Our Travel Wishlist: Yemen
This will be a different kind of post. Normally, we describe places we’ve been to, but today we want to tell you about a country we want to visit. Recently, the area where we live saw a boom of Yemeni coffeehouses popping up here and there. These spacious, lavishly decorated […]
Against All Advice: Finding The Perfect Beach Near Istanbul
Planning a trip for just the two of us is now easy, as we know what we like and what kinds of trips bring us joy. But earlier this year, planning a family reunion trip to Istanbul with Victor’s father, brother, sister-in-law, and niece was a whole different story. Victor’s […]
Is Istanbul Now More Expensive Than Dubai for Tourists?
In August, we spent a week in Istanbul meeting with my family, and the city once again left us speechless. But this time, it was not for the reason you might expect. I could write about incredible sites or delicious food (of which Istanbul has plenty), but, as a travel […]
What Else Is on the Menu? Bosnian Edition
Where in the world could you walk into a sweet shop and find a blonde, blue-eyed girl selling Turkish delights to a family from Istanbul? Where could you see Omani tourists admiring “oriental rugs” while a Slavic shopkeeper explains their designs and the centuries-old story of his family business? And […]
Don’t Call It a Burek!
I am a simple person. I see a bakery, I go inside a bakery. Or at the very least, I stare at the goods in the window display like a hungry orphan from a Dickens novel. A cup of coffee and a baked good is our usual go-to lunch while […]
Part I: Spain – When Everything Goes Wrong
Part I: The Train Ride from Hell We started seriously traveling around 2008, so the trip to Spain in August of 2010 came pretty early in our traveling career. We were in unfamiliar territory with just a few international trips under our belts, no knowledge of Spanish, and rudimentary 2010 […]
Part II: Buenos Aires – Through the Eyes of Locals
Read “Part I: Buenos Aires – Travel Like a Local, Travel with a Local” Buenos Aires met us with blooming jacaranda trees, their beautiful violet flowers adorning trees and littering sidewalks and lawns. It was a warm spring morning, as is traditional in the southern hemisphere in November, as […]
Part I: Buenos Aires – Travel Like a Local, Travel with a Local
In January 2012, right after returning from our unforgettable two-week trip to Egypt, Julia and I sat down to discuss our travel plans for the upcoming year. I was just days away from starting a new job at a large law firm and was understandably nervous about taking any time […]
Eating Our Way Through Vietnam
Asia has the best food. Period. No arguments. Every time I state this unequivocal fact, Victor tries to mumble something about Mexican food, then realizes that I am willing to physically fight him over this and quickly changes his tune. And so, Victor and I agree – Asia does have […]
Clothes Make the Man, Vietnamese Tailors Make the Clothes
“Twenty-seven and a half!” the woman called out and quickly slid the measuring tape down my body. “Right shoulder higher than left shoulder!” I started twisting to look at my unequal shoulders in the mirror, but she quickly forced my body back, while methodically calling out numbers and body parts. […]
Murder on the Dragon Pearl
Part II of Adventures on the Anti-Love Boat in Halong Bay Our first lunch on the boat was served on the lower deck, on dark red tables covered by crispy white linens. Victor and I picked the table closest to the railing, so we could enjoy the unobstructed view of […]