From White Sands to Saguaro

I'll be honest, whenever the word Roswell comes to my mind, I directly connect it to aliens and UFOs, so I was expecting a whole lot more alien related places and decor all around. The street lights are adorned with cute alien eyes and McDonald's went all the way architecture wise with its spaceship structure. But I guess that I was hopeful that the whole place lived up to perpetuate the buzz around the 1947 'incident'.Sometimes things don't live up to your expectations, and I generally tend to underestimate them so I don't get disappointed. And after my disenchantment with Roswell, White Sands National Monument was wonderful and so much more than I could have ever imagined!Surrounded by mountains that peek from afar rise the fairest dunes. And where the soil is plane, the minerals of which it is composed of, with the casual help of some water pools, reflect all that is possible to see like if it was a flawless mirror.After some hanging around the desert, we went towards Tucson, Arizona. We arrived at sunset and we couldn't have chosen any better time. No wonder most of the car plates have purple mountains and cactuses with a sunset behind them. That purple is really there. We went to Saguaro National Park to watch the sun slowly hide behind those mountains and though there were some clouds in the sky, I can tell you that it was one of the most amazing things I've seen in my life. I was so sad that our photos taken with a phone could't even capture half of the mystic and all the vibrant colours graciously moving towards dusk.The day after we explored Saguaro National Park further more. All those huge cactuses that already made part of my imaginary turned real and there are thousands of them, everywhere, with their arms twirling around their bodies and rising up to the sky.We wanted to end our day in Salvation Mountain, in Southern California, so we decided to cross the border to Mexico. To do that we passed by the Sonoran Desert National Monument and through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, which are really worth exploring.

After crossing the border easily to Sonoyta, Mexico, we started our 2 hour drive up to San Luis Rio Colorado. In the middle of the way we got a flat tire, the road was super hot and I was a tiny bit scared. There was desert all around us and we hadn't seen any gas station or business since we left Sonoyta. The weirdest thing was that on the week before I was talking to Luis about how to change a tire. We couldn't have been faster but this huge truck stopped (this is where I thought about all the ways I had to defend myself). Against all the horror movie scenes going through my mind that included an alone couple/woman in the middle of a deserted road, the guy was actually super nice. He took our flat tire to check if it was possible to fix it right there and as we were talking to him, a police car stopped as well. My hyperactive imagination resumed the thoughts I was having before, only this time with nasty cops. Ultimately, they only wanted to check if everything was ok and they were actually really nice.

In some parts of the way it was possible to see a wall dividing both countries which made me think about how difficult it must be for Mexican illegal immigrants to engage in such an adverse path. It took us some time to cross back to the US again, as there were tons of cars doing just the same. As always in this trip, everything went smoothly and after a tiny bit we drove from Arizona to California.<3

Cosmic Texas

In south USA, right above the Mexican border, with only the infamous Rio Grande separating both countries, there's Del Rio. A sounding name for those fond of western movies. My reference was "No Country for Old Men" by Joel and Ethan Cohen. Del Rio has received us in a random motel at night time. As always we spotted countless deers and a badger crossing our path in the arid landscape, which will never get old for me, as I love animals. The first thing we spotted in the morning was the beautiful railroad bridge, surrounded by a desolate landscape, contrasting with Lake Amistad pale blue waters. We drove around the lake, finding lovely and quiet spots to just sit and breath in all the lovely nature that moved all around us.We had to stop at the Marfa Lights Viewing Area. Though they have reportedly been seen mostly at dusk and when the sky gets darker, we just wanted to take a look. After being in the USA for several days at this point we can understand now how so many people report sightings of weird things in the sky and different other phenomenon. In Miami we were in a street where there was heavy rain in one side and the other was perfectly sunny. We saw weird little tornados, heavenly sunbeams and even a waterspout! So, it actually looks like the perfect place for something "otherworldly" to happen.This part of the U.S. Route 90 is filled with adorable communities. One of them is Marathon, with its very peculiar houses, it is known for its super dark night skies, which make it possible to see clearly all the marvellous stars up above.  The views in this area are amazing. You have huge open and endless fields. That is something that I guess I only felt in some parts of Spain. The awareness that you can walk endlessly in any direction, having the broadest sight range ever is absolutely overwhelming.In Marfa, we visited the Chinati Foundation, a beautiful example of how a small city was put on the map by artists and art lovers. And we also went to El Cosmico, a cool shamanic trailer park hotel. Nearby there's a shop just by the main street where you can find bewitching minerals. Some of them coming from mines nearby.As anyone who knows a bit of art and fashion, I've always been intrigued by "Prada Marfa" installation by artists  Elmgreen and Dragset, it is actually located in Valentine. Built in 2005, this structure has been vandalised two times and it is a showstopper for anyone who's been driving around. While we were taking some photographs these three cowboys stopped their pickup on the shoulder and went to contemplate the windows of this fake shop. I wonder if they were trying to find the perfect handbag for their old lady!Though this time we were more driven by nature and we went to visit smaller places, I hope next time we'll get to check out the big Texas cities. I can assure you that crossing Texas from East to West is absolutely worth it. The landscapes are endlessly amazing!Next Stop: New Mexico <3

