The Bahamas

April 15, 2019Leave a comment

CITY: NASSAU

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

My sister and I stayed at two very different locations while in the Bahamas, one a hostel, the other a resort!

The first: BahaSea Backpackers Hostel This place was great! I’ve never stayed at a hostel that was beachfront before 🙂 It’s literally on the water and there are two pools. We stayed in a 10 person all female dorm, which had a en-suite bathroom and lockers under the bunk beds to lock up out stuff. My sister and I had a great time meeting other travelers. We met two lovely German gals who we played cards with each night. Overall this was an awesome hostel and to stay in the Bahamas for $50 per night is nothing to complain about.

BahaSea

View from our room!

Lounging around at the hostel

The second: Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Normally I wouldn’t stay at a resort like this because I would choose being able to travel for longer by staying at hostels, than traveling for shorter, but staying at more luxurious hotels. However, this trip was part of a Christmas gift from my parents, so hello Grand Hyatt! This place is magical. It’s right on Cable Beach, has 7 pools and 20 dining options! My sister and I felt like it was an adult Disneyland. We spent each day getting up to workout at the gym, going to a lovely breakfast, then heading to the pool for some sun, reading time and a drink. It doesn’t get much better. Each day we had fun deciding which pool we would make our home base for the next 6 hours. Our two German friends came to the hotel to spend two days by the pool/beach with us, and it was fun to share the resort with them. If you’re not on a budget, then this is definitely the place to stay in Nassau.

Looking out at Baha Mar

Bahamas

Exploring

Enjoying the pool

Our beautiful German friends

Soaking up the sun

Janni

Exploring the aquariums via the pool

Waterfalls

Supermodel much?

Our last night at sunset

WHERE TO EAT:

While at the hostel, there were two main restaurants in walking distance: News Cafe, which we went to for breakfast twice, and Spritz Restaurant & Bar, which we went to for dinner twice. Both were fine, but nothing to write home about. Spritz had a nice view though, so points for that.

View at Spritz Bar

At the Hyatt, you can’t really go wrong, but our favorites for breakfast were 3 Tides Fish House for their Breakfast Sandwich and Stuffed Brioche French Toast, & The Palms Cafe for their Acai Bowl and Banana Bread French Toast. For lunch/dinner (we would often do linner at around 4:30/5pm) our favorites were Umami Burger for it’s Impossible Burger & The Swimming Pig for their Truffle Pizza, Truffle Fries, and the best Spinach Caesar Salad you have ever had! The food at the Hyatt, while not cheap, was delicious.

Umami Burger

The Palms Cafe

3 Tides Fish House

Our favorite spinach salad

Pancakes at The Palms Cafe

WHAT TO DO:

Honestly, if you are in the Bahamas, your plans for what to do should center upon spending time at the beach and at the pool. BUT if you want to leave the relaxation of being by the water, there are many options for you! First, you can go to another island and sit by the water there 🙂 My sister and I did a day trip through Sandy Toes. It was about a 30 min boat ride to another island and once there you can swim with pigs, go snorkeling, or just lay back in a chaise lounge by the turquoise water.

Wind in our hair as we take the boat to Rose Island

Approaching the island

Rose Island!

Meeting the pigs

What a good boy!

No complaints here

Lounging around

Unbelievable water!

Look at this water!

The private beach

Ellie

The other must-do is to take a walk around the downtown area. Visit Graycliff to see a whimsical street, the chocolate factory, and the cigar factory. After Graycliff, just walk along Bay Street for some window shopping and some ice cream.

Ellie’s new date

The pretty street where Graycliff can be found

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

The Bahamas were the perfect spot to relax, catch up on reading, and sleep in. The water is unbelievable beautiful and we had the best time soaking up the sun. In the weeks leading up to our trip, I had read some travel advisories warning of some safety issues, however, my sister and I never felt unsafe, either at the hotel or when we were walking around in the downtown area. We even took the public busses and taxis, and not once did we have issues. Overall I would highly recommend a trip down the Bahamas!

Machu Picchu

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018Leave a comment

HIKING THE SALKANTAY TRAIL TO MACCU PICCHU

4 days, 3 nights

While you can find tours that are cheaper than booking with Salkantay Trekking, you won’t be sorry to spend the extra money. You get to sleep under the stars in glass domes, in tents, and in a hotel, as opposed to sleeping outside in the cold or on the ground, like other tours. Additionally, you will be served some of the most amazing food by a chef who is dedicated to your tour group (up to 12 people). I can’t recommend booking with this company enough!

