San Francisco, California

San Francisco is a gorgeous city; we had the pleasure of doing an over night trip to visit friends.  

Hilly streets are lined with plush vegetation and flowers of all kinds. Who knew there were palm trees there?! The weather is nothing to write home about. It rained on and off the whole day, however the temperature was almost 60 so it wasn’t uncomfortable just very wet. The next day we were departing the weather was pleasant so it has its good and bad days. The city is very “green’ and  residents seem to have an emphasis on keeping their surroundings squeaky clean. The air even smelled clean and I have to say I saw no litter on the ground what so ever. Why can’t all cities be this beautiful?

Every corner you turn seems like there is something to see or to do. Public transportation made it easy to get around. We took The Bart train downtown and maneuvered on buses throughout town. 

We shopped at the vintage stores on Haight Street where I found a killer bag. Union Square has more commercial shopping stores like Zara, Old Navy and tons of high end stores.

 We had a photo op next to the trolleys which unfortunately were not running at the time. 

Later on in the evening we met up with friends at the Crab House on Pier 39 and had slamming seafood and mini donuts for dessert.

Of course we visited the Golden Gate Bridge which I learned was named after the body of water (Golden Gate) it connects.

You can see most of San Francisco within a day however I would rather have had a few days to take it all in. 

On our next trip to San Francisco we plan on going to Napa Valley for the wine tasting tours. So San Franciscans’ did I do a good job of summing up your city? Did I miss anything? Let me know :)

San Juan, Puerto Rico

It seems like everyone I know has been to Puerto Rico. In all my thirty one years of living I’ve never had a chance to go until recently. I’ve been so many other places around the world and it's amazing that an island that is so close took forever for me to visit. There are many gems in Puerto Rico that I’ve heard about from Culebra beach, to the glowing lagoon of Mosquito Biobay in Vieques, to El Yunque the rainforest. My first trip there however wasn’t meant for adventure which indeed takes more planning.

My boyfriend and I decided we needed a quick get-a-way and Puerto Rico was just the ticket. As heart breaking as it was to visit this island and not be able to explore it properly, adventure would just have to wait as this was a touch down, relax and go sort of trip.

 The Reef Bar & Grill located in Pinones has great views and the best Mofongo I ever had. Let's not forget the Pina Coladas. Delicioso!!!

 

Although it was a quick journey it wasn’t lacking in the relaxation department. Sometimes that quick trip is just what you need to recharge your batteries.

This beach was located right below The Reef Restaurant.

  We had a chance to visit the Fort San Felipe del Morro which is a quick drive into Old San Juan.

 Old San Juan is picturesque with cobblestone streets and 16th century structures.

  At first glance I thought this bad boy was a huge snake. 

Have any of you been to Puerto Rico? What were some of your favorite parts of the trip? Where would you suggest others to visit while they are in P.R?

Backpacker List a.k.a. Bucket List

As I started writing this post I realized the connotation behind a bucket list isn't the most appealing, at least to me anyway. A list of activities you want to do before you die sounds harsh, so I decided to rename my list to Backpacker list. Each year that passes I add a more to my list. I know it seems impossible to achieve everything you want to do in life but it never hurts to try! Here is a list of a few places I want to travel to in the near future:

Jellyfish Lake
Eli Malk, Palau
This lake gives a whole new meaning to swimming with the fishes.

source: http://authenticluxurytravel.elizabethhansen.net

Grand Canyon
Nevada
We tried to trek here once but was met with a blizzard and zero visibility. This year we'll plan accordingly.

source: http://blog.roymatheson.com

Galapagos Islands
Ecuador
I've been to Ecuador three times but this specific trip takes a lot of planning.

source: http://besttouristplace.com

El Yunque
Rain Forest in Puerto Rico
In my younger years I said I wanted to live in a rain forest, now I would rather just visit one.

source: http://www.wallpapercorb.com

The Bioluminescent Bay
Vieques, Puerto Rico
I've heard tales of this "glow in the dark" waters but I have to see it with my own eyes.

