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Craving Korean Food During our Travels
The first time we ever tasted Korean food was in Seoul. The introduction into this world of spicy Korean food that consisted of red pepper paste and kimchi was a delight for our palates. After two years of thoroughly enjoying Korean dishes, we knew we would miss this savory cuisine during our travels. So, before leaving for our one-year World Trip, we made every effort to get our fill of Korean food. But, it was only four months into our big trip that we began deeply craving Korean food. At that time, it was New Years’ Eve and we were in Cairo, Egypt! We were just wandering around hoping to…
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Jet Skiing and More in Ko Samui, Thailand
Once Jason and I started living abroad, Thailand was the first country we visited during our vacation period. I had always had a deep desire to travel to Thailand. I had heard Thailand was amazing and so exotic with beautiful beaches. It sounded like paradise. During our initial visit to Thailand we stayed in Bangkok for a few days, and then took a one hour flight to Ko Samui. Ko Samui was our first real beach experience and it was wonderful. The sand was soft and the water was great for swimming. It was at Ko Samui, we did jet skiing for the first time! Driving the jet ski in…
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Paddling around Phewa Lake in Pokhara, Nepal
Our first stop in Nepal was in Pokhara. It is the second largest city in Nepal. Pokhara was a quiet city surrounded by a beautiful fresh water lake named Phewa Lake. Jason paddled us around Phewa Lake, the second largest lake in Nepal, for a few hours. We took the boat across the lake and walked up to this stupa. This Buddhist stupa, which is named the World Peace Stupa, serves to inspire peace throughout the world. From the top of the stupa, we were able to see beautiful views of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas. After visiting the stupa and some other smaller temples, we spent the day…
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Drinking Mint Chocolate Martinis in Hong Kong
For us, traveling isn’t just about checking off a list of countries we have visited. It is more about the experiences we encounter during the trip. Sometimes the experience can be as simple as trying a new drink at a local bar. While we were in Hong Kong, walking around the city exploring, it started to rain. It wasn’t just light rain, but a sudden downpour. We were almost about to be drenched in water, when we quickly took shelter. We were riding up Hong Kong’s outdoor escalator. It is the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator that extends over 800 metres in distance and elevates up to 135 metres. Pretty…
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The Most Beautiful Temple in Taiwan
The first time we ever visited Taiwan, we only had 5 days to see some of the highlights this country had to offer. So, we decided it would be best to just explore the capital, Taipei. It poured rain every single day we were there! However amazingly, we had an awesome time! The people were extremely nice, the food was very delicious, and the tourist attractions were definitely worth a visit. We told ourselves, if we ever wanted to teach English in a different country besides Korea, we would do it in Taiwan. After our one year World Trip, we made our dream come true by living in Taiwan for…
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Parasailing in Borcay, Philippines
The beauty of traveling is you never know what unplanned adventures you may have an opportunity to experience. We never really thought about parasailing until we were in Borcay, Philippines. This touristy beach destination had various outdoor activities including parasailing set up for the adventurous. Soaring high in the sky while being harnessed to a parasail, which would be towed by a speeding motorboat, sounded awesome. We were thrilled. After being fastened into our harnesses, we slowly drifted up into the sky. Eventually we were high above the waters, having a bird’s eye view of Borcay. I have to admit we were both expecting to experience an adrenaline rush. Instead…
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A Wonder of the World: The Taj Mahal
One of the most famous landmarks in India is the Taj Mahal. Ever since I was in elementary school, I had always wanted to see this marvelous white marble mausoleum. It was almost about 15 years later, that I finally had the opportunity to visit the Taj Mahal. Jason and I arrived into Agra, India around midnight by train from Delhi. We were told by our driver, sunrise would be the best time to see the Taj Mahal. However, we were too exhausted to wake up so early, so we planned to visit during noon. That was a huge mistake. Although Agra is home to one of the wonders of…
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Haifa’s Gorgeous Bahai Gardens
We specifically visited Haifa, the largest city in northern Israel, to visit the Bahai Gardens. Also known as the Hanging Gardens of Haifa, these gardens are stunningly beautiful. At its center stands a domed shrine dedicated to the Bab, the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahai faith. From the shrine, there are nineteen terraces with stairs extending up the northern slope of Mount Carmel. Beautifully manicured trees and hedges, among colorful flowers and graveled pathways can be found throughout the gardens. The gardens provide an excellent view of the city below and the vast Mediterranean Sea. The gardens are also worth visiting in the evening. The lights and…
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The Yanartas: The Flames that Never Stop Burning!
We waited patiently all day. As soon as it started getting dark, a group of us grabbed our flashlights and began ascending the rocky mountain. We were in southwestern Turkey, near a town called Cirali, about to witness a phenomenal natural wonder, the Chimera Flames. In Turkish these fires, which have been burning for thousands of years, are called Yanartas. The Yanartas, never stop burning! These flames are said to be fueled by methane gas, which is released from the vents on the rocky mountain. There are about a dozen of these extraordinary eternal flames burning constantly. It is best to see the Yanartas at night when it is possible…
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Singapore By Night
Singapore’s central business district looks very spectacular at night. We had a very pleasant time strolling around the marine habour in the evening. The national personification of Singapore is the merlion. The lion head symbolizes the country’s original name, Singapura (lion city). While, the fish body represents how Singapore was historically a fishing village. I found the Singapore Flyer very attractive with its beautiful colours. Every few seconds the colors of this giant Ferris wheel would change and create a gorgeous reflection in the water. Although it may be difficult to tell, this is a photo of a fountain. I thought the blue balls and their reflections in the water…