Floridada

In Portugal we've always consumed a lot of culture coming from USA. So we have various preconceptions of what to expect from the country and its people. I have to say that it was sooo much better than what I expected! I've had the most amazing time in the US and I want to show you how good it was and how welcome I felt!We arrived in Miami, Florida, and it was a great beginning for our journey. Our plan was to drive from Florida to California in 17 days. It actually felt more like a year! Miami is bubbling with art and design and it's so much more than what I expected. Our hotel was near Ocean Drive, with all the beautiful art deco buildings, so we walked along the beach and amidst the beautiful neighbourhoods in South Beach. There we stayed at Freehand Hotel and we loved its vibe, though we had to take a look at The Miami Beach EDITION, which is super cool, so we went there in the morning and we wanted to see its amazing bowling room and ice skate ring. Though they were closed at that time of the day, we met the nicest cleaning ladies to whom we spoke in Spanish and they let us check it all for ourselves!We went to Enriqueta's Sandwish Shop to have the best Cubano Sandwich in Miami and sashayed through the Wynwood District's street art scene, which is overflowing with cool graffitis and art galleries. Nearby you can find really curious shops that sell accessories, like huge necklaces full of rhinestones and clothes with vibrant prints and colours.While coming back, as we hopped on the bus we didn't have any quarters to put on the machine to buy the tickets, and a very nice old man, who actually looked quite poor wearing ragged clothes and holding tight to his rucksack, gave us a spare ticket and some money. He actually looked like he was living on the streets and he did it just to be nice. We felt so blessed by his goodness! <3After Miami we drove towards Tampa, making a pause in the "Shell Factory", near Fort Myers, which is a shop known for being the biggest shell shop in the world (or at least in the US 😛).We stopped in Sarasota, where we visited Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and we had a delicious Amish potato salad that we bought in a very cute market in the curious Amish community of Pinecraft. Going forward, I would definitely suggest the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (I-275) to cross to St. Petersburg. When crossing it, it is possible to see the cutest little islands dominated by vegetation. We took some time to stroll around Ybor City, which is a historical district that once contained plenty of cigar manufactures with workers coming mostly from Cuba, Spain and Italy.The next day we rambled around the Suwannee River, and the swamps  near Salem. With our rental SUV we drove across those quiet lands,  feeling the blissful peace that lies in places unexplored. The swamps and its flora, so characteristic from this area make it all so whimsical and otherworldly, with the Spanish moss floating in the warm breeze.Our quest for alligators and knowing that they're all around this part of the US made us cautious but also super alert, always trying to find them. This way we learnt to be attentive and on the lookout for all kinds of animals during this trip. This time we saw no alligator but a huge black snake crossed our path and it was fascinating to see it rise from the ground like it was dancing to a charmer's pungi music.  Before Alabama we still got to visit St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, which is so calm and full of birds and has beautiful views over the Apalachee Bay.To conclude this post I have to say that I'm sooooo in love with swamps and the exotic vegetation I found. Next state: Alabama. Stay tuned. <3         