source: http://bridgetbatch.blogspot.com

Cristo Rendentor (Christ the Redeemer)
Rio, Brasil
I was in Brasil once but missed the chance to see this wonder of the world due to extreme fog. I also want to go to Rio for carnaval. One day!

source: http://grupoviagem.uol.com

Safari in South Africa
I love exotic animals and I love nature so animals in their natural habitat just sounds right.

source: http://www.safari.co.uk/blog/category/family-safari

Santorini, Greece
Ever since I've seen pictures of these picturesque blue and white homes against the gorgeous waters I've been longing to visit Santorini.

source: http://www.athenstourgreece.com

So what do you think? Are these any places you wanted to travel to or have been to? What are some amazing places you want to add to your Backpacker list? Let me know!

Ecuador Part Tres



This is the third trip to Ecuador that my boyfriend and I have taken. Every time we have traveled there we discover new cities to explore and towns they haven’t mentioned on the travel channel. Our original plan was to go to Montanita, a town I’ve been wanting to visit since I’ve heard tales of the little surfer village. Then head to Canoa a town I’ve heard about from my parents International Living magazine. However a week is hardly enough time to explore Ecuador unless you have all your plans mapped out and accommodations booked, which we never seem to do. Winging it is part of the fun, everyone knows that. So the towns we visited this time around were Montanita and Puerto Lopez.



Upon landing in Guayaquil we immediately trekked to the bus terminal to begin our four hour or so journey to Montanita, who gained its name from the tiny mountains surrounding the area. I was told Montanita is a beautiful place with surfing (in my past life I was a surfer in California) with delicious seafood and sandy beaches filled with perfect waves for the tanned surfers. Montanita is indeed a beautiful place, very quaint with hostels on every corner and block. Right now is beach season so naturally the place was overflowing with tourist from Argentina and nomad hippies living the good life.



There are tons of places to eat I had the best pollo a la brasa in my life. Talented craftsman/women lined the streets and shared tales of their trips to the Amazon to gather materials intended to create beautiful pieces to sell. As far as handmade items this is my kind of place to buy unique items. Every vacation I go on I make sure I find a handmade item or indigenous piece from that specific area.



The weather was iffy with the sun coming out in the middle of the afternoon almost making you wish its scorching rays never peeked out of the clouds. I’m super tanned since being in Ecuador and peeling at this moment; apparently spf 50 didn’t do the trick. If you aren’t into surfing the only other activities to do in Montanita is parasail (which I finally had to chance to do there) , zip line and party hard. By the third day of barely any sleep from being sick (yes I got sick again), the party people who broke daylight and the loud thumping music, I was longing for a beach with less “spring breakers” and more locals, maracuya (passion fruit) shakes and peace & quiet.



Through word of mouth we heard about Puerto Lopez a sleepy fishing village one hour bus ride north of Montanita. Puerto Lopez was a nice change of pace and was everything I thought Montanita was going to be. I felt at ease at the first sight of the fishing boats that scattered the water and we immediately hit the beach which showcased views of mountains and locals of the area.





In the evenings the sun broke behind the main mountain creating beautiful peach and blue sunsets, I was in heaven. Seafood is in abundance in Puerto Lopez due to the plethora of fishing done and fruit juice stands line the streets making juice from any fruit you could imagine.




Los Frailes is another amazing beach we visited the next morning, a protected beach that used to be $2 to enter but is now free. You could take a motor-taxi and be there in ten to fifteen minutes. This beach can be compared to beaches in Cancun with blue waters and soft sand. We felt like we were transported to that movie called “The Beach” it was absolutely gorgeous. The beach closes at 4pm so its best you go early, bring food and water and make sure u take your basura (garbage) with you when you go.







Canoa and Esmerldas are two other towns that will have to be explored on our next trip to Ecuador. At this time in our lives we can’t afford the luxury of a "hippy lifestyle" but giving it all up and finishing our journey in Ecuador sounds just about right, as I type at my desk looking at the snow outside my window.


Places to stay in Montanita:

Hanga Roa Hostel

Balsa Surf Camp

and in Puerto Lopez:

Hotel Pacifico

Hosteria Mandala