Travel

Photo of the Week: Poseidon

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IMG_9816Sounion, Greece

I grew up reading Greek mythology and dreamt about visiting Greece one day.  So when we finally started traveling, Greece was at the top of the list. This is the temple of Poseidon at Sounion, located on the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula overlooking the Aegean Sea.  This temple was built around 440 B.C and dedicated to the god of the sea.  People from far and wide come and pay homage to Poseidon here and pray for safe passage on their travels.

According to Greek legends, this is where Aegeus fell to his death.  The story goes: Aegeus’s son, Theseus, sailed off to Crete to fight the Minotaur.  Before he left, he promised his dad that if he returned safely, he would hoist up a white sail so his dad would know long before the ship reached land that his son was safe.  He entered the labyrinth and with the help of Ariadne, he was able to defeat the monster.  On the way home, in a moment of jubilation, he forgot his promise to his father and left the black sail up.  From afar, Aegeus thought that his son was dead, and overwhelmed with grief, he jumped into the sea.  The Aegean Sea was later named after him.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Four Years

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Four years ago today, I walked down the aisle with my best friend.  One of the first things that drew me to Fausto was our mutual love of adventure. I remember how we used to spend endless hours talking about all the places we wanted to go over a hot cup of tea, back when we were just friends. So after 7.5 years together and 4 years married, I am glad to say that our passion to see the world has not waned.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our anniversary than to go to Hong Kong for a few days. It was a spontaneous decision that we made this week after seeing some cheap airfare.  Since this is the second time around, we won’t be rushed to visit all the tourist attractions.  Instead, we will spend our time leisurely strolling through the markets, taking in the sights, and eating some tasty food local to South East Asia.

We are that crazy couple that pack our bags at a moment’s notice and travel half way across the world, and that’s what I love. I am thankful for our time together and will end the post with a few of my favorite photos of us throughout the years.

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Crete, Greece 2007

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Louisiana: Oak Alley Plantation

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Getting out of the airport, we were hit with a wave of hot humid air so thick, you can almost feel it enveloping you like a sticky blanket. We’ve arrived in New Orleans. Instead of getting into a cab and heading to the hotel to freshen up like normal sane people, we decided to rent a car and head out to the plantation. Gotta make the most of our time right?

On the outskirts of New Orleans the road was flat for miles on end, and on either side of the highway, swamp land crept up on the pavement. Driving about an hour west from the airport on the Great River Road towards Baton Rouge, you’ll enter Plantation country. Here, on either side of the Mississippi river, you’ll see magnificent old mansions built by rich plantation owners before the Civil War, a relic of yesteryears. These historical landmarks provide the public with a glimpse into bygone days.

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Photo of the Week: Afternoon Glow

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IMG_2200Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is on our minds the past few days as we try to decide if we want to take advantage of a recent airfare sale.  Hong Kong is the bustling epicenter of Asia with a similar feel to New York, except more intense.  Here, people move faster, the streets are more crowded, and there is a Chanel on every corner.

I was going through my old photos and saw this one taken from the top of Victoria Peak, one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island. We took the tram up the top in the late afternoon where we saw this beautiful view of Victoria Harbour as the sun started to set, creating a soft glow over the city. On the right, you see the the International Finance Centre, the tall building featured in the Dark Knight movie. The tall building on the left is the International Commerce Centre, the tallest building in Hong Kong.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Photo of the Week: The Bayou

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IMG_5386New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Last weekend my parents visited me and we made a little trip down to New Orleans. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Honey Island swamp; winding through the waterways deep into the bayou where the majestic cypress trees covered in Spanish moss grow over the green velvety water. The sun rays shining through the moss covered branches created a beautiful lazy landscape, reminiscent of the scene from The Notebook.

This is one of the most truly unique places that I’ve ever seen. Stay tune for more posts from our trip down South.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Photo of the Week: Illuminated

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IMG_3838Paris, France

This photo was taken at the Eiffel Tower, one of the most recognizable landmarks in Paris, perhaps in the world. While we were there, we decided that it was a good idea to go up to the top of the tower.  Even though the line was long, we were not deterred, that is, until a few hours in.  Four hours later, we FINALLY made it to the observation deck.  The view was amazing, but I am not sure it was worth the wait.  

The line down was almost just as long and we didn’t make it down until midnight.  At this point we were starving because we hadn’t had dinner, so we decided to spread out a scarf and have a picnic on the grass right at the base of the Eiffel Tower.  A guy came by and try to sell us a 5 Euro bottle of champagne.  Again, for some reason we thought this was a good idea.  It was not.  

It was a long night full of bad decisions, but it was memorable.  We will never forget the night we had dinner under the Eiffel tower with a cheap bottle of champagne.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Photo of the Week: Foggy Cliff

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IMG_6181Cliff of Moher, Ireland

This photo was taken at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.  After watching this spectacular site featured in many movies, we were excited to finally make it to the Emerald Isle in the summer of 2013 to see it for ourselves. This Irish natural wonder is where coastline rises high above the Atlantic ocean. If you are not scared of heights,  you can walk along  the cliff side all the way to the edge, staring down into the abyss.  This magnificent vista is one of the most popular tourist locations in Western Ireland.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Trip Report: Peru

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It’s hard to believe that it’s almost 2 months since our trip to South America.  Time flies! This trip report summarizes all the posts related to our trip to Peru and provide a break down of the cost.

  • Time Cost
    • Total Days In Peru: 8 day  –  1 days in Lima, 2 days in Cusco, 1 day in Sacred Valley, 4 days in the mountain
    • Total Days Off From Work: 4 days (we went over July 4th weekend).

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Peru: Machu Picchu

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Getting ready for the Inca trek

Finally, after all the preparation and anticipation, we made it to the day of the trek. Starting off from Ollantaytambo, we packed our bags, said goodbye to civilization and got on the bus taking us to the km marker 82, the official start of our Inca trail. As we wound our way along the Urubamba river, the bus driver was blasting music, pumping us up for the adventure ahead. Sitting at the back of the bus, staring out at the Andes mountains I contemplated if I really wanted to go through with it and if there was time to turn back when I heard the lyric “everything that kills me makes me feel alive”.  I think that’s a sign.

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Photo of the Week: Mosaic

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Volubilis, Morocco

This photo was taken at Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Morocco.  This ancient Roman city is located a short distance from the bustling city of Fes.  Scattered throughout the ruins you will find many well preserved mosaics.  This particular mosaic depicts the goddess Diana bathing with her attendants. Growing up I was fascinated with Greek/Roman mythology, so having the opportunity to see the myths come alive in these colorful mosaics was priceless.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.