No Vampires in Transylvania

Usually my boyfriend's mom organizes an annual trip to get her three sons and their girlfriends/wives together. Oh, and there's also grandchildren that she can't live without! So this year we decided to go to Romania, more precisely to Transylvania. It's getting really hard to choose a place where none of us had ever been!Half of us arrived in Bucharest really early in the morning so we decided to meet in the center of the city for breakfast. We drove around to get to know the city and it is a real beauty: decadent and charming. After a very complete meal we went to Brașov, where we had a birthday lunch for Paulo, my brother-in-law, at La Ceaun. There we ate the most amazing romanian slowly cooked dishes and if you like polenta, you'll love theirs. It's a place for family and friends and the decor is really sweet!We traveled the whole afternoon and bought some groceries for later. The place we stayed at is very secluded and so incredible. We booked it through Airbnb and it's called Cabana Sapte. It was so incredibly cozy and in touch with nature, the huge window in the living room and the sheepskin all around made it just perfect!It was quiet rainy on the following day, so we drove around the hills and had lunch at this very quirky place, which we found by chance, called Albota Turistic Complex. It is actually a trout farm, so none of the things on the menu are very good besides the fried trout, which is indeed super tasty. The place was really peculiar, with places for foot treatment on the trout tanks and some other activities like fishing, which I figure mustn't be that hard, given the circumstances.At the end of the day the boys prepared a lovely barbecue for the family and we got to enjoy our last evening in our Cabana.On our third day we traveled around and got to visit the beautiful Mănăstirea Brâncoveanu, an orthodox monastery.Later that day we drove towards one of Romania's most turistic spots - the Bran Castle. After reading Bram Stoker's Dracula aloud to Luis last Summer, we still had a very present image of the writer's descriptions in our minds. Sure we thought it would be bigger and way more creepy but it's still worth visiting. It has very cool interiors and is oddly cute. Back in the street we ate some street food: Kürtőskalács, a sweet, crispy and huge roll, perfect for sharing, and Lángos, a fried bread with cheese (which made me think of Pizza Hut, my favourite fast food restaurant).The place where we stayed - The Cottage in the Carpathians -  that night and the following was absolutely amazing! It is located in Râu Alb de Sus and consists of a main house and two other little ones, which were formerly used as stables, and endless gardens with animals. It is decorated with a lot of typical  romanian embroideries and objects that were used many decades ago. The heating system is absolutely amazing, so old but still so efficient, the wood with which the houses were made is preserved as old as it gets, but so full of life! And, last but not least, the dogs that hang around saluting you with their amiable energy make you feel like you belong to this idyllic place.On our last day we went for a walk on the woods, that started on a little village. We walked for about two hours, breathing in the nature that surrounded us. It's all so beautiful and the weather was perfect. We ended up having lunch at Potcoava Mountain Hideaway, where we were so kindly received. We came back, this time not trying to shorten our way, through one of the main roads (I think we saw 3 cars in our 2 or 3 hour walk). We had our last barbecue and enjoyed our last evening together.I can't wait for our next trip together! And, as Joana, my sister-in-law said: "Thanks everyone for working so much (like driving and cooking and taking care of the kids), letting me and Teresa rest"! 😅<3

New Girl in Old Places Extremadura Part 2

Having arrived in Trujillo after sunset we kept the sightseeing for the next morning and had dinner at Los Hermanos Marcelo. There we had migas extremeñas, a dish that consists of crumbled fried and really crunchy bread mixed with chorizo, bacon and blended with a pepper - Pimentón de la Vera - that is typical in this zone of Spain (my mouth is watering already). We got up early to explore all the little streets with the sunbeams cast on the ancient city and castle walls.After Trujillo we hit the road towards Los Barruecos Natural Monument. On our way we stopped a few times: there was an abandoned farm with an aqueduct and a little brook and later on we found the intriguing entrance of something like a nun's monastery. As I said on a few posts before, we mainly drive on secondary roads because you never know what you'll find. It makes our trips more eventful and exciting. At Los Barruecos I felt so mesmerised. I guess I've never been in a place like that. It is full of rounded granite huge rocks that seemingly appeared from nowhere. It's like they fell from the sky.At Los Barruecos you can find serene lakes and places to chill or meditate. The view is endless, no wonder why the producers of Game of Thrones chose the place as a set for their footage. There is also a museum dedicated to the works of Wolf Vostell, a pioneer of video and installation art (follow this link to know more about this striking place).At around 4 pm we arrived at Cáceres. Its historical center was considered a world heritage site as it is one of the most complete examples of middle age and renaissance architecture . I've got to be totally honest: the city is certainly beautiful but it was really crowded with tourists and as you may have noticed that's not really my thing. We've had so many lovely moments alone and with locals during this trip that we felt a bit misplaced with so many people all around. Everything is so clean and polished that it seems a bit fake. Of course I agree that these kinds of historical complexes must be protected and preserved but I don't think that should mean that the places must be stripped out of their own character, which is granted by the passing of time.At the end of the day we drove back to Portugal and hanged around the beautiful Puente de Alcántara, a beautiful roman bridge made in the second century AD. We slept near Fundão and came across with Minas da Panasqueira, a mine that has been open for more than 120 years with workings uninterrupted. It is extremely rich in wolfram and in between there can be found almost all silicates that are known up to this day. I've always needed my glitter dose so I got to buy some mind blowing quartz mixed with pyrite, calcite, fluorite, dolomite and apatite from their really full shop. I can't stop starring at them.<3

