Bad Things

We arrived in Taipei on December 13th and left on the 18th to explore Alishan. On December 19th, 2025, a 27-year-old man threw smoke grenades and stabbed people in a Taipei metro station, killing three people and injuring eleven others. He then killed himself by jumping from a building. This […]

Taiwan: Shaking in Our Boots

It was an evening of our last day in Kaohsiung, and we were visiting the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas.  Temples in Taiwan usually have dragons painted by one set of doors to indicate that those doors are used to enter the temple, and tigers by another set of doors, which […]

Day Lilies, Yuli Noodles, and the Mountain Mist

Of the four days in the East, we spent three days driving up and down the coastal highway.  These days were filled with stopping at ocean viewpoints, exploring the shoreline’s rugged geoparks, and learning about local indigenous culture. But as we navigated through this narrow stretch of land, sandwiched between […]

The Wild, Wild East: Taiwan’s Enigmatic East Coast

Like Alishan, we considered cutting the East Coast out of our itinerary entirely. The region was remote, and it was a logistical puzzle to plan.  Also, it was the only place in Taiwan where we needed to rent a car and potentially drive through what looked on the map like […]

Food.  Taiwan.  Must I Say More?

I wanted to write about the top 10 dishes we ate in Taiwan and quickly realized that the list was way longer than 10 and each dish deserved its own blog post, and this would quickly spiral into Two Cats Backpack Eats Taiwanese Food for Entirety of the Foreseeable Future […]

The Undiscovered Peninsulas of Ireland

By Julia / November 17, 2022

“It looks like a claw,” Victor said. We zoomed in to the bottom left corner of the island of Ireland on Google maps, and I clearly saw a claw with five crooked digits protruding into the ocean, the five southwestern peninsulas.  The peninsulas, Mizen, Sheep’s Head, Beara, Iveragh, and Dingle, […]

On the Edge of the Crater: Volcano Hiking in El Salvador

By Julia / November 10, 2022

My recent post about hiking (and running) through Dunloe Gap reminded me of the most spectacular hike we did at the end of last year.  El Salvador and that entire region, including Guatemala and Costa Rica, are chock full of volcanoes, and yet another volcano hike didn’t sound like anything […]

Two Pubs, One Fort: A-Not-Very-Sober Day in Ireland

By Victor / November 3, 2022

We woke up in Kinsale to the clatter of beer barrels rolling down the cobblestone street.  The ultimate Irish alarm clock! After quickly grabbing coffee and splitting a scone, we started the day in this little sleepy Irish port town by taking a highly recommended walking tour.  An old, cheery […]

The Full Irish Experience

By Julia / October 20, 2022

“I want to try the Full Irish Breakfast,” I said as the plane was picking up speed down the runway, “As soon as we arrive.” “You will get the Full Irish experience,” I promise you that.” Victor smiled. As the plane lifted off and I closed my eyes, a stray […]

Mexico City: Love at First Sight

By Victor / October 14, 2022

I was in a dentist’s chair with my mouth wide open. The dentist, holding his hand deep in my mouth, was eager to chat. “So, where are you traveling next?” “Mmm… meiii… ko …shity,” I muttered, drooling from the side of my mouth. “Say it again.” He said, taking his […]

Mind The Gap: The Gap of Dunloe

By Julia / September 29, 2022

After so many years of traveling, I know how to spot a problem in the itinerary. “Let’s talk about the Gap of Dunloe hike,” I said to Victor. “We have three hours to hike 11 kilometers through a mountain pass?  Exactly three hours or we miss the boat that takes […]

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