WHERE WE STAYED:

The first night was my favorite accommodation. We stayed in glass domes with views of the stars above. Despite the cold outside, the sleeping bags and blankets were more than enough to create a cozy, warm environment inside. The second night we spent in a tent under a thatched roof. Unfortunately it rained a decent amount before and while we were there so the tent was slightly damp, which tainted the experience a bit. However, it was still better than sleeping on the ground- which is what many other tours offer. Our last night we stayed in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the mountain which Maccu Picchu is perched upon.

Accommodation Night 1

Accommodation Night 2

Accommodation night 3 was a hotel in Aguas Calientes

WHAT WE ATE:

One of the main reasons to chose Salkantay Trekking over the many other tour companies is the food quality. IT IS JUST SO GOOD (and I am a very picky eater). We also had one vegetarian, one one nut allergy, and someone who was gluten-free. Despite all the diets to balance, each meal was a full spread filled with delicious options. A personal chef travels with our group the first 3 days and prepare hot, fresh food for each meal. For the amount of money we spent on the tour, this was an incredible feature. I can’t explain enough how this really made the trip so special.

Night one dinner spot

Lunch spread

Dinner spread

WHAT WE DID:

Each of the four days on the trek was unique. Day 1 was fairly easy. After being picked up around 4am from each our hostels, we drove for a few hours before we stopped for a delicious breakfast at a local restaurant somewhere in the countryside outside of Cusco. After fueling up we walked about 2 hours to the location of our first campsite. Such a magical spot. It would become my favorite spot of the whole trip. After eating lunch, we set off up a mountain up to Humantay Lake. It was surreal walking around the huge valley completed surrounded by nature. This is one of my parts about backpacking- escaping the human world and immersing myself in the natural world. Overall we walked around 7.5 miles (12km) and gained 5,000 feet (1,250m) of elevation.

Where it all began

The group!

The long road ahead

The Incan aqueducts

Base camp for night on1

The hike up to Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake

The group at Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake

New friend

Day 2 was the hardest day. We would reach our highest elevation (aka no oxygen) and walk the farthest. After an early wakeup call (~5am) we got our day started with a delicious breakfast spread including coca tea. Unfortunately it was drizzling the entire morning, which was when we had the most difficult hiking of the day. The morning would entail a 4 mile hike straight up to the Salkantay Pass. It would be a 3,000 foot elevation gain and would take 3 hours to complete. Despite the mist and rain that we faced, I couldn’t help but not care as the views definitely made up for it. As we left our glass domed campsite nestled in the beautiful valley, we slowly traded green, grassy mountainsides for snow-capped peaks. By the time we reached the pass, snow was all you could see- under my feet and all the mountains surrounding us.

Early morning start with rain

Almost at the summit

We made it!

15,255 feet

After pausing for a snack at the peak, we began our descent to our next campsite. The further we got away from the peak, the warmer it became. Immediately our group began to peel off our many layers, including our rain gear. 3 miles later we stopped for lunch and a quick rest. After lunch, we quickly entered what is known as the “cloud forrest”, the upper part of the Amazon jungle. We finished the last 6 miles in this climate. We were rewarded with many birds and beautiful plants and trees during this part of the trek. Finally we arrived at the Chauflay Village, where we camped for the night. There was wifi and electricity at this camp, so the peak of luxury 🙂

On the other side of the pass

Entering the high jungle

Unbelievable scenery

We were offered two options for day 3: either hike 16.1 miles to Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of Machu Picchu or visit a coffee plantation and natural hot springs and finish with about a 5 mile hike to Aguas Calientes. Naturally I convinced our group to choose the latter. It was interesting to see how coffee was made at a local plantation and it was glorious to sooth our aching muscles in the hot springs. After the morning activities and lunch at the hot springs, we drove a bit towards Aguas Calientes. However, since there are no cars allowed, tourists have two options of getting there: walking or taking the famous train. Given we had already skipped the morning part of the trek, we threw on our hiking gear and began our walk along the train tracks. Luckily it was fairly flat so it wasn’t too tough on our already sore bodies. 3 hours later we arrived in Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the town where everyone stays the night before they go to Machu Picchu. As I mentioned there are no cars, but the train runs right through town. That night we were put up in a (very basic) hotel room and went to dinner at a local restaurant. Fairly quickly after dinner we rushed home to get into bed because tomorrow would bring an early 4am wake up call in order to be first in line to take the bus up to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

On our way to the coffee plantation

Coffee beans we collected right off the trees

Processing the beans

After roasting the beans

Coffee

Gathering the beans

Roasting the beans

The Hot Springs

Enjoying the rest

Walking along the train tracks

High jungle

Aguas Calientes appears

Day 4: Machu Picchu. You can either hike 90 min up the mountain or take a 45 min bus (and after all the walking we did, we happily voted for the bus). By 4:30am we were standing in line for the bus. Once the busses start running around 5:30am, we were on the second bus up. It is so worth it to be on the first couple of busses up. In the first hour or so, it feels like you have Machu Picchu all to yourself.

