Monterrey, Mexico: World Cup Edition
Back in February, we climbed Cerro de la Silla and marveled at the striking Estadio BBVA from above. There, on the hiking trail, I had an interesting thought: “How cool would it be to see this mountain from the stadium seats during the world’s biggest sporting event?” Later that evening, […]
2026 FIFA World Cup: Hogwarts vs. Narnia
Those who follow this blog know I am a big soccer fan and try to attend games in every country I visit. This fact is even listed in my section of “About Us” on this website. So, it won’t surprise anyone that attending the World Cup this summer was on […]
Travels with My Mother: Uzbekistan Episode
During the pandemic, our favorite show on Netflix was Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father. In this series (filmed in pre-COVID times), the British comedian Jack Whitehall travels the world with his elderly, curmudgeonly father, Michael, who detests travel and the exotic destinations Jack takes him to. The show is […]
Monterrey, Mountains, and Unexpected Mexico
For those of you following along, I mentioned how our tickets to Monterrey had been canceled twice, and it was becoming increasingly unclear whether the universe really did not want us visiting this part of Mexico or whether Viva Aerobus was only pretending to offer flights there. Well, we finally […]
In the Saddle: Conquering Cerro de la Silla
Its image is everywhere — on labels of tostadas and tortillas, wall murals, and even in the logo of the local baseball team. It’s the symbol of the city. The most recognizable landmark. It is as iconic as Rio de Janeiro’s Sugarloaf or Cape Town’s Table Mountain. Cerro de la […]
Welcome to Lycia!
We visited Lycia, and I am here to tell you all about it. If you are staring at a map, confused and bewildered, let me get you a little better situated. Lycia is a maritime district of southwestern Anatolia and can be found on the Teke Peninsula, surrounded by the […]
Türkiye: The First Time
The first time we ended up in Türkiye was back in the winter of 2013, and to be perfectly clear, we didn’t go to Türkiye, we went to Thailand for two weeks and had an overnight layover in Istanbul on our way back. And so, Türkiye was an afterthought. We […]
Small Towns, Big Problems
Even before the pandemic, Europe had been seriously suffering from over-tourism, with masses of tourists visiting the most popular destinations at rates not seen before. The pandemic didn’t ease the situation, and to some extent, even exacerbated the problem, causing people who’d skipped travel in the last 2-3 years to […]
The Unexpected India
India was our best trip and our worst trip. Nine years later, I’m still shocked that, while still being relatively new international travelers, we had enough courage to pick India as our second Asian country to visit. We wrote extensively about 16 unforgettable days in India that included, among other […]
Six Wonders of the World: Part II
Start with Part I here for the Colosseum, Chichen Itza, and Taj Mahal. 4. Christ the Redeemer By the time we visited Brazil in 2015, Christ the Redeemer was firmly established as one of the New Wonders of the World, and the tourists were certainly aware of it. From our […]
Six Wonders of the World: Part I
We were on a mountain in Peru, looking down at a gorgeous green valley, peppered with ancient stone constructions. “I can’t believe we are finally at Machu Picchu!” Victor said, “Congratulations! You have now visited all “New Seven Wonders of the World”!” “I have?” I asked, unsure. “Well, let’s see. […]