The Lake District

August 9, 2014 champagne&backpacks 8 Comments

My first foray into England was everything I ever wanted it to be, and more. I was almost too nervous to start writing this post because I wanted to do justice to the place we stayed, which is my most highly recommended accommodation from this venture to date. We stayed at the Hazel Bank Country House in England’s Lake District, which is as wonderful as its environs are beautiful.

Given our budget (not super low as you can probably gather, but we’re not staying at the Ritz every night for a year and a half) and our moderate distaste for discomfort (hey, champagne taste, right?) we tend to stay generally at mid-range hotels and B&Bs and thus our accommodation rarely makes or breaks a particular destination for us. But Hazel Bank, and its most wonderful proprietor, Gary, absolutely made this place for us. This is not to say you wouldn’t enjoy the Lake District staying elsewhere (as we’re certainly no experts on the surrounding hotel options and the beauty of this place speaks for itself in our pictures), but we would highly advise against it, because the experience at Hazel Bank was just so sigh-in-contentedness good.

::just call me the sheep whisperer::

::these actually exist, all over the place!::

Gary is the real deal hospitality maven. He is funny and engaging, and born for this job. It takes a certain personality and skill-set to succeed in this business, and he has got it. There is an element of hospitality that cannot be bought, but it can be found at Hazel Bank.

The grounds are lovely. The small hotel is situated in an English manor style home on one of those quintessential rolling green lawns, nestled right into the mountains and lush, verdant landscape that the Lake District affords. White (and the odd black) sheep dot the emerald scenery vistas from the rooms, and you’ll occasionally be graced by the presence of a red squirrel while eating breakfast or dinner on site. The rooms are elegantly appointed with crystal chandeliers, flowing curtains and even a crystal decanter with a taste of sherry and two crystal glasses. Ours offered a beautiful view out the front yard, which was a favorite spot of ours what with its sprawling lawn, croquet course, beautiful old tree, and ample seating for a late afternoon cocktail; the absolute best place to enjoy a post-hike gin and tonic or glass of rose.

::Hazel Bank, on the left::

::the lounge::

::love me some English G&Ts::

::rolling lawns at their finest::

::view from our room::

::view from the lawn::

The food is, of course, also part of the experience. The included breakfast is English and scrumptious. I believe I ate crumpets every morning. And Alan tried a new treat: smoked kippers. This, apparently, is a small fish, and while tasty, the bone removal process proved too much work for Alan’s first meal of the day. I and the rest of the hotel guests did, however, enjoy watching him learn to maneuver them. The real deal, though, is the dinner service. The four courses are served with a high class flair (table setting with four forks, of course), preceded by canapés and pre-dinner drinks in the lounge, followed by tea, coffee and/or stronger libations for those fancying a brandy or scotch whiskey also in the lounge. The whole process is wonderful. The food is delicious, with a special mention to Donna’s lovely desserts and the lamb crackling that was just out of this world. Gary is expertly skilled to assist in helping you choose a wine to accompany said fare. And the whole ordeal, while classy and civilized to the nth degree, is never stuffy. Gary is attentive yet never intrusive, checking in frequently on your needs and entertaining with his masterful conversationalism (if you will) and sharp British wit.

Of course, the main attraction of the Lake District is the natural beauty and its attendant activities. Perhaps the best amenity that Hazel Bank can offer (next to Gary) is its proximity to Mother Nature’s playground and the convenience it offers for getting out to these hikes.

We were blessed with perfect hiking weather our first day in the district and so we headed out to Gary’s recommended hike, located ever so conveniently, just outside our door. Literally across the street, we began climbing up a steep gully, past an old slate mine, to the top of High Spy.

::look at my resourceful man, refilling our water from the creek::

::don’t worry, he purified the water too::

::i love finding the hiding sheep::

The views were incredible from the get go, with heather covered hills rising above the green fields and valleys below. The wildflowers were so lovely, lots of purple, with the heather dominating, but also accented by thistle and bluebells.

::blue bell::

::miles of heather::

We continued on, meandering down the long mountain ridge as the views picked up, culminating in a 360º view at the top of Cat Bells where you overlook the lake (Derwentwater), fields of sheep, Keswick and some smaller villages.

We backtracked slightly, and then headed down the mountain to quickly explore the tiny town of Grange before walking back to Hazel Bank along the river. We were rewarded with cocktails in the front yard before freshening up for dinner, and we had to remark on how wonderful the experience was. This is probably our favorite way to travel, or, well, live: being active in beautiful nature and then coming home to comfort and good food and drink. Not bad, not bad at all.

::nothing beats a well earned cocktail, especially here::

We were also perhaps lucky to have a lovely group of people sharing the experience at Hazel Bank with us, and we very much enjoyed our chats over pre- and post-dinner drinks, and bumping into them up on the mountains (Hazel Bank owned the ridge that day!). The friendly vibe was always palpable, and one of my favorite memories was when another guest requested a curry with dinner on her last night. Gary got a kick out of this, and after busting her chops that night, he surprised her (and us all) with a curried chicken on naan canapé the next evening. The convivial ambiance crescendoed. And last of the company, but certainly not least, I should mention that Gary and Donna have a dog. And not just any dog, the sweetest little boxer, called Toby. I have fallen madly in love with this scrumptious pup.

::Toby, posing all pretty::

We briefly explored some of the other areas in the district. We fit in another, shorter hike the next morning for fear of the weather rumored to be coming in. This one also had us walking straight out the door of our hotel and up to Dock Tarn, passing very few people along the way.

We stopped in the small village of Watendlath for a cuppa tea. I love all these little villages and the little tea shops. This one didn’t happen to be my favorite as they had no clotted cream for their scones (the gall!) and were weirdly unfriendly, but it is pretty picturesque, what with the stove, framed badger needle points, and yard full of gnomes.

::it’s nearly physically impossible for me to not sing “rolling with the gnomies” when I see gnomes::

After that few hour hike before the rain really began, we went for a drive over the Honister Pass to Buttermere Valley. The landscape is much more severe over on this side of the park, a sense that was amplified by heavy rains that caused all the sheep to huddle up by the trees and fences for shelter. The area is more stark and less crowded over there, with rushing streams tumbling down valleys to greet beautiful lakes. We visited the cozy Kirkstile Inn for scones with clotted cream and (obvi) more tea.

To sum it up, in case you couldn’t already tell, I’m mad for England. The whole place (and I base this solely on my experience at one hotel in the Lake District and the fact that people are exceedingly punctilious in keeping left on the motorways) is just so civilized. Having flown into Liverpool, I of course had to plug in my iPhone and play some Beatles as soon as we landed. You can’t drive out of the John Lennon airport without paying homage. But we have some embarrassing news to report. We are ignorant and unworldly and ethnocentric; we had no idea that England uses feet and miles. Here we were thinking that Americans were the only ones. How did we not know this? We were also made to feel a fool for not having an impressive arsenal of odd sayings, such as mad as a box of frogs and full of beans (which means energetic, though it sounds like it would mean full of bologna).

Practical Info

England’s Lake District is a large area in the northwest of the country. All of the Lake District is within the county of Cumbria, but not vice versa. In general, the south and east of the Lake District is a little gentler and more crowded, while the north and west is more rugged and less crowded. We stayed in Rosthwaite, which is a settlement in Borrowdale and is about 5-6 miles from Keswick, the largest nearby town. Apart from how fabulous our B&B was, we really liked this area for its gorgeous scenery and cozy ambience. It is less dramatic and isolated feeling (and admittedly less visually impressive) than Buttermere and environs, and arguably prettier and certainly less crowded than Windermere, Ambleside, etc. Our friend said that for isolation and mountain grandeur he would recommend the Wasdale Head Inn, and in any event would skip Windermere as it is so developed and touristy.

We never drove through Windermere, but we did pass through Grasmere and Ambleside to check them out. The former is pretty small and charming while the latter is a bit bigger, but it still seemed quite appealing. Jenni likened it to a ski town. We strongly considered staying in Cartmel as it is supposed to be an adorable village and foodie haven, but we passed because the mountain scenery and nearby hiking reportedly fall short of other areas.

Transportation: We arrived to Liverpool airport and rented a car for the 2+ hour drive to Rosthwaite. Both hikes we did allowed us to walk straight from our B&B. We also drove around the area some, including over Honister Pass where the scenery is magnificent. There are some buses and often boat transport on the lakes, which means you could do a one way hike without shuttling a car. I think moving between valleys on public transport is probably quite a bit harder than within.

Accommodation: We stayed at Hazel Bank Country House, and as covered above we absolutely loved it. There are so many options in the area, including several very well-located hostels.

Food and Drinks: Pretty much all our meals were taken at Hazel Bank, and the quality was great. The lamb cracklin at dinner one night was fall out of your chair good. Breakfast is included while a four-course dinner costs £24.95/person. We enjoyed a different reasonably priced bottle of wine each night. Our one off-premises bite was at the Kirkstile Inn in Loweswater. It is a cozy pub, the scones were enormous and delicious, and I think they have some proprietary beers. We also stopped at the Caffle House Tea Room in Watendlath for a cuppa. It was cute but not as friendly or warm as we would have liked.

There are various well-regarded dining options around the Lake District. Perhaps most famous of these is Michelin-starred L’Enclume in Cartmel.

Activities: The main activity for most visitors is walking/hiking. Our first day we went up a gully on the western side of Borrowdale past some old slate mines to a saddle. From there, one could make a steep ascent to Dale Head. Instead, we went right for the ridge walk encompassing High Spy, Maiden Moor & Cat Bells before backtracking a touch and descending to Grange and then returning along the river. It was 8-9 miles and the views of the valley and Derwentwater were terrific.

Our second day we headed south right out Hazel Bank’s driveway until perhaps a quarter mile beyond the Stonethwaite bridge when we veered left and made a steep ascent up to Dock Tarn and then descended to the tiny village of Watendlath before returning straight to Hazel Bank’s back door. This hike was perhaps 5 miles, and the views are a little less grand but it was beautiful and far less crowded as we passed only a few people. I don’t know what rules apply, but just near the end of the steep stone stairs heading up to Dock Tarn there was a little grassy circle where a couple appeared to have camped. It was an epic spot with big views of Borrowdale.

The map we used for our area is the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL4 covering the North-western area. On our way out we considered walking to Easedale Tarn from Grasmere, which sounded nice. A very kind gentlemen we met at Hazel Bank gave us a pocket-sized book listing 10 of the best hikes in the Lake District. These are: a Skiddaw round; Helvellyn; Coledale Horseshoe; Little Dale Round; Scafell Pike; Great Gable from Honister; Bowfell & Esk Pike; Langdale Pikes; Fairfield Horseshoe; and Coniston Old Man.

August 6-9, 2014 (Wednesday-Saturday)

Europe, Ireland, Kinsale

Failte to Farewell

August 6, 2014 champagne&backpacks 1 Comment

We’ve little to report on Kinsale aside from that it’s beautiful and it makes you want to hang out and drink all day, which we basically did for two full days. The town felt more similar to non-Irish, ritzy-ish harbor towns/cities. In a way, it reminded us a bit of Cape Cod. And we certainly aren’t complaining. The downtown area has a bit more of an upscale vibe than other towns we visited, what with its nice restaurants, galleries, boutique shops and bookstores. Our B&B was a ways up the hill and a bit of a walk from town, but it gave us some pretty spectacular views of town (on the walk) and the bay.

Highlights of our visit included a delicious meal at Fishy Fishy, which was paired with a bottle of wine and a consequent lazy afternoon. This becomes a theme of our time in Kinsale…

We had big plans to walk over to the Charles Fort the next day and continue exploring the area. And we walked all the way over there (not a short walk, mind you!), stopping first for lunch at The Bulman. We decided to have a pint with said lunch. And when we found out they were having a reggae fest that day, it turned into many hours and even more pints.

It was at The Bulman that I discovered the amazingness that is Crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer. It’s basically a Moscow mule in a bottle, served over ice and with a slice of lime. It’s pure heaven. And I’ll tell you, pairing your Crabbie’s with The Bulman’s crab sammy (or sarnie, as they say here) is on point.

Of course, Alan tried his Murphy’s Irish Stout in County Cork as Sean, our Cork born friend, advised. He gave it a rave review.

While the day spent drinking and lazily watching the tide go out was lovely, I have to mention the bees in Ireland. They are quite possibly the peskiest and most aggressive bees I’ve ever seen. And they have a particular fondness for Crabbie’s ginger beer. I think I drank, like, four dead bees. What is it with the bees here??

