tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27137063233381942202024-03-14T21:43:57.303-07:00Next with NicoleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-45797016984175339742024-01-06T14:33:00.000-08:002024-03-10T11:17:53.085-07:00Resources for First Time Parents<div>So, perhaps you're like me and my husband and have decided to start the next chapter in your life (parenthood!) or maybe you're still in the pregnancy stage, but you don't know where to start. No fear! A fellow first time parent (me) is here!</div><div><br /></div><div>It doesn't matter if you work in healthcare or if you have some experience with kids. Being a first time parent is full of new experiences and learning curves. I am here to share the resources that I found helpful during my pregnancy and parenting journeys. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, you're thinking, "Wait...you're a first time parent too...so how am I going to learn from you?" It's true that I don't and won't know it all, but I'm happy to share what I have learned so far and what I learn as the months go on (with future updates to this post).</div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1NVblAXVeOD-cYcN8ORPe9SNIvjJXlgdot5dCgMyz2_Ao-GImMNaR12KZdaqip76SJPt6htUEKNxUn6uddupKYy3NzDrUnWZPGJrEBWy1lj9f3OjC3NfU_iJHkjQ8pbMPOzpUnlRcTkzjceAAYHkFxG1zLAmzt4b6tf9pm0bslHF8hCcX9kPifrdfsg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7343753555440475090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1NVblAXVeOD-cYcN8ORPe9SNIvjJXlgdot5dCgMyz2_Ao-GImMNaR12KZdaqip76SJPt6htUEKNxUn6uddupKYy3NzDrUnWZPGJrEBWy1lj9f3OjC3NfU_iJHkjQ8pbMPOzpUnlRcTkzjceAAYHkFxG1zLAmzt4b6tf9pm0bslHF8hCcX9kPifrdfsg=s16000" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>Apps</b></h2><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><a href="https://helloclue.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clue</a> ($$)</span> - Pregnancy Journey</b></div><div>I had used the <a href="https://helloclue.com/" target="_blank">Clue app</a> when tracking ovulation cycles, then upgraded to their Clue Pregnancy subscription. The subscription provided me with week-by-week changes I should expect for my body as well as baby's development. I was also able to read ahead for some of the weeks or to refresh by going back a few weeks to see what developments happened. Something I learned after subscribing is that there are several websites with newsletters that offer the same updates for <i>free</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neiman.contractions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Contraction Timer</b></a> <b>(Free, Android and iOS) - Pregnancy Journey</b><br /></div><div>This app came in handy when it came to timing contractions and keeping track of how many contractions have come. The app interface is <i>so</i> simple to use, which is great when you're starting contractions and scrambling to time them. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.whattoexpect.com/mobile-app/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">What to Expect</a></b> <b>(Free, Android and iOS) - Pregnancy Journey</b></div><div>This app is full of features, from the week-to-week changes to expect during pregnancy and during baby's first years to a baby tracker to a baby registry. It's a good all-in-one app. Personally, I haven't made use of the features other than just the week-to-week changes during pregnancy. This is probably a good app if you're trying to keep the number of apps to a minimum. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b><a href="https://www.babytime.care/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">Baby Time</a> (Free, Android and iOS) - Parenting Journey</b></div><div>This app was godsend when tracking baby's first pees, poops, and feeds while at the hospital after delivery to his time at home. It was also helpful for tracking breastfeeding and pumping times. The app offers a lot of different functions. You can track medications, doctor's appointments, and bathing times. You can even customize and add your own options of things you want to track. You can track in ounces or millimeters. The app allows for you and one other person to have access to a "profile" (your baby) for free. If you have additional caretakers, you would need to pay a small fee to add each person. The app works great for android-ers (like me) or Appl-ers (like my husband). </div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b><a href="https://www.pampers.com/en-us/rewards" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">Pampers</a> (Free, Android and iOS) - Parenting Journey</b></div><div>I'm sure you can figure out which diaper brand we decided to go with for our baby. Even if you don't go with Pampers, their app is helpful because they delve into baby's milestones month-by-month. And, it's not just the physical things they delve into. They talk about feeding, sleeping, skills, and safety expected for baby in that month. Of course, all babies develop in their own time, but it's helpful having a general guideline of what to expect. The best part of this app is that it's free!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>Websites</b></h2><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b><a href="https://www.lucieslist.com/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">Lucie's List</a> </b><b>- Parenting Journey</b></div><div>Lucie's List is literally a hodgepodge of good information for new parents or for those who need a refresher. I signed up for their newsletter called "Crib Notes," where they send weekly emails with parenting information, tips, and tricks. I've enjoyed reading their emails so far because they keep the content entertaining (you'll know when you read their email...it does a great job of capturing the author's voice!). If you're not a fan of receiving emails, you can also check out and bookmark their website.</div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b><a href="https://www.babylist.com/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">Babylist</a> - Pregnancy & Parenting Journey</b></div><div>Babylist was an amazing resource I found. Not only do they work well as a registry (more about it in <a href="https://www.nextwithnicole.net/2023/09/baby-registry-reviews.html" target="_blank">this post</a>), they also have an awesome newsletter called "Hello Baby by Babylist." Their newsletters were so helpful during the pregnancy stage, where they would send weekly emails about changes to expect for mom and baby, and during the parenting journey, where they send weekly emails about baby's development/milestones and things to expect as a parent. I found their curation of parenting and pregnancy advice to be helpful. They <i>do</i> advertise a lot of upscale brands from the baby world, so I just focus on the information so I don't get roped into buying <i>more</i> things.</div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission</b></a> <b>- Parenting Journey</b></div><div>I learned of this website while taking a baby care class through the hospital where I delivered. This website has been helpful in knowing what baby items have gotten recalled because of safety hazards. I recommend signing up for their mailing list so you can get weekly or bi-weekly emails with updates on what has been recalled. They not only include baby specific things but also things any adult would buy (ie. tankless water heater that causes fires, etc). Of course, for any older recalls, you would need to check their website and look up the item by brand. </div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaHubbard" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">Emma Hubbard, OT</a> - Parenting Journey</b></div><div>Emma Hubbard pediatric occupational therapist and mother. I'm so glad I found her youtube channel. It is full of information that is helpful for everything parenting. What exercises should I do with my baby to encourage walking/talking/rolling/etc? What are some toys that can help with development? What are products to avoid because of safety or because it can hinder development? She answers these questions and more via her Youtube videos and her newsletter (you can sign up for it via her website <a href="https://brightestbeginning.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brightest Beginning</a>). </div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nourishmovelove" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">Nourish Move Love</a> - Pregnancy/Post-pregnancy Journey<br /></b><div>Lindsey is a personal trainer, fitness instructor, and mother. I was introduced to her channel by my OBGYN for exercises to help with diastasis recti, a common condition where the abdominal muscles separate as a result of pregnancy. I love that she does home workouts (Like what? No need to run to the gym and somehow figure out what to do with baby?!), and that she keeps the videos interactive. It's as if she's working out with you! As always, be sure to check with your OBGYN or doctor prior to starting any exercise program and to see if that is what they would recommend for you. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://yummymummystore.com/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Yummy Mummy</a> - Pregnancy Journey</b></div><div>If you're considering breastfeeding, you'll want to think of getting a pump if your baby has trouble breastfeeding or when your return to work rolls along. Yummy Mummy was what I used to order my breast pump. It was simple. I just added my insurance name and the state I live in. From there, the page showed different pumps that were completely covered by insurance (free, $0) and some pumps that were reduced fee because of insurance. I ended up going with the Spectra, which had a lot of really good reviews. The best parts: shipping was free and Yummy Mummy did all the work behind the scenes to get the breast pump covered by my insurance. My order also included about 300 free (because of insurance) breastmilk storage bags. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybqNllDjju23GQhutQttpCy5mXsidMdk_6HLbCh0zvHUg_jrqf1cC_ghygTkbQpdOdTJ6bgIC7WCJDMonfXboh70KPAsYJE8HVX5GwmkMSKpkpn4m6a_fhk0N04BPl8n456_N0-rbfiS28rgiHMYBJh8p99sGjtmtQ23Ouf56JIVJocbMB0JbXwd6lg/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(3).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybqNllDjju23GQhutQttpCy5mXsidMdk_6HLbCh0zvHUg_jrqf1cC_ghygTkbQpdOdTJ6bgIC7WCJDMonfXboh70KPAsYJE8HVX5GwmkMSKpkpn4m6a_fhk0N04BPl8n456_N0-rbfiS28rgiHMYBJh8p99sGjtmtQ23Ouf56JIVJocbMB0JbXwd6lg/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(3).png" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""DM Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>In hindsight, I probably didn't really need all of these apps. It was information overload at times. My advice would be to give all the apps and websites a try, then scale down and keep the ones you like best. That's what I ended up doing!</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you have any resources you found helpful in your pregnancy or parenting journey? If you do, add them in a comment below and share why they were helpful for you!</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div><div style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div> </div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.33874 -121.88525259.0285061638211559 -157.0415025 65.64897383617884 -86.7290025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-17638804771007548192023-09-30T17:16:00.000-07:002024-03-09T10:25:07.102-08:00Baby Registry Reviews <div dir="auto">Setting up a baby registry is not a "must," but it does come in handy when you need a checklist of what you still need to buy to prepare for baby's arrival. Also, if you happen to have a baby shower, having a baby registry ready will allow family and friends to purchase what you need. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">If staying organized is not enough incentive to start a registry, many registries allow for some percentage off baby items starting about 2 months before until 2 months after your due date. These are typically called "completion discounts." Even though the savings may not seem like much, it surely does add up! Some of these registry sites give you a "free" bag of samples for making your registry with them. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUy4jixJT97rl_L5gFF2C8jj9GZMaf-396TWfA-2zDdUCPqfPoq1h5wlMCnqbMlTPduJVq9AIWsa5zcDFnkAoHtNmFpXF1Ao3IFdLztb0zjL0ObWcXr2-g4GfM7Gyjrk34E3k3zkYDH6uQ5UuUnRWeKrZmlOHtstoAIcs1zk9PrjG6Zoe7ybGSSUi8MA"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7343795430632398626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUy4jixJT97rl_L5gFF2C8jj9GZMaf-396TWfA-2zDdUCPqfPoq1h5wlMCnqbMlTPduJVq9AIWsa5zcDFnkAoHtNmFpXF1Ao3IFdLztb0zjL0ObWcXr2-g4GfM7Gyjrk34E3k3zkYDH6uQ5UuUnRWeKrZmlOHtstoAIcs1zk9PrjG6Zoe7ybGSSUi8MA=s16000" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>The good news with creating a baby registry (or two) is that the process isn't too difficult. Thanks to technology, most baby registry sites already have parents' "must haves" organized by category (ie. nursery), then further organized by subcategory (ie. cribs, recliners, changing tables, bedding, etc). It takes a good amount of the mental work out of the process. The only thing you need to decide is between stroller system A or stroller system B. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>Below are four websites I used to make my registry and the information is up-to-date as of the time of this posting: </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.babylist.com/" style="background-color: #d9d2e9;" target="_blank">Babylist</a></b></h3><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><ul><li><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">What I love:</span> </b>I love that I can add products from other websites (ie. Amazon, Target, Walmart) to this registry. Babylist shows the different places your family and friends can purchase the product from and whatever the respective price is...so people can shop via Walmart but still get your registry item. It makes for a great centralized registry. </li><li><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Cons:</span> </b>Most of the products on their website are high-end and name brand, so some stuff may be out of your budget. Some of my older relatives didn't understand how Babylist worked. </li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Completion discount:</b> Yes. You get 15% off your registry for items sold by Babylist.com starting 60 days before baby's expected arrival until 6 months after your baby's arrival date. It is a <i>one time use only </i>and certain brands are excluded from the discount. </li><li><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Freebies:</span> </b> Get a "Hello Baby Box" by creating your registry, completing 40% of your registry checklist (ie. add stuff to your registry), and purchasing $30 of gifts from the Babylist shop (this can be purchased by yourself or others). You do need to pay for shipping. </li><li><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Personal experience:</span> </b>I personally didn't opt for a "Hello Baby Box," so I can't comment whether or not it would have been worth it. </li></ul></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/homepage?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=nextwithnicol-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=74fc103600225368a89135746ce89462&camp=1789&creative=9325" style="background-color: #d9d2e9;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></h3><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><ul><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">What I love:</b> Lots of options while shopping, from high end brands to some random ones. They have fast, reliable shipping. Items ship to you as soon as they are ordered. The fact that I can apply this discount multiple times. They offer an extended return window of up to 1 year for items purchased on your registry (you know, in case you change your mind). </li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Cons:</b> The discount only applies to baby, pregnancy, and postpartum items. </li><li><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Completion discount:</span> </b> The baby registry owner gets 15% off (there is a way you can change registry owners with your partner/spouse). Registry must be active for at least 14 days to be eligible. Discount begins 60 days prior to arrival date and expires 90 days after the arrival date. You can apply the 15% discount on orders up to a combined value of $2,000, for a maximum discount of $300. You can apply this discount for multiple transactions.</li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Freebies:</b> Get a free "Welcome Box" by making a registry and 1) joining Amazon Prime, 2) adding 10 unique items to your registry, 3) purchasing $10 from your registry, and 4) requesting <a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/welcomebox?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=nextwithnicol-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=a3d0ffdb667ff20a0c302f23ed2fb520&camp=1789&creative=9325" target="_blank">your box</a>. </li><li><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Personal experience:</span> </b>I personally purchased milestone cards and a seatbelt lock to meet the spend requirement, then got my free box! My free box came with a light green baby registry bag, swaddle, onesie, bottle, pacifier, and other small samples (ie. Aquaphor baby, Cerave lotions, Cerave shampoo, Munchkin diaper spray, etc). </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Pro Tip:</b> Some baby registries require that you spend some amount of money before you qualify for a free gift. Add what you need to your registry, make sure that it qualifies, and purchase it off your registry to meet the spending. Then, enjoy your free gift!</span></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.target.com/gift-registry/create-baby-registry" style="background-color: #d9d2e9;" target="_blank">Target</a></b></h3><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><ul><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">What I love:</b> Physical stores nearby so you can see the items in the flesh. The completion discount applies to all categories. They offer an extended return window of up to 1 year for items purchased on your registry.</li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Cons:</b> The completion discount can only be redeemable up to 2 times. You need to join Target Circle and add the offer to your account. </li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Completion discount:</b> You get 15% off things on your registry. Discount begins 8 weeks prior to arrival date and expires 6 months after the arrival date. Your registry will need to be active for at least 14 days. Excludes items sold and shipped by Target Plus 3rd Party Partners. </li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Freebies:</b> Target offers a "Free welcome kit" for creating a baby registry. That's it, no need to purchase anything! You will just need to generate a barcode on your Target Circle app, which you take to the Guest Services desk to claim your free welcome gift. </li><li><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Personal experience:</span> </b>I was a bit disappointed because I was unable to get the free welcome kit, despite visiting different Target stores in the area different times and trying to call ahead of time (which is what they recommend). Some people have reported that they were able to get the welcome kit shipped for free, but I was never able to find that option. The kits <i>are</i> subject to availability, but I found it to be a bummer that the kits never seemed to be available. <br /></li></ul></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b></b><blockquote><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Pro Tip: </b>Add a diaper fund to your registries. This doesn't mean you <i>have to</i> buy diapers with the fund, although you can. You can use the funds to buy other baby essentials instead!</span></blockquote><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.walmart.com/cp/baby-registry/1229485" style="background-color: #d9d2e9;" target="_blank">Walmart</a></b></h3><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><ul><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">What I love:</b> Physical stores nearby so you can see the items in the flesh, and ability to add items to the registry by visiting the store and scanning barcodes. They offer an extended return window of up to 1 year for items purchased on your registry. They have "baby days," where there are special sales on select baby items. You just need to check frequently to see what is on sale. </li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Cons:</b> No completion discounts. </li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Completion discount:</b> None</li><li><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Freebies:</b> Free baby registry box just by making a registry. </li><li><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Personal experience:</span> </b> Since I made my registry back in April, I haven't been successful in getting a gift box. The gift box was always out of stock, despite checking availability from time to time. <br /></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVwukgtbxqBasmS4StMFmHFZbdIOcIAEAIJQ1VEW4VCQVfbvuvA3FVa7XAkBsj70uOPEwbSUVcmadCNoN0feEjNydGCUaM3tJFsNHZURY6jX_ZPLd2DcJdzWsNU6h9aOF7HR53_o5qYUH1DSpBT5kM0VP0VklCFg6Ufma0b30jE6wdvbj1Ch3ZhJ0VQ/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(4).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVwukgtbxqBasmS4StMFmHFZbdIOcIAEAIJQ1VEW4VCQVfbvuvA3FVa7XAkBsj70uOPEwbSUVcmadCNoN0feEjNydGCUaM3tJFsNHZURY6jX_ZPLd2DcJdzWsNU6h9aOF7HR53_o5qYUH1DSpBT5kM0VP0VklCFg6Ufma0b30jE6wdvbj1Ch3ZhJ0VQ/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(4).png" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""DM Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The verdict -- </b>Of the four baby registry sites I used, I highly recommend <a href="https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/homepage?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=nextwithnicol-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=7cc7b8a3e16f1b1afeb9880d3603509e&camp=1789&creative=9325" target="_blank">Amazon's baby registry</a>. It's easy to make, the process is streamlined, everyone knows how to use it, shipping is reliable -- need I continue with all these pros? I also like that they honor their promise. Yes, I had to spend $10, but I made sure it was on things I would have purchased regardless. I got my gift bag with free shipping too!</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Did I convince you to make your baby registry? Which baby registry site did you end up going with and what was your experience?</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div><div style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.33874 -121.88525259.0285061638211559 -157.0415025 65.64897383617884 -86.7290025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-45864822804381225052023-07-15T23:59:00.000-07:002024-03-03T22:16:48.222-08:008 Days in Seattle, Washington (USA) & Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)<p class="mobile-photo">My husband and I were invited to my second cousin's wedding in Seattle, Washington, so we decided to attend and make a trip out of it. Did I mention I also love going to weddings? It's usually a happy occasion; and having planned my own wedding, I'm always curious to learn more about the bride and groom by their preferences and choices.</p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7pVdd2qgfFp_TQC3L9WjTJLIRM3257MAVxCkHu-HPjBDF37ePeQBR5uFKOOx11iYPklKqsHDY_AA2jy_khMdUICE3bSfgdJv_iIVfzvBKvyu95RpZXcw1c_M52J_69Vgh0VSuAJ-S8W0y0SNS9cy9qHJ4ks-XqpoOnj10_wIVKkSWqx1i7itQ1QGk2Q"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7342043929178507762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7pVdd2qgfFp_TQC3L9WjTJLIRM3257MAVxCkHu-HPjBDF37ePeQBR5uFKOOx11iYPklKqsHDY_AA2jy_khMdUICE3bSfgdJv_iIVfzvBKvyu95RpZXcw1c_M52J_69Vgh0VSuAJ-S8W0y0SNS9cy9qHJ4ks-XqpoOnj10_wIVKkSWqx1i7itQ1QGk2Q=s16000" /></a></p><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">I am also 22 weeks pregnant (surprise!), so we're counting down the days until travel via flying will be contraindicated. Until then, we'll just make the most of the time we have! I won't write much about the foods we ate, since a lot of it was geared towards what I was able to handle/what I was craving (heh, thanks pregnancy!). But, I will say we ate<i> a lot</i> of good food!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>We didn't do too many of the usual touristy things while in Seattle, since we've already done so in 2016 and our Seattle leg of the trip was shorter. While I have been to Vancouver when I was younger with my family, it is my husband's first time going, so it will be a new experience for us both.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><u>Our Itinerary</u></h2><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 1 - Transit Day</h3><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- SJC --> SEA</b></div><div dir="auto">The flight from SJC to SEA wasn't too bad. The plan was to meet up with my parents, who would be flying in from southern California. We had actually arrived about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, our plane had to wait on the runway for about 1 hour. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWR6-nLkiPGrdD0_I8bDm0s_li5EeKYsQ_qyQdlYgsRSL05p189jlHLlo6_7X05pVnv6nPLg0SozlqiQ2cF3U1zff0TNvVa0alB03z70iBJlPxZBehiP6HkPJJgtWt0f5WpkK4iM1709iYJH3SpfhSpJdYUqwM1V66K8zPdn7LatQjGsPnOrv5ZvZ2Q/s2000/14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWR6-nLkiPGrdD0_I8bDm0s_li5EeKYsQ_qyQdlYgsRSL05p189jlHLlo6_7X05pVnv6nPLg0SozlqiQ2cF3U1zff0TNvVa0alB03z70iBJlPxZBehiP6HkPJJgtWt0f5WpkK4iM1709iYJH3SpfhSpJdYUqwM1V66K8zPdn7LatQjGsPnOrv5ZvZ2Q/s16000/14.png" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 - Seattle, WA</h3><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><br /></b></div>- Wedding</b></div><div dir="auto">My second cousin's wedding was held at the <a href="https://www.bellharbor.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Bell Harbor International Conference Center</a>. It's the perfect venue that combines both an outdoor ocean view with an indoor reception area. My husband and I had fun as guests, especially with the photo booth, getting an opportunity to dress up, meeting more extended relatives who live in Washington state, and celebrating the bride and groom!</div><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><br /><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 3 - Seattle, WA</h3><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring local parks and vantage points in Seattle, Mercer Island, and Bellevue</b></div><div dir="auto">Since I am currently pregnant, the weather was quite warm/hot, and we have my parents with us, we just toned our activities down a bit. We decided to explore some local, low key vantage points and parks. All of these places were not busy at all, despite being picture perfect spots for photos. Parking was easy peasy too!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 4 - Transit / Vancouver, B.C., Canada</h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.flixbus.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Flixbus</a> from Seattle to Vancouver (4 hours, 2 stops)</b></div><div dir="auto">My parents didn't join us for the remaining leg of our trip (aka the international part). So, we parted ways after they dropped us off at the Flixbus stop in the Chinatown area. The bus ride took about 4 hours long and made a total of 2 other stops en route to pick up passengers. The bus ride was straightforward and smooth. We had purchased assigned seats for a whopping $1.00 USD more per seat and were near the front of the bus. The bus ended up not being completely full, but we wanted to plan ahead in case since I was pregnant. The bus was equipped with a bathroom, but no sink. The border patrol stop did have a bathroom once you passed through passport control. The time spent at the border crossing really depends on how many other buses are there. Luckily, for us, there was only one bus ahead.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring <a href="https://vancouverchinesegarden.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park</a></b></div><div dir="auto">Since we were in Chinatown, we decided to stop by the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park. We were able to enter the park through the back side of one of the shops bordering the park. I guess that is one way to draw customers in to look and possibly buy items! The park was quite busy, despite there being really only one entrance that isn't really obvious. We walked through the garden grounds and around the central pond. There weren't many flowers in bloom, granted it was summer. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Taking the <a href="https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/seabus" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Seabus</a> to North Vancouver and back</b></div><div dir="auto">We decided to try taking the seabus from downtown Vancouver to north Vancouver to catch a view of the downtown skyline. The seabus wasn't too crowded, despite taking it during the regular peak commuter time. The seabus came frequently enough that we were able to catch a returning one quickly. We were debating visiting <a href="https://www.grousemountain.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Grouse Mountain</a> and the <a href="https://www.capbridge.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Capilano Suspension Bridge Park</a>, two iconic places to visit while in north Vancouver. We ultimately decided against both due to my pregnancy. I guess that means we'll have to visit again!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/queen-elizabeth-park.aspx" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Queen Elizabeth Park</a></b></div><div>Once we arrived back to downtown Vancouver, we took their metro station to King Edward station and walked over to Queen Elizabeth Park. Once we arrived to the park sign, we weren't sure how exactly to enter the park since there were no paved walkways except for where the cars entered. We saw a group of likely tourists cut through the grass, so we followed suit too. Cutting through the grass, we eventually saw a paved sidewalk area, which brought us to the duck pond. From there, we followed the path to the quarry gardens and ended at the Bloedel Conservatory. The conservatory was closed the day of our visit. The plants and flowers of the garden grounds were absolutely beautiful! With the sunset in the background, the scenery was even more picturesque!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImFTfHKYLBi8RyU3w3MM_3BL0p3JhZUGctDE0_kyiA2npk3smrRaXMefngRdq4AXKj5hPuhVFeb7uyxiMEHWpZJk1QZIYI-HPsB1SXBld1S4wcruXF6ySopdm__98zk4T2AFaJ7qWH0IBmE4o7EkhY2DtDQP4oikZPWVjStRMtHfqej4A4N6wB9tsRw/s2000/15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImFTfHKYLBi8RyU3w3MM_3BL0p3JhZUGctDE0_kyiA2npk3smrRaXMefngRdq4AXKj5hPuhVFeb7uyxiMEHWpZJk1QZIYI-HPsB1SXBld1S4wcruXF6ySopdm__98zk4T2AFaJ7qWH0IBmE4o7EkhY2DtDQP4oikZPWVjStRMtHfqej4A4N6wB9tsRw/s16000/15.png" /></a></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><span><!--more--></span><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 5 - Vancouver, B.C., Canada</h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring <a href="https://burrardlanding.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Burrard Landing</a></b></div><div dir="auto">We took a look at lot of shops and restaurants at Burrard Landing. We mostly enjoyed walking around the waterfront, breathing in the fresh air, and watching seaplanes take off and land. There were quite a few people, but they were mostly concentrated in the shopping areas.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://vancouverlookout.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Vancouver Lookout</a></b></div><div dir="auto">Vancouver Lookout is a tower where you can get a panoramic view of Vancouver. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the tower was not too busy when we visited. We were able to get a lot of really good photos of the view and spend time getting some "Instagram worthy" photos. More people did pass through the tower while we were there, but it was never really crowded which was nice.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g154943-d155842-Reviews-Gastown-Vancouver_British_Columbia.html" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Gastown</a></b></div><div>We walked through Gastown and took photos with the iconic steam clock. There was quite a queue for photos (not surprisingly). I was pleasantly surprised that <i>most</i> people lined up and allowed for others to get their personal photo with the steam clock. What I liked most about this part of town was the street lamps and flower baskets hanging from them. It reminded me of my trip to <a href="https://www.nextwithnicole.net/2021/03/a-short-vacation-to-new-orleans.html" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">New Orleans</a>. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring <a href="https://www.vancouver-chinatown.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Chinatown</a></span> </b></div><div>We sorta kinda visited Chinatown yesterday, but focused more on the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Park before moving on. So, we decided to visit Chinatown again. We enjoyed visiting the markets and bakeries. We also got a good deal on some fruits. It's too bad that some parts looked a bit...rough...with walls tagged and some interesting characters to say the least.</div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Stanley Park</a></b></div><div>We ended the day with a sunset walk around Stanley Park. We walked the perimeter of this park. It was a nice walk with a beautiful view of the waterfront, trees, shoreline, and boatyard. There is also the "Nine O'clock Gun" that fires at 9pm daily (so the sign said...we didn't stick around to see if it's true!). </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 6 - Vancouver, B.C., Canada</h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- The <a href="https://granvilleisland.com/public-market" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Public Market on Granville Island</a></b></span></div><div dir="auto">We had taken an Uber to get to the Public Market on Granville Island. It was busy when we already by the time we arrived. There were lots of cute, artisanal shops and restaurants. I think my favorite shop from here was the <a href="https://granvilleisland.com/directory/granville-island-soap-gallery" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Granville Island Soap Gallery</a>. Their soaps smell amazing, and I loved how enthusiastic and knowledgeable the shop owner was about soaps and their craft. My husband and I enjoyed some lunch and dessert before we left the public market. It was perfect timing because the market was bustling when we left.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">False Creek Ferries</a></b></div><div dir="auto">We decided to ride on a small ferry to the maritime museum stop (end of the route). It was almost a private ride, until more passengers got picked up at the other stops. The ferry was never full though and the ride was pretty smooth sailing, as they say...although there was no sail. At our stop, there were several old boats for sale by the Maritime Museum by the dock. I'm not sure who would buy them, but surely not us!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://museumofvancouver.ca/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Museum of Vancouver</a></b></div><div dir="auto">The Museum of Vancouver is a place I recommend visiting when in Vancouver. It was fun learning about the history of Vancouver. I really enjoyed the "<a href="https://museumofvancouver.ca/all-we-want-is-more" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">All We Want Is More: The Tobias Wong Project</a>" exhibit because it was thought provoking, and the Collab Space because it is interactive. I was also able to leave a little piece of my art and contribute it to the existing art space. If you ever visit the Museum of Vancouver, let me know if you find the little piece of artwork I contributed! </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><b>*Hint: </b>You might need to find <a href="https://www.moomin.com/en/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Moomin</a> first<b>*</b></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4Y9ggwVfCB8FsYHOfbZyC56IK4NldvINIFRzSPap2GYQ5f_JzQDlq6zILuL86sCSJAOpZgHgCFPhm_PbmB4VpJAYdedhfmSpi8y2rPD5h60-8OxhD1GwF3kmw76f5p0xOvSTYFmuGhEmwNSGh26HjSigO6-UX0hYlTdrdpj8MMrxyUL2XIWjbj16IQ/s4080/PXL_20230706_213209664.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4Y9ggwVfCB8FsYHOfbZyC56IK4NldvINIFRzSPap2GYQ5f_JzQDlq6zILuL86sCSJAOpZgHgCFPhm_PbmB4VpJAYdedhfmSpi8y2rPD5h60-8OxhD1GwF3kmw76f5p0xOvSTYFmuGhEmwNSGh26HjSigO6-UX0hYlTdrdpj8MMrxyUL2XIWjbj16IQ/s16000/PXL_20230706_213209664.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 7 - Vancouver, B.C., Canada</h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g181716-d8363857-Reviews-Richmond_Public_Market-Richmond_British_Columbia.html" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">Richmond Public Market</a></b></div><div>The Richmond Public Market was bustling when my husband and I visited. There were a variety of stalls selling groceries, baked goods, and other merchandise. The second floor had several cooked food stalls and boba shops. If you're up for some good Asian food at a reasonable price, this is definitely a place to check out!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://shops.cadillacfairview.com/property/cf-richmond-centre?cid=lis_ric_en_hp_gb" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">CF Richmond Centre</a></b></div><div>A shopping mall with your usual staple brands. My husband and I decided to walk through the mall since the weather was quite hot (yay for free A/C!) and to see what, if any, differences there are with the shopping malls back home. Our take is that the malls are pretty similar to the ones back at home, but without the bigger department stores (ie. Macys, Sears, etc). </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2395" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">No 1 Road Drainage Pump Station</a></b></div><div>We didn't have much left on our list of places to visit, so we decided to stop by and visit this historical drainage pump station. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find the drainage pump station, but we did enjoy our walk along a trail parallelling River Road along the Fraser River and opposite the YVR airport. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 8 - Transit Day</h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- YVR --> SEA --> SJC</b></div><div>Our flight back went smoothly, and there was no more of this sitting on the runway business. Immigration was extra quick thanks to global entry!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5w7mnA9r0eWD9RI6FMC2ut71c1BrffyA3NfxAYt2lFHLz7IutsSB8uFTS7l20cxSCye9tRyOz3ZRM11Ka33AaLfupXjlUYXC77KkUEh9Iwa2opf_AKuFfxQ-ggdI3lyTRW5ztwQrxa1QYQU65gE-bApoOfvFSimLljPp32Yz9yMSLJkra-2WNvJa9nA/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5w7mnA9r0eWD9RI6FMC2ut71c1BrffyA3NfxAYt2lFHLz7IutsSB8uFTS7l20cxSCye9tRyOz3ZRM11Ka33AaLfupXjlUYXC77KkUEh9Iwa2opf_AKuFfxQ-ggdI3lyTRW5ztwQrxa1QYQU65gE-bApoOfvFSimLljPp32Yz9yMSLJkra-2WNvJa9nA/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""DM Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</span><br style="font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;" /></div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>Have you been to Seattle and/or Vancouver? If so, what was your favorite part of the trip? Our next question is where to next (pregnancy considered)?