Back to Asia: Discovering Taiwan

The last time we were in Southeast Asia was in 2019, which now seems like a lifetime ago. Our first trip to that region was Thailand in 2013, followed by India in 2014, Japan in 2016, China in 2017, Cambodia in 2018, and finally Vietnam in 2019.  On our first […]

France Flashback: Châteaux of the Loire Valley

If you’ve ever skimmed our blog, you already know our usual pattern: go to a country, spend two weeks there, enjoy the hell out of it, swear we’ll return, and then never set foot there again. It happens every single time, no matter how earnestly we insist that this time […]

A Year in the Windy City: Unique Things to Do in Chicago

With 2026 underway, we’re excited for all our upcoming trips this year. But globetrotting aside, our own city of Chicago offers enough adventures to fill a whole calendar.  We love being tourists in our own backyard, exploring it even after decades of living there. And because we are always obsessed […]

The U.S. Virgin Islands: Unlikely, but Possible

After getting back from the U.S. Virgin Islands, we calculated our total expenses for two people for six days, one week before high season, and it came out to $1,875 for everything, including flights, accommodations, a rental car, food, and all entrance fees. Nowadays, whenever you don’t know how to […]

The U.S. Virgin Islands: America, But Not Quite the America You Know

“So, did we travel internationally or not?” We asked ourselves this question recently after returning from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Before the trip, we felt we weren’t traveling outside of the United States. The USVI is not a country. It’s a territory and part of the United States. The “U.S.” […]

Take a Hike in Nicaragua

By Julia / May 22, 2025

We were walking around Selva Negra, a beautifully maintained coffee estate, with a pretty little lake, a small restaurant, and a quaint cottage or two hiding in the overgrown jungle.  A wedding ceremony was starting soon at a local chapel, and lavishly dressed guests were strolling around the property.  Children were playing […]

Kamikaze Tourism: Surviving Nicaraguan El Classico

By Victor / May 15, 2025

Fútbol or baseball? That was our dilemma. Although Esteli was only an overnight stop on our itinerary to break up a long journey from Granada to Somoto Canyon, we had a few hours to kill in the evening, and the town hosted not one but two professional sporting events. So, […]

From Mud to Magic: A Day in Nicaragua’s Pueblos Blancos

By Julia / May 10, 2025

On day four of our Nicaraguan adventure, we were visiting Pueblos Blancos (White Towns), picturesque white villages outside of the town of Masaya known for their unique artisan traditions, with each village specializing in a particular craft or activity. Our first early morning stop was in Diriomo, otherwise known as […]

Two Volcanoes and Too Many Surprises: Exploring Ometepe

By Julia / April 24, 2025

I am going to start this post without multiple paragraphs praising the incomparable beauty of Ometepe (unless you are comparing it with much more expensive and overly touristy Bali) and without a single mention of just how unprepared we were to traverse Ometepe on scooters, as neither of us possessed […]

Getting Around Ometepe

By Julia / April 17, 2025

If I had to explain in one word why we absolutely plan on visiting Nicaragua again, that word would be “Ometepe”.  The first time I saw it in our itinerary, I thought it sounded spiritual and mysterious, with a note of an ancient ceremony, and a hint of volcanic eruptions.  […]

The Coffee Robbery of the Century

By Victor / March 27, 2025

If you order a cup of Nicaraguan coffee at home, chances are that the beans used in preparing your drink will be from one of the fincas near Jinotega or Matagalpa.  After all, this is a premier region for renowned and much-sought shade-grown Nicaraguan coffee.  We were lucky enough to […]

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