We also met a hilarious old chap who shared some of the best stories I’ve ever heard. He is a real live gypsy, and a former pro-boxing trainer to boot. We’re going to miss the Irish, for sure.

We stopped for a brief visit in the city of Cork before heading to the airport on our way out. It’s a bigger city than we expected, and quite nice (what we saw anyway). While we didn’t have much time to explore, we enjoyed perusing the Irish art at the Crawford Art Gallery, and a stroll and some gourmet samples at the English Market. This market had an impressive selection of meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies, sweets, pastries etc…all your market faves.

And one last random tidbit: there were heaps of “golden” retrievers in Kinsale (including an adorable one named Poppy at our B&B!), but they are so pale as to be almost white. We’re thinking we should look into adopting an Irish platinum retriever. Also, how did I not take any photos of these adorable dogs? Guess I was too busy playing with them.

Practical Info

Kinsale is a beautiful seaside town in County Cork. Hailed by many as the culinary capital of Ireland, it has a fairly well-heeled feel to it. The landscape is gentler and it rains less than on the west coast.

Transportation: We drove from Kenmare and generally stayed near the coast, passing some lovely towns and inlets as are standard in these parts. You can walk around most of Kinsale (including to Charles Fort if you’re up for a couple miles); you may need a car to reach The Old Head of Kinsale. The drive from Kinsale to Cork City takes about half an hour. We found a car park right near the English Market for €2.50/hour, but you might check out the park and ride option on the way from Kinsale to Cork City. We departed from Cork Airport (less than half an hour from Kinsale and about 15 minutes from Cork City) headed to Liverpool. By the way, Ryanair kind of blows. It’s a discount airline so I get the high fee to check a bag and extra charge to select a seat or pay with a credit card. And I kind of get the insane €70 fee if you don’t check in online. But they charge €15 if you don’t print out your boarding pass, and if you’re on the road that is a bit of a pain. Moreover, our flight was delayed an hour and a half for no apparent reason (weather seemed fine), and it was probably the first developed country full-size jet I’ve been on where there is no place to put anything in the seat back in front of you and the seats do not recline.

Accommodation: We stayed at Rocklands House B&B. Our room was nice with a great view of the water. Breakfast is very good and John is a kind host (e.g. he offered a glass of wine our first night and printed boarding passes for us). The only downside is it’s a good 20-minute walk to town, with the return being uphill. Our friends recommended Actons of Kinsale, right in town.

Food and Drinks: The Bulman came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint. There was good food and craic. We stumbled upon the 3rd annual Reggae on the Rocks and never made it to Charles Fort. Note that The Bulman is a bit outside the main town, closer to Charles Fort and in the Summercove neighborhood. The Spaniard and Man Friday both come recommended and they’re outside the main town but closer, in the Scilly area.

Lunch at Fishy Fishy on the patio was great. Lunch at Lemon Leaf Cafe was good. Pizza at V-izza was not good. The Black Pig is closed Monday-Tuesday so we missed out but it’s a well-reviewed wine bar/restaurant. Other places that tempted us include Finn’s Table and Max’s Wine Bar. As elsewhere in Ireland, many nice restaurants offer early bird deals.

In Cork City, the English Market has lots of raw and some prepared food, including at the Farmgate Cafe.

Activities: We spent a fair amount of time “working” here and thus went light on the activities, pretty much just walking around town and spending a full day listening to reggae at The Bulman. Kinsale is noted for its rich history (largely due to its splendid natural harbor) and there are some guided walks from the Tourist Office. Charles Fort is a popular attraction. The Old Head of Kinsale comes recommended for a stroll or round of golf.

We got laundry done for €12 and it was ready in just a few hours. I don’t know the name but I think it’s on Market Street and it’s just by Lemon Leaf Cafe, and it’s not the one called Elite.

With less than two hours in Cork City on our way out, we visited the English Market (awesome selection of plain and marinated meats + sausages + cheese etc.) and the very good and free Crawford Art Gallery.

August 3-6, 2014 (Sunday-Wednesday)

Europe, Ireland, Ring of Kerry

Round the Ring of Kerry

August 3, 2014 champagne&backpacks 4 Comments

We left Dingle to explore the Ring of Kerry with the Muxnaw Lodge bed and breakfast in Kenmare as our home base. We were greeted with true Irish hospitality by the proprietor who sat us down to a pot of tea and freshly baked scones. What more can you ask for? A bathtub with a view over the river and bridge, you ask? Why yes, there was one of those too! It’s one of the unspoken pain points for us homeless folk – lack of regular access to tubs ;). Well, we got our fill of bathing at this spot.

::that’s our B&B up there::

::all I ever wanted::

We stopped on our drive in to town at the Kissane sheep farm for a demonstration of the sheep herding. Those border collies are by far the most well trained animals I’ve ever seen. I’ll need to learn how to train our dogs (we don’t actually have any, but Alan knows the time draws nigh) like that one day. It’s quite impressive how organized the whole affair is.

We also got to see a demonstration of the sheep shearing. I hadn’t realized they get the whole fleece coat off in one large blanket. Also, it’s adorable how the sheep stop flailing and just resign to their shaving once placed on their backs.

But the highlight was of course getting to play with the pups!

We also paid a visit to the Muckross House and surrounding gardens. This estate on the lake is massively impressive. Made us want to make billions and create our own family estate. Working on it. Not really.

We spent the better part of a day driving around much of the rest of the ring, though our streak of luck with sunny days had ended by this point, and much of the views were shrouded in clouds and rain. We did, however, get some lovely sneak peaks at a few spots…

Ladies View was quite a nice spot overlooking these lakes and valleys.

And O’Carroll’s Cove had more of that beautiful turquoise water. There were even a few brave Irish souls swimming in there, but Alan could only manage to stick his feet in, and I nothing at all.

The view along Skellig Ring was nice, but better yet was the free chocolate tasting at the Skellig Chocolate Factory.

Perhaps the best views we had were up through the mountains off the main ring road. We adored this idyllic spot by the bridge in Lickeen Wood.

Then Ballagh Beama Gap blew us away with its gray stone studded green mountains and Scotch blackface sheep. It’s hard to comprehend the scale from these photos, but it really was a superb experience driving through here. Made all the more exciting by the insanely narrow and winding roads.

The sun came back on our last day in town and we set out for a walk to enjoy it. We’d considered hiking Carrauntoohil to see what the views are like from the top of Ireland, but having heard that it was still cloudy and drizzly up there we instead went out the Beara peninsula to Gleninchaquin Park. We did the Upper Valley “walk” which is a remote loop hike with beautiful landscape and views. You can really see why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle. We couldn’t believe how lucky we were to have the place all to ourselves. We shared the hike with only the company of a few other sheep.

::the grass is always greener::

After our long walk we headed back into town for more pints and a well-deserved Guinness and beef pie. The town centre of Kenmare is great, with lots of pubs and shops. And when the early evening light hits the church at the end of the main road it’s almost too idyllic to take.

Practical Info

The Ring of Kerry is a scenic drive circling the Iveragh Peninsula and is extremely popular with tourists. Killarney is the most popular base. We chose to stay in Kenmare. There are several charming towns along the ring, and also some places to stay up in the mountains. The ring road is narrow in parts and sees many tour buses. Investigate strategies for avoiding the brunt of these, i.e. different starting points and times and direction of travel.

Transportation: We drove from Dingle via Route 561 towards Killarney and then down N71. I strongly recommend having a car in this area because it allows you to move at your own pace and get off the main ring road. For example, we left the ring at Glenbeigh and went through the mountains back to Kenmare. This was some of our favorite scenery, including the river by Lickeen Wood and then through the Ballagh Beama Gap.

If you don’t have a car, there are lots of tour options. Many cycle these parts (seems scary to us on these roads), and you can also walk the Kerry Way.

Accommodation: We stayed at Muxnaw Lodge, just across the bridge from Kenmare. It is a lovely place with solid breakfast included (no credit cards). Our room was spacious (we even had a bathtub!) and had a view of Kenmare Bay. Hannah is so friendly. She prepared tea and fresh scones on our arrival and offered good advice on local activities. It is a 10-15 minute walk into town, and if that is unappealing then you should look at one of the many options right in town.

There are some high-end properties in the vicinity, including Sheen Falls Lodge and Parknasilla. We dropped by the latter when we drove the Ring of Kerry. It looked quite nice, and we were most envious of the hot tubs overlooking the water. There are also places to stay up in the mountains. Blackstones House B&B had a rather idyllic location, if not the easiest to reach.

Food and Drinks: My beef and Guinness pie at Foley’s was very good. The Irish Cheese Board pizza at O’Donnabhain’s was pretty good. Our BLT at Jam Deli was OK, it is popular for breakfast and lunch, closed at dinner. Packie’s and Lime Tree are well reviewed. There are multiple supermarkets in town if you want picnic food.

Activities: Driving the Ring of Kerry is the most popular thing to do. There are viewpoints, historical places of interest (such as Derrynane House, the ancestral home of Daniel O’Connell), etc. It was rainy and foggy the day we drove so we couldn’t see everything. The area around Coomakesta Pass was very pretty and there is a nice beach at O’Carroll’s Cove. Skelligs Chocolate Factory (off the main ring) offers generous free tastings.

We visited Muckross House and Gardens. Parking and the gardens and grounds are free (and the onsite cafeteria more than passable), but you can only enter the house on the hour-long tour that costs €7.50. A visit to the Farms also costs €7.50, or a combo ticket is €12.50. There are walking paths around the lake and jaunting cars available. Torc Waterfall is nearby.

A visit to Kissane Sheep Farm was quite enjoyable. This includes a demonstration of the dogs herding the sheep, plus a farmer sheering them. It costs €7 each. Call to check the schedule as it is a working farm and you can only visit at certain times and the website may not be accurate.

Gleninchaquin Park is a private reserve on the Ring of Beara. We did the Upper Valley walk, which is about a 9km loop through beautiful, rugged green valleys filled with peat bogs, lakes and sheep. It took us just under three hours, and we saw not one other human. There is no trail on the upper part but the way is marked. The waterfall is visible from the parking area. Entry costs €6 each. We considered hiking Carrauntoohil in the McGillicuddy’s Reeks but passed upon hearing it was cloudy and drizzly up that high. If you want to do this, look up Cronin’s Yard as a potential car park and trailhead. And make sure you know what you’re doing as weather/visibility can be dangerous.

July 31 – August 3, 2014 (Thursday-Sunday)

Dingle, Europe, Ireland

Dingle

July 31, 2014 champagne&backpacks 6 Comments

OK, let’s get it out of the way…Dingle is a funny name for a town. I can’t quite put my finger on why it feels so weird, but it does, doesn’t it? Just try saying it out loud. When people ask where we’ve come from and I have to say “Dingle” it’s like eating out at a restaurant with cheesy menu item names that make you order something embarrassing like macho nachos or the Tijuana tea tickler. There, now that we’ve addressed the elephant in the blog post title, we can get on to beautiful southern Ireland. Our stretch of good weather followed us through Dingle (mostly), and our drive there from Galway was the beginning of our introduction to truly lush, green Ireland. The road takes you through some of the quaintest towns amidst stretches of rolling hills and pastures full of sheep, cows and horses. And I know they are all nice little towns because every time we drive through one Alan says, “well this is a nice little town!”

And the flowers have been quite the pleasant surprise in this country. They seem to be everywhere, and they are stunning and colorful. Just driving along the roads feels like you’re taking a detour through the Secret Garden, with hydrangeas, fuchsia and yellow, red, orange and purple flowers everywhere.

On our drive into Dingle we stopped to visit the famed Cliffs of Moher. It’s pretty easy to see why they have the reputation they do. It’s a seemingly endless stretch of rugged, steep rock cliffs, and if you’re lucky you can even spot puffins.

After a quick ferry ride to skip some of the long way around the Shannon Estuary, we ended up in a town called Tralee. This spot is famous for its roses, and we made a brief pit stop to walk through a park full of loads of these beauties. Well worth the stroll.

The view from breakfast at our Dingle B&B was a telling teaser of what was to come…

The main activity for visitors to Dingle is the Slea Head Drive. We stopped first for a very quick hike up to the Eask Tower, where the views were stunning, despite that there was a concentration of sheep poo so dense on all available ground as to make you wonder just how those sheep could ingest so much fiber. Strangely, we passed only one other couple during our visit. Maybe we were early? Regardless, the isolation and breathtaking views were much appreciated.