</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div><div><br /></div><span><!--more--></span><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div></div> </div></div> </div></div> </div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.120737520.972495263821152 -158.27698750000002 77.59296293617885 -87.9644875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-32108836363485969032023-02-11T13:21:00.004-08:002023-02-11T13:49:41.596-08:00Recipe | Baked Hoisin Sauce Chicken<p class="mobile-photo">I've accumulated quite a bit of hoisin sauce and soy sauce packages over the years from various takeout orders. Now that I'm trying to cook more, I'm also trying to find creative ways to make use of and try different sauce creations. It's like the time I tried to make barbecue sauce from ketchup. The best part about using old sauces is that I get to "try before I buy" a larger size of the sauce. I mean, the last thing I'd want is to be stuck with a big bottle of sauce I hate the taste of!</p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEph1aRbuGkgNP179wfAwHlMXmJSpYd4R450Z1ZcMPqHkuhG17-yKTIKV9TwLira2InpYFK0ioxDGFrKB2xzzTKJ3reLn-bLScHO_Wc2yFtNvnkuon2oBSCn9P2W5ApVNQineqGDHATlGjJnHnW2GPeF_uVUSwv9DYc-Ej-r-2RKZ2DWporZl0_KM"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7198997552120941298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEph1aRbuGkgNP179wfAwHlMXmJSpYd4R450Z1ZcMPqHkuhG17-yKTIKV9TwLira2InpYFK0ioxDGFrKB2xzzTKJ3reLn-bLScHO_Wc2yFtNvnkuon2oBSCn9P2W5ApVNQineqGDHATlGjJnHnW2GPeF_uVUSwv9DYc-Ej-r-2RKZ2DWporZl0_KM=s16000" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div><br /></div><div>With a quick Google search, I found a <a href="https://rasamalaysia.com/baked-hoisin-chicken/" target="_blank">recipe by Rasa Malaysia</a> that was simple and called for the ingredients I already had on hand -- hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chicken. I had black pepper on hand and used that instead of the white pepper in the original recipe. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Their recipe calls for the following:</b></h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1 1/2 pounds of chicken drumsticks</li><li>2 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce</li><li>1 tablespoons of soy sauce</li><li>1 teaspoon of sesame oil</li><li>3 dashes of ground white pepper</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>This is the recipe I did based on the eyeball-ed measurements I used:</b></h3><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>6 chicken drumsticks and 1 random chicken thigh</li><li>4 packets of Hoisin sauce</li><li>2 packets of soy sauce</li><li>1 teaspoon of sesame oil</li><li>3 dashes of finely ground black pepper</li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvkYKPd38hwoSPyY3Hi94jDulrgZ8GA1n57MLEVTyVdjLUFbPI5-2-edncsFcKm6CX6yZ9f2SRyO-BMf8YwnvaeGwDHP_IruuI3ylyV6IAfOOHFWu-28zU-P5uZj8td7rair3N08yw9qFJoJOC5BNdiolxp684eUqXWNq_proPGhjTUy3j3QIeDY/s2000/Travel%20Template%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvkYKPd38hwoSPyY3Hi94jDulrgZ8GA1n57MLEVTyVdjLUFbPI5-2-edncsFcKm6CX6yZ9f2SRyO-BMf8YwnvaeGwDHP_IruuI3ylyV6IAfOOHFWu-28zU-P5uZj8td7rair3N08yw9qFJoJOC5BNdiolxp684eUqXWNq_proPGhjTUy3j3QIeDY/s16000/Travel%20Template%20(2).png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>To prepare the ingredients, I mixed them all in a bowl with a plain cereal spoon. Then, I dipped each drumstick (and the thigh piece) and made sure each piece was covered (but not overly doused) in sauce. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and baked the chicken for 30 minutes. </div><div><br /></div><div>The result was delicious, juicy, and complexly flavorful chicken! My husband devoured the whole tray, and I'm stuck having to make another batch tomorrow (so much for batch cooking!). I think I'd try to step up the flavor profile a notch by adding a packet or two of Sriracha sauce I have in my "extra condiments" bag the next time I bake a tray of these drumsticks.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Curious about other sauce/flavor creations I've made/tried? These are some fun ones I've tried and recommend:</b></h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Buldak sauce (which you can buy by the bottle or if you buy their ramen)</li><li>Trader Joe's Thai style red curry sauce + Sriracha (My notes: The sriracha sauce adds a kick to and balances the sweetness of the red curry sauce.)</li><li>Trader Joe's Thai sweet ginger sauce (My notes: The vinegar base of this sauce adds some acidity to the flavor and helps to tenderize the meat, especially if baking chicken breast, which is lean and tends to be dry!)</li><li>Dark mushroom sauce + Minced garlic seasoning </li><li>Dry rub with Sapporo Ichiban brand ramen soup base</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOW1FG9dx2dy9-6u1_3rw3h868vJlrAXH3AhCQBqSXHHssY7xNhdb7eGf-cgUMQu1Mlml_UC5Xkaebys2lA4ogGN3rcnDWAJMBzkyoRYVy2LUSvd4ykjllcuNYxFQcifgO4sMSKPE9EGZ4mSELNy9kA8C1k1sylFdU1N8p62vujsp3q_l3C5N7YQ/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOW1FG9dx2dy9-6u1_3rw3h868vJlrAXH3AhCQBqSXHHssY7xNhdb7eGf-cgUMQu1Mlml_UC5Xkaebys2lA4ogGN3rcnDWAJMBzkyoRYVy2LUSvd4ykjllcuNYxFQcifgO4sMSKPE9EGZ4mSELNy9kA8C1k1sylFdU1N8p62vujsp3q_l3C5N7YQ/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I love finding new, simple, easy cooking recipes. What are some of your go-to recipes? What sauce creation(s) have you tried with hoisin sauce? What are your favorite ways to use hoisin sauce in your cooking?</div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.33874 -121.88525259.0285061638211559 -157.0415025 65.64897383617884 -86.7290025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-19507863033717488372022-10-27T18:18:00.001-07:002022-10-31T20:14:50.607-07:00DIY Diary | Kitchen Cabinet Makeover Under $100<p class="mobile-photo">My husband and I recently moved within the San Jose area and are now renting from a relative. Renting from a relative comes with certain perks, such as paying a lower rental rate (we're definitely not paying the market rate courtesy of relatives) and being able to do a few customizations here and there. Our rental place was used as a rental home for the past 15 years, so there is definitely some updating to do. As I am awaiting starting my new job, I figured why not try to DIY some things. After all, I <i>did</i> DIY quite a few things for our wedding -- flowers, wedding favors, etc. </p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><div>Because my husband and I aren't sure exactly how long we'll be living/staying in the area, because the cabinets are still working and not quite falling apart, and because of budgeting, we decided to paint the kitchen cabinets to give it a new, fresh feel. We also thought painting would be a relatively quicker way to allow us to move in and start getting settled, since <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/jw-floor-covering-hayward">our flooring project</a> alone took over 3 months for signing, material ordering/arriving, and project completion (click the link and read the review by Nicole G. to learn more about our flooring project). </div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqM3QpP0rJjZH-McFbvUu0yS3DcDx0wEMNnnxgsHLmXWLPqPAWl5n0u0eoZrWcFJCOvK98i6SMHIv3HBRm3zZVphfktgmsr4v0GO9Z-z8gwt0ElCpISorPRXwgAtfFL-WSo9p7xMCEqciIhWbphi-U25_sLq9ZH7cyc-f4wtJA2ui6eGXbpK2PopM"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7159345384268521666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqM3QpP0rJjZH-McFbvUu0yS3DcDx0wEMNnnxgsHLmXWLPqPAWl5n0u0eoZrWcFJCOvK98i6SMHIv3HBRm3zZVphfktgmsr4v0GO9Z-z8gwt0ElCpISorPRXwgAtfFL-WSo9p7xMCEqciIhWbphi-U25_sLq9ZH7cyc-f4wtJA2ui6eGXbpK2PopM=s16000" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><br /><div><br /></div><div>I decided that I wanted the kitchen to look bigger and brighter with a color that would work well with a gray/cool tone. Since we weren't planning to do a full remodel and didn't want to change out the granite countertops that were already there (because of budget), I decided to go with a plain white color. It's simple and neutral, which is the perfect complement to the busyness and colors of the granite countertops. The color also allows for the floors to stand out on their own too. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">First, I figured I should learn how to "properly" apply the paint.</h3><div><br /></div><div>I watched several Youtube videos and researched blogs along the way for the type of paint I would need and how to even begin with painting cabinets. From what I found, the "proper" way to paint cabinets is to remove the cabinet doors and accompanying hinges, sand them down so the new paint will hold, caulk and seal any areas if needed, then use spray paint for the cabinet frame and cabinet doors. Once they've dried, reattach the cabinet doors, and you're done! </div><div><br /></div><div>Alternatively, you could just paint the cabinet frame and doors with a roller and brush, but you'll need to be detailed and thoughtful about covering the areas that would have been exposed had the cabinet doors been removed. Sanding first, of course! Because we didn't really have any painting tools to begin with and our long-term plan would be to replace the cabinets (if we stay in the area long-term), I decided to opt for just painting with a brush and roller. If you opt for this yourself, I recommend buying some painter's tape and lining the inside of the cabinets prior to getting your paint project on.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Now, about the paint. </h3><div><br /></div><div>Researching and buying paint was not too difficult at all surprisingly. I turned to a quick Google search to learn about the different paint types and finishes. Most of my readings from blogs and home remodeling pointed to latex acrylic paint as the paint of choice and a semi-gloss finish as the finish of choice. I also turned Pinterest and found a very useful infographic. I simply typed up the key words "paint types," and found several infographics such as this one below.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVorEVE0u47-TdAdT4V5JHy9LZY_3UGFmO3JicKjn8Rn5J0ijsTJbQQZKz8qYeLlETt9qqFdwPNavnj5w5BJZ0qzZqKqxwaRLFp4awzM5Zk-n1dsDUOxzJnWY9RDiZ_qHNOx5_Nh3YjepqqWryjVFUfX9IJBovcTaKom_FEH6sled4N1V96xORBc/s700/types-of-paint-finishes.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVorEVE0u47-TdAdT4V5JHy9LZY_3UGFmO3JicKjn8Rn5J0ijsTJbQQZKz8qYeLlETt9qqFdwPNavnj5w5BJZ0qzZqKqxwaRLFp4awzM5Zk-n1dsDUOxzJnWY9RDiZ_qHNOx5_Nh3YjepqqWryjVFUfX9IJBovcTaKom_FEH6sled4N1V96xORBc/s16000/types-of-paint-finishes.jpg.webp" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Credits to DesigningIdea.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I looked online at our local home improvement stores and found that the Behr Premium Semi-Gloss Enamel interior/exterior cabinet, door, and trim paint fit the bill. The paint was also budget friendly as well. We went with a 1 gallon pail. Since my home DIY painting project would include painting the doors and trim, it didn't really matter for me if we purchased a little extra paint. I ended up painting two coats (plus a touch up coat) of paint to get the cabinets to the shade of white I was looking for. I ended up having about 1/2 to 1/3 of the pail leftover afterwards. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h3>Next, it's time to buy the materials and get the project going.</h3><div><br /></div><div>List of the materials we used for our project:</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>Behr Premium Semi-Gloss Enamel interior/exterior cabinet, door, and trim paint in white color</li><li>Paint kit (includes roller in two widths, paint brush, and paint tray)</li><li>Painter's tape</li><li>Brown bags/plastic bags to line the areas you don't want paint to get on</li><li>Medium grit sand paper</li><li>Clorox wipes (or anything that can remove grease) - if your cabinets are greasy</li><li>Vacuum (to clean up any dust from sanding)</li><li>Cabinet knobs and handles in silver satin color</li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Steps we did for our painting process:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Line the areas you want to prevent getting paint on with paper/plastic bags and painter's tape (ie. ceiling, walls, floor, etc).</li><li>Line the inside cabinet areas the same.</li><li>Wipe down countertop and cabinet surfaces that will be painted.</li><li>Sand down the cabinet surfaces that will be painted. We did this ourselves by hand.</li><li>Vacuum any dust from the sanding process.</li><li>Wipe down the cabinet surfaces that will be painted again to ensure that you have captured any remaining dust. This prevents uneven surfaces once you paint.</li><li>Paint your first coat. Allow time to dry (refer to the guide on the paint can you purchase for dry time).</li><li>Paint your second coat. Allow time to dry (refer to the guide on the paint can you purchase for dry time).</li><li>Paint your touch-ups (or a third coat if you're going from a very dark color to white). Allow time to dry (refer to the guide on the paint can you purchase for dry time).</li><li>Install your knobs and handles.</li><li>Paint your touch-ups. Allow time to dry (refer to the guide on the paint can you purchase for dry time).</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fO380a8ppUsLDNFyn4zjnf4a7HLYIzj6RaLp2L2IxviK5UInAff75LepK3twyAU6L9RulJKYyFjh9mwEl9Z64gcrIx8FUcU_K9lofQG0ovyKZm0kIJaCLHC2UOCreWETmWX_ENbtRE7GLcpzajTCpUMdLebIUP7Qp1kWsioxeVhSp8icED4Knuo/s2000/12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fO380a8ppUsLDNFyn4zjnf4a7HLYIzj6RaLp2L2IxviK5UInAff75LepK3twyAU6L9RulJKYyFjh9mwEl9Z64gcrIx8FUcU_K9lofQG0ovyKZm0kIJaCLHC2UOCreWETmWX_ENbtRE7GLcpzajTCpUMdLebIUP7Qp1kWsioxeVhSp8icED4Knuo/s16000/12.png" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5Xsl7H41UjD6sYTQc3HtEUfViTCEaezFKxX7inUGExJbex8KOm2_3l7eVhS7fq4R9d0bID20CbvbSPcg-U8AYzzWcF86VooCQBZFcJEq4kr3dqETtz6cK6b0QUtDYSxr-tHl512TbEbr-Lu3CIVMK6sHBOH3z9kqRpM5as_AceXE1a_O-ErwQZ0/s2000/13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5Xsl7H41UjD6sYTQc3HtEUfViTCEaezFKxX7inUGExJbex8KOm2_3l7eVhS7fq4R9d0bID20CbvbSPcg-U8AYzzWcF86VooCQBZFcJEq4kr3dqETtz6cK6b0QUtDYSxr-tHl512TbEbr-Lu3CIVMK6sHBOH3z9kqRpM5as_AceXE1a_O-ErwQZ0/s16000/13.png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Last, but not least, add the finishing touches!</h3><div><br /></div><div>Since our cabinets were now white colored, I decided adding some knobs and handles would be a good way to decrease the need for clean up or paint touch ups from frequent cabinet use. There are a couple of cabinets I knew we wouldn't use often (ie. the ones hiding the suction fan pipe above the stove), so those didn't get any fixtures added. Since we were going for a light and bright look, we went with satin silver finish knobs and handles. After researching prices on these, we ultimately purchased them from Ebay. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure you're probably wondering how much this project cost us in the end. The grand total of our project (not including our time, of course) was <b style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">$94.33</b>. I still even have paint leftover for painting the doors and trim, although I am not quite sure how many doors I will be able to realistically paint. This was pleasantly surprising, given inflation and rising costs. We are overall happy with how our cabinets turned out and believe they'll last us some time! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><span><!--more--></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bCkBGTAJJtpvJ0Khbxi69pknrzIG4sLU5ISR9uy9O2KfYdfdoloXDHxmoIhn4ATk0BhaIDa4w7mkTS5cQ88PH30vprYMtieS0VbmN1nMCbUeasMsJzoa94zswylYD9_4KNNe96TsOjqVJawF_AqWp_xwbBLkcLjs_eaFWH2q1MVQLbZbCml0MS8/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bCkBGTAJJtpvJ0Khbxi69pknrzIG4sLU5ISR9uy9O2KfYdfdoloXDHxmoIhn4ATk0BhaIDa4w7mkTS5cQ88PH30vprYMtieS0VbmN1nMCbUeasMsJzoa94zswylYD9_4KNNe96TsOjqVJawF_AqWp_xwbBLkcLjs_eaFWH2q1MVQLbZbCml0MS8/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Are you now inspired to DIY your kitchen cabinet makeover? If so, what color scheme and/or cabinet color(s) are you going for? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div><span><!--more--></span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.33874 -121.88525259.0285061638211559 -157.0415025 65.64897383617884 -86.7290025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-37128606618896462282022-09-10T19:07:00.270-07:002022-10-31T20:25:56.353-07:00Exploring Malaysia in 8 Days: Our Guide to Kuala Lumpur & Ipoh<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto">While many of our friends have been visiting Europe, we, being the offbeat/off season travelers we are, decided to visit Asia. This time, our travels took us to Malaysia, our first time in Southeast Asia.<div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Since my father was born and raised in Indonesia and I have taken a Malay/Indonesian class as an undergraduate at U.C. Berkeley, I thought it would be cool to explore and see southeast Asia for once. After all, both Malaysia and Indonesia do speak the same language (hence the course name Malay/Indonesian). In Malaysia, the people also speak English and Mandarin, thus, my husband and I also thought it would be easier to navigate since we, too, speak both languages. We decided to skip Indonesia this time around since my father wouldn't be able to join us. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4cPqVc6_v0EGNV_S4RUQ5TAMoucpeB3aWTcCjER21qC_o6Lok5XYIboHaDXJWB3ceOEDHNsTHIIQmwFsadI7F3ZgFHbkiHpNzV9eT0kXGLPs73DhTAeVG3QnRfrdEFgwCb4SOcuAHOHdJzHzyVsqs49wT8gNbyDR8Efj0l_GipQb1FfQLWDFKKM/s4080/PXL_20220902_023527642.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4cPqVc6_v0EGNV_S4RUQ5TAMoucpeB3aWTcCjER21qC_o6Lok5XYIboHaDXJWB3ceOEDHNsTHIIQmwFsadI7F3ZgFHbkiHpNzV9eT0kXGLPs73DhTAeVG3QnRfrdEFgwCb4SOcuAHOHdJzHzyVsqs49wT8gNbyDR8Efj0l_GipQb1FfQLWDFKKM/s16000/PXL_20220902_023527642.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">We spent about 10 days for our trip, including our flight in and out. We decided to split our trip between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. Kuala Lumpur had a lot of sites and places to visit. It was definitely bustling as well (as expected for a bigger city). Ipoh was quite the opposite. Ipoh, overall, is a quiet, sleepy town, and maybe we missed out on more on the busyness since we weren't out late at night. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find the city bustling during their Memory Lane market days. There are still lots of good eats and some sites to see, so it was still worth the visit in our books. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">We were aggressively bitten by mosquitoes despite applying deet. Our recommendation is to use the aerosolized (aka can't fly with it) <a href="https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/433708c3-cac6-4159-b5c9-54c8e849c6f5_1.97205c635884d7e3119de4ad4f011d70.jpeg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Off Mosquito Repellant</a> (link is to the type we purchased while in Malaysia). Just purchase a can as soon as possible. We had to spray ourselves down every morning before heading out. Because of my terrible reaction to mosquito bites, I was sprayed down airport security pat down style (ie. arms out to the side and legs apart). It truly works wonders, and we didn't get any additional bites after we started using it!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>The weather was humid overall in late August/early September, and there were days or parts of days with pouring rain, which limited activities we could do or caused changes in our original plans. Our advice is to carry an umbrella with you -- just in case! Even then, do expect the rain to cause some light flooding and for your pant legs, shoes, and feet to get wet!</div><div><br /></div><div>For transportation, we relied on their public transportation and downloaded their <a href="https://www.grab.com/my/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grab app</a>. Their Grab app is akin to Uber or Lyft, and the prices were very reasonable. Grab came in handy when we were in areas relatively further from public transportation or when it was late at night (and the public transportation options were not available). </div><div><br /></div><div>My husband and I really enjoyed our trip overall, and we were even mistaken for locals at times. We were pleasantly surprised to find that everything was relatively cheap there. Meanwhile, the quality of things were still very good. <br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><u>Our Itinerary</u></h2><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 1 - Transit Day</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Fly in from SFO to Narita to Kuala Lumpur</b></div><div>Our flight out was smooth without any hiccups to our plan. We first flew out to Narita (Japan), then transferred on a different flight to Kuala Lumpur. We lucked out on these flights with the row all to ourselves, and the first leg of our flight with exit row seats!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Check into <a href="https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/malaysia/alila-bangsar-kuala-lumpur/kulal?src=corp_lclb_bing_seo_kulal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur</a></b></div><div>By the time we arrived to the hotel for check in, it was already midnight. Our room was on the 42nd floor, so you'll notice we didn't visit a tower of sorts on this trip like we have done on all of our other international trips. We're already staying in a tower! We stayed in their <a href="https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/malaysia/alila-bangsar-kuala-lumpur/kulal/rooms" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bangsar Suite</a> for the first half of our trip (5 nights). The room was more than enough for our little party of 2. On each of the floors by the elevator, there is a coffee machine where you can self-serve your coffee at any time of the day, and local Malaysian snacks you can pack in takeaway pouches, whether that is for your snacking on-the-go or if you just want to snack in your room. Each of the floors have different snack options, which we realized when we visited the floor below with the common area amenities (gym and pool). If you're looking for luxury, a break from small spaces, and a place that's conveniently located, we highly recommend staying here!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR8RjDb58hw0S3nXzgRP8aTWghbUTPUE1EC6bLy5P7thWSrDKhbLWqEGxOW8pERuhV24cLhsCWTcZu4XFuYMopu_JiUa8q-YSIUPLTcllgjXlvah3T4oBGzhqrSSbQoMEz33XoUB3U_Sxk3QvS3HSULPuP8pdYumUczfRrhldM_5B8ZPub21yXw0/s2000/Travel%20Template%20(3).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR8RjDb58hw0S3nXzgRP8aTWghbUTPUE1EC6bLy5P7thWSrDKhbLWqEGxOW8pERuhV24cLhsCWTcZu4XFuYMopu_JiUa8q-YSIUPLTcllgjXlvah3T4oBGzhqrSSbQoMEz33XoUB3U_Sxk3QvS3HSULPuP8pdYumUczfRrhldM_5B8ZPub21yXw0/s16000/Travel%20Template%20(3).png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 2 - Kuala Lumpur</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Breakfast at street stall at Jalan Bangsar</b></div><div>We didn't really have breakfast plans in mind, since we had just arrived late the night before. We decided to wander by foot and see what's around. The hotel connects to a sky bridge that you can take to the metro station (or exit to the other side of the street). The public can also access the sky bridge via the elevator or stairs outside of the hotel. We took the skybridge to the other side of the street, and we spotted an unnamed street stall with a blue tent that had a long queue. The street stall is run by a couple. We crossed the street and observed as people ordered their food to-go and went along their way. Since the queue was long and there seemed to be repeat customers, we figured it would be promising and worth a try. </div><div><br /></div><div>We tried our first Malaysian dish <i>nasi lemak</i> (literally translated to buttery rice). It's a dish of meat and other toppings on rice cooked with coconut milk wrapped in a pandan leaf. The <i>nasi lemak</i> at this street stall wasn't served in a pandan leaf but was wrapped in parchment paper to cater to those who needed to eat on the go or once they arrived to their destination. They serve only nasi lemak and had different meat options and toppings to choose from. We got ours to go and enjoyed it back at the hotel. The curry chicken was so tender and juicy and the spicy anchovies provided just enough of a kick to the dish. The dish came all together with the rich, buttery, coconut-y rice. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/MBG+Fruitshop+LRT+Bangsar/@3.1275941,101.672621,15z/data=!4m15!1m9!2m8!1smbc+fruit+stand!3m6!1smbc+fruit+stand!2sAlila+Bangsar+Kuala+Lumpur,+58,+Jalan+Ang+Seng,+Brickfields,+50470+Kuala+Lumpur,+Federal+Territory+of+Kuala+Lumpur,+Malaysia!3s0x31cc499472a8954f:0xe228e0d66ebf5ed7!4m2!1d101.6801902!2d3.1277744!3m4!1s0x0:0xf1d6a5fd490c369c!8m2!3d3.1275941!4d101.6790807" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MBG Fruitshop LRT Bangsar</a></b></div><div>A chain fruit shop located in the nearby subway station. Since we had to pass the subway station to get back to our hotel, we decided to pick up some fruits and try a smoothie. We purchased some fresh dragonfruits and longans. and a dragonfruit smoothie. The price was reasonable, and a bit cheaper than the fruits sold at some other markets/more touristy places. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Thean+Hou+Temple/@3.1222144,101.6859225,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49f2773e27a9:0xdb9894ff096ce96c!8m2!3d3.1222144!4d101.6881112" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thean Hou Temple</a></b></div><div>Our first stop of the day was Thean Hou Temple. Because we were relatively early, we made it before the crowd. This is one of them more popular temples, and it is definitely ornate and colorful, which is perfect for photos. This aside, there are several areas with statues to check out, most notable being the 12 zodiac statues (front of the temple on the side) and the statues depicting a character and story blurb of filial piety (back of temple). There is also a rainbow staircase at one part of the temple, but you have to walk around to find it!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Petaling+Street+Market/@3.1443231,101.6976587,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49d1adb75745:0xa9f6f7fb4291fafd!8m2!3d3.1443231!4d101.6976587" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Petaling Street Market</a></b><br /></div><div>Petaling Street Market was our next big stop. It is filled with lots of shops selling everything from clothing to electronics to bags and purses to street eats. They sell high quality, knock off items too. We tried our haggling skills at one of the shops and got away with what we thought was a fair price for some sport shorts for my husband. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Koong+Woh+Tong+-+Petaling+Street+%7C+Jln+Pudu+branch/@3.1445955,101.6971612,19.42z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x31cc49d1adb75745:0xa9f6f7fb4291fafd!2sPetaling+Street+Market!8m2!3d3.1443231!4d101.6976587!3m4!1s0x31cc49d1bda88d4d:0x9fea63b39fb803e2!8m2!3d3.1451443!4d101.6973646" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Koong Woh Tong</a></span> </b></div><div>Our first stop within Petaling Street Market was Koong Woh Tong, a chain store that sells fresh grass jelly/herbal jelly. The grass jelly came served in a little pot (small or large size) and you can add sweetening syrup to your liking. They also serve different type of herbal teas and provide a description of the health benefits of each tea. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wan+Tan+Mee+Stall+Lorong+Hang+Lekir/@3.1440523,101.6976358,19z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x31cc49d1adb75745:0xa9f6f7fb4291fafd!2sPetaling+Street+Market!8m2!3d3.1443231!4d101.6976587!3m4!1s0x0:0xfb681b9cf5d85b15!8m2!3d3.1440523!4d101.698183" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wan Tan Mee Stall Lorong Hang Lekir</a></b></div><div>My husband and I did a quick walkthrough of Petaling Street. There were many food stalls on the main street, but there was a side street that had a long queue of people that caught our eye. We observed and noticed everyone was eating the stall's noodle dish, so we got a plate of Hakka mee to share too. The dish was delicious between the minced meat and the al dente, chewy noodles. You won't regret stopping by if you can find this stall!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mon+Kee+confectionery/@3.1443361,101.696327,18z/data=!4m16!1m9!2m8!1sMon+Kee+Confectionary!3m6!1sMon+Kee+Confectionary!2sPetaling+Street+Market,+Jalan+Petaling,+Kuala+Lumpur+City+Centre,+50000+Kuala+Lumpur,+Federal+Territory+of+Kuala+Lumpur,+Malaysia!3s0x31cc49d1adb75745:0xa9f6f7fb4291fafd!4m2!1d101.6976587!2d3.1443231!3m5!1s0x31cc498bf7792eb3:0xdd5b69a6fbf97ad5!8m2!3d3.1443361!4d101.6985157!15sChVNb24gS2VlIENvbmZlY3Rpb25hcnlaFyIVbW9uIGtlZSBjb25mZWN0aW9uYXJ5kgEGYmFrZXJ54AEA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mon Kee Confectionary</a> stall</b></div><div>As we finished walking to the end of Petaling Street, Mon Kee Confectionary's egg tart caught my eye. My husband and I bought one each, and stood aside to enjoy the treat. The egg tart had an eggy, not-too-sweet custard along with a flaky, crispy crust. We just wished we had packed napkins to wipe the crumbs from our lips. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Air Tebu (sugar cane) stall on Jalan Sultan</b></div><div>On the outskirts of Petaling Street on Jalan Sultan, there is a street stall selling fresh <i>air tebu</i> or sugar cane drink. My husband and I were in for a bottle each and enjoyed staying cool and hydrated in the humid heat. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Masjid+Jamek+Lookout+Point+@+River+of+Life/@3.1471252,101.6930261,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49cdf9b83c6f:0x19ea5644c39243f5!8m2!3d3.1471198!4d101.6952148" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Masjid Jamek Lookout Point at River of Life</a></b></div><div>We walked along the bridge area to the Masjid Jamek Lookout Point. It was a quick stop for us to enjoy the mini mosque with the words "Kuala Lumpur" in front of it. Some of the tall buildings on the side have art murals that are maybe Instagram-worthy. We really liked and were surprised that this place wasn't crowded when we visited. But, I suppose, people had enjoyed the view, took pictures, then moved on. My husband and I didn't witness any water show, but there is apparently one (per some reviews). </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kuala+Lumpur+City+Gallery/@3.147161,101.6910641,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49cd118d15db:0xf4df5dbee3a1702e!8m2!3d3.1472706!4d101.6932787" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kuala Lumpur City Gallery</a></span> </b></div><div>Our walk led us to the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. It is a newer gallery and has exhibits where you can learn more about the history of Kuala Lumpur (although not all of the exhibits are 100% completed), and see some unique art pieces. The museum was free for all guests. The city gallery also has public bathrooms, which were clean and well maintained. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Walk around <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Merdeka+Square/@3.1490562,101.6914685,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49cd98881539:0x340bf906bc763359!8m2!3d3.1490508!4d101.6936572" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Merdeka Square</a></span> </b></div><div>We were excited to walk through Merdeka Square, since it is another main site to see while in Kuala Lumpur. We ended up not seeing or doing much because most of the square was closed off or being set up for Merdeka (Independence) Day (August 31st, 2022).</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/JUMPA+at+Sungei+Wang/@3.1447031,101.7094537,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc374bf8704cdb:0xf3f31bc3f4f7da0c!8m2!3d3.1446977!4d101.7116424" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jumpa at Sungei Wang Plaza</a></span> </b></div><div>We next visited Jumpa at Sungei Wang Plaza, which is one (of quite a few) large shopping malls. The interesting thing about this mall is that there were some store fronts that were empty on certain floors. Perhaps there will be more stores to come soon. This was also home to the next two places we visited.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/MinNature+Malaysia/@3.1440415,101.7087985,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc4c935376b5db:0xf4edad1f20aa18e4!8m2!3d3.1440361!4d101.7109872" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MinNature Malaysia</a></span> </b></div><div>We took the escalator up to MinNature Malaysia, an attraction where you can see miniature regions of Malaysia, and Malaysian culture and history in an indoor, air conditioned mall. There are two main shows that are part of the attraction (hint: keep a look out for the areas with seats). It is pretty much a self-guided tour so you can spend as much or as little time as you want enjoying and learning. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sungei+Wang+Plaza+Food+Court/@3.1447109,101.7079988,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc3629169e88bd:0x2fe852d357bf8891!8m2!3d3.1447055!4d101.7101875" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sungei Wang Plaza Hawker Center</a> (food court)</span> </b></div><div>It was about dinner time afterwards, so we headed to the hawker center to get our grub on. We first walked around to see which place(s) were popular. Then, we narrowed down our choices to a dim sum stall and a chicken rice/noodle stall. The dim sum was delicious and reminiscent of our trip to Hong Kong. Your food is steamed to order, and they had even sold out of certain foods on their menu. We also noticed a very long queue at a chicken rice/noodle stall. You have a choice of chicken with either noodle or rice. We went with rice, of course. They also included a side of tofu and soup. We had wished we started off here, then got dim sum if we were still hungry afterwards. </div><div><br /></div><div>We also found the Ching Han Guan Ipoh specialty snack shop, a shop selling cracker snacks of all kinds that is popular/local to Ipoh. We purchased a couple of local snacks including their traditional biscuit filled with meat floss and lotus paste and their <i>biskut telinga</i>, a cracker shaped like a mushroom cap/umbrella. There were so many crackers and snacks to choose from, it was difficult to narrow down the options. We had figured that we would be able to try more snacks and find the shop while we were in Ipoh.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Symphony+Lake+Water+Show/@3.1566825,101.7112078,17.6z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc37d14d93ea17:0xa18c0104b452d43c!8m2!3d3.1568639!4d101.7127719" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KLCC Park near Simfoni Lake</a></span> </b></div><div>We went to KLCC Park near Symphony Lake to catch their nightly light show, but it didn't happen due to technical difficulties. The light show occurs about every 30 minutes. Unfortunately, we waited in the rain for about an hour, then gave up and called it a night. We had wished they would have announced or posted something. Despite this, we did get a good viewing point of the <a href="https://www.petronastwintowers.com.my/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Petronas Twin Towers</a> and the best part was that the rain meant no photobombers!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Pick up dessert at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nyonya+Colors+Suria+KLCC/@3.1581667,101.7099169,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc37d6d3012427:0xf6bd7a8a91679935!8m2!3d3.1581613!4d101.7121056" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nyonya Colors Suria KLCC</a></span> </b></div><div>We had to walk through KLCC to get back to the metro station, and we passed by Nyonya Colors. They had a mix of desserts and savory snacks priced at 50% off because they were closing at the end of the day. Some of their dessert packs for sale can be deceiving in price because you would think you're getting 50% off the pack. Instead, each dessert pack is made up of 3-4 pieces of a type of dessert. They charge you by the piece. We didn't realize this until the cashier rang everything up. The price was still okay, and we did want to try the various desserts, so we proceeded with the purchase. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 3 - Kuala Lumpur</b></h3><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Batu+Caves/@3.2374599,101.6817347,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc470c8949a805:0xf2bfebb2b36f9ef9!8m2!3d3.2378844!4d101.6840385" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Batu Caves</a></span> </b></div><div>We started the day off very early and just had some of the Ipoh traditional biscuits and the dessert pack as our breakfast. Our first stop for the day day was Batu Caves. We were so early that there was only one other group that was there (aside from the people maintaining the grounds). The colorful stairs were quite the sight to see! I was afraid since there wasn't a handrail, some of the stairs were wet and uneven, and the stairs were overall very steep, so I only ascended the first set of stairs then made my way back down. My husband went all the way to the top and explored, then filled me in when he came down. He didn't run into any monkeys on the way up or down. Afterwards, we explored the rest of the grounds. There were lots of monkeys digging in the trash bins and looking for food. We also ran into a mother monkey carrying her baby! There is an area to see some other animals (peacocks, guinea pigs, rabbits, ducks, turkeys, etc) and walk along path on the lake for a small fee (5 ringgit). There were lots of mosquitoes here, and this is where we sustained all our bites (12 total for me, 21 for my husband; this was pre-repellant).</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Brickfields+Char+Kuey+Teow/@3.1326525,101.6896051,20.31z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x31cc49c1f5746407:0xbffa3064869659a7!2sAh+Keong's+ABC+%26+Ice+Cendol+Stall!8m2!3d3.1327272!4d101.6895255!3m4!1s0x31cc49c1f50d7a89:0x104bb51ce10aae98!8m2!3d3.1327962!4d101.6894638" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brickfields Kuey Teow</a> Street Stall and <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ah+Keong's+ABC+%26+Ice+Cendol+Stall/@3.1327485,101.6873528,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49c1f5746407:0xbffa3064869659a7!8m2!3d3.1327272!4d101.6895255" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ice cendol from Ah Keong's ABC</a></b></div><div>We stopped by these hawker stalls to try my dad's favorite dish -- <i>char kuey teow</i> and my favorite dessert -- <i>ais cendol</i>. Both were relatively inexpensive, and there were mainly locals frequenting these stalls. The char kuey teow is cooked to order. You can choose from a small or large size, and the type of meat you want. Right next door is Ah Keong's ABC ice cendol hawker stall. Here, you also choose between a regular and large size, and the type of dessert you want. There is plenty of seating since people come and go once they're done and umbrellas for sun/rain protection.