We made it

Early morning

Up in the clouds

I spent the rest of the day wandering on my own, taking many breaks to just sit and take it all in. Pictures don’t do it justice- I highly recommend going and seeing it for yourself!

Machu Picchu

So beautiful

My favorite photo

The valley

Machu Picchu from afar

SO CUTE

Can’t handle the cuteness!!!

Obligatory selfie

Many hours later, I met up with the rest of our group and we made our way to the train station. Our magical journey to Machu Picchu had come to an end.

Our ride out of Aguas Calientes and back to Cusco

Lima + Cusco

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018Leave a comment

I spent a total of 10 days in Peru, but I wish I could spend a month! Peru is just lovely. Felt completely safe as a solo female traveler. English is fairly widely spoken in the places I went, although I speak Spanish so I would be fine anywhere. Peru definitely is set up for international travelers, which makes it great as a first trip to South America.

CITY: LIMA

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Pariwana hostel located in the Miraflores neighborhood of Lima. This is a pretty common area for travelers to stay in and there are tons of hostels to choose from. This hostel has a hot shower, lockers for your bags, and a great (free) breakfast. It was easy to meet people in the dorm rooms as well as upstairs on the roof top hangout spot. Tons of comfy lounge chairs and couches in the shade. Overall I really liked this hostel and would stay here again!

WHERE TO EAT:

Lima has some of the best food… but between my day tours and being jet legged I honestly didn’t eat anywhere noteworthy other than for some churros at Manolo. I had churros with some warm chocolate sauce for dipping. Delicioso! Definitely do your research and find some of the yummy gems in Lima.

The famous churros

WHAT TO DO:

My time in Lima was filled with two main activities: the free walking tour and a day trip to Paracas + Huacachina.

After landing in Lima at 8am, I knew I couldn’t immediately go to sleep even though I was dead-tired from my red-eye from California so I chose to drop my stuff at the hostel, grab a quick bite of the free breakfast and jump on the free waking tour. So glad I did because I met some fun people I ended up spending the rest of the day with.

The main park near my hostel

The park is famous for its many cats

The highlight of my time in Lima was the day trip to Paracas + Huacachina. I was picked up straight from my hostel at around 5:30am and was pleasantly surprised to find there were blankets and comfy chairs awaiting on the bus for us. After a few more pickups we were on our way to Paracas, the small seaside town where you can take a boat out to the Ballestas Islands. Once we arrived, we all climbed onto a large speedboat to head out to the uninhabited islands home to sea lions, penguins, and blue-footed booby. It was fabulous to see so many animals up close from the boat.

Sea Lions

After returning to Paracas and grabbing a bite to eat, we climbed back onto the bus to head to Huacachina, the famed desert oasis in Peru. It’s super cool! I wish I had spent the night here instead of only having a few hours, but alas a two week trip doesn’t allow for this. We had about an hour to walk around before hiking up the sand dunes to get in a dune buggy. We zoomed over the large sand dunes for 10 or 15 minutes before arriving to some large dunes primed for sand boarding. Our group quickly began sliding down headfirst on the the boards! This was only the beginning of the adventure that awaited for me in Peru!

The Oasis

Dunebuggy

Strapped in!

Let’s go!

The desert

The oasis

Ready for some sand boarding

Sunset

Sunset

Huacachina bathed in the sunset

CITY: CUSCO

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Given the activities ahead of me in Cusco I did not want to stay in a party hostel. Sleep was key to fully taking advantage of all Cusco had to offer, however I still wanted to be able to meet people. Dragonfly Hostel was the perfect solution. I met tons of great people, but the rooms were fairly quiet. My 8 person room had it’s own bathroom and each bed had an assigned locker that fit my 44L backpack. There was a laundry-mat next to the hostel, which was great after finishing my 4-day trek. Also, the hostel had a kitchen and free breakfast every morning. Overall I would stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

For some reason the theme of food in Cusco for me was pizza. I ended up eating pizza three nights out of the five I was there. The first place I ate was Incanto Pizza. It felt like a treat. Peru was so cheap that while this felt like an upscale restaurant, my budget wasn’t compromised. After long day trips (often up at 4am), by the time I was back, picking up a pizza was about all the energy I could expend. Twice I went to the pizza place around the corner from my hostel and picked up a cheese pizza with bacon & no sauce (my favorite). A common option in many Peruvian restaurants is a “Set Menu” where for about ~10 soles (~$3 USD), you can get a starter, main course, dessert and drink. I experienced this at the restaurant directly next to my hostel, but you can find this all over town.

Incanto Pizza!

Despite my lack of creativity, Cusco is filled with amazing, cool, diverse restaurants. Tons of great local Peruvian cuisine as well as a large amount of vegetarian/vegan restaurants.