We continued along the long stretch of road that hugs this blustery coastline. The roads do not get any wider though, and a flat tire (or tyre, as they say) incident had us parked in a row of sightseers for a good half hour. It was no bother, as the view did not suck. Plus, we got to witness the Irish friendliness in action as several people rushed to help the guy with the flat.

And the long stretches of driving have been made much more fun by an unexpected pleasure: talk radio. I’m serious! We are thoroughly enjoying the talk radio here in Ireland. It’s partly learning all these slang phrases like “she thought she was a cut above butter milk” and “getting locked,” but also the interesting content and hilarious listener questions and comments. Never would have thought, but I’m a huge fan of Irish talk radio.

The view from this point was one of our favorites. The way the ocean looks here is unreal.

Isn’t this sandy cove the most perfect little beach spot? I never would have guessed that the oceans in Ireland would look so tropical (that color!). But trust me, these are no tropical waters. The Irish must have very thick skin to swim these cold cold seas.

After a full day of sightseeing we hit the pubs for some pints, and killed some time as we waited for a table at the best restaurant in town: Global Village. Worth the wait for the broccoli and blue cheese soup, duck and lamb three ways.

Also worth a shout is Inch Beach, a beautiful spot we paused at for a few photos before continuing onto the Ring of Kerry.

And in case you wanted further proof we are in Ireland, voila:

Practical Info

Dingle is the name of the peninsula and the main town, where we stayed. Slea Head Drive is a loop that covers just the western portion of the peninsula.

Transportation: We drove from Galway City and stopped at the Cliffs of Moher, which is on the way if you take the coastal route. We took the ferry across the Shannon Estuary from Killimer in County Clare to Tarbert in County Kerry. At €18 one way it’s no bargain and the scenery is nothing special, but it cuts more than 100km off the trip. Beyond Tralee we took the quicker N86 as it was getting late, and this route was plenty scenic. I think going over Conor Pass is even more scenic. We departed Dingle headed for Kenmare (on the Ring of Kerry) and took Route 561 past Inch Beach, a blustery spit with a surf school.

Accommodation: We stayed at the Lighthouse B&B just outside town (a 10 minute walk). The common lounge is cozy, there are lovely views of Dingle Harbour and the breakfast was very good. It is nice to stay near town as pubs and live music are plentiful. But if you just want peace and quiet and perhaps lower prices, there are many B&Bs on the peninsula.

Food and Drinks: Our first splurge meal of the trip was at Global Village. On the Zagat scale, I’d give it a 24. The scallop appetizer was our only selection not sourced from the peninsula, and I thought it was the worst of four dishes. The broccoli and blue cheese soup was yummy and a bargain at €5. The duck platter appetizer and lamb plate main were both very good. Demerit for being out of my first wine choice and then bringing me a younger vintage without acknowledging it.

We enjoyed pints at McCarthy’s Pub. The town is best known for seafood (despite our one seafood dish at Global Village being my least favorite). Other restaurants and pubs that came recommended include Doyle’s, Half Door, Chart House, Marina Inn, Paul Geaney’s (airier and brighter and seemingly more family oriented than some) and The Mighty Session.

While on the Slea Head Drive we had a fine lunch at Tigh Ui Mhurchu in Ballyferriter.

Activities: At the very start of Slea Head Drive we did the half hour hike up to Eask Tower. You are meant to pay €2/person. The views from the top are glorious. Boat trips, including visits to the Blasket Islands, are popular. There are several pre-historic sites (beehive huts and such) along the peninsula. I think the new Dingle Distillery accepts visitors, though its first batch of whiskey won’t be ready for some time.

We visited the Cliffs of Moher on the drive from Galway City. The Cliffs are perhaps Ireland’s most famous natural attraction, and they are impressive. We parked at the visitor center and walked across and then strolled a while in each direction up and down the coast. This meant we paid €12 (€6 each), but you could visit for free by parking elsewhere and walking in; i.e. the only part that charges is the parking lot (and it costs €2 to climb O’Brien’s Tower). The visitor center is fine and the design blending in with the landscape is smart, but don’t beat yourself up if you skip it. The Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walking Trail links the villages of Liscannor and Doolin, I think the whole way covers 20km. There are also scenic boat rides for a different perspective. I think some depart from Doolin and perhaps elsewhere.

On the (mostly) coastal drive from Galway City one passes several charming towns. These include Kinvarra, Lahinch (yummy sandwiches at Quills gourmet deli; a big beach; well known links golf course; Moy House hotel just outside town looked nice), Kilkee and Kilrush. We spent a few minutes at the Tralee Town Park enjoying the magnificent rose gardens.

July 29-31, 2014 (Tuesday-Thursday)

Europe, Galway, Ireland

Off to the Races

July 29, 2014 champagne&backpacks 1 Comment

We picked up our rental car (we’re calling him Otis cause he’s an Opel, though it probably would have been more appropriate to go with something like Seamus) and hit the open roads en route to Galway City. We figured out (more or less) how to drive in Ireland on their teeny tiny roads. So narrow! Their two lanes are what would be one in the States. Upon arriving we discovered to our delight that our home for the next few days had an absolutely lovely location, up on the top floor of an apartment looking out over the river with a view down to the church. Fantastic. Not to mention it could not be any closer to the action in downtown Galway. Highly recommend the spot!

::view from the room::

And the downtown area was bumping. Actually craic was everywhere. Did I use that right? I still don’t understand these Irish words. I’m trying. I’ve got slainte down, that’s about it. We wandered around Shop Street and the surrounding blocks, which are chock full of pubs, restaurants, shops and street performers (including this awesome Irish-Klezmer fusion type group with a solid tap dancer).

::sweet street performers::

::lookin a wee bit like a leprechaun here::

We discovered a delightful tea spot, Cupan Tae, which is pretty much the stuff of my childhood fantasies. Mismatched chairs and tablecloths and a different set of china at each table. The pots of tea come out in other mismatched pots, and the scones and crust-less cucumber sandwiches come out on the daintiest tiered plates. To top it off, the waitresses are all wearing the cutest frilly aprons over their dresses. And the tea menu is legit, several pages of teas for all your tea party fantasies. We went with the Creamy Dreamy Galway blend and it did not disappoint.

::in little girls’ heaven::

Also, Alan found an Irish friend who loves the Giants too. This photo made all of our days.

After a seafood dinner at McDonagh’s (can’t believe it took us this long already to order fish n’ chips… which by the way tasted like donuts in the way that the onion rings at Mastro’s in Los Angeles do. Anyone here know what I mean!?), we hit the pubs for pints and whiskey sampling (on Alan’s part). So it took me exactly four days in Ireland before I got buzzed enough to chat up an Irish person and trade impersonations of each other’s accents. Naturally, in my Irish accent I led with “’ave ya ever been to Yogurtland?” Anyway, in exchange for my embarrassment we got the tip to check out Taaffe’s for live music, and it was a solid scene, with a fiddle player who looks exactly like Cory Monteith. Also, I’m almost embarrassed to rave about this, and it was a late night fourth meal after many a pint so the judgment here may be a wee bit clouded, but the pizza at Napoli was sinfully delectable. Also worth a shout: Swing Sundays at Kelly’s pub. We walked in and had a quick meal and a Smithwick’s while listening to a fantastic bluesy band.

::is that Finn on the fiddle!?::

It took some dragging ourselves out of bed the next day, but we got up to drive out to the ferry and head to the Aran Islands. The best way to get out and explore Inishmore (the largest island) seems to be by bike and so that’s what we did. (I seriously think we’ve biked more in our first week in Ireland than we did in one year in Los Angeles, crazy. Must bust out the bikes more back home. Also, can we get city bikes in Santa Monica!?). The island is just big enough that to get around to all the sights would be too long on foot, and just right on bikes for the day.

This cute little spot we stopped at for lunch was adorable (look at that thatched roof!) and delicious (tomato soup and brown bread were spot on, as was Alan’s ham).

The highlight of this island is the cliffs and view near Dún Aonghasa. Pretty impressive if I do say so meself.

This little beach did not disappoint either. How tropical looking!

::we’ve resolved to take more selfies::

Less impressive was the worm hole we biked and walked in search of for quite a ways, only to discover it isn’t much of a show at low tide. Womp womp. Supposedly it’s like a four-sided waterfall when the water is high enough. Though, to be fair, I’m not quite sure how accessible it would be when the water is high!?

Our last day in town happened to coincide with the Galway Races. (I say happened to coincide, but really Alan plans this all meticulously, so we actually extended our stay a day to catch these famed horse races). It was grand. Though we learned the hard way that we are pretty much the opposite of good betters. We were too sober to bet our money on the first race, but of course when I learned there was a horse called Ridestan, it brought back memories from our trip to the ‘Stans and I rooted for him. He placed second. So we bet on the second race for one to place, and he got trampled. Then we sat out a race again because we are big fat loser gamblers. And we chose the horse that won on 17:1 odds! And then Alan picked another first place winner without betting the next round. We got all hot headed and bet three ways on the next race…and of course, our horses came in near the back, with Alan’s a dead last, way behind all the others.

::his Irish eyes are smilin’::

::sad that I can’t bet on Drunken Counsel::

So, we totally suck at horse races. But that’s OK, because we really enjoyed it, and I took particular pleasure in watching the women who came dressed for the “Most Appropriately Dressed Lady” competition. Think big ole hats and proper dresses. I can only imagine what ladies’ night is like.

::her horses weren’t performing either::

::appropriately dressed ladies::

The next day we were off for Dingle with a pit stop at the Cliffs of Moher. Stay tuned!

Practical Info

Before I get started, huge thanks to Sean who wrote an incredibly detailed and helpful email as we were in the planning phase! Galway is the name of the county and also the main city, but if we don’t specify we are always referring to Galway City. Note that some of the street names change midway, so e.g. I think Quay Street and Shop Street are basically the same?

Transportation: We drove from Dublin, see that post for info. Galway City is not the easiest town to drive in with all its one way and pedestrian-only streets. You certainly do not need a car here. You might want one for day trips, but there are plenty of tour options.

Accommodation: We stayed at an Airbnb place with an amazing location (and parking spot) on the river, just by Kelly’s pub. There are tons of options, I think you’d do fine to stay anywhere within easy walking distance of Quay Street, Eyre Square, etc. Our friends recommended Hotel Meyrick. The seaside town of Salthill is nearby and you could in theory make the walk but it’s a couple miles away.

Food and Drinks: Jenni’s new favorite spot may be Cupan Tae. McDonagh’s is famous for seafood. My fried fish was tasty, but in general we were a touch disappointed. The chips were not cooked enough, but on the plus side they tasted remarkably like high quality steak (Jenni called the taste like Mastro’s onion rings). And I got to enjoy a Galway Hooker. Pizza Napoli has some terrific and large slices. Ard Bia has a good rep, and Aniar has a Michelin star.

Perhaps the most famous pub is Tigh Neactain; we had but one pint there. It is small and packed. Taaffe’s had good live music. The Dáil Bar is spacious and the bartenders were friendly. We loved the bluesy Sunday night band at Kelly’s, and the burger and pint special put me on to Smithwick’s Ale.

On Inishmore (Aran Islands), Teach Nan Phaidi right by Dún Aonghasa is cute and a great lunch option. Ti Joe Watty’s closer to town has a good rep and often live music.

Activities: The main activity in Galway City is strolling the pedestrian-only heart and drinking in pubs. There is ample live music. This is a popular base for day trips. We visited the Aran Islands one day. You have several options for this. We drove to Rossaveal (aka Ros a’ Mhíl) and then took the ferry to Inishmore. Parking cost €5 and the return ferry costs €25 each. We reserved our tickets at the office on Eyre Square. Once on the island, we rented bikes at the pier for €10 each (plus a €10 each deposit, cash only). It is a little too big to walk everywhere. Horse and carriage rides are available, and some choose a fully guided van tour but this did not seem appealing as biking the island was a big part of the draw for us.

Entrance to Dún Aonghasa (a cliff-top ancient fort) costs €3 and visiting entails walking up a long path with uneven stairs. We did not see any seals at the Seal Colony. The Worm Hole requires biking on a gravel road and then a substantial walk over deep grass and rocks along the coast. The scenery is lovely, though at low tide we did not see the ocean flowing in and out of the hole as depicted in the tourist brochures.