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Brickfields+Pharmacy/@3.1327342,101.6807768,15z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x31cc49c1f5746407:0xbffa3064869659a7!2sAh+Keong's+ABC+%26+Ice+Cendol+Stall!8m2!3d3.1327272!4d101.6895255!3m4!1s0x31cc4994f5212d85:0x619b0a22913ab55!8m2!3d3.1327278!4d101.6895249" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brickfields Pharmacy</a> nearby for Off mosquito spray</b></div><div>Since the Brickfields Pharmacy was nearby (literally behind the street stalls) and both of us were in dire need of some mosquito repellant, we stopped in to see what they had available. They had quite a few options, from the natural kinds to some brands we've never heard of. The cashier stopped in to help us and pointed out that Off brand mosquito spray works the best. I was initially skeptical since the price of the Off brand mosquito repellant was maybe 2-3 times the cost of the other mosquito sprays. But, she was right! It worked wonders! We purchased one can and had used it up by the end of our trip! No more new mosquito bites for us! </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Petaling+Street+Market/@3.1443231,101.6976587,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49d1adb75745:0xa9f6f7fb4291fafd!8m2!3d3.1443231!4d101.6976587" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Petaling Street Market</a></b><br /></div><div>We went back to Petaling Street Market to pick up some snacks. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/No.81+Mochi+81%E5%8F%B7%E9%BA%BB%E8%8A%9D/@3.1442875,101.6956018,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49146359c2b5:0xe2bdcd5710b76612!8m2!3d3.1442821!4d101.6977905" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mochi Stall no 81 Mochi</a> stall</span> </b></div><div>This little unassuming mochi stall caught my eye, so my husband and I decided to see what they had to offer. They had several flavors of mochi available, and you can choose a single flavor or a mix of them. Me being...me, I purchased a sampler pack with a mix of all the flavors (original, pandan, black sesame, orange, and matcha), so we could try them all. The mochi was chewy and fresh! You can tell it hasn't been sitting around since the exterior toppings weren't overly moist/saturated. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kim+Soya+Bean/@3.1443714,101.6954492,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x31cc49389e8d30fb:0xad08c3fa361c2ffb!2sKim+Soya+Bean!8m2!3d3.144366!4d101.6976379!3m4!1s0x31cc49389e8d30fb:0xad08c3fa361c2ffb!8m2!3d3.144366!4d101.6976379" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kim Soya Bean</a> stall</span> </b></div><div>On our walk through Petaling Street Market, we passed by Kim Soya Bean twice. Each time, there was a queue for their soy milk and <i>tau fu fah</i> (dessert tofu). I wanted some fresh soy milk and <i>tau fu fah</i> myself so we stopped in for some to-go. Both were delicious, fresh, and not overly sweet. I love that they were packed well, so we didn't suffer any spillage bringing them back to the hotel. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nyonya+Tingkat+Bangsar+Utama+UOA/@3.1278065,101.6714354,15z/data=!4m16!1m9!2m8!1snyonya+tingkat!3m6!1snyonya+tingkat!2sAlila+Bangsar+Kuala+Lumpur,+58,+Jalan+Ang+Seng,+Brickfields,+50470+Kuala+Lumpur,+Federal+Territory+of+Kuala+Lumpur,+Malaysia!3s0x31cc499472a8954f:0xe228e0d66ebf5ed7!4m2!1d101.6801902!2d3.1277744!3m5!1s0x31cc4964b95e52ed:0xcef73a2540128df9!8m2!3d3.1277093!4d101.6785918!15sCg5ueW9ueWEgdGluZ2thdFoQIg5ueW9ueWEgdGluZ2thdJIBCnJlc3RhdXJhbnTgAQA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nyonya Tingkat Bangsar Utama UOA</a></span> </b></div><div>A Malaysian dish we wanted to try was <i>laksa</i>, and we weren't sure which place had the best one. We saw an advertisement for Nyonya Tingkat and saw that there were quite a few people dining in, so decided to give them a try too. We wanted to try their nyonya curry laksa, but they were sold out. We ordered their nyonya asam laksa. The dish was definitely spicy and hot (temperature wise). It was full of spices and the mix of flavors just worked perfectly together. My husband and I did our best to enjoy the dish, but the spiciness really pushed us to gobble our meal as quickly as we could. Between the laksa and the water we drank to kill the fire, we were full for the night.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 4 - Kuala Lumpur</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/KL+Bird+Park/@3.1434477,101.6859977,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49c8c1d6ccbb:0x8ad65008e031cb85!8m2!3d3.1431273!4d101.6882629" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KL Bird Park</a></span> </b></div><div>Because of my love of animals and birds, KL Bird Park was on our radar to visit. There are many sections to the bird park, and there's a mix of birds free roaming and behind enclosed spaces. There is an area where you can take photos with multiple parrot species birds. There is also an area where you can feed ostrich for free with the vegetables provided on the counter. The tough part is catching the ostrich's attention and hoping they're hungry for a bite!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/LaLaport+BUKIT+BINTANG+CITY+CENTRE/@3.1409604,101.7063458,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc3726cf342663:0x5f4e529b3d3e41b0!8m2!3d3.140955!4d101.7085345" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lalaport Bukit Bintang City Shopping Mall</a></span> </b></div><div>Our next stop was the Lalaport Bukit Bintang City shopping mall, mainly because we were recommended to try <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nam+Heong+Chicken+Rice/@3.1409871,101.6997797,15z/data=!4m16!1m9!2m8!1snam+heong!3m6!1snam+heong!2sLaLaport+BUKIT+BINTANG+CITY+CENTRE,+2,+Jalan+Hang+Tuah,+Bukit+Bintang,+55100+Kuala+Lumpur,+Federal+Territory+of+Kuala+Lumpur,+Malaysia!3s0x31cc3726cf342663:0x5f4e529b3d3e41b0!4m2!1d101.7085345!2d3.140955!3m5!1s0x31cc3757071344d1:0x9741387642ca0087!8m2!3d3.1402777!4d101.7090765!15sCgluYW0gaGVvbmdaCyIJbmFtIGhlb25nkgESY2hpY2tlbl9yZXN0YXVyYW50mgEjQ2haRFNVaE5NRzluUzBWSlEwRm5TVU4xYjJGeFowTlJFQUXgAQA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nam Heong Chicken Rice</a> for their chicken rice. A local had told us that they have the best chicken rice in the area (particularly, the location near Petaling Street Market). We happened to be closer to this area and the rain had started so we were thinking the shopping mall location could be worth a try. The food did not disappoint -- the chicken was flavorful and juicy and paired well with the chicken broth rice. The bean sprouts we had were from Ipoh, based on the size and length of the sprouts. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>Bean sprouts from Ipoh are fatter and shorter, whereas the bean sprouts from Kuala Lumpur are skinnier and longer.</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We walked around the shopping mall to pass the time, and eventually found the <a href="https://www.teamlab.art/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Team Lab</a> exhibit <a href="https://www.teamlab.art/e/lalaport_kualalumpur/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">resonating microcosms</a> on the outside part of the topmost floor. Luckily, the rain had subsided by then. Since we went during the day, it was neat to see our reflections on the little irregularly shaped silver bean pods on the lawn. We were able to get some nice selfie photos because of our reflections from the bean pods. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get one without unintentional photobombers present, since it was such a popular attraction. What I learned too (after we had already returned to the states) was that there is a sound when you tilt the bean pod, and a light exhibit with the bean pods at night. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/National+Mosque+of+Malaysia/@3.1419837,101.6895686,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc49cf64217f25:0xafe31372d22026fb!8m2!3d3.1419783!4d101.6917573" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Mosque of Malaysia</a></span> </b></div><div>We made our way to the National Mosque of Malaysia. The rain started to pour heavily at this time. Unfortunately, once we arrived, we weren't able to visit inside because they were not taking visitors at the time, per the sign. We also watched as another pair of visitors stopped in, talked with the lady at the information booth, and were turned away. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jln+Alor,+Bukit+Bintang,+Kuala+Lumpur,+Federal+Territory+of+Kuala+Lumpur,+Malaysia/@3.1459258,101.7067844,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc362993b6bbf9:0xb51e49d2f36c3d3f!8m2!3d3.1459204!4d101.7089731" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jalan Alor (Jln Alor)</a></b></div><div>We stopped by Jalan Alor next. It is best known for their many, many street stalls selling hot foods, fruits, durian, dessert, and more! Because it had just rained, there weren't too many people out and about when we visited. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Bamboo cane drink and coconut juice from street stall</b></div><div>You've heard of sugar cane, but have you heard of bamboo cane? No? Neither have we! We found a stall that had bamboo cane and coconut juice and bought one bottle of each to try. We found the bamboo cane didn't really differ much from the sugar cane drink, except that it was less sweet and more of a coca-cola color. The coconut juice had fresh, young coconut pulp in it. Both were refreshing, given the humid weather.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wong+Ah+Wah+Restaurant/@3.1449545,101.705795,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x31cc3629c2295985:0x2c174db11e4e24c5!2sWong+Ah+Wah+Restaurant!8m2!3d3.1449491!4d101.7079837!3m4!1s0x31cc3629c2295985:0x2c174db11e4e24c5!8m2!3d3.1449491!4d101.7079837" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restoran Wong Ah Wah</a></span> </b></div><div>Our dinner stop was Restoran Wong Ah Wah. Despite how the street was not busy from the recent rain, this restaurant was almost a full house. We ordered their Hokkien mee, stir fried vegetables, and sting ray. When ordering, they charge by size and their menu shows what size would feed about how many people. The sting ray, however, is charged by weight. Their Hokkien mee had chewy, al dente egg noodles in a dark sauce, stir fried to perfection, and topped with chicken. Their stir fried vegetables were almost like something I could've made at home; nothing too special but it was a vegetable dish we needed for fiber. Since we have eaten sting ray before when <a href="https://www.nextwithnicole.net/2022/10/5-days-in-paris-france.html" target="_blank">we visited France</a>, we knew exactly how to approach this dish. The sting ray was perfectly pan fried. The meat was not too dry or overcooked, nor was it too oily. Do expect that there isn't much meat on the stingray and be sure to flip the piece to the other side to catch any remnant meat pieces!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Melaka Nyonya Cendol stall</span> </b></div><div>We passed by a cendol stall after dinner and stopped in. They had a couple of options that would include durian, ice kacang, and ice cendol. We decided to try their <i>ice kacang</i> this time. The difference that we noted was the addition of corn in syrup and some beans to the dessert, both of which were delicious additions! </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Fruit stall (15 ringgit per Kg)</span> </b></div><div>We passed by three fruit stalls on Jalan Alor, all of which charged the same price per kilogram of fruit. Two stalls are on opposite sides of the street, and the third stall is closer to one of the two stalls. Since the price was the same and we were closer to one of the fruit stalls, we purchased 1kg of rambutan and mangosteen. They also had some pre-peeled and packaged durian and jackfruit at a la carte prices. Because we purchased a lot of fruits, they gave us a discount. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 5 - Kuala Lumpur</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Madam+Kwan's+Mid+Valley+Megamall/@3.1177045,101.675289,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc498eb3feafa7:0x4372a1ba949f742e!8m2!3d3.1176991!4d101.6774777" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Madam Kwan's</a> at <a href="https://www.midvalley.com.my/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Midvalley Megamall</a></span> </b></div><div>We slept in and started the day with brunch at Madam Kwan's, which was recommended by my sister-in-law. The restaurant had a long queue, and the hostess was scrambling to seat people. Once seated, you should be sure to receive a QR code, which will allow you to place an order to be delivered to your table. Unfortunately, my husband and I didn't know the process and sat for a good 15 minutes or so. I started looking over at other tables and realized each table had QR codes and subsequent tables that were seated after us received a little slip with their QR code. It was difficult flagging down a waitress because of how busy the restaurant is, but we eventually got our QR code and got to ordering. We ordered their <i>beef rendang</i>, <i>assam laksa</i>, and their <i>belacan kangkung</i>. The dishes came out as they were prepared. The <i>beef rendang</i> was tender, juicy, and full of flavor. We regretted not ordering some rice on the side to soak up all the extra sauce from this dish! The <i>assam laksa</i>, too, was full of flavor and a wonderful combination of spices. You can really taste the tartness of the tamarind and the mackerel. The spicyness was just right for us, and we were able to really enjoy this dish! We ended up cancelling the <i>belacan kangkung</i> dish because it took a while to come out. We were already done with our meals and had waited another 20 minutes or so, in hopes that it would come out.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.midvalley.com.my/tenant/MouTakDing/165c31b3-b0c7-4a89-b793-cafebc403bcc/EAT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mou Tak Ding Petaling Street Air Mata Kucing</a> stall </b></div><div>If you're wondering what <i>air mata kucing</i> is, we recommend you give it a try. It is a cold herbal beverage sweetened with monkfruit (luo han guo), and has both longan and wintermelon. The drink is perfectly refreshing and cooling, especially with the humid weather in Malaysia!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.midvalley.com.my/tenant/KedaiKopitiamOrientalKopi/e1745e63-d2b3-4efb-b60b-f1614b891b68/EAT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oriental Kopi</a></span> </b></div><div>As we sipped on our <i>air mata kucing</i>, the very long queue at Oriental Kopi caught our eye. We observed and noticed a line for people wishing to dine in, and another line for people ordering to-go. We did a quick Google search on this place, and it seems they are known for their signature egg tarts, which was awarded as one of the thickest. Being an egg tart fan and foodie, I had to give these signature egg tarts a try! They had a buy 4, get 2 free deal, so we were in for 6 to-go. There were two orders ahead of us that also took advantage of this deal, and there were other smaller orders too. The egg tart was absolutely delicious and is most definitely thick on the crust! We highly recommend at least trying it once! Their custard was so creamy, rich and eggy. The crust was thick and flaky, but wasn't messy to eat surprisingly.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Noodle shop from food court</b></div><div>We wanted to try to catch the light show again, so we grabbed a quick bite to eat from a noodle shop at the food court. I, unfortunately, didn't get the name of the noodle shop, but they were known for their wonton soup and is located at the ground floor. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Symphony+Lake+Water+Show/@3.1566825,101.7112078,17.6z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc37d14d93ea17:0xa18c0104b452d43c!8m2!3d3.1568639!4d101.7127719" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KLCC Park near Simfoni Lake</a></span> </b></div><div>We went back to KLCC Park and successfully caught the light show. It was a beautiful sight with all the different colors and water fountain patterns. On one side of the lake, you'll be able to see the light colors much more clearly because it's against a dark background. If you walk around the lake, you'll be able to catch the colors of the light show against the Petronas Twin Towers. It is an absolutely beautiful sight to see! Again, the show comes every 30 minutes, so be sure to walk around and catch the different vantage points! My husband and I walked around the park once we finished the light show to work off the food from the day. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nyonya+Colors+Suria+KLCC/@3.1581667,101.7099169,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc37d6d3012427:0xf6bd7a8a91679935!8m2!3d3.1581613!4d101.7121056" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nyonya Colors Suria KLCC</a></span> </b></div><div>Since we needed to pass by Nyonya Colors to get to the subway and there was a discount (50% off due to closing time sale), we decided to stop in and pick up a different selection of cakes that we could have for breakfast the following day.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyot0zetLGtDuzYc7rId6xDaRTzyfWh2GpsLnn67SqTJnajQp1ReFO_zZs6EAx9jbvuFL-r9ud2VNPWCy89VBo-O0_HZdHvyIHyu29Nhc8EyB643dLXginGsmgOL82B_tkIeFvBep4QDeSfvJUrlr6ixcKPKzdG59TvZbOIwbdSHD_EyXgB-vJbO8/s2000/Travel%20Template%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyot0zetLGtDuzYc7rId6xDaRTzyfWh2GpsLnn67SqTJnajQp1ReFO_zZs6EAx9jbvuFL-r9ud2VNPWCy89VBo-O0_HZdHvyIHyu29Nhc8EyB643dLXginGsmgOL82B_tkIeFvBep4QDeSfvJUrlr6ixcKPKzdG59TvZbOIwbdSHD_EyXgB-vJbO8/s16000/Travel%20Template%20(2).png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 6 - Ipoh</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Train to Ipoh</b></div><div>We took the train from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh. The train ride took about 2.5 hours. When you purchase your tickets, you'll be assigned a train and seat number. If you're traveling in a group, be sure to purchase your tickets ahead if you want to sit together. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Check in to the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g298298-d1220782-Reviews-Ipoh_French_Hotel-Ipoh_Kinta_District_Perak.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">French Hotel</a></b></div><div>For our time in Ipoh, we stayed at the French Hotel. The accommodation was "just right" for us and the room was clean. Our room faced an alleyway, and was quiet with not much to see until Sunday when the Memory Lane market took place. This was not an issue, since we spent most of our time out and about exploring Ipoh.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Restoran+Nasi+Briyani+Bukhara/@4.5992228,101.0807981,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec62a8521377:0x38263a14dfb3cfb4!8m2!3d4.5992143!4d101.0829998" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restoran Nasi Briyani Bukhara</a></span> </b></div><div>Since about one third of the largest population in Malaysia is Indian, we definitely had to try some Indian food during our trip. We walked to Restoran Nasi Briyani Bukhara. At the time we went (about early afternoon), they were serving food cafeteria style, where you picked what you wanted from a selection of dishes on hot trays. We kept things simple with some rice and chicken curry. Both paired well and was just enough to keep us satiated and ready to continue with our day. The price here was reasonable too with a lot of locals dining in or getting their food to-go, despite the late lunch time!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Principal+Laundry/@4.5977704,101.083528,21z/data=!4m16!1m9!2m8!1slaundry!3m6!1slaundry!2sFrench+Hotel,+62,+Jalan+Datuk+Onn+Jaafar,+Kampung+Jawa,+30300+Ipoh,+Perak,+Malaysia!3s0x31caec62c74c2b75:0x1d5a4c9b7009d212!4m2!1d101.0834335!2d4.5980201!3m5!1s0x31caedbbf3c670a5:0x3e7e5174e67922df!8m2!3d4.5977958!4d101.0836464!15sCgdsYXVuZHJ5WgkiB2xhdW5kcnmSAQpsYXVuZHJvbWF04AEA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Principal Laundry</a></span> </b></div><div>We did our laundry at Principal Laundry, located directly across the street from the hotel. The hardest part was crossing the street. You will need coins to operate the machines, and there is a machine that can provide some change. You'll also need to remove your shoes (which is why the place is pretty clean inside). The price of the washing machine already includes detergent, which the machine will add into your load after you load the machine and pay. Instructions to operate the machines are available in English. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Walk around town</b></div><div>While our laundry was going, we took a walk around town. We didn't have anywhere in specific in mind since we had to make it back to move our laundry from washer to dryer. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ipoh+-+Funny+Mountain+Soya+Beancurd/@4.5948458,101.0822432,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec6363e3d48b:0x68087b1a4f363361!8m2!3d4.5948405!4d101.0844319" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Funny Mountain Soya and Tau Fu Fah</a></b></div><div>While walking around town, we found Funny Mountain Soya and Tau Fu Fah. Since I love fresh soy milk and dessert tofu, you bet we stopped by! This place had a queue, with people getting their orders to-go. We followed suit and got ours to-go too. We purchased a bottle of soy milk and one order of <i>tau fu fah</i>. Both were so delicious and fresh! It made me regret not buying more!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cowan+Street+Ayam+Tauge+%26+Koitiau+Restaurant+%E9%AB%98%E6%B8%A9%E8%A1%97%E7%89%99%E8%8F%9C%E9%B8%A1%E6%B2%99%E6%B2%B3%E7%B2%89/@4.5975874,101.0836338,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec89ea869229:0xc74d900779918957!8m2!3d4.5975821!4d101.0858225" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restoran Cowan Street Ayam Tauge and Koitiau</a></b></div><div>We were on our way to a different restaurant for dinner, but the long (and growing) queue at Restoran Cowan Street Ayam Tauge and Koitiau caught our attention. There is a line for dine-in (the longer one) and one for take out (shorter one). Once we were in line, we were really at the mercy of how long people took to eat. The restaurant staff moved pretty efficiently to seat people, take their orders, prepare the food (which you can observe them doing as you're in line), then serve your order. They are known for their bean sprouts chicken, rice noodle soup, and chicken feet, so we ordered a plate of each. They charge by the size of the dish and can help make recommendations if you're unsure which size to order for your table. The poached chicken was tender and juicy with the dark sauce giving that poached chicken a savory, nutty flavor. The bean sprouts were definitely from Ipoh. They were perfectly crunchy, and the same dark sauce infused it with flavor. The rice noodle soup with a chicken broth was just the perfect homely addition. The restaurant was fully packed when we arrived. The queue after we had finished dining was even longer than when we first lined up. Our advice is to come early. Some reviews we read even state that people line up before the restaurant opens for dinner. It might be a bit excessive, but would be a good idea if you're pressed for time and want to guarantee a seat immediately.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 7 - Ipoh</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Perak+Cave+Temple+%E9%9C%B9%E9%9B%B3%E6%B4%9E/@4.6442497,101.0971851,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31ca9334036635e9:0xecbb5436ef386f94!8m2!3d4.6442444!4d101.0993738" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Perak Cave Temple</a></span> </b></div><div>We decided to visit a popular temple while in Ipoh, the Perak Cave Temple. The temple is notable for their giant Buddha statue. My husband and I started our day early, and were the first visitors there. The only people who were there earlier than us were the people maintaining the temple grounds. Because of the pouring rain overnight, the courtyard with the Guan Yin statue was flooded (but you could still get photos from the parking area). There are multiple altars as you explore through the cave and ascend the cave. Eventually, you'll reach a point where there is a single narrow staircase up to the opening of the cave. There is a certain "climbing time" for this staircase, likely because of safety as it can get dark at night. The stairs are steep and can be slippery (especially if it just rained); but if you're brave enough to make the trek up, you'll be rewarded with great city views. My husband and I went up the first flight of stairs out of the cave and to one of the pavillions to the side. We decided not to go up any further since we were still holding on to our burning incenses, and the stairs were steep and slippery (just rained the night before). They have self-serve tea with a seating area inside the cave if you want to sit and people watch. They do have restrooms here, and the restrooms are well-maintained and clean.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Let's+Rock+Restaurant+%E5%A4%A7%E5%AE%B6%E6%A5%BD/@4.5954566,101.0650075,15z/data=!4m9!1m2!2m1!1sLet's+Rock+Restaurant!3m5!1s0x31caec626fd25951:0x1ec0c67ed2dd795!8m2!3d4.5982393!4d101.0860054!15sChVMZXQncyBSb2NrIFJlc3RhdXJhbnRaFyIVbGV0J3Mgcm9jayByZXN0YXVyYW50kgEKcmVzdGF1cmFudOABAA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Let's Rock Restaurant</a></span> </b></div><div>Our next stop was Let's Rock Restaurant for lunch. They are known for their soup, which you can choose to add fish, chicken, beef, or pork balls; tofu; or vegetables. You just need to seat yourself and your meal is cooked to order. We really enjoyed the simple soup and trying to figure out which meat we were eating, since everything was mixed together. We weren't sure if this place was promising, since we were the second or third party dining in. We later knew we chose a good place after eating the food and watching as the restaurant filled to capacity by the end of our meal.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mural+Art's+Lane/@4.5934806,101.080022,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec7b4a371529:0x6013037aa7d7dc38!8m2!3d4.5934753!4d101.0822107" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mural Art's Lane</a></b></div><div>After lunch, we beat the crowd again as we made our way exploring Mural Art's Lane. It is pretty much an alleyway (not sketchy though!) where there are art murals painted on both sides of the alley. There are quite a few that seem to be in good condition, and some where the mural is in need of some restoration. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>Fun Fact: </b> Across the street of Mural Art's Lane is an alleyway of homes painted in the colors of the rainbow! See if you can find this alley too!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Concubine+Ln,+30000+Ipoh,+Perak,+Malaysia/@4.596334,101.0757565,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec7c37482abb:0xad11fb6e4f40577!8m2!3d4.5963287!4d101.0779452" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Concubine Lane</a></span> </b></div><div>We decided to immerse ourselves in a bit of history by visiting Concubine Lane. Concubine Lane itself has lots of shops and was very crowded when we had visited. It is easily a popular tourist site for foreigners and locals alike. We didn't get to enjoy shopping and looking around much, since we were packed like sardines and were trying to just "go with the flow/crowd." Our advice (hindsight) is to try going early in the day so you can avoid the hustle and bustle. In the Concubine Lane area, there is also a walking path you can take to look at the different murals scattered throughout the area. The murals show snippets of life in the past to modern times.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kallumalai+Arulmigu+Subramaniyar+Temple+(Kallumalai+Murugan),Ipoh/@4.6762551,101.0188367,12z/data=!4m9!1m2!2m1!1sKallumai+Arulmigu+Subraminiyar+Temple!3m5!1s0x31caec8fb89aaaab:0xc61fa45804cc12c8!8m2!3d4.6081901!4d101.0842132!15sCiVLYWxsdW1haSBBcnVsbWlndSBTdWJyYW1pbml5YXIgVGVtcGxlWiciJWthbGx1bWFpIGFydWxtaWd1IHN1YnJhbWluaXlhciB0ZW1wbGWSAQxoaW5kdV90ZW1wbGWaASRDaGREU1VoTk1HOW5TMFZKUTBGblNVUlhlUzFsWWpOUlJSQULgAQA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kallumai Arulmigu Subraminiyar Temple</a></span> </b></div><div>We tried to visit Kallumai Arulmigu Subraminiyar Temple, but it was closed.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Naina+Mohamed+Restaurant/@4.5983492,101.0832005,17.39z/data=!4m9!1m2!2m1!1sRestoran+Naina+Mohamed!3m5!1s0x31caec883a2bd6f1:0x655d4d622a7bfbef!8m2!3d4.6000472!4d101.0845388!15sChZSZXN0b3JhbiBOYWluYSBNb2hhbWVkWhgiFnJlc3RvcmFuIG5haW5hIG1vaGFtZWSSAQpyZXN0YXVyYW50mgEjQ2haRFNVaE5NRzluUzBWSlEwRm5TVU0yZFhGbWRsZFJFQUXgAQA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restoran Naina Mohamed</a></span> </b></div><div>Our dinner stop was at Restoran Naina Mohamed, so we can try some <i>nasi goreng</i> and<i> roti canai.</i> Because we had visited at dinner time, they had the option of cafeteria style, where you would choose from the selection on hot trays, or the option of ordering from the menu, where the food would be prepared in the kitchen. Our dinner ended up being ordered off the menu. The food was delicious! The <i>nasi goreng</i> (fried rice) had a bit of a kick to it and didn't interfere with our ability to enjoy the dish. The <i>roti canai</i> is a piece of flatbread, similar to paratha, served with a side of curry sauce. We highly recommend visiting if you want your fill of Indian food!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 8 - Ipoh</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Walkthrough <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Memory+Lane/@4.5994526,101.081737,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec886b2aaa65:0xa3527436db5d2f3f!8m2!3d4.5994511!4d101.0834016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Memory Lane market</a></b></div><div>Since our room window faced an alleyway, we were awakened Sunday morning by music and the mumbles of the crowd echoing in the alleyway. I looked out the window, and sure enough, the Memory Lane market was ongoing. There were tents on one side of the alleyway and spanning both sides of Jalan Horley. The shops sold a variety of goods, from vintage, to crafts, to random electronics (I even saw a pretty old and bulky Apple macbook for sale!), to toys and more. The market was pretty busy and crowded. It was the most bustling we have seen Ipoh overall during our stay.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>Fun Fact:</b> The Memory Lane market takes place every Sunday.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kek+Lok+Tong/@4.5589688,101.1272153,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caedd86b680e55:0xcaea34998f77c164!8m2!3d4.5589635!4d101.129404" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kek Lok Tong Temple</a></span> </b></div><div>Kek Lok Tong Temple is known for their cave leading to a large, open garden area with a small lake between the mountain. It was beautiful and seemed like a surreal place you would find in a storybook. They have bikes or boats for rent, or you can just simply walk around the grounds and enjoy. They have restroom facilities that were well-maintained and clean. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ling+Sen+Tong+Temple/@4.5663063,101.1118914,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caf15555555555:0xd719f51b5562027e!8m2!3d4.5662993!4d101.1140854" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ling Sen Fong Temple</a></span> </b></div><div>We decided to visit an area of Ipoh known for having several temples in the same vicinity, and each with their own unique architecture and style. Ling Sen Fong Temple was the most busy one and first one the street. It was also the most colorful one where we encountered the most monkeys. It did rain at one point during our visit, and our recommendation is to stick it out until the rain subsides (because it eventually does). They have an area where you can try to toss coins (amount of your choosing) into certain targets. They also have area where you can write a wish to the god of love and hang your wish to a tree or chain.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nam+Thean+Tong+Temple/@4.5654966,101.1126186,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec2d1b52e811:0x20f9effc68563224!8m2!3d4.5653229!4d101.1148498" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nam Thean Tong</a></b> </div><div>This was the next cave temple we visited, and they're known for their viewing area (balcony) where you can see other temples in the area. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sam+Poh+Tong+Temple/@4.5637157,101.1131534,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caee88ad5452c5:0x35343c6f44836df2!8m2!3d4.5637102!4d101.1153419" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sam Poh Tong</a></span> </b></div><div>This was next on our temple visit route, and this temple is known for their turtle pond as well as their "Mystery Temple" (a large Asian-style building in the middle of the mountain). You can feed the turtles for a fee. There were other temples in the area, but we didn't continuue on. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Restaurant+Haji+Yahya/@4.5943489,101.0801953,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec62a249a84d:0x10f9f52116c4c7eb!8m2!3d4.5943436!4d101.082384" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restaurant Haji Yahya</a></span> </b></div><div>We wanted to try some Malaysian food, so we went to Restaurant Haji Yahya. The restaurant was busy, with large groups reserving tables ahead. The food is cooked on hot plates, and you self-serve your food and seat yourself. Once seated, a waitress will come to your table and give you a paper slip with the tab you'll be due. You pay after you eat. I ate some fish, beef rendang, chicken thigh, and coconut rice. I recommend trying the different food they serve here because there is such a variety of flavors that come with each dish. I found the chicken thigh to be dry, and recommend skipping that. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Addon+White+Coffee+Ipoh/@4.5975874,101.0836338,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caed25ac015b49:0xa30e2259598524ae!8m2!3d4.5975178!4d101.0841134" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Addon White Coffee</a></b> </div><div>While in Ipoh, we've seen a lot of advertisements about "white coffee." We decided to give white coffee a try at Addon White Coffee. The coffee tasted really good and rich, but was also very sweet. We definitely recommend trying it at least once while you're in Ipoh! You can learn more about Ipoh white coffee by reading the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipoh_white_coffee" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia article here</a>. Since my husband hasn't tried <i>kaya</i> before, we also ordered a side of kaya with steam bread, so he could try it. Kaya is a rich, creamy, coconut-y spread that goes great on toast or steam bread. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Street stall across the street from Addon White Coffee</b></div><div>We were planning to eat dinner at one of the stalls of the food court across the street. The original place we were planning to eat wasn't open yet, and there was another stall that was open and forming a large crowd. The stall sells thin, crepe-like rolls filled with vegetables, noodles, and meat. It looked similar to <i>run bing</i> (潤餅), a snack food we've had when <a href="https://www.nextwithnicole.net/2019/12/travel-food-taipei-taiwan.html" target="_blank">we visited Taiwan</a>. This stall was very popular, and everything was reasonably priced. The also close once they sell out, so it is definitely something to try to catch if you visit Ipoh! The person preparing the dish will ask how many rolls you want, whether or not you want some spicy sauce on it, and whether you're dining in or taking it to-go. If your order is to-go, you'll get your order earlier than those who are dining in, at least that was our experience. We're lucky we opted for to-go when it was our turn!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tong+Sui+Kai/@4.5949799,101.0849545,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec63e996d9e9:0x5f27865daf57404e!8m2!3d4.5949746!4d101.0871432" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tong Sui Kai</a></span> </b></div><div>After every good meal comes dessert. This time, we set our eyes on Tong Sui Kai or the sweet street. This street is almost like a mini night market with food and dessert stalls on one side of the street, pedestrians in the middle, and cars parked across. The toughest part was picking the "right" place to go for dessert. After researching reviewed, we decided to visit stall #27, and they turned out to be a solid option because we beat the crowd again! To order, we first needed to have a table (we didn't know about this so didn't have a table). There were limited tables at the front of the shop, and more in the back covered by the tent. The cashier (and waiter) helped us take a look at the back, but all seats were full. Luckily, a table in front had just finished and left. You bet we swiped those seats even though the table wasn't wiped down yet. The waiter took our order, then we began our wait for the dessert. As we waited, more people had lined up and had their orders in queue. We shared an <i>ais kacang</i> dessert. The dessert had much more toppings that other ones we've had on our trip, and it was a refreshing treat for the humid night!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Man with bicycle and candy</b></div><div>Be sure to keep your sights out for a man with a bicycle and a flat, deep circular baking sheet, and listen for a ringing bell! He is selling <i>gula ketuk</i>, a candy traditional candy from the Johor region of Malaysia. The man uses a small chisel and hammer to make little candy pieces from the candy sheet. Their original candy flavor has a nutty, ginger-y flavor to it and has specks of sesame seed in it. They also have a second flavor, but we just went with the original. We recommend trying the candy if you happen to see him! We saw him while at Tong Sui Kai and again at Ming Court Hong Kong Tim Sum. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 9 - Ipoh/Kuala Lumpur</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ming+Court+Hong+Kong+Dim+Sum+%E6%98%8E%E9%98%81%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E7%82%B9%E5%BF%83/@4.5970161,101.0841013,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec625242546d:0xbd68cf169e9e1f5a!8m2!3d4.5970108!4d101.08629" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ming Court Hong Kong Tim Sum</a></span> </b></div><div>We started our last full day in Malaysia with dim sum at Ming Court Hong Kong Tim Sum. The restaurant had a long queue, and probably had the longest queue of people of all the restaurants we've been to on this trip. They are known for their good food price and quality, which is probably why they have customers willing to wait. If you decide to dine in, be sure to get a number from the lady with the microphone and wait outside until your number is called. You can also go in to order food to-go. If you are in a smaller party (like us), they will seat a party of 2 with a party of 3 at the same table, so be sure to get comfortable sharing half the table. The food was good and very reminiscent of dim sum we had when we visited Hong Kong. The portions were just right for us, as we tried some of the usual siu mai, har gow, shrimp cheong fun, and char siu bao (BBQ pork bun). They do have a menu you can order from, and you can also order directly from a wait staff if you notice that a dish you want hasn't been brought out. There is a hot water self-serve area for when you run out of tea. