While Amsterdam is definitely one of Europe's most popular cities, a trip there can add up fast! Here are some tips to help you save some money while exploring some of Amsterdam's finest offerings. [caption id=attachment_2996 align=aligncenter width=512] You won't want to miss the wonderful Rijksmuseum, but the flashy I amsterdam card may not be the cheapest way to see it![/caption] Purchase a Museumkaart Amsterdam has several world class museums, but many of these come with a hefty price tag. Luckily, the city offers several different discount cards for its city attractions, including the widely-publicized I Amsterdam card, the Amsterdam City Pass, the Holland Pass, and the Museumkaart. (You can check out a quick summary of these here). Though the most expensive, the Museumkaart seems to be by far the best value. It also isn't really marketed to tourists as much as the others, and for citizens of the Netherlands it lasts a whole year, so it is more geared toward locals. For tourists, the Museumkaart lasts 31 days. We only spent about two and a half days in Amsterdam, and we were able to save a very good amount of money on some of Amsterdam's finest attractions. Here's a full list of where we went and how much we saved: Rijksmuseum - €17.50 Van Gogh Museum - €17.00 Stedelijk Museum - €17.50 Museum Van Loon - €9.00 Rembrandt House - €12.50 Amsterdam Royal Palace - €10.00 Hermitage Museum* - €25.00 Anne Frank House** - €9.50 Total: €118.00 Total Savings: €118 - €60 = €58 / person As you can see, we were able to save almost as much as the pass cost (and with two of us traveling, the total savings was €116, or about $138!). With over 40 attractions included in the Museumkaart, if we had stayed longer we would have racked up even more savings. If you travel outside of Amsterdam at all, the Museumkaart can also offer you savings at other Netherlands museums, like the Mauritshuis in the Hague which houses the famous Vermeer Girl with a Pearl Earring. The card also allowed us to skip long lines at the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, and it lasts longer and includes more museums than any of the other passes offered. It's definitely a great value. We bought ours at Museum Van Loon, and the receptionist there said we were smart for buying the Museumkaart and that it would save us a lot of money - and she was right! * We did have to pay an extra €2.50 at the Hermitage Museum, but only because of a specific exhibition we wanted to see there ** Insider Tip: the Anne Frank House requires an online reservation (no matter what kind of pass you have) if you would like to go between 9am and 3:30; if you haven't made a reservation, you'll have to come back after 3:30 and wait in line... we went around 7:30pm and only had to wait about a half hour, though the line looked quite long [caption id=attachment_2995 align=aligncenter width=512] The interior of the Concertgebouw is gorgeous, and the music of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra is even better![/caption] Attend a performance at Concertgebouw One of the other highlights of our trip was seeing the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra perform at Concertgebouw (which is on the south side of the Museumplein, where most of the major museums in the city are located). The interior of the Concertgebouw is stunning and there are several ways that the tickets can be surprisingly affordable. If you are under 30 (as we are), you can get sprint tickets for €15 if you visit the box office 75 minutes before the performance. However, when I was buying tickets to the show we saw (which was Rachmaninoff's Pianoconcerto No. 4 and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, and amazing!) I was able to buy the tickets for €15 directly from the website since we were under 30. I had assumed that we would have some of the worst seats there (although that shouldn't have mattered since the Concertgebouw is supposed to have some of the best acoustics in Europe), but we actually had fantastic seats! They were pretty much in the center and only a few rows back. I felt as if we were breathing in the music. :) There are some other discounts too - if you're over 65 you can also get discounted tickets. Every Sunday morning at 11am, from September to June, there is a flat rate concert that costs €20 / person - which is still an excellent value! For an even better deal, on Wednesdays at 12:30pm, September-June, you can see a concert for free! It's actually more like a rehearsal, and I believe you still have to reserve your ticket in advance, but still - you can't beat free. For a full list of the discounts offered at Concertgebouw, check out this page. You won't want to miss this wonderful (and affordable!) experience while you're in Amsterdam. [caption id=attachment_2997 align=aligncenter width=512] Our hotel was right off the Prinsengracht canal, and only a short walk to the Museumplein or Dam Square[/caption] Choose a well-located hotel to save on time and transportation costs Amsterdam is an extremely walkable city, so I recommend finding a hotel close to the main attractions - either the old city canal ring or Museumplein - to save on transportation costs. At first when searching for hotels in Amsterdam, it can seem like there are some good deals to be had on hotels near Schiphol Airport, but keep in mind that you'll have to spend 20-30 minutes and the cost of a cab or train to get into the city each day. I also enjoy being able to stop back at our hotel for a rest during the day (or maybe to drop off some purchases!), which isn't easy if you're outside the city center. There are tons of deals to be had on hostels closer into the city, and we were able to get a pretty good deal on a double room with private bathroom which was quite close to the Museumplein and just a lovely walk along the canals to the Anne Frank House, the Royal Palace, or anywhere else we wanted to go in the city! Consider how you'll get to Amsterdam We took a train from Paris to Amsterdam. It only took about four hours, so it was probably about as fast as flying if you consider the time spent going through security and waiting at the airport, and cost about the same. The train also offered more legroom and some views of the countryside, so there is that to consider as well. One thing that saved us a significant amount of time and money, however, was that we flew into London and flew out of Amsterdam. Both were direct flights, which was also very convenient, and the price was about the same (or a little less than) a roundtrip flight to London. We were also able to save on the cost of a flight (and/or trains) and a full day of traveling by flying out of Amsterdam instead. Keep in mind that the Amsterdam airport is in the top 15 worldwide for passenger traffic, so they probably offer a flight that will fit your needs well! [caption id=attachment_2998 align=aligncenter width=512] Amsterdam features many different free attractions for travelers[/caption] Enjoy some of Amsterdam's many free attractions Some of your most memorable moments of Amsterdam might be things that cost no money at all - walking along the canals, admiring the bikes and flower boxes that adorn many of its bridges, relaxing in one of the city's many parks, sampling gouda cheese at a shop, wandering through Jordaan, or admiring tulip bouquets at the floating Bloemenmarkt. Since we had such a short time in Amsterdam, there were several free things that we didn't make it to, but that I would definitely like to check out on my next visit. The city is famous for its role in the diamond industry, and you can schedule yourself a free guided tour at Gassan Jeweller or Royal Coster Diamonds. The Amsterdam Public Library is supposed to be a really relaxing, modern space to check out, with great views of the city. On weekends you can find free open air theatre performances at the popular Vondelpark or at Bostheater in the less well-known Amsterdam Forest. Outside of the Amsterdam Museum, you can find the Civic Guards Gallery, which is a hidden passageway with a glass ceiling that displays a sampling of Dutch Golden Age paintings from the museum's collection You can walk through Amsterdam's Red Light District at night to check out a different side of Amsterdam - just be sure not to take any pictures of the women in the windows! The EYE Film Museum permanent collection in the basement is free to see, and there is even a free ferry service to get you there. Go window shopping at the Waterlooplein Flea Market or the Albert Cuyp Markt. Check out the secret courtyard of Begijnhof, which features two medieval wooden houses and the oldest house in Amsterdam. Though it's not free to attend a movie at Pathe Tuschinski, I think the fascinating art deco interior could more than make up for the price of the movie ticket! Amsterdam is supposed to have the best Indonesian food outside of Indonesia, and finding some good Indonesian restaurants might be a good way to experience something new for cheap while in Amsterdam! Visiting Amsterdam's many unique cultural attractions can add up quickly, but you can save a good chunk of change by purchasing a Museumkaart. Then, get yourself a cheap ticket to see the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra at the Concertgebouw if you can, or if you can't plan on attending the free Wednesday concert or the flat-rate Sunday concert. Choose a hotel that's close to the attractions so you can enjoy short walks along the lovely canals to get to your destinations and save time and money on transportation costs. Finally, be sure not to overlook Amsterdam's many free offerings while planning your trip! I hope you've found this article helpful. What do you think? Have you visited any of these attractions in Amsterdam? Do you have other insider tips on how to make a trip to Amsterdam affordable?

Title: The Travels of Ibn Battutah Author: Ibn Battutah, edited by Tim Mackintosh-Smith Year Published: 1356AD; this version 2002 Places Explored: Northern Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, the Maldives, Indonesia, China, Spain, West Africa My Rating: ♦♦♦◊◊ Review: I have traveled through the countries of the world and I have met their kings. - Ibn Battutah This quote provides a pretty good summary of The Travels of Ibn Battutah. This man was able to travel through much of the known world in his time... pretty much all of the Muslim world and plenty of other places, from Spain to China and from Siberia to Tanzania, and met a lot of the important world leaders of the time. After spending pretty much his whole life traveling, he wrote this book. He was traveling in the 1300s, so many of the places he visited aren't identifiable now, or are very different (reading about places like Aleppo was certainly interesting). The story begins with him in Morocco, then doing a pilgrimage to Mecca and traveling throughout the Middle East. To be honest, this part was the toughest to get through for me. It was a lot of I met this important religious person and this other important leader and, because they were traveling through desert, a lot of we stopped for water here, we camped here. Without any connection to these places I had a hard time being interested that this or that town had nice orchards, so it was a bit tedious. Later places, like Turkey, Tanzania, India and China, were a bit more interesting. There are plenty of interesting tidbits that I learned from reading this book. Ibn Battutah mentions twice how effective coconuts are as an aphrodisiac, for example. The myth about the Land of Darkness - which could only be accessed by 4o days of travel in 'small wagons drawn by large dogs' - was pretty cool. I also learned that the concept of putting sheets that can be removed and washed on a mattress was a new idea for Ibn Battutah, but an old one for the Indians. The story of how he met the princess Urduja was one of my favorite parts. From his conversation with her, she seemed like an awesome mix of the Greek goddess Artemis and Daenerys from Game of Thrones. She asks him about 'the pepper country' (India), and says, I must invade it and take possession of it. Its wealth and its soldiers please me. Ibn Battutah tells her, Do so. I suppose since this was written several centuries before the invention of the novel, and since Ibn Battutah doesn't seem to exaggerate much, it was inevitable that it would be a slow read. Besides some of the boring parts, like references to places and people I had no connection with (sans descriptions that would help me imagine them), one of the other things that slowed me down reading was how unlikable Ibn Battutah is. He is extremely religious and judgmental of those who are not of the Sunni Muslim persuasion. At one point he tattles to local authorities on people for being naked... at a bathhouse. At another point he scolds a fellow Muslim traveler in front of everyone for eating food that wasn't killed the halal way. When he's in Africa he learns of the concept that men and women can be just friends (instead of wives or family members), and let's just say his mind = blown. He also marries women left and right and seems to just leave them and the children he has with them behind as he continues on his travels. Once, on a sinking ship, he moves to get in the lifeboat, ditching all his companions, and only bothers to let them in when they point out how terrible it is that he's leaving them to die. In India, for some reason a sultan makes Ibn Battutah the commander of his army (I have no idea why he would deem him qualified for this). The battle goes well at the beginning, but when the going gets tough Ibn Battutah, army commander, ditches. In his own words, We were besieged by the infidels and reduced to great straits. When the situation became serious, I left the town during the siege and returned to Qaliqut. Nice, huh? So, anyway, this was a really slow read for me. I actually took a break from it and read the whole The Count of Monte Cristo (which is amazing but a formidable 1200 pages) in less time then it took me to finish the second half of this book. When reading a travel memoir, it's almost as if you are traveling with the writer, and let's just say he's not on my list of dream travel companions. I'm still glad I read the book, since it's such a classic, and I will probably revisit it when I travel to any of the places he visited as a sort of historical reference. Favorite Quotes: Into the desert, of which the saying goes: 'He who enters it is lost, and he who leaves it is born.' It was a habit of mine on my travels never, so far as possible, to retrace any road that I had once traveled over. I have indeed - praise be to God - attained my desire in this world, which was to travel through the earth, and I have attained in this respect what no other person has attained to my knowledge. Further Reading: Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah by Tim Mackintosh-Smith Landfalls: On the Edge of Islam with Ibn Battutah by Tim Mackintosh-Smith The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo

After checking out the sights around Rotorua and Tongariro National Park, our next stop on New Zealand's North Island was Waitomo, where you can see the famous glowworm caves! Those are a fantastic experience, but we found plenty of other things to do in the beautiful Waitomo area as well. (1) Glowworm Tour Options There are many options to see glowworms around Rotorua, including the very popular Waitomo Glowworm Caves 45-minute boat tour. The more adventurous may want to consider The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company, with whom you can climb or abseil through caves and float beneath the glowworms in inner tubes. As for us, we ended up choosing Spellbound Glowworm and Cave Tour and couldn't have been happier with our experience! This tour is longer than most of the others and for smaller groups - up to 12 people - on two private caves located on a farm outside Waitomo. The first cave allows you to walk and raft under thousands glowworms, and the second cave is full of interesting formations and even some ancient moa bird bones! Our guide was fantastic and as an added bonus we were able to take photos of the glowworms (which most of the other tours don't allow). :) (2) Marokopa Falls About a 40 minute drive from Waitomo down winding, scenic Te Anga Road, you'll find the short hiking path to Marokopa Falls, which has to be one of the most picturesque waterfalls I've ever seen! We spent a long time there taking long-exposure waterfall photos and just enjoying the peaceful setting. If we didn't have a glowworm tour to catch, I probably could have spent all day! Best of all, it was completely free to visit. (3) Mangapohue Natural Bridge Also along Te Anga Road lies the trail to Mangapohue Natural Bridge. This natural formation of double limestone arches (one large one over a smaller one, which you can see in one of the above pictures) is located in a really beautiful forested area with a stream running through it. I'm told you can even see glowworms there at night, and like Marokopa Falls it is free to visit. Besides the natural bridge formation and the beautiful views along the trail, we also saw a variety of wildflowers and oyster fossils larger than my hand! (4) Piripiri Cave Walk The final natural attraction along Te Anga Road was Piripiri Cave Walk (which like the others is free to visit!). A short trail through rainforest landscape will lead you to the entrance of the cave, then you can climb down the wooden stairs to explore inside. It is a self-guided tour, so be sure to bring a flashlight in order to see the cave formations! (5) Seeing kiwis New Zealand's national symbol, the endemic kiwi bird, is unique in so many ways. There are a few different options to see them on the North Island, but one of the best has to be Otorohanga Kiwi House & Native Park, which is located only ten miles from Waitomo. They have several nocturnal enclosures housing kiwi birds, and we were lucky enough to see three of the four that currently live there awake and active (which can be difficult since they sleep 18 hours per day!). There are plenty of other native birds and reptiles to see there as well, so be sure to stop by if you're in the Waitomo area! I hope you've enjoyed this quick look at some of the attractions in the Waitomo, New Zealand area. The glowworm caves make it a must-stop if you're touring the North Island of New Zealand, but there are some other sights that shouldn't be missed in the area too! Have you visited New Zealand? Did you make it to Waitomo, or see any glowworms? Let me know in the comments!

