple previous phone calls. After arguing with them for an hour, they finally agreed they'd get us on a plane to Juneau, and we could board the ship 2 days later. We would be responsible for our own hotels though. Lovely.
• We tried to make the best of it for those 2 days, but honestly, we were crushed. This was supposed to be a big vacation for us, my first time cruising, and a massive expense that was starting to feel like a an equally massive mistake.
• The hotels in Vancouver and Juneau were nice, but expensive. But that's not important to the story for now.
• Two days later, Ruby Princess pulls into dock at Juneau, and we head down to board finally. Except, this is where Princess drops the ball again. We were told to wait on the pier while everyone disembarked first. Making 4 people wait for 3000 to disembark is a joke. But what made it worse was it was raining, windy, cold as hell, no where to sit, the security staff were being weird and defensive, and the best part, Princess ended up forgetting about us on the pier for 3 hours. Guests that had left while we waited had gone into town and returned while we were told to wait.
• I ask the security personel for what must have been the 10th time if they could check up on what's going on. Twenty minutes later, someone comes down to take us on board. We were told we needed to take our own luggage on board, and Princess made no accomodation for my ankle injury, or my wife's hand injury.
• Once inside the ship, they told us how sorry they were, they had been expecting us, but they weren't sure where communication had broken down. The head security woman told us they would be in contact with us to discuss the situation. However, she never called, and we never saw her again.
• At this point, we're finally on board, and we just want to put all this crap behind us, and try to enjoy the remainder of the cruise. And there were certainly good parts. Alaska is beautiful, the towns we visited were great, Glacier Bay is breathtaking, and we even saw the northern lights a bit. In Princess's defense, the food was also delicious. On the flip side, there was never any explanation about how things worked on the ship. We were never told how our medallions functioned by the crew, we just kind of figured it out on our own.
• We went down to talk to guest services two days later. They offered us a 1000$ credit for a future cruise, but my wife and I aren't really pleased with Princess, so why would we want to cruise with them again? We declined. They told us they would come back to us with another offer, but it would be lower, but wouldn't tell us how much lower. A bit odd.
• Final day of the cruise, they come back and offer us 200$ of on-ship credit. We declined, and they said if we had any greivances still, we'd need to talk to on-shore customer service. It's almost like they had forgotten entirely how awful our experience had been... which honestly, might be exactly what happened.
• While on board, we had a mixed bag of experiences. There was a sickness outbreak, and this seemed to cause a large portion of the crew to call out sick. This caused wait times for food, drinks, and dining, to sometimes exceed over an hour. Often, we would put in an order, and it would eventually be marked "delivered", but we never saw it. I don't blame Princess for this, they were taking precautions to prevent the spread of sickness, but it sort of compounded on top of our already poor experience.
• When it came time to disembark, they gave us the wrong color of luggage tags, and we had to correct this with guest services as well. This took well over an hour, as the line was long.
• Then when it came time to be transported via bus from cruise dock to airport, they got us to the airport after several delays, and only 1 hour to spare for us to get through international customs. It was yet again another terrible mad dash through the airport, and Princess to blame. Princess EZ Air, if nothing else, is a total scam. If you are cruising through Princess, you are better booking your own flights and arriving the day before.
• And now here we are, finally home. I loved the parts of the cruise that went well, namely Alaska itself, but Princess seemed to drop the ball at every point. We couldn't be more disappointed, and will absolutely be avoided Princess and their affiliated cruise lines in the future.
• And lastly, after contacting Princess customer support now we are home, we're told it will be 4 to 6 weeks for our support tickets to be reviewed (and I gotta say, I'm pretty convinced they are gonna get lost in the shuffle, and/or be denied).

So, I'd love to know, is our story completely unusual? It seems like everything that could go wrong, DID go wrong. Is there any avenues to negotiate some kind of partial refund with Princess, for them to make this right? I've put in support tickets, but my faith that they will process them and make it right is supremely low.
​

Summer of Adventure Sale – 15% off some of Exodus Travels most popular trips

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Andrew Larder

Summer of Adventure Sale

Summer brings longer days and endless hours of sunshine, making a European summer trip more tempting than ever. Whether you’re looking to soak up the sun in Greece, enjoy local wine tastings in Italy or take rides along countryside lanes in France, we’ve got the perfect hiking and biking adventures for you.
To help you start planning, we’re offering up to 15% off some of Exodus Travels most popular trips, so you can get that Summer of Adventure feeling! Available on selected departures between May 1st and September 30th, 2024. With over 400 trips on sale, talk to our agents today to figure out what summer adventure you want to experience.
In a couple of months’ time, you could be discovering the legendary site of Pompeii and the romantic towns of Positano and Ravello on our Highlights of the Amalfi Coast trip. Or take a journey back in time, on our Highlights of Ancient Greece, to visit the fascinating archaeological ruins of Acropolis, Epidaurus and Mycenae. If you’re interested in biking, consider Cycle Northern France: Brittany to Normandy to take you past stunning medieval villages, the historic Omaha Beach and harbor towns that are known for their oysters and refreshing apple cider.
Make 2024 the Summer of Adventure to remember forever. With tours in over 100 countries on sale, get inspired by checking out a few adventures below or contact us to find your perfect trip.
Our Top Picks for Summer 2024;
With so many trips to choose from, here are just a few to get you started. Culture, Wildlife, Hiking or Cycling; find your adventure this summer!
Highlights of Ancient Greece – Cultural Journey through thousands of years and major UNESCO World Heritage sites
Tour Starting in Athens, this tour covers significant archaeological sites such as the Acropolis, Mycenae, and Epidaurus. It also includes visits to the medieval castle town of Mystras, Olympia—site of the ancient Olympic Games, Delphi, and the stone forest of Meteora, a major Orthodox community. The journey spans the Peloponnese peninsula and central Greece, featuring stunning coastlines, forests, and mountains.
HIGHLIGHTS
•Explore the ancient sites of Mystras and Delphi •Visit Olympia, the site of the first Olympic Games •Enjoy spectacular Meteora
Highlights of the Amalfi Coast – Cultural Discover one of the most fascinating and romantic destinations in the world
Tour Based in quiet Agerola, amid the green Lattari mountains, this tour explores the Bay of Naples’ famous sites, including the well-preserved ruins of Herculaneum and the legendary Pompeii. The journey extends to the dramatic Amalfi Coast, offering excursions to Capri, scenic views from the Path of the Gods, and the charming town of Ravello. Experience the region’s rich cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes, celebrated by artists and writers throughout history.
HIGHLIGHTS
•Enjoy boat trips along the Amalfi Coast and to the island of Capri •See the romantic coastal towns of Amalfi, Positano and Ravello •Visit both Herculaneum and Pompeii •Enjoy Italian hospitality at family-run Hotel Due Torri
Cycling Vietnam – Cycling Experience the real Vietnam by bike
Tour This two-week cycling tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi covers diverse landscapes, from colorful fishing villages and rice terraces to jungle-clad mountains and white sandy beaches. Highlights include swimming on a tropical island, exploring the ancient port of Hoi An, and ascending the scenic Hai Van Pass for breathtaking coastal views.
HIGHLIGHTS
•Take a cycling holiday through Vietnam’s most scenic landscapes •Savour mouth-watering cuisine •Crawl through the Cu Chi war tunnels •Relax in charming Hoi An •Cruise among the limestone formations of Ha Long Bay •Overnight on a tropical island
Cycling Puglia & Matera – Cycling Cycle from the UNESCO town of Matera through Italy’s heel to Lecce
Tour Explore the cultural and natural treasures of Italy’s Puglia and Basilicata regions. This itinerary includes Matera’s intriguing Sassi houses and the UNESCO-listed trulli houses of Alberobello. The journey proceeds through idyllic countryside to Ostuni, the White City, and onto Gallipoli along the dramatic Ionian coastline. While cycling across the Salento Peninsula, experience the quintessential Italian lifestyle amidst olive groves, limestone cliffs, crystal-clear waters, and baroque towns.
HIGHLIGHTS
•Ride from the stunning UNESCO town of Matera •Enjoy gentle cycling through olive groves and past conical trulli houses •Sample fine seafood and wine from the Salento coast •Stay in accommodation bursting with character
Loire Valley: Walks, Wine & Chateaux – Hiking Discover regal estates and fine wines in the glamorous Garden of France
Tour Enjoy a walking tour in the Loire Valley, where stunning royal castles meet premier winemaking. Stay in a chateau near Tours and a country manor in Beaumont-en-Véron, ideal bases for exploring the region. Visit notable castles like Amboise and Chenonceau, and tour picturesque vineyards, sampling exceptional wines along the way.
HIGHLIGHTS
•Stay in a 15th-century chateau and 17-century country manor house •Tour Chenonceau, a magnificent chateau stretching over the Cher river •Visit wine producers to sample their celebrated drinks at source •Visit the lavish Château Royal d’Amboise, once home to French monarchs •Meet members of the Loire wine brotherhoods, practically unrivalled in their knowledge of the local produce •Enjoy tranquil walks through vineyards and along the Loire River
Iceland’s Laugavegur Trek – Hiking Hike one of the best-loved walking trails in Iceland to discover otherworldly landscapes
Tour Iceland is renowned as a premier trekking destination with its dramatic landscapes shaped by volcanic activity and glaciers. The Laugavegur Trail is a highlight, featuring a week-long trek from the colorful mountains of Landmannalaugar to the dramatic Thorsmork region, exploring craters from the 2010 eruption. All meals are included while camping. Additionally, early summer treks enjoy nearly 24 hours of daylight, while trips in late August and early September offer potential sightings of the Northern Lights.
HIGHLIGHTS
•Take the best-known trekking route in Iceland •Discover natural hot pools, waterfalls, lava fields, craters and volcanic fissures •Experience 24-hour daylight in July, chance of the Northern Lights in late August and September
Drew Larder FORA Travel Advisor – Amazing DEALS and perks of unforgettable travel. Hotels, cruise lines pay for my travel help, not you!
Andrew Larder, FORA Travel Advisor