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ipoh+-+Funny+Mountain+Soya+Beancurd/@4.5948458,101.0822432,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31caec6363e3d48b:0x68087b1a4f363361!8m2!3d4.5948405!4d101.0844319" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Funny Mountain Soya and Tau Fu Fah</a></span> </b></div><div>We just had to get our final fill of soy milk and dessert tofu, so we visited Funny Mountain Soya and Tau Fu Fah again. This time, since we were relatively early, we were first in line. I ordered their dessert tofu and gave their cincau (grass jelly/herbal jelly) soya drink a try. Their cincau soya drink was a delicious pairing and neither the herbalness of the jelly nor the soy milk flavor overpowered one another. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Train from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur</b></div><div>We took the train from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur. Although we tried to book tickets online, we ended up needing to sit separately due to limited availability. The train ride itself took 2.5 hours, and we were back in Kuala Lumpur, ready to enjoy the rest of our last full day in Malaysia!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Late lunch at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hawker+Chan+Kuala+Lumpur/@3.140704,101.7058932,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc37eb0f47e3c9:0xaa10a8e9af6264fa!8m2!3d3.1406986!4d101.7080819" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hawker Chan</a></span> </b></div><div>Although Hawker Chan originated in Singapore, we decided to give the branch in Malaysia a try since we're already here. We tried their soya sauce chicken noodle dish, char siew rice dish, soya bean sprouts, and papaya tea soup with pork ribs. Because it was an off time (too late for lunch, too early for dinner), we were the only ones enjoying our meal at the time. Their soya sauce chicken and char siew were flavorful and not too salty. The rice and noodles were just rice and noodles, but they complemented the meats well. Their crunchy soya bean sprouts were also similarly flavorful. The dish we were most impressed by was actually the papaya tea soup with pork ribs. We didn't think papaya would taste good in soup form because papaya is usually sweet, but the sweetness of the papaya was perfect juxtaposed to the savory, meaty broth flavor. The meat from the pork ribs was tender and fell off the bone. We highly recommend giving this place a try and to give their soup a try too for the perfect, well-rounded meal!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Train to Titiwangsa to visit <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Taman+Tasik+Titiwangsa/@3.1781164,101.7042853,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc37e278212811:0x96f97c10b58ab6d0!8m2!3d3.178111!4d101.706474" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taman Tasik Titiwangsa</a></span> </b></div><div>We spent the rest of the evening at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. It is a large park with a lake area where you can catch the skyline view of iconic Malaysian sites (ie Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur Tower, etc). You can also rent bikes (single or tandem) to go around the perimeter on paved roads or just walk around. We did about 30 minutes of bicycling, and some walking around afterwards. We were able to watch the sun set and the lights of the iconic building come on. On the outer perimeter, there are lots of different street stalls selling food and drinks. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jln+Alor,+Bukit+Bintang,+Kuala+Lumpur,+Federal+Territory+of+Kuala+Lumpur,+Malaysia/@3.1459258,101.7067844,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc362993b6bbf9:0xb51e49d2f36c3d3f!8m2!3d3.1459204!4d101.7089731" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jalan Alor</a> for dinner at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fat+Brother+Satay+Lok-lok/@3.1457642,101.7076743,18.29z/data=!4m9!1m2!2m1!1sFat+Brother+BBQ!3m5!1s0x31cc3629c3726767:0x6c63eea4c65e45b!8m2!3d3.145513!4d101.7088214!15sCg9GYXQgQnJvdGhlciBCQlFaESIPZmF0IGJyb3RoZXIgYmJxkgEKcmVzdGF1cmFudJoBJENoZERTVWhOTUc5blMwVkpRMEZuU1VObGVFeEhkM1IzUlJBQuABAA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fat Brother BBQ</a> Street Stall</span> </b></div><div>For the last bit of stomach space we had, we decided to head back to Jalan Alor and try some satay. There were a lot of people visiting Fat Brother BBQ street stall, so we gave the satay a try too. We picked different meat/veggies that were already skewered, and they cooked them to order. The price is based on the color of the skewer stick you pick, and there is a chart that shows what each color costs per skewer. As they cooked our skewers, we took a seat and people watched. The tables had 3 different sauces we could use for our satay: a sweet sauce, a savory spicy sauce, and a peanut sauce. My husband and I found that we liked the sweet sauce best. The skewers were cooked perfectly, and we were pleasantly surprised that they could remember our order!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Musang King Durian stall at end of Jalan Alor</b></div><div>While we did try some durian during our last visit to Jalan Alor, we surely didn't try their specialty -- the <i>Musang king durian</i>. We found a stall at the end of Jalan Alor, and noticed a lot of people purchasing from there. We figured the price must be relatively reasonable, so we stopped in too. How it works is you pick the grade and size of durian you want, then you are charged per kilogram. The price per kilogram depends on the grade, and the person helping you can show you their chart. They also have a guarantee -- if the flavor isn't good or if the durian is found to have bugs inside, they'll give us another one in exchange. We decided to go all out and get an "A" (highest) grade durian and chose a small one (since it would be just us two enjoying it). We paid and took a seat. The durian was served once it was cut. The durian was a beautiful, bright golden yellow color and the smell was fragrant (and not "stinky" like some other kinds). The durian was so rich, and creamy/buttery, with a subtly sweet taste and a texture that was custard-like. It was absolutely delicious, and we wished we had eaten more throughout our trip (although that would hurt our wallet!). This is another "must-try" we recommend when you visit Malaysia!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 10 - Transit day</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Kuala Lumpur - Narita - SFO</b></div><div>Our flight back home was just as smooth as our flight out to Malaysia. We lucked out on rows to ourselves (mainly because they were in seats of 2) and didn't have too many issues getting enough rest during our flight. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_r7rYZsN41VRb_M5SUteP00qdE_Q8PNXGtCRcW4F5N-3LH7Cfhplrobg3gmEzqrxruj4fcuzyEvVqx1Qq6FNyaduSQdQkmSCA103HAeTGMcVUApFQLnre4lrhw-glPGfe5ounZ6Mob-CqymoV52nMv_SYsHyLN6rmFfzcpHt8Yd0upH1HcfYPm8/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_r7rYZsN41VRb_M5SUteP00qdE_Q8PNXGtCRcW4F5N-3LH7Cfhplrobg3gmEzqrxruj4fcuzyEvVqx1Qq6FNyaduSQdQkmSCA103HAeTGMcVUApFQLnre4lrhw-glPGfe5ounZ6Mob-CqymoV52nMv_SYsHyLN6rmFfzcpHt8Yd0upH1HcfYPm8/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful or admire my smartphone photography skills for the pin? Pin the image to share!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>During our trip to Malaysia, we've had the luxury of being able to try some exotic fruits local to the area, one of which both of us have never tried before. When in Malaysia, we recommend trying the following fruits: snake fruit, dragonfruit (pink inside), durian, rambutan, mangosteen, jackfruit, and longan. Can you guess which fruit neither of us have tried before our visit to Malaysia? Can you guess which one(s) were our favorites? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> </div></div> </div> </div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1569486 101.712303-25.153285236178846 66.556053 31.467182436178845 136.86855300000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-79318824953395633082022-07-02T15:05:00.068-07:002022-10-28T16:58:49.853-07:00DIY Diary | Clairol 6C (Brass Free Light Brown) Review<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZgHmBj1MBkXflI7rmcEbaAteJVJAADIJfnO4iK0511kpkPxtwYZk5RC-txjJL40RnvLWJVyQfVkk9VJvkhso1As17fcezTABx7D2KyogwXeOCpn5EDW3S-tp8qAXpVK1tH0GFQ3FXb3ouP9mQLGWYkRWyQ4VsCw-zXNflWhKujEMPI1UygYn5CDw"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you've been following along with my blog and travels, you may have noticed that my hair has become quite...yellow. I didn't realize how yellow my hair became until my trip to Puerto Vallarta. Since a friend's wedding was coming up soon and I wanted to save some money, I decided to give a DIY at-home box dye session a try. <div dir="auto"></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">So I'm sure you're wondering how my hair got this way in the first place.</h3><div><br /></div><div>Well, I've always had the usual dark, black colored Asian hair and have always stuck with the simple, subtle caramel/chocolate/cocoa/brown colors when I get my hair balayage-d (is that even a word?). I've always wanted to try an ashy light brown for a change, and so, I finally did it! </div><div><br /></div><div>Going with the lighter color came with a lot of maintenance (relatively). I had to change over and use purple shampoo to keep the color tone. From what my other dark-haired-friends-gone-light have told me, they typically get their hair recolored every 6 weeks to maintain..."the look." That's where I slacked because I typically only get my hair colored once a year or not at all. Also, I couldn't justify the expense just to maintain "the look." Although it was fun having beautiful light ash brown hair, I decided to just see how long I last without all of these maintenance sessions. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Then came <a href="https://www.nextwithnicole.net/2022/06/4-days-in-puerto-vallarta-mexico.html">my trip to Puerto Vallarta</a>. </h3><div><br /></div><div>My natural, dark, virgin hair had grown out quite a few inches by then and really made a stark contrast against the yellow (and some parts turning orange) in my hair. The picture that caught my attention was when my husband and I did our waterfall hike. Then, fast-forward to my friend's bridal shower. The stark contrast was even more noticeable with the dark, natural hair even longer than prior. My hair was so...dead, crispy, crunchy, static-y. I knew I had to do or try something to get my hair back on track. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkDWlFIdAHA6XBdd0O8l6D1xXMXoKM3dBbfL5ov850qZrFScpwq-fqx1e53P6hPa8yGT3QM3dG2ar64Npm-D5c596RsINTn5obBu5zv_4Zs6r43qSkK99VQ1I8T7JwxHI1a-G6_WNFuiQ-XhjFMfpCN12wnOtDJWvmuW6a3VDBe4HfZMn_yszz5c/s4080/PXL_20220410_223921484.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkDWlFIdAHA6XBdd0O8l6D1xXMXoKM3dBbfL5ov850qZrFScpwq-fqx1e53P6hPa8yGT3QM3dG2ar64Npm-D5c596RsINTn5obBu5zv_4Zs6r43qSkK99VQ1I8T7JwxHI1a-G6_WNFuiQ-XhjFMfpCN12wnOtDJWvmuW6a3VDBe4HfZMn_yszz5c/s16000/PXL_20220410_223921484.MP.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hair after at-home box dye</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">To save money, I looked into and researched DIY at-home box hair dye. </h3><div><br /></div><div>But, there were so many questions: Which brand? What kind? What color? How does it work since my hair is already dyed? What if my hair becomes too dark or even lighter or orange? Which dye will not damage my hair any more than it already is?</div><div><br /></div><div>I looked up photos of box dyes online and tried to match the yellow color of my hair to the final results from the box dye to establish what color level number (darkness or lightness of the hair) I was at. I did the same for my roots too to ensure that I didn't choose a color that was too dark. I then browsed the different box dye brands online and took a look at their color options and which color(s) were what I was aiming for. From there, I figured out which color level I was aiming for.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARltwSm_rGUsbxJkiurd94wi1rp8dv4VBQuTiWmqkNf5YRUgj0OrfOjYVKsSf56WGIa1MFCWcaH-XBU7dOAAAEHqiCW_5FpHL_9z32nvOu1vl5zxAMXVLYiMtQbpvh7-YiL9kxMt-KBJewKMgt_138dGoNBhqo_u6CopZODF62tvW-xvtLOU4Weo/s480/Levelsystem6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARltwSm_rGUsbxJkiurd94wi1rp8dv4VBQuTiWmqkNf5YRUgj0OrfOjYVKsSf56WGIa1MFCWcaH-XBU7dOAAAEHqiCW_5FpHL_9z32nvOu1vl5zxAMXVLYiMtQbpvh7-YiL9kxMt-KBJewKMgt_138dGoNBhqo_u6CopZODF62tvW-xvtLOU4Weo/s16000/Levelsystem6.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Credits to Clairol Professional</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I started watching videos on Youtube and turned to Pinterest to learn more about the color wheel and color theory so that I could choose the right "tone" for my hair. I decided I wanted either a cool or neutral tone and that I wanted something that would remove any brass (orange) that was in my dyed hair. Also, I wanted something that wouldn't damage my hair any more than it already was (although I know that it would still cause <i>some</i> damage). All of my research efforts led me to the Clairol Natural Instincts box hair dye in 6C (brass free light brown) color. Even though I arrived at this brand and color myself, I checked online for any reviews on the dye and color.</div><div><br /></div><div>After researching and comparing prices, I ultimately purchased the hair dye from Amazon (came in a pack of 2 for $13.98, free shipping). I purchased two packs, since my hair was long. I decided to use one pack at a time so that I wouldn't end up with too much leftover (just in case!). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQ3vJKJWHavORxSgpoTXaGS0fo2fCxneN9gc0-uyMQkA5l3h0nGQYXHZESI5Qoj2n8TxqPBchAfYKxHrsDn2GgBXJdB7yqVMX8x2Cv-FVUIwMuGfffxlHjnmOH-mxJ1Q4R4flfNkzlJkaxXNT5ZdcU69YyZCird92IcHyqhG8GnEGOoB8g1hflz9Y" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7159688100098120402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQ3vJKJWHavORxSgpoTXaGS0fo2fCxneN9gc0-uyMQkA5l3h0nGQYXHZESI5Qoj2n8TxqPBchAfYKxHrsDn2GgBXJdB7yqVMX8x2Cv-FVUIwMuGfffxlHjnmOH-mxJ1Q4R4flfNkzlJkaxXNT5ZdcU69YyZCird92IcHyqhG8GnEGOoB8g1hflz9Y=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Front of box</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7159688092117850626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZgHmBj1MBkXflI7rmcEbaAteJVJAADIJfnO4iK0511kpkPxtwYZk5RC-txjJL40RnvLWJVyQfVkk9VJvkhso1As17fcezTABx7D2KyogwXeOCpn5EDW3S-tp8qAXpVK1tH0GFQ3FXb3ouP9mQLGWYkRWyQ4VsCw-zXNflWhKujEMPI1UygYn5CDw=s16000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Back of box</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="ltr"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The box dye was really easy to use. These are the steps I took:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Squeeze content from Tube 1 into bottle 2. Cap bottle and shake until fully blended.</li><li>Because I had colored my hair in the past 3 months, I applied the color from root to tip. I didn't apply a lot on the scalp portion, but I squeezed some dye going from my forehead hair area back to my neck. I did this in about 5-6 even sections of hair (that I eyeballed).</li><li>At that point, I had about 2/3 of the bottle of dye left. I placed most of the dye starting from the tips and brushing with my gloved hands upwards a little past the part of the hair strand where the previous dye met my dark, virgin hair. </li><li>Leave in for 45 minutes (the box instructions said 20 minutes, but I really wanted everything to soak in a bit).</li><li>Wash hair until water runs clear.</li><li>Apply color treatment conditioner included with the box dye kit. Leave on for 2 minutes, then rinse. </li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div>Having left the dye in a bit longer, I noticed that my dark, virgin hair now looked like it had some natural highlights in it. The color was also dark enough that it also brought the yellow to a nice light-medium brown color. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Since my hair is long and thick, you're probably wondering how I was able to get away with only using one box dye. Well, I did get a little lazy and was applying the dye in thicker chunks, which meant that there were some strands that didn't get saturated with/exposed to the dye. I only realized this after I washed the dye out and dried my hair. Everything came out alright overall, but there are some areas of hair that were still yellow. Luckily, those areas were in the middle parts of my hair, so were not noticeable!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttcrvAtBPWbLEdkTrzXsJBUb7ip7fkgmXRBjUlWOsjARgUZCYVPkqskFVvrqHRcx21PH-rXZI6_Ddcju5ucyT5jRbF8GJfieAjbSiuaZxdegjvFnHOaJZj__JHJXq4el6PrFi_LtUE7bdMk7ptBi9DOIzFO9EnQRCpEu1jqs-w9m0WZbAkwKwQ6Y/s2000/Travel%20Template%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttcrvAtBPWbLEdkTrzXsJBUb7ip7fkgmXRBjUlWOsjARgUZCYVPkqskFVvrqHRcx21PH-rXZI6_Ddcju5ucyT5jRbF8GJfieAjbSiuaZxdegjvFnHOaJZj__JHJXq4el6PrFi_LtUE7bdMk7ptBi9DOIzFO9EnQRCpEu1jqs-w9m0WZbAkwKwQ6Y/s16000/Travel%20Template%20(2).png" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>The box dye did its job and lasted me about 4-6 weeks, and got me through my friend's wedding and some job interviews. Then, of course, my yellow hair came back!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHgoh6zOh0MU-5FlsqBGriDzRN7CswpoJb-3-jGsj9P789o_SCLrJnGrPptKv_Ct5dn3THb5EHGJiivhj25bs9ikKMy7fyra6g-54yQDAc4INZW9oU5h0b_8wUOkRuQ4E0WFsnSdn7Es_M9dirJ_I6PbN30gKh90Di3girQ5X7Snd_UY4k3yCrmE/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHgoh6zOh0MU-5FlsqBGriDzRN7CswpoJb-3-jGsj9P789o_SCLrJnGrPptKv_Ct5dn3THb5EHGJiivhj25bs9ikKMy7fyra6g-54yQDAc4INZW9oU5h0b_8wUOkRuQ4E0WFsnSdn7Es_M9dirJ_I6PbN30gKh90Di3girQ5X7Snd_UY4k3yCrmE/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Would you attempt your own hair dye or hair color correction at home? If so, what color(s) are you going for?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.33874 -121.88525259.0285061638211559 -157.0415025 65.64897383617884 -86.7290025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-49251111383315775792022-06-26T19:16:00.000-07:002022-10-31T20:04:07.601-07:004 Days in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Adventures & Eats<p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: left;">Our trip to Mexico is yet again to a different destination. We've seen so many friends visit Puerto Vallarta over the years, and now it was time for us to visit. Despite Puerto Vallarta being more of a resort town, we opted to make our trip and experience more "local." That means, staying in town in a place without all the frills, walking to and from places, and exploring some hidden gems (food and activity wise). </p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKCBq4GaeUTV-6SmAAF3fB5ESxW5CFsta5jQhizsomTLKpgK184mAqeQYDYLd46gRS8XbrxRJMNBmNc-eAQksrJvaBBIAYPo8XtUOjm0D0JoK9lURfsGbuhlCvQIrPsz38RBO9xOaIJRO-tQBaD_LRvIYkoHAnu3VPYYolDrFF1ODpnToQ5D-FmdM"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7113731149877571938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKCBq4GaeUTV-6SmAAF3fB5ESxW5CFsta5jQhizsomTLKpgK184mAqeQYDYLd46gRS8XbrxRJMNBmNc-eAQksrJvaBBIAYPo8XtUOjm0D0JoK9lURfsGbuhlCvQIrPsz38RBO9xOaIJRO-tQBaD_LRvIYkoHAnu3VPYYolDrFF1ODpnToQ5D-FmdM=s16000" /></a></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Our Itinerary</u></b></h2><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 1</b></h3><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Hotel check in: <a href="https://www.hotelrosita.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hotel Rosita</a></b></div><div>Hotel Rosita is an old-school style, unassuming hotel in the heart of Puerto Vallarta. Depending on the room you book, some may overlook the ocean and beach. The room we had faced the city streets, which was fine since we were out most of the day. The hotel had your basic set up and wasn't anything fancy, but we were safe and had access to pretty much everything. The air conditioning worked really well, which was a plus. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"></b><blockquote><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>TIP: </b> This hotel does not provide hair dryers for guests. You would need to bring own hair dryer. </span></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Walk along boardwalk to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150793-d3954872-Reviews-Muelle_de_Playa_Los_Muertos-Puerto_Vallarta.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Muelle de Playa Los Muertos</a> (Los Muertos Pier)</b></div><div>Given that my husband and I were not visiting during peak season, we were able to walk along the boardwalk to Los Muertos Pier without too many photobombers. We enjoyed looking at and reading about the various metal statues we passed by. We also enjoyed taking a picture with the "Puerto Vallarta" sign without anyone there. The walk was nice and pleasant. We felt we were able to take our time and enjoy without the hustle and bustle of the peak season crowd. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g150793-d2538189-Reviews-Eulo_s_Bakery-Puerto_Vallarta.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eulo Bakery</a></b></div><div>As my husband and I transitioned from walking along the ocean to more in-town, we passed by this bakery. What caught our attention and interest was that there were locals shopping here, so we decided to give this place a try. We purchased their flan napolitano, conchas, and a custard filled bread (forgot the name of it). We really liked and recommend the flan napolitano and the conchas. We really couldn't find anywhere else to just buy plain old flan itself in town. We didn't really like the custard filled bread because the custard, although creamy looking, tasted more like fake vanilla flavor.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/mariscos-cisneros-puerto-vallarta" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mariscos Cisneros</a></b></div><div>Mariscos Cisneros was our first seafood restaurant stop. We walked over to the restaurant, and the restaurant was pretty full. As we stood aside to decide on what we wanted to order, a few large groups had just finished their meals and left. Given that we were still traveling COVID-consciously, we got our food to-go. We ordered the fish ceviche, and shrimp and octopus tostadas. The food was well-packaged and survived our trip back to our hotel. The seafood was fresh and refreshing! This restaurant was definitely a hidden gem! </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 2</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150793-d10756317-Reviews-Mirador_de_La_Cruz-Puerto_Vallarta.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mirador el Cerro de la Cruz</a></b></div><div>Mirador el Cerro de la Cruz is a local trail that boasts a beautiful view of the city. The hike itself is not for the faint of heart nor those scared of heights. Our journey began walking from our hotel through the neighborhood following painted wooden signs to find our way. We were lucky to have ran into other hikers who were heading downhill. They helped confirm we were going the correct way. As we got closer, we saw other locals also completing the hike. When we reached the base of the hill, there were several steep stairs to climb. The stairs curved at corners, and there was a handrail for most of the stairs. There was a railing where an old funicular used to run. Going up the stairs was a process in itself. Going down the stairs required not looking forward at the view. Once you make it up the stairs, there is quite a treat awaiting -- areas to sit and enjoy the 360 degree view of the town and ocean. There is also another set of stairs for an even more unobstructed view of the town and ocean. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/mariscos-el-jefe-puerto-vallarta" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mariscos El Jefe</a></b></div><div>After our long strenuous hike up and down, we were ready to feast! We were lucky that a large group had left just before we arrived. Since it wasn't too crowded and we were famished, we dined in. We ordered their shrimp ceviche, fish tacos, and grilled octopus dish. All of their dishes were delicious and fresh! Our table filled up with food as the orders came out one by one, along with refills of bread and tostadas. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/nieves-oaxaque%C3%B1as-puerto-vallarta" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nieves Oaxaqueñas</a></b></div><div>On our way back to the hotel, we found Nieves Oaxaqueñas and decided to give them a try since they had so many interesting flavors. They were mostly sold out on more "exotic" flavors, since it was already early afternoon. We decided to try their leches quemada, prickly pear, and cherimoya ice cream flavors. Each of the ice creams were good on their own. We had wished we had gone with another fruit flavor instead of the leches quemada because the flavor was much richer, compared to the fruity prickly pear and cherimoya. We found it interesting that each of the ice cream's texture was a bit different. The prickly pear and cherimoya were more sorbet-like, and the leches quemada was more creamy (like most typical ice creams). </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Walk around <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150793-d152506-Reviews-Gringo_Gulch-Puerto_Vallarta.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gringo Gulch</a></b></div><div>Our walking adventure didn't stop just quite yet. This time, we decided to explore the Gringo Gulch, which is an area where many foreigners have purchased homes (whether those be permanently, for retirement, or for vacation). The Gringo Gulch area also had a park, which was mostly under construction when we visited. After we did our short walk through the park, we decided to visit the other side of the gulch. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://rankeando.com/1779403-tortilleria-altavista" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tortilleria Altavista</a></b></div><div dir="auto">On our walk around the other side of town, we passed by two tortillerias. This one in particular had locals ordering fresh corn tortillas by the bunch to-go. Since there were many people coming and going, we decided to get a small stack of tortillas to enjoy. The tortillas were precisely measured by the machine, pressed, and cooked. The counter person was kind, and seeing that my husband and I were foreigners, gave us each a tortilla to try. As much as I am a flour tortilla fan, the warm, fresh, melt-in-your-mouth corn tortilla immediately made me change my opinion about corn tortillas. We purchased a small stack to snack on. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/garlapago-tacoloni-puerto-vallarta" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Garlapago Tacolini</a></b></div><div>With all of our walking around, we needed to replenish with some fresh tacos. Conveniently, Garlapago Tacolini was right across the street from the tortilleria and also had all seats of the taco truck occupied by locals. Since quite a few of our first choices were out of stock, we ordered a total of 7 random tacos (we basically let the cook decide, but made sure that there were no duplicates). We, unfortunately, didn't know what tacos we tried, but we can definitely say we were impressed by each one and would love to visit again (hopefully our first picks will be in stock)!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g150793-d9702150-Reviews-Paleteria_y_Neveria_La_Michoacana-Puerto_Vallarta.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Michoacana Paletería and Nevería</a></b></div><div dir="auto">We decided to treat ourselves with some more ice cream. We were excited to find a nearby paleteria. We tried their guava and watermelon paletas, and lima agua fresca. We then walked to the boardwalk area to enjoy our treats! The paletas were delicious and had chunks of fresh fruit. The agua fresca was a refreshing lime flavor and wasn't overly sweet. Both were a great treat for the hot weather! </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Watching the sunset and catching <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danza_de_los_Voladores" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Danza de los Voladores</a></b></div><div>After finishing our treats, we were heading back to our hotel when we noticed 5-6 costumed people. My husband and I were wondering what was going on. We watched as each one by one climbed up a rather tall pole and anchored themselves by rope to the ring on top. A flute player sat in the middle of the circle. As the music began, those anchored along side launched themselves off the ring and spun in a circle, each full 360 turn increasing the length of their rope and allowing them to eventually touch the ground. It was an interesting sight to see, and we were lucky to have caught the show (even though it was an unplanned part of our trip). </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA74LkUIz8iNwFLe0Q_RMnIkSZ6ZgBjAXvqhBXhMoR26WfFgM0irAH7vEXCUrzexzqX-xs7jUc3CFgWp0FT1g7ykL_eoIptYLC_2SrivOa6o-d1gDlDyL_HUz1IWJkQPobzn7FUrsXycBd1ovzYHXkJMmNbkxOcx_us6QqFEkiNqDt5qll2ekWwj4/s2000/Travel%20Template%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA74LkUIz8iNwFLe0Q_RMnIkSZ6ZgBjAXvqhBXhMoR26WfFgM0irAH7vEXCUrzexzqX-xs7jUc3CFgWp0FT1g7ykL_eoIptYLC_2SrivOa6o-d1gDlDyL_HUz1IWJkQPobzn7FUrsXycBd1ovzYHXkJMmNbkxOcx_us6QqFEkiNqDt5qll2ekWwj4/s16000/Travel%20Template%20(1).png" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b>Day 3</b></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Bus ride to <a href="https://www.puertovallarta.net/what_to_do/boca-de-tomatlan-jalisco/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boca de Tomatlan</a></b></div><div>My husband and I wanted to make our way to visit the town of Yelapa. After reading stories of people jumping into boats at the Los Muertos Pier and the limited schedule the boat ran, we decided to give the bus ride a try to a different port town -- Boca de Tomatlan. The bus fare to Boca de Tomatlan was affordable, and it did get pretty packed. We lined up with other locals waiting to board the bus after confirming that it was the correct line. The entirety of the ride was bumpy and curvy. Seats were mostly taken by the time we boarded and were taken up quickly by other standers. We decided to just stand the whole way. The bus ride back was from the same stop we were dropped off at, which was convenient. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://es.restaurantguru.com/La-Ramada-de-Don-Julio-Boca-de-Tomatlan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Ramada de Don Julio</a></b></div><div>It was about lunch time after walking around Boca de Tomatlan. We were amazed and interested in trying the grilled fish after watching fresh fish loaded on skewers and being grilled. We asked the owner what kind of fish was being served, and the owner replied <i>mojarra embarazada</i>. The fish was delicious and fresh! The seasoning of the fish was perfect and made the fish flavorful without being too salty. It paired well with the side of salad (we decided to skip on the rice so we could save room for other good food). </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Water Taxi to <a href="http://www.yelapa.info/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yelapa</a> </b></div><div>There were several people selling tour packages nearby. We decided to speak with one vendor regarding the water taxi. There is the option to have your own private boat or to do a shared boat with others. Of course, the shared boat would make several other stops to let passengers off en route to Yelapa. We decided to do what the locals do and go with the shared boat. </div><div><br /></div><div>When it was time to board, my husband and I walked down the pier down some makeshift steps of sandbags. Then, we went down a ladder on a side of the pier onto the boat. Once on the boat, we climbed over row after row until we were pretty much near the back. The boat driver tried to have people organized by stops -- those with an earlier stop to be at the front part of the boat, those with the last stop of Yelapa to be towards the back. The boat ride was bumpy and noisy. It was a fun experience and interesting to see so many people board with us. The only safety concern we had was that no one wore a life jacket. I suppose it makes more space without those bulky vests, but questionable in case of an accident. </div><div><br /></div><div>We spent a good part of the day walking through the small fishing town of Yelapa. Since we went on a Sunday, we were slightly disappointed to find that most places were closed, but happy to find that there wasn't much of a crowd. We did the short waterfall hike (yes, there is a long one) and found our way by following the signs posted around town. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-el-moreno-puerto-vallarta" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taqueria El Moreno</a></b></div><div>After our bus ride back into town, our next stop was to look for dinner. We decided to go "large" and ordered large adobo, adobada, tripa, and al pastor tacos. All of the seats at this little street cart were all filled. Even the waiting area of seats had a few people waiting on their to-go order. We decided to get our order to-go as well. All of the tacos were delicious and flavorful! My husband and I had fun trying to identify/figure out which taco was which, since they weren't labeled. Our only regret was not trying some of the other taco options they had available. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.lecascarie.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Helados El Cascarié</a></b></div><div dir="auto">As we walked down the main street of shops in Puerto Vallarta, we passed by a boutique looking ice cream shop. The unique, eco-friendly thing about this place was that they used the shells/leaves/skin of the fruit as a bowl. I know, it's nothing too exciting. My husband and I gave their ice cream a try. After all, it's yet another new place, right? We tried the coconut and elote ice creams. We were impressed with the ice creams because they had small, shredded bits of the actual fruit/vegetable in the entire ice cream. If you can only choose one ice cream to have from here, we recommend the elote one!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 4 </b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Breakfast at Hotel Rosita</b></div><div>We decided to make this our chill/eats day, since it was our last day before leaving. Since we didn't have a breakfast/brunch place planned out, we decided to give our hotel breakfast place a try. The hotel breakfast was pretty basic and had all your usual findings. We each had their ranchers eggs with chilaquiles and a green juice. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Walk along the beach and in town</b></div><div>Just like the first day of our trip, we did another walk along the boardwalk. This time, we focused more on going the opposite way. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/nieves-oaxaque%C3%B1as-puerto-vallarta" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nieves Oaxaqueñas</a></b></div><div>We couldn't go by on our last full day without another stop for sweets, so we stopped by our top sweets shop Nieves Oaxaqueñas again. This time, we tried their avocado, passion fruit, and mamey ice cream flavors. We learned our lesson from last time because, this time, all three flavors meshed well together. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mariscoslatiaanana/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mariscos La Tía Ñaña</a></b></div><div dir="auto">Our dinner stop led us to Mariscos la tía Ñaña. There were not too many people, since we had a relatively early dinner. We decided to dine in and ordered their aguachiles de camarón, cazuela especial "La Tía," and los guisados pulpo. All of their dishes were prepared to order, so took some time despite there only being us and one other table. Our favorite dish was the aguachile and the cazuela. What impressed us about the aquachile is the number of large, plump shrimp loaded with avocados on the dish. The shrimp were fresh and not fishy at all! The other table saw our order and even ordered one themselves. The cazuela was hot (temperature wise) and was hearty. The guisados pulpo was also delicious, but wouldn't be our top contender if we went back again with only limited stomach space. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Churros-Don-Julio-278247712785673/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Julio's Churro</a> stand</b></div><div>The one dessert that was on our radar the entire trip was churros. After researching online, we read about Julio's Churro stand and made our way there. We passed the intersection several times in search, but we were too early. I'm glad we did a final take, because we ended up finding the stand!</div><div><br /></div><div>The churro stand is a husband and wife team, and they make their churros the traditional way. The husband is in charge of squeezing the dough into hot oil, where the churro is fried, then making sure the churro cooks evenly. The wife takes care of cutting up the churro (it is made in a large circular spiral), dipped in cinnamon sugar, then packaged. We each purchased a bag with 10 pieces per bag. It was quite a bit of churro, but when else would we be able to enjoy fresh churros? </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"></b><blockquote><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>TIP: </b>Find Julio's Churro stand on the corner of Peru and Uruguay. The stand opens around 6pm local time (more or less).</span></blockquote></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 5</b></h3><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=Tac%C3%B3n+de+Marlin,+Blvd.+Francisco+Medina+Ascencio+8106,+Villa+Las+Flores,+48335+Puerto+Vallarta,+Jal.,+Mexico&ftid=0x842145c2db3df3cb:0xe175092067f5861a&hl=en-US&gl=us&entry=gps&lucs=a1&shorturl=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tacon de Marlin</a></b></div><div>Our very last meal while in Puerto Vallarta was brunch at Tacon de Marlin, located conveniently across the street from the airport. My husband has their smoked marlin burrito, and I had their shrimp burrito. Their shrimp was succulent, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of shrimp in the burrito; they definitely didn't skimp. My husband was impressed by their smoked marlin. It's definitely something I want to try when we return again. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-NzVeG2znyuRIL9QX6zHolNmikd7Sh0VrQ2ElO2cXfOLxdptctnC1QDCE1ujwNdqZBSYDd7EdMJU1cacTATH7l2FsgRkZv2W8sEABfqPIvoV8TzwLcggaIQEYNZwAh5q5Idz1f6XOipFozdE5Cy_RiwXUsu81E-NRSbtL3zibbNYdONhgpQbFmA/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-NzVeG2znyuRIL9QX6zHolNmikd7Sh0VrQ2ElO2cXfOLxdptctnC1QDCE1ujwNdqZBSYDd7EdMJU1cacTATH7l2FsgRkZv2W8sEABfqPIvoV8TzwLcggaIQEYNZwAh5q5Idz1f6XOipFozdE5Cy_RiwXUsu81E-NRSbtL3zibbNYdONhgpQbFmA/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(1).png" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Our trip to Puerto Vallarta was short, but it was a nice break from the usual work-life routine and another place we can say we visited. Although our trip was rather short, we felt that the timeframe was "just right" for the sights and eats we explored and tried.