We started our trip to Peru in the Andes. We stayed in Cusco and visited several other towns and Inca ruins around the Sacred Valley (including, of course, Machu Picchu!). Top Tips and Advice for Visiting Cusco and the Sacred Valley - Altitude sickness is for real, so plan to take it easy for at least your first day or so! Cusco is at an elevation of 11,000 feet above sea level, which is higher than the majority of the Sacred Valley sites (including Machu Picchu), and very likely higher than where you live, too. Drinking coca tea (which many hotels offer at reception) can help, so go ahead and try that too! - Think beyond Machu Picchu and be sure to explore other Inca sites in the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo is really interesting because it was in the process of being built when the Spanish came, so you can see some details of how the Incas constructed their cities. Moray (the Inca agricultural lab) and the salt ponds at Maras are two really unique sites that make a good day trip from Cusco. Pisac has a market as well as the archaeological site. If you want to stay nearer to Cusco, you can check out Tambomachay, Puka Pukara, Qenqo, and Sacsayhuaman. - Enjoy Cusco's restaurants - whether you want to try traditional dishes like ceviche or lomo saltado or you want American fare like McDonald's or KFC, Cusco has you covered. There are tons of great restaurants in Plaza de Armas especially, and many elsewhere in the city too. Two we especially liked were Barrio Ceviche in Plaza de Armas and Sepia near Qoricancha. - Purchasing a Boleto Turistico (tourist ticket), which gives access to most of the museums in Cusco and most of the Inca sites in the Sacred Valley as well, is a good idea and could save you a lot of money, depending on how long you're there. You can purchase them at the COSITUC office (103 Avenida del Sol, not far from Plaza de Armas). - We got into Lima quite late and had an early flight to Cusco. I wouldn't say this was a bad plan, but it turns out you can't get into the domestic departures area until 1:30am, so we ended up missing out on a few hours of sleep we were expecting. This is another reason, besides altitude sickness, to be sure to spend your first day relaxing/recovering once you arrive. - All over Cusco you can see women in traditional dress walking around with baby alpacas. They will allow you to pay a small fee to hold/pet the baby alpacas and take your picture with them. It doesn't cost too much, but be sure to agree on a price ahead of time or you could end up spending more than you expected. - We spent our whole time in Cusco, which was convenient because there's so much to do there, but consider spending a couple of days in another city, such as maybe Ollantaytambo on the way to Machu Picchu. It'll let you have a change of pace and also might be a chance to spend time at a slightly lower elevation than Cusco's. - Many people gloss over Cusco and the Sacred Valley on their rush to go to Machu Picchu, but there are so many other great things to see. I'd say you should at least plan one day for acclimatization, a full day for Cusco, and another day to do a Sacred Valley tour - so, at least three days in the Sacred Valley - in addition to whatever time you have planned to see Machu Picchu. Day 1: Arrival, Plaza de Armas in Cusco We flew into Lima on a Saturday, arriving late in the evening. Our flight to Cusco the next day was quite early in the morning, so we had planned to just stay overnight and sleep at the airport. A small wrench was thrown in our plans, though, because we weren't allowed into the domestic departure area until 1:30am. We ended up passing the time until then at an airport restaurant, where we had several drinks, a really good cheesecake, and Ryan had huevos Gaston or Gaston eggs. Ryan also tried his first algarrobina (a cocktail made with a syrup from the Black Carob tree) and I tried a tía camu, which was a blend of orange, lime and camu camu (an Amazonian cherry-like fruit) juices. Finally we were able to enter the domestic departures area and get a few hours of sleep before our 5:20am flight from Lima to Cusco. The flight was actually quite delayed, landing 1 hour 40 minutes after the scheduled arrival time, but it was okay since we needed to catch up on sleep anyway. We took a cab to our hotel, which was called Casa de Mayte. It was really cute, with an enclosed courtyard and a terrace upstairs with a great view of the city. We also had a pretty good view from our window, and found the woman at reception very helpful. The altitude started to get to us right away in Cusco, and being low on sleep didn't help either. We both had altitude headaches, and we ended up sleeping for about three and a half hours before getting into our room. Once awake and feeling a little better, we ventured out, taking a short walk to Plaza de Armas. The plaza is gorgeous, with two old cathedrals (Catholic and Jesuit), a fountain topped by an Inca warrior, and landscaped flowers. It's surrounded by shops, tour agencies, and restaurants with balconies, and on one side you can get a glimpse of the mountains in the distance. We had our first meal in Cusco at one of the restaurants overlooking the plaza. The place had free salad bar and pisco sours with our meals. I had trucha au gratin (trout with cheese) and Ryan had lomo saltado (a Peruvian sirloin stir fry), and both were pretty good. On our way back to our hotel, we bought a watercolor painting of Machu Picchu from a man selling them in the square, then made our out-of-breath way back to the hotel. We chilled out there for a while, finding one channel with English movies (subtitled in Spanish, of course) so we watched the end of a Harry Potter movie and Frozen. That evening we decided to venture out again, partially to pick up drinking water, shampoo and Sublime bars (the necessities) at a drugstore. Then we found an ice cream shop called Dulce Vita Italiana, and we had some really good ice cream, hot chocolate, and pie before turning in for the night. We took it really easy our first day in Cusco, partially because we were tired from our flights and partially because we were trying to adjust to the altitude, and I definitely recommend you do the same when you first get there. We were still able to sample our first Peruvian food and visit the heart of the city, the Plaza de Armas. [gallery type=rectangular ids=3146,3385,3148,3149,3147,3383,3384] Day 2: Museums, Plazas & Massages in Cusco We started the day by getting cash in Plaza de Armas and purchasing boletos turisticos (tourist tickets that get you into many museums and archaeological sites in the Sacred Valley) before heading to the Museo Histórico Regional. This museum is located in the old family home of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, so there was some information about him. Besides that, the museum focused on, as promised, the history of the region. It started with pre-historic times, the Incas, and the Spanish Conquest. Some of the most interesting things the museum had included the Legend of the Qoa (a feline Inca mythical creature that shot lightning bolts out of his glowing eyes), a room dedicated to Tupac Amaru, and a room about cuisine which featured a Last Supper painting of Jesus and his disciples eating cuy. Unfortunately the museum didn't allow photography inside, so I don't have any pictures, but I'd say it's definitely worth a visit while you're in Cusco! We sat for a while in the Plaza de Recogido, enjoying the fountains, when we were approached by two women in traditional dress with baby alpacas. This is a common sight while in Cusco, and it's super tempting to pet or hold the alpacas every time you see them around, but you'll have to pay for the privilege so it's important to resist! This time, however, I decided to give in so I could hold the baby alpaca and have my picture taken with the women. They were so soft and fluffy! Then we walked on to Plaza de San Francisco, hitting ChocoMuseo on the way. Normally I hate free museums that are just trying to sell a product, but ChocoMuseo was actually pretty good! They had displays explaining the history, production process, and global impact of chocolate, and they allowed you to sample all of their products with no pressure to buy anything (but of course we did anyway!). Next we had lunch at a restaurant in Plaza de San Francisco at a place called Tabasco. The food wasn't amazing, but it was super cheap--only about $12 USD for us both to have a three course meal. I had pumpkin soup, grilled trout, and ice cream while Ryan had quinoa soup, grilled steak, and a chocolate banana. We returned to Plaza de Armas and had a couple of pisco sours at another restaurant overlooking the plaza, Mistura Grill. The bartender chatted with us for a while, and we had fun talking about drinks and our relative countries. After our drinks we decided to take advantage of some of the very cheap massages available in Cusco. We went to a place with good reviews called Nueva Vida and both had one hour massages for only 60 soles ($18 USD) total, including tips. Feeling relaxed afterward, we decided to keep the relaxation going by heading back to the hotel. The altitude was still getting to us a little bit, so it was good to rest. Then when we got hungry we returned to the Plaza de Armas to try Peru's national dish, ceviche. Ceviche is raw fish that is soaked in lime or citrus juices and served in a sort of salad with salt, garlic and vegetables. We read some reviews online and chose Barrio Ceviche for this meal. We were quite happy with them too - the staff was wonderful, the decor very modern in a fun, nautical way, and the ceviche was fantastic! However, we did get filled up on it very fast. Be sure to leave room for it if you go! On the way back to the hotel we took a few night pictures of the cathedrals in the Plaza, then went to bed so we would be rested up for our next day in Cusco. [gallery type=rectangular ids=3378,3150,3151,3154,3153,3152,3379,3380,3156,3155] Day 3: Tambomachay, Puka Pukara, Qenqo & Sacsayhuaman On our third day in Cusco, we decided to check out all four of the Inca sites that are very close to Cusco (the Inca capital). We started by taking a cab to the one with the highest elevation, Tambomachay. The air was quite thin up there, but the site was pretty cool. The Inca stonework everywhere we went was impressive--the way the stones fit together perfectly--and this site had fountains that are still flowing after all these years. They think that this site may have been an Inca spa. We walked down the road to the next site, which was called Puka Pukara (meaning red fortress). It was quite a big fortress, so it was fun to explore. Of the four sites we visited that day, this one had the most beautiful views of the valley. Qenqo was a little further down the road, so we took a cheap taxi down to that site. Qenqo was nestled in a bit of forest and had more interesting stonework, plus an altar where llamas were sacrificed (if we overheard the tour guide from someone else's group correctly) and a stone Inca calendar. We continued down the road and saw Cristo Blanco on the way to Sacsayhuaman. Cristo Blanco is a large white sculpture of Jesus that overlooks the city. There were some great views of the city of Cusco from there as well. We continued to Sacsayhuaman, which is the largest of the four sites. It also had some of the largest stones of any Inca site we visited--ones that make you wonder how they were cut and placed there! We didn't have much energy by the time we got to Sacsayhuaman so we only explored maybe half of the site before deciding to return to the city for lunch. On the walk down from Sacsayhuaman we had some delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice, then had lunch at Mistura Grill, the restaurant where we'd had drinks the day before. There was a performer playing traditional Andean music, that was pretty cool. Ryan had ají de gallina and I had cordero al pisco with fettucine. The office for Inca Rail was close by, so we stopped by to pick up our train tickets for Machu Picchu in two days. Everyone had told us we would need our passports to pick up our tickets, but we ended up not needing them. We also did a little shopping in the Plaza - I picked up some earrings and a llama pendant - and then we priced out the private tour of the Sacred Valley that we were planning for the next day at some tour agencies. Our hotel had given us a price of $150 and the cheapest agency we could find was $180, so we chose to go with the hotel's guy, which was easier anyway. It had been a little bit rainy while we were having lunch and shopping, but then we were rewarded with a rainbow in the plaza afterward, which was fun. :) We stopped by the ice cream shop again on the way back to the hotel and I tried some local flavors--strawberry, tropical, and lucuma (a native fruit that tastes a little bit like apple). All were delicious of course. We returned to the hotel and had dinner at a pizza place with a brick oven right next door. We enjoyed the American 80s music soundtrack and some strong pisco sours while we waited for our chorizo-and-bacon pizza, which was fantastic. [gallery type=rectangular