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RIU All-Inclusive Resorts

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Andrew Larder

RIU All-Inclusive Resorts

RIU Offers An Unparalleled All-Inclusive Experience
Distinguished by its prestigious all-inclusive program, RIU Hotels & Resorts has over 70 years of experience creating unforgettable events. With more than 100 hotels in 20 countries around the world, customers will experience excellent service in beautiful beach destination paradises. RIU Hotels & Resorts also aims for customers to have an unparallel experience with hospitality. This is easily seen in their daily commitment to maintain a high-quality standard, offering the best facilities and exclusive services.

Why choose Riu Hotels & Resorts?

Experience and passion for service RIU Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain that was born in 1953 with a small hotel in Playa de Palma, Spain. Our more than 60 years of experience pampering our customers in the world’s best destinations attest to the mission of the company: the well-being of our guests.
Around 100 hotels in 19 countries We work day after day to continue offering the best facilities and exclusive services in the nearly 100 hotels located in 19 countries. All of them, moreover, with a guarantee of quality and a standard of service that will make your holiday a truly unique experience.
Continue browsing and discover the best of RIU Hotels & Resorts!

Most booked destinations:

LOS CABOS From 102CAD
ARUBA-PALM BEACH From 278CAD
GUANACASTE From 157CAD
PARADISE ISLAND From 318CAD
MONTEGO BAY From 177CAD
NEW YORK From 299CAD
PLAYA DEL CARMEN From 131CAD
CANCUN From 160CAD
PUNTA CANA From 105CAD
RIVIERA NAYARIT-VALLARTA From 110CAD
(Multiply prices by .74 to get US dollar cost)

Exclusive benefits with Riu Class

With the Riu Class Program, as a reward for your loyalty you’ll receive a card that identifies you as a preferential guest. Enrol in the Riu Class Program and start enjoying exclusive benefits and discounts today.
Get point redeemable Enjoy special offers Manage my future bookings Send your wish list to hotels Exclusive advantages

RIU Emerald Bay, Mazatlan, Mexico

This is where I recently stayed, if you have any questions:

RIU All-Inclusive Resorts Reservations

Contact me to book a stay at any RIU All-Inclusive Resort, worldwide:
Andrew Larder, FORA Travel Advisor

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Last post here: https://www.reddit.com/MontereyBay/s/CAVt4gBIMJ
We had an amazing trip thank you for all the suggestions! Here's how the trip panned out:
Drive down:
First stop in pescadero at arcangeli grocery for yummy artichoke garlic sourdough. We were going to go to Harleys farms for fresh goat cheese and baby goats, but we weren't able to make it before they closed.
Next stop pie ranch. Unfortunately, we were also too late for any fresh pies or baked good. But bought some frozen chocolate pies which ended up not being that great. Would love to stop by here at an earlier time to get some fresh baked stuff.
Stopped at shark fin beach which was where I found some of my first shells and found a ceab in some little tide pools! Hold on to the end to see what I did with the shells.
On our way to the air bnb in carmel belly we stop at iliolis and grabbed a pizza. The air bnb was great and secluded but it was really far out there and not super convenient. This is the one thing I would change, I would have gotten a room at one of the cute hotels in carmel-by-the-sea. Much more central and easier to go back to the room if you need to.
Saturday
Headed out to point lobos for opening at 8 and and tide pools. Saw so many hermit crabs and a pool full of sea urchins.
Headed to carmel by the sea and got breakfast at one of the cafes ( I can't remember which one) I stopped at the three major bakeries there and got deserts for later that night. The lobster tail we got from one bakery and the cookie/croisannt from another one were my favorite.
Walked through the town and headed to the beach. Walked out on the beach for a little bit and then looked for the cottages.
Stopped in at the mission carmel and then grabbed lunch at one of the delis someone recommended (blanking on the name). Headed to lovers point beach for lunch, had to fight off a seagull from stealing my food and saw my first beechy squirrel which has 0 fear of humans.
Headed back to point lobos to check out some more beaches since we paid for the day and then back to our air bnb for a nap.
Dinner at sur at the ranch
Sunday
We had planned a horseback ride in carmel valley but the guy canceled on us the night before. Holding my breath to see if he actually refunds my deposit. We found a place near by us that we are going to reschedule that activity at a more reputable place. So we pivoted, took our time and headed out to breakfast at from scratch, which turned out to be closed. 222422 So we headed to the butter house, which had 106 ppl on their waiting list and a 2 hour wait. However, someone working there heard us asking to confirm that was correct and told us it was open seating at the bar and there were open seats. We got right in! French toast was delicious but biscuits and gravy were a little disappointing.
Headed to the monterey bay aquarium that a reditor gifted us tickets for! So grateful. Neither of us had been before so it was really cool to check out. Walked down cannery row and got some souvenirs for the kids.
Started the drive home and stopped at a farm stand where I spent $8 and got so much produce!
Stopped at the rip tide outlet and found some amazing deals. My husband lovingly let me know it was time to start wearing hats due to my.chemo hair loss and I got 3 hats for $30 all together that are normally $30 each.
Stopped at a beach just before shark fin cove and shell hunted for teeny tiny shells and sea glass for at least an hour.
Last stop was the famous taco bell in Pacifica. I felt gross after... but was so hungry!
What did I do with the shells? I took teeny tiny glass bottles and put the teeny tiniest of the shells and sea glass into the bottles. Gave them to my kids and told them if a day ever comes that I'm not here to be able to go to the beach with them, they can bring these glass jars and I'll be there with them.

I’ll be visiting Green Bay July 11-13 before heading to Door County. Where should we stay in Green Bay? We would like to have access to the touristy things-shops, breweries and restaurants. Is it a safe walkable city? We will have a car. Two ladies in their late 40s.

Has anyone seen Alex talk about Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention as an influence at all? I’ve never seen it, but then again I don’t rifle through every interview of his. However, when I listen to Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino, every time, without fail, I hear that Freak Out record all over it. From the schizo vocals/backing vocals on Golden Trunks, even the guitar riff/tone itself, the chords, to the weird breakdown of “the Martini Police” melodically, to even the name itself of The Martini Police (who are the brain police, which has a very similar feel to that moment in Star Treatment. Tons of other similarities between TBHC and Freak Out it’s insane.
I know everyone talks about Bowie and his voice and lyrics hit that sure, but I hear so much Zappa and was wondering if anyone can confirm this via an interview or anything.

Has anyone left the industry and returned?
I have been licensed since 2011 and worked as an esthetician at a day spa, hotel casino spa, and wax studio for 2 years following that. I went back to a 9-5 and have been climbing the ranks ever since. I went from making 24,000 at a 9-5 in 2016 to 57,000 a year…but I hate it. I feel so unfulfilled. What I LOVED about esthetics is working with the clients (when the senior esthi’s weren’t moving them from my books!) what I disliked, and made me leave the industry were the other therapists, so bitter, catty, and just straight up mean. I’ve the last 3 years I have been going back and forth with myself on whether or not I should dip my toe back in and return to the treatment room. Money is a big factor in that, it’s not like I am making gobs of money, I just feel like I have worked so hard to get where I am that I am afraid to let that go.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? Did you return? How did it go?
Any advice would be helpful.