WHAT TO DO:

To start, Cusco is at a very high elevation so take it easy and drink some Coca tea. Then go explore Cusco! It looked like no other city I had been to. I loved the architecture and all the tiny streets and alleys. Spend at least one day meandering through all the shops and view points as it’s nestled in a little valley.

The main square

View from one of the many hills

Cusco

The main square

The old walls

After meeting a British couple in my hostel one late night, I was convinced to join them on a day trip to the Rainbow Mountain (also known as Vinicunca also known as Montaña de Siete Colores). At first I was skeptical since I had read it can be slightly dangerous to go up if it’s muddy and that the colors aren’t as bright as you have seen on Instagram, but I liked Kade and Megan so I decided to join them. I learned on my year abroad that life is more about who you are with than about what you are doing. So the next morning at 4am the three of us sleepily got on the bus and we were on our way. When we arrived to the base of the hike, it doesn’t look that far, however it’s not the distance that’s killer- it’s the elevation. It’s about a 2 hour hike up, but you start at 14,600 feet and end at 16,520 feet. For perspective, basecamp Everest is 17,590 feet. Boy, did I feel the elevation. It was so strange to walk about 10 steps and need to take a break. You can feel your heart beating what feels like 10x faster than normal. However, despite the many breaks, Kade, Megan and I successfully made it to the top. It was definitely worth the early morning and the slight altitude sickness. Just take a look for yourself!

On our way to Rainbow Mountain

My favorite horse

Half way up

Beautiful day

Megan + Kade

Traditional clothing

New friends

We made it!

The main event was my four day trek to Maccu Picchu, but see below for that. However, after my trek I had one more day in Cusco and I spent it at Qoya Spa at the Casa Cartagena Hotel because my muscles were screaming at me! It was an absolutely lovely day. I floated in the spa, breathed deeply in the steam room, and fell half asleep in my 90 min hot stone massage. The massage was ~120 USD and with it came the use of the spa for the entire day so after spending about 6 hours in the facility it felt like a great deal. Also, the hotel is gorgeous and if a day comes where I can afford to stay there, I plan to.

The hotel!

The most picturesque spot I could imagine

Where I lounged half the day

HIKING THE SALKANTAY TRAIL TO MACCU PICCHU

4 days, 3 nights

WHERE WE STAYED:

Accommodation Night 1

Accommodation Night 2

Accommodation night 3 was a hotel in Aguas Calientes

WHAT WE ATE:

Night one dinner spot

Lunch spread

Dinner spread

WHAT WE DID:

Where it all began

The group!

The long road ahead

The Incan aqueducts

Base camp for night on1

The hike up to Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake

The group at Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake

New friend

Early morning start with rain

Almost at the summit

We made it!

15,255 feet

On the other side of the pass

Entering the high jungle

Unbelievable scenery

On our way to the coffee plantation

Coffee beans we collected right off the trees

Processing the beans

After roasting the beans

Coffee

Gathering the beans

Roasting the beans

The Hot Springs

Enjoying the rest

Walking along the train tracks

High jungle

Aguas Calientes appears

We made it

Early morning

Up in the clouds

I spent the rest of the day wandering on my own, taking many breaks to just sit and take it all in. Pictures don’t do it justice- I highly recommend going and seeing it for yourself!

Machu Picchu

So beautiful

My favorite photo

The valley

Machu Picchu from afar

SO CUTE

Can’t handle the cuteness!!!

Obligatory selfie

Many hours later, I met up with the rest of our group and we made our way to the train station. Our magical journey to Machu Picchu had come to an end.

Our ride out of Aguas Calientes and back to Cusco

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Where I have been (Cities)

March 13, 2018September 28, 20251 Comment

This is a list of all the cities I have been to (not including the US). If you are visiting any of these, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Cities I’ve been to in

Total: 347 cities

North America (excluding the US) (10 Countries)

Belize (1)

Belize City
Caye Caulker
San Ignacio

Canada (2)

Vancouver
Whistler

Costa Rica (6)

San Jose
Santa Teresa
Nosara
Monteverde
La Fortuna
Manuel Antonio

El Salvador (8)

San Salvador
Santa Ana
Chalchuapa
Juayua
Ataca
El Tunco
El Zonte
La Unión

Guatemala (8)

Flores
Semuc Champey
Antigua
San Pedro
San Marcos
San Juan
Chichicastenango
Guatemala City

Honduras (2)

Utila
Roatan

Mexico (4)

Puerta Vallarta
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico City
Oaxaca

Nicaragua (5)

Ometepe
Granada
Managua
Corn Islands
Leon

Panamá (5)

Panama City
Valle de Antón
Santa Catalina
Boquete
Bocas del Toro

The Bahamas (1)

Nassau

Europe (42 Countries)

