Puno is one of the larger cities in Peru and (allegedly) the folklore capital of the country, but it isn't somewhere to go as a destination. Sorry, Puno, you have your charms but we are really just here to see your pretty cousin, Lake Titicaca. But Lake Titicaca and the Floating Islands of Uros are so worth experiencing that you may find yourself in Puno someday. We're here … [Read more...]
Archives for 2014
The Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres; a fun day trip from Barcelona
Barcelona is such a beautiful and fascinating city that you may think we're daft to suggest you leave it for a day trip . Well, we are a bit daft, but you should not get this close to the Dali Museum and not see it. It is literally unlike any other museum. Not only because of its contents but because Dali did not allow it to be catalogued or arranged in any logical fashion - … [Read more...]
Fun things to do in Lima, Peru
If you're in Lima with a lover this can be a lot of fun. By "this" we mean a visit to El Parque del Amor or "The Park of Love". Lima has an impressive assortment of parks but only this one, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and opened on Valentine's Day 1993, is dedicated to romance. The statue is titled "The Kiss" and was sculpted by Victor Delfin. Apparently Victor liked his gals … [Read more...]
The Inca salt pans at Salineras de Maras, Peru
History of the Salineras Back in the 1400s even the amazingly clever Incas hadn't figured out that salt might cause high blood pressure, but they knew it tasted good so they made and consumed a lot of it. Oh those were the days! About 30 miles from Cusco you can tour the Salineras de Maras. Our group muddled out there on a gloomy day but, even in the gloom, … [Read more...]
The Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca
Blonde returned from Peru surprised that the highlight of her trip was Lake Titicaca and the man-made Floating Islands; home to the pre-Incan Uros people. Yes, Machu Picchu was fascinating. However, after having seen countless pictures of it, reading about it and seeing documentaries of it, it was a treat to finally visit, but not surprising. The Floating Islands of Lake … [Read more...]
Must Have Travel Apps! (Too bad they don’t exist)
Every travel website, blogger and magazine is constantly telling you what "must have" travel apps you should be using. Some of them have value but a lot are very limited, such as ones to help you find a taxi in Tierra del Fuego. Driven by market need we are developing our own "must have" travel apps that we are confident will be useful for the majority of discerning … [Read more...]
Long layover at LAX? Enjoy it!
A long layover in LAX can be a great opportunity or a living hell. The first time we had a long layover was on the way home from Australia. Blonde had to sit, exhausted and jet-lagged, for over 5 hours waiting for her flight to Boston. She spent the vast majority of that time actively trying not to cry and vowed never to do another long layover at LAX. This year as … [Read more...]
Visit to Ratu Naivalu Primary School in Fiji
On our trip with Captain Cook Cruises we were offered the chance to visit the Ratu Naivalu Primary School in Fiji. At first we were hesitant. Blonde is always terrified that someone might foist a kid off on her and Brunette raised 4 boys and is SO over her maternal phase. But the trip to the school was linked to other activities we wanted to do so off we went. … [Read more...]
Women’s packing tips for sea, snorkeling and land
Please note that the title of this is “Women’s Packing Tips". It is not “How to live out of a backpack for a year with one pair of whiffy jeans and a T-shirt” or “How to pack for Tahiti with only a bikini and a sarong if you’re a supermodel". This is for grown up women who want to pack the right things to have what they need when they travel on sea and/or land. We will even – … [Read more...]
Calella de Palafrugell; a seaside jewel on the Costa Brava in Spain
We spent 9 weeks on the Costa Brava in Spain in less than a year. We explored, and were charmed by, many of the seaside towns. Our absolute favorite was Calella de Palafrugell. It's understated posh (meaning people who are there must have money but don't flaunt it), small and so easy to navigate that even Brunette could kind of find her way around after 3 weeks. … [Read more...]