I am wanting to take a short trip to Vegas for Memorial Day, and I don’t mean the weekend before. The plan is to arrive on that Monday and stay through Wednesday.
I noticed rates were cheaper on the days selected, so I’m wondering if that’s just a slow time for tourism or something else.
Additionally, I’d love to stay at Mandalay Bay. Any suggestions regarding that resort are welcome. Thanks!

area 51 to vegas
Historia del Área 51
El Área 51, también conocida como Groom Lake o Dreamland, es una base militar altamente secreta ubicada en el desierto de Nevada, en Estados Unidos. A lo largo de los años, ha sido objeto de numerosas teorías de la conspiración y misterios que han generado gran interés en todo el mundo.
El Área 51 fue establecida en la década de 1950 durante la Guerra Fría como un lugar de pruebas para aviones de espionaje y tecnología militar de vanguardia. Sin embargo, su existencia no fue reconocida oficialmente por el gobierno de Estados Unidos hasta 2013.
A lo largo de los años, se han difundido teorías sobre supuestos experimentos con tecnología extraterrestre y encuentros con seres de otros planetas en el Área 51. Aunque estas afirmaciones no han sido confirmadas, han contribuido a la fama y el misticismo que rodea a esta instalación.
A pesar de su secreto y la seguridad extrema que la rodea, el Área 51 ha sido objeto de protestas y eventos públicos en los que se exige la revelación de la verdad sobre sus actividades. A pesar de esto, gran parte de lo que sucede en esta base militar sigue siendo un misterio y su verdadera historia sigue siendo desconocida para la mayoría.
En conclusión, el Área 51 sigue siendo un lugar envuelto en secretos y especulaciones, lo que lo convierte en uno de los lugares más enigmáticos y controvertidos de la historia moderna.
Secretos de la Base Área 51
Localizada en el desierto de Nevada, la Base Aérea 51 ha sido durante mucho tiempo un centro de misterio y controversia. Conocida principalmente por las teorías de conspiración que la rodean, se cree que esta instalación militar alberga secretos oscuros y tecnología avanzada.
Una de las teorías más populares sobre la Base Aérea 51 es que allí se han llevado a cabo investigaciones sobre fenómenos extraterrestres y ovnis. Muchos creen que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos ha estado ocultando evidencia de la existencia de vida extraterrestre, y que la Base Aérea 51 es el epicentro de estos encubrimientos.
Además de las teorías sobre extraterrestres, se dice que en la Base Aérea 51 se realizan pruebas de tecnología militar avanzada, incluyendo aviones stealth y drones de última generación. Estas investigaciones clasificadas han alimentado aún más la intriga en torno a esta enigmática base militar.
A pesar de los numerosos rumores y especulaciones, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos ha mantenido en gran medida en secreto las operaciones que se llevan a cabo en la Base Aérea 51. La falta de transparencia ha alimentado la fascinación del público y ha convertido a este lugar en un ícono de la cultura popular y de la ufología.
En resumen, la Base Aérea 51 sigue siendo un enigma envuelto en secretos y teorías de conspiración. Mientras que algunos creen que es solo una base militar convencional, otros sostienen que allí se ocultan verdades mucho más profundas. El misterio que rodea a la Base Aérea 51 parece estar destinado a perdurar en el tiempo, desafiando a aquellos que buscan desentrañar sus secretos más oscuros.
Viaje a Las Vegas desde el Área 51
Los viajes a Las Vegas son populares por muchas razones, pero ¿qué tal añadirle un toque de misterio y emoción? Si estás buscando una experiencia de viaje única y emocionante, considera hacer un viaje desde el Área 51 hasta Las Vegas.
El Área 51, ubicada en la región desértica de Nevada, ha sido durante mucho tiempo un lugar de especulación y misterio. Conocida por sus teorías conspirativas y avistamientos de ovnis, esta base militar restringida ofrece a los visitantes una sensación de intriga y asombro. Desde allí, emprender un viaje a Las Vegas agrega un emocionante contraste a la experiencia.
Conducir desde el Área 51 a Las Vegas te llevará a través de impresionantes paisajes desérticos, donde podrás admirar la vastedad y la belleza de la naturaleza. A medida que te acerques a Las Vegas, verás cómo el paisaje cambia drásticamente, dando paso a la brillante y vibrante ciudad que es conocida en todo el mundo por sus luces parpadeantes y su ambiente animado.
Una vez en Las Vegas, tendrás la oportunidad de disfrutar de una amplia variedad de entretenimiento, desde casinos de renombre mundial hasta espectáculos de clase mundial. Ya sea que decidas relajarte junto a la piscina de un lujoso hotel o explorar los emocionantes casinos de la ciudad, Las Vegas ofrece algo para satisfacer todos los gustos.
En resumen, un viaje desde el misterioso Área 51 hasta la emocionante Las Vegas es una experiencia que combina lo desconocido con lo conocido, creando recuerdos inolvidables en el camino. ¡Prepárate para un viaje que desafiará tus expectativas y te dejará asombrado!
Rutas de Carretera del Área 51 a Las Vegas
Ubicada en el desierto de Nevada, la Ruta de Carretera que conecta el Área 51 con Las Vegas es una aventura única llena de misterio y emoción. Partiendo desde la remota base militar conocida como Área 51, famosa por los numerosos avistamientos de OVNIs y teorías de conspiración, el viaje por carretera hacia Las Vegas promete ser inolvidable.
A lo largo del camino, los conductores podrán disfrutar de paisajes desérticos impresionantes, con vastas extensiones de arena y montañas rocosas que crean un escenario casi lunar. La sensación de estar en medio de la nada, rodeado de naturaleza salvaje y silenciosa, es realmente sobrecogedora.
A medida que nos acercamos a Las Vegas, la vista de los relucientes rascacielos y las luces brillantes de la ciudad del pecado contrastan fuertemente con la tranquilidad del desierto que dejamos atrás. La emoción de llegar a un destino tan icónico y vibrante después de un viaje tan inusual es indescriptible.
Para los amantes de lo paranormal y lo inexplicable, este trayecto es una oportunidad única de explorar una de las zonas más enigmáticas del mundo y luego sumergirse en la deslumbrante extravagancia de Las Vegas. Sin duda, un viaje en carretera lleno de contrastes que dejará una huella imborrable en la memoria de quienes se aventuren a recorrerlo. ¡Prepárate para un viaje inolvidable de misterio y diversión!
Misterios del Desierto de Nevada
El Desierto de Nevada es un lugar lleno de misterios y leyendas que han intrigado a exploradores, científicos y curiosos durante siglos. Este vasto territorio árido ubicado en el estado de Nevada, Estados Unidos, alberga una serie de enigmas que desafían la lógica y la explicación racional.
Uno de los misterios más famosos del Desierto de Nevada es el Área 51, una base militar altamente clasificada que ha sido objeto de numerosas teorías de conspiración y avistamientos de ovnis. Se dice que en esta zona se realizan experimentos secretos y pruebas de tecnología avanzada, lo que ha generado un gran interés en todo el mundo.
Otro enigma que rodea al desierto es la presencia de extrañas formaciones rocosas, como el Valle de la Muerte, donde se han reportado fenómenos inexplicables y avistamientos de criaturas misteriosas. Además, se han descubierto antiguos petroglifos en algunas áreas, que sugieren la presencia de antiguas civilizaciones desconocidas.
La naturaleza salvaje y desolada del Desierto de Nevada lo convierte en un lugar ideal para la aparición de misterios y fenómenos paranormales, alimentando la imaginación de aquellos que se aventuran en sus tierras áridas y desafiantes. A pesar de los intentos por desentrañar sus secretos, el desierto sigue siendo un enigma fascinante que continúa atrayendo a aquellos en busca de respuestas.

Someone confirmed this like 5 yrs ago, does anyone know if this is still a thing ? Or if it is now just a separate paid entry. Thank you !

Hello po! Just a quick background po. I'm a board exam taker na umasang Ayala Malls Manila Bay yung testing site ulit, and now napalayo pa hahahahaha
I would like to ask po sana for your help for a detailed guide on how to commute from Dona Elena Tower Sta. Mesa to Hop Inn Hotel Aseana and vice versa. I'm quite unfamiliar po from commuting to this area, since lrt to lrt lang po ako dati nung college. It would be much appreciated po if you can specify details such as which streets to descend, landmarks, and jeep/bus fares if possible.
Thank you so much po and keep safe!

