War in Sarajevo: Tunnel of Hope and Roses

The first thing I noticed after getting off the plane in Sarajevo was the mountains. Towering on all sides, they dominate the horizon, their steep slopes cloaked in lush alpine forest. These mountains have shaped Sarajevo for centuries, restricting its growth to the narrow valley, while positioning it along key […]

War. What is it good for. Mostar Edition.

Any time we mentioned we were traveling to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first question was always the same: “Isn’t that the place with the war?” Yes. But the war ended 30 years ago. It’s safe. Don’t worry! That answer was usually met with a head shake and a muttered comment […]

Bosnia and Herzegovina: One Country, Two Regions, Three Nations

What is a country? It’s a strange question, especially from someone who has traveled extensively.  But the answer is not quite as simple as a glance at a political map might suggest.  We have been to countries that no longer exist (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, USSR), regions that used to be countries […]

Smuggling Molcajete

One of my most impractical dreams, born from years of travel, is this: I want to decorate each room in my house in the style of a different country.  The bedroom would be designed like a chamber in an Indian palace with ornate fabrics, carved wood, and a hint of […]

Dancing with Chinelos

The old, battered bus was bouncing on the road with dusty Mexican countryside rolling outside the window.  Google Maps on my phone was showing we were approaching our destination – Yautepec de Zaragoza.  Before the trip, I could not even imagine that we would be trying to get to this […]

The Places We Go and The Places We Stay

By Victor / December 4, 2019

If I ever decide to run for a political office, I will take an unconventional step of having Airbnb provide my character references. A quick glance at our Airbnb guest review page will quickly demonstrate what an honest, punctual, clean, quiet, and non-intrusive person I am. It really sounds like […]

A Night in the Cemetery – Picnic with Ghosts in San Andres Mixquic, Mexico

By Julia / November 26, 2019

Continuing from the previous post: Day of the Dead in Mexico – This is not Disney’s Coco. After the Day of the Dead parade was over, we grabbed a few tortas and coffee at a local restaurant to warm up.  It was 5 pm, and the weather was turning again […]

Day of the Dead in Mexico – This is Not Disney’s Coco

By Julia / November 19, 2019

We had conversations for years about visiting Mexico on the Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) but wanted to wait until celebrations fell on the weekend.  Finally, in early 2019, we bought tickets to Morelia and excitedly started planning the trip.  Around Lake Patzcuaro, an hour from Morelia, […]

Tombstone Tourism

By Julia / November 11, 2019

A cemetery is not something you travel to another country to see.  Not usually, anyway.   Maybe you stop by for an hour or two to stand at a grave of a long-dead celebrity, pay respect to fallen American soldiers of WWII as we did in Normandy, or explore a beautiful […]

Sardines and Egg Custard Tarts – The Overlooked Cuisine of Portugal

By Victor / October 30, 2019

We are standing in a giant store where every wall is covered with floor-to-ceiling shelves, displaying thousands of cans of sardines. “Is this… a sardines store?” Julia asks no one in particular. Her question echoes off endlessly stacked sardine cans and down the airport hallway. We had arrived on an […]

NSFW Temples or How Victor and I became Temporary Celebrities

By Julia / October 23, 2019

Buckle in, the day has come.  This is our very first NSFW post.  None of this previous “Asian Massage but no Happy Ending” or “Pot Pizza without Any Actual Pot” nonsense.  This post is going to contain the most non-family-friendly pictures so far, at least until we get to posting […]

Subscribe to receive our stories in your inbox

Loading