Our host recommended the Galway Tour Company’s day trip to Inishmaan, a smaller and less visited island. Staying a night in the Aran Islands is probably very peaceful. There are B&Bs all over Inishmore. Note that you can also fly to Inishmore.

Day trips to Connemara and The Burren are also popular. Many visit the Cliffs of Moher from Galway, but we stopped on the drive to Dingle and cover this in our next post.

Our visit to Galway coincided with the famous Galway Races. You may need to buy tickets in advance for ladies’ night, but we purchased them on arrival for the hefty sum of €20 each. Shuttle buses leave from Eyre Square and cost €9 return. There are plenty of food and beverage options at the races.

July 26-29, 2014 (Saturday-Tuesday)

Dublin, Europe, Ireland

Among the Brethren Redheads

July 26, 2014 champagne&backpacks 4 Comments

I have one benefit bestowed upon me in the “ability to travel” department, and that is the fact that I can blend in fairly easily in a lot of places. I could pass for Spanish, or Italian, Turkish, or even Uzbek. I’ve got that ambiguous (enough) look to blend in. Alan, my fair skinned, red-headed, green-eyed man has never been blessed with the ability to look like one of the locals. Until now. Alan got in touch with his non-existent Irish heritage by bonding with his red headed brethren from another ancest-thren. And boy, are we in the land of redheads. We hadn’t even so much as left the airport in Dublin before we started playing a modified version of punch buggy: “A redhead!” “Look there’s another one!” “And another one!” Sitting in a park one day, surrounded by many ginger haired men and women I asked Alan what the odds were of this many redheads being out at any given park in the US. His guess was zero. So, I guess that’s our first impression of Ireland. We love the redheads. Just look at this awesome redhead cheering me on as I get my Riverdance on:

::never mind the headless fifeman::

So it’s true what they say. There are lots of redheads here. Also true? They are the nicest and friendliest people! The very first pub we popped into, we met the bartender who promptly chatted us up, discovered that we were headed to Galway in a few days and instructed us to look for his mate at the pub over there and tell him, “you’re nothing but a bollocks!” Of course, said mate would know who’d sent us and we were assured he’d take good care of us. Nonetheless, we confirmed that he would not sock us in the face for said introduction.

::my ginger man at the ginger man. and our first pint of Guinness in Ireland!::

Ireland gets a bad rap weather-wise. Either the rumors are untrue or we’ve been incredibly lucky our first week here. The weather was spectacular throughout our time in Dublin. On our first full day in town we wandered over to Merrion Square for lunch at the Thursday food truck scene. It was just lovely. Everyone seemed to have taken a long lunch break to enjoy the sun, some good eats, and live music. There was even free wine tasting.

Given the perfect weather, the use of Dublin’s city bikes came in incredibly handy. It’s a pretty walkable (and generally overall very manageable) city, but using the bikes made it even easier to explore. That said, our first time on the bikes was at night, after a couple pints. And combine that with my irrational fear of city biking, in a city I’ve never been to, that drives on the left…it wasn’t very pretty. But we got the hang of it a bit more after that. Plus, it was good practice for Alan in advance of operating a manual shift driver’s-seat-on-the-right car, driving on the left, for the first time.

We parked the bikes to meander through the city. It’s a beautifully green city, full of quaint parks, like St. Stephen’s Green where locals picnic with unusually large birds.

We took the advice of locals and skipped Temple Bar (an actual bar but also the name of the area), save for a quick stroll through just to see what it’s all about. It’s a fine place to walk around, but rumor has it the bars and cafes are overpriced and touristy so we opted instead for the restaurants around Grafton Street and elsewhere.

We did, however, get our fill of a few touristy must-sees. Of course, we visited Trinity College and the Book of Kells. The exhibit on the Book of Kells was interesting, but we preferred the library portion, a long hall full of high barrel oak ceilings, loads of old books and busts of lots of great thinkers.

::my man, Socrates::

::Trinity College::

And aside from the many pints of Guinness already consumed at local pubs, we had to see the legendary Guinness Storehouse. It is quite well done, and you will most certainly kill some time in here. There are seven floors chock full of information on the Guinness making process and history, but the highlight is obviously the top floor where you can retrieve your complimentary pint and check out some seriously impressive views of the city and the surrounding area.

And here is the moment of truth. We’d heard about how Guinness tastes different in Ireland, or different at the Guinness factory. Well, we came, we tasted, we decided…that…it tastes the same. If anything, I might prefer the Guinness outside of the factory, or even (heresy I know) outside of Ireland! Hear us out, though…it’s more of a novelty once you leave Ireland. Here, your days are mostly a waiting game of when it’s time to stop for a pint. No? Ok, suffice it to say we like the Guinness everywhere, but to non-beer experts like ourselves, we can’t really say the local Guinness flavor prevails.

::settling::

Regardless of the difference in the taste of the beer, the experience of drinking at pubs is far superior in Ireland (at least compared to a regular old bar in the states…I’ve yet to try an English, Scottish or Welsh pub so…). Our friend had recommended Kehoe’s, and on a Wednesday evening this was the scene when we arrived:

We absolutely love the pub and after-work drinks culture, with patrons spilling out onto the streets and catching up over a round. We sat down for dinner at a restaurant right next to Kehoe’s one night, and I had to remark that the soundtrack sounded almost stereotypical Irish: there was a street performer playing the flute, the near constant clinking of glasses, and even a jolly old man with a hearty laugh. I simply can’t get enough.

::sampling the non-Guinness Irish ales::

On our last night in town, we stopped at Fallon & Byrne, a terrific gourmet market near Grafton Street, and picked up the fixings for a picnic. We opted for Irish cheeses and meats, and the Cashel blue cheese was divine. Better equipped, we biked back over to our side of town and hung out on the docks with the youngins at Charlotte Quay (by Ocean Bar, which may still exist or may now be the Mourne Seafood Bar?) to enjoy our dinner and wine. This area is very nice, full of modern apartment buildings and offices (our AirBnB apartment was right next door to the new Google office), and the after-work scene at the Quay is superb.

The sun sets super late in Ireland this time of year, and that means you get lots of time to head out and enjoy magic hour. The city is twice as pretty in this light. I highly recommend checking out the river views as the sun is dropping.

Other random observations: A small box of Cheerios costs €9.95. That’s $13.36 assuming you get a good conversion rate! I should’ve smuggled in some cereal boxes and sold them on the black market!! Also, Dublin is full of pregnant women. Seriously, they were everywhere. Lastly, everyone was eating ice cream here. Though we’re thinking it’s because we arrived during the most summery weather, so they can’t be blamed. That’s all for now, Galway’s coming up next!

Practical Info

Ireland is expensive. Having recently spent six months in Asia, sticker shock is in effect. A pint at the average bar seems to cost about €5, a burger about €10. Many attractions and transportation options offer a 10% discount if you book on their website. There are pamphlets in the tourist office that give you a small discount at certain sights, and if you plan to visit a lot of attractions in Ireland then definitely check out the Heritage Card. A website you may find helpful is http://www.discoverireland.ie.

We bought a Lycamobile SIM card that for €10.50 includes €10 credit. It costs only €0.01/min to call the US and there are various packages for data. I also paid $2.99 for the offline city maps app from Ulmon Pro.

Transportation: We arrived on an Aer Lingus flight from London after using United miles to get there. There are direct flights from some US cities to Dublin and other airports. Our taxi into the city cost €27 and took 20-30 minutes. There are many bus options, at least one of which costs €6.

As Jenni noted, Dublin is a fairly walkable place. The city bikes were great. We paid €5 each for a three-day subscription, and then the first half hour of each ride is free. There is a tram system but we never used it.

On our way out to Galway City we rented a car from Avis in Dublin. We get a discount through USAA and also the California Bar; you should check any professional associations etc. Also check whether your credit card offers collision damage waiver (CDW) in Ireland. Do not assume it does, many do not. Our USAA card does, but Avis still requires a €30 admin fee and a €3,000 hold on the card! Gas is ~$8/gallon, fortunately most cars are small and fuel-efficient. And you want the smallest car you can fit in, because the roads are very narrow. Make sure you put the right type of fuel (e.g. maybe diesel) in your car.

Our Airbnb host in Galway City recommended Gobus or Citylink to get there if we had not rented a car. Instead, we drove about two hours, mostly on the expressway (which has tolls). A smartphone is incredibly handy because even if you don’t buy a local SIM card, if you use Google Maps (and likely other apps) on a WiFi connection then you can generally follow the blue dot even without a signal.

Accommodation: We stayed in an Airbnb place by the docks/Grand Canal on Barrow Street. This area is not touristy and we rather enjoyed it. Many finance/accounting firms have offices nearby, and there are lots of modern apartment buildings. There are some eating and drinking options, and by staying here we got a more local feel plus saw more of the city than we otherwise would have. Most visitors would probably opt to stay closer to St. Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street, Temple Bar, etc. Our friends recommended The Westbury, which is in the heart of it all. We used http://www.bandbireland.com to book accommodation in some other towns. I’m also told you can just drive around and find a fairly inexpensive B&B outside the main towns. This is probably true even now, but we did not want to chance it during the peak summer season.

Food and Drinks: We loved the market at Fallon & Byrne, mentioned above. It also has a restaurant and wine cellar bar. If you happen to be here on a Thursday in the summer, check out the Merrion Square lunchtime market from 11:30 am – 2 pm. Ely Brasserie (one of a few Ely spots) was crackin with the after work crowd, and the scallops and buffalo wings (yup, found my buffalo already) were strong. The €16.95 three plate early bird at Salamanca tapas bar was fine. We also ate one of the quick service options at the CHQ Building. Spar are popular super markets and some have coffee shops inside. Our hosts recommended the Pig’s Ear for food and the Brazen Head as a good pub.

Our first pint was at Ginger Man, a nice pub. Nearby was a big crowd at Probus wine bar. If you just walk around, you will find plenty of pubs and places to eat.

Activities: The Guinness Storehouse was well done. It costs €18 each ex a 10% discount online. The Book of Kells and library at Trinity College were nice; entrance costs €10. We considered a traditional dance show but passed. There is a cheap one at the Arlington Hotel (on the north side of the River Liffey) for €8, but you’re only guaranteed a spot if you include dinner and pay €33.95.

We saw a great wildlife photography exhibit at the CHQ Building. Entry was €6.50. Check the website to see what exhibits they have when you’re here. Lastly, just walking around and soaking in the architecture and parks is a great activity.

July 23-26, 2014 (Wednesday-Saturday)

California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, North America, USA

Land of the Free

July 21, 2014 champagne&backpacks 2 Comments

Well, we’re back on the road again! I’m writing this from the airport as we prepare to fly off to Dublin ((many) pints ‘o Guinness, here we come!). It was a whirlwind two month break from our global travels to do a little more fun stuff back home in the good ‘ole USofA. We came back for some very important events (a couple phenomenal weddings and even a P-town bear week bachelorette), and managed to fit in lots of things we missed whilst abroad. So we thought we’d give you a very brief update on some of the highlights of our trip, as well as introduce you to some old favorites and new finds from our visit to the homeland!

Our trip to the states had us landing in our “home” of Los Angeles. While we have no actual home to speak of (and I mean literally, even our mailing address no longer exists as my parents just sold their home!), our friends were very generous in letting us crash for much of our time (we love you guys!!!). Of course a big highlight for us was getting our LA grub on. While we love all food, Asian especially, we were beyond excited to get our hands on some of our local favorites. The very first day we arrived we hit some serious bases with a breakfast of bagels, lunch of Mexican food, and of course In’N’Out for dinner. Solid.

We also checked out a few new spots. We visited our wonderful friends Jamie and Eric over at their new restaurant: Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese. Delish. And while Greeny is cooking up some fancy and fabulous takes on grilled cheese, it’s really hard to pass up the classic grilled cheese with a side of perfectly seasoned tomato soup. Seriously comfort food at its max. And speaking of Max, we were thrilled to meet their adorable new arrival, Max, who joined the world while we were off in Asia.