Hi !
I see a lot of people finding it hard getting a job or a job in a certain pay bracket.
Personally I believe a lot of it starts at mindset.
Life isn’t a race, you cannot expect to start off in first place and sometimes there will be people overtaking you or progressing faster, and that’s absolutely fine, there will always be someone bigger faster better. The thing that matters the most is that you have a continuing progress and keep on track.
Here is my own personal career broke down for you >

1. Novartis ( Pharma ) / Assistant role ( Switzerland )
   
2. OZ / sales role ( Germany )
   
3. AP aluminium / loading aluminium on ships ( France )
   
4. Lidl / sales assistant ( UK )
   
5. Hotel / Night Porter ( UK )
   
6. Ebay / support Assistant ( UK / Remote )
   
7. Ebay / Account Manager ( UK Remote )
   
8. Ebay / Senior Account Manager ( UK Remote )
   

I listed this for a simple reason.
My first job paid me about 3-4 times the money as my lidl and hotel job, sometimes you step down in the career ladder for whatever reasons, but the most important part is to keep going, even if it’s work you don’t like or isn’t the best paid, it’s not just about gaining money, it’s also good to show employers that you are always on the ball, no matter what the job is, you are out there working.
Adding to this, I have not applied to eBay , they contacted me due to my CV, they asked me to apply with them officially just for the sake of it, but basically told me beforehand they want me to work there it’s just the official process.
I have no degrees, no qualifications. I have a good work ethic and never missed work unless I was that sick that I needed to actually be in hospital.
Also adding to this, I never cared a lot about my salary, it’s better to make 12£ an hour over 0£ an hour and benefits.
However everyone has their own motivation, you just need to find yours, I personally don’t care about money at all, I drive a old car and buy clothes from primark even though I am on a 6 figure salary, my motivation is my kids.
This is not a hate or shame post by the way, it’s more so to motivate people, get out there and do something, no matter what. A positive attitude and body language can go a far way. Negativity can jump from you to your interviewer and that’s that already. And you can be negative without saying anything negative, facial expressions, body language , tone of voice etc.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Just got back from 5 days at Cosmopolitan. Our next trip will be in February for work. The convention is at Mandalay Bay. We would like to stay at MB for convenience but the reviews of rooms have me nervous. Anyone stay at MB recently ? Is Delano close enough for convention at MB or would it be a pain going back and forth ?

Hi, all:
First, let me say that I am a Yankees fan. Ok, with that out of the way, I'm making a trip to the Bay Area from NYC next month to catch up with friends and see some games. I am originally from Cali, and have been to both the Coliseum and Oracle, but just wanted to sketch out my itinerary here to get feedback and ask some questions.
I arrive on June 1st and am planning to watch the Yankees/Giants games that night and the following day. Not much is going on baseball-wise on June 3rd so I'll be hanging with my friends elsewhere.
I'm looking to attend the A's/Mariners games on June 4th and 5th. Re: seats, I see an appeal to sitting in 'good' seats on one evening and then 'cheap' seats the next. Especially with the 5th being a Double Play Wednesday, the chance to buy a $2 ticket direct seems too good to pass up.
I've sat in the seats right above Diamond Level in the past and really liked them. The first row in those sections is elite and I see that there are tickets available there on the 4th for $45 in those areas specifically. Is this where I should aim to sit, or are there other areas that are must-sees? I've also taken the opportunity to climb to the top of the Coli, visit the Treehouse, wander the corridors, etc, and look forward to doing that again. Anything else that I/we shouldn't miss?
Lastly, my trip was originally supposed to end on June 6th, but I see little value in staying the night only to fly out in the morning. I'd like to make an 11:45pm-ish flight out of SFO on the 5th. This seems doable with a 6:40 game, but the bag check facility would be clutch if it is still operating, allowing me to avoid trekking back to my hotel in SF to grab my bag. Any insight into whether this is still operating, and, if so, if it is safe and reliable?
Thanks in advance!

Hello! ☺️ Naa ba'y resorts sa Lapu-lapu nga no need na mu-avail ug day-use package, igo lang mukaon sa ilang restaurant nya mag-suroy2x lang sa beachside? Naa man gud akong boss (M) and counterpart (F) gikan EU for a 2-week business trip nya ganahan si counterpart magpabuwad sa init nya hilig sad sya'g beach. 😅 Dili ra pud sila ganahan maligo. Nagstay diay sila sa Bai Hotel karon kay closer sa office. Ganahan unta namo sila ilaag sa lagyo nga beaches pero kulang sad lagi'g time since jampacked ilang schedule the whole week. Mag-lunch among whole team sa Bai Hotel karong Sunday then plano namo sila ilaag after ana. Akong mga kauban sad sa work kay mahalan sa day-use rates sa Lapu-Lapu resorts. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 😀

Hi, all. I posted this in JapanTravelTips I realized this sub has more people, so I'm posting here as well in the hopes to get feedback. Rephrasing some parts for clarity.
So part of my Japan trip will be going to Sendai for the upcoming Pokemon Go event that will be held at Nanakita Park. I initially planned for 4 nights to cover for 1 day travel and 3 days in Sendai to explore the city plus do the event. Here's the draft itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrival from Tokyo, train to Sendai, check in to hotel
Day 2 - Event at Nanakita Park (morning event is 9-2pm)
Day 3 - Matsushima Bay tour (Matsushima cruise, Zuiganji and Godaido temples)
Day 4 - Yamadera temple, Zuihoden and Sendai castle (via Loople)
Day 5 - check out
Notes:

1. The actual times for my ticket to the Pokemon event is from 9:30am to 1:30pm, with city-wide event going after.
2. I understand that most tourist spots in Sendai close at 4pm so I tried to spread out the itinerary.
3. I am planning to use the 2-day pass that allows me to utilize their transportation.

Is it possible to adjust the itinerary to 3 nights? Day 1 and morning of Day 2 is fixed (for the flight and the Pokemon event), the remaining days can be adjusted.
I'm thinking of going to the Yamadera temple after the Pokemon Go event (and maybe even include the Sakunamin onsen), but I've read online that it requires you to go up a lot of stairs so I'm not sure if I have enough time. I'm also thinking if I can do the loople after I come back Matsushima in the afternoon. Although my main concern really here is not being able to enjoy the tourist spots as they close at 4pm.
Is this possible? hoping to get your feedback. Thanks!