ids=3157,3158,3159,3160,3161,3162,3164,3163,3167,3165,3170,3171,3168,3166,3169,3172,3173,3381] Day 4: Chinchero, Moray, Maras, and Ollantaytambo On day four of our time in Cusco, we hired a driver and guide to take us to some sites around the Sacred Valley. His name was Manuel, and he was a great guide who gave us lots of extra information about the Sacred Valley and the sites we were visiting. The valley is beautiful so it was also fun to just sit back and enjoy the scenery as he drove us around. Our first stop was the town of Chinchero. It was raining a little, so Manuel took us to an alpaca wool weaving place before visiting the nearby Inca site. There we were treated to a dyeing and weaving demonstration, where a young woman showed us the traditional natural dyes, cleaning techniques, and loom as well as some of the traditional designs and how they were linked to Inca mythology. It was really interesting and I'm glad we were able to stop there for a bit. We ended up buying an alpaca scarf and a lapis lazuli ring for my collection there as well. Then Manuel took us to an overlook where we could see the Inca site of Chinchero. There were tons of terraces, and you could see where the Spanish had built over some of the Inca temples on the site. Next we continued on to the Salineras (salt ponds) of Maras. Some of the salt-drying ponds here were originally built by the Inca, and they are still used today! It was definitely one of the more unique landscapes I had ever seen, too! Not too far from Maras is the Inca archaeological site of Moray. This site is basically concentric rings of terracing, and it's theorized that it was used as their agricultural lab, because the climate from the lowest terrace to the top one is dramatically different. It was really unique compared to some of the other ruins we had been seeing, and Manuel said that it's his favorite. We ate lunch in Urubamba, at a place called Paka Punku. The meal was served buffet style, so we were able to try many different Peruvian dishes, and while we ate a traditional Andean band performed with panpipes, drums, and other ancient instruments. The music was really good, and we ended up purchasing a CD from them. Finally, we went on to our final stop of the day, the archaeological ruins at Ollantaytambo. The village of Ollantaytambo is known as the living Inca town because so many of the houses (and the water channels running through the town) were originally built by the Inca. The site overlooks the town and is very large and impressive--and steep! It has a few fountains that are still running from Inca times and the usual impressive Inca stonework. One really interesting thing about the site is that it wasn't complete when the Spanish found it, so we are able to observe some of the Inca construction techniques, like ramps and hubs on the stones that ropes were tied around to move them. Definitely make time to see this site while you're in the Sacred Valley! The drive back to Cusco was only two hours, and we only stopped once, at a mountain overlook with some really cute alpacas. All day we saw lots of animals--donkeys, pigs, sheep, alpacas, dogs, etc. as well as people farming with oxen and plow. We drove some of it along the Urubamba River and at different times went through villages, farmland, and mountains. Near Maras we saw cacti that looked like silly straws, and at other points we could glimpse snow-capped peaks. It was a wonderful day, and I'm glad we were able to enjoy so much of the Sacred Valley before heading to Machu Picchu the next day! [gallery type=rectangular ids=3174,3175,3176,3178,3179,3177,3181,3180,3182,3183,3185,3184,3186,3187] At this point we took two days and one night, spending them at Machu Picchu/in Aguas Calientes, before returning to Cusco. You can read about the Machu Picchu segment of the trip here. Day 5: Sick/Lazy Day & Cusco Cathedral On our first day back in Cusco after Machu Picchu, we both still felt pretty sick from getting food poisoning, so we really didn't do much. We stayed at the hotel watching the one English channel for quite a while--it seemed to play the same few movies over and over, including Fast & Furious 7, The Hangover 3, and Harry Potter 8. When we were ready for lunch we decided to go somewhere that we knew our stomachs could handle, so we walked to the McDonald's in Plaza de Armas. We had McPollo deluxes and cones, which were pretty much the same as they are in the U.S. One unusual thing that happened while we were there was that it started hailing. It must not fail that often because there were gaps in the roofline of the McDonald's and we ended up having to go to the second floor to avoid being hailed on. We did duck outside to see what the hail was like out there and the plaza was quickly filled so that it looked like it had snowed. Before going back to the hotel we decided to visit the Cusco Cathedral (Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption). Photos weren't allowed inside, but it had three different parts to it, all of which were decorated to the gills. The Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and holds a lot of Cusco art. Many of the stones it was built on were actually taken from Sacsayhuaman, since the Spanish were trying to replace the Inca religion with Catholicism. [gallery type=rectangular ids=3212,3217] Day 6: Museo del Sitio de Qoricancha & Santo Domingo The original plan for our last day in Cusco was to take a trip to visit the Inca ruins and market at Pisac, but since we still didn't feel too well and the weather wasn't great we decided to stay in Cusco. We visited Museo del Sitio de Qoricancha and the little park that's outside of it. The museum was small, but had some really nice artifacts, including some Inca mummies. You have to go through the museum to get into the park (so either pay admission or use your boleto turistico), which was really nice. The walls of the park actually had gold on them during Inca times. Someone had made some snowmen out of the hail the day before in the park, and interestingly, they hadn't melted. It must be the altitude! We had lunch at a nearby restaurant called Sepia that was quite good. An appetizer of tequeños with guacamole, arroz chaufa, and seco de res made up our meal. After lunch we toured the other part of the Qoricancha site, the Church & Convent of Santo Domingo. Qoricancha was the most important Inca temple, but the Spanish took most of it down and built their Convent of Santo Domingo on top of it. Much of the stone structure of the original temple, with some of the best Inca stonework, is still intact underneath. At one point the walls of the Inca temple of Qoricancha were covered with gold and the courtyard filled with gold statues, but of course after the conquest all the gold was gone. Much of it was actually used to ransom Atahualpa's life from the Spanish. The courtyard of Santo Domingo was pretty and some of the rooms were filled with some beautiful religious art. We headed back to the hotel then, where we packed up and prepared for the next segment of our trip, five days in the Amazon! [gallery type=rectangular ids=3213,3214,3215,3216]

Traveling the world while maintaining a full time job and a life at home often feels like a series of very hard choices. Where to go this year, how do you fit in enough during your two week vacation without overdoing it, etc. Whether to visit the North or South Island in New Zealand became one of those difficult choices for me while planning our trip. After looking at the attractions and the driving times on each island, it quickly became obvious that with the week we had to give New Zealand, doing both was not an option. So you heard it here first - if you don't have at LEAST two weeks, you're going to have to choose as well! The South Island actually seems big enough that to do it justice would really require two weeks on its own, meaning my ideal dual-island NZ vacation would be three weeks long. If only we all had three weeks each year to spend in New Zealand, right!? We ended up choosing the North Island. Read on for five reasons we chose that island, as well as three reasons someone might choose the South Island instead! Why did we choose the North Island? Hobbiton, New Zealand 1. Lord of the Rings While you can find Lord of the Rings filming locations all over New Zealand, two of the key places are located on the North Island: Hobbiton and Tongariro National Park. When the owners of the working sheep farm were approached by Peter Jackson and company and asked to use their location for Hobbiton/the Shire again for the Hobbit movies, they asked that the sets be made permanent structures this time, and the tourist site of Hobbiton was born! On a tour you'll see dozens of Hobbit holes, gorgeous flowers and views of the green, rolling hills, and get to have a beer in the Green Dragon Inn. Tongariro National Park, on the other hand, features volcanic landscapes used to create Mordor, including the active volcano of Mount Ngauruhoe that served as Mt. Doom for the films. You can also visit two different waterfalls - Tawhai and Mangawhero - that were used as filming locations for Gollum (they are known respectively as Gollum's Pool and Gollum's Falls). A lot of CGI was used for Mangawhero so it isn't as recognizable from the film, but it is definitely worth a stop to see the 75 foot waterfall with a view of Mt. Ruapehu behind it! Maori Dance at Te Puia 2. Maori culture The North Island was inhabited by the Maori before the South Island, so there are more opportunities to experience the culture there. We saw Maori art at the Toi o Tamaki Art Gallery in Auckland and took a cruise out to see the Mine Bay rock carvings on Lake Taupo. There are living Maori villages to see as well if you want an immersive experience. One of our favorite evenings in New Zealand was spent at Te Puia, where, as part of the Te Po evening experience, we toured the geothermal areas, saw kiwi in a night enclosure, toured the artisan school there, and then viewed Maori songs and dances and enjoyed a traditional hangi feast! Mount Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park 3. Smaller & more accessible Since the North Island is the smaller of the two, you have a better chance of feeling that you've seen most of it with only a week to spare. There aren't rugged mountain ranges for roads to have to navigate around, as there are on the South Island, so everywhere is quite accessible. Whereas I really do feel that you'd need a week and a half or two weeks to feel that you've seen most of the South Island. The North Island also happens to have more international airports and flights and four of the five most populous cities, so it's slightly more accessible in those ways too. Glowworms at Waitomo, New Zealand 4. Glowworms There are a few places to see glowworms on the South Island, but the most famous place to see them in New Zealand is in Waitomo on the North Island. There are lots of options of different caves to visit and tours to suit any adventure level. Floating on a raft under a sky of blue glowworm stars was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to New Zealand! Champagne Pool at Wai-O-Tapu 5. Climate The North Island has more geothermal activity, especially around Rotorua, so if you'd like to see a kaleidoscope of hot springs and pools or geysers - or if you'd like to try spa services like mud baths - you'll want to visit the North Island. It is also said to have better beaches, and being north of the south island, has a more tropical climate and warmer waters for swimming. Why might someone choose the South Island? Photo by Edward Koorey on Unsplash 1. Dramatic landscapes The North Island's landscape is, for the most part, hilly and green (yes, like the Shire ;) ), whereas the South Island is more rugged and has more variety. If jagged mountain peaks, fjords, glacial lakes, and plummeting waterfalls are more your style, the South Island might be for you! 2. Getting off the beaten path Since the South Island is both larger and less-populated than the North Island, you may be better able to leave the crowds behind and spend time out in the wilderness. This is sort of the inverse of the point about accessibility of the North Island that I made before; since many of the picturesque areas can be harder to get to due to terrain and the size of the island, it might be easier to appreciate nature and feel that you've made it off the beaten path. 3. Adventure sports Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand is known as the Adventure Capital of the World - in fact, bungee jumping and jet boating were both invented there! And of course, since that island is the more mountainous of the two, there are better opportunities for those interested in skiing, snowboarding, or mountaineering. Whichever island you choose, you're bound to have a wonderful time exploring the beautiful landscapes and unique culture of the region. We chose the North Island for our trip, but on future trips I'd love to spend time exploring the South Island, or even devote enough time to see both! Have you visited New Zealand, or are you planning to go? Which island did you choose and why? Let me know in the comments!