I was quickly reminded of just how “LA” LA can be when visiting the new(ish) spot: Kreation on Montana in Santa Monica. No offense, and you all know I defend LA to the death against all those (crazy) haters, but this is one of those places that makes people despise LA. I overheard someone ask the waiter (literally), “Do you have a juice that would make me happy?” (Cue Valley Girl dialect.) Granted the menu invited this (with items like “Energy,” “Relax,” “Skinny,” and “Rosy Aura”), but… I mean. If there was any doubt I had made it back to the wacky world that is LA-LA-Land, I saw one lady pushing her pint-sized pup in a stroller and another carrying hers in a purse. Better yet, while getting a manicure in anticipation of Jenny’s wedding, I overheard the most absurd LA woman that might exist. She was, and I quote her directly now, “an Hermes and Chanel girl” who would “not be caught dead in” other lowly designers’ wears. She complained about her dinner plans for fear of the Paparazzi and proceeded to look at a woman roughly thirty pounds heavier than she and say, “oh my god, you’re so skinny, I’m so fat I just gained ten pounds.” But the best story of all, a friend told me she offered some food to a homeless man and he declined, telling her he was on a raw food diet.

::the juice was actually pretty good::

We also joined friends to watch Swingers at Cinespia, the famed movie screenings at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It was pretty damn awesome. Man, we love LA. We also enjoyed our friends’ pups. And spotting a woman on a pay phone! I’ve not seen one of these in use in ages! (It’s the small things in life…)

See the Practical Info section, below, for some more of our favorite eats along the way and across the country.

::including tacos at Rincon in Santa Barbara::

But the highlight of LA was for sure Jen and Albert’s wedding. Absolutely stunning. The wedding and the bride! Seriously, how gorgeous was she!? An absolute modern fairytale princess. That Albert is a lucky man, I tell ya. Also, after six months of embracing what my friends now endearingly refer to as my “traveler fugly” phase (OK the really nice ones call it my “natural” phase), I reveled in the opportunity to get fancy and glam and all dolled up. I felt like a movie star.

::stuffing wedding favors with Patty’s famous M&M cookies (aka eating all the “broken” ones)::

::mad selfie action::

::picking up THE dress::

::all dolled up and loving it::

::like a fairy tale!::

One of the best perks of quitting your job to travel the world is the time it gives you to spend with your family and friends, and we truly relish this. We flew back east to spend about three weeks with all sorts of family…

…Staying with Alan’s brother Kenny in New Jersey (and visiting some friends in New York while there)…

::katz’s deli::

::ridiculous duck and waffles at momofuku ssam::

::watching the world cup games::

…Visiting my family in Maine for the final nights in our cottage (which is now being torn down and will soon be completely rebuilt as their full time home) and helping them pack up and move out of my childhood home in Concord, MA. We found some serious gems along the way in that process…

::I ❤ Maine::

::insane full circle rainbow!::

::dad’s lobstah dance::

::another little dance party on the porch::

::old gem of me and big bro::

::old gem of me and the pop (also dancing!)::

::proof that I was super cool in ’99 (what was Alan doing at this time!?)::

::further proof I was a really cool pre-teen::

…spending lots of QT with my big bro, Dev, and my dog nephews, Lou and Ryder (I am obsessed)…

::Lou’s stylin::

::my baby Ryder::

::Devo::

::lots of snuggles with the babe::

::waiting for his master::

::Ryder really enjoyed chasing this giant moth::

::seriously, thing is huge!::

::wine and dogs. life is good::

::people let me tell ya bout my best friend::

…and of course eating LOTS of lobstah…

…and a massive family reunion at Alan’s mom’s house in Longmeadow, MA. It was so lovely meeting these more distant relatives and spending more time with those we already know and love.

We also fit in lots of good old left coast time. Obviously there was LA, but we also drove up to a wedding in Sonoma, and used the opportunity to stop on the way and check out the wine scene in Paso Robles. We spent two nights at a little B&B owned by a very strange proprietor. Long story short, despite the phenomenal location of this B&B, we would not recommend it. Largely because of overpromises (and false advertising!) that were not delivered on, and less so because the property was not as nice and the room was incredibly small. It’s just frustrating to sign up for something that’s detailed explicitly online and then reeceive much less than promised. Even more annoying that the proprietor made a point of talking about the amenities that she later failed to provide. Strange.

::they did, however, have a pretty cute little pup::

Anyhow, the real reason we came was the wine, and that, my friends, did NOT disappoint. We adored the wines here! It’s not pretentious in the way that some might argue Napa and Sonoma have become, and it’s still in fact quite cheap. Tastings are generally $10 a piece, the pours are generous, they credit the fee against purchases, they’ll let you try anything you liked again, and a few places give you a glass to keep. The wines themselves are fairly reasonably priced, though we did splurge on a few bottles. Is there anyone out there who can not splurge on a bottle of good wine by the time you reach your third tasting? OK, it was only our second when I started buying multiple bottles. Must find a home with a wine cellar. I’ll start with just a home. See the Practical Info section below, for some of our favorite vineyards, wines and restaurants.

::thems some good grapes::

::the hills in wine country look like they’re blanketed::

::<3 you, Cali::

::did you know that this is what artichokes look like when they flower?!::

Also worthy of a shoutout is Destination Drivers, a company that will send someone to drive your car around to the vineyards for an hourly fee. All wine and no drunk driving, yippee! This would in theory work out to be cheaper than the wine tours on offer, that is if you didn’t spend six hours tasting. Oops! What I loved most was the tackle box full of bread and meats and cheeses that they supply to keep you going between tastings. Yum!

After Paso we enjoyed Felix and Amanda’s spectacular wedding at the Kenwood Inn and Spa in Sonoma, and even managed to squeeze in a beautiful local hike with the groom just hours before he wed.

From there, we had a great afternoon in the East Bay catching up with Brian and Kim and Camilo and Hillary and all their kids. Alan and Quinn had a nice scat session. Afterwards I jetted off back to the east coast to help my parents finalize the move, and then attend the last of the wolfpack’s bachelorette parties on Cape Cod. This was my first time in Provincetown, and it happened to be bear week, which happened to be amaze-balls. Of course, the hot pink Lady Gaga wigs didn’t hurt. Congrats KP! So excited for her wedding in the South of France! Stay tuned for the blog coverage of what I’m sure will be nothing short of stunning.

Meanwhile, Alan and D-Bell drove up to Humboldt, then took the PCH all the way back down to LA, and reminded himself how much we love this left coast. Watching the World Cup semifinal games at Patterson’s Pub in Mendocino and then The Tap Room at the Lodge at Pebble Beach were experiences to cherish. Oh California, you beautiful beast, you.

And now, we are in Dublin! Stay tuned for lots of pictures and stories, most of which will likely entail blustering shorelines and big glasses of beer.

Practical Info

We will not try to cover everywhere we ate and everything we did over a couple months in the US. Instead, we will touch upon some highlights. If you have questions, feel free to ask.

Transportation: There are many ways to get from New York to Boston, including flying or taking the train. The cheapest option is usually the bus. We have taken one of the Chinatown buses in the past, but this time friends told us about Bolt Bus. It departs New York from multiple locations; we took the train from New Jersey to Penn Station and then walked the long blocks to 33rd between 11th and 12th. In the 1980s you would not have wanted to be here outside your car that would’ve been bombarded by unsolicited windshield washing, but now it’s fine. For $27 (2 tix), we arrived painlessly at South Station in Boston. And the bus offers WiFi and electric outlets.

Accommodation: We found a great Airbnb place in Santa Monica near 20th and Montana. We were less enthused about Emily’s House in Paso Robles (see Jenni’s rant above), though the location was nice in easy walking distance from town. The Kenwood Inn and Spa near Sonoma is definitely a splurge, but the rooms are beautiful and the pool is super refreshing in the NorCal valley heat.

Food: In LA: Shout out to our man at the helm of Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese on Melrose. Jenni covered this above, and when she was back east I returned and also had the Buffalo Blue. This thoroughly satisfied my buffalo pangs…for the night. Katsuya is something we crave when traveling, so we made a few visits while back. We usually go to the Brentwood branch, but it’s much cheaper if you can schlep to the valley. The happy hour in Brentwood helps to let you afford multiple orders of the spicy tuna on crispy rice and baked crab hand rolls. Poquito Mas is solid mini-chain Mexican. We would not assert the bagels compare to New York, but a fine place to hold you over is New York Bagel and Deli on Wilshire in Santa Monica.

In Santa Barbara: Rincon Taqueria (115 E. Haley Street). Hole in the wall, but good tacos and reminds us of wedding planning.

In Paso Robles: Dinner at Artisan was great. Il Cortile was good but not great. Di Raimondo’s is an excellent cheese shop. While wine tasting outside town, we made an enjoyable stop at Pasolivo for free olive oil tasting. The cookies at Brown Butter Cookie Company were the bomb dot com.

In New York: Late night pastrami at Katz’s Deli. A superb brunch at momofuku ssäm bar…think fried duck and waffles with mascarpone and a raspberry compote.

In New England: Of course we hit the legendary White Hut in West Springfield, plus the new branch in the center of Longmeadow. Mike’s (actually now called Pool Street Market) for lobstah rolls in Biddeford is de rigeur. In addition to the standard trip to Cape Pier Chowder House, I had my first ice cream at Goose Rocks Dairy, and Jenni, Dev and I had a lovely afternoon brunching at Tia’s Topside followed by free beer tasting at the Kennebunkport Brewing Company. Jenni gives a nod to New London’s subs in Concord, where she ate her farewell Concord lunch.

Wine: Paso Robles is known for its Zin, but we actually came away with an adoration for the local Syrahs and Roses. Overall, we were very impressed with taste and value. We tasted at:

Chronic Cellars – Nice, fun wines made by the sons of the folks behind Peachy Canyon (which, by the way, sells a solid SUPER budget zin available in LA). We enjoyed the ’13 Kindly Swallows Rose, the ’12 Dead Nuts Zin blend, ’12 Suite Petite Syrah blend (sold out, sadly) and the Tranquilo late harvest Petite Syrah.
Kiamie Wine Cellars – We loved the ’08 Meritage and the R’Own Style Blend. You can find their wines at Enterprise Fish Co. in Santa Monica (the Vinocata ’08) and the Meritage at Grill 23 in Boston.
Halter Ranch – I don’t have specific notes on this one as we mostly chatted about foods we loved with the friendly lady pouring here.
Oso Libre – Loved the ’11 Carnal GSM. Otherwise we were pretty underwhelmed (especially with the whites).
Terry Hoage Vineyards – Jenni told them that their rose smelled like armpits, but not in a bad way. As you might surmise, our tasting ended here.

We also tasted at the downtown tasting rooms of:

Grizzly Republic
Burbank Ranch – Solid wines here. Loved the Syrah “Sunset” and ’13 Grenache “Picnic Meadow” Rose. Runner up rose was the ’13 Syrah “Friends” Rose. Overall, the roses in Paso were dry and superb! The ’13 Arneis “Little Rascal” white was a nice porch wine. ’12 Zin Estate “Fall Colors” and the Malbec were nice as well, and Jenni loved the ’11 Petit Verdot “Wood Pile.”

Other vineyards that were recommended to us, but that we couldn’t fit in were DAOU (supposedly great views), Starr Ranch, Tolo, Jack Creek, Kenneth Volk, J Dusi, Ecluse, Booker and the Treana & Hope Family. Downtown, we had tried to visit LXV, where the couple running it had a wine and Indian food pairing party (so sad we missed it!), and had also heard good things about Pianetta.

May 25 -July, 22 2014

Asia

Operation Asia: Done!

May 28, 2014 champagne&backpacks 3 Comments

Well folks, we are officially home (for a while) after a successful Phase Two of our world travels: six months in Asia! It was a crazy/exciting/breathtaking/adventure filled/at times scary/thrilling blur (as is somewhat evident from the approximately 500 photos I selected in the below slideshow as a “few” of my favorites).

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Let’s take a look at the stats:

Countries Visited: 15 (Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Nepal, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, China).

Continents Visited: Asia and a teeny tiny bit of Europe with our visit to Istanbul.

Time Away: 5 months 22 days (Dec 3 – May 25).

Number of Border Crossings: 20 (re-entered a few countries like Malaysia (4 times), Thailand (2 times), and Uzbekistan (2 times)).

Most Epic Border Crossing(s): All of them to/from Uzbekistan… I think Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan was a record 9 passports checks and about 2 hours, including an approximately 1 mile walk through the desert no-mans land. The worst, though, was Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan given the character of the border patrolmen. Highest, longest and most beautiful was Kyrgyzstan to China through the Torugart Pass at about 12,000 feet and something like 70km between the border and the final border check in China. Thankfully we didn’t have to walk this one. 😉

Number of Flights Taken: 31.