casino a praga
Historia del casino en Praga
Los casinos tienen una larga historia en Praga, la capital de la República Checa. Desde el siglo XIX, los casinos han sido un lugar de entretenimiento popular para locales y turistas por igual. En esa época, los casinos en Praga se centraban principalmente en los juegos de cartas, como el póker y el blackjack.
Durante el siglo XX, los casinos de Praga tomaron un papel más prominente en la escena del entretenimiento de la ciudad. Se instalaron en lujosos hoteles y edificios históricos, atrayendo a visitantes de todo el mundo. Aunque hubo períodos de restricción durante la era comunista, los casinos florecieron nuevamente después de la Revolución de Terciopelo en 1989.
Hoy en día, los casinos de Praga ofrecen una amplia gama de juegos, desde las tradicionales mesas de ruleta y cartas hasta las populares máquinas tragamonedas. Muchos de estos establecimientos se encuentran en el centro de la ciudad, cerca de puntos turísticos famosos como la Plaza de Wenceslao y el Puente de Carlos.
La historia del casino en Praga refleja la evolución de la ciudad y su apertura al turismo internacional. Los casinos siguen siendo un destino popular para quienes buscan emoción y entretenimiento en uno de los destinos más bellos de Europa.
Legislación sobre casinos en Praga
La legislación sobre casinos en Praga es un tema de relevancia en la República Checa. En este país de Europa Central, la industria del juego está sujeta a leyes y regulaciones estrictas para garantizar un ambiente de juego seguro y justo.
En Praga, la capital de la República Checa, los casinos están regulados por la Ley del Juego, que establece los requisitos y condiciones que deben cumplir los operadores de casinos para obtener una licencia y operar legalmente. Esta legislación abarca aspectos como la seguridad de los jugadores, la prevención del lavado de dinero y el juego responsable.
Además, Praga cuenta con una autoridad reguladora especializada encargada de supervisar y controlar la actividad de los casinos en la ciudad. Esta entidad se encarga de velar por el cumplimiento de la legislación vigente y de investigar posibles infracciones por parte de los operadores de casinos.
Es importante destacar que la legislación sobre casinos en Praga se actualiza periódicamente para adaptarse a los cambios en la industria del juego y garantizar la protección de los jugadores. Gracias a estas medidas regulatorias, los residentes y turistas que disfrutan de los casinos en Praga pueden hacerlo en un entorno seguro y transparente.
En resumen, la legislación sobre casinos en Praga refleja el compromiso de las autoridades checas con la integridad y la legalidad en la industria del juego, protegiendo los intereses de los jugadores y garantizando un juego responsable.
Juegos de azar en la República Checa
Los juegos de azar en la República Checa tienen una larga historia y son una de las formas de entretenimiento más populares en el país. La República Checa cuenta con una amplia variedad de opciones para los amantes de los juegos de azar, desde casinos tradicionales hasta salas de juego más modernas y en línea.
Los casinos en República Checa ofrecen una experiencia de juego emocionante en un ambiente elegante y acogedor. Los visitantes pueden disfrutar de una amplia gama de juegos, como el póker, la ruleta, el blackjack y las tragamonedas, entre otros. Muchos casinos también ofrecen servicios de restaurante y bar para complementar la experiencia de juego.
Además de los casinos físicos, los juegos de azar en línea también son muy populares en la República Checa. Numerosas plataformas en línea ofrecen una amplia variedad de juegos de casino, apuestas deportivas y póker en línea, lo que brinda a los jugadores la comodidad de disfrutar de sus juegos favoritos desde la comodidad de sus hogares.
La regulación de los juegos de azar en la República Checa está a cargo del Ministerio de Finanzas, que supervisa y regula la industria para garantizar la protección de los jugadores y prevenir la ludopatía. Las leyes locales exigen que los casinos cumplan con estrictas normas de seguridad, transparencia y responsabilidad social.
En resumen, los juegos de azar en la República Checa ofrecen una experiencia emocionante y variada para los entusiastas del juego, ya sea en casinos tradicionales o en plataformas en línea. Con una regulación sólida y una amplia oferta de juegos, la República Checa se ha consolidado como un destino de juegos de azar de primer nivel en Europa.
Mejores casinos en Praga
Praga es conocida por su rica historia y su hermosa arquitectura, pero también es un destino popular para los amantes del juego. La ciudad cuenta con varios casinos de renombre que ofrecen una emocionante experiencia de juego en un entorno elegante.
Uno de los mejores casinos en Praga es el Casino Atrium, ubicado en el centro de la ciudad. Con su impresionante decoración y una amplia selección de juegos de mesa y máquinas tragamonedas, Casino Atrium atrae a jugadores de todo el mundo. Además, el casino ofrece entretenidos espectáculos en vivo y una excelente oferta gastronómica.
Otro destacado casino en Praga es el Casino Ambassador, situado en un elegante edificio Art Nouveau. Con su ambiente sofisticado y su amplia gama de juegos de casino, el Casino Ambassador es uno de los destinos favoritos de aquellos que buscan una experiencia de juego de alta calidad.
Además, Praga cuenta con el Casino Banco, un casino boutique que combina un ambiente íntimo con una excelente selección de juegos de azar. Con su atención al detalle y su impecable servicio, el Casino Banco ofrece a los visitantes una experiencia de juego exclusiva y memorable.
En resumen, los mejores casinos en Praga ofrecen a los jugadores una emocionante experiencia de juego en un entorno elegante y sofisticado. Ya sea que estés buscando probar tu suerte en las mesas de juego o simplemente disfrutar de la atmósfera única de un casino de clase mundial, Praga tiene mucho que ofrecer a los amantes del juego. ¡No dudes en visitar alguno de estos increíbles casinos en tu próximo viaje a la hermosa ciudad de Praga!
Turismo de casinos en Praga
El turismo de casinos en Praga es una de las atracciones más populares para aquellos que buscan emoción y entretenimiento durante su visita a la capital de la República Checa. Con una amplia variedad de casinos repartidos por toda la ciudad, los visitantes tienen la oportunidad de disfrutar de una experiencia de juego única en un entorno elegante y sofisticado.
Los casinos en Praga ofrecen una amplia gama de juegos, que van desde las clásicas mesas de ruleta y blackjack hasta las modernas máquinas tragamonedas de última generación. Además del juego, muchos casinos también ofrecen espectáculos en vivo, restaurantes de alta cocina y bares exclusivos, creando así un ambiente de lujo y diversión para los visitantes.
Uno de los casinos más emblemáticos de Praga es el Casino Atrium, ubicado en el centro de la ciudad. Con su impresionante arquitectura y su ambiente refinado, el Casino Atrium atrae a jugadores de todo el mundo en busca de emociones y premios en efectivo.
Además de los casinos tradicionales, Praga también ofrece la oportunidad de disfrutar de otros atractivos turísticos, como su impresionante arquitectura gótica y barroca, sus encantadoras calles empedradas y sus pintorescos cafés. Con su rica historia y su vibrante vida nocturna, Praga se ha convertido en un destino turístico popular para aquellos que buscan combinar el juego con la cultura y la historia.
En resumen, el turismo de casinos en Praga ofrece a los visitantes una experiencia única y emocionante en una de las ciudades más bellas de Europa. Ya sea que estés interesado en el juego o simplemente quieras disfrutar de la atmósfera exclusiva de los casinos de la ciudad, Praga tiene algo que ofrecer para todos los gustos.

Hi, all. So part of my Japan trip will be going to Sendai for the upcoming Pokemon Go event that will be held at Nanakita Park. I initially planned for 4 nights to cover for 1 day travel and 3 days in Sendai to explore the city plus do the event. Although I have qualms if I can adjust it to 3 nights instead. Here's the draft itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrival from Tokyo, train to Sendai, check in to hotel
Day 2 - Event at Nanakita Park (morning event is 9-2pm)
Day 3 - Matsushima Bay tour (Matsushima cruise, Zuiganji and Godaido temples)
Day 4 - Yamadera temple, Zuihoden and Sendai castle (via Loople)
Day 5 - check out
Notes:
1) The actual times for my ticket to the Pokemon event is from 9:30am to 1:30pm, with city-wide event going after.
2) I understand that most tourist spots in Sendai close at 4pm so I tried to spread out the itinerary.
3) I am planning to use the 2-day pass that allows me to utilize their transportation.
If I want to squeeze the itinerary to 3 nights, I'm thinking of going to the Yamadera temple after the Pokemon Go event (and maybe even include the Sakunamin onsen), but I've read online that it requires you to go up a lot of stairs so I'm not sure if I have enough time. I'm also thinking if I can do the loople after I come back Matsushima in the afternoon. Although my main concern really here is not being able to enjoy the tourist spots as they close at 4pm.
Is this possible? hoping to get your feedback. Thanks!