I recently flew out to upstate New York for work, and as I was packing for the trip I was trying to remember if I had any sort of packing list for the things I would take on the plane with me. As I was thinking about this, the idea for this quick post came up, and I thought I'd share it with you so that the next time you're on a plane, all your goals will be met! ;) I don't really love plane rides... they're boring, crowded, and it grosses me out that we're all breathing the same recirculated air for the whole time. Unless it's your first time and everything is new and exciting, you probably won't actually enjoy the flight, especially if you're alone, as I was. So then, if having fun isn't the goal, what is? Here I've listed four goals to make your flight a more pleasant experience, along with the items that can help you achieve those goals... GOAL: STAY HYDRATED Water The average in-flight humidity is only 12%, which is drier than most deserts (an average home has 35-60% humidity, for comparison), so one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy and feel better on a flight is to hydrate! Be sure to bring or buy water before your flight. Tip: To save money, you can bring an empty water bottle (as long as it's empty it can go through security) and fill it up at the water fountain so you don't have to pay for overpriced water bottles. Lotion You can give your skin an extra boost of hydration and feel a little fresher if you bring a small bottle of lotion with you. Just remember to pack it with your other liquids when you go through security! Eyedrops The dryness can be especially irritating for those of us who have contacts. Consider packing your contact solution in the bag with you on the plane for easy access. GOAL: STAY ENTERTAINED Electronic device You probably don't need a reminder to bring your favorite electronic device - phone, tablet, e-reader, etc. - to entertain you on a plane. Do consider doing a bit of prep work before you leave to make your flight more enjoyable. Download whatever in-flight entertainment app the airline is using so you can stream free movies, compile a playlist of your favorite songs to help you sleep on the plane, or purchase an e-book or magazine for the flight. Charger/extra battery This one is sometimes harder to remember... Don't pack your extra battery pack or charger for your electronic device in your checked bag, as you may need it at the airport or on the airplane. Airports are getting better about providing free charge stations (usually USB and traditional wall outlets are available) and some planes even have USB outlets on the seats now. In the future, you may only need the cord! Headphones Even if you don't plan to listen to music or (for whatever reason) aren't bringing or using an electronic device, I still recommend that you bring headphones or earbuds. There are two reasons for this. First, because on longer flights they often have screens on the back of the seat in front of you so you can watch movies, and it really sucks to be without sound for those. Often earbuds will be available for purchase (or sometimes free) on the flight, but they're invariably terrible, so just bring your own. The other reason is so you can use them to demonstrate the universal do not disturb gesture by putting them in (even if they're not attached to anything!) if you want to avoid speaking to your overly-friendly neighbor on a flight. Book or magazine Airports are always full of stores selling books and magazines, and I like to treat myself to a new one (even if it's just a $4 magazine) when I fly. It'll give you something to read/look at even if your electronic devices run out of battery or start to give you a headache from looking at the screen for the whole flight (as often happens to me). GOAL: STAY COMFORTABLE Chewing gum If you don't like that ear-popping feeling when the plane ascends and descends (and who does?) one way to make it a bit more bearable is with chewing gum. Working your jaw to chew the gum can help get that uncomfortable feeling in your ears to go away faster, and you'll be doing your seatmates a favor by freshening your breath at the same time. Alternately if a seatmate has bad breath, you can politely offer them gum to help with the ears. Pretty sneaky, eh? Sweater or scarf I think bringing a scarf or sweater is one of the most important items on this list. A scarf or sweater can be used in the traditional way to keep you warm on sometimes-frigid planes, as a blanket or covering, or rolled up as a makeshift pillow to help you sleep. Eye mask I personally don't bring an eye mask when I fly, but this item is here to remind you that you should bring whatever you need to sleep (if you plan to nap on the plane), whether it be a neck pillow, earplugs, medication, or an eye mask. Sometimes little things can make a big difference when it comes to comfort! GOAL: STAY HEALTHY Medicine Flying can be rough on your immune system. Changing time zones and disrupted sleep patterns combine with airport and airplane germs and the dry air of the plane to create an immune system nightmare. It's not uncommon to get headaches from the dryness or motion sickness from turbulence in the air. Whatever medicine you need to get through the flight, be sure it's on the plane with you and not left at home or in your checked luggage! Antibacterial wipes Planes can be pretty gross... how many people have touched your armrests or tray table since they were last thoroughly cleaned? Keep germs at bay by bringing antibacterial wipes. That way you can do a quick wipe down of your area before takeoff for some peace of mind. It'll also help when it's time for the in-flight meal or snacks. You can wash your hands right at your seat before you eat! Snack Time zone changes and unbalanced airport meals can have your stomach growling at unexpected hours when you're traveling, and there's nothing worse than going hungry for a full flight. There are usually snacks provided on shorter flights and meals on longer ones, but that doesn't mean they'll be enough to satisfy you, or something you'll want to eat. Play it safe by bringing your own light snack on the plane. Just be careful if you're traveling internationally - you won't be able to bring fresh fruits or vegetables across borders so check before you bring anything fresh. BONUS GOAL: STAY CONSIDERATE I would like to recommend this bonus goal as well: stay considerate. Traveling can be stressful and, with the way everyone is packed in airplanes together, we can all have a more enjoyable flight if we offer our flight-mates a bit of politeness and understanding. Here are a few ways to be considerate when flying: 1. Keep anything you need during your flight in the purse/briefcase/messenger bag under the seat in front of you. Don't put it in your carry-on, as it can be really irritating to other passengers when you have to get up, find your bag, and rifle through it for the thing you needed. 2. Move as quickly as you can through the security line. No one likes waiting in that line, and you can speed up the process for you and your other passengers if you have your passport/ID and ticket out and ready to go, your liquids packaged in a ziploc bag as required, and your laptop/electronics at the top of your bag so you can easily pull them out and put them in a bin. I also always forget and somehow end up wearing a shirt with a zipper, metallic sparkles or metal snaps which can hold you up in the metal detector, so... don't do that. :) 3. Don't bring anything with a strong odor on the plane. You're all breathing about 50% recirculated air, so you never know whom you're giving a headache if you wear a strong perfume, or whom you're making feel sick with your egg salad sandwiches (watch those snacks especially!). 4. Some people like to talk and meet people on planes, but a lot of people don't. Always respect cues that your seatmates don't want to talk - good signs are headphones in, eyes closed, or an open book, magazine, or laptop in front of them. 5. Be flexible about switching seats with people. Flights are almost always more enjoyable when you can sit by your traveling companions, so spread some travel karma by being willing to switch seats with people so they can sit by their friends and family. There really isn't that much difference between a window, middle or aisle seat anyway, and the karma might come back to help you out at a later date! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this guide for things to pack with you for a flight. Do you have suggestions? What are your go-to items when it comes to packing for a flight? Comment below!

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After spending a few days in Cusco, we moved on to Machu Picchu, one of the most famous archaeological ruins in the world. To make the most of the trip, we decided to spend two days there, staying overnight at a cheap hostel in Aguas Calientes. Top Tips for Visiting Machu Picchu - The rules are always changing at Machu Picchu, so be sure to check them out before you go! Recently I read that visitors will be required to be accompanied by a guide and stick to certain circuits through the site... neither of those were requirements when we visited, so be sure you're up-to-date on the most recent rules before you go. - One of the changes that took place not too long before we went was that two tickets were required for a full day visit, otherwise you had to choose between afternoon and morning tickets. We recommend staying overnight to explore the site more, especially since hostels in Aguas Calientes are so cheap. Get an afternoon ticket the first day and a morning ticket the second, or arrive in the evening and do two tickets for the following, full day before returning that evening. - Machu Picchu is not cheap, and the costs add up... Train tickets will set you back about $150 USD round trip per person, bus tickets up to the site are $24 round trip, and the entrance fees are around $47 / ticket (more if you're doing a climb). You can save a little money by buying tickets from the Peruvian (Spanish language) website - check out this blog post to see how, if you don't speak Spanish! Keep in mind that you cannot buy Machu Picchu tickets AT Machu Picchu, so make sure that you either buy them online before you go or when you are in Aguas Calientes or Cusco. The linked blog has advice for doing any of those. - As I mentioned, the train ride is expensive. There are lovely views, but if you have more time and energy than money I think it could actually make more sense to do the Inca Trail or another trek up to Machu Picchu. Some are very affordable and when you factor in the train and bus tickets and lodging elsewhere in Peru, it might actually make sense to do the trek. The same goes for the bus ride up to the site if you do take the train; you can save yourself some money if you are willing to hoof it instead. We struggled so much with the altitude that we decided against it, and thought it would be more interesting spending four days seeing other sights in the Sacred Valley than hiking the Inca Trail, but be sure to weigh your options! - If you do decide to take the train, you will have to decide between IncaRail and PeruRail. IncaRail is the newer company so there seems to be a lot of outdated/incorrect information. They do, in fact, have departures from the Poroy station outside Cusco (which is what we took) so either is an option fro Cusco! The two are quite similar in price and function, and actually use the same railroad tracks to get you up to Aguas Calientes... There are lots of opinions in support of PeruRail since it has been around longer, but we chose IncaRail. What sealed the deal for us, and why we chose IncaRail, was because it is 100% Peruvian-owned company, whereas PeruRail is 50% owned by Belmont in the UK. We felt it was better to keep the money in the country we were visiting, and we had an excellent experience... the snacks, service, even the office in Cusco, were all great. - If you'd like to do one of the climbs at Machu Picchu, you have two choices again - Wayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Montaña. You'll need to purchase a more expensive entrance ticket with a time slot for one of the climbs, so be sure to do some research and plan ahead. Wayna Picchu is the mountain that is in the background of all those iconic Machu Picchu photos, and is a steeper climb, but it may take less time. Machu Picchu Montaña is on the other side of the ruin and is better for those afraid of heights or who may have balance issues. We chose the latter after Googling pictures from the top of both... the view from Wayna Picchu just didn't look as exciting without Wayna Picchu itself in the background. :) - One important note is that there are NO bathrooms inside the site itself. Be sure you go to the one outside the entrance when you get to the top (by bus or walking). It cost 2 soles when we were there, so consider having some change ready to speed the process up too. - Bring your passport! You will need your ticket AND your passport in order to get into the site, so be sure you have both! You can also get some pretty nifty Machu Picchu souvenir stamps somewhere at the site, but since we had a more... eventful... trip than expected I didn't manage to get to the place where they do the stamping. Day 1: Cusco to Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu afternoon visit We took an early taxi to the train station outside Cusco and soon were aboard the train and on our way to Aguas Calientes, the town nearest the ruins of Machu Picchu. I didn't have a lot of expectations for the train ride but it was gorgeous! We followed the Urubamba River through the Andes mountains, seeing farmland, forest, and even terracing and ruins along the way. There was one particular ruin that was really cool--Inca terracing right beside a waterfall! The train took quite a bit less time than the three hours we expected, so we sat on a bench outside the train station for a little while. There's a nice little park with flowers there, so we just hung out for a while, getting our plans ready for the rest of the day. Then we walked into town, which was quite nice, with colorful buildings and the Urubamba River flowing through the center of it. We found a restaurant that looked good, and sat down at a table with nice views of the river and the mountains. Ryan had a burrito with mango juice, and I had fresh-squeezed orange juice and lomo (pork loin) with a blackberry sauce that was quite tasty. Since our afternoon tickets to Machu Picchu would start soon, we headed over to the bus station. Round trip tickets up and back were $24 USD (each) so if you're more athletically inclined consider hiking up and back, or at least hike on the way down if you need to save money. The bus ride had some pretty cool views of the valley on the way up, since you follow switchbacks up the mountain. Once up, be sure to go to the bathroom because there are not any inside the site! It cost 2 soles to use it. We took a stone pathway out to the site, enjoying some nice views of the Urubamba River snaking through the valley, then onto a guardhouse before you step out and are able to see Machu Picchu in all its glory. It really is as breathtaking as it looks in pictures, and the site is so intact that you can almost imagine that it's still a functional city today! We followed Circuit 2 to begin, which seemed to be the less popular option. There were great views of the site, then we were able to walk through the stone buildings and onto the main temple, the Sun Temple. From there we saw some llamas and decided to follow them to the other side of the site. On the way we saw some