Helicopter Rides: 1 (From Namche Bazaar to Kathmandu).

Miles flown: 35,822.

Longest Amount of Time Spent in One Country: Had Jenni not gotten sick in Malaysian Borneo it would have been a tie between India and the Philippines at 25 nights, but as a result of having to cut down our visit to the Philippines and extend our stay in Malaysia, it ended up being Malaysia at a total of 32 nights.

Shortest Amount of Time Spent in One Country: Brunei (1 night).

Locations We Laid Our Weary Heads to Rest: 78. Is it clear now why we’re so sick of packing (and unpacking) our bags!?!

Number of Cities/Towns/Villages Stayed In: 63 (Hong Kong; Negombo, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Kandy, Adam’s Peak, and Mirissa, Sri Lanka; Kochi, Thuravoor, Munnar, Madurai, Mumbai, Agra, Delhi, and Varanasi, India; Railay, Koh Lipe, and Chiang Mai, Thailand; Langkawi, Penang, Kuching, Lemanak, Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu National Park, Tuaran, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Vientienne, Laos; Singapore; Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; Sabang, Port Barton, El Nido, and Coron, Philippines; Kathmandu, Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Dhole, Macchermo, Gokyo, Thangnag, Dzongla, Lobuche, Gorak Shep, and Pheriche, Nepal; Istanbul, Turkey; Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Aidarkul Yurt Village, and Samarkand, Uzbekistan; Darvaza and Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; Bishkek, Karakol, Bokonbayevo, Temir-Kanat, Kochkor, and Naryn, Kyrgyzstan; Kashgar, Xian, and Beijing, China).

Largest Country Visited: In Population: China. In Size: China.

Smallest Country Visited: In Population: Brunei. In Size: Singapore.

Richest Country Visited (Highest GDP Per Capita): Singapore.

Poorest Country Visited (Lowest GDP Per Capita): Nepal.

Countries With No McDonald’s Visited: 5 (Laos, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan).

Highest Elevation Reached: 18,200 feet (5,545 meters) at the summit of Kala Phatthar on our trek to Everest Base Camp.

Visas Obtained in Advance: 3 (China, India, and Uzbekistan).

Award for Country with Most Frustrating Visa Application Process: Uzbekistan. It also took the cake for worst border crossing experiences, so if you visit be prepared for loads o’ border shenanigans.

Award for Overall Most Frustrating Travel Experience: India. The ‘Stans probably take second place.

Number of Boat Rides Taken: 46.

Best Public Transportation System: Tough call, but we were very impressed by Hong Kong’s, Singapore’s and Beijing’s.

Cheapest Accommodation: BeeBee Guesthouse in Vang Vieng, Laos at $15 a night for the deluxe room.

Best Value Accommodation: White Beach in Port Barton, Philippines or Pitiusas in Koh Lipe, Thailand.

Best View from a Room: White Beach in Port Barton, Philippines.

Best View From a Room On a Budget: BeeBee Guesthouse in Vang Vieng, Laos.

Craziest Accommodation: Camping alongside a giant burning gas crater in the middle of the Turkmenistan desert.

Coolest In Theory, Not Actuality Accommodation: The Tubotel (hotel rooms built out of concrete pipes) in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Favorite Beach Location: White Beach, Port Barton, Philippines. Very Honorable Mention to Pitiusas in Koh Lipe, Thailand. We also loved Phra Nang Beach a short walk from our stay in Railay, Thailand.

Worst Accommodation: The shittiest hotel in Agra, India. This gem in Madurai, India was pretty impressively gross too. And the rats didn’t help the case of our spot in Sabang, Philippines.

Best Accommodation: While we often joke that our hotel – er – hospital in Borneo was fabulous with its bedside bell service, I think our one big splurge (post-hospital release) had to have been the best on this journey. Shangri-La Rasa Ria was a wonderful place to recuperate.

Most Relaxing Spot: Sleeping on a punted boat in the Kerala backwaters.

Times Jenni Faced Her Fears: *Note that we did not say “tackled” her fears or even “handled her fears well.”* Too many to count! Fear of heights faced on numerous occasions, perhaps most notably on the aerial tram in Langkawi, trekking in Nepal (especially the Hillary Bridge and crossing the Cho-La Pass), the treetop canopy walk we crossed in Borneo… The arachnophobia was brought to light in far too many hairy spider situations. Honorable mentions: tarantula like things on our Lao hill trek and the giant spiders in the outhouses at the Iban longhouse (and a special shout-out to Eric for protecting me from them!). Luckily she was spared from some of her more obscure fears like water slides and catching frisbees.

Scariest Experience: Toss up between Jenni contracting meningitis in Borneo and getting cursed out publicly by an angry anti-American Kyrgyz in the Osh airport.

Best Sunsets: The amazing beach sunsets at Rasa Ria, Borneo and Railay, Thailand. Of course our spot in Port Barton, Philippines. The illuminated skyline of Istanbul, Turkey is pretty tough to beat. A hilltop view of the big ball drop in Luang Prabang, Laos. Pretty consistent was Langkawi, Malaysia. El Nido, Philippines had some lovely island views to ogle at while the sky changed. And the relaxation couldn’t be topped while watching the sunsets in the backwaters of Kerala, India. Runners up include: Vang Vieng, Laos and Munnar, India.

Best Sunrises: Is it really possible to beat a sunrise that comes up from behind the world’s tallest peak? If any sunrise could come close to topping that one on the peak of Kala Patthar, Nepal, it was Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka, another mountain top reward. Varanasi, India proved to be some stiff competition as well.

Money Spent on Bottled Water: Lots.

Weirdest Teeth Brushing Companions: A pig, a duck, a puppy and a village boy in Lao hill country. But best views while brushing our teeth were definitely while trekking in Nepal (great teeth brushing view shots in here and here)!

Accidents: A few fender benders in India (unavoidable in the traffic), 1 (totally avoidable) fender bender in Kyrgyzstan, 1 flat tire on the road in Kyrgyzstan.

Number of times we got food poisoning: Trust me, you don’t want to know. Honorable mention to the time we were both sick in Kathmandu.

Average Rate of Showers Per Week: Let’s just say it’s not quite 7.

Number of Books Read: Alan: 18. Jenni: 26.

Number of Haircuts: Alan: 2. Jenni: 0.

Grossest Sighting: Probably a tie between an eagle eating a rabbit head in Kyrgyzstan and the toilets in China. (That is, if we’re throwing out all spider incidents.)

Items Lost: Narrowly avoided having our pocket knife confiscated by security in Laos (major props to the security guards who let us retrieve our checked baggage to save the knife); Alan lost and later retrieved his hat and gloves from a bus in China; and we lost our snack collection, a pair of iPhone headphones and Alan’s backpack got some holes in it by some hungry rats in our room in Sabang, Philippines. And we intentionally ditched a number of items deemed unnecessary along the way. So, all in all, we did much better on this leg of the trip!

Family Members Visited: 4. We visited Jenni’s aunt Gül and cousin Şans in Istanbul, and later Alan’s father Ron and his wife Linda met us in Central Asia.

Friends Visited (e.g. people we knew before the trip): 4. 1 friend (whom we met in the Galapagos Islands) now living in Hong Kong, 1 college friend of Jenni’s living in Delhi, India, and 1 college friend (who normally resides in Japan) and 1 former colleague of Alan’s while we were visiting Singapore.

Most Random Encounter: College friend of Alan’s in Kuching, Borneo.

Friends Made: Lots! We met people from all over the world. A few Americans, a handful of Canadians, some Aussies, lots of Brits, possibly even more Germans, even a couple that originally hail from Kazakhstan and Romania and now reside in Hong Kong and that we bumped into in the Philippines. Not to mention the many locals along the way!

Most Outlandish Character Met: Budong, our thirsty boatman at the Iban Longhouse. Our driver there, Paul, was pretty awesome too (ba-na-na-na!). Come to think of it, our driver (and world’s hippest grandpa) in Turkmenistan was also pretty cool. And who could forget the bong-smoking Lao man who randomly started following us on our Lao trek.

Place Where We Felt the Least Safe: Kyrgyzstan takes the cake, with Osh being the worst (angry anti-American ranter), and Bishkek the second.

Serious Injuries: 0.

Infectious Diseases Contracted: 1 (yuck, meningitis). Though it’s possibly 2 if we’re counting Alan’s mysterious armpit disease (lucky for our friends and family this has been cured).

Hospital Visits: Technically 2. A three night stay for Jenni’s bout of meningitis, and once to drop off a woman on the way down from the Himalayas.

World “Wonders” Visited (According to Wikipedia’s Wonders of the World): 5 (Taj Mahal, Great Wall, Mount Everest, Hagia Sophia, and Puerto Princesa Underground River).

Places Visited That Locals Called the “8th” Wonder of the World: More than 5.

Number of Times We Drove Ourselves: Once (in Langkawi)!

Mosquito Bites: Millions.

Craziest Party: Tubing in Vang Vieng. Honorable mention to our night at the Iban longhouse.

Favorite Night: Ooh-ha-ing with the Iban!!!

Favorite Day: Our first day at White Beach, celebrating with rum and cokes and the most perfect view.

Favorite New Songs Discovered: Cham Cham. Honorable mention to the Bollywood hit, Whistle Baja (actually discovered from an MTV type show playing while we were in Kathmandu). Also to Wind of Change by the Scorpions, which seemed to be a weirdly recurring theme throughout the trip, most notably when our guide in Turkmenistan told us it’s one of his favorites.

Biggest Surprise: Country: China (not saying it was our favorite country, but it most exceeded our expectations). City: Penang, Malaysia (super enjoyable experience in this city that we’d heard mixed reviews on, we wished we stayed longer).

Biggest Letdown: Country: Brunei (we may be biased since Jenni was suffering from what turned out to be meningitis during our visit, but… there’s not all that much to do there. And this feeling despite that we had two royal sightings whilst visiting). City: Langkawi (I mean, it’s cool, but definitely an underwhelming beach destination when you’re coming from the Thai Islands!).

Memorable Dishes/Meals: The thali plate in Madurai, India, everything on the boat in the Kerala backwaters, and paratha EVERYWHERE in India!!! (but a special mention of the mint paratha we tried in Mumbai), the string hoppers for breakfast in Mirissa, Sri Lanka, all things street food in Chiang Mai, Thailand (street sushi, cold noodles, fried chicken and of course mango with sticky rice sticking out the most), pancakes in Railay, Thailand, everything in Istanbul (but highlights included a home cooked meal at Jenni’s aunt’s home and the iskender at Kebapçı İskender), and of course the time we found saltines in the Philippines. The food scene in Penang, Malaysia deserves a shout out as well.

Strangest Foods Consumed: Clearly Alan is the more adventurous eater because he tried: chicken feet and chicken ass in Borneo, balut (a hard boiled fertilized duck egg… in other words: duck fetus) in the Philippines, buffalo blood in Laos, and horse meat in Uzbekistan. We both (and Ron!) tried camel’s milk in Turkmenistan. And Jenni got guilted into eating buffalo skin in Laos.

Country With Overall Best Eats: India, with Turkey a very close second.

Most Beautiful Spot: The islands and lagoons in Coron, Philippines.

Best Holiday Experience: Christmas in Munnar, India.

Worst Holiday Experience: New Years in Agra, India.

Favorite Word Discovered: Neekodee (means “whatever” in the Iban dialect).

Things Most Missed While Away: Toilets with a flushing mechanism, seat and/or toilet paper; paved roads; our electric toothbrushes (and brushing with tap water!); iced coffee; Mexican food; buffalo wings (with blue cheese, obvi); Maine lobstah; bagels; free bread baskets; a general respect for traffic laws; good internet; not having to pay for public restrooms (that have no flushing mechanism, seat and/or toilet paper); and of course friends and family!

Weird Habits Acquired: Carrying toilet paper with me everywhere in constant fear of lack of access to adequate facilities.

Coolest Animal Sighting: There were so many, it’s really hard to pick a favorite… Highlights include: the proboscis monkeys and the pit viper snake at Bako National Park in Borneo, the orangutans in Borneo, the monitor lizards and the water snake spotted in an underwater cave in Sabang, Philippines, the animal markets in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan and Kashgar, China, the child on a donkey and the man on a horse with a puppy in a satchel at Djety Oguz in Kyrgyzstan, the puppies and monkeys (and feeding elephants!) in Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle, mountain goats and marmots while hiking in Kyrgyzstan, the rabbit-hunting eagle in Kyrgyzstan, the sweater-wearing goats and other animals keeping warm in the ashes in Varanasi, India (and the cavial at the local zoo!), the kingfishers and lizards in the Kerala backwaters, the monkey pool in Kathmandu, the yaks and the tahrs and crazy birds in the Himalayas, the mudskippers (and the cat cafe!) in Penang, Malaysia.