Extremadura Blossoms

Spain has always been my favourite destination for small holidays. For us it's easy to get there by car and because the language is different we start feeling we're really on holidays from the moment we cross the border. This time we decided to explore a province called Extremadura, which is located next to the border with Portugal and is on the north of Andalucia.All the secondary roads are filled with amazing views. There's so much nature blooming all around at this time of year! The meadows are bursting with vibrant colours and there are animals wandering around, living their blissful lives. For me, as you may have noticed, it's not enough to enjoy the view from afar, I have to feel it and embrace it as close as I can, I have to explore. I like to get off the main road, jump a few fences, if needed, and absorve all the textures and the colours, all the feelings.We visited Merida, which is a lovely city with a lot of history. It has so many roman buildings. My favourite is the roman theatre, with all the columns, the statues and that warm terracota tone that is ever so ancient and mystical. There's also an aqueduct, which is very impressive too. The city itself is lovely and there are so many little shops with all the typical Spanish products. All villages in Spain (just like in Portugal) have their own fort or castle, so there's always a fairytale vibe all around.Every time I've been in Spain, since I was a little baby (and my family went to Spain at least once a year) I've seen these billboards but never had I ever taken a photograph next to them! These bulls are deeply routed in the Spanish culture since the 1950's. The brand Osborne created them to advertise their 'Brandy de Jerez'. In 1994 the EU decided upon the removal of all alcoholic beverage advertisement on roadsides but the 14m tall bulls already belonged to Spain's landscape and to the aesthetic and culture of the country and hence they were turned into public domain.At the end of this day we headed towards Trujillo. I'm not able to express how much fulfilling  it is to be in Spain during springtime. The weather is so warm and the days are huge in this part of the country because they have Spain's timezone but they are in the western side of the country, so the sun sets super late (like at 9:30pm).Next stop: Trujillo. <3

Dreamy Turquoise

We arrived at Playa del Carmen late and stayed at a lovely renovated place just 2 streets away from the beach. After we explored a bit we came to the conclusion that most accesses to the beach are made through the hotels, so most of the beach area is "private". This bugged us a bit, but made us explore the coast on the following days.We visited the Mayan ruins in Tulum and it was freaking hot, so we had to hydrate and didn't miss the chance to have some natural fruit sorbets! After that we went to the beach in the surroundings and got to scuba dive in the Mesoamerican Reef. After it, we had dinner at Antojitos La Chiapaneca, an amazing traditional restaurant with great local food. I also got to buy a red dress with embroidered flowers and a blanket in pastel colours.We visited a pretty cool turtle sanctuary and hung around the beautiful turquoise water beaches that exist between the huge resorts. There are no people there because you can only go by car and also because people from the resorts don't bother to walk a lot to find their place in the sun! 🌞If you're into ethnical clothing, accessories and decor, you'll go nuts because there are so many beautiful things in the shops. I specially loved a shop called Rosalia. They have amazing clothing, tapestry and other cool things from all around Mexico and the concept is really cool. Can you spot the iguana in the picture below?With this post I close my first Mexican chapter, hoping to get back one day and explore the whole country. ❤️