super cute chinchillas running around. I just regret that they moved to fast to get a good picture! We stayed in one of the structures that seemed to be for the llamas until a brief bit of rain passed, then continued our explorations. The path continued through a lower part of the site, with more views of the valley. There was actually one part where there was no wall and just the end of a path and a (potential) long fall to the bottom. It was marked with just a small sign. :) On our way back out of the site, we passed the Temple of the Condor, which had a large rock formation that was obviously the inspiration for the name of the temple! We also passed a llama who was strutting around like he owned the place, heading straight through groups of tourists as if they weren't even there. Once finished for the day, we took the bus back down the mountain to Aguas Calientes. We walked along the river and northward until we found our hostel, where we rested for a while before going out for dinner. That evening, we walked down to the Plaza de Armas, where we admired the Bienvenidos a Machu Picchu sculptures of Inca citizens. Then we split a pizza for dinner before returning up the steep hill to the hotel, where Ryan was able to indulge in the show he discovered that he loved last year in Greece, BBC News. :) [gallery type=rectangular ids=3219,3220,3221,3222,3223,3224,3225,3226,3227,3228,3229,3230,3231,3232,3233,3234,3235,3236] Day 2: Machu Picchu morning visit and return to Cusco The night we stayed in Aguas Calientes, Ryan got very, very sick with something like food poisoning. It was awful, and we both hoped he would be well enough to go to Machu Picchu by the morning, but he only made it to the hostel lobby before needing a bag to vomit in. :( I went to a drugstore and got traveler's diarrhea medication (glad that I knew enough Spanish to explain what I needed, and that unlike in the US, I didn't need a prescription!), as well as more drinking water, some Sprite-like soda, and crackers. Then we paid for another night in the hostel (which was cheap luckily... only around $30) so that he could rest while I went back to Machu Picchu. The woman working at the hotel, who only spoke Spanish (yet another reason I was glad I'm fluent) was very understanding. Our Machu Picchu tickets were for the morning, but I got to the bus station pretty late with everything else that happened that morning so by the time I got to the entrance it was too late to get in to do the Montaña climb we had planned :( (and also I was on the bus with all senior citizens). So my day didn't exactly start off too well. I walked up the other circuit to the guardhouse with really nice views. The weather was a little nicer than the day before so I took full advantage of the views (and the fact that I could take as many pictures as I wanted without slowing anyone else down) to get some good shots. Then I hiked part of the way to the Sun Gate before turning around and attempting to find some llamas again. It didn't really feel worth it to do the second day without doing the mountain climb, but events out of my control prevented that from happening. I'd still recommend doing two days, especially if you want to do either the Wayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Montaña times. And then if you get sick one day you'll still be able to see it on the other day. :) I left the site a little bit after I was supposed to (I think my ticket ended at noon) and took the bus back down to Aguas Calientes. I returned to the hotel to find Ryan doing a little bit better. The woman at the hotel was very helpful, and very concerned because she thought Ryan hadn't been able to see Machu Picchu at all. When we told her that we both went the day before she felt a bit better though. Since the train wasn't until a bit later, we both took a nap at the hostel for a while longer. I wasn't feeling so hot either, but wasn't nearly as sick as Ryan. We walked back to the train station (slowly, for Ryan), crossing the bridge over the river for the last time and waiting at the nice park area of the train station again. It was a bit less nice than the day before, since the weather had changed back to cloudy and sprinkling a little and there were quite a few people waiting there for trains. The train ride was pretty again, or at least the first half of it was before it got dark and we couldn't see a whole lot. Our cab driver was waiting for us at the train station (since he'd volunteered and we'd arranged it with him the day before). He drove us back to our hotel, and we went to bed shortly after. We noticed right away that it was harder to breathe in Cusco than it had been in Aguas Calientes, but it was really nice to be back at our hotel since it had started to feel like our home away from home here in Peru! [gallery type=rectangular ids=3237,3249,3248,3247,3246,3245,3238,3244,3243,3242,3241,3240,3239]

Day 1 The first part of the drive to Delphi - from Meteora to Lamia - was rather uneventful except for our stop at the Jumbo store. The countryside there isn't very scenic, except for a few mountainous bits, and those we had driven just two days earlier. What is a Jumbo store, you may ask. In our hotel rooms we'd noticed some very creepy Christmas commercials for these stores called Jumbo--their logo is the word Jumbo in balloon letters, and we asked ourselves the same question. After seeing multiple commercials, we surmised that it was similar to Toys 'R Us. We'd seen a few around Greece, and we were really surprised at how big the stores were, so we decided to stop at the next one we saw. Basically, Jumbos are like Wal Marts, but all they have is toys and home decor items. All of the advertising was very brightly colored, and there were cheap Christmas decorations everywhere. The one thing that most amused me was a whole aisle of decorative (some even Christmas-themed!) ashtrays - I'd never even seen a decorative ashtray, except in antique stores! We didn't feel the need to buy anything at Jumbo, so we kept on. Luckily, between Lamia and Delphi the landscape is completely gorgeous! We followed switchback roads through forested mountains--with colorful fall foliage and the now-familiar spindly cypress trees. Every so often we'd be startled by a flash of black and white as a magpie took wing, and on the most treacherous parts of the road we saw plenty of the little roadside shrines. There were some adorable red-roofed villages up in the mountains too. As we got closer to Delphi, we got a glimpse of the sea and then descended into a valley of olive groves, where we saw farmers harvesting from the silver-leaved trees. [gallery type=rectangular ids=1705,1706,1707,1708] Finally we reached the small town of Delphi, whose narrow, cobblestoned streets and tile-roofed houses sit on the side of the mountain. Our hotel was easy to locate since the town is so small, and we were soon in our room at Hotel Parnassos Delphi. It was a little stuffy, so we opened the door out to our balcony and I enjoyed looking over the picturesque little village. After a brief rest we asked the hotel owner for a restaurant recommendation and headed to Taverna Dion on the street that ran behind the hotel. There we had a really fantastic meal... We shared a plate of delicious saganaki (fried cheese), which was especially good with the homemade bread, then I had dolmades (meat cooked in grape leaves) and Ryan had bifteki gimeso (a sort of Greek burger). At the end we had a small piece of baklava--which was free! Free dessert with your meal is common in Greece, and I must say it was always a nice touch! The waiter was really nice and gave us a postcard, asking if we could write up a TripAdvisor recommendation. When we'd finished our late lunch, we walked down the street and along the walkway, where there's only a railing between the street and the sheer side of the mountain. The museum and archaeological site are maybe a 10 minute walk from town, so we quickly found them. However, it was late enough in the day that we decided to wait until tomorrow to visit; we only would have had an hour at the archaeological site, and the museum was about to close. The walk was so nice, though, that we didn't mind. The mountains and forest around are fantastic, and we could make out some of the ruins of the site through the trees, including the famous Tholos of Delphi on the other side of the valley. Later we learned that you can actually visit that particular monument for free, and at any time of day--if we had known we definitely would have made our way over there! [gallery type=rectangular ids=1709,1711,1710,1712] On the way back into town, we decided to do a bit of souvenir shopping while the stores were still open. Oxidized bronze figures of things like helmets and animals from mythology are popular items here; I ended up buying a horse for me and a Spartan helmet for my brother. I also got some traditional kolomboi worry beads. The shop where we bought these things was the third one we'd been in, and the proprietor was really nice! When he found out we were engineers he showed us Pythagoras' table of numbers and Pythagoras' cup. I hadn't seen either before and found them really interesting! When I checked out the owner wished us good luck with our new president, and said that Greeks like Donald Trump, but only because he always has beautiful women with him! He also commented that he seems like a strange man, and I told him that many people thought it was a joke when he was first running for office. We returned to the hotel, where I sat on the balcony for a bit, enjoying the breeze and the sunset while I worked on sketching a picture of my horse. When I got too cold, I went inside and read more of Mythology by Edith Hamilton. I'd read it once before--in my AP Literature class in high school--but I enjoyed rereading it and brushing up on my gods and goddesses while in Greece. The book seemed especially relevant while in Delphi, since so many of the myths include visits to Delphi for guidance from Apollo's oracle! We enjoyed the food at Taverna Dion so much that we decided to go back for dinner. It didn't hurt that we already knew how to get to it either! ;) We had saganaki again for our appetizer, but this time I had souvlaki and Ryan had veal with tomato sauce before we finished up with a bit more baklava. Theirs was quite good--lots of layers of pastry phyllo dough and a nice nutmeg flavor. We also enjoyed seeing some other tourists around that evening--some Australians and Canadians--since we were actually the only guests at our hotel that night! After dinner we went to bed, ready to take on what we'd really come to Delphi for--the archaeology--the next day. Day 2 We arrived at the Delphi archaeological site early--too early for the museum to be open. We walked up the museum steps and enjoyed some beautiful tile mosaic floors while we chatted with some other tourists from Canada. It's funny; when you think of ancient Greece temples and marble sculptures are the first things you envision, but we saw lots of beautiful, detailed mosaics while we were there as well! [gallery type=rectangular ids=1721,1723,1724,1722] Our original plan had been to visit the museum first, but since we were early we went ahead and did the archaeological site first. We were glad we did, too. When we started there were only a few other tourists around, but by the time we finished busloads of them were at the site! Entrance to the site and museum is available through a combined ticket. I believe they're normally €12, but we got the special off-season rate of €6 each, which was quite a steal! The archaeological site at Delphi was so much bigger than I expected! On postcards and such I've only ever seen the Tholos, so I thought that was the main attraction. But up the hill from there is so much more to see--basically a whole city! You can see the open air library, the Athenian treasury, what's left of the Temple of Apollo, the oracle, the theater, the stadium, and the ruins of many, many other structures. [gallery type=rectangular ids=1726,1727,1728,1729,1730,1731,1725,1733,1732,1734] There's also the Omphalos of Delphi, a stone in a rounded cone shape that is supposed to mark the navel of the world. Legend says that when Zeus wanted to find out where the center of the world was, he sent out two eagles flying in opposite directions. At the place where their flight paths crossed, Zeus threw down a stone to mark the Navel of the World. We spent most of the morning exploring the site. The setting--surrounded by mountains and forest--was gorgeous, and we had a perfect blue sky. One word of note for the site is that it's very vertical; there are lots of stairs so I recommend you wear decent shoes! The stadium is near the top of the mountain and is a bit of a hike, so only set out for the stadium if you feel up to it. On the way up to see it, we met another American and had a nice chat with her. She was from the DC area and had just quit her job a few months ago so she could take what she's calling a gap year before finding a new job. We found it strangely comforting to talk to another American on Thanksgiving Day! After the stadium, we climbed back down through the site and stopped at the museum's cafe, where we enjoyed drinks (Greek coffee for Ryan, hot chocolate for me) and a sausage in a pastry for breakfast. We were quickly swarmed by about eight cats as we ate at a little bistro table and tried to enjoy the beautiful day! :) The Delphi Archaeological Museum, when we finally went in to see it, was really fantastic. It's a really good-sized, modern museum housing lots of sculpture and artifacts that were found when the site was excavated. Some of the highlights include the Sphinx of Delphi, the replica of the omphalos and the large decorative pillar it used to go on, sculptures from the Temple of Apollo, the twins, and the bronze charioteer. I also liked seeing the little model they had of what the site used to look like--you can see how much of it is left, even after all these years! As we were leaving, the busloads of other people were just entering the museum (and making rather a lot of noise), solidifying our belief that Delphi is best enjoyed in the morning! [gallery type=rectangular ids=1738,1736,1737,1739,1740,1741,1742,1743,1744,1745] Once done at the museum, we really only had one stop left in Delphi - the oft-photographed Tholos. Nearby is what's left of the Temple of Athena Pronaia, so to find this spot just follow the signs for the temple. We parked our car closer to it and then walked down the gravel path. Afterwards I could see why this ruin out of all of the ones at Delphi is so well-known... the setting, down further into the valley, is really peaceful and the unique round shape of the Tholos captures the eye. I wish I'd known the night before that this part could be visited at any time--I'm sure watching the sunset there would have been gorgeous! [gallery type=rectangular ids=1746,1747,1748] We met a family from Spain at the Temple of Athena Pronaia and asked if they could take our picture. I got to practice my Spanish a bit, and we had a nice conversation. They suggested we make Madrid our next trip! It was funny, because the American we'd met just a few hours earlier had recommended Barcelona! Oh, Spain... I'll see you someday... When we were done, we hit the road again, shortly coming upon the adorable skiing village of Arachova. Unlike the rest of Greece--which seemed half-closed down for the winter, there was some bustle going on there as people were preparing for the upcoming ski season. Before long, though, we were out of the mountains and onto another boring stretch of road, headed toward Athens. We decided