Best Snorkeling: The house reef at Balinsasayaw Resort in Coron, Philippines.

Neatest Spot Discovered on a Stranger’s Recommendation: Shipton’s Arch, outside of Kashgar, China. And we didn’t end up going, but the overwater cabins in Khao Sok National Park, Thailand sound awesome, and it’s now on our list.

Stray Dogs Jenni Pet: Countless.

Place More Developed Than Expected: Borneo (and this was much appreciated when we discovered that the development extended to their first rate hospitals. Shout out to KPJ Medical and the awesome staff that treated Jenni!).

Place Less Developed Than Expected: Philippines.

Country Most Run Like A Business: Singapore.

Country Least Run Like A Business: Uzbekistan.

Countries Visited Where Jenni Got Shamed For Her Lack of Knowledge of the Turkish Language: 5 (Turkey (obvi), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and even China!).

Times We Regretted Quitting Our Jobs to See the World: A big. fat. zero.

Update re Jenni & Alan see the world: We recently booked our departure tickets for the last leg of our journey: Europe and Africa! We depart LA for Dublin, Ireland on July 22. Our tentative plan is to visit Ireland, England and Scotland for late July and August. We will be in Amsterdam August 30-September 2. From there we meet up with Kenny and fly to Italy, where we will explore Rome and the wine and food country for a couple weeks before the two of us head to Cassis, France for Ms. Pickett’s wedding! With a brief TBD spot for our second anniversary on the way, we’ll make our way up to Munich where we’re meeting a friend for Oktoberfest (woot! woot!). We’ll check out Berlin for a few days as well, then we have a week or so up in the air. Thinking maybe Prague? Budapest? In October we’ll head to Africa, where our plan is to do some combination of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, potentially also Kenya. If you have any thoughts or advice, please come with it!

In the meantime, we’ve been busy catching up with friends in Cali, visiting family on the East Coast, attending a couple weddings in California, and eating lots of our old favorite foods. We’ll be hopping around the US until late July, including making a brief stop to check out Paso Robles for the first time (so get at us with any vineyard recs!). We’ll give you a brief update on all things America before we head out for our third and “final” phase! Thanks for reading, friends.

Asia, Beijing, China

We Have Reached Our Final (Asian) Destination

May 25, 2014 champagne&backpacks 1 Comment

This is it! The last stop of many on our six-month tour of Asia. We arrived in style, taking the high-speed train from Xian. Thing is fast, people! And we stayed in the ritzy part of town, (sort of by accident) surrounded by stores selling Ferraris, Aston Martins, Gucci and Rolex. This was one of the best value hotels we stayed at during our whole trip, maybe the best in my opinion. For around $110 a night we had a great location, classy lobby, super helpful staff, really nice room, uber comfy bed…My only complaint was the WiFi wasn’t very strong, but we’d highly recommend this hotel. It was a great way to round out the trip.

::train selfie!::

::that’s fast::

Another perk of the Park Plaza hotel is its proximity to the Donghuamen Night Market. This crazy night market is lined with stalls selling a mix of delicious and creepy items: everything from skewers of meat and seafood, dumplings, noodles and caramelized sugar covered fruit, to (for the more adventurous eaters) starfish, sea horse, sea urchins, lamb kidneys, sheep balls, worms, snakes, scorpions, even spiders.

::seahorses, crickets and snakes oh my!::

::why yes, those are testie skewers::

::scorpions eeks!::

::too many creepy crawlies::

::on the bright side, these were delicious::

And among these crazy foods, Alan also found a Chinese Giants fan. So, it was definitely a success.

::go big blue::

It feels fitting that we could wrap up the trip with one of the most bucket list-y, iconic tourist experiences there is: The Great Stairmaster. More commonly known as the Great Wall. Or the umpteenth “eighth” wonder of the world. 😉 We visited Jinshanling, where the walk along the wall is a bit more of a hike than other spots (so I’m told). We picked this area because it’s supposed to feel a bit more remote, a little less touristy, and give you more of a feel for the natural beauty of the area.

::we made it to the Great Wall!::

::see me peeking out there?!::

If I’m being totally honest, it still kind of is just a wall, but I think going in with the expectation of it having been too hyped sort of prepared me and made it less underwhelming in actuality. We did really enjoy our walk here. The scenery is quite beautiful, and the wall, though in a state of disrepair in certain areas, is a pretty remarkable architectural feat, snaking along the crests and valleys of these lush and rolling hills.

I’ve got to say, we underestimated that wall. I mean, it’s a wall, how hard can it be? But that thing is pretty steep! We definitely got a workout traversing it.

After our Great Wall excursion we got dropped off in perhaps the most well-known hutong area and set off to explore. This part of town is filled with tight alleyways bustling with activity and tons of quaint shops and restaurants. It was so crowded, in fact, that I got run over by a bicyclist. Oops.

We had a fantastic Italian dinner here at a tiny restaurant called Mercante. The chef was from Emilia-Romagna and he hooked us up with some solid Sicilian pecorino and walk-in seats in this cozy and packed little restaurant. Afterwards we walked a short way to the Houhai Lake area. We adored this part of town. It’s waterside and absolutely bumping with bars and live music. We stopped into one (we may or may not have picked it because it had a puppy! Eeee!) with a wonderful singer cooing some American classics alongside an acoustic guitar.

::sheer joy::

Another day we braved the heat to check out the Forbidden City. We were blown away by how big it is, and also very taken by the traditional pagoda style palaces.

We opted for no guide, and were honestly so overloaded on history that we probably didn’t do as in-depth an exploration of this as many tourists would, but it’s easy to appreciate in a 50,000 feet above way with a quick walk through. To be sure there are countless tour options for those more interested in the history. Beware though, there are what feels like millions of tourists out exploring this city. And you sort of have to fight your way through massive groups of Chinese tour buses to get a peek at times.

What was most certainly not worth braving the heat for was Tiananmen Square. We hereby give you permission to skip this tourist “must-see” on your visit to Beijing. We’re not trying to short-change the historical importance of this square, but as something to physically see while on vacation, well…it’s just a square. So, we did what any self respecting tourists would do in this situation: we took a selfie and left.

::Tiananmen selfie::

I literally took a picture of these decorative shrubs in a phallic shape just to make our pictures of Tiananmen a little more exciting.

::the most exciting part of Tiananmen Square::

We loved Beijing even more than we thought we would. It’s super easy to get around (despite the language barrier, the metro is astoundingly easy to figure out…this coming from someone severely lacking in directional skills). And we kept finding that this mastery of common sense pervades the culture. Things were just so sensible and helpful. For instance, while over the top and often off the mark (as covered in all of our China posts), the Chinese are big on signage. (Side note: we think part of why China has so many signs is because it modernizes at a centrally planned pace and not in steps or organically. So people are sometimes placed in modernized situations they are not prepared for, and have signage to guide them. Thoughts?) But they have some really brilliant ideas when it comes to this. For instance, if your Do Not Disturb light is on in your hotel room when the housekeeping staff comes by, they leave a card under your door telling you to call if you’d like them to come back. And the hotels provide you with little business cards that say in English and Mandarin “Please take me to…” with a list of popular tourist destinations. It also lists “Please take me back to…” with the name of the hotel. Brilliant, and so simple!

Other strange observations on China…the hotels have a 13^th floor, but no 4^th or 14^th! People often sit in the front seat of cabs, in lieu of taking the back, or splitting the group up with one up front and one in back. If you’re a female, be prepared to be addressed solely as “lady.”

To celebrate a vacation of epic proportions we splurged on a special dinner, and an acrobat show. The duck at renowned Da Dong was legit. It’s all in the skin. I don’t know what they do to get it this way, but the skin is supremely crispy and thin and it’s as if it melts in your mouth. It’s served with crepes and various accouterments like onion, sugar, and garlic. A solid meal indeed. The acrobatics show was really fun. Parts of the act were weirdly sloppy in a way that made me wonder if they were intentionally not dancing in sync or screwing up on minor acrobatic moves so as to increase the fear factor when they did the really dangerous ones. The grand finale involved a guy driving a motorcycle inside of a giant metal spherical cage. And then another motorcyclist joined him. And another…And another. After the fifth I was cringing and covering my eyes. I leaned over to Alan and whispered, “This has to stop.”That’s when they put three more in! Thank goodness nobody died on stage. Sorry, no pictures. The last thing I wanted to do was risk even further injury by distracting anyone with a camera flash.

::their menu is more of a storybook::

::love the duck chopstick holders!::

::yum::

::prepping the ducks::

Before heading out to the airport our final night we ordered room service and reminisced about all our adventures. Well, in reality Alan watched Sly Stallone’s classic Cobra, and I bounced around in out of control excitement for our arrival in America the next day!

::America or bust!!!::

We are so thrilled to be back in America for a little bit! The only thing better than traveling the world is coming home to the friends and family you missed so dearly. But I’m not going to lie, there was a little jet lag to get through! (I’m embarrassed to share this picture from our taxi ride out of LAX, but Alan thought the world deserved to see just how dedicated this blogger can be).

Practical Info

Transportation: We arrived on a day-time high speed train from Xian. See our Xian post for details. From Beijing West train station, we took an unofficial taxi for 90 CNY to the Park Plaza. You could take the subway, or an official taxi would have cost much less had we known and been patient.

The subway system is great for getting around the city. It works well and is easy to understand with English on the maps and machines. A ride costs 2 CNY. You can walk a bit, but there’s some of that Vegas thing where big blocks take a long time to cover.

We departed on a flight to the US!!! Our hotel provided a car for 180 CNY, it took a little over half an hour at 8:30 am on a Sunday. The airport is quite nice, though you cannot bring water through the initial security and then as you board the plane they take any beverages you purchased inside the terminal. This seemed undisclosed and sub-optimal as we spent our remaining yuan on waters and Sprite.

Accommodation: We stayed at the Park Plaza Wangfujing, and we highly recommend it (at ~$110/night). It is billed as a very nice and far cheaper alternative to its neighboring 5-star properties, and we agree. The service was great, our room reasonably spacious and nicely appointed, and the location is very good. It is within spitting distance of the Peninsula and the Waldorf, and next door to the Ferrari and Aston Martin dealerships. So you’re not in the hood. Our only complaint is the WiFi was sub-par. But this hotel is so much nicer than almost everywhere else we’ve stayed, that we are willing to tolerate this flaw.

We had wanted to book a room at Beijing Downtown Backpackers (in large part for its location) but there were no privates available. It is located on Nan Luo Go Xiang, in the heart of the active and charming hutong district and very close to Houhai Lake. This is a better location in terms of character and nightlife. After nearly six months on the road, we were very happy to retire to our cocoon of moderate luxury at the Park Plaza. The subway system is so good that moving between these neighborhoods was a piece of cake. Another place we considered is Courtyard 7. Opposite House is said to be nice and hip.

Food and Drinks: There is tons of it. Our first night we visited the Donghuamen night market. The set up is very orderly, with a line of stalls on one side of the street for a few hundred yards. Options include lots of protein skewers and noodles etc., plus sheep balls, snake, scorpions, spiders, worms, starfish, sea horse, sea urchin, lamb kidney, etc. There are a couple informal carts in the area selling beers.

Beijing is famous for its Peking duck. The debate rages on over whose is the best. We tried one contender’s version over dinner at Da Dong (multiple branches, we went to the one in the mall across from the Park Plaza). The chef/owner’s claim to fame is that he makes crispy-skinned duck that is less fatty, and I support his claim. The skin melts in your mouth, and is all the more delicious when coated with a little sugar. It is a fancy place and on the pricy side, but worth it. The service was so-so, and my biggest complaint is that the drink pours were laughable. I don’t think I even got 30ml of scotch. Our tab was a little under 700 CNY, including two drinks.

Mercante is a charming slice of Italy in an old hutong alleyway. The owner hails from Emilia-Romagna and happily explained in detail the intricacies of the menu and nuances of a pecorino from Sicily vs. Tuscany. Our meal cost 698 CNY, including a bottle of dolcetto that accounted for more than half the total.