From Merida to Uxmal

 Here's a pic of the party I talked about on my last post! People have such cool faces! I can't get over them. So, we arrived in Merida at around 8 pm and proceeded to have dinner in a delightful restaurant called Oliva. Then we took a stroll around Merida's historical center. It's a very alluring city with a lot of things going on. There's a square where we had a couple of beers called Parque de Santa Lucía, which has a bunch of busts from famous singers of Serenatas Yucatecas and music to go with it. On our way back we got to try marquesitos from a street food stand and they are superb (it's like a thin wafer rolled like a crepe, usually with goat milk caramel and cheese inside).  It would've been amazing if we wouldn't have to leave the next day so we could explore even more this youthful city. If you go there, be sure to hit the Lucas de Galvez market.We stayed at this wonderful airbnb Colonial Villa. The room was huge with lovely antiques and the bed was like a fluffy cloud with tons of pillows. We couldn't resist a midnight swim on the beautiful swimming pool.We had an early swim and breakfast and headed towards Uxmal (always through secondary roads). Did you know that most little villages have their own tortilla factory? A real meal doesn't come without tortillas, how would you grab your food otherwise?Uxmal is a beauty hidden in the jungle. There were almost no tourists, so the place was very quiet and those otherworldly buildings were just standing there, waiting. It's understandable that in other monuments alike they don't let you climb the stairs of the tallest pyramids. We got up the great pyramid fine, but going down was seriously dreadful for me as I'm a bit of an acrophobic and the steps are so steep that it looks like you'll fall straight to the ground below.Going back to the coast we visited Izamal, the Pueblo Magico, a pleasant little city with a very cool monastery. From there we calmly went towards Playa del Carmen, to spend some days at the beach.<3

Hola Mexico!

Luis and I arrived in Cancún at lunch time and as soon as we picked our super cheap rental car we started driving towards Valladolid. We didn't take the highway, so we got to drive in a road that connects little villages. And what a road! We drove through the wonderful jungle and met the people from those pueblos, who are actual Mayans (some of them don't even speak Spanish)! We saw the most amazing pink sunset and took our time absorbing little things that crossed our path, from Mexican red rump tarantulas to amazing birds (Altamira Oriole) and their hanging nests.Just a bit before we got to our destination we found a village that was having a traditional popular party. We had dinner there and that was where our gastronomic journey began! Maybe because we were the tallest ones over there, there were a few people staring at us. I guess they're not very used to having tourists attending their parties. Mayans speak really low, so apart from the music you could almost hear the crickets. Everybody was warm and beautiful in their own way. Women were all wearing the famous Yucatan traditional dresses, blouses and skirts embroidered with amazing flowers, which I'll forever be in love with.Valladolid is a very cute little city, with a stunning tiny park (La Mestiza) in front of the church (San Gervacio). It was late when we arrived so most things were already closed. We took a stroll around and came across Coqui Coqui's perfume shop and hat shop (they also have a restaurant and hotels, where I would stay if I go back, for sure). Both shops are amazingly decorated and made me want to live there without even knowing their products!The next morning we visited Chichen Itza, which is much more than a big Mayan pyramid! It is a city, a civilisation, there are so many thing to see and to feel over there. It's so mystical and beautiful. By the way, if you're thinking about buying cool souvenirs, don't miss the opportunity to bargain.One thing that amazes me is how Mexicans use colours! They are surely not afraid of them and they write on the walls to publicise a vast extent of things, from Coca-Cola to the next parties in town.  We stopped for lunch in a village and we ate a mix of amazing food! Don't be afraid with the looks of the Loncherias, the more simple and humble the place looks, the better the food will be. Everything is so fresh and tasty! Imagine how hysterical I got when I learnt that every meal should be accompanied by Agua de Jamaica or Horchata (two of my favourite beverages in the world).We decided to drive around and found these pink salines. They're the first pink ones I saw in real life, and what made them even more special were the flamingos in the lake nearby, in Dzemul. As if pink lakes and flamingos weren't enough, we were able to see some pretty cool pelicans in Progresso.After this we got in the car and started driving towards Merida, our next stop. <3