that, rather than spend extra time doing something in Athens, we would head to Sounio (aka Sounion or Cape Sounio/Sounion) to see the Poseidon's temple by the sea. The cab driver we'd had the other day had showed us a stunning picture, and we still had the rental car for a few hours, so we figured why not? It was only about 40 minutes south of the airport, and we could still be back and have the rental car dropped off before dark. I got really excited as soon as we saw the sea, with boats in the marina along the side of the road. It seemed strange to have been in Greece for nearly a week and to not have been close to the ocean at all. The Temple of Poseidon sits atop a rocky outcropping overlooking the ocean. You can see the ocean on three of four sides, and I don't think they could have picked a better spot for the god of the sea's temple! The cost to get in was €4, and the site is open until sunset everyday. The temple is fairly well intact, too--with over half of its pillars still standing. We enjoyed seeing it and feeling the cool sea breeze... then we got ice cream (mine was cherry and pistachio!) so we could sit and watch the sun sink into the ocean. This little side trip was 100% worth the extra bit of driving, and made us even happier that we'd decided to rent a car while in Greece. [gallery type=rectangular ids=1752,1756,1750,1753,1755,1751] We drove back, returned our rental car, and took a cab to our hotel without any incidents. We stayed in the Plaka Hotel, which is a rather stylish hotel right in the middle of lots of shopping and dining. We had a large room on the top floor with a completely gorgeous view of the Acropolis, which was quite unexpected (I think only a handful of rooms were occupied, this being the off season!). We dropped off our bags and then headed out to grab dinner at a place called El Greco's near Syntagma Square. We had gyros and roasted cheese which were pretty good. Then we enjoyed wandering around a bit. There were lots of people out and about--shopping, going to dinner, or just walking. Christmas lights were strung across the streets and Syntagma's fountain was lit up with different colors. We got a bit lost for a moment, but during that time managed to find the Tower of the Winds, a ruin we hadn't been able to fit into our schedule during our first days in Athens. [caption id=attachment_1757 align=aligncenter width=407] View of the Acropolis from our hotel![/caption] Finally, we found the hotel again and got ourselves to sleep. We had to get up early to fly out to Santorini the next day. After getting a little taste of the sea at Sounio, I was more excited than ever to see the island I've been admiring pictures of for my whole life! [caption id=attachment_1760 align=alignright width=283] Cape Sounio, Greece[/caption] [caption id=attachment_1761 align=alignleft width=282] Delphi, Greece[/caption]

After driving 4500 miles around the American West last August, I thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite parts of the drive. We saw some really gorgeous parts of the country during those 10 days, and we've compiled a list of some of our very favorite drives--winding roads with gorgeous scenery, inspiring outlooks, and opportunities for viewing wildlife. A few of these road trips are through national parks, which means they aren't free to drive. However, if you plan on doing something similar to our Epic American Road Trip and visiting multiple parks, consider buying an America the Beautiful Pass. They cost just $80, grant access to all national parks and many other federal sites, and are good for a full year after the month they're purchased. If you're a senior you can get the pass for just $10, and if you're an American with a permanent disability you can get the pass for free. Read on for some of the best drives to include on your next quintessential American road trip! 1. Scenic Highway 128 in Moab, Utah If you're heading into Moab from the east along I-70, Google Maps will tell you to take Exit 182 and US-191 to head into Moab. Don't do it! Instead, get off the exit earlier. Take exit 214 and State Route 128 (Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway) on your way into Moab. You won't be sorry you did, as you'll be rewarded by a road that snakes along with the Colorado River through gorgeous canyons and the red rock formations the area is famous for. There were also cattle ranches and an abandoned rusty bridge along the way. Being a public highway, the drive, of course, is free and will probably take you about an hour--longer if you decide to stop and take pictures like we did. 2. Mt. Evans Scenic Byway, Colorado Mt. Evans Scenic Byway has the distinction of being the highest paved auto road in North America. It's also the only of Colorado's 14ers that you can drive to the top of--so if you're like us and want to see mountain goats and experience the high altitude while being surrounded with gorgeous views of the mountains all around, but you don't want to use your legs to get there, it's perfect! The road up is very switchback and at times a little terrifying--be sure you watch out for the crazy souls who are biking to the top along the road! On the way up you'll see two alpine lakes, snow-capped peaks, evergreen forests, and mountain wildflowers. At the top you'll be able to see mountain goats and bighorn sheep, explore the ruins of the Crest House, and breathe in that fresh mountain air while enjoying the spectacular mountain views. We spent most of a morning (at least three hours) driving to the top and back down the mountain. The cost to drive it is $10/vehicle, but it was free for us because of the America the Beautiful pass. 3. Monument Valley Tribal Park, Navajo Nation If you've ever watched a Western, or even the first part of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you've seen Monument Valley. The Navajo Nation is a lot more willing to let film crews into these lands than the National Parks service is theirs, so it's a very popular backdrop for many TV shows and movies made in the US. And with good reason too--the rock formations and scenery are like nothing else on Earth. For $20 you can drive your vehicle through at your own pace and hike the trails. There are also booths set up throughout where you can buy authentic Navajo-crafted items too, like dreamcatchers, blankets, and turquoise jewelry. Before our trip I'd read concerns people had about the unpaved roads on their vehicles, but we didn't have any problems when we went. It's probably best to ask about the condition of the road if there has been recent heavy rains though! In that case you can hop on a Jeep or a horse instead for a guided tour. 4. Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Yellowstone, the world's first national park, is hard to beat, and it's Grand Loop Road gives you access to all the park's wonders--forest and lake views, thermal pools and springs, waterfalls, wildlife, and trailheads to enable your further exploration of the park. This is also one of the longest drives on the trip--we did Grand Teton National Park and about a third of the Grand Loop one day and about half of it the second day, but we only did a couple of pretty short hikes. For time to see the whole loop, plus Grand Teton National Park, I think three days are needed--more if you want to do longer hikes. A seven-day vehicle pass for Yellowstone is $30 and for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton is $50 (see how the America the Beautiful pass can save you money?) and they are worth every penny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCnX-mmI1BA 5. Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway in Zion National Park, Utah Zion National Park has a multitude of stunning features--Angel's Landing, the Narrows, the Emerald Pools--but we didn't have a lot of time on our way from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. We decided (since we had the pass anyway) to get a taste of the park by driving the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway through the park, and we were glad we did. As you can see in the video above, we were rewarded with stunning views of the park along the switchback road. There are several tunnels along the way, including the famous 1.1-mile Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel, an engineering marvel in itself. In busy summer months the drive can take up to two hours, and it'll cost you $25 without a pass (good reason to only do it if you have a pass or you'll have more than a few hours to be in the park!). 6. Desert View Drive in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona The whole western side of Grand Canyon National Park is not drivable; to get to the viewpoints, you have to hike the Rim Trail or wait in line to take the oft-crowded shuttles to them. The east side viewpoints, however, are accessible via Desert View Drive. To be fair, the drive itself isn't the greatest of this list. Lots of what would be sweeping views of the canyon are blocked by trees, but this means more chances for wildlife sightings. We saw elk and crows along the way. The drive does give access to six fantastic canyon viewpoints, the watchtower, and several picnic areas. Insider tip: in addition to the six named viewpoints there are five unmarked pullouts. Don't disregard them, because they're less crowded than the named viewpoints but aren't any less spectacular. Which viewpoints get names is fairly arbitrary. We spent late afternoon through dusk (2-3 hours) driving the road from east to west. The permit is $30/vehicle, or free, of course, if you have the pass. 7. Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park, South Dakota Custer State Park's Wildlife Loop Road is one that I never miss when I'm out in the Black Hills area for any period of time. The aptly-named road is probably the best for viewing bison, pronghorn, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, burros and other animals. From experience I can say that you're basically guaranteed to at least see bison, pronghorn, burros and deer, but you'll often see the others as well! And then of course, there's the gorgeous views of forest and prairie interspersed with wildflowers. The drive will take you at least a couple of hours (more if you want to stop and take pictures - if you do, do not approach the bison! Every year or two someone gets gored or killed because they forget that they're wild animals). A 7-day Custer State Park pass is $20, and a South Dakota state park pass is only $30, so if you plan on visiting any others throughout the year it's definitely the better deal! 8. Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon, Colorado I-70 through Colorado is probably one of the best interstates I've been on to start with--going up and down through the Rocky Mountains and evergreen forests, but the best part of it was probably the 15-mile section through Glenwood Canyon. The road is cantilevered over the Colorado River so that you can drive through the canyon hovering over the river. It's truly a remarkable experience, and since it's an Interstate, it's free! There were some delays when we went through, but under normal circumstances it should take under a half hour to go through. 9. Highway 31 through Targhee National Forest, Idaho We never expected this drive to be as enjoyable as it was--we only intended to take the best route from Idaho Falls to Jackson Hole, and this was it. We were really impressed though, at the gorgeous views as you follow a tributary of the Snake River through verdant forests and up into the mountains. A few quaint farms were sprinkled in before and after this particular road as well. In the unspoiled national forest, there were signs warning of moose, but we weren't lucky enough to see one. The whole drive from Idaho Falls to Jackson Hole took about two hours, and Highway 31 was a relatively short part of that. Being a highway through a national forest, it also didn't cost anything! Idaho in general was so much more beautiful than we ever expected--when first driving into the state we drove under a double rainbow (not even kidding) and then were rewarded with wonderful waterfalls, mountains and forests, and the Snake River throughout most of our drive. 10. Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah Canyonlands National Park, though much larger and (in my opinion) more impressive than Arches National Park is often overshadowed by its Utah-license-plate-featured neighbor. Huge swaths of it are remote, only accessible by off-road vehicle or your own legs (and sometimes climbing gear). The more-accessible parts include the Needles district and the Island in the Sky district. The latter is the one we explored, and the one located closer to Moab. Overall Canyonlands was one of our favorite places on the trip, and in large part because of the wonderful drive through the Island in the Sky district. If mobility is at all difficult for you, Island in the Sky is where you want to be because so many breathtaking views of the canyon can be seen just from the road. This was in stark contrast to Desert View Drive of the more-popular Grand Canyon National Park, where you had to get out and walk to a viewpoint to see anything. If you don't have a pass, Canyonlands is included, but if not a 7-day pass is $25/vehicle. We spent most of an afternoon there and were able to see many of the Island in the Sky district's viewpoints. If you want to do any hiking, give yourself at least a full day, and if you want to be more adventurous with your rock-climbing, backpacking, or off-roading you'll need much longer. 11. Badlands Loop State Scenic Highway, Badlands National Park, South Dakota You might have seen pictures of Badlands National Park before without even realizing it. It's a truly other-worldly place with layered rock formations in impossible colors, and there are often opportunities for wildlife viewing as well, like the bighorn sheep in the picture above. I especially enjoy the Badlands Loop (Highway 240) because it's a great tour from the straight, flat monotony of I-90 if you're heading west toward the Black Hills. If you're heading that direction, make sure you also stop at the world-famous tourist trap, Wall Drug, for some free ice water, 5-cent coffee, and South Dakota souvenirs! The loop takes maybe an hour and a half, and probably adds about 45-minutes or an hour onto what you would have driven on I-90 anyway. A 7-day vehicle pass at this park is only $15, but of course the America the Beautiful Pass is accepted here too. 12. Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah The drive through Dead Horse Point State Park is probably one of the shortest on our list, but we found it very enjoyable, probably at least partly because we drove it during one of the most gorgeous times of day in Utah--the golden hour before sunset. Sunset at Dead Horse Point, as you can see above, is the main attraction of the park and well worth the $10 entrance fee (good for one vehicle for 3 days). The drive itself was short, but we probably spent a good hour watching and photographing the sunset once we reached the end of the road at Dead Horse Point. If you're in Moab or especially Canyonlands National Park don't pass it up! Well I hoped you've enjoyed this little compilation of some of our favorite drives from our road trip through the American West - South Dakota, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming are all represented here, and I hope that if you're planning a road trip through any of these states you'll keep this list in mind! How about you? Have you driven any of these? Know of any great roads that we missed out on during our trip? Leave a comment below!