Albania (1)

Shkodër

Austria (2)

Salzburg
Vienna

Belgium (7)

Brussels
Waterloo
Bruges
Knokke Beach
Leuven
Sint-Eloois-Winkel
Ghent

Bosnia (3)

Mostar
Blagaj
Pochitelj

Bulgaria (5)

Sofía
Plovdiv
Burgas
Nessebar
Sveti Vlas

Croatia (6)

Zagreb
Plitvice National Park
Zadar
Split
Supertar
Dubrovnik

Cyprus (1)

Larnaca

Czech Republic (1)

Prague

Denmark (1)

Copenhagen

England (29)

London
Milton Keynes
Salisbury
Worcester
Stratford-on-Avon
London Southend On Sea
Reigate
Brighton
Bath
Bradford-on-Avon
Cambridge
Ardingly
Lewes
Ditchling
Haywards Heath
Lindfield
Aylesbury
Sheffield
Castleton
Holmes Chapel
East Croyden
Twickenham
Croyde
Lynton
Lynmouth
Clovelly
Bristol
Red Hill
Manchester

Estonia (1)

Tallinn

Finland (2)

Helsinki
Porvoo

France (12)

L’isle sur la Sorgue, Provence
Chamonix
Paris
Loire valley
Versailles
St. Malo
Eauze
Nogaro
Aire-del-l’Adour
Arcachon
St Emillion
Bordeaux

Germany (5)

Munich
Hamburg
Bad Oldesloe
Berlin
Stuttgart

Greece (5)

Mykonos Town
Fira
OÍa
Kamira
Athens

Hungary (1)

Budapest

Iceland (1)

Reykjavik

Ireland (5)

Dublin
Galway
Tralee
Dingle
Killarney

Italy (14)

Lake Garda
Sestri Levante
Santa Margherita
Cinque Terre
Lake Como
San Gimignano
Siena
Florence
Naples
Ischia
Rome
Menori
Amalfi
Positano

Kosovo (2)

Prístina
Prizren

Latvia (2)

Riga
Sigulda

Liechtenstein (5)

Vaduz
Triesenberg
Malbun
Stausse Steg
Balzers

Lithuania (3)

Vilnius
Trakai
Kaunas

Luxembourg (1)

Luxembourg City

Montenegro (4)

Kotor
Cetinje
Budva
Ulcinj

North Macedonia (2)

Skopje
Ohrid

Northern Ireland (2)

Belfast
Derry

Norway (2)

Oslo
Bergen

Poland (2)

Warsaw
Krakow

Portugal (3)

Porto
Lisbon
Sintra

Romania (6)

Cluj-Napoca
Sighișoara
Alba Lulia
Sibiu
Brasov
Bucharest

Scotland (2)

Edinburgh
Loch Ness

Serbia (3)

Belgrade
Novi Sad
Bajina Basta

Slovakia (1)

Bratislava

Slovenia (5)

Ljubljana
Škofja Loka
Piran
Bled
Lake Bohinj

Spain (22)

Barcelona
Madrid
San Sebastián
Sitges
Montserrat
Mallorca
Seville
Valencia
Granada
Alicante
Cadaqués
Villanova de Arousa
Villagarcia de Arousa
Pontevedra
Vilassar de Dalt
Vilassar de Mar
Cábrils
Mátaro
Girona
Vidreres
Viladrau
Santa Coloma de Farners

Sweden (2)

Stockholm
Värmdö

Switzerland (11)

Geneva
Verbier
Le Chable
Lausanne
Lutry
Brienz
Grindelwald
Lauterbrunnen
Mürren
Gimmelwald
Kandersteg

The Netherlands (2)

Amsterdam
Utrecht

The Vatican (1)

The Vatican

Wales (1)

Cardiff

Africa (2 countries)

Egypt (3)

Cairo
Aswan
Hurghada

Morocco (3)

Chefchouan
Tangier
Tetouan

South America (6 countries)

Argentina (5)

Buenos Aires
Mendoza
El Chalten
El Calafate
Ushuaia

Bolivia (2)

La Paz
Uyuni

Chile (6)

Santiago
San Jose de Maipo
Valparaiso
San Pedro de Atacama
Easter Island
Puerto Natales

Colombia (6)

Bogotá
Medellín
Guatapé
Minca
Tayrona National Park
Cartagena

Peru (5)

Lima
Paracas
Ica
Cusco
Aguas Calientes

Uruguay (3)

Montevideo
Punta del Este
Colonia

Oceania (4 countries)

Australia (15)

Melbourne
Sydney
Yamba
Byron bay
Brisbane
Noosa
Rainbow beach
Fraser Island
Airlie beach
Whitsundays
Magnetic island
Cairns
Port Douglas
Cronella
Gymea Bay
Shoal Bay
Palm Beach