Alone in Petra

After the snow from the previous night, we were so afraid that Petra would be frizzing and that we wouldn't be able to visit it. I didn't even brought socks (I left them back at the car in Eilat)! But, against all odds, the weather was just lovely, and the blue skies matched perfectly with the beautiful orange and pink from the mountains! We stayed at Rocky Mountain Hotel in Wadi Musa, which is owned by Jane, who's a Kiwi married to a Jordanian and was really helpful and so interesting to talk to.After breakfast we went down the hill on foot, as Wadi Musa is not that big. Jordan is not a cheap country and because there are so many people who want to visit Petra, the entrance ticket to Petra doesn't come cheap (around 50€ per person). The light on the rocks was amazing, so orange and pink and if you pay attention to the sediments it is possible to identify all the layers serpentining with different shades and colors.Jane, the hotel owner told us that the week before there were a lot of tourists that weren't able to visit Petra because of extreme fog and low temperatures, so maybe that's why there weren't a lot of people visiting. I guess that if the weather is on your side, Winter can be wonderful to visit this kind of places, as the feeling of grandeur becomes stronger because you feel you're discovering everything by yourself.Petra was a huge city since around 300 BC, and the Nabataeans proliferated with its proximity to trading routes. There were about 20.000 people living there and besides their skills for carving stone they were also very good in finding ways to make the most out of the water (which was a scarce resource). The city was conquered by the Roman Empire circa 100 AD and it started declining when sea trading routes emerged. After two earthquakes (one in 363 and other in 551) the city couldn't survive the damage and it became deserted.<3

Oh, Holy Land!

After leaving Jerusalem we headed to the Dead Sea. There we stayed at Herods Dead Sea Hotel, a birthday gift from the sweetest mother-in-law. We arrived around 7 pm and we wanted to explore a little, it was 22º (celsius) so we strolled outside, to the Dead Sea, to touch the water. I can assure you I never tasted anything saltier! Because the only options to dine in Neve Zohar were the hotel restaurant and McDonalds, we decided to have dinner in bed: some Labneh with Za'atar with the most amazing pita crackers and some fruit.As we had to make the most out of our morning, we were ready to enjoy the spa at 7 am. Not my usual wake up time, but it's easy to wake up when you know there'll be relaxing time and loads of food. The hotel has a big swimming pool with hot Dead Sea water and I guess I shouldn't have tried it before actually 'diving' in the real thing. The morning was not as warm as the night before. Anyway, I swam a bit, floated a bit and then run back to the sauna. The weather was absolutely bipolar that day: we had a weird mix of warm sun, black clouds and wind!After enjoying the spa and eating the most amazing hotel breakfast we went to Masada, not far from where we were staying and really worth visiting! Masada is a fortification that lies on the top of a rock plateau. The first data about the place goes back to historian Josephus, that wrote about it back in the first century.On the surroundings we found amazing sights that resemble some grand canyon rock formations. Don't they seem holy? I just love these desert lands, they look so peaceful, so still, so lost in time. I think that, in the end, the weather actually helped us to give our photos a more dramatic look. Thumbs up for bipolar weather!After this we drove our way down south, towards Eilat, so that we could cross the border to Jordan. It was 8pm when we arrived and we had to leave the car 100m away from the border because it's not possible to cross it by car. We had to pay something like 20€ to leave Israel and I would advise you to change a lot of money to Jordanian Dinars. Jordan is not cheap, and because we arrived late there were no buses to go to Petra, so we had to take a taxi. It's a 126km drive and it costs 45JOD (about 50€). You can tell the cultural difference right away, but Jordan is rather safe. On our way there we left Kings Highway to a very bumpy road where we weren't able to see anything because of the fog and there was actually snow! WHAT?! I wasn't ready for that!Next stop: Petra! <3