Where does one start an art-themed tour of Europe? Rebecca and I chose London. This was my second visit to this cosmopolitan city, and I was excited to introduce all of my favorite places to my sister and check out quite a few highlights that I missed on the last trip. London (and the UK in general) is closer to the US geographically, culturally, and historically than any other country in Europe, so it makes a great jumping-off place to further exploration of Europe! Day 1: Trafalgar Square & the National Gallery We arrived in London around noon and, after getting through passport control and purchasing Oyster cards, we took the London Underground to our hotel. I got a bit turned around when we got off at Goodge Street station, but eventually we made it to the Ridgemount Hotel, which is the same bed and breakfast where I stayed the last time I was in London. Our room was on the top floor, so we lugged our suitcases up and then took a few moments to let it sink in that we'd made it and were ready to begin our tour of Europe! We took a bus (double decker, of course) to Trafalgar Square so we could spend some time at the National Gallery, our first art museum of the trip. We took full advantage of our hour and a half, seeing so many great works of art! Leonardo DaVinci's Madonna on the Rocks is one of the highlights, and I loved seeing large-scale paintings by Veronese and many atmospheric paintings by H.M.W. Turner that I would call pre-Impressionist. One rather unique painting we saw is called The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger. It is of two young men and their collection of interesting worldly goods, and at the bottom of the painting is what at first looks like what might be a piece of driftwood. But if you stand to the right of the painting, almost horizontal with it, you can see that it's really a skull. It was definitely a cool painting to see in person and one which provides much food for thought! [gallery type=rectangular ids=2506,2505,2504,2503,2502] The National Gallery also has a large collection of Impressionist and Pre-Impressionist paintings which I saw the last time I visited, but unfortunately that whole section was under restoration. They did have a few of the collection out, including Sunflowers and several others by Vincent Van Gogh, Les Grandes Baigneuses by Paul Cezanne, and a Gauguin. Next to this display was the Rembrandt & Rubens exhibition where we were able to see several interesting paintings and sketches before they closed the museum at 5:45pm. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2509,2637,2510,2508,2507] After the National Gallery, we didn't spend too much time in Trafalgar Square since it was raining. We decided to hop back on a bus and head to Leicester Square, where we could explore some options for dinner. We ended up going with Bella Italia, a pizza chain where I ate several times on my last trip to Europe with my friend Mickey. I had a margherita pizza for old time's sake, and then we stopped by an art supply store before taking the bus back to our hotel. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2512,2513,2514,2511] We checked the weather and rearranged our London itinerary a bit so that we could have good weather for seeing the gardens at Hampton Court. Then we got a good night's rest so that we would be ready for a full day of exploring the next day! This was one of the first times that I have revisited a city or country I had been to before, which was a really fun experience. Right away I remembered more about it than I expected and appreciated reexperiencing the UK and the way things are just a bit different than they are back home. After the first day I was excited to continue acting as guide to Rebecca through the rest of our time in London! Day 2: Hampton Court, Chinatown, & Les Miserables We started our first full day in London with a hearty English breakfast. The breakfast had been one of the main reasons that I had chosen this hotel again, and I was happy to see that nothing had changed. Every day there was bacon, eggs, fresh orange juice, toast (on a toast rack!), delicious hot chocolate, and a three-day rotation of sausage, beans or a tomato for a side. [caption id=attachment_2520 align=aligncenter width=512] English breakfast[/caption] Then we went to the Waterloo station, where we took a train to Hampton Court. This is probably still my favorite palace that I have visited, and it was really fun to explore more of it than I was able to last time! We bought a joint Historic Royal Palaces pass and then made a beeline out to the gardens. We were lucky enough to have the fountain and the formal gardens to ourselves for a few minutes before the rest of the tourists caught up. :) Then we checked out the privy garden and the nearby hedge tunnel and world's largest grapevine before heading back into the palace. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2522,2523,2524,2525,2526,2527,2528,2521] There we saw the main courts--Fountain Court, Base Court and Clock Court--as well as the Mantegna murals before heading into the royal apartments. We started with King William III's, which included throne rooms, the King's Staircase, royal bedchambers, and one with quite the armory display! Then it was onto King Henry VIII's apartments, which included the chapel and a replica of his crown. There are also an abundance of tacky King Henry VIII souvenirs, such as Christmas ornaments of him and all of his wives! We had our first afternoon tea of the trip in one of the courtyards of Hampton Court, and it was quite delicious. Afterward we had a quick nap in the Members Only room (which we had access to since we purchased the Historic Royal Palaces pass), which was quite fun! It was beginning to rain but we did see the Tudor gardens and the chapel from the lower level before we left to take the train back into London. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2530,2531,2532,2533,2534,2536,2535,2537,2529] We took a quick break at our hotel before heading back out, this time to London's West End. We started with dinner in Chinatown--we had dim sum, and later, at a different place, bubble tea. Then we went to the Queen's Theatre, where we had tickets to see Les Miserables! The show was absolutely amazing. The theatre was gorgeous and the rotating set design was pretty cool. This was the first stage production of the musical I had seen, and it was interesting to see how the songs were cut and rearranged in the 2012 movie version. All of the singers were very talented, and we found that we connected much more with the story and characters here than we did with the movie version, even getting teary-eyed at a few parts! It was really a great experience and highly recommended if you're in London! [gallery type=rectangular ids=2539,2541,2540,2542,2538] After the theatre we had a little mishap. As we were walking through Leicester Square, my purse strap suddenly broke loose from the bag, and in the tube station Rebecca's broke as well. This seemed like a bit too much of a coincidence and so we wondered if someone had been trying to bag-slash or pickpocket us. There were no actual cuts on either bag and neither of us felt anything, but we were probably lucky that nothing was taken! Back at the hotel, we asked about a sewing kit, since there was some hope of repairing mine. They didn't have one handy but told us that there was a cobbler nearby. In the lobby we met Anne and Wendy, two English ladies who were leaving their husbands behind to go down to London for shopping and West End shows, as they do every year. They were really nice, recommending some shows and museums and, when they found out about our 'handbag' dilemma, giving Rebecca one! They said they were planning to give it to charity anyway (not that we are charity of course, they said ;) ) and it really helped us out to have that for the rest of the trip! Day 3: Wallace Collection, Kensington Palace, & the British Museum After our English breakfast, we started day three in London with a trip to the Wallace Collection. This is a free museum in London which is housed in a gorgeous mansion... I hadn't visited it last trip and I was very impressed and glad we went this time! They have, of course, lots of wonderful furniture, chandeliers, jewel-toned wallpapers, and other decorative objects, as well as an abundance of art! Almost every wall of each room is covered, salon-style, with wonderful paintings. Their collection includes many Rococo, Dutch and Orientalist works, as well as Renaissance artifacts. There is also a whole room of paintings by Canaletto, and several rooms full of armor (including a couple of complete sets of horse armor) from around the world. One thing I thought was a bit funny was to see a large number of Jan Weenix paintings of dead game rabbits--there were seven in the large gallery, two in the room next to it, and probably a few more throughout the collection! Fun fact: if the picture of the large gallery looks familiar to you, it might be because a room in the palace of the movie Frozen was based on it. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2544,2545,2547,2546,2548,2549,2550,2552,2551,2553,2558,2554,2555,2556,2557] Afterward we walked over to Daunt Books Marylebone. I'd seen a picture of the store online and wanted to go, so when I found out it was close by we went for it. It is a wonderful bookstore. Large and pretty, complete with stained glass windows and dark wood railings. A large section of the store is organized by country, so you can find guidebooks, language books, nonfiction, novels and maps from a country or region all in one place, which I thought was pretty cool! We bought a few books and were happy we made the little detour. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2560,2559,2561] Our next stop was Kensington Palace. This was another place I had not been before, and to be honest, it was a little disappointing. The palace itself and grounds aren't as impressive as Hampton Court, and the exhibition on Queen Victoria was closed when we were there. You can walk through the palace but there really isn't much to see. So many of the rooms were almost empty! Then at the end was an exhibition that had outfits worn by Princess Di. Given the option I probably would have skipped it as soon as I saw the line for it, but they kind of made you go through it to exit the palace. The exhibition itself could have used some work--there wasn't a very good 'flow' to it so people were kind of jostling against each other to see things. They probably wouldn't have needed to restrict how many people went in at a time so much if the exhibit had been designed better. Anyway, I was glad that I went because I can now definitely recommend that Hampton Court is a more-fun choice while in London! [gallery type=rectangular ids=2562,2563,2564,2565,2566,2567,2568,2569] We had tea at the Orangery after our visit to Kensington Palace. Actually we tried to go to the Orangery there first, but they were full and did not take same-day reservations, so we had to come back later. Luckily when we came back (about an hour and a half later) we were able to get in. This definitely isn't the cheapest place to have afternoon tea in London--and it probably isn't the 'best' either--but it may be the most popular/touristy. Anyway it was a fun, elegant experience, even if it was a bit pricey. We may have to start eating finger sandwiches back home... [gallery type=rectangular ids=2571,2572,2570,2573,2574,2575,2576] Since we were kind of in the area already, we decided to make a brief visit to the Natural History Museum. My main reason for stopping by this free museum was to see the architecture, which is almost as cool as its artifacts. We didn't have a lot of time, but we were able to see some dinosaurs, the life-size blue whale, and the dodo bird models. We also saw an Audubon print of the now-extinct Carolina parakeets, which I have a print of in my house that Rebecca gave to me, so that was pretty fun! [gallery type=rectangular ids=2577,2578,2580,2579,2581] Next we went to Westminster Abbey, trying to make it in time for the 5pm Evensong service. We got there just in time, but unfortunately it turned out that it was actually the one day all year that they were performing at a different church entirely! I didn't check if it would be happening or not when we rearranged our schedule due to weather because I thought it really was everyday at Westminster Abbey. It was alright, though, because we got to see the outside of the abbey and Big Ben! Then we went back to the hotel for a quick break before going to the British Museum. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2583,2584] We went to the British Museum last because it was Friday and therefore open until 8:30pm. The line wasn't long at all so we got in pretty quickly, and I took Rebecca to the Rosetta Stone and the Egyptian artifacts first, which was my favorite section the last time. Then we went through the Assyrian section, seeing all three sets of winged human-headed bulls and the famous Assyrian Lion Hunt reliefs. We breezed through the Greek and Roman sections (partially because some of it was closed already and partially because I had just been to Greece last fall) and then saw the Moai and some of the African artifacts. Then we headed upstairs to see Chinese and Korean pottery and Japanese sculpture. At that point they were closing down the museum so we had to exit, but we managed to go out through the Egyptian section so we could see a few mummies. :) [gallery type=rectangular ids=2585,2586,2592,2587,2588,2591,2593,2590,2589] For dinner we tried an Indian place called Malabar Junction, which was close to the British Museum. English food isn't much to write home about and Rebecca wanted to try as many new things as she could while we were in Europe, so we thought Indian food would be a good choice. We had paneer tikka as our starter and I had paneer makhanwala (which I had not had before) for my entree. Everything we had was delicious! Then we walked back to our hotel for the night, managing to help some young Spanish women who were looking for their hotel along the way. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2594,2595] Day 4: Tower of London, V&A Museum, & the Tate Modern Our last full day in London started with a visit to the Tower of London. For me it was fun to go back and see it again. We started with a walk along all the ramparts and through most of the towers before they got busy, then did the tour, guided by a Yeoman Warder. It actually was a different tour than the last time I was there. Some of the stories were the same of course, but I heard some new ones too. We also went into the chapel, which I don't remember doing the last time, so that was interesting too. Then we went through the Crown Jewels exhibit--which was a good call, because once we got out there was a HUGE wait to go in! I also bought myself a string of pearls at the gift shop after--perhaps I was inspired by all of the lovely Crown Jewels! ;) We went through the White Tower next, which is the oldest part of the castle (dating to 1066AD and built by William the Conqueror). Inside there are exhibits displaying armor and weaponry. Finally, we finished by seeing the prisoner graffiti in Beauchamp Tower. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2598,2596,2597,2600,2599,2601,2602,2603,2604] Next we dropped off my purse to be fixed at the cobbler near our hotel. We didn't have much of a lunch - just a muffin and an elderflower soda at a cafe near the cobbler's. Then we got back on the Tube and went to the V&A Museum. I had never been there before, so I had no idea how big it was! The collection is so vast and varied that I think you could truly find something to interest anyone there. We started by seeing the Cast Court, where there are replicas of many of the most famous sculptures in the world, which was pretty amazing to see! Then we went to see Tippoo's Tiger, a very interesting automaton of a tiger mauling an officer of the East India Company. It was created for a sultan of an Indian kingdom in the eighteenth century, and is certainly one of the more unique things I've seen in a museum! Afterward we split up so that we could each see the things that most interested us. I went to see the beautiful architecture of the cafe, then up a really cool staircase to the silver galleries. I also saw a lot of interesting paintings, including some by Degas and Turner, and the famous The Day Dream by Rosetti. The Jewellery Gallery was also amazing, although you could not take pictures inside it. With the last of my time I peeked into the National Art Library and checked out a huge Leighton mural before rejoining Rebecca at the main entrance. When we compared what we had seen, we realized that we had both seen totally different things, and that there was still much of the museum that neither of us had made it to! [gallery type=rectangular ids=2606,2607,2614,2615,2608,2609,2610,2611,2612,2613,2616] Afterward we went back to the cobbler and picked up my purse. They did an awesome job fixing it (and quickly too) for only £13 so I was pretty happy! If it hadn't been a leather purse I would have just bought a sewing kit and fixed it myself, but I was really happy I brought it in. Then we decided to do a quick revisit to the British Museum since we were in the neighborhood (and because a lot of it was closed off the night before). Unfortunately the line was very long so by the time we got in we had to hurry, plus we had to use the restroom which took even more time! We did manage to see the Room of Enlightenment with its touchable Rosetta Stone and some of the Americas rooms, including the famous (and more sparkly than you would expect) double-headed turquoise mosaic serpent by the Aztecs! We also went through more of the Egypt section and got to see more mummies and interesting artifacts. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2619,2620,2617,2621,2618,2622] Next we tried to make it to Westminster Abbey in time for the Evensong service (since we had missed it the day before) but we were too late. We did get a few pictures of Big Ben with a bluer sky though, so that was something. By this point our feet were pretty sore from all of the running around of the past few days, and we were wondering what to do next. Since the Tate Modern was on the itinerary for the evening, we decided to head over to that vicinity of London, where we would be able to see St. Paul's Cathedral, the Millennium Bridge, and the Globe Theatre before going to the museum. We also had Turkish food for dinner there at a place called Tas Pide--we did the 'Yaz' menu, so we basically got to try a bunch of dips and sauces with pita, and it was a really fun experience. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2625,2626,2624,2623] Then we headed into the Tate Modern, which luckily for us is open late on Fridays and Saturdays. I really loved their Start Gallery, which has some of their most famous pieces and introduces you to modern art and eases you into the appreciation of it gently. Other parts I enjoyed were seeing Picasso's Weeping Woman, the Mark Rothko room (with a nearby Monet waterlily painting as a compare/contrast exercise), a room of Dali, Magritte and other Surrealist works, and an installation piece called the Tower of Babel (this was made up of a bunch of radios all playing different channels). There was also a series of photographs that was really cool--they were all sort of behind the scenes or secret things that the average person wouldn't normally be able to see. The series was called An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar by Taryn Simon. Of course, being a modern art museum, there were also some pieces (especially some of the installations) that were just weird and even off-putting, but overall it was a pretty decent modern art museum for someone (like me) who is not super well-versed in the subject. [gallery type=rectangular ids=2627,2628,2629,2630,2631,2632,2633,2634] Finally, after the museum closed we sat out on a bench for a while, looking at some of the high-end glass-walled apartments near the Tate Modern. We were pretty tired at that point, but eventually managed to get ourselves up, walk back across the Millennium Bridge (enjoying the way the city's night lights were being reflected in the Thames along the way), and make it back to the Blackfriars Tube station and onto our hotel. We had a great four days in London--we were able to see so much art and so many museums, as well as three different castles/palaces and some of the more touristy sights too. If our schedule had allowed, I would have liked to have one more day in London so that we could have slowed down the pace a little and maybe seen a couple of things we missed, but it was not to be. Anyway we were excited to be able to take things a little bit slower in Paris and Amsterdam. At this point in the trip, we were ready to sleep in the next day and then head onto Paris, an even more art-centric city!