Blachowicz here.
Kept yah’ waiting, huh? Heh, sorry about that one, but I can explain. As we all know… we lost a few good men the last few months.
That’s the brutal part of a hybrid war like ours: We’re fighting a foe unconventional, with half our arsenal tied down because those who grant us authorization are either in disbelief of the true facts, or scared… or already assimilated. That being said our momentum recently was a change not seen in years, and because of that… despite the losses we have garnered, we were close through a breakthrough. One last night Krol pulls myself and other two must trusted squad leads into the back of our COP. There is one of our equipment cages, surrounded by m-bitter radios, tripods, and several hundred thousand dollars of equipment he brought us around a simple worn table. Before us he laid a map of eastern poland… red markings indicating cells that seemed to dot the countryside like a pestilence, or used to… as deep gashes of advance from raids had trisected their lines, even if ones did pop up in the interior.
It was a back and forth; an outside virus infecting Polska at it’s heart, and we were the antibodies sent to drive them out. To which… Major Krol points to one of the largest symbol on the map: a dark red diamond, the NATO symbol for an enemy unit, deep inside of an untouched wooded area, adjacent to a mountain ridge. Several jagged lines indicated entrenchment, with red horizontal lines indicating possible enemy control… or our contested control, for over 20kms surrounding it. Letting us all look, the Major lit himself a cigarette.
“Sir, you sure it’s wise to smoke in here with the dive tanks just behind us” 1st Squad’s lead quipped. “Fuck off” Krol dryly said.
“Alright… this is it… this is the one we’ve been searching for for years, this is the nucleus my predecessor commander died trying to find” he says, pointing to it. Not far from Zamosc, it was almost touching the border with Belarus, the contested area indicating the Strigoi did operate over it… indicating one of the largest spill through points. “-It’s an old soviet bunker, made during their 1960s initiative it was designed to hold the munitions and manpower of several units in the event of a NATO first strike” Krol explained. “It’s gotta be massive then…” I said gazing at the map; “Didn’t the army demolish all of the old soviet hulks near Belarus to prevent any infiltrations?” 3rd Squad’s lead asked. “National Police took the effort over… and by extension, the Strigoi. It was halfway demo’ed before they burrowed into it and have been using it as a bridgehead ever since. This is it…” Krol said. He looked around at all of us, a sense of certainty I had never seen before as he blew smoke from his nostrils; “We’ve been fucking around in the dark for so long, it’s hard to believe we’ve made any progress, but this is it. With this gone, this will set them back over a decade and the momentum will finally shift into our favor… into Poland’s… -Europe’s”.
I swear there was almost a flash of joy, of pride in his eyes and a phantom of a smirk before reality set back in “That being said… we can’t leave this to chance, especially not something as important as this. We’re going to have to go there ourselves… clear through every inch of that place, and tear it all down, piece by piece. I will be straight with you all… when we go, there will be some of us that aren’t coming back. -but we are going… a whole generation is counting on us, and unborn billions rely on us to succeed”. We all nodded, a silent agreement washing over us as we took this upon ourselves. Echo-1 spoke up: “So… They’re authorizing a raid? How big?”. “We’re rolling in as a hard target, armor, explosives, and air support” Krol answered, taking a drag off his cigarette. “Aviation? How the hell did we get that approved, we’ve gotten attempts shot down four times due to those leeches” I said in disbelief. “There’s too much evidence here pointing to the human trafficking tied to their actions… We’ve finally got too much weight pinning them down, to keep the hammer from slamming into their necks” Krol chuckled. He looked around “Any questions?”. “When?” Echo-3 asked. “Three hours. We’re hitting them in the dead of night, only time we could get the birds authorized. Get your boys ready. We’re rolling out” Krol said, dying the cigarette bud out on the table. I can’t begin to tell you the euphoria we felt leaving that cage, as our men started arriving, they did so a lot quicker, and with their heads a lot higher than they had in weeks. As Second Squad’s lead we were going to be one of the main arms of attack into the bunker, thus I made sure we had a breacher loaded with enough thermite, charges, and tools to cut through anything. Our shield bearer we ready to go, as was our assaulters, grenadiers, and machine gunner. I double checked each and everyone of their weapons; ensuring the feeder paws of our squad’s belt fed were intact, making sure every breach charge we had was properly set and packed. There was going to be no mistakes, no slip ups. The margin of error needed to be the smallest it had ever been for us tonight if we were going to make the gore spilt worth it.
Finally… there on the outside of the building, the bright LED lights kept the darkness of the ensuing night at bay as the roar of our MRAPs could be heard. It was said once that war is 99% peace, and 1% chaos, they were right. The slow periods where the blood slowed and the doubt creeped in was the worst… yet we all kept it at bay. We needed to, there was going to be no backing down tonight. All three squads were up, all of us ready to go… we circled up… short stares and shaky nods telling us one things: We were in this together, till the end… the finish line so many before us had been searching for, we were being granted tonight.
A single set of footsteps could be heard as we turned, Major Krol stepping into the center. He took the last drag of a cigarette, throwing it down to the ground and stamping it out onto the damp concrete. He looked around… his chin strap blowing in the weak air as he met everyone of our gazes… then mine… then looked around. “I want you to remember every detail of tonight, as you have every other night… when you are situationally aware, scanning for the enemy, liberating the subjugated, I want you to remember the sting of anxiety, the shake of adrenaline, the chill of the bunker, the heat of your weapon as it cuts them down… because tonight we are going to write every fine detail of our victory, their defeat, in history…” Krol’s words echoed deep into our souls. He paused for a moment, staring around he looked down… a small pause before he said “When you are ruthless in combat, remember to be patient, and reserved in victory. This conflict is for our existence… a lot of innocents have bled due to the mistakes of those who failed to listen, a lot of our brothers are now laid under because we had to bridge the gap of uncertainty with their lives. We remember them now… but in an hour? We forget them… when we raise our barrels, when we cut into those foes, and we liberate Polska!! This does not end tonight, but history puts everything in it’s place, and patience is the companion of the victor… All of our hard work will be cemented, no matter the obstacles we face in that darkness… no matter the demons, the blood, no matter what incomprehensible horrors, we will make them comprehend that to invade our land, to bleed our people, the justice will be paid in full… Load up. It’s time*”*.
The purpose in our steps was heavy as we climbed the back ramps of the MRAPS; Four of the heavily armored vehicles, one for each squad with an additional for attached personnel including our JTAC, the term means Joint Terminal Attack Controllers. With air support requisitioned to us for this operations, there needs to be a definite liaison on the ground who can directly communicate to the birds, and coordinate their fire and progress. I’d worked with many of them in the past, resourceful guys, quick thinking though I guess that comes with the position they hold of needing to quickly figure out what bombs to drop, on which target, at what precise points, whilst taking contact. He loaded in the lead vehicle with Major Krol… and soon, our convoy kicked off.
The drive was several hours as myself and my squad sat in the back of that forty ton goliath, the rumbling of the engine keeping us awake as the crap heater fought to keep the cold from the outside frost from setting in. I looked around to each of them, some were catching some sleep because even with the circumstances… better to get all the energy you can, than to stay awake for nothing. Others were checking their weapons… My gunner locked eyes with me, the same one from the village extraction… many of these men I had trained with for a while now, fought with for months.
We may have met on unconventional circumstances but those in JW Grom thrive on austere chance and create opportunity from scratch. I was pulled from my thought by the sound of a transmission, my peltors were set up for dual comms so I could both receive information from the Major and other leads, whilst communicating with my team.
Krol himself sent out: [“Approximately 10 minutes from enemy AO…”]. As the rest of the squads acknowledged, I quickly sent out [“Echo-2 Copies”], before kicking the boots of any of them sleeping: “Look alive, we’re here”. Through the exterior net armor of the MRAPS, and the bars protecting the small reinforced windows, we could barely see jack shit. I reached up, turning off the overhead light as we all looked through our nods to scan the outside. A dark wall of dense trees was shown before us, making it difficult to see… in addition to night vision capabilities we had also requisitioned ourselves some thermals… when mounted onto rifles they were bulky, made it a pain to aim down quickly, but considering the supernatural capabilities of spotting our foes we needed every advantage necessary.
I flipped out one of my tubes… scanning the outside with my scope. I looked over to one of my assaulters who had been assigned to man the turret of the MRAP, seated near the view screen as he controlled the 50. Cal. Each of the vehicle turrets had been assigned a direction to cover… we took the 9 o’clock, the left flank. “See anything?” I asked. He shook his head; “Negative… wait… I’ve got two cold signatures, front left heading to our rear”.
I quickly scanned the far tree line, at approximately 60 meters off our left were two cold signatures… followed by a third heading to our front… then another. They were surrounding us, moving at speeds so fast I could barely keep my reticle on them. Is this what the National Police saw? What they faced at that lodge without the benefit of a foot of heavy armor protecting them on all sides. Then… suddenly. Something slammed into the side of our MRAP so hard, it caused it to shake. From over the leader comms, Echo-3 quickly shouted [“Contact right!! 4 hostiles!!”].