January in Israel

Starting the new year traveling came as a surprise. I've always traveled with Luis in Winter when I was in college because we had time then, but we got super bored of traveling to countries colder than Portugal. Traveling in Winter can be a struggle for me because first of all I hate cold weather and second because it never seems to cooperate with our plans. Anyhow, we kick-started the year with the decision to spend my birthday in Israel, as the weather is only mildly cold in January.We arrived in Tel Aviv late at night and rented a car, so the next day we headed up North. We downloaded Israel map from google maps and our drive went smoothly, this system helped us driving in other countries many times before. Anyway, most of the freeway signs are written in hebrew, arabic and english. We stopped at Tel Megiddo, a village that goes back as far as 7000BC!We decided to go East, skipping Haifa, which is on the coast, North of Tel Aviv, because it was going to rain all day over there. We opted to go to Nazareth where it rained a little as well, but we were able to hide from it under the market's roofs. I guess that the reason why many of the stands were closed is because it's low season. But I can assure you that it's still wonderful to walk around those maze like markets, in the Old City. We visited Basilica of the Annunciation, where they have a lot of mosaic and tile panels that were gifts from countries all over the world! It's really cool to see how Virgin Mary is  interpreted in so many different cultures.After Nazareth we headed to the Sea of Galilee. (Everything sounds so biblical!) When we were getting out of Nazareth, which is on a hill we saw a mind blowing rainbow and though there were clouds, the whole place was flooded with a beautiful golden light. It was miles away from a normal cloudy grey sky.Because Israel is a tiny country, we were able to arrive in Jerusalem by 9pm. We didn't go to a restaurant because we went to a supermarket and bought a lot of cheap and amazing Israeli food (such as hummus and pita bread). Our hotel stood a short walk away from the Old City of Jerusalem and the next day we made our entrance through Jaffa Gate.On many of the alleyways you'll be able to find amazing food and pomegranate juice. By accident we came upon Zalatimo, which has a rather controversial reputation. As we were already there, we decided to try the famous mutabak. We ordered 2 coffees and a mutabak with nuts. I have to say that the pastry was incredibly delicious but paying about 11€ for the three things sounds like a ripoff. Nevertheless, I would eat it again!Jerusalem is divided in 4 quarters: Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian. And you can really see the difference when transitioning from one to the other. As I'm not muslim I couldn't enter the walls that lead to the Dome of the Rock (on the photo above), which was really disappointing as I would have loved to see that tile work closer.As a city that welcomes crowds of religious tourists and curious from all over the world, I was expecting to be crushed by excursion groups but that was not the case. We just walked around, sometimes entering some dark little passages that end up in patios. We never felt in danger and you can see a lot of police and military around.The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a very peculiar place. It is said that Jesus was crucified there, as well as buried. It has a lot of chapels and the decor is super eccentric. There you can find people manifesting their faith in a lot of unusual ways. There was a lady that was rubbing each day of a daily appointment book on the Stone of Anointing (the place where Jesus's body was prepared to be buried). There were also people pouring oils and spreading their new souvenirs all over, in order to bless them (fake Michael Kors bags included!).After the Holy Sepulchre Church we visited the Western Wall. For us it was super odd, as there are not many jews in Portugal, and though I've lived in Antwerp for a while, which is a city with loads of them, it was truly enriching to see the way they worship god and their traditions.I guess that one day in Jerusalem is maybe too short to visit everything, but we actually ended our visit at around 4pm, with the beautiful sight of the Mount of Olives and still had time to get to the Mahane Yehuda Market. There we bought what would be our dinner later on: fresh bread, olives, some snacks and the most amazing Labneh with olive oil and Za'atar.As we only had 5 days to explore Israel and in between we also wanted to visit Petra, in Jordan, we had to plan our route in advance. One thing we had to consider was the weekend, which is actually on Fridays and Saturdays. During these days nothing happens and most places are closed or open only for a couple of hours.<3

Last days in Havana

So, on our last days in Havana, we walked around a lot and were able to find this amazing old theatre that is now a carpentry. Also in walks we couldn't help starring at the women practicing Santeria at Plaza de la Catedral, I just love their style! <3We really walked and walked and walked! From Habana Vieja to Centro Habana, we just rambled around. We actually started walking on the Malecón and only stopped after we walked for 14km. On our way we saw 2 women having a very dark Santeria ritual where they were killing a chicken right next to a bay. How bizarre!? Then we took a bus, which cost only a few cents to come back. That way it was possible to get to know Havana's surroundings, and we didn't meet any tourists on our way there and back.La Bodeguita del Medio and El Floridita are two of the most famous bars in Havana, where Ernest Hemingway used to hangout. Today they're crowded with tourists but the old environment is still striking. On the way between both bars we bumped into some people in the street selling puff pastry treats filled with guava paste. They're absolutely delicious!We went to La Guarida, to book an early dinner and we fell in love with the old building. The dinner was good and I would tell you to order as many starters and desserts as you're able to. When you're finished head to the rooftop terrace to enjoy the sunset and the view of nightlife starting to burst. After our dinner we proceeded to have a couple more drinks and soak in the culture one last time.<3