The city of Rotorua and its surrounding area (which I'll say includes Taupo for the sake of this post) is a small town along the lake of the same name on New Zealand's North Island. It really is a must-visit if you're touring NZ, and you'll find a wide variety of things to do there. Read on for a few must-dos, as well as suggestions for your different options and what we did on our trip! 1. Geothermal Wonders One of the first things you'll notice when you get close to Rotorua is the smell. Much of the town uses geothermal energy thanks to all of the activity in the area. Experiencing some of these wonders is definitely a must-do while in the area. We chose to have our main experience at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, where we were able to see bubbling mud pits, colorful hot springs and pools, the lime-green colored Devil's Bath, and the steaming waterfall in the above picture. We also saw Pohutu Geyser and some other geothermal features as part of our tour at Te Puia (see must-do #2), but there are plenty of other options. If you want spa experiences like mud baths in addition to seeing geothermal wonders I recommend Hells Gate. If you're on a budget try the free Kuirau Park, and if you're in it to see as many amazing features as possible hit up Craters of the Moon and Waimangu Volcanic Valley as well. 2. Maori Culture There are lots of opportunities to learn about Maori culture in the Rotorua area. You can visit Whakawerawera Living Maori Village, see artifacts at the Rotorua Museum, or attend a free cultural show at the Pohutu Cultural Theatre. One of the most memorable things you can do is attend a Maori hangi feast and show. There are three main options here, all of which sound like a good time, and we ended up going with Te Po at Te Puia. All three offer traditional Maori food, music, and culture, and are around the same price. A little more information about each is below, but check out each link to see what each one has to offer. Te Puia Te Po Indigenous Evening Tour. This is the tour we chose. We were able to go on a guided tour of the geothermal areas at Te Puia, including Pohutu geyser, the largest in New Zealand. We also got to check out their kiwi habitat (though the birds were asleep) and their cultural center where students can learn traditional Maori artisan crafts. Next came the welcome ceremony, and a quick look at the hangi food (which was being cooked in a traditional pit oven with heated rocks) before the cultural show, where Maori performers displayed traditional songs and dance, including the famous haka dance. Finally, we were able to eat from the wonderful buffet, that includes hangi food as well as seafood and their famous steam pudding (this experience is said to have the best food of the three). We were very satisfied with our experience and would definitely recommend it! Mitai Maori Village Evening Experience. Mitai's big draw is that the performers arrive by war canoe (waka), which should make for a grand entrance! Their hangi meal and cultural performance sound similar to what we experienced at Te Puia, but they do offer a guided walk through Fairy Springs to see glowworms after dinner. We were already planning to visit Waitomo's glowworm caves, but if you're short on time for the trip and really want to see them, this could be a good option! For a little more, you can book the Beauty by Night combo for an additional guided nighttime tour of their kiwi area, as well as a ticket to come back to Rainbow Springs Park the next day. Tamaki Maori Village Evening Experience. This experience is said to be New Zealand's most awarded cultural attraction, and it offers a similar hangi feast and cultural show to Mitai or Te Po. I'm also told there are singalongs on the bus home from the experience, so it may be a bit more of a festive atmosphere than the other two options! 3. Hobbiton If you're at all a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies or books, I highly recommend taking a Hobbiton tour! The grounds are beautiful, with all sorts of flowers and those green, rolling hills that perfectly capture the Shire. You'll get to see the Mill, tons of cute Hobbit holes across the 12 acre set, and even have a drink at the Green Dragon Inn. Kayaker at Okere Falls Park 4. Adventure Activities We saw all sorts of adventure activities near Rotorua, from white water rafting or kayaking at Okere Falls to canopy tours to zorbing! New Zealand is known as a great place for adventure travel (bungee jumping was invented there, after all), and you can check out even more options here. As for us, we are not really adrenaline junkies, but we did enjoy plenty of hiking and did some mountain biking on the world-class trails at Whakarewarewa Redwoods! 5. Chasing Waterfalls I always love seeing waterfalls when I can, and Rotorua had plenty to see! We took a wonderful drive north of Lake Rotorua to get to Okere Falls Park, where you can see three different cascades. Then on our way to Lake Taupo we stopped by Huka Falls, which are rapidly moving falls with the most gorgeous blue color. There are lots of other waterfalls in the area as well, some of which are not quite as accessible, but you can check out more of them here! 6. Whakarewarewa Redwoods The wonderful Whakarewarewa Forest is a large natural area near Rotorua full of California Coast Redwoods. It features a wide array of walking and biking trails and is a great way to spend some time in a peaceful outdoor setting while in the area. We chose to experience the Redwoods two ways: by mountain biking some of the trails in the park, as I mentioned previously, and by doing the Redwoods Treewalk. The Treewalk is a series of paths and bridges suspended between 9 and 20 meters above the ground, so you get some great overhead views of the forest. We did it during the daytime, but you can also walk it at night, when 30 artistic lanterns light the way. 7. Lake Taupo Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand, so you may find yourself having to go around it if you are traveling the North Island. It's a really beautiful lake, and there are plenty of water-based activities to do on it. One of the most famous areas of the lake is the Mine Bay Maori rock carvings created by artist Matahi Brightwell and his team in the 1980s. Originally we were planning to do a kayaking tour out to see the carvings (as they can only be viewed from the water), but in the interest of time and weather we decided to see them via restored steamboat through Ernest Kemp Cruises. The main carving of a tattooed face towers an impressive 14 meters over Lake Taupo, and there are a variety of other carvings to see as well. 8. Grab a Bite at Eat Streat Rotorua and Taupo have tons of great restaurant options, but our favorite place was Eat Streat. It's a sort of pedestrian walkway located at the end of Tutanekai Street and lined with restaurants, cafes, and bars. The atmosphere is great and there are tons of different options to choose from, whether you want traditional New Zealand comfort food or Asian dishes! One of my favorite places we ate while in NZ was actually CBK (Craft Bar & Kitchen), which is located on Eat Streat. I hope this guide has helped you to choose options for experiencing the must-dos in the Rotorua area! Be sure to check out some geothermal wonders and learn about Maori culture, then visit Hobbiton and sample foods at Eat Streat. Natural wonders abound, whether you want to participate in adventure activities, get out on the water of Lake Taupo, see the Redwoods, or find waterfalls. How about you? Have you visited any of these attractions? Are you interested in New Zealand for future travels? Let me know in the comments!

Title: Out of Africa Author: Isak Dinesen (pen name of Baroness Karen Blixen) Year Published: 1937 Places Explored: Kenya, especially Nairobi and the Ngong Hills area My Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦ Review: I knew basically from the iconic first line, I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of Ngong Hills, that I would enjoy this book and I'm so glad I read it! The basic outline of the book--a wealthy woman moving from Europe to Africa in the 1920s and running a coffee farm there (largely on her own) for 17 years--is promising, but Isak Dinesen really pulled off a work of literature here. First of all, she can write. The prose throughout the book is beautiful, and you can feel her love for Africa and its people on every page. Beyond that, she is one of those rare writers who understands people, who understands life, and is able to express her thoughts in ways that ring true for the reader. When Ernest Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, it's said that he claimed Isak Dinesen was more deserving of it than him. To me, at least, it makes sense that he would admire her, since he has also said, All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know. I feel that this is what Isak Dinesen did throughout her story--she wrote her truth about Africa. As you read, you fall in love with Africa--its landscape, animals, and people--as she did. Throughout the story, you'll encounter many different interesting people and cultures, from her European associates to her Kikuyu and Somali workers on the farm to the mysterious Maasai who live nearby. This isn't an anthropological work by any means, but I loved hearing about the different cultural exchanges that went on in (what would become) Kenya during that time period. By the end of the novel, you are so caught up in the Africa she paints that you are almost as heartbroken as she was when she/you have to leave it. My edition of the book includes Shadows on the Grass, a shorter memoir on her time in Africa that was written years after Out of Africa. I don't feel like I'm ready to read it yet after the sad end to Out of Africa, but I would like to pick it up someday and reenter her world. After reading the book, I also decided to watch the movie. It's a great movie (winning several Academy Awards), and I like how it fills in some of the more personal details of Karen's life--ones she was very vague about in Out of Africa. I wonder if some of those details are included in Shadows on the Grass. If you have seen the movie before reading the book however, you should expect a completely different focus. The movie was very much about Karen and her relationships with Bror Blixen and later Denys Finch-Hatton, but to be honest it wasn't obvious that she was with Denys until about halfway through the book. The story is much more about the farm, the people she knew, and Africa. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Africa, traveling or living as an expat in general. It will take you through the struggles making a life in a new country, growing coffee in the mountains of Africa, traveling on safari, hunting for lions, flying over the African landscape, and getting to know the people of Africa at the time in a way no other book can! Favorite Quotes: It was a glorious sight, like a reflection in a pool, like a thing that had happened a thousand years ago. The thing which in the waking world comes nearest to a dream is night in a big town, or the African night. You know you are truly alive when you are living among lions. Further Reading: Shadows on the Grass - Isak Dinesen Letters from Africa - Isak Dinesen Longing for Darkness: Kamante's Tales from Out of Africa - Peter Beard