Fiji (2)

Nadi
Matagi Island

New Zealand (14)

Auckland
Hot water beach
Waitomo
Rotarua
Taupo
Wellington
Picton
Kaiteriteri
Westport
Franz Josef
Wanaka
Queenstown
Christchurch
Mount Cook

Vanuatu (1)

Port Vila

Asia (14 countries)

Armenia (1)

Yerevan

Azerbaijan (2)

Baku
Sheki

Cambodia (1)

Siem Reap

Georgia (1)

Sighnaghi

Indonesia (6)

Canggu
Ubud
Gili T
Nusa Penida
Uluwatu
Seminyak

Japan (3)

Tokyo
Kyoto
Hakone

Laos (3)

Vientiane
Vang Vieng
Luang Prabang

Malaysia (7)

Kota Kinabalu
Sepilok
Mabul
Sipadan
George Town
Cameron Highlands
Langkawi

Qatar (1)

Doha

Singapore (1)

Singapore

Thailand (8)

Koh Lipe
Koh Lanta
Khao Sok
Koh Tao
Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Pai
Chiang Rai

The Philippines (6)

Coron
El Nido
Bohol
Siquijor
Moalboal
Malapascua

Turkey (4)

Istanbul
Goreme/Cappadocia
Antalya
Arnavutköy

Vietnam (6)

Hanoi
Ha Long Bay
Cat Ba City
Ninh Binh
Ha Giang
Hoi An

Austin, Texas

March 10, 2018Leave a comment

Austin was my first solo trip since getting back from Europe, and it was awesome! What a cool city.

CITY: AUSTIN

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at my first hostel in the States! Drifter Jack’s was located near UT Austin and about a 10 min bus ride to downtown Austin, which was perfect. The hostel, while not my favorite, was overall pretty good. It was fairly easy to meet people in kitchen, common room, or the pool table outside. There was no free breakfast, but there were lockers in the room (although mine was hard to reach because I had the one on top unfortunately). The rooms were spacious and clean. Overall would stay here again.

One of the walls within the hostel

WHERE TO EAT:

WOWOWOW Austin has some amazing places to eat. I was here for four days and felt like four weeks wouldn’t be enough time to try all the places I wanted to try. I started with Waltons Fancy and Staple, a yummy, clearly popular, brunch spot. I tried a biscuit sandwich, which had eggs, smoked cheddar, bacon, and an aioli. It was delicious.

My biscuit sandwich

I couldn’t go to Texas without trying BBQ so with the group of British guys I met at my hostel, we visited Freedmen’s Bar. I ordered a barbecue benedict and was not disappointed. Meanwhile the guys ordered one pound of meat each and ate every last bite.

The Brits enjoying the BBQ

BBQ Benedict

Voodoo Doughnuts, made famous in Portland, OR, also has a location on 6th street in Austin. In my time in Austin, I tried 3 doughnuts: Maple Bacon Bar (Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top), Old Dirty Bastard (Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting, Oreo cookies, and peanut butter), and Blueberry Cake (Blueberry cake doughnut with a glaze). Hands down the best one is the Maple Bacon Bar. After the pub crawl we can came here and the Brits were asking which one to get and I told them to get the Maple Bacon Bar. They were skeptical going in, but after trying it they couldn’t stop talking about how unbelievably good it was. ALSO it’s a great spot for pictures!

Inside Voodoo

The long line for DOUGHNUTS

Maple Bacon Bar

Old Dirty Bastard

For a quick and easy breakfast, Blenders and Bowls is perfect. I ended up eating there twice it was so good. Both times I had the O.G. acai bowl and added spinach.

O.G. Acari Bowl

I was delighted to spot a Modern Market while in Austin as I used to eat there probably 3 times a week when I lived in Boulder! They have great, healthy, fresh food with plenty of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. I ate a yummy truffle potato pizza and side of sweet potato mash.

Last, but not least, was The Grove Bar and Kitchen. The reason I went was to try the Impossible Burger, but I ended up having the best bruschetta I’ve ever had (outside of Italy of course!). But honestly it was so good!!

The Impossible Burger!

I tried three: Heirloom tomato, garlic, basil, & mozzarella. Avocado, bacon, tomato, arugula, & aged balsamic. Apple, fig chutney, & brie. I can’t even pick a favorite because they were all delicious in different ways.

WHAT TO DO:

Austin has so much to do! You definitely need more than 4 days to do it all. The first day I was there I spent the day walking around the city. I probably walked for over 8 miles. Highlights include walking along the Colorado River, which runs through Austin. I would walk for a bit then stop at a bench and read my book. I also ended up walking through the capital building which was a highlight.

