Cool Cats of Türkiye

It is time to acknowledge that a great injustice has been done in this blog.  While the name of the blog is “Two Cats Backpack” referring to the never-ending struggle between staying home and spending time with our two cats or packing the backpack and heading out to explore the […]

Raiding and Pillaging through Norway

I am looking at the fjord There is salmon in the sea My baby says she’s bored She is not in love with me Before visiting Norway, we watched Conan O’Brien’s new travel show, Conan Must Go, where Conan travels the world to meet his fans.  In the first episode […]

Poutine Must Go!

After living and working in Wisconsin for over a decade, it is tough for me to say what I am about to say.  Here we go… Canada has the best cheese curds.  Yes, I said it.  Please do not cancel me, Wisconsinites! One of the categories on this blog is […]

The Very Berry Norway

As we traveled through the countryside, we were constantly distracted by the gorgeous views of mountains, herds of peacefully grazing animals, and fields of vibrantly blooming… potatoes. “Look! Potatoes!  That’s all potatoes!” Victor would exclaim pointing out of the car window, “So many potatoes…”  I nodded along as he kept […]

Taxco: The Silver Capital of the World

Thursday evening. I am sitting in a conference room of an office building in Chicago patiently waiting for the plaintiff’s counsel to finish the examination of a witness and conclude the deposition that has been dragging on for too long. And then in what seems to be in the blink […]

Trying to Beat the Market: The Grand Bazaar Experience

By Victor / April 20, 2023

I love markets in Asia.  Bright colors, pungent smells, cacophonic sounds – visiting a market in Asia is always a chaotic and exotic experience.  Every time we come to Asia, I get excited about getting lost in the labyrinths of markets and discovering local crafts, delicious and cheap food, and […]

Taxicab Confessions in Tallinn

By Julia / April 14, 2023

When we are traveling and have questions that no guidebook or a quick Google search can answer, we always look for a local to chat to.  In Latin America or Southeast Asia, it’s easy, just find a friendly vendor, chat up our Airbnb host, or find a friendly expat in […]

Sugar and Slave Watchtowers

By Victor / April 6, 2023

Tobacco and sugar.  Two exports, in addition to rum, that Cuba is most known for.  After spending three days in the tobacco-growing province of Piñar del Rio, which included visiting a tobacco farm and learning about the cigar-making process in Viñales, it was time for us to explore the region […]

Get Addicted to Viñales – Tobacco and Rum

By Victor / March 30, 2023

In previous posts, Julia already described all the bouncing joy, painful blisters, and occasional aggressive biting of our horseback riding adventures in Viñales.  While Julia’s most powerful impressions in Viñales happened on horseback, I found myself awed in the most unexpected of places – a tobacco farm. We arrived in […]

Horseback Riding Day 2: Chocolate Declares War and Loses His Manhood

By Julia / March 23, 2023

Please start with Part I here. On the second day in Viñales, I woke up with a dull ache in my legs. “The four hours of horseback riding yesterday certainly left an uncomfortable reminder.” I mused as I waddled to the bathroom.  The problem was that my adventures in the […]

Galloping Through Viñales

By Julia / March 16, 2023

“Do you know how to ride horses?” our Airbnb host in Viñales asked. “Yes!” I answered without thinking.  If I had thought about it, the answer would have been, “Yes, I sat on a horse twice this year while the owner led it up a mountain, so I can enjoy […]

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