Welcome to Viñales

After a four hour drive in our taxi colectivo we arrived in Viñales. We couldn't have wished for a lovelier hostess. We stayed at Casa Dra. Alicia, a little house in the quietest part of the village. Alicia was just amazing and we got to spend 3 nights at her place. We had lovely late night talks on her balcony and a delightful dinner in a nearby restaurant where we talked about our cultures and living in Cuba. Juanky, Alicia's boyfriend used to be a history teacher and now he earns a lot more as a barman. Words can't describe how amazing they were to us.On our last day we went to a beach called Playa de Cayo Jutías. It's only about 50 kilometres away from Viñales but the roads were in such poor condition that it took us 1 hour to get there. Anyway, it was totally worth it! The beach is super clean and you can easily get away from the crowd if you walk a bit along the shore. Our driver stopped on the way to get his lunch and that's where we bought ours as well. It was super cheap and incredibly delicious (it included a delicious stewed pork, yellow rice, avocado and manioc)!Because we spent a little too much money in New York, we had to compensate in Cuba, so we decided to walk everywhere we wanted to go and pass the horse rides and the tours. The furthest we went was Cueva del Indio (which is 6,3km away) and we were the only people walking. We had a lot of water to hydrate and we stopped to drink some fresh guava juice on our way. The cave is actually not that amazing, considering the time we had to wait plus the whole experience inside it, which was too short. Anyway, the walk was absolutely worth it as we took in the landscape and were able to spot a snake, some griffons, a buffalo and an incredibly cute hummingbird.The houses are so colourful and cute. Alicia told us that the houses are blue and pink because that's the only colours you can get when you go and buy paint, you can't really choose. Her dream was to have a sand colour house and she made it come true. Though I preferred the former flamingo pink. There are no glass windows in most houses, so there are quite a lot of bugs. We didn't have insect repellent, but I would advise you to bring some, as the itchiness can get quite annoying. While at the balcony one night we were able to see a tarantula! It was the first we saw on our trip and it was rad!If you walk around Viñales you'll be able to find some cool caves to explore! Remember to bring a flashlight (of course we didn't have one, only our cellphones). Also, try some mamoncillo, a little fruit that you can find in trees over there. We ate way too many! Luis climbed up a tree to pick them and we shared them with some kids that were playing baseball nearby.We usually don't go to the beach that often but if we've known beforehand how wonderful the beach was we would've stayed longer. The water is so incredibly hot that you never want to get out of it and the view is so stunning that you could stare at the ocean for the rest of your life. The sky became super cloudy in the afternoon and it started raining but I think that only made the beach look more appealing and mystical.<3

Cuba is Blue and Pink

 Havana was our next stop after New York. We decided to stay for 1 day there first, then go to Viñales for 3 days and come back to Havana for our last days in Cuba. That way it was possible to get to know this amazing city a little and come back for more! I've never seen so much colorful buildings in my whole life, and boy, do I love color!People are polite and helpful. Though there are already a lot of schemes for tourists, so be careful. Also, if you want to visit Havana's surroundings and neighborhoods, try to exchange some CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos, the money that you get from the ATM) for CUP (Cuban Peso or Moeda Nacional) at a Casa de Cambio. With CUP you can have a meal or a juice almost for free!Traveling by bus is the cheapest way to travel but buses are often super crowded and surely are not for pussies! Try to negotiate if you're traveling in a taxi colectivo. Also, don't be surprised if your driver honks to every woman and teenage girl that passes by! Men are still very sexist. As I was with Luis, I never felt unsafe, but a lot of women I know who traveled to Cuba by themselves felt disrespected.Sundays are baseball days. You can buy a ticket for a few cents and enjoy a social afternoon with a lot of cheap snacks and  plenty of excitement. We watched Industriales against Isla de la Juventud.Stay tuned for more from my trip to Cuba!

NY #1

We arrived at about 11pm, so we went straight to the hotel by public transportation. I felt I belonged with all the crazy people on the subway! 😜 The next morning we went right out and we walked non stop.As a NY first timer I felt bliss wherever I was. It was all I ever imagined and more. I just felt I belonged to all that frenzy! And because we don't really like to stick to rules, we just decided to ramble around.Our rambling drove us (not in a correct timeline order) to Central Station, China Town (where we had a great foot massage), Little Italy, The Met ♥ and Rockefeller Center.As we went on, we came upon Brooklyn Bridge, so we crossed it and continued strolling towards the South. There's an amazing park over there, where people go to play sports, chill or have a collective BBQ with friends and neighbors.At the end of the afternoon we were starving, so we looked up for a cool restaurant to eat and we ended up going to Yemen Café (176 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn). I can tell you that I would eat the same lamb with hummus for the rest of my life!Stay tuned to find out what's next! ♥