One of the Strigoi… so bold, had charged and slammed into the side of our MRAP. I quickly looked to see the figure, a dark blue mass of cold energy through my thermal, back away without so much as a stagger… as they tried to flee into the woods, the white hot justice of Echo-3’s gun fired at them, cutting them down. “Blachowicz I’ve got a few breaking for our vic” my man on the turret called out, I spun around, spotting out the window.
Just then, Major Krol announced [“weapons free, watch and shoot for targets of opportunity…”]. I turned to him… “take those fuckers out-”. Without hesitation my vic’s turret began to quickly target them, and through the darkness I saw a stream of outgoing fire bisect one of them, the ISR of the black blood freaking out the optic so badly it didn’t know what temperature to register it as… but it did register it. As another was cut down, one broke through the tree line and latched onto the side of our MRAP. The thing tore at one of the outer net armor panels, usually made to stop RPGs. It grabbed at the bars near the windows, tearing one off… I lowered my rifle as we locked eyes through the reinforced window.
The thing… the Strigoi looked at me, skin cracked as putrefied muscle fibers seemed to leak through dead flesh. It’s teeth were corroded and worn down to sharp fragments, alongside newly mutated fangs that messily protrude from the jaws. Even through the thick walls of the MRAP I could hear it’s roar, as it then tried to punch it’s way through… it cracked the outer coating of the vehicle… but it wasn’t getting anywhere near. My machine gunner, seated next to me, seemed to chuckle at the sight, quippily saying “Yeah… fuck you too”. It’s then our vehicle lurched upwards, as we began to climb the small incline of the bunker. I knew the layout, mapped it in our head, the main entrance was built into the rocky side of an old cliff meaning we could easily set up a defensive perimeter around it, a horseshoe. Krol’s vehicle was first, taking to the right as Echo-3’s MRAP followed. My vehicle, third, left the incline and took a left and… that’s where things got complicated.
We’re still trying to work out what happened but… from what Joakim says his drone captured. Right when the MRAP turned, several of the monsters quickly slammed into the side of the vehicle, as another more bulkier one, pushed at it’s undercarriage. The result.. Was the 40 ton armored vehicle tipped over. It wasn’t uncommon, hell in some cases a well placed IED, a good shot with a recoilless rifle, have been known to tip over Oshkoshs and Maxpros all the time. But this beast? Needless to say we barely had a second to comprehend it as it leaned to the left; “Grab on to something-” is all I had time to shout. A mess of gear and men spilled onto one side of the vehicle as it slammed into the old gravel and dirt.
Several of my assaulters, my grenadier planted right ontop of myself and the others as we came to a stop. Someone’s knee slammed directly into the side of my skull, causing me to dazily bob in and out of consciousness as my face was smushed against the glass of one of the windows.
Through my peltors, the other squads were erratic;
[“Echo-2’s vehicle is down!!”].
[“Echo-3 to Echo-2… Echo-3 to Echo-2…”].
Krol’s voice came through the comms;
[“Echo-Lead to Echo-2… Fuc-... Echo-1 secure Echo 2’s flank, Echo-3”].
[“Echo-3 to other units, they’re spilling through, I’ve got several enemy combatants converging on Echo-2’s vehicle”].
I pushed the legs of my grenadier off my head as I fought to my hands and knees, unfucking my nods as I looked around… “Fuck it… we’re going lights on, shield your eyes” I muttered as I reached for the overhead lights and flipped them on. The bright LEDs bathed the inside of the vehicle as we all gained our bearings, a mess of multicam, gear, and weapons as we quickly pushed each other off. My gunner caught as he fought to realign his promask, from what I gathered one of the assaulters had landed directly into his gun, pushing it directly into his jugular, as pulled back at the rubber and coughed, freeing up his esophagus. We didn’t have time to think however… the sound of bending metal caught our attention… as the back ramp door of the MRAP was ripped clean off. I could barely believe it but as the white light of the MRAP’s interior poured to the outside, a hulking mass leaned in, the dead flesh on it’s face nearly fallen off as the hideous Strigoi leaned inside.
Without hesitation I aimed took aim, yelling “Keep to the deck!!” to any of those inbetween myself and the invader as I opened fire. A burst of full auto fire tore through it’s collar and neck, my men quickly clung to either sides of the fallen MRAP as a few more fired out. As the thing backed up, a blast of .50 cal fire quickly tore it to shreds, along with several others as I realized they were fuckin swarming over the outside of our vehicle. Echo-3’s vehicle continued to carefully fire on the Strigoi on the outside, the sounds of .50 cal ricocheting off the outside of our armor was enough to make the pucker factor set in.
[“Echo-3 to Echo-2”].
[“This is Echo-2, we’re green on ammo, equipment, men”].
[“Roger, we’re shifting fire, exit the vehicle”].
“Hurry up let’s go!!” I barked to my men, leading the way as I staggered out. I turned on my peq, taking aim at silhouettes in the brush as I began to fire. The sounds of machine guns lighting up the brush, as a sea of growls, howls, and incomprehensible roars fired back at us was the ambient noise of the night. My men quickly exited, my gunner being the last as he and I pulled back to the rest of the defensive perimeter. I set in my men to take up the frontal security, as 3rd squad took the right flank, 1st squad to the left. Major Krol and the JTAC were bickering with each other; “How far out are the birds”. “They’re entering airspace now…” Joakim said, already scanning his smart book.
I asked “What’ve we got?”. He then flipped through… to the NATO combined arms segment, quippily saying; “Apaches…”. This caused me to pause as Echo-3 turned their head whilst directing their squad’s fire “The hell… where did we get apaches from?”. “The Americans… they volunteered” Krol said dismissively as he took aim at the darkness, firing off a controlled trio. “Volunteered? They’re aware of what’s going on?” I asked.
Krol seemed to stop, glancing back at me before returning his focus “There’s a lot more going on than you realize, Blachowicz… Prep the breach, you and 1st are going on”.
I quickly pulled my breacher off the line, securing some thermite as the reinforced bunker door wasn’t going to go as easily as a conventional door breach would. 1st Squad pulled back, stacking up and preparing themselves to be the first in. All the while… Joakim gave his firing solution; “Alpha Hotel Two Five Nine, This is Bravo-4…… Type 2….”.
I snapped to my right, watching as a Strigoi managed to dark across the clear gravel field, only to be cut down by my gunner, the peq’s laser marking the burst as it tore through the beasts’ hips, as it hit the ground and still continued to claw, another GROM operator took aim and fired into it’s skull. Joakim popped up to his feet…. “Marking laser, high power…”. He then pulled out a target marking laser… if you’ve watched night operations, you’ve probably seen them.
The green laser than as it says on the label, marks targets. The pattern of which can vary… if it’s a point target, it’ll usually lasso an area, or remain on target until the target is removed with extreme prejudice. If its close air support, then it’ll be a line of the general area… and Joakim damn near marked the entire perimeter around us. He quickly pocketed the tool, turning back to Krol; “Don’t go past 20 meters unless you want to be liquidated”.
With that… 2nd and 1st stacked up at the door as 3rd squad took up the perimeter security. As Major Krol went over to Echo-1… I saw them. A single blinking IR strobe from the beasts as they moved on the far off horizon, converging from several angles… and fired. The sound of the Apache’s main gun, the M230, truly sounds like the hammer of god… the 30mm cannon shot through the dark sky, lighting it up as we saw three incoming streams tear up the woods. Only then as the sound broke did we start to hear their rotors as they broke and began to circle, firing again… then… Joakim dipped his head and looked to Krol; [“Foxtrot Mike, hang onto your teeth…”]. One of the Apaches fired off a AGM-114… a Hellfire. I barely saw it out of the corner of my eye as the Apache from our right flank fired off at a target approximately 200 meters off. A fireball lit up the forest as the horrendous roar echoed throughout… then went silent.
Echo-3 scanned the horizon carefully;
[“Echo-3 to Echo-Lead, enemy contact is starting to die down”].
[“Maintain perimeter, Close Air is to maintain fire mission until we are boots up, Break…”].
[“Echo-Lead to Echo-1, condition white has been met. Proceeds”]. I saw Echo-1 and his men quickly stack up close to the wall and gesture to me; Breaching. I quickly pulled my stack back against the wall as his and mine breacher quickly hit their actuators. Now under normal circumstances, it doesn’t take much for thermite to melt the locks off of a metal surface, in fact it’s a more precise took as alternative means get real medieval like saws, pry bars… we weren’t in the mood for precision, we need to breach their little lair, and drag them out. The sound of several pounds of hellfire burning through the metal could be heard around the corner as a sea of white and red sparks flew out… after several seconds, two of our men tossed a fragmentation grenade and a nine-bang through the opening… a series of concussive blasts and a large explosion rang out.
Echo-1 and his men maneuvered. 1st Squad quickly converged as we followed them in.
Stepping through the black wall of smoke, the dark abyss of the interior was illuminated in a white light as entered barrels raised. Shots rang out as several of the beasts near the entrance were cut down, though not immediately, rounds disconnected the shoulder of one of them, leading to their arm hanging limply by a single tendon as they roared… another series of rounds putting them down. What greeted us was a messy concrete hell of rust and debris, fecal matter, trash, and all kinds of obstacles laid in our way, our boots sticking to the floor. I thank every god we had promasks that night. I called my shield bearer up, 2nd squad leapfrogging ahead to take the next corridor as 1st squad checked their weapons.