Walking along the Colorado River

View of Austin

Capital building

Hinges in the Capital building

View of looking up at the dome

Underneath the Capital building

Austin

View from the Congress bridge

6th street is famous for its great bars and nightlife and it didn’t let us down. I went on the pub crawl through the hostel and was headed straight for this spot on Saturday night. Among our crew was four Americans, one Australian, and five Brits so I knew it would be a fun group. Essentially 6th street becomes a city sponsored block party every weekend starting at 11pm as they shut down access to pedestrians only. Such a cool idea and it ends up being one big party in downtown Austin. We had a great time going from bar to bar.

6th Street

Enjoying the live music

Friday night

Rainey Street is one of the coolest spots in Austin. Each building houses a different and unique bar with cool food options (some restaurants and some food trucks). It definitely has a more laid back vibe compared to 6th street, which houses more club-like bars. I was here with the Brits and we spent our night at a bar that a grassy, backyard space with giant jenga, picnic tables, and cornhole. They had never played cornhole before so it was a blast teaching them!

Backyard at one of the bars on Rainey Street

Anther great activity is watching the bats at dusk. Over 1.5 million bats roost under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. This makes it the largest urban bat colony in the world. Crazy right?!

Waiting for the bats to come out

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really liked Austin! There were so many cool things to do, and I can’t wait to come back when it’s a little warmer to explore all the water activities Austin has to offer between the lake and the river! There is such a young, hip vibe to Austin and I think it’s only going to get cooler. Other than the blistering heat during the summer, Austin seems like an amazing place to visit and live. No wonder so many start-ups have started to move to this incredible city!

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Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

July 22, 2017July 28, 2017Leave a comment

My time in Mostar 🙂

The famous bridge in Mostar

Walking around Mostar

City: Mostar

How Long: 3 nights

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Miran and it was incredible!! The host, Miran, was an incredibly nice man who was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the region, as he had grown up there and actually lived through and fought in the Bosnian War. I learned so much from him. The hostel had small lockers in each room to store valuables but not big enough to store your whole bag, but I found everyone at the hostel to be very friendly and nice so I wasn’t worried about anyone stealing stuff from my bag. There was free breakfast and often at night Miran would BBQ so there was a free dinner sometimes. They also offered a great tour of the region. Highly recommend this place!!

Where to eat:

This place had free breakfast and sometimes free dinner so I mostly utilized that, BUT the hostel did recommend Hindin Han and I ended up going twice! Once just with Sam, and then once with Sam and three Germans we met on Miran’s tour (more on that in the next section!). Hindin Han was in the middle of the city center overlooking a small stream and was very cheap! Awesome food and alcohol selection.

Accidentally ordered Rakia, which is a rum made in the Balkans. Ranges from 40% alcohol to 90% alcohol. It was quite strong!

SO MUCH FOOD

What to do:

Number one thing you should do is go on Miran’s tour! (even if you don’t stay at his hostel I’m pretty sure you can still go on it!) Miran lived through and fought during the Bosnian War and had some incredible stories for us. The tour took us to an abandoned aircraft hanger utilized during communist occupation in Bosnia, two quaint cities (Blagaj & Pochitelj) and lastly, Kravice waterfalls. Each was uniquely beautiful, but the waterfalls were my favorite because we got to swim!! As we made our way back to Mostar, we were told many stories about the realities of living in Mostar during the Bosnian War. The damage from the war is still very visible in Mostar today.

Entering the abandoned airport hangar

From the inside

Blagaj

Blagaj

Drinking the fresh water

Where two rivers meet

View from the fort of Pochitelj

Up in the old fort

Pochitelj

Kravica Waterfalls

Our new German friend smoked his pipe and read while the rest of us swam in the water 🙂

The aftermath of the Bosnian War

Buildings still in disarray

The other thing that is fun to see while in Mostar is someone jump off the famous Stari Most bridge which is 24 meters (~78 feet) tall! The professional divers will jump once they have collected enough money from tourists 🙂 If you are a tourist, you pay around 20 euros for an hour-long lesson from the professionals and then you can jump! Only around 2,300 people have done it and Miran said they were mostly Aussie or Kiwi.

Someone about to jump!

Overall thoughts:

Mostar was such a pleasant surprise. I honestly had such little knowledge about this region and was thrilled to learn all that I did. Highly recommend visiting this richly historic, beautiful city.

Nighttime views of the bridge

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Vienna (+ Bratislava)

July 22, 20171 Comment

City: Vienna

How Long: 4 nights

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna while I was here. The hostel itself is great. Tons of fun people, and there’s a bar within the hostel. There’s a guest kitchen and a 4.5 euro breakfast option. Good security lockers in the room and comfy beds. However, unfortunately it is fairly far from the city center so it takes 40 minutes to get anywhere (walking). I just find that I prefer to be able to walk right from the hostel to where I want to go without using public transit.