Lei Garden offers very tasty dim sum. But we had to diminish our rating substantially during the second half of the meal. They ran out of our favorite dish (steamed BBQ pork dumpling with oyster sauce), and then told us there is a charge if you do not order tea, and the little waters are way overpriced. I’ve known worse offenses, but we ended up paying $13 for two small bottles of non-special brand water and the tea charge, which was more than two orders of dumplings (3 per order) costs.

Consistent with our style on this trip, we did not really explore the nightlife. One night we had a drink at Moodle by Houhai Lake, where we enjoyed a guitar/singer duo, an adorable puppy, and of course badminton on the tube. The lake is lined with bars and restaurants and was quite an impressive scene. I am told the rowdier nightlife takes place in Sanlitun.

Activities: One day we visited the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The former costs 60 CNY each and is enormous. We were not with a guide and we spent minimal time learning about the history as we just couldn’t take any more after Central Asia. But the place is well-organized and well-marked. There are some beautiful buildings and we enjoyed the Imperial Garden. Certain ticket lines accept credit cards. Note that they have instituted a south to north traffic flow rule, so you can only enter and exit at certain gates.

We hereby offer moral support should you choose to skip Tiananmen Square. We figured it would be a check-the-box experience that you feel obligated to see but won’t love. It is really OK to skip it. We should have visited Jingshan and Beihai Parks, instead.

The Chinese acrobat show at Chaoyang Theater was slightly error-laden but highly entertaining. We bought tickets through our hotel and paid 280 CNY per ticket instead of 380 CNY for VIP. Our seats on Level 1, Row 16 (#8&10) were great and paying more would have been a waste.

The Temple of Heaven is a popular attraction, but by our last day we were so templed out and it was gray and rainy. The Summer Palace is on the outskirts of the city, and is also very popular.

There are lots of options for visiting the Great Wall, in terms of location, exertion level, private or public, etc. We opted for the Jinshanling to Simatai hike via the activities arm of Beijing Downtown Backpackers (cost 280 CNY each): http://www.backpackingchina.com. Our group numbered perhaps 25, so we took a bus, which made the drive 3-3.5 hours each way. I think in a private car it takes 2-2.5 hours. The scenery is pretty and the hike is fairly challenging, with a lot of up and down and some very steep, narrow stairs. It is more of a transport and chaperone concept than a guided tour. The info conveyed was simply that this section of the wall was built about 500 years ago by the Ming Dynasty.

I had read that the most touristy section of the wall near Beijing is Badaling, so that was out. We also considered Mutianyu and Jiankou. In addition to day trips from Beijing, you can visit the wall on a day trip from other places or do a multi-day hiking/camping trip.

May 21-25, 2014 (Wednesday-Sunday)

Asia, China, Xian

Xian

May 21, 2014 champagne&backpacks 4 Comments

Before I get into the Terra Cotta Warriors, let me briefly address a different kind of warrior: she who braves the Chinese public toilet. I swear, every single time I emerged from a public restroom in China, I had a new story to share. It’s amazing. From a little game of what’s behind Door #1, #2 and #3 (spoiler alert: it’s shit. the answer is shit. behind all of them), to extremely loud and unabashed grunters, to the fact that in many restrooms more women leave the stall door open than those who actually close the door…It’s fascinating really, the etiquette of the Chinese bathroom. And this despite all that Chinese signage. For example:

::affixed to many a Chinese urinal::

And, just for good measure, here are a few more entertaining examples of the excessive and often strange Chinese signage:

Now that I’ve sufficiently alienated half of you, let’s get to the good stuff. Xian is of course famous for its Terra Cotta Warriors, so we made the drive out to see these bad boys in person.

The meticulously detailed clay soldiers were built way back in the 3rd century BC, and sat underground until they were discovered in the mid-1970s by some local peasants. Imagine digging those up in your backyard, huh? In fact, the “first” guy to have found them is still living out his fifteen minutes (or forty years, whatever) of fame and signing autographs on sight.

These several thousand (larger than) life size soldiers were built by a whopping 700,000 workers under the direction of the then Emperor Qin Shi Huang to be buried with him as protection in the afterlife. Thankfully this decision was chosen in lieu of his first idea to just bury thousands of real live soldiers with him. Nearby is a large mound believed to cover the Emperor’s mausoleum, though it has not yet been excavated.

The soldiers are lined up in pits, with different areas for different military functions. Within the pits are corridors that helped to support a ceiling under which they were eventually buried. Nowadays there are large hangar-like buildings built above the pits to protect them from the elements. Within the corridors the warriors are lined up, mostly facing the same direction, save for the three rows on each edge that face outwards. Apparently, as in real life, these front-row soldiers had no armor. They were prisoners, told that they must fight sans apparati, and if they somehow were able to survive then they would have gained freedom.

All of the statues were destroyed and looted (many of the soldiers once held nice bronze weaponry) by Xiang Yu in an act of revenge not so long after the Emperor’s death, and so the scene you view today is that of the warriors that have already been reconstructed from the leftover fragments. Archeologists are still working to restore these, and you can see the entire process while meandering through the pits: archeologists digging for buried bits…rows of mixed up, mashed up body parts…soldiers pieced together but not yet completed…and, of course, the final product.

The detail is extraordinary, and they have displayed a few of the better-preserved warriors for up-close viewing. Each soldier is different, from facial expressions, to their hand positions, to their hairstyles. Many have curled hands now empty as their weapons were stolen. The differing clothes, shoes, and even waist sizes help you determine their rank.

Originally these were all painted colorfully, but the colors faded quickly once they met oxygen after all these years. Luckily, there were photos on display of what some of these colors looked like upon excavation.

In a slightly more miniature form, there are some unearthed horses and chariots made of bronze. Impressive. Also splendid is the Chinese claim that they were using chrome plating 2,200 years ago, while Germans and Americans only discovered this method in 1937 and 1950, respectively.

But the warriors aren’t all Xian has to offer, and we really enjoyed our time within the city walls, and on them. The old city is walled in, and the wall is so large (and wide) that you can rent bikes and literally ride atop them. All nine miles around. This was so much fun, and a wonderfully easy way to get some spectacular vantage points of the city itself. Please also note that we are the only people wearing helmets. We’re risk-takers enough to quit our jobs to travel the world, keep going after contracting a potentially fatal disease, and visit countries nobody’s heard of, but it’s all about calculated risk-taking folks. Helmets save lives 😉

In the center of town we visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which has been standing a colossal 1300 years.

Within it are several ornately decorated rooms, including this particularly impressive one full of murals made entirely of carved jade.

We grabbed lunch at the Tangdi Boutique Hotel and our kung pao chicken and pork with potato noodles were absolutely scrumptious! We got to sample some ridiculously expensive tea. It was tasty, though I doubt I will ever know enough about tea to know when it’s worth a fistful of Benjamins. But the Chinese know their chai. I found it fascinating, too, that lots of locals walk around China with Nalgene bottles, but unlike in America, they are not filled with water but rather loaded up with tea. They even have strainers in them to keep the tealeaves separate.

Last but not least we visited the Muslim quarter, which felt a bit like going home after our three-week stint in Central Asia, with its usual assortment of dried fruits and nuts and goats’ feet. But it was all very rich with Chinese flavor; hence the area had far more neon than any other Muslim quarter we’ve seen. There was also a surfeit of souvenirs and knick-knacks.

A funny observation about Mandarin, or maybe this is just a cultural difference in how people address each other, but I can’t count the number of times we heard people talking, and turned around to see what all the fuss was about because it sounded like they were yelling or fighting with each other, but then… they’re just talking. They are so animated!

Practical Info

Xian anchored the eastern end of the famous Silk Road and served as China’s capital for several dynasties. Today it is a mid-sized city with a mere eight million residents. In addition to tourism, I believe there is a bit of high tech and aerospace industry, plus some universities. We liked the vibe here.

Transportation: We arrived on a China Southern flight from Kashgar via Urumqi. I purchased two separate one-way flights (i.e. to Urumqi and then to Xian) on Ctrip’s English site and saved $500+ vs. the cheapest tickets I saw on several other websites over the course of several weeks. This meant we had to collect our luggage in Urumqi, but it could not have been a simpler nor smoother process. Because both legs were on China Southern, we simply had to move our bags about 15 feet from the baggage claim to the China Southern transfer desk, check in again and then go through a special security line. Which was not the only airport security in China where they put the metal detector wand to our bare feet.

Our hostel picked us up in a comfortable, private car for 150 CNY from the Xian airport to Han Tang Inn. The ride took about 45 minutes, starting at 8 pm. I think there is an airport shuttle bus to the middle of the city, which is probably a lot cheaper.

We had a private car to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and other city sights. I’m pretty sure you could take public transportation.

We departed on a day-time high speed train to Beijing. A popular option is to take the sleeper, which is actually cheaper and saves you a night of accommodation. But we thought it’d be nice to see more of the country and get a better night of sleep. From our hostel we took the metro to Xian North train station (at Bei Ke Zhan). It was painless, and the tickets cost 3 CNY each. There is a machine in the metro station with an English language option. It took us about 45 minutes door to door. I think the sleeper trains leave from Xian central station, which would be more convenient.

I bought our high speed train tickets on the Travel China Guide website. I read that some trains fill up and thus wanted to buy tickets in advance. This is not so easy without a Chinese ID. Various agencies sell train tickets to foreigners for an additional fee. There is also no such thing as an e-ticket. So we paid $83/ticket plus $10/ticket service fee and $8 total for delivery. Then I couldn’t figure out an option for payment other than PayPal, which took the $194 total to $201. I also had to upload passport photos/copies to the website. It was neither easy nor cheap, but the tickets were delivered on time to our hostel. We had second class seats, which reclined and were fairly spacious with lots of legroom. I don’t recall having a choice, but our train car configuration was three seats on one side and two on the other. So if you are traveling as a twosome, you’d rather have the two side, which was seats D&F. The train departed Xian on time and arrived at Beijing West station exactly 4.5 hours later, at 5:45 pm.

A popular resource for train travel is http://www.seat61.com.

Accommodation: We stayed at Han Tang Inn, a hostel inside the old city walls. The location is great, and the staff speak English well and are helpful. Our en suite, private double was small and the shower was of your typical non-enclosed variety, but the AC worked well and the bed was pretty comfy. WiFi is good in the lobby and so-so in the room. Meals here were OK but not great, and breakfast is not included. We had also considered staying at the Citadines Apartment Hotel.

Food: Lunch at Tangdi Boutique Hotel next to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was very good. The space is lovely and we enjoyed both entrees (45 CNY each). Breakfast at Hantang House was also very good. It cost 87 CNY for two large muffins and two iced coffee drinks. There are tons of options, including endless street food around our hostel and especially throughout the Muslim Quarter. We were excited to be back in the land of Starbucks, just note you may need a local mobile number to get a WiFi code.

Activities: Our full day tour was organized through Cycle China. We visited the Terra Cotta Warriors in the morning, followed by the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, cycling on the old city walls and then a tour of the Muslim Quarter. We chose this outfit, in part, because it was one of the only operators we found offering a one-day tour that included both the Terra Cotta Warriors and city highlights. It was quite expensive, but we were very pleased. We had a private vehicle, a great guide, and the pace allowed us to see lots of things without feeling rushed.

The drive from our hostel to the Terra Cotta Warriors took about an hour. We arrived around 9 am, when I think the sight opens. You are strongly advised to arrive early as the crowds increased massively during the two hours we were there (which we felt was a perfect amount of time).

Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a nice complex with various rooms housing jade or wood carvings etc. We opted not to enter the pagoda itself and climb to the top, which I think costs 30 CNY extra. There are water and light shows here.

Cycling the city walls was included in our tour, but you could very easily do it on your own. There are bike rental shops (mountain bikes since you’re riding on worn and uneven brick) atop the walls at each of the four (directional) gates. 120 minutes costs 45 CNY for a single or 90 CNY for a tandem, and helmets are included. It took us 1 hour 10 minutes to complete the nine mile square. Just about everyone goes in a clockwise direction.

The Muslim quarter has your typical narrow alleys and usual assortment of dried fruits and nuts plus souvenir knick knacks but all with a Chinese flavor, so the food includes items like goats’ feet and there is more neon than I’ve ever seen in a Muslim quarter.

A highly recommended attraction that we skipped is the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi. Some also visit the Bell Tower and/or Drum Tower.

May 19-21, 2014 (Monday-Wednesday)