One of my men mule kicked the metal door ahead, twice, finally the latch gave away as we tossed in a grenade. A horrifying roar was cut off as an M67 shook the walls of the ancient soviet mausoleum, frag and spall kicked off the walls as I moved in right behind my shield man. The cramped russian design meant there was barely enough space for three people, and that’s three normal people, not in 50kgs of kit, moving slowly and maneuvering against creatures of the dark. Still… we moved forward, my shield bearer and I pushing the pace as two stacked of either squad formed on either wall.
As we passed doorways they flowed in… “Door Left!!”, “Door Right!!”. “Move!!”.
Two men entered each side, no gunshots, we moved up, a roar came.
“Door left!!-”. A series of gunshots came out as we continued to push forward.
“Two down!!”. “Confirm them” Krol commanded, as a series of gunshots run out in response. From one of the doorways, a Strigoi emerged… a female… clumps of hair had been ripped from her decaying skull, as her blooded eyes locked on myself and my shieldman. The skin on her hands had been tore down to the point where barely her bones and tendons remain… looking like huge talons as she roared and lunged at us. He fired off his pistol, though the rounds did little to stop her as she pushed against our stack.
“Fuck!!” he muttered, somehow her strength caused him to stagnate, holding up the advance… fuck that. I shoved the muzzle of my MK18 into her ribcage, flipping the weapon to auto as I fired of round after round. The 5.56 salvo disconnecting her spinal column, causing her to fall as I continued to fire, along with a man to our right and left as the stacks reformed as we pushed to the end of the hall. I fell back, dropping the magazine and loading a fresh one, like clockwork a GROM Operator from 1st squad took my place. Krol was beside me as we approached the end of the hall.
[“-Prep an entry”] I radioed to my breacher, a comrade handed him one of the charges from his back panel as he took to the door, quickly securing it. We all moved as far back as we could, look away, exhale. The blast knocked metal and wood in all directions, scrapping against our uniforms and kit as we made our way in and what laid before us was… it used to be the center atrium of one of these bunkers. Soviet’s loved their grandiose designs, the complex was supposed to be a circular room around a central planning table… instead. It had been turned into some sort of church. Runes and old eastern Romuva pagan symbols written in black ink and blood across the walls, old rotten filing cabinets, long receipt terminals. In the center… several of the Strigoi were kneeling before the table where someone had been tied down, flayed, and… shared amongst the group. They rose to their feet, we aimed our barrels…
The ladder amongst turned to us… his skin wasn’t cracked, or flayed, it was smooth… it still looked dead as the body on the table but it seemed more… accustomed to it. I don’t know… evolved? Under the surface however I could see it’s darkened veins pumping whatever cursed blood ran through them as it locked two blood red eyes onto each of us. It’s nose had long since been turn off, exposing boney nostrils to the open air as it seemed to smirk. All across it’s body were the same symbols on the walls, in every cell… markings of death, of rebirth, of assimilation… From behind this seemingly Alpha emerges another figure I had never seemed before… dressed in a white cloak with a deer head.
"So they've followed the trail... they're too late" the Deer headed individual spoke, definitely not from here, a dialect similar to an Americans but... aristocratic? Each word was drawn out, assurance as if they had everything mapped down to our actions. They didn’t sound like they were from Poland or the east.
“Doesn’t matter…” the Alpha growled… and then, it lunged at us. Quickly breaking from their ground it slammed into my shield man knocking both him and myself at the ground as it displayed an intense feat of strength. Around us I could see several of the Strigoi leap at our comrades… though to no fruitful endeavor as I could see one GROM operator cut two down, as another got into a hand to hand confrontation… my breacher, crafty as they were, reached back and slammed one of the prybars of his kit into the skull of the beast.
The Alpha however was not content as it threw away the 90lb shield, sending it flying across the room as it grabbed my comrade by the skull. I quickly kicked up at it, firing my MK18 into it’s body as the rounds pierced it’s gray and rune covered flesh. The thing simply seemed to chuckle… that was until Major Krol blasted away at the side of it’s head, the alpha turned… and it’s smirk turned to a scowl when face to face with the major. A knowing pause almost like they had done this dance before…
The creature lunged, locking up with Major Krol as it swung and slammed railing. Krol didn’t back down however as he pushed against the creature, hiptossing it to the ground even as it tore at his armor and gear. But the beast pulled, both of them rolled and the Major was on his back as the thing reached for his neck. I fought to a kneel, firing into the creature messily with my MK18, trying not to hit my commander… then…
Click. A sound sends a chill up the spine of every warfighter during a firefight.
My gun ran dry. I dropped the magazine, looking to load another, but the thing came up and with one of it’s claws, sliced deep into my cheek, through the pro mask. I could feel my own blood go flying through the air as I landed hard on my back plate, spitting out red iron as I quickly tried to adjust my mask. Through my fogged up, blood covered lense… I saw my shield man raise his pistol, firing into the skull of the thing staggering it with a roar. Krol came from behind, drawing his knife he sunk it deep into the neck of it…. I reached for my rifle, forcing a new magazine in and damn near punching the bold release. ““Sir, down!!” I shouted, Krol rolled away, back to his own rifle as I fired. So did my comrade as he continued to fire his pistol… so did the Major as he fired his rifle. All of us chewing through that apex predator of darkness, that beast… the leader that had been preying on our people for so long. Layer by layer, muscle group by bone… eventually… the alpha landed on whatever was left of his back.
The silence of the fight died down as all of us checked our surroundings, GROM Operators putting controlled pairs in the heads and nerve stems of any Strigoi laying around… I flicked my weapon onto safe, letting it hang as I pulled off my mask. I dared not touch the wound on my face… the pain nearly crippling me if it wasn’t sheer will pushing me through, and adrenaline doing all it could to subdue it. The sound of the apaches continuing to lay hate drew us from our moment of contemplation as the Major went back to work; [“Confiscate any info, burn the rest…”]. He turned back to me as I shoved my damaged M50 mask back into it’s bag, chuckling as he looked at the sight; “You need a medevac, Blachowicz?” he quipped.
I shook my head, barely able to speak as I muttered; “Negative sir…”. The two of us scanned the room as my shield bearer went to collect his defense implement turned 90lb projectile, we scanned the center of the room, checking and confirming bodies, until we got to the last one alive. His white gown was soaked in red crimson and black ooze, as his dear head was mangled from bullet fire and impact from falling on it. I swear… the way his blood poured out of it though made me wonder if it was a mask. I gave it no second thoughts as he looked to Krol; “You… you can’t stop this, they’ve already-”.
The Major was in no mood for communication as his rifle snapped up and fired off three rounds to the body, four the head. The violent yet quick salvo ending the cultists life, I looked down at it, then to him as he remarked; “Have your squad drag him out to the front, burn the rest”. I stood alongside him, looking down as the sight of it’s deer head was both captivating and horrifying… the curiosity in me wanting to look closer at it fighting the primal instinct I had to burn the thing to ash. “-Haven’t seen one of those before…” I muttered, thinking the Major had an answer.
He didn’t. Krol saying “Neither have I…” shortly before he walked away, was what truly shook my soul about that entire night. Victory stood firm in our hearts that night as we stood outside of the bunker. The night sky burning with fire and white phosphorus as we watched the ruin burn from the inside from the other side of the lot. In the distance, the Apaches continued to scan and circle the forests, no longer firing…. Which meant they had driven any or turned to glass any enemy combatants within a four miles, probably both, more than likely the latter. Echo-1 patted me on the shoulder as we stood there, soaking it all in, though Krol looked none to pleased. “In the time it took us to take this one down, they’ll be trying to set up three more cells… that being established…” he said, looking to either of us, then to Echo-3. “-Hell of a thing we did tonight, been waiting for this one for a decade, cleanly, maybe more… but no time to rest on our laurels… we’ll have another task for us as soon as we’re boots down back home” he said, to which his eyes followed mine, the body of whatever cultist that was zipped up in a black body bag beside the wheel of one of the MRAPs. The fire from the bunker casting an orange hue over it’s shiny jet black outside, something didn’t sit right with me… “That wasn’t a Strigoi…” I said to Krol.
“That’s very clear…” the Major said, shoving his mask under his arm and lighting a cigarette. “So… someone’s helping them?” I asked. The meer notion of it shook me to my core, sickened me. This parasite was already badly infecting Europa, Polska… if it was spread like this throughout the world. Krol settled my nerves: “We’ll be ready… It’s not just us anymore”. As he said that, I realized what he meant… my eyes looking to the Apaches as they started to form up, leaving the areas as their thunderous propellers melted into the night’s calm, unnerving ambience.
It’s been a couple of weeks since then, Echo Detachment has been busy. We’ve gained good ground against the enemy and honestly I think in a few years, we might see a much larger change. For now… we must keep going, that being said the Strigoi aren’t the only ones we’ve been combating. Recently we’ve made contact with of some sort of extermination coalition, they’ve known about the Strigoi, and others plaguing the world, the level of corruption and corrosion on society goes deep. Regardless a lot of the units we’ve been working with are apart of NATO, such as this “4th Special Forces Group” of the American Military. I don’t know where the road from here leads, but we’ve gotten momentum on our side, finally. Just remember… these things are out there, in every town, every city, every nation… preying and waiting for you to be alone, vulnerable, so they can take you and replace you.
Watch your back, and stay safe.
For now, Blachowicz signing out. Until next time