Where to Eat:

I ate a delicious traditional Polish dish at a restaurant called Mozart’s Restaurant. It was almost like pasta/dumpling combo with scrambled eggs. Sounds weird, but it was awesome. Otherwise, I chose to buy groceries and cook in the community kitchen with some friends I made.

While I didn’t eat here, Mozart + Beethoven did! In fact, Mozart’s last performance was here. This place has been opened for over 200 years. Pretty incredible.

What to do:

I visited the Easter markets here as well, but they weren’t as fun as the ones in Krakow I found. I also did a free walking tour with some friends, where we saw some of the old government buildings and some cool churches. I also met two other Americans staying at my hostel and ended up going out on a pub crawl with them which was fun!

Painted eggs at the Easter Markets!

Unfortunately the next day it rained and even hailed a bit. I chose to spend the day inside and catch up on reading, writing, and editing some videos. While it was nice to have a relaxing day, it meant that I did not get to see the palace or the gardens which I have heard are amazing.

On my last day in Vienna I did a day trip to Bratislava, which is the capital of Slovakia. I took a 5 euro bus ride there in the morning, early enough to catch the free walking tour. I really enjoyed learning about this tiny country that most American’s probably don’t know much about if they have even heard of it. Bratislava looks like it was torn out of the pages of a fairytale. In fact, the famous fairytale writer from Denmark, Hans Christian Andersen, spent time here. He famously said to the citizens of Bratislava, “If you want a fairy tale, look at your city.”

View of Bratislava from the Castle

We walked around most of the city in about 2.5 hours, as the city is fairly small. We saw the grand castle (although technically a fortress), a blue Church, and adorable cobblestone streets. I learned that Vienna and Bratislava are the two closest capitals in all of Europe, at just 34 miles apart. After spending just 5 hours in this city, I wish I had spent a few days here instead of staying in Vienna. Definitely don’t skip visiting Bratislava, even if it just for a day from Vienna or Budapest.

Main square in Bratislava

The Blue Church!

Bratislava Castle

Overall Thoughts:

Vienna did not wow me. I am not exactly sure why, but overall it was not my favorite. The city is huge and I have learned that I tend to prefer more manageable cities. It’s also more expensive than some of the other cities I am visiting right now. I wish I had stayed in Bratislava and done a day trip to Vienna, instead of the other way around. I can certainly see why so many people love Vienna (amazing food, beautiful architecture, top-notch museums) but I just don’t think it’s for me.

Rome

July 19, 2017July 19, 20171 Comment

CITY: Rome

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Hostel Alessandro Downtown and it was not my favorite, but only because it was very big, which means it is difficult to meet people. The kitchen was only available after breakfast. The common room was too big so people ended up sitting alone at different tables instead of all close together. The rooms were big, but the lockers were a little janky. Some worked and some did so I was a little paranoid that it would be easy to break the locks (luckily no one did). Anyway, I wouldn’t stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

I was only in Rome for 2 nights, 1 day so it was quick! I did eat some delicious pasta and pizza, but surprising it is easy to find pasta and pizza 🙂 I did eat some delicious gelato at Venchi!

WHAT TO DO:

Because I only had one day I decided to walk around Rome and see the sights, but not take the time to go inside anything. I know I will be back and hopefully with more money, so it made sense to just visit the outside of all the incredible sites. I started with the Colosseum the first night I arrived because that was the closest to my hostel. I caught it right at sunset and it was incredible!

Perfect timing!

My one full day started with a visit to the Vatican, where I managed to see the Pope speak. What a unique experience.

St. Peter’s Basilica

The Pope!

After meandering through the smallest country in the world I headed to Castel Sant’ Angelo, Piazza Navona, then the Pantheon.

Castel Sant’ Angelo

Piazza Navona

Pantheon

After a quick gelato break I arrived at the Trevi fountain, where I just sat and watched all the tourists get their selfie/boomerang of them throwing a coin in the water! Pretty funny stuff.

Next up was the Spanish steps before heading to the ruins. The ruins were probably my favorite part because it made you think about all the people who came before those of us living today, and how they built an entire city. It’s crazy how much is left standing after all these years!

Spanish Steps

I’m guessing this is kinda old?

Walking around Rome

Streets of Rome

Ruins

More Ruins

EVEN MORE RUINS

Finally after miles and miles of walking I turned back to the hostel to pack up before getting up at 3:45 to catch a flight to Greece!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I went in with such low expectations of Rome because I am not into museums or religion… so I wasn’t sure what I would do in Rome, BUT I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed my day exploring the city. However, I wouldn’t say Rome is the best city for solo travelers. Like Paris, I think Rome is better with someone, whether it be a parent, sibling, friend or S.O.

Ciao for now 🙂