</div><div><br /></div><div>What other sights/eats do you recommend if we visit Puerto Vallarta again?</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico20.653407 -105.2253316-7.6568268361788441 -140.3815816 48.963640836178847 -70.0690816tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-46270848650066408462022-05-01T15:08:00.001-07:002022-10-31T20:03:59.589-07:005 Days in Paris, France<h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>We say "oui" to Paris!</i></h3><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Our trip to Paris, France was our very first time to both the country and the continent (of Europe). We definitely have many other places in mind for future trips, but Paris seemed to work out with our schedules and COVID rules. At the time we went, we needed to have a copy of our vaccine cards in order to enter the country and to dine in inside restaurants. Some places may even ask for the EU QR code for vaccination proof, so we visited a local pharmacy upon arrival to have our vaccine card inputted into the EU QR code system. The conversion to the EU QR code did require a small fee. </div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikzLB91UvZJvSAOjBNgqlAkngz9cPKP3ka5pyS7igkMOBhGys6vC_MZvuVpB7tObGfA5BUinKLBFgmTaZYz_GSnajVv4_k26OGqatCLmRca0UkH36IqylSHW_-HcLnYbiQocjjJ5KbNhPyhwv02YBOTHLMzWmR30emHlPR2mZ_YS4W3SXA6qujjY0"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7150782689162402258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikzLB91UvZJvSAOjBNgqlAkngz9cPKP3ka5pyS7igkMOBhGys6vC_MZvuVpB7tObGfA5BUinKLBFgmTaZYz_GSnajVv4_k26OGqatCLmRca0UkH36IqylSHW_-HcLnYbiQocjjJ5KbNhPyhwv02YBOTHLMzWmR30emHlPR2mZ_YS4W3SXA6qujjY0=s16000" /></a></p><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Because of COVID, we found that there were restrictions on the number of tickets being sold per day for their highly popular attractions (ie. Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, etc). Our advice is to plan ahead and be flexible if tickets are sold out for a particular day. This is also why (as you will see in our itinerary) we only really visited one major attraction per day. Our strategy to "beat the crowd" was to be the first ones at each attraction every day. In hindsight, this worked out very well. We really got to enjoy each place thoroughly, get tons of photos without photobombers, and left just as the crowd came!</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">We were so excited to visit Paris because of its history but also because of its romantic vibes. The open areas to sit at parks and open seating at bistros allowed for a lot of people watching, which can be pretty amusing. Craving pastries? There are tons of bakeries, patisseries, and boulangeries to get your fill of carbs! We didn't find the romantic vibe, per se, that we were looking for. Perhaps we'll need to visit again. This time, the smaller towns.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><u>Our Itinerary</u></h2><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 1</b></h3><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Landed to <a href="https://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/charles-de-gaulle-airport" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">We landed in CDG. The flight was smooth, and we didn't really have any issues with delays or cancellations. Upon landing, the line for security was quite long and it took us about an hour or so to get through. Thankfully, we were traveling during low season. For a prior trip, where we transited through CDG, the line was even longer. I couldn't imagine traveling during the high season and the airport busyness. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Hotel check in - <a href="https://www.hotel-la-manufacture.com/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Manufacture Hotel</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">We checked in at the hotel. The process was smooth and pretty seamless. The room was pretty small and reminded me of traveling through Asia. The room and amenities were just right for us. Granted we were out exploring most of the day, the room size and lack of a view (our window looked at the inner corridor) didn't bother us too much. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d783206-Reviews-Virgule-Paris_Ile_de_France.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Virgule</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">Virgule was our first stop for French cuisine. We were the first customers there, and the small but cozy restaurant filled up quickly throughout the night. The place is run by an Asian couple trained in French cuisine. The timing that the food came out was just right. We didn't feel rushed and took our time enjoying our meal. Taking our time to enjoy the meal was something we had to get used to while in France, since we're used to eating relatively quickly while back at home. We went back another night for dinner, since our other dinner plan didn't work out.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 </h3><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Arc de Triomphe</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">Our first historical stop was the Arc de Triomphe. We took the subway to the stop and ended up right across the street. We noticed people right under the arc and wanted to get photos from that vantage point too, especially since it was less crowded there. Once under the arc, we were really able to see the details of the facades on the four sides of the arc. There was even a memorial area with lighted fire and flowers roped off. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>TIP:</b> There is a subway stop that takes you directly under the arc. Don't try to cross the street. Safety first!</span></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Notre Dame</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">We hoped to see the Notre Dame in its entirety, but unfortunately, we should have done more research. Apparently, part of it was damaged by a fire in 2019 and is currently under reconstruction when we visited. We were only really able to see the top of the Notre Dame that extended above the construction gates/green fence.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>TIP:</b> For those of you who must see the Notre Dame, it's supposed to reopen in 2024.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187147-d189687-Reviews-Luxembourg_Gardens-Paris_Ile_de_France.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luxembourg Garden</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">By the time we went to the Luxembourg Garden, the grounds were already quite packed with people. Children were renting sailboats and letting them float about the large center fountain. Meanwhile, people were occupying lawn chairs people watching and lost in conversation. As many chairs and seating areas as there were, most/almost all of them were occupied. My husband and I enjoyed the fresh air, and the lush and lavish view of the garden grounds. We also got more steps in for our day!</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 3</h3><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.toureiffel.paris/fr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eiffel Tower</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">My husband and I found that tickets were sold out when we wanted to visit. We decided to wait in line in the standby line to see if we may be able to get in. We were in line about half an hour before tower access began. We had to get through security first. After that, we waited in the line specifically for "non ticket holders." We were able to purchase tickets, but only for access to the first and second floors because the topmost floor was closed due to weather conditions. We were thankful to have even gotten tickets in the first place. We went on and explored both the first and second floors thoroughly, enjoying each and every view the tower had to offer. The air was chilly being high up top, so we recommend bringing a warm jacket. There are also novelty shops and restrooms on these floors of the tower.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_de_Mars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Champ de Mars</a></b></span></div><div dir="ltr">Visiting the Champ de Mars next was a no-brainer. It is literally right across the way and a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. The field was a nice walk through and a good way to get more steps in. The grass areas were off limits and fenced off. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Le+Suffren/@48.8511319,2.3005681,20.01z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x786cc44d0cbd38b1!2zNDjCsDUxJzA0LjUiTiAywrAxOCcwMi40IkU!3b1!8m2!3d48.8512472!4d2.3006694!3m4!1s0x47e670223bef94eb:0xb1cf20742bafbb68!8m2!3d48.8511493!4d2.3006886" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brasserie Le Suffren</a></b></span></div><div dir="ltr">Our walk away from the Eiffel Tower area subsequently brought us through another neighborhood and to our lunch stop. The brasserie was bustling, with almost all tables filled. We dined in and ordered the duck confit, beef tartare, and creme brulee. The duck confit was delicious. I remember first hearing about duck confit through some cooking game (Cooking Mama?) that was popular on Facebook some years ago. The duck was perfectly crispy outside with very tender meat. The potato wedges were the perfect, starchy, crispy complement. The beef tartare was an interesting dish. I was not expecting the wasabi spiciness to it, but it gave us some assurance given that the beef was raw. The creme brulee was the right rich creaminess paired with a burnt, crunchy, hardened sugar layer. Service was great, and the waiter was patient with us (knowing we couldn't speak French though we tried when ordering off the menu). We highly recommend stopping by to try their food!</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- <a href="https://www.pierreherme.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pierre Hermé</a> </b></span></div><div dir="ltr">We caught wind of this place because there was a small storefront at the Eiffel Tower. We went via subway to one of the main shops in town, since we figured this would be fresher than the ones at the tower. They had several cakes and macarons, but it was the latter that got more of our attention. We purchased a box with mixed flavors and enjoyed sampling them when we got back to our hotel. The macarons were delicious! We enjoyed their fresh taste, and lightly crispy texture! We also had fun trying to match the description of the macarons (I took photos of this while at the store) with what we ate!</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/La+Moulinoise/@48.8296988,2.3526468,19.58z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x2b184f076a95d8e2!2zNDjCsDQ5JzQ3LjQiTiAywrAyMScxMC4wIkU!3b1!8m2!3d48.829825!4d2.3527694!3m4!1s0x47e67191e8eb75c1:0x5c86529a4faca86a!8m2!3d48.8298671!4d2.3526987" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Moulinoise</a></b></div><div dir="auto">One objective of our trip was to find a boulangerie and/or patisserie to try other classic desserts and pastries. Since it was nearing dinner, we decided to pick up food from there too. We tried their panini, eclair, strawberry tart, and madeleine. Their paninis were pretty basic --lettuce, tomatoes, and meat of your choice served on a baguette. The paninis were pre-made and fridged, but warmed to order. I can't say I would recommend their paninis. However, I would recommend stopping by for their desserts. Each of their desserts were well-made -- the rich custard cream (not whipped cream like in the states) in the eclair, fresh strawberries on the tart, and the buttery madeleine as big as my hand!</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoH6LXyII1ty3515lGM3_eHcAykEH3yAdhCdgsTw1JbUFEDjYuvX6mNrecxjwGY-CBIjlvKeU9mwj5VQ3BMwclIygRYI-6UBwsjD1uGZLXIP3USDhij51-51R8GodE11B_QpG_OK2IVsRiLzDs-N3ENuNnNzjUCRHhEC68N32N4fNRRPHZbmIin8/s2000/Travel%20Template%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoH6LXyII1ty3515lGM3_eHcAykEH3yAdhCdgsTw1JbUFEDjYuvX6mNrecxjwGY-CBIjlvKeU9mwj5VQ3BMwclIygRYI-6UBwsjD1uGZLXIP3USDhij51-51R8GodE11B_QpG_OK2IVsRiLzDs-N3ENuNnNzjUCRHhEC68N32N4fNRRPHZbmIin8/s16000/Travel%20Template%20(2).png" /></a></div><br /><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 4</h3><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Palace+of+Versailles/@48.8048648,2.1158707,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x47e67d94d7b14c75:0x538fcc15f59ce8f!2sPalace+of+Versailles!8m2!3d48.8048649!4d2.1203554!3m4!1s0x47e67d94d7b14c75:0x538fcc15f59ce8f!8m2!3d48.8048649!4d2.1203554" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Palace of Versailles</a></b></span></div><div>Since the Palace of Versailles is a popular historical site to visit, my husband and I made time to check it out. All I can say is everything was extremely lavish from the outer gates, to the building design, embellishments, and furniture. We also took a walk through the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parc+de+Versailles/@48.8097434,2.0979818,17z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x46e455678b14fb50!2zNDjCsDQ4JzI1LjciTiAywrAwNic0MS4xIkU!3b1!8m2!3d48.8071292!4d2.1114147!3m4!1s0x47e67d80b9b73e23:0x84733f76c20f6c72!8m2!3d48.8100786!4d2.0999674" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Parc de Versailles</a> connected outdoors from the rear of the palace. There is a large area of water, where you can see some swans and ducks. We didn't complete the walk around the perimeter, but we walked about half way. Always remember, you have to pace for the return trip back! Since the park has other public entrances, expect to see local runners, joggers, and people getting their exercise done for the day.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Late lunch at <a href="https://www.cutiescrepe.fr/?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cutie's Crepe</a></b><br /></div><div>Because my husband and I finished the palace and garden walkthrough in the early afternoon, we decided to eat nearby since we were quite hungry. The cute bear decor and menu on display caught our eye, so we stopped in. Here, you'll have your standard fair and fill of crepes. They have both savory and sweet options. We each had a savory crepe and shared a sweet one. There isn't anything particularly special about the crepes, but they did keep us satiated and ready to proceed with our day. The inside of the shop is very "Instagram worthy" if that is what you're aiming for. <br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wall+of+Love/@48.8847032,2.338509,20.87z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0xffed1d59d388f87c!2zNDjCsDUzJzA1LjEiTiAywrAyMCcxOS40IkU!3b1!8m2!3d48.8847611!4d2.338725!3m4!1s0x47e66e44e2a227af:0x641930356f5c6782!8m2!3d48.8848037!4d2.338578" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wall of Love</a></b></div><div dir="auto">I found the "Wall of Love" via Google Maps. It's literally a wall in a small, local park that has the phrase "I love you" in several different languages. There was a small crowd visiting the same time we were, but it definitely was not touristy (at least, not yet). If you visit, can you find the phrase in the language(s) you speak?</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/english/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sacré Coeur</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">A large historic church on a hill. The hill took some walking and stair climbing to get to. Once you reach the a certain street, there is the choice of taking the furnicular up or continuing with more stairs. Once at the top, the city views are beautiful and spectacular! There are many vendors selling knick knacks, particularly popular are the love locks to put on the chain link fence. The church itself has a peaceful aura, despite the many visitors and crowds. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Chez+Gladines+Buttes+aux+Cailles/@48.828804,2.3506,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47e6719100adc7e5:0x9fe67cea24d0331d!8m2!3d48.8287965!4d2.350621?hl=en-US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chez Gladines Buttes aux Cailles</a></b></span></div><div>Our dinner stop and last stop for the day was Chez Gladines. This small restaurant was so popular and fully packed with a line out the door when we arrived. To make things easier and so we could have time to wind down for the night, we decided to get our food "to go." We ordered their duck confit and escargot basque. Their duck confit was delicious with the exterior perfectly crispy and the meat tender and juicy. It was served with salad and fries. The escargot basque was de-shelled and served more with a tomato based sauce/soup. A side of sliced baguette was included with the escargot. The sauce was flavorful and rich, and there was plenty of escargot to go around. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 5</h3><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- <a href="https://www.louvre.fr/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Louvre Museum</a></b></span></div><div dir="ltr">Love art and history? Then this is a must visit! They have tons of historical art pieces packed into this place. How long you spend here will really depend on how much time you're willing to spend learning about each art piece there, although I'd say to expect to spend several hours. This is also home to the famous painting Mona Lisa. To see the Mona Lisa, you just need to wait in line. For all other art pieces, there isn't really a queue. We strategized our visit by visiting the most popular art pieces first, then taking our time to work our way floor by floor, and wing by wing. By the time we were enjoying other pieces, the most popular ones were with a long queue. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Boulangerie+Midor%C3%A9+Caf%C3%A9+-+Op%C3%A9ra/@48.8675514,2.3310488,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x47e66f0cb8f78e05:0xee67b9333db286f4!8m2!3d48.8675523!4d2.3332379" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boulangerie Midore Cafe - Opera</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">When in France, you have to get a sampler of their baked goods. We tried the quiche from this boulangerie. It was definitely much fresher less salty than the ones you can get in the states. We also got some chocolate croissants to-go. The croissant was not too sweet, and was very flaky (which is good but meant more of a mess). We wished we had eaten it while at the cafe instead of on-the-go.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Place+de+la+Concorde/@48.8659386,2.32035,17.02z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0xf35539144e17cd21!2zNDjCsDUxJzU4LjciTiAywrAxOScyNi45IkU!3b1!8m2!3d48.8662972!4d2.324125!3m4!1s0x47e66fcd61ae0a01:0x18030de10e25ab2c!8m2!3d48.8656331!4d2.3212357" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Place de la Concorde</a></b></span></div><div dir="ltr">We visited this site, since we were hoping to see an Egyptian obelisk (literally from Egypt) and reminisce a piece of <a href="https://www.nextwithnicole.net/2022/04/8-days-in-egypt-our-itinerary-and-guide.html" target="_blank">our Egypt trip</a> while in France. Unfortunately, the obelisk was under repair, and we were just able to see the green construction fence around the base of what was the obelisk. Walking around, people watching, and trying to find what would have been a tall obelisk was fun though!</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Walk along Seine River (opposite side of the Eiffel Tower)</b></div><div>We ended our last full day in Paris with a walk along the Seine River. This time, we were opposite the Eiffel Tower. I wasn't sure what views we'd get but was glad we gave the walking route a try! There were much fewer tourists/crowds and a different vantage point of the Eiffel Tower! On our walk, we also crossed the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pont+Alexandre+III/@48.8632667,2.312503,17z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0xb8d98440ea2b891a!2zNDjCsDUxJzQ3LjgiTiAywrAxOCc1Mi45IkU!3b1!8m2!3d48.8632667!4d2.3146917!3m4!1s0x47e66fd057a1f0b9:0xeb0032bf06974d4f!8m2!3d48.8638995!4d2.313559" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pont Alexandre III bridge</a>, one of the many beautiful bridges that crosses the Seine River.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 6</h3><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Flight to <a href="https://www.flysanjose.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)</a></b></div><div dir="ltr">Like all of our fun international trips, it always ends with our trip home to the bay area and, of course, our return to work. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>Fun Fact:</b> Co-incidentally, at the end of our trip, the COVID QR vaccination requirement was lifted.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J67fuPHNi2WazUvm2rgmfvGi7GSY3hnd0vtwuvsiP8Km0HjS7CuIYL-hOCQXzmI9jJmgbV-PBQH63FAHxv6QbHy9I4v3i2IgJTw_8-fPn0EaSI0JE7uDD4p0Biyj_YH-Ldpk6sDuoRAZXKEPaSwd2fCuwDI21LHIi6p7Dy0tXemZiOteb9DxHJg/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J67fuPHNi2WazUvm2rgmfvGi7GSY3hnd0vtwuvsiP8Km0HjS7CuIYL-hOCQXzmI9jJmgbV-PBQH63FAHxv6QbHy9I4v3i2IgJTw_8-fPn0EaSI0JE7uDD4p0Biyj_YH-Ldpk6sDuoRAZXKEPaSwd2fCuwDI21LHIi6p7Dy0tXemZiOteb9DxHJg/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic%20(2).png" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!<br /><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Have you been to France before? If so, what cities have you visited and which cities do you recommend we visit next to find that "romantic" vibe or for the food scene?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> </div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Paris, France48.856614 2.352221920.546380163821155 -32.8040281 77.166847836178846 37.5084719tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-10594466644780679102022-04-16T15:08:00.190-07:002024-03-10T20:07:32.466-07:008 Days In Egypt: Our Itinerary and Guide<div>One of my husband's and my goal is to see one of the remaining "wonders of the world" in case it ever gets destroyed, like everything else in history. We put our heads together, researched safety and COVID testing/documentation requirements, and decided to give it a go with traveling to Egypt. It would also be our first time venturing to the continent of Africa as well, which was extra exciting!</div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtx1PQS9rTFAtCjVb96hG90KSET0lmLCCOVpEhOyJryECVb5mxb2UXKrqW5FHCH3VmZucDiaNIDctn0AVa7U0J6iZ0l7mpqchAVhrORPu7mcgD0gDoATc39thWfJIDsvu4u-aJOlqxy5b4ZSMmM8CCX5Tm35E79T2DK5R0xnDVbAuUL0DSL9NGZsA"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7077307841806589826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtx1PQS9rTFAtCjVb96hG90KSET0lmLCCOVpEhOyJryECVb5mxb2UXKrqW5FHCH3VmZucDiaNIDctn0AVa7U0J6iZ0l7mpqchAVhrORPu7mcgD0gDoATc39thWfJIDsvu4u-aJOlqxy5b4ZSMmM8CCX5Tm35E79T2DK5R0xnDVbAuUL0DSL9NGZsA=s16000" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div>During our time researching and planning for our trip, we were inspired by the post we found on <a href="https://www.themostwantedtravel.com/destinations/egypt/ultimate-egypt-travel-itinerary-and-guide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Most Wanted Travel</a> blog. Their blog post was a quick and concise guide, and gave us an idea of how much time we really needed to allocate for our trip. We decided that about 8 days (including the flight into and out of Egypt) would suffice for the things we wanted to do and in consideration of our vacation time. Our trip time ended up being more than enough with plenty of extra time for rest and relaxation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some things that we didn't add to our itinerary, although probably could have were the train ride from Cairo to Luxor (in lieu of our domestic flight), the Nile River cruise, a day trip to Aswan, and visit to Alexandria. Our thought process was that the cruise would pretty much be like any other cruise, so we didn't want to spend time and money on that experience. We also thought that the visit to Aswan and Alexandria, although probably different and unique in their own way, may not be worth it given the extra time needed for transportation to those cities. We had initially planned to take the train ride from Cairo to Luxor, since it is what the locals do and would give us a glimpse into this experience, but I couldn't wrap my mind around the lack of cleanliness of the bathroom from several blog posts/Youtube reviews I found. I don't expect much given we're on a train, but it was a bit too much for me. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><script>window.wanderlogEmbedKeys=window.wanderlogEmbedKeys||[];window.wanderlogEmbedKeys.push('ildhlvauiv');window.wanderlogEmbedOptions={"alwaysShowRouteLines":true,"omitExternalLinks":true,"omitWebsitePhone":false,"version":2};!function(){var c=document.querySelectorAll("script"),r=!1;if(c.forEach((function(c){"https://wanderlog.com/embed.js"===c.src&&(r=!0)})),!r){var t=document.createElement("script");t.async=!0,t.src="https://wanderlog.com/embed.js",document.body.appendChild(t)} }();</script><div id="Wanderlog__mapEmbed_ildhlvauiv" style="display: block; width: 100%;"><div style="font-size: smaller; margin-bottom: 8px;">Map provided by <a href="https://wanderlog.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Wanderlog, a travel planner</a> on <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wanderlog/id1476732439" rel="noopener" target="_blank">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wanderlog.android" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Android</a></div></div><div dir="ltr"><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><b><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Our Itinerary</u></b></h2></b><div dir="auto"></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 1 - Cairo</b></h3><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Flight to Cairo with <a href="https://www.united.com/en/us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">United Airlines</a> and <a href="https://www.egyptair.com/en/Pages/default.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Egypt Air</a></b></div><div>Our flight to Cairo wasn't a straight shot. We decided to take a red eye flight to maximize our trip time. We had flown to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) with United Airlines from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), then caught the transfer flight with Egypt Air to Cairo International Airport (CAI). Upon landing in Cairo, we booked a taxi via Uber to take us to our hotel.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Check in to the <a href="https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/gb/en/cairo/croha/hoteldetail" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Intercontinental Cairo Semiramis</a></b></div><div>Upon check in to our hotel, we were upgraded to a "Nile view" room. The check in process was smooth and seamless, and an extra plus since they had a room available for early check in. The room was clean and spacious, and it did indeed have a view of the Nile River as well as a new casino being built along the Nile. We enjoyed our stay overall at the Intercontinental. The only issue we had was with plumbing, as it took time for water to drain from the shower, leaving our feet ankle deep in dirty water.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.egyptianmuseumcairo.com/egyptian-museum-cairo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Egyptian Museum</a> (200 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b></div><div>Our first stop was the Egyptian Museum. Although we don't speak or read Arabic, there were audio guides available for free in the language of your choosing. There were several exhibits and galleries to explore, some that were still being worked on as well. It was quite a unique experience and gave a glimpse of a little bit of everything in Egyptian history -- mummies, hieroglyphs, tools, figurines, jewelry, pottery/ceramics, and more. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://www.elmenus.com/cairo/kazaz-oa8n" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kazaz</a></b></div><div>Kazaz is Egypt's version of fast food, and it's a pretty solid fast food option. They have both an Arabic and English version of the menu posted outside. My husband and I opted to try their beef shwarma, a side of fries, and their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Ali" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">om ali</a>. We placed our orders outside, paid, and were handed small paper slips. We proceeded inside the shop and handed our slips to a worker, who got our order together. The beef was temperature hot and very tender. The fries were thick cut and just like all other fries. The om ali was the perfect combination of bread, milk, and pistachios. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294201-d459794-Reviews-Cairo_Tower-Cairo_Cairo_Governorate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cairo Tower</a> (200 Egyptian pounds for foreigner with "drink")</b></span></div><div>Our next stop of the day was Cairo Tower. If you haven't realized it already from our other trips, we like getting an aerial view of the city and admiring the different views each city boasts. The timing of our trip to the tower was probably not the best, as there was a 1 hour wait time before being able to go up the tower. The ticketing booth offered regular tickets "with drink," which would allow us to bypass the wait and go up the tower immediately. We opted for that option, and highly recommend it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once we were up the tower, we were able to take our time and thus were able to get pictures of the city in the late afternoon sun, sunset, and nighttime. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that our tickets "with drink" not only covered free drinks; it could also be used to cover food -- up to 80 Egyptian pounds per ticket. My husband and I redeemed free chicken shish tawook sandwiches (basically grilled chicken sandwiches). Our order included a side of fries each. We got the order to-go.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner at <a href="https://www.zoobaeats.com/egypt-homepage/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zoöba</a></b></div><div>We were feeling fancy and ordered their braised beef shoulder tagine and their beef shank and orzo tagine. Both dishes were equally delicious and the meat so very tender. We both agreed that the beef shoulder tagine was especially good, although the beef shank was a bit more filling because of the orzo. The beef shoulder came out as more of a stew. Since our dinner was relatively light, we were able to supplement with the sandwiches from Cairo Tower. The combination made for a hearty dinner!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 2 - Cairo</b></h3><div><br /></div><div>For our second day in Cairo, we had booked a tour with <a href="https://www.emotoursegypt.com/en" target="_blank">Emo</a><a href="https://www.emotoursegypt.com/en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Tours</a> group. We highly enjoyed our experience with Emo Tours that we booked a second tour while in Cairo and another with the same company while in Luxor. After completing our trip to Egypt, we highly recommend booking a tour with a tour group, as transportation can be tricky, especially in Cairo. Also, having a tour guide can help deter hagglers and possible scammers. We also recommend starting your day early, especially if you want photos without all the excess people and a truly personalized/private tour of the different sites.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.wonders-of-the-world.net/Pyramids-of-Egypt/Necropolis-of-Saqqara.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saqqara Necropolis</a> and <a href="https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/monuments/step-pyramid-of-djoser" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pyramid of Djoser</a></b></div><div>Our first stop of the day was the Saqqara necropolis, from which you can view the Pyramid of Djoser. Saqqara is a huge necropolis with several tombs. You can see different areas being worked on by archaeological teams, and how deep some of the tombs go. The Pyramid of Djoser is its own unique beauty, with steps forming the triangular look of the pyramid. Because my husband and I started our tour early, we and our tour guide were the only ones at the site! It was quite a treat, and we were able to get several photos of the site without any need to edit photos! As we left the site, several tour groups had just arrived at the entrance. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g19118142-d469348-Reviews-Mit_Rahina_Museum-Al_Badrashin_Giza_Governorate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mit Rahina Museum</a>, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx_of_Memphis#:~:text=The%20Sphinx%20of%20Memphis%20is%20a%20stone%20sphinx,honoring%20Hatshepsut%20or%20Amenhotep%20II%20or%20Amenhotep%20III." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sphinx of Memphis</a></b></div><div>The Mit Rahina Museum is home to the Sphinx of Memphis as well as the Statue of Ramses II. Both are a sight to see, and it is amazing that both are still well-preserved!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Giza Pyramids</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sphinx_of_Giza" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Great Sphinx of Giza</a></b></div><div>The main reason for our trip was to see the Giza pyramids and sphinx, and it was finally the time to enjoy the views and learning about the history. We were also able to add on a camel ride experience for $20 USD (yes, they take USD), which we thought was worth it for a one time try (I mean, when else would we have the opportunity to ride a camel?). It was definitely a bumpy ride and I found that I had to keep repositioning myself to stay centered.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- Lunch at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294202-d7367397-Reviews-Restaurant_El_Dar_Darak-Giza_Giza_Governorate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restaurant El Dar Darak Pyramids Giza</a></b></span></div><div>The lunch at Restaurant El Dar Darak was part of the tour package. Upon arrival to the restaurant, we were offered choices of chicken, kofta, or mixed. We both opted for the mixed platters which came with a side of soup. Egyptian bread and various dipping sauces were part of the appetizer. We also ordered their guava juice, which was freshly squeezed and full of pulp. It was almost as we were eating the actual fruit!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.pharaonicvillage.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Pharaonic Village</a></b></div><div>After lunch, our tour was officially finished for the day. My husband and I decided to check out the Pharaonic Village, since it seemed like a unique experience. My husband and i found the boat ride showing ancient daily Egyptian life fascinating. As we were the only English speakers, we ended up having a ferry boat with an English audio guided tour all to ourselves. There were several mini exhibits detailing the history of Egypt. For an extra fee, you can dress up like a pharaoh/queen and take pictures with various backgrounds. They provide a hard copy print of the photo.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- Dinner at <a href="http://aboushakra.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abou Shakra Restaurant</a></b></span></div><div>We ordered the two charcoal grilled quail, stuffed pigeon with rice, Lebanese tabbouleh salad, and Egyptian baladi salad. The food portions were generous and the quality of the food was amazing. My husband and I highly recommend the charcoal grilled quail, as there is a unique flavor to the quail meat. My husband and I both enjoyed the pigeon meat, but the rice was a bit plain. We enjoyed the tabbouleh salad and the Egyptian salad, but wished they went lighter on the sauce. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0uhKcdfqoBw6QnMwJm0djGRGwzZ34J3UVb4APhrVKDctzw1ljKYfl06IDujBYTjYb4M4GdEH6eovoYVIx1c40WWxemtbNUB-3mGkMBUZeKS3asU_qMxUfcXAHEkprqPfvr5FFB6rB8cifm9bCEhx8jC_zbk4CAir6zVFzt6a9zUdgxY14P4WY-BU=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0uhKcdfqoBw6QnMwJm0djGRGwzZ34J3UVb4APhrVKDctzw1ljKYfl06IDujBYTjYb4M4GdEH6eovoYVIx1c40WWxemtbNUB-3mGkMBUZeKS3asU_qMxUfcXAHEkprqPfvr5FFB6rB8cifm9bCEhx8jC_zbk4CAir6zVFzt6a9zUdgxY14P4WY-BU=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 3 - Cairo</h3><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Hotel change to <a href="https://www.marriott.com/search/findHotels.mi?scid=7d812d9f-13ba-44a4-a97f-48b96e64a223&gclid=96c2c0e2d7cb1eb70027a2c795229893&gclsrc=3p.ds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St. Regis Cairo</a></b></div><div>We changed hotels to the St. Regis in Cairo, and it is by far one of the nicest hotels we've stayed in (aside from Waldorf, of course). The check in process was smooth and seamless. Like with the Intercontinental, we were able to check in early and were upgraded to a Nile view room. We even received a text message letting us know that the room was ready for check in. After checking in, we were brought to the lounge area, where we were provided with drinks of our choice. We went with the fresh squeezed guava juice. We felt very well taken care of here, and were provided with daily fruit and dessert plates.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.presidency.eg/en/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abdeen Palace Museum</a> (100 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b></div><div>The Abdeen Palace Museum is unlike any other museum we have visited. We had expected more views of palace living (ie. furniture, art, etc). Instead, there were lots of weapons on display, not a bad thing if you're into the history of how weapons have evolved over time or if you're curious about different weapons used in other countries. The courtyard area was limited as to where you could walk, and there were armed guards everywhere. I personally would not recommend visiting and suggest skipping over this museum.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294201-d786134-Reviews-Felfela-Cairo_Cairo_Governorate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Felfela</a></b></div><div>We ordered the mixed felfela, hawawshi, and mehalabia. The mixed felfela was pretty much an Egyptian bread stuffed with a falafel patty and fried beans. The hawawshi was a fried meat-filled bread, very similar to a stuffed paratha. The mehalabia is a milk pudding. All of the dishes were delicious, and I highly recommend stopping by for a meal. The ordering process is similar to Kazaz -- place your order and pay, hand slips with your order to the appropriate windows, and the workers will get started on your order. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Hotel walk around and unwind</b></div><div>We decided to call it a day since we didn't have any tours planned nor did we want to deal with walking through the Cairo traffic. We, instead, spent time exploring the hotel grounds and relaxing in our room. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>TIP:</b> Foreigners pay more for tickets than Egyptian citizens (about 3-4x more Egyptian pounds depending on the place). While it isn't much in the bigger scheme of things, it can add up. </span></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 4 - Cairo</h3><div><br /></div><div>The tours this day were booked with Emo Tours group. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripsinegypt.com/salah-el-din-citadel/#:~:text=Salah%20El%20Din%20Citadel%20is%20a%20medieval%20Islamic,can%20be%20easily%20reached%20by%20any%20public%20transportation." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Salah El Din Citadel</a> (180 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b><br /></div><div>This citadel is home to several mosques and historical sites. Within the citadel lies the famous Alabaster Mosque (see more below) as well as the Qasr El-Jawhara and two museums. On one end, you can even get a panoramic view of Cairo. It was a great overview and start to our Islamic Coptic Cairo tour!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.introducingegypt.com/alabaster-mosque" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alabaster Mosque of Muhammed Ali Pasha</a></b></div><div>The Alabaster Mosque was quite a sight with its glossy floors and walls. In the center, there is an area, where people typically wash their hands prior to going in to pray. The lights inside the mosque are in concentric circles and really glow against the alabaster walls and floor. In one corner, there is a tomb, where Muhammed Ali was buried. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/monuments/mosque-and-madrasa-of-sultan-hasan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mosque Madrasa of Sultan Hassan</a></b></div><div>The mosque functioned as a school in the past and is one of the first schools established. It was interesting learning about the different teachings and how there is a section for each grade level in the school.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294201-d308884-Reviews-Khan_Al_Khalili-Cairo_Cairo_Governorate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Khan El-Khalili Bazaar</a></b></div><div>The bazaar was filled with many handmade lighting fixtures, random trinkets, clothes, and goods. The rule of thumb is to shop at stores with fixed pricing, since those that allow bargaining typically have cheaper items that are not truly made in Egypt. There was a part of the bazaar that was closed off with police. Per the tour guide, the streets in those areas tend to be narrower and more likely for pickpocketers to lurk. Thus, police has closed off certain areas to foreigners. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qalawun_complex" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Qalawun Complex</a></b></div><div>We walked with our tour guide down Al Moez street from the bazaar to Qalawun Complex. The tour guide mentioned that this complex was an area where many charitable events took place. For example, there was an area where food would be given out to those in need. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.egypttoursportal.com/en-us/the-hanging-church/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hanging Church</a></b></div><div>This church is literally hanging by some wooden beams. It is amazing that the church was even built, given that it is above an old fortress. Inside the church, there is a portion of the glass floor, where you can see the original wooden beams used to hold up the church as well as new reinforced beams. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Late lunch at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Resturant+%26+Cafe+Al+Khan/@30.0085695,31.2305632,18z/data=!4m9!1m2!2m1!1srestaurant+near+Souq+El+Fustat!3m5!1s0x14584716d491bf27:0xbff68ffe4b06313d!8m2!3d30.0085695!4d31.2314553!15sCh5yZXN0YXVyYW50IG5lYXIgU291cSBFbCBGdXN0YXRaICIecmVzdGF1cmFudCBuZWFyIHNvdXEgZWwgZnVzdGF0kgEbamFwYW5lc2VfaXpha2F5YV9yZXN0YXVyYW50" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restaurant and Cafe Al Khan</a></b></div><div>We had included lunch with the tour again. The meal options were the same -- chicken, kofta, or mixed. I went with the mixed platter and my husband went for the kofta platter. My husband had instant regret, since the kofta pieces were small. Meanwhile, I had a nice grilled quarter chicken leg with drumstick as well as some kofta. The food was served with a side of soup as well as Egyptian bread and dip appetizers. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Relax/unwind</b></div><div>Just like the other day, we spent the night relaxing and unwinding after our long day out and about. I'm glad that we had time to enjoy the luxurious room and amenities. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 5 - Transit day to Luxor</h3><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Laundry at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%8A+%D9%83%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%86+%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A8%D9%87%E2%80%AD/@30.1071663,31.3717396,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14581718fb19e2d3:0xcf1e1e7043ebc50a!8m2!3d30.1071663!4d31.3739283?hl=en-US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tiba Dry Clean</a></b></div><div>My husband and I planned to do laundry about halfway during our trip, and it was time to get some laundry done. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find laundromats or stores that offered laundry washing and drying services alone. We saw that Tiba Dry Clean had good reviews, and gave it a shot. The services provided were definitely more than what we needed. After all, we just wear t-shirts and jeans (or exercise pants for myself) when traveling. They washed, dried, pressed, folded, and packaged our clothes within the 2 hours timeframe, as promised. They were even kind enough to set up a makeshift eating area for my husband and I to eat lunch. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://tomandbasal.com/home/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tom and Basal</a></b></div><div>We were in a pinch looking for a place to get a quick lunch. Tom and Basal was nearby and had good reviews on Google, so we decided to give the place a try. I ordered a hawawshi, and my husband ordered a koshary (medium sized). We didn't see a seating area to eat, so proceeded to make our order to-go. The koshary was prepared quite quickly, meanwhile the hawawshi took some time to make (since they make it from scratch). The food taste and flavors were on point and surprisingly good, given that they only have food to-go. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Flight to Luxor with <a href="https://www.egyptair.com/en/Pages/default.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Egypt Air</a></b></div><div>If you had read about our original travel plan, we were thinking of taking the train from Cairo to Luxor to really experience how locals travel. Unfortunately, due to my germaphobicness (if that even is a word), my husband and I booked last minute (literally the night before) tickets for a domestic flight from Cairo to Luxor with Egypt Air. Surprisingly, they still had seats available. We were upgraded to their "business" class as well, and the total cost was about $80 USD per ticket. Their version of the "business" class for our domestic flight equated to an "economy plus" or "premium economy" seat, a nice plus for the short 1 hour-ish flight. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: white;"><b>TIP:</b> Both <a href="https://www.uber.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Uber</a> and <a href="https://www.careem.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Careem</a> are used more in Cairo; however, Careem is used more in Luxor and is a "safer" alternative to an unmetered taxi, where you may get overcharged. </span></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Check in to <a href="https://aracanhotelsandresorts.com/aracan-luxor.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aracan Eatabe Luxor</a></b></div><div>The final check in for our Egypt trip was to Aracan Eatabe Luxor. We were originally planning to stay at the Hilton Hotel in Luxor, but the change in the train to plane ride caused us to need an extra night's stay...and we didn't want to wind up switching hotels after a day. Thus, we had rebooked with Aracan Eatabe. The good of this hotel is that breakfast was included with our stay. Breakfast was an all-you-can-eat buffet style set up with various breads, dips, hot foods, and salads. They were also open from 6am, which was great for our early start days. The hotel is also situated walking distance from Luxor Temple and the Nile River Cruise docking area. The hotel was overall pretty dated and our room particularly had some areas that could've used an additional lamp for lighting. My husband and I agree, it was the "darkest" hotel room we've stayed in. We used our room mainly for sleeping, so the stay was okay overall. If you have a limited data plan and rely on wi-fi, the only way to access the free wi-fi was by staying in the common area in the lobby. Some people smoke in the lobby area and the electrical outlets didn't work. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294205-d2239004-Reviews-Oasis_Palace-Luxor_Nile_River_Valley.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oasis Palace Cafe and Restaurant</a></b></div><div>I ordered the chicken shwarma and my husband ordered the beef tajin. My husband and I agree that the beef tajin was more worth it. The beef chunks were so tender and fell apart easily; meanwhile the chicken shwarma was very similar to that we've cooked ourselves at home and nothing too special. It looked a lot like grilled chicken strips stir fried with veggies and was served with a side of rice. The special thing about the tajin is that it has to be cooked in a special kind of pot. While other places packed ours in to-go containers, we really appreciated the extra effort this restaurant and chef provided. The chef personally came out of the kitchen, and after finding out we were staying nearby and able to return the tajin pot, offered to let us take the tajin packed in the pot. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Walk around Luxor at night</b></div><div>After dinner, we decided to spend our first night in Luxor walking around and exploring nearby. We stayed mainly in the well-lit areas near Luxor Temple and along the Nile River, just to be safe. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Horse Drawn Carriage Ride</b></div><div>While my husband and I were doing our nighttime walk and as I was busily taking pictures, we were approached particularly persistently by one horse drawn carriage person. After the carriage person offered a price in Egyptian pounds that my husband thought was reasonable, we went along for the ride and got a tour of the town. The ride lasted for about 30 minutes. Once we were dropped off at our hotel, the carriage person changed things on us and insisted that the price was in USD. Of course, there was no written agreement or tour booking to back us up, so we paid as the carriage person was becoming more heated (and of course he knew where we were staying since he dropped us back at our hotel). When we looked up horse drawn carriage rides in Luxor on Tripadvisor, the amount we paid should have gotten us a 1 hour carriage ride (if we wanted to compare with the going rate). This was definitely a damper of our trip. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs3SWUwhrCYp3Ot9Dqi3V8HeQWL5L53HrJ6nnIdr56lABJtdXkw0LmWs0Lca4mPGnNYh_CGT6dcYU_AItoSyexqlS_EAkOUBORmyZaQ1IXZv3Opy-qXJPCML4tEl5ZgZYvmzavuSJO53E7MwMtgHPaYvawYWUgcfHCdJSMO421cUcOxBHZDgqwU3c=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs3SWUwhrCYp3Ot9Dqi3V8HeQWL5L53HrJ6nnIdr56lABJtdXkw0LmWs0Lca4mPGnNYh_CGT6dcYU_AItoSyexqlS_EAkOUBORmyZaQ1IXZv3Opy-qXJPCML4tEl5ZgZYvmzavuSJO53E7MwMtgHPaYvawYWUgcfHCdJSMO421cUcOxBHZDgqwU3c=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 6 - Luxor</b></h3><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring <a href="https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/monuments/luxor-temple/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luxor Temple</a> (160 Egyptian pounds for foreigner) and <a href="https://www.luxorandaswan.com/en/Egypt/wiki/Karnak-Temple" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Karnak Temple</a> (200 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b></div><div>Now that we've seen Luxor Temple at night, it was time to see it during the day. My husband and I ventured out and were one of the first few people at the temple. It was quite grand with its tall pillars and statues, and its entrance led to the 3km long Avenue of Sphinxes, which joins Karnak Temple at the other end. Luxor Temple is relatively smaller than Karnak Temple, and because part of the Avenue of Sphinxes was closed for repair, my husband and I caught a Careem to Karnak Temple. </div><div><br /></div><div>Karnak Temple was quite expansive and large with a similar style as Luxor Temple. It took us several hours to walk through Karnak Temple alone. Because of how large the temple was, there were times that it seemed that it was just me and my husband there. Then, when we went back to the "main" road, there was the crowd again. It seemed that most other tourists visited Luxor Temple on their own, meanwhile there were larger tour groups at Karnak Temple. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>TIP: </b>Go early to avoid the crowds and to capture special moments without needing to do much editing/photoshopping of unwanted, unintentional (we hope) photobombers!</span></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294205-d4206696-Reviews-Aisha_Restaurant-Luxor_Nile_River_Valley.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aisha Restaurant</a></b></div><div>After temple visiting, it was time to get our grub on and we decided to go to Aisha Restaurant. After dinner the previous night, I decided to join my husband on team tagine. We each ordered our own portion of the lamb tagine, and we had no regrets at all. The meat was tender and juicy. It was by far the best tagine we had on our trip, and we highly recommend trying the tagine from here if you are in the neighborhood. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Catching the sunset along the Nile from our room</b></div><div>In the interim between lunch and catching the sunset, my husband and I were brainstorming ideas for photo storage as I took way too many photos during the trip and was about near full capacity of my phone storage (yes, the photos on my blog are shot with my smartphone (except for the ones with attributions)). After caving in and buying cloud storage, my husband and I were too tired and lazy to leave our room, so we decided to just watch the sunset from our small balcony area. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner at <a href="https://twisht.com/company/profile/al-sahaby-lane-restaurant-cafe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Al Sahaby Lane Restaurant and Cafe</a></b></div><div>We both ordered our own camel burgers and shared a salep. We were surprised to find camel burgers on the menu, and the waiter mentioned that the camel burger is one of their popular dishes. The camel burgers were huge, and the restaurant definitely didn't skimp on the meat. The camel burger was pretty reminiscent of your typical beef burger but with a more...earthy(?), gamey(?) taste. It wasn't bad though! The salep was a nice pairing -- warm, milky, only slightly sweet. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 7 - Luxor</b></h3><div><br /></div><div><div>The tours this day were booked with Emo Tours group and were all in the west bank of the Nile.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/medinet-habu.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Medinet Habu</a> (100 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b></div><div>We started our day visiting the mortuary temple of Ramses III. The details of the temple walls and intricacy of the building design were appreciated. Our tour guide noted the difference in depth of the wall depictions, which allowed some wall depictions to last longer than others. She also showed us some hidden gems (well preserved wall depictions with a story to tell) and explained the stories behind them. We walked through the entire place, and several tour groups were coming in as we left. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/valley-of-the-kings" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Valley of the Kings</a> (240 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b></div><div>The Valley of the Kings might remind you of every other dessert-y, mountain-y place, but there are several tombs of pharaohs that lie there. We had the opportunity to walk through 3 different tombs. Per our tour guide, the tomb of King Tut, as famous as he was, is not worth visiting as most things have been removed from the tomb and placed in museums (also, it appeared that the gate to the tomb was locked and there were no other tourist group(s) looking to go in). She suggested visiting other tomb sites instead. Each tomb had a long and sometimes steep route down. On the ceiling were the stars, and on the walls, depictions of the life of the specific pharaoh. Because no sunlight shown directly inside the tombs, the color of the depictions are very well preserved. It is amazing to think that such long lasting colors were made in ancient times!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.wander.am/travel/luxor-74697/places/deir-el-medina-67999.en.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deir el-Medina</a> (100 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b><br /></div><div>Workers who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings resided here while the tombs were being built. There are several small quarters that can be made out from the leftover walls that have been buried in the sand. This site was not as busy as Valley of the Kings, and is worth checking out since it has an interesting history of its own!</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortuary_Temple_of_Hatshepsut" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut</a> (140 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b></div><div>Queen Hatshepsut was the only female pharaoh. She was able to rule by taking the place of her younger brother, as he was only a child. She had built her own mortuary temple in a unique way, with a long stairway/incline at the entrance along with several front-facing pillars. My husband and I were thankful we had visited the temple with a tour guide because the wall depictions are filled with history and stories of the lady pharaoh.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_the_Queens" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Valley of the Queens</a> (100 Egyptian pounds for foreigner)</b></div><div>The Valley of the Queens had a more cave-like look compared to the Valley of the Kings. Our tour guide told us that this place was meant for the queens of pharaohs to be buried; however, it often became the burial site of their children. We learned from our tour guide that there were a lot of intermarriages within the family, which created issues when the children were born. This often led to the children having shorter lifespans than their parents. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Colossi_of_Memnon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colossi of Memnon</a> </b></div><div>Colossal statues of Amenhotep III that were meant to guard the area. It seemed like an underrated site, although it's free to visit. There were no tour groups, just other random travelers and their tour guides (like me and my husband). </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Late Lunch at <a href="https://restaurantguru.com/Saraya-Cafe-Luxor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saraya Cafe</a></b></div><div>We ended our day at Saraya Cafe, which was recommended by our tour guide. We had the molokia, beef tagine, Egyptian bread, and all the different dips and spreads. The food tasted really good and came out nice and hot. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b>TIP:</b> <i>Baksheesh</i> is a term used to describe a small tip given for a task done. Don't get too surprised if you are asked for a small <i>baksheesh</i> for things like having someone help take a picture or taking a picture of someone. As one of our tour guides tipped to us, "nothing in Egypt is free."</span></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Light dinner</b></div><div>Since we had a late lunch and an early flight the next day, we pretty much had snacks our tour guide purchased for us during our tour as our dinner. We were pretty tired after a whole day out in the heat too and were ready to prioritize our other need --- rest and sleep. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Day 8 - Transit Day</h3><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Flight with Egypt Air</b></div><div>We flew back with Egypt Air's business class. This time, the business class was the typical business class -- individualized pods where you can sit, recline, or lay flat to rest during the flight; cakes and other snacks; a meal with an appetizer. Our guess is that a newer airplane had to be used because our flight this time was international, not domestic. If you've followed our travel journeys, we don't typically travel business class for international flights (just economy), so this was definitely a new upgrade and experience for us. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJx0hCRLwYiiOwbL-Wp0iCSmho28PZMI6tk7WM7WgCf2XeCzPVD9mt74gVvslbX9x5mkWkRdhF9B4GuqtVl3H67I9L03USNSoOWFFNBr0RBKbw2TdVdog00qWavTj1xd-kNws7RzqC7xYKBGABytVQiLN4LC7pxxKra54s0W31AG3NU3nm-6uyIHY=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJx0hCRLwYiiOwbL-Wp0iCSmho28PZMI6tk7WM7WgCf2XeCzPVD9mt74gVvslbX9x5mkWkRdhF9B4GuqtVl3H67I9L03USNSoOWFFNBr0RBKbw2TdVdog00qWavTj1xd-kNws7RzqC7xYKBGABytVQiLN4LC7pxxKra54s0W31AG3NU3nm-6uyIHY=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, we had a really fun trip to Egypt and were surprised with how much "rest" time we had, since our itinerary is typically packed. Our advice is to check the weather before you go so you can pack appropriately and be sure to pack some extra sunscreen too!</div><div><br /></div><div>Have you been to Egypt before? What was your experience and were there other places you went?</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div><div><br /></div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Egypt26.820553 30.802498-1.4896808361788452 -4.353752 55.130786836178842 65.958748tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-1925212888888135172021-12-31T10:07:00.229-08:002022-10-31T20:03:40.146-07:006 Days in Istanbul, Turkey: Things to Do & Trip Itinerary<p class="mobile-photo"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Our trip to Istanbul, Turkey was more heavily planned by my husband, as it has been waiting on his list of countries to visit due to the good food and rich history. For me, I didn't know much about Turkey, except that there is a country named Turkey. Well, that and the turkey bird, so our trip to Turkey was a big history learning experience for me! It was also our first time going to a country where neither of us spoke the language, so we relied heavily on </span><a href="https://translate.google.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Translate</a><span> and </span><a href="https://lens.google/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Lens</a><span> to make our way around. </span></span></p><p class="mobile-photo"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="mobile-photo"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibEbeZTMx9ocnfZJ3PmSHNFCdoWSPxe5Ds5jGFHb5CfsfN4x7QjRhYkXt1I_P6NwIHG8ptTgJHwOcEFTvUQImmVDlKAM_s7FsZ8Ci1SjX5oQ_souf1hQknqBiY95nh6T7iDyQKuo9fYAGnDpWOfGSivue4vZgd2kI3lC4Hxk-GeslZV9piOAha-14"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7085394130266371714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibEbeZTMx9ocnfZJ3PmSHNFCdoWSPxe5Ds5jGFHb5CfsfN4x7QjRhYkXt1I_P6NwIHG8ptTgJHwOcEFTvUQImmVDlKAM_s7FsZ8Ci1SjX5oQ_souf1hQknqBiY95nh6T7iDyQKuo9fYAGnDpWOfGSivue4vZgd2kI3lC4Hxk-GeslZV9piOAha-14=s16000" /></span></a></p><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u>Where We Stayed</u></span></b></h2><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We decided to maximize our trip by doing fewer hotel changes. We stayed at the <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/istsidi-doubletree-istanbul-sirkeci/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DoubleTree Hotel in Sirkeçi</a> for about the first two-thirds of our trip, and at the <a href="https://istanbul.intercontinental.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Intercontinental Istanbul</a> for the last one-third of our trip. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some things we loved about the DoubleTree Hotel was that it was right off one of the main streets, so it was easy getting to the main street when we wanted to walk around and was nice and quiet when it was time to rest. It was also conveniently located next door to a metro station, which made transiting to different places (and our subsequent hotel change) a little easier. The hotel looks a bit dated, and the lotion, shampoo, and conditioner were all fakes made to look "Crabtree and Evelyn" -esque. On closer inspection, you'll find that some or all of your amenities are fakes. I suspected something was off since the scent wasn't quite the usual lemon verbena, and only noticed when my hair felt crunchy/crispier when I was drying my hair. I can't believe I fell for the fake and that it's not a surprising occurrence here (per other blog posts I've found when looking up if this was a one-time anomaly)!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our hotel stay at the Intercontinental was not too shabby either. The hotel was located a bit further from the main activities and downtown, which made getting places slightly tougher. Thus, most of our outings involved some combination of Uber and walking. Our room faced the front entrance of the hotel and a busy (car wise) street. The initial honking of the cars during peak traffic times annoyed us, but we grew used to it during our stay. We even learned to love watching the traffic move at night and figuring out how long it would take the ambulance/police to make it through the traffic (because, from our observations, traffic was slow to move and make way for them even with their sirens on). The shower leaves more to be desired, as water piled up from clogged drains. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u>Our Itinerary</u></span></b></h2><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For our trip itinerary this time, we decided not to include our transit days, which would have made our trip technically "8" days long -- one day for flying in, one day for flying out. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Day 1</span></b></h3> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </span><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/G%C3%BClhane+Park/@41.0131341,28.9788111,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9c735bcda2b:0x65e6a6edfa646cb!8m2!3d41.0133079!4d28.9815101" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">Gülhane Park</a> </span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A local park near our first hotel. Since we went during the wintertime, there weren't many plants or greenery of trees to see. It was still a lovely park that is worth a walkthrough for your daily steps and some fresh air. The park also leads to a few different museums, if visiting is of interest.</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Topkapi+Palace+Museum/@41.0112341,28.977192,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9b8afa5f833:0x15aa1943c3015300!8m2!3d41.0115195!4d28.9833789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Topkapi Palace Museum</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A beautiful palace that features a lot of the architectural and furnishing styles of royalty in Turkey. The palace appeared busy despite us going early in the morning, and it only got busier as crowds and lines formed to enter as we exited. We enjoyed walking through the palace and garden, and enjoying the fresh air from the Marmara Sea.</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://g.page/gulhanesark86?share" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gulhane Sark Sofrasi</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stopped by here for our first meal in Turkey, partly because of convenience as it was close to our first hotel and partly because of the good reviews. We had and highly recommend their <i>testi kebab</i> (meat cooked in special pottery clay). The meat is cooked in a pottery jar sent in from Cappadocia, another city in Turkey, over open flame. The jar is rotated for an even cook, then broken with cooked contents poured in a bowl to enjoy the meal. It was definitely entertaining watching the preparation and cooking process!</span></p> <p style="color: #dca10d; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="inherit"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hagia+Sophia/@41.008583,28.9779863,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9be92011c27:0x236e6f6f37444fae!8m2!3d41.008583!4d28.980175" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Hagia Sophia</b></a></font></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When in Turkey, you have to visit the Hagia Sophia. You'll find that there are many mosques in Turkey, but nothing quite as architecturally exquisite as the Hagia Sophia. For women, a hair cover of sorts is required for entry. For all visitors, expect to remove your shoes prior to entering the main room. There are shoe racks in the hallway to deposit your shoes. There is also a special area in the front that is closed off for religious prayer. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Blue+Mosque/@41.0054096,28.9746251,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9bd6570f4e1:0xe52df7368a157ca4!8m2!3d41.0054096!4d28.9768138" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Blue Mosque</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Blue Mosque is appropriately named and blue colored on the outside. It sits right across from the Hagia Sophia. The mosque was much smaller and less impressive inside, partly because most of it was closed for renovation at the time of our visit.</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sultan+Ahmet+Park/@41.0058646,28.9772323,18z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x62324f85559fbd51!8m2!3d41.0062323!4d28.9775066" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sultan Ahmet Park</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>A vast park with a fountain in the center as well as rows of benches for those who wish to have a seat to pray or relax. The Hagia Sophia is on one end of the park, and the Blue Mosque is at the opposite end. During prayer times, the echoing of the prayer between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque can be heard here. </span><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Obelisk+of+Theodosius/@41.0050104,28.9742674,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab997e9f681f3:0xce53203fdb74a68c!8m2!3d41.0058986!4d28.9753726" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Obelisk of Theodosius</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An obelisk originally from Egypt that was taken to Turkey. It sits just outside Sultan Ahmet Park, near the Blue Mosque. The heiroglyphics were impressive especially since the only other time we've seen them was in textbook pictures.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Theodosius+Cistern/@41.0073901,28.9701955,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9971cebad0f:0x4ae2a38610837e6c!8m2!3d41.007386!4d28.9724339" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Şerefiye Sarnıcı (Theodosius Cistern)</b></a></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the olden days, the cisterns were used to hold water. The cisterns feature several columns underground, which still has water actively running down them. The cistern is located adjacent to a cafe, and there is a light show featuring the cistern columns. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Deraliye/@41.0087837,28.9739035,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab996011ea127:0xfcefecb3d43b2028!8m2!3d41.0087837!4d28.9760922" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Deraliye</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Ottoman Empire once occupied the area that is now Turkey, and this is the place to go if you want to sample some authentic Ottoman fare, particularly the meals that were prepared for the sultans. If you love meat, we highly recommend their lamb shank. Portions are on the larger side, and we're glad we listened to the suggestion from the store owner in ordering dishes a la carte (as we were originally planning to order a full Ottoman course). </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <h3 style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Day 2</span></b></h3> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Miniaturk/@41.0594819,28.9446947,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab0ca49006bf5:0x3189508ccec2d71c!8m2!3d41.0589927!4d28.9492193" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Miniaturk</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Picture this -- all the historical, famous, and popular sites of Istanbul in mini form and all in one convenient place. My husband and I ventured early in the morning, and we had the park all to ourselves. We were able to take our time reading and enjoying the mini places as we walked around the park. The park had more tour groups and crowds about midmorning, at which time my husband and I completed maybe 50% of the park. There are several stray cats that hang out in the park. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Galata+Tower/@41.0258767,28.969947,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9e7a7777c43:0x4c76cf3dcc8b330b!8m2!3d41.0255608!4d28.9742631" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Galata Kulesi (Galata Tower)</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Galata Tower is a watchtower that was used since the Byzantine Empire. Going up the tower was easy with the help of an elevator. At the elevator stop, there is a windowed watch deck that offers a panoramic view of Istanbul. From there, you can go up another flight of stairs on a spiral staircase if you want to go to the open watch deck. When going down, expect to go down several spiral stairs (no handrails, so take your time and be cautious). There is a different elevator that can take you back to the ground as well if needed.</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><br /></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Karakoy+Fish+House/@41.0219513,28.9713107,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9e8590c4d3f:0x782061a01592df5b!8m2!3d41.0219135!4d28.9735102" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Karaköy Balik Evi (Karakoy Fish House)</a></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;">As Istanbul is surrounded by the Bosphorus Strait and Black sea, we figured getting our fill of the local catch would be an experience that we shouldn't miss out on as foodies. The Karaköy Fish House is located just off the Bosphorus Strait right by a fish market. The fish is literally ready to be cooked to order. We really enjoyed and recommend their grilled seabass (levrek) fish dish. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Karak%C3%B6y+G%C3%BCll%C3%BCo%C4%9Flu/@41.0220322,28.9725123,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9e8144a79f5:0xf03e0f395d361ad8!8m2!3d41.0229083!4d28.9774498" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Karaköy Güllüoğlu</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A popular local sweets shop, featuring several different kinds of baklava. As it was our first time visiting a sweets shop, we were overwhelmed with all of the different choices and shapes/styles of the baklava. You can choose to eat at the shop or to have some boxed and air sealed to go. To order, you walk up to the counter and get helped by a worker. The worker will package your order according to the type of baklava you want and quantity. We highly recommend checking out the menu ahead of time prior to going, since the shop does get very busy and the workers get a bit inpatient if you're taking too much time to make your choices.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%C5%9Eehzade+Ca%C4%9F+Kebap/@41.0139781,28.9730681,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9957a8076bf:0x3a3126ac9d5344f7!8m2!3d41.0139863!4d28.9752618" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Şehzade Cağ Kebap</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Located in an alleyway of several restaurants, but hard to miss because of the filled seats and lines. There is outdoor and indoor dining available, and the restaurant does fill up. My husband and I ordered cag kebap durum and cag kebap meal to go. The hardest part about ordering to go from here was the lack of an area to wait for our food. The alleyway does get crowded and the outdoor diners aren't the happiest if you get too close to their space (like most people would be). </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJX_wEsmACQCSYne_xk49WSLwwdyEHGDCYyKCtYVEnTNeCADalmbNySLYXX9PZ_Y91TNp3pjAZnniFdthm7ERyFdNl6pk_Le-5DYVvrnKeWhIJyr1zMyN_ZSuKrWSi7DccxPQ31nRVKAGLYUkUTyPPn5kNg8DA6Py5awlWy1y5lM2Xqps6yhQFuA/s2000/Travel%20Template.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJX_wEsmACQCSYne_xk49WSLwwdyEHGDCYyKCtYVEnTNeCADalmbNySLYXX9PZ_Y91TNp3pjAZnniFdthm7ERyFdNl6pk_Le-5DYVvrnKeWhIJyr1zMyN_ZSuKrWSi7DccxPQ31nRVKAGLYUkUTyPPn5kNg8DA6Py5awlWy1y5lM2Xqps6yhQFuA/s16000/Travel%20Template.png" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Day 3</span></b></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/B%C3%BCy%C3%BCk+Mecidiye+Mosque+(Ortak%C3%B6y+Mosque)/@41.0483002,29.0205616,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab7c8e42887ad:0xfd73f2a29eafc8bc!8m2!3d41.0472151!4d29.0269478" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Büyük Mecidiye Camii (Büyük Mecidiye Mosque, Ortaköy Mosque)</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We started our journey this day extra early to avoid crowds. We were able to catch the outside of this mosque as well as all the city lights since it was still dark outside. It was nice walking along the waterfront and enjoying the fresh air without the crowds. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yedikule+Dungeons+Museum/@40.9938545,28.9210783,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cabbbdd202013b:0xeae508700631f966!8m2!3d40.9938545!4d28.923267" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yedikule Hisarı Müzesi (Yedikule Dungeons Museum)</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We were hoping to visit the dungeons museum, and we even figured out the public transportation to get us there. Unfortunately, the museum itself was closed for renovation when we went. Despite this, we just walked around and enjoyed the outer walls of what used to be Constantinople. Aside from seeing the walls and snapping photos, there wasn't much else to do in town, and we recommend going at your own discretion. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Merdivenli+Yoku%C5%9F+Evleri/@41.0291196,28.9427908,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cabbc1451c00cd:0x822d38ac8bdea572!8m2!3d41.0313359!4d28.9461959" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Merdivenli Yokuş Evleri</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our next stop was to check out a row of colorful homes in Turkey! We had a taxi driver bring us up the hill to these homes, and their skill navigating through the tight streets was just amazing! The homes reminded us a lot of the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60713-d104540-Reviews-Painted_Ladies-San_Francisco_California.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">painted ladies in San Francisco</a>, but with its own uniqueness in that there are 1) more homes making up this group of homes, and 2) more bold colors used. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we were the only tourists (and people for that matter) walking through the street. Like our other stop, there wasn't much else to do in the area, so be prepared to walk or Uber!</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Uskudar+Coast+Walkway/@41.0234531,29.0063304,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab829c2c84913:0xeffeb1fdde80ecba!8m2!3d41.0230485!4d29.006898" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Üsküdar Sahili Yürüme Yolu (Uskudar Coast Walkway)</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our next stop was walking from one end of the walkway to the other. We really liked that the walkway was wide with space for pedestrian traffic and bikes (with proper to and from lanes marked). Walking along the walkway, we were able to catch a view of the Maiden's Tower. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Maiden's+Tower/@41.0214814,29.0061909,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab82bea99445f:0x6ed7f4baceb4476c!8m2!3d41.0211216!4d29.0041105" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kız Kulesi (Maiden's Tower)</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We didn't take a boat over to Maiden's Tower, but just watched from the walkway. It's quite literally a small island with a tower that has been converted to a restaurant. There are many seagulls that hang out between the walkway and Maiden's Tower. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%C3%87iya+Sofras%C4%B1/@40.9903899,29.0221143,15.91z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab867a20b3a85:0x58aaaeb4b80c5113!8m2!3d40.9893196!4d29.0244093?shorturl=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Çiya Sofrası</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With all the walking around and moving about, it was quickly time for a late lunch. We went to Çiya Sofrasi for lunch. The restaurant serves up several different traditional Turkish dishes of the day, and it is pretty much cafeteria style. You let the worker know what you want and how much of it, then they figure the price by weight. The food names were not posted or listed anywhere. We were lucky that the worker helping us that day knew how to speak some English and was very kind/patient as we decided what we wanted to order. We tried 3 small portions of different lamb and chicken dishes, although we can't tell you the names of the dishes. We highly recommend visiting this restaurant to sample some traditional Turkish fare!</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kasap+Osman/@41.0138256,28.9751785,19z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9506a3da593:0x5b5c25ca2c78b4ce!8m2!3d41.0138256!4d28.9757257" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kasap Osman</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A local Turkish food place serving up different Turkish dishes cafeteria style. The ordering process was similar to the previous food place, but the food being served is listed and posted on a large sign outside of the restaurant. Be sure to translate and decide on what you want to order prior to going in, as the line may get very long. We even recommend thinking of your second and third runner ups. We were a bit disappointed that the dishes we wanted to try were all sold out, and had to even go to our third runner ups ourselves. The worker helping us wasn't the most helpful, and only started pointing out the different dishes that were left as he realized that all the dishes we wanted were all "no more." The food itself was not bad, although their spinach and egg dish wasn't anything that I couldn't make myself. It's worth a try if you're lucky and the dishes you want are in stock! In hindsight, we probably would've been okay if we had come by earlier.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><b>Fun Fact:</b> If you didn't already know, part of Turkey is in the continent of Europe, and the other part of Turkey is in the continent of Asia. </span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Day 4</span></b></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%C5%9Eehir+Hatlar%C4%B1+Bosphorus+Cruises/@41.0145679,28.9735763,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9ebcbf1042f:0xcc9ea0b92d3e2638!8m2!3d41.0174205!4d28.9748309" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Şehir Hatları Bosphorus Cruises</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We started the day early and made our way to the ship docking area to purchase tickets for a day cruise on the Bosphorus. We were scared that the ship would sell out, but were pleasantly surprised to find that there was quite a bit of seating space throughout our time on the cruise. We sat on the topmost open deck the entire time. It can get windy and cold, but having a mask on because of COVID times kept us warm. We recommend avoiding the bathroom if possible, as it is quite dirty. There was no toilet paper on the ship, so be sure to carry some with you. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yoros+Castle/@41.1744324,29.0873505,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x409fdfab49affaf3:0xfc826f99677e5ae6!8m2!3d41.1789919!4d29.0940107" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yoros Castle</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Upon docking at our stop, we made the trek uphill (as did all the other cruisers) to Yoros Castle. Walking uphill can be strenuous, but there is plenty of sidewalk space to just stand and catch your breath. Once you enter the castle area, there are several restaurants (if you're hungry), and public restrooms (attached to the restaurant, kept very clean). There isn't too much to see inside the two remaining towers of the castle, but the view overlooking the Bosphorus is just beautiful! </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kosem+Balik+Lokantasi/@41.1735129,29.0888858,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x8846b3f19af0ee60!8m2!3d41.1735127!4d29.0888858" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kosem Balik Lokantasi (Köşem Balık Restaurant)</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My husband and I decided to skip the touristy restaurants near the castle, and settle instead for the seafood places near our docking point. We opted for a restaurant that wasn't too "flashy" with their free samples and a place that didn't have other people from our cruise dining in. We ordered their anchovy, shrimp casserole, and white fish dish. Anchovies are a local catch from the Black Sea, and their white fish local to the Bosphorus. The anchovies were fresh and fried to perfection. The anchovies were not at all fishy, and we would have ordered a second dish if our cruise wasn't going to leave for some time. The white fish tasted like the typical white meat fish. It wasn't overcooked and had lots of meat with each bite. We were glad to know we were trying some local catches!</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Balkan+Lokantas%C4%B1/@41.0138012,28.9759154,20z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab9eabacf3df5:0x160a7fdece796ee3!8m2!3d41.0138604!4d28.9760382" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Balkan Lokantası</span></b></a></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another traditional Turkish restaurant serving up food cafeteria style. Similar to our other Turkish cafeteria food experiences, we recommend stopping by for a sampler of traditional Turkish fare!</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Day 5</span></b></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <h2 style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grand+Bazaar/@41.0106848,28.9658794,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab99162d70527:0x64c8680b5ac198ab!8m2!3d41.0106848!4d28.9680681" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar)</span></a></h2><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Visiting the Grand Bazaar during COVID times wasn't the most ideal due to the crowds. Since we're in Istanbul, we decided to see what it was like going in the morning. The Grand Bazaar wasn't as crowded and packed as we read it <i>could</i> be. Instead, since we went in the morning, we saw shop owners enjoying their Turkish tea as they started mopping and cleaning their store front. Some shop owners who had already finished that part of their morning ritual started setting up their shops. There were really no other tourists or shoppers to be seen, and the experience was overall underwhelming. To some extent, we wished we were able to catch the busyness of the bazaar, but we were glad we stayed away from the crowd due to COVID and all. </span></div> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <h2 style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Beyazit+Square/@41.010462,28.9617073,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab98f4fbf9113:0x721bc44b10ee1a71!8m2!3d41.010462!4d28.963896" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Beyazıt Meydanı (Beyazit Square)</span></a></h2><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">An open square near Istanbul University. A big part of the square was under renovation during our visit, so our walking through ended up being straightforward to say the least. </span></div> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <h2 style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Taksim+Square,+G%C3%BCm%C3%BC%C5%9Fsuyu,+34435+Beyo%C4%9Flu%2F%C4%B0stanbul,+Turkey/@41.0370004,28.9675821,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab7650656bd63:0x8ca058b28c20b6c3!8m2!3d41.0370023!4d28.9850917" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Taksim Meydanı Gümüşsuyu (Taksim Square)</span></a></h2> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another large open square with several shops, restaurants, and bars. Taksim Square is a nice place to walk around. Like most places, there are times where the square gets busy, and other times that the square is quieter. The foot traffic around the square is mostly near the restaurants and shops (as expected). If you're enjoying your walk looking at the statues or fountain, you'll hardly run into too many people unless it's a peak time.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/D%C3%BCr%C3%BCmzade/@41.0353785,28.9750698,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab760c0e88db5:0xf72e1c39d0073e!8m2!3d41.0353785!4d28.9772585?shorturl=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dürümzade</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An Anthony Bourdain recommended place known for their <i>dürüm</i> (Turkish barbequed meat in wrap form)! My husband and I ordered 3 large sized dürüms and a salad to go, since we planned to eat and regroup at our second hotel before continuing on with our day. We highly recommend their dürüms; you really can't go wrong with whichever meat you decide to go with! We recommend skipping the salad -- it was chopped and grilled red onions and tomatoes with a lot of oil. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%C4%B0stiklal+Cd.,+Beyo%C4%9Flu%2F%C4%B0stanbul,+Turkey/@41.0340484,28.9773814,18z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab761b76c7cf7:0xd59a76ee7cacf701!8m2!3d41.0337874!4d28.9779529" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">İstiklal Cd.</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A very busy (and crowded) street with many shops, restaurants, and food trucks! My husband and I agree that it was probably one of the more crowded places we visited during our trip. Walking through the street felt like walking through any other street, as we tried to blend in and move along with the sea of people. There were even brave people sitting in the middle of the street trying to get pictures. We didn't really have any place in mind to go shopping, so it was just a quick walk through for us. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Haf%C4%B1z+Mustafa+1864+Meydan/@41.0362191,28.9829427,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab764fe5346e9:0xcfb05f068beda96b!8m2!3d41.0362173!4d28.9851411" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hafız Mustafa 1864 Meydan</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our go-to chain confectionary shop for sweets! We highly recommend their baklava, Turkish delights, and puddings! Throughout our trip we stopped by Hafiz Mustafa at least 3 different times, each time to try their different puddings and to get our day's fill of baklava. For pudding, we highly recommend their pistachio chocolate one, or if you're adventurous, their saffron pudding (which does sell out). If you're afraid the saffron may be too spice-y for you, we recommend getting the saffron and milk pudding since the milk helps to decrease the spice flavor. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hali%C3%A7+Metro+Bridge/@41.0225302,28.9656776,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xa94e87500a65f9dd!8m2!3d41.0225432!4d28.9667057" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Haliç Metro Köprüsü (Haliç Metro Bridge)</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We took the metro to the stop with the bridge for the purpose of walking the bridge. Walking the bridge from end to end, one side and the other offered different vantage points of the Golden Horn of the Bosphorus. Since the bridge is connected to the metro, expect the bridge to shake a bit when the metros are coming in or leaving the station. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Istanbul+Sapphire+observation+deck/@41.0850829,29.0042657,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab66414cbc0e5:0xd4aceec80505e855!8m2!3d41.0850829!4d29.0064544" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">İstanbul Sapphire Observation Deck</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An observation deck on the topmost floor of a shopping mall and high rise with panoramic views of Istanbul. The observation deck is one of the lesser known, less touristy towers in the area, yet the views are stunning! My husband and I made our way 360 to get a complete view of Istanbul. We were lucky to have gone in the late afternoon, as we were able to catch daylight, sunset, and nighttime views!</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%C3%87a%C4%9Fda%C5%9F+B%C3%B6rek/@41.0370014,28.9763369,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xca26d0af7350a285!8m2!3d41.03777!4d28.9840119" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Çağdaş Börek</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A shop known for their börek (pies)! Think of the dish as if it were a flaky croissant bread exterior with a filling of your choice. When my husband and I walked over from our second hotel, there were only two choices left, and we opted to try a bit of each. They chop the long pies into smaller, bite-sized pieces and sell the bread by weight. We went with a half kilogram of each, which filled us up quite a bit. We recommend visiting if you're looking for a quick snack on the go or if you're looking to try another different traditional Turkish dish!</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Day 6</span></b></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dolmabah%C3%A7e+Palace/@41.0403883,29.0002879,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab7761a3b7de3:0xdcd33e38cf3b830b!8m2!3d41.0391643!4d29.0004594" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dolmabahçe Sarayı (Dolmabahçe Palace)</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An ornate palace turned museum that belonged to an Ottoman sultan. The view from outside the palace itself is gorgeous, and overlooks the Bosphorus. Inside the palace are several ornate rooms and hallways. The palace was quite crowded, even though it was our first stop of the day. There were several tour groups and even young children doing field trips to the palace when we visited. </span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/G%C3%B6zlemece/@41.0424541,28.9986322,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab7a1c10b8d57:0xa92b10cd7967ad6e!8m2!3d41.0440094!4d29.0035992" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gözlemece</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gözlemece is a popular meal or snack in Turkey, and it is basically akin to a crepe or pita sandwich. This restaurant still makes the dough by hand, so each order is quite literally made to order. We each got their spinach gözlemece and recommend stopping by for a try!</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- </b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Karadeniz+D%C3%B6ner+As%C4%B1m+Usta/@41.0433067,29.0027843,18z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab7a21841b4df:0x3664b8664055456!8m2!3d41.0436398!4d29.0039522" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Karadeniz Döner Asım Usta</span></b></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Found this place because Google probably knew I was in Turkey, and started sending blog posts of food places and whatnot. One of the blog posts was written by a Turkish person now living in America who visited Turkey recently. The blog post details how things have changed when they grew up and local food places they recommend. What caught my eye about this place in their post was the fact that the place would sell out and even close early for the day. When my husband and I stopped by, all of the outdoor seats were full and the line was building up. We ordered some döners for dinner. When we received our order and left, the line had grown down the street. This is another place we definitely recommend stopping by for a try!</span></p> <p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">-----</span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriAFDm8YNlNRzeqwBKa5vYfAPqkG_u1KKxsTiOyDqyYFLGNq0f-8BEkPjjcCyeAns7Disast6vhifCC1qWpewr-nG9klK0vS9kfKkhkhrdf_JPKRrkf_yIi7Zo14_Z4lZyCdsRTLm8UE7NFAmiR2ByBSEE6C5yYbKki27nvFg_QVggan9SLfMq9M/s1500/Pinterest%20Graphic.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriAFDm8YNlNRzeqwBKa5vYfAPqkG_u1KKxsTiOyDqyYFLGNq0f-8BEkPjjcCyeAns7Disast6vhifCC1qWpewr-nG9klK0vS9kfKkhkhrdf_JPKRrkf_yIi7Zo14_Z4lZyCdsRTLm8UE7NFAmiR2ByBSEE6C5yYbKki27nvFg_QVggan9SLfMq9M/w266-h400/Pinterest%20Graphic.png" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""DM Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;" /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />We can't believe how quickly the trip went by and wished we were able to celebrate New Years abroad, but nevertheless, it was time to go home, adjust our sleep schedules, and get ready for a new year of work.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nicole G.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; transition-property: all;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div></div> </div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0İstanbul, Turkey41.0082376 28.978358912.698003763821156 -6.1778911 69.318471436178839 64.1346089tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-9726501500154166712021-07-07T19:17:00.133-07:002022-10-31T20:09:01.755-07:00Short Vacation to Mexico City, Mexico<p class="mobile-photo">Working now in a setting that requires me to learn to speak more Spanish was a great precursor to this trip. I was able to get around, order food, and fit in (sort of) by speaking the lingo. Since our trip to Cabo, my husband and I have been curious about visiting other parts of Mexico to see what's different (or the same) and to explore more historical sites. </p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Our Itinerary</u></b></h2><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Our trip was about 3.5 days, if you take into account the fact that we had a full day on our first day because of a red eye flight and left about midday on our last day (and spent the remainder of our day on our return flight). It was a short trip, but a nice change to our routine. The COVID pandemic aside, what I was also concerned with was safety, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I never really felt "in danger." Then again, my husband and I researched areas to avoid, and avoided those areas like the plague. </div></div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CI3gZ5kAHxQ/Yawve-3_XLI/AAAAAAABDHA/sR315u68ywEnnGxT5cA2UnxxoknPWKuOACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PXL_20210906_173055124-01-798961.jpeg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7038052526993661106" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CI3gZ5kAHxQ/Yawve-3_XLI/AAAAAAABDHA/sR315u68ywEnnGxT5cA2UnxxoknPWKuOACK4BGAYYCw/s16000/PXL_20210906_173055124-01-798961.jpeg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 1</b></h3><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Fly out (red eye) with <a href="https://www.aeromexico.com/en-us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aeromexico</a></b></div><div>Since I work 4 days a week, a red eye flight was the only way of maximizing our time in Mexico City. Needless to say, it was a very, very long day. I was able to get in a short 2-3 hour nap. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was our first flight with Aeromexico, and we wished the experience could have been better. Our (standard sized) carry on luggages were deemed too big, so we ended up boarding the flight much later than our "group" because we had to stand aside to get our baggage checked in at the counter. Also, the person who tagged our bags removed all of the backing from the sticky luggage tag, making our luggage handle very sticky when we removed the tags at the end of our vacation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Upon arrival, the day was just beginning in Mexico City. We arrived at our hotel, the NH Collection in Zona Rosa, but no rooms were available because we had arrived so early in the day. We checked our bags in, and decided to explore the city, at least locally, for the time being. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring the city</b></div><div>We explored the local neighborhood and took a walk around the block. We didn't really have food plans for our first meal, since we had originally planned to take a short nap at the hotel upon check-in, then enjoy the rest of our day. Since we were exploring around, we figured we would check out some local food places as well. </div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Food from a nearby street vendor on Calle Amberes</b></div><div dir="auto">The exploring nearby our hotel led us to find a small street stall run by a husband and wife who sold fresh made-to-order tortas, churros, and assorted breads. I placed an order for two chicken tortas, and they got to cooking. We love churros, so we decided to get our first taste of authentic Mexican churros from this little street stall as well. The food didn't disappoint. The tortas were hot -- temperature wise and in terms of spiciness. There was a small kick and a good ratio of chicken to bread with each bite. The churros weren't made to order, but were fresh nonetheless with a crispy, cinnamon-y outer layer and a soft, chewy center. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.chapultepec.com.mx/visita.php?Lugar=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Castillo de Chapultepec</a></b></div><div>Although my husband and I weren't able to rest and check in just quite yet, we decided to explore the Castillo de Chapultepec (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapultepec_Castle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chapultepec Castle</a>). We walked through a part of the Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park) before making our way to the entrance of the castle. </div><div><br /></div><div>We purchased some tickets from the booth, then made our way to the ticketing checkpoint, where security checked us for tickets. For any students, be sure to bring your student ID for free/discounted entry. At the security/ticket check point, there were some lockers to place large items or bags. We're not sure if those lockers were rented versus free to ticketed visitors, but the only other option would be to lug the bags and items through the entirety of the walkway, then as people toured the castle.</div><div><br /></div><div>The beginning walkway that led from security to the gates leading to the castle was quite the walk, especially for someone who has been sedentary for most of the pandemic. There was some incline to the lengthy walk, and the walk was lined with beautiful, well-kept trees and shrubs, and a view of the city (of course nothing as impressive as reaching the top of the castle). Once we reached the castle gates, we had to present our tickets again. Then, we toured the outside of the castle courtyard.</div><div><br /></div><div>The castle was immense and immaculate. And yes, there was more walking around and stair climbing to be done, but this time, inside and through the castle. For the most part, the castle has been converted to a museum with a collection of art and historical pieces depicting the past. One exhibit, for example, had a display of different face powder compacts used. Another, larger exhibit, had the different carriages the families of the castle used during different time periods. </div><div><br /></div><div>The far end of the castle on the topmost floor open to visitors (2nd) boasts a balcony with a beautiful city view. Around the same area, there is a gated courtyard with a huge fountain. In the middle of the castle, there is a courtyard with a small tower in the center (closed for entry at the time of our visit). </div><div><br /></div><div>My husband and I were glad we made this our first stop of the day because we were able to obtain several photos without anyone else photobombing us and without the heat of the sun making the long walk more tiring. The castle also became more crowded by the time we were finishing up and on our way out. We definitely recommend going early, as we had done.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Where we stayed - <a href="https://www.nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-collection-mexico-city-reforma" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">NH Collection Mexico City Reforma Hotel</a></b></div><div>After our castle tour, we walked back to the NH Collection Hotel in Zona Rosa and checked in. We had our bags taken out of storage and the bellhop helped us get our bags to our room on the 13th floor. </div><div><br /></div><div>Zona Rosa is a pretty safe neighborhood. My husband and I walked through the streets without seeing/coming across any shady people. As there are other hotels nearby, we mainly saw locals and other tourists in the area. Yes, there were armed police present in several street areas, but there was no ruckus during our stay that caused them to take any action. </div><div><br /></div><div>The hotel and our room was clean and spotless. There was room service daily. Our room was a "premium" room and boasted a view of the city. It was the perfect accommodation for just us two. My husband and I took a short power nap, since we were exhausted from our red eye flight and exploring thus far. </div><div><br /></div><div>We ate at their breakfast buffet the following days of our stay, and there was quite a variety of food to choose from, mostly Mexican fare. We recommend checking out the grill if you want omelettes or eggs as part of your breakfast, and recommend checking out their fruit section, where they serve fruits local to the area (ie. guava), or their juice bar, where they serve freshly squeezed juices ranging from grapefruit to their green juice. We don't recommend trying their churros. There are other places in the city that are worth getting those from. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://elpescadito.mx/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">El Pescadito Taquerias (Zona Rosa)</a></b></div><div>After our two hour power nap, our next pit stop was for lunch. When in Mexico, you have to try some authentic tacos. Since we wanted to get more steps in for the day, we walked over to El Pescadito Taquerias in Zona Rosa. We tried their taco de camarón and their taco de marlitún. Their tacos were made fresh to order. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>How it works is: we placed our orders; waited for the chef to serve up some fresh hot tacos; then proceeded to the condiment section, where another worker was there to help stuff that taco with other veggies and sauces. When our tacos were to our liking, we were able to sit wherever we wanted. Another worker brought out a tin bucket with napkins and our receipt (to be paid at the end of our meal). </div><div><br /></div><div>We both agreed that the taco de camarón was the better choice. The taco de marlitún was good too and fresh, but wasn't quite tasty to us. We had two tacos each and were full at the end and ready to go off on our next adventure after we paid. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150800-d153969-Reviews-Palacio_de_Bellas_Artes-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Palacio de Bellas Artes</a></b></div><div>After lunch, our next exploration point was the Palacio de Bellas Artes. We took an Uber to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alameda_Central" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alameda Central Park</a>, which houses/borders the Palacio de Bellas Artes. </div><div><br /></div><div>After being dropped off nearby, we first explored the park. The park was lush with a lot of green trees and plants along paved walkways. There were statues in the center of where some of the walkways crossed paths. The crowd became more and more as we walked towards the Palacio de Bellas Artes. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we reached the outside of the building, the crowd was literally a sea of people. There were people sitting or standing around, and many street stalls selling food. We made it through the crowd eventually and to the front of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The building was grand and stood tall in the middle of an otherwise regular city. We didn't go inside the building since we didn't purchase tickets, but the crowd outside was telling enough that this site is a "must visit."</div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/mexico-city-mex-df-mexc.htm#MEX-DF-Z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plaza de Constitución</a></b></div><div>Our next stop was a bit of a walk away. Because of traffic from Palacio de Bellas Artes, it was difficult hailing an Uber driver, so walking it was! The plaza was a large empty square surrounded by buildings all around. Despite the square sounding boring, it was decorated with tinsel in the colors of the Mexican flag (red, white, and green) in various Aztec-esque shapes. The square was spacious but also vibrant with several street vendors on foot, selling toys and other knick knacks. There were mainly people, perhaps visitors or local tourists, walking around on foot taking pictures here and there. There weren't any special events or activities the day or time of our visit, but we could definitely see larger city events being held at this plaza. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner - <a href="https://m.lacasadetono.com.mx/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Casa de Toño</a></b></div><div>Our last stop and meal of the day was La Casa de Toño, also located conveniently in Zona Rosa. We each ordered a pozole, a popular soup dish at this restaurant; one flan de abuela; and one flan napolitano. We ordered our food to-go, so we could enjoy in the comfort of our hotel room without needing to wait for a table inside the restaurant. Did I also mention that there was a very long line/big crowd waiting outside the restaurant?</div><div><br /></div><div>Our food took some time to prepare, but we were on our way afterwards. Although we got our food to-go, the soup was hot and we had all the same condiments and veggies to mix in. The pozole was tasty and full of flavor without being overly salty or oily. Being a flan fan, having the opportunity to try two different kinds of flan was perfect. Both flans were equally creamy and delicious. The real difference we noted was that the flan de abuela had more of a creamy caramel syrup, while the flan napolitano had a more watery, dark, not-overly-sweet syrup. Overall, we recommend trying both flan styles if you visit. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDCsXQ-gecWicKwDckeP5XWODbYXYUdQx6gbd3wSVKD6P3sxPJFX9IvfMr9yDN-5xUlnnmJPFmp1xtPWC2YlLTwgWHi3yQOqi6NZUf0cj2GxF7ceuFmnQJl6nuE4-dew89zAuq_Y30nRA7mpSE4-_PodpsPi6OHqUO6tjTsv-F3h-N5TieqPLtnC0=s2000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDCsXQ-gecWicKwDckeP5XWODbYXYUdQx6gbd3wSVKD6P3sxPJFX9IvfMr9yDN-5xUlnnmJPFmp1xtPWC2YlLTwgWHi3yQOqi6NZUf0cj2GxF7ceuFmnQJl6nuE4-dew89zAuq_Y30nRA7mpSE4-_PodpsPi6OHqUO6tjTsv-F3h-N5TieqPLtnC0=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 2</b></h3><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.museofridakahlo.org.mx/en/the-blue-house/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blue House</a></b></div><div dir="auto">My husband and I visited the popular Blue House, although we just saw the outside since we didn't book tickets ahead of time. We were reading that, in the past (pre-pandemic), walk-ins may be accommodated, but that wasn't the case when we visited. So, we literally just took pictures of the blue walls of the blue house from outside the house. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">We later (the following day) ran into some other California travellers who did go inside the Blue House. Hearing them say it was overrated helped to quell my husband's and my FOMO (fear of missing out). </div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://dev-travel.cdmx.gob.mx/venues/hidalgo-square-and-garden/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hidalgo Coyoacán Garden</a></b></div><div dir="auto">Since our attempt to be "walk ins" for the Blue House didn't work out, we decided to take a stroll at the Hidalgo Coyoacán Garden. There were no events going on at the garden, but there sure we're a lot of people -- mostly locals and local travellers with a sprinkle of international travellers like us (at least our guess since they spoke perfect American English). </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">The garden was expansive, but similar to all the larger parks in the area. They have their iconic "Coyoacán" sign (missing the "y" when we went) to take a picture of/with. </div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150800-d152796-Reviews-San_Angel-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">San Ángel neighborhood</a></b></div><div dir="auto">Our next walking-heavy stop was exploring the San Ángel neighborhood. It is a cute and quiet neighborhood with cobblestoned streets. We went down a street with large gated homes. We walked through several parks in the neighborhood, each bustling with people walking through and shopping at the arts and crafts booths set up for the day. We had fun walking and people watching while exploring this unique neighborhood!</div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museo-casa-estudio-diego-rivera-y-frida-kahlo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo</a></b></div><div dir="auto">Ever wondered where and how the iconic artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo lived? Well, now you don't need to wonder anymore! Just an Uber ride away from the park, are the homes of both Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo turned into a museum. Entry to this attraction was free; and because of COVID, only small numbers were allowed entry at a time. My husband and I were able to use the restroom on site while we waited to tour the homes.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Each of the homes were artistic, unique, and modern (especially for the time built). What made the homes unique was that both homes are located on the same lot and connected through a rooftop bridge. I suppose if they wanted to see each other, there was the bridge to cross instead of the conventional "walking over" on the ground like everyone else. Each home had pictures and artwork of each respectively. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">It is a not as well known attraction in the area and a hidden gem to visit if you want to avoid the crowds and see something not as touristy. All of the other museum goers were local to the area or to the country.</div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/mariscos-orizaba-ciudad-de-mexico-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mariscos Orizaba</a> street stall</b></div><div>We wanted to try some seafood, so our next food adventure was to Mariscos Orizaba street stall. We ordered their coctel de camarón, two of their pescaditos especiales, two of their tostadas, and camarones al mojo. After the street stall owner took our order, he got right to the cooking. Everything was made fresh to order, and the street stall owner multi-tasked to get our order completed in a timely manner. </div><div><br /></div><div>We took our food back to the hotel to eat, and we regretted not buying more because the food was so fresh and tasty! The cooked but cold-prepared shrimp didn't have any fishy smell or taste to them. The portion was reasonable, if not a steal, for the price paid. They have limited bar style seating at their food stall and is located next door to a juice stall. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Churros from <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g150800-d10723558-Reviews-El_Moro-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Churrería El Moro</a></b></div><div>A trip to Mexico wouldn't be complete without some churros, and my husband and I definitely recommend that you try the churros at Churrería El Moro. Their churros are batch made daily and made in large rounds, that are then cut into your typical churro length when ordered. We wanted to try some plain and simple churros, so we went with some cinnamon sugar dipped ones. Each churro piece was perfectly crispy on the outside with a bit of chewiness on the inside. They also offer other special flavors, such as chocolate or condensed milk dipped, and sells other typical cafe items -- coffee, chocolate, malt, sandwiches (tortas), drinks, and snacks. </div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.miradorlatino.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mirador Torre Latino</a></b></div><div> My husband and I have visited several towers in the larger international cities we've visited, so we made no exception when we visited Mexico City. The 44-floor tower was fun to visit, just as other towers during our international trips. We enjoyed the unobstructed aerial 360 degree views of the city. The tower also overlooks the Palacio de Bellas Artes as well as the neighboring Alameda Central Park. It was quite a beautiful sight to see, and we took our time exploring the different public floors available. Tickets can be easily bought in person by waiting in line. There is also an open air deck available to explore as well. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b>- Dinner - </b><b><a href="https://m.lacasadetono.com.mx/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Casa de Toño</a></b></span></div><div>We were impressed with the food from La Casa de Toño and returned again for another meal. This time, we ordered their tacos de cochinita, sope sensillo, flautas, and their flan napolitano. We enjoyed every single dish, as with the last time we visited, but we thought the flautas were rather dry. The flautas were served plain and didn't include all the topping as pictured on their menu. After this dinner and having tried maybe more than half the items on their menu, we decided we would explore a new dinner place the following night.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 3</b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>Our day consisted of, what felt like, an all-day tour with <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150800-d21117958-Reviews-Liverpool_Tours-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Liverpool Tours company</a>. We found them and booked the tour through our hotel. They offer several well-priced tour packages that you can mix and match. My husband and I went with the basílica and pirámides de teotihuacán tour, which was about 6 hours long and included private tour van transportation to and from the site. They were prompt with picking us up on the day of the tour as well. My husband and I highly recommend the tour company. If you're interested in booking a tour with them or for more information, you can call 52-28-99-28, ext. 1683 (per their brochure). </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Tour of <a href="https://www.visitacity.com/en/mexico-city/attractions/plaza-de-las-tres-culturas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plaza de Las Tres Culturas</a></b></div><div>Our first stop was to the Plaza de Las Tres Culturas, a site of some pyramidal remains. The surrounding area were apartment buildings and a street. Unfortunately, due to COVID, no one was allowed entry into the plaza, but visitors were welcomed to take a look from the outside. The tour group was ushered to one of the sides of the site, where we were able to look over and see the pyramidal remains, namely the base of the pyramids. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Tour of <a href="https://teotihuacanguide.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teotihuacán</a></b></div><div>Our next stop was the pyramids of Teotihuacán. The pyramids were quite a sight to see. The tour guide explained that the area was full of pyramids that represented the sun, moon, and planets. He mentioned that there was some logic behind the placement of each of the pyramids. He explained that some of the pyramids have since been reinforced with new stone (<i>fun fact: you can tell because there are several little stones surrounding the bigger stones of the pyramid when looking closely at the walls</i>). Due to COVID and to maintain the pyramids, climbing up the stairs of the pyramid of the sun was closed and not allowed when we visited. Expect to do a lot of walking to get to the main area of the pyramids. Also, expect to see tons of street sellers and sellers on foot. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Lunch at <a href="https://www.mayahuelteotihuacan.com/?lightbox=dataItem-j8eswj2n5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restaurante Mayahuel Teotihuacán</a></b></div><div dir="auto">Lunch was not included with our tour package, but we were surely hungry once we left the pyramids. En route back to the freeway was our next stop for lunch at Restaurante Mayahuel Teotihuacán. Yes, the restaurant is touristy. After all, it is one of the few restaurants in the area unless you drive back into town. My husband and I wanted to try something unique to the area, and our tour guide recommended trying their cactus or <i>nopales</i>. We both each ordered an <i>ensalada de nopales</i> (or cactus salad), and each order came along with a stack of fresh, hot corn tortillas. You can enjoy the <i>ensalada de nopales</i> however you'd like, but it's best eaten wrapped in the corn tortilla. The flavors of the salad gives the plain corn tortilla a little bit of <i>something</i>, and the moistness/stickiness of the cactus makes it easier to eat the otherwise dry corn tortilla.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://virgendeguadalupe.org.mx/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe</a></b></div><div>The basilica was the final stop of our tour before being dropped off at our hotel. The basilica was beautiful and expansive with a large courtyard area for people to walk around freely. From one part of the current basilica, you can see where the previous/original basilica used to be (up on a hill). There was a service being held in the main hall, and an area where people passing through can make a quick prayer without necessarily staying for or disturbing those attending the service. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/RICOS+CALDOS+DE+GALLINA+%E2%80%9CLuis%E2%80%9D/@19.3897381,-99.192774,12z/data=!3m1!5s0x85d1ff3715c3ff47:0x517887bba4048f4b!4m9!1m2!2m1!1sRico+Caldos+de+Gallina,+mexico+city!3m5!1s0x85d1ff3716e2658b:0x2bb71a07937fd211!8m2!3d19.4221103!4d-99.1638348!15sCiNSaWNvIENhbGRvcyBkZSBHYWxsaW5hLCBtZXhpY28gY2l0eVokIiJyaWNvIGNhbGRvcyBkZSBnYWxsaW5hIG1leGljbyBjaXR5kgESbWV4aWNhbl9yZXN0YXVyYW50mgEjQ2haRFNVaE5NRzluUzBWSlEwRm5TVVJKZUdKRFMxbEJFQUU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rico Caldos de Gallina "Luis"</a></b></div><div>The day ended with a rainy night, which was perfect for our planned dinner at Rico Caldos de Gallina "Luis." <i>Rico caldos de gallina</i> literally translates to rich chicken broth, and my husband and I aren't sure of the significance of "Luis." In any case, we made our way walking over in the rain to this restaurant and placed our order, which took some time because they ended up being out of the dishes we wanted to try. Their store sold everything chicken -- from the meat itself to other more organ-y meat. We ended up settling with an order of chicken gizzard. We were surprised to see about 60% of the restaurant full with people dining in, as we had thought most people would stay home because of the rain. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our food took some time to make and was made fresh to order. We ended up taking the food back to our hotel to eat, but were provided with all the same condiments as if we were eating at the shop. Our soups were well-packed without spillage and still piping hot, despite the time it took us to speed walk back to the hotel in the rain. The portions were large, and the flavors were "rich" and lived up to their name. My husband and I wished we had ordered different things so that we could have tried a bit more of what the shop offered. After all, chicken broth was their specialty. We definitely recommend their rich chicken broth on a cool and/or rainy day. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 4</b></h3><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Return flight with <a href="https://www.aeromexico.com/en-us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aeromexico</a></b></div><div>The return flight went pretty smoothly. This time around, there were no issues with the size of our carry-on sized luggages. In order to fly back, we had completed COVID antigen testing at a local pharmacy chain <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Farmacia+del+ahorro/@19.4243182,-99.1681834,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x85d1ff366a761931:0xfc2c1a9f7383d103!8m2!3d19.4243332!4d-99.1660022?hl=en-US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Farmacia del Ahorro</a> 72 hours prior to our departure. Of course, the testing could have been completed at the airport, but it would have cost a lot more money. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the flight, we were served American food for lunch, with choices of an omelette or french toast. The television touch screen on my husband's seat was broken, and we were able to move to an empty row at the back, which was an extra plus because we were able to have the row to ourselves. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once we arrived back home, we finished up the usual errands and chores to close up the week and get ready for yet another workweek. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwljXG8HPiyx2_CkjFa4FzjdowZc3KwYCBtTinjvoJNG6JVYCCabfC6_9kbdWsc-9S5aA08ElybLW2qHAABek2W8ohPWeLAjziG9s3yvyqk6D7JKm6lNIx54PBS8R8Ln6XXmy1pevZFJoRkPkJv4_eckqY4MnjR8narAr8Pj_eCJGwxDJtIuwFDDM=s1500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwljXG8HPiyx2_CkjFa4FzjdowZc3KwYCBtTinjvoJNG6JVYCCabfC6_9kbdWsc-9S5aA08ElybLW2qHAABek2W8ohPWeLAjziG9s3yvyqk6D7JKm6lNIx54PBS8R8Ln6XXmy1pevZFJoRkPkJv4_eckqY4MnjR8narAr8Pj_eCJGwxDJtIuwFDDM=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</span><br style="font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">And just like that, our short trip was over, but we had so much fun in the short time spent away from the usual routine! Where will our travels take us to next? We'll see!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> </div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.3382082 -121.88632869.0279743638211514 -157.0425786 65.648442036178835 -86.7300786tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-32478820530193336912021-05-15T16:51:00.068-07:002022-10-31T20:09:10.974-07:005 Day Trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico<div>My husband and I have been wanting to travel internationally, since that has been on a pause since the start of the pandemic. As numbers have started to decrease, we thought it was a good time to give it a go with our first trip to Mexico. If you've been following along our travel journey, you're probably thinking, "Well, what about that cruise to Ensenada?" While we <i>did</i> de-board the ship for a few hours, it wasn't really a true "trip" into Mexico. </div><div><br /></div><div>Given that we would be going on a short 5 day trip and we needed some time to relax and unwind after a long year working in healthcare during COVID times, we easily decided that Cabo would be a nice, safe place to explore and try out what a resort is like. </div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh881xgPHQUNnUEaI56hSFRTnbocOHrCly1Xv2aJYXVsgkOi851xOWHA-Fida6eZ1uA-Bdtd488FlHg5BrgCbn-seQiDEBY52jIFNdphat4UWjn1bg152iCmzH6lpM7zVcCgeFNSqYf0rC9Ud5YWAPF3js-Kgn82miS7DyMtoeKHX4n3QhgfakHSX8"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7077334349930101090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh881xgPHQUNnUEaI56hSFRTnbocOHrCly1Xv2aJYXVsgkOi851xOWHA-Fida6eZ1uA-Bdtd488FlHg5BrgCbn-seQiDEBY52jIFNdphat4UWjn1bg152iCmzH6lpM7zVcCgeFNSqYf0rC9Ud5YWAPF3js-Kgn82miS7DyMtoeKHX4n3QhgfakHSX8=s16000" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Our Itinerary</u></b></h2><div dir="auto"></div> <div><b><br /></b></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 1</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Flight to <a href="https://www.loscabosairport.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Los Cabos International Airport (SJD)</a></b></div><div>Our flight to Los Cabos International Airport was with <a href="https://www.southwest.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Southwest Airlines</a> (our favorite!). We arrived to Los Cabos in the early afternoon. Since this was my first time in Mexico (aside from our <a href="https://www.nextwithnicole.net/2019/02/cruising-ensenada-mexico.html" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">cruise to Ensenada</a>), so I was definitely excited! It was also my first time staying at a resort and at a <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/waldorf-astoria/?WT.mc_id=zlada0ww1wa2psh3bng4advcrb5dkt6multibr7_153785458_1004635&gclid=49ce7dc022751d2de9911c7032ea023e&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=49ce7dc022751d2de9911c7032ea023e" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Waldorf-Astoria hotel</a>. If you have no idea what Waldorf-Astoria is, here's a quick <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_Astoria_Hotels_&_Resorts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wikipedia article</a> about it. Our stay at the Waldorf was from points we have saved up. </div><div><br /></div><div>Upon landing, there was an area where there were several booths with people trying to sell us taxi tickets and tour packages. We ended up booking just the taxi service with them, but they were kind of pushy with buying tour packages.</div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Where we stayed: <a href="https://www.waldorfastorialoscabospedregal.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal</a></b></div><div>So, if you didn't read about two sentences and/or the line above, then you're probably wondering where we stayed. We stayed 3 days and 2 nights at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Staying at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal was a magical experience and by far the best hotel experience my husband and I have had thus far. The staff were very courteous and even went so far as to remembering our preferences at breakfast. The amenities there were truly top-notch. The views and access to the beach were so easy. Walking through the resort itself was its own adventure.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Dinner from <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g152515-d1032179-Reviews-El_Coral-Cabo_San_Lucas_Los_Cabos_Baja_California.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Restaurante El Coral</a></b></div><div dir="auto">My husband had bookmarked Restaurants El Coral because of the raving Google reviews of this place. We had ordered their seafood platter, in hopes of getting a taste of the seafood local to the area. The restaurant had quite a few diners eating in, and a small outdoor dining area. My husband and I decided to get our food to-go.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Our food took some time to make, which was a promising sign that the food was made fresh to order. We carried the food back to our hotel room to eat on the balcony. We opened the styrofoam boxes to find food that look like that you would find with a standard American chain restaurant like Red Lobster. The taste of the food was equally bland and reminiscent of American food. There was nothing unique or special about it. The seafood did taste fresh though, I'll give them that.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Overall, we recommend going there to try the food if you want a taste of a tourist trap or for convenience. Otherwise, we recommend heading over to another restaurant. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Night time walk exploring resort grounds</b></div><div dir="auto">It was getting late and dark out after we finished eating. We figured we would explore the resort grounds and catch some nighttime views. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">We walked the resort end to end, and the resort's warm, yellow lighting added a nice ambience to our night walk. On the one end, we reached a restaurant at the resort, where diners wore semiformal. We also caught some views of the fireworks on display near the restaurant. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">On the opposite end of the hotel, we accessed the beach front. We didn't walk too close to the ocean since the waves were marked as dangerous, but we were able to enjoy the fresh air and the sounds of the ocean waves crashing. </div><div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 2</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Cabo_San_Lucas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">El Arco</a> on boat</b></div><div dir="auto">Our next adventure the following day was exploring the famous arc El Arco via boat. There were several boat shops along the pier, and a lot of people approached us offering us their tour packages and boat services. Services. We ended up going with one of the stalls located further on the pier. Their boat ride services included a short tour, one single stop of our choosing, as well as transportation back to the pier. The best part was that, because the boat was not busy, the ride ended up being private with just my husband, myself, and the boat operator. The boat operator helped us snap some photos with the arc when the water was calmer. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">We decided to stop at <a href="https://www.cabosanlucas.net/what-to-do/lovers-beach" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lovers Beach</a>. The beachfront was filled with many people, some sun tanning and some playing in the water. My husband and I walked from one side of the beach to the other where divorce Beach was located. We didn't particularly prepare for any water activities, so we just enjoyed people watching. Afterwards, we waited for our boat to return for our pickup. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Eating at <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/mariscos-la-palmita-cabo-san-lucas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mariscos La Palmita</a></b></div><div dir="auto">Our next stop was for lunch at a local eatery Mariscos La Palmita. My husband and particularly enjoyed their ceviche and flan. We found the ceviche to be very fresh, and one of the best we've ever had. The flan was perfectly creamy with a light, semi-sweet dark caramel sauce.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Night time walk along the beach to catch the sunset</b></div><div dir="auto">Our nighttime walk the previous night happened to be after sunset, so this time, we aimed to catch the sunset as we did our nighttime walk. The sunset at Cabo is truly a sight to see. Unlike the sunset along the California coast, the sunset at Cabo was less hindered or covered by clouds, and the colors were so much more vibrant, boasting pinkish orange hues. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7JOtubhYsNYBSztNJPYBurDmHpggrSMti7KTtSB5G2N2sAtFnrmnxLncdf7F4Cn-CicSPwm3aZpua_Wv9IVujL9JfdReeMRVcZk21ookfZQqvWZpAT16YPCObbzj_M00S1kwNpW8askpS0ovKR1jCJIbs5-bVmp9p69fI4Yv4LD00gROHZIYp6aY=s2000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7JOtubhYsNYBSztNJPYBurDmHpggrSMti7KTtSB5G2N2sAtFnrmnxLncdf7F4Cn-CicSPwm3aZpua_Wv9IVujL9JfdReeMRVcZk21ookfZQqvWZpAT16YPCObbzj_M00S1kwNpW8askpS0ovKR1jCJIbs5-bVmp9p69fI4Yv4LD00gROHZIYp6aY=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 3</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Day time walk along the beach to catch sunrise</b></div><div dir="auto">Similar to our nighttime walk, we decided to start the day with a walk around the resort grounds to catch the sunrise. The sunrise looked absolutely beautiful from the resort, since there weren't any buildings or anything in the way. It looked like the sunrise was coming up seamlessly from where the ocean meets the sky.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Waldorf continental breakfast</b></div><div dir="auto">After our morning walk, we continued with breakfast at the Waldorf. The food at the Waldorf was very fresh, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that the staff remembered something so minuscule like our drink preferences. Overall, the continental breakfast consisted of most of the usual foods you would find at the continental breakfasts out in the United States. The difference is really in the service and the option for ranchero style, eggs and a side of tortillas.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Off to our next resort: <a href="https://www.resortsbyhyatt.com/ziva-los-cabos/all-inclusive-resort-deals?msclkid=b93618d29a5a129a078e7ae520dda3e0&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=enb_cnv_src_brd_usa_all_obs_bng%20%5BHYT_CAP%5D&utm_term=hyatt%20ziva%20punta%20cana&utm_content=Ziva%20-%20DR%3A%20Punta%20Cana%20%23AO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hyatt Ziva</a></b></div><div dir="auto">We enjoyed our stay so much at the Waldorf that we were curious to see how our stay at Hyatt Ziva would be. We were impressed by how large the Hyatt Ziva resort grounds were. There was also all you can eat options that can be ordered via room service. Literally most, if not all, of our meals for the rest of the stay was from room service at Hyatt Ziva. The food options were pretty solid, and we found ourselves ordering the skirt steak as well as the flan for the majority of our meals.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Exploring the resort</b></div><div>Now that we were in a new and seemingly larger resort, it was time for us to explore again. We visited the different lobby/common area floors and the different restaurants at the resort. We stopped by the different pool areas and the medical clinic as well (exploring where the medical clinic was more just for fun). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 4</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Going into town to explore</b></div><div>We decided to spend the day going into town, albeit the relatively safer area, to explore. We walked around some local streets lined with small shops, reminiscent of being in a Chinatown of sorts. It was one of those days that we spent people watching, as people made their way here and there. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g152515-d5077802-Reviews-Paletaria_y_Neveria_La_Michoacana-Cabo_San_Lucas_Los_Cabos_Baja_California.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Michoacana</a></b></div><div><div>My husband and I were delighted to find an ice cream shop while walking around the city. The bright colors of the shop caught our eye, and we were pleasantly surprised by the ice cream and fruit popsicle options. There were all kinds of fruit popsicles, each with pulp or seeds from the fruit. Some of the popsicles even had some pieces of fruit in them. I went with a more exotic fruit (passionfruit), and my husband went with the classic strawberry. </div><div><br /></div><div>We were pleasantly surprised to find that our popsicles were so fresh. It felt as if we were eating the fruit itself, especially so with the fruit and seed bits. The popsicles were not overly sugary, and did not taste like it was made from fruit juice. We definitely wanted to try some of the other flavors and fruits the shop offered, but we also wanted to save room in our stomachs for more delicious food. The popsicles were definitely refreshing for the warm day, and something we highly recommend trying if you're visiting Mexico.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Resort night entertainment ~ Grease</b></div><div>On what became our nightly walk around the resort, we had found out that there was a "Grease" live show. We stopped by to watch the show and found the synchronized dancing and acrobatic moves of the performers to be entertaining. They played the classic songs and scenes from the Grease movie. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 5</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Day time walk along the beach to catch sunrise</b></div><div>Because Hyatt Ziva is in a different part of town than the Waldorf, we decided to try to see what sunrise looked like from here. We were pleasantly surprised to find that there was no one out poolside, granted most people were probably partying the night before. Before. We were able to get a lot of great shots of the sunrise as it glimmered along the pool and lighted the beachfront with warm yellow hues. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- Return flight to <a href="https://www.flysanjose.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)</a></b></div><div>Our return flight to San Jose was pretty smooth without any delays, and we returned with our favorite Southwest Airlines. We had to make a pit stop in Arizona, but it wasn't too much of a damper on our trip. Unlike our prior international trips, this one felt like it came and went too quickly, although the time spent was enough for a little getaway and change of pace. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>-----</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO9uqt8D5gIQGGl08Pap0WXKCK63XRBzAbKBZUceDyll4--uJp7zE06MniqpA4kEg3MKdOGObn-ngn_Mh5O2LSegMLgM1yTBfHhyOhq7gjkpwVji9lS7ut9Z1x0S-Lixik6ZW4n_m5pzAxgJ31mvGTcW52sEOm8f4YkdxqJ5_Cu6zAm_vgXQxW2-0=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO9uqt8D5gIQGGl08Pap0WXKCK63XRBzAbKBZUceDyll4--uJp7zE06MniqpA4kEg3MKdOGObn-ngn_Mh5O2LSegMLgM1yTBfHhyOhq7gjkpwVji9lS7ut9Z1x0S-Lixik6ZW4n_m5pzAxgJ31mvGTcW52sEOm8f4YkdxqJ5_Cu6zAm_vgXQxW2-0=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>We felt that our trip itinerary was "just right" -- not overly full with activities, yet enough activities to leave time to relax and enjoy that resort life. The "all inclusive" food, activities, and events was an added bonus since we didn't have to go out into town when it was late or put ourselves in any unsafe situation. </div><div><br /></div><div>For anyone who has been to Cabo before, what did you find to be the most fun activity? Did you venture into town to explore?</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div></div> </div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico22.8905327 -109.9167371-5.4197011361788441 -145.0729871 51.200766536178847 -74.7604871tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-36649994213462014692021-04-18T13:50:00.001-07:002021-04-25T23:12:06.802-07:00Thoughts | Mini Lessons and Affirmations for New Clinicians<p class="mobile-photo">It has been about a month since I started my new nurse practitioner job and so far, it has been full of reflection. I am thankful to have a supervisor who is wise and willing to share the clinical pearls/words of wisdom he's gained from his years in practice as a doctor in primary care/community health.</p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><div dir="auto"></div><div><br /></div><div>I thought it would be a great idea to compile the lessons he has shared with me, a new-ish nurse practitioner/clinician myself, and to share the lessons with other new and newer nurse practitioners out there. For the nurse practitioner students out there, the lessons may or may not make complete sense until you're out there in practice. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I think the lessons are akin to climbing up to the topmost floor. It takes time, and steps, and lessons learned. It's a growing process. Perhaps there will be times you'll need to stop here and there to catch a breath, but you eventually keep going. And before you know it, you'll be at the top (for my old workplace, it was the 14th floor...always a treat making it up there by foot). </div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9843ucJtEzI/YHyXk4pE6JI/AAAAAAABBP0/tTpuGezPmyQS6CHPr--VUc1ODIREcJKFQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_20200203_085037_MP-01-702754.jpeg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6952598584688961682" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9843ucJtEzI/YHyXk4pE6JI/AAAAAAABBP0/tTpuGezPmyQS6CHPr--VUc1ODIREcJKFQCK4BGAYYCw/s16000/IMG_20200203_085037_MP-01-702754.jpeg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><br /><div><br /></div><div>Without further ado, here are some mini lessons for new clinicians with words from my supervisor, mentors, and some from me, myself: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Repetition and time is what it takes.</b></h3><div><br /></div><div>When you're starting out in a new field, a new role, or a new specialty, it takes time until you get used to things and have your go to's figured out. As you see things over and over again, you start to recognize patterns and things <b>will</b> get easier. You <b>will</b> get better at this. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>No job is ever "perfect."</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Every job has its pros and cons. There are things you give up to get something else. Some jobs are at a reputable place, pays well, and gives great benefits. Other jobs may have toxic people, management, co-workers, lack of support, or very low pay. Some jobs are more aligned with your values and lifestyle, and some aren't. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, and there will always be a flaw in each job because no job is ever 100% "perfect."</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>But that isn't sustainable. </b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div>That is a good way to prepare, but it isn't sustainable. The key to surviving is to do more of what is sustainable, more of which will help your clinic/work day go smoothly and controlling what you can so that there is time for the other things that come up. If you find yourself doing x, y, and z outside of work to prep for the workday...only to have to spend those hours doing it all over again to prep for the next workday, you have to think whether or not it's sustainable. Because, if it isn't sustainable, it will just burn you out. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Choose your battles.</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div>There are different types of patients you'll see each day. Some who want a quick and fast appointment so they can move on with their lives, and some who need more time spent because they need it. The key to getting through the workday is choosing your battles. Give those who want a quick appointment the quick appointment they want, so you can spend more time on those who need the extra time. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>They're in a different season of life. </b></h3><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes we find ourselves in that comparison game or perhaps a recipient of advice that is sound but doesn't quite work with our lives. Something to think about and consider is that the other person may be in a different season of life. One may be settled and have a family to consider, and thus their advice and decisions are made in consideration of that. Not all advice is worth taking or acting on if it doesn't work for you or the season of life you're in.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>I don't want you to ever feel like you're stuck.</b></h3><div><br /></div><div>It's easy to feel like you're stuck when it <i>seems</i> like there's a limit on things you can do, but I don't want you to ever feel like you're stuck. You have choices and options. There are different decisions you can make. The timing may not be the best, but there are good and better things out there if you want it or if you can wait. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">-----</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you had a lesson to share with new clinicians, what would it be?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>***I'll be updating this post with links to more lessons and pearls as I continue on in my journey. </div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2San Jose, CA, USA37.3382082 -121.88632869.0279743638211514 -157.0425786 65.648442036178835 -86.7300786tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-10644073560591909532021-03-12T19:00:00.170-08:002021-03-17T21:45:06.422-07:00Recipe | Homemade Barbeque (BBQ) Sauce From Ketchup<p>Over the past year of dining out and getting take out during COVID, I've amassed quite the collection of ketchup packets with various brands and restaurant names from Heinz, Sysco, In-N-Out, McDonalds, Hunt's, the generic "fancy ketchup," and more. </p><p><br /></p><p>I've started what I call the "Condiment" bag. Quite literally, a standard lunch-sized brown paper bag with the word "Condiments" written on it in a black Sharpie marker. Since it's creation, it has been filled with a combination of ketchup, salt, pepper, mustard, mayonnaise, Chick-fil-a's polynesian sauce, Chick-fil-a's special sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha sauce packets collected over some time from all of my husband and my eating out. I felt bad wasting potentially useful condiments by throwing them away and decided on starting the collection, figuring that I would use these for some of my cooking adventures. </p><p><br /></p><p>One day, I looked in the fridge and saw raw beef short ribs thawing, and I knew it was the perfect time to put my condiment collection, as I call it, to the test. The test of repurposing ketchup to barbeque sauce. After all, my condiment bag was filled to the brim. </p><p><br /></p><p>So, without further ado, here's my little recipe I adapted after scouring websites for recipe suggestions and trying to make use of the ingredients (condiment or not) I already have.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">-----</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF51QLRYzsE/YFLZKW4PoXI/AAAAAAABA78/u5ql9YihWckWSqEFe-LtONPGSUVuVMAVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/d-l-samuels-qlBVmQrdfMk-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1362" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF51QLRYzsE/YFLZKW4PoXI/AAAAAAABA78/u5ql9YihWckWSqEFe-LtONPGSUVuVMAVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/d-l-samuels-qlBVmQrdfMk-unsplash.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/@iamdlsamuels?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">D. L. Samuels</a> on <a href="/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Ingredient list and amount needed:</b></h3><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Ketchup 1 1/4 cups</li><li>Water 1/2 cup</li><li>Brown sugar 1/4 cup</li><li>Soy sauce (can substitute with 1:1 amount of Worcestershire sauce) 3 tbsp</li><li>Garlic powder 2 tsp</li><li>Smoked paprika 1 tsp</li><li>Black pepper (coarse) 1/2 tsp</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Instructions:</b></h3><p><br /></p><p>Mix all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer the mixture in medium heat until thickened. Let the sauce cool to use. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">-----</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>My Results:</b></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The ketchup-turned-BBQ sauce beef short ribs were a success for the most part. It was even "picky eater" approved. My only personal suggestion for improving the recipe would be to decrease the vinegar-y aftertaste by adding a little more paprika or perhaps liquid smoke flavoring to make that barbeque taste more smoky...or fresh-off-the-grill. I didn't have any liquid smoke flavoring, so paprika was my only choice. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">To get a measure of how much ketchup I had exactly (because these were in condiment packets, remember?), I squeezed every bit of each packet into a small soup bowl. By soup bowl, I used one of the bowls as pictured below. Each soup bowl with ketchup at the brim was my eyeballing equivalent of "1 cup."</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JaJKHSce15s/YFLaIGp5Q0I/AAAAAAABA8E/5nJXkYstECUe7tvKMgeUN7FZGRUybcY2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/m-w-8cNIj5D9O2Q-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JaJKHSce15s/YFLaIGp5Q0I/AAAAAAABA8E/5nJXkYstECUe7tvKMgeUN7FZGRUybcY2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/m-w-8cNIj5D9O2Q-unsplash.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/@mmw189?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">M. W</a> on <a href="/s/photos/asian-soup-bowl?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">This part doesn't have much to do with the recipe, but I wish I had gotten a picture of the sauce and my final product with the ribs. It's always memorable cooking adventure and feeling when the dish is "picky eater" approved (at least for my household)!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">-----</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">So, how did you like my first recipe or leftover condiment hack? Let me know how the experience went for you in the comments below and send any recipe improvements my way!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.3382082 -121.88632869.0279743638211514 -157.0425786 65.648442036178835 -86.7300786tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-19986178733966944842021-03-06T16:12:00.099-08:002021-11-16T18:25:13.460-08:00Things to Do On A Short Vacation to New Orleans, Louisiana<p class="mobile-photo">Louisiana, particularly New Orleans, has been on my bucket list of places to visit. With the pandemic contributing to limited international travel, my husband and I set our sights on a location more domestic, and somewhere neither of us has been before. Thus, our trip to <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Orleans, Louisiana</a> (NOLA, for short) was born.</p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;">-----</p><p class="mobile-photo"><b><u><br /></u></b></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Our Itinerary</u></b></h2><div dir="auto"></div><div><br /></div><div>Our trip was a short 3.5-day long adventure. Although some people may find this timeframe to be a bit short, maybe rushed, the time we spent on the trip was actually "just right" -- enough for the change of scene, appreciation of the architecture and city, and enjoyment of local popular places. Towards the end of our trip, we were a bit "fried out" from all the fried foods we've eaten throughout the trip. </div><div><br /></div><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DUSSaNjjJ_U/YZRJEIvsoYI/AAAAAAABDCs/xfpDbYV4YBEvl-xCjuCd1bZ2q39xqOmHQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PXL_20210201_162811355-01-783928.jpeg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7031325253648032130" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DUSSaNjjJ_U/YZRJEIvsoYI/AAAAAAABDCs/xfpDbYV4YBEvl-xCjuCd1bZ2q39xqOmHQCK4BGAYYCw/s16000/PXL_20210201_162811355-01-783928.jpeg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 1</b></h3><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Flew into <a href="https://flymsy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)</a></b></h4><div>My husband and I started our morning early and caught the first flight over to New Orleans, landing into MSY. The flight was like every other flight we've taken while leisure travelling -- a smooth and easy process overall. We arrived on time and as expected to MSY. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Where we stayed: <a href="https://www.hotelmazarin.com/hotel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hotel Mazarin</a></b></h4><div>Our first order of business was, of course, checking into the hotel and ridding ourselves of our (literal) extra baggage. Deciding to book our entire stay with Hotel Mazarin was a no-brainer. We just wanted a safe place, located in a not-too-noisy part of town, but also walkable to all the main sights and attractions.<br /><br />We tried to check in once we arrived to the hotel, but our room wasn't ready. As with services many hotels offer nowadays, we checked our bags with the front desk and had our luggages stored temporarily until our rooms were ready. We went to pick up dinner in the meanwhile. <br /><br />After picking up dinner, we were pleased to find that our room was ready for check-in. We picked up our luggages and headed up the elevators to our room. Our room was spacious and clean. The room didn't face the main street, but it was of less importance, since most of our time was spent exploring town.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">First meal: <a href="https://www.nolacookery.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Olde NOLA Cookery</a></b></h4><div>Our first meal in Lousiana was at the Olde NOLA Cookery, and we each settled to try their "taste of New Orleans," a sampler of gumbo, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice with smoked sausage. We thought it would be a great primer and a way to get to taste a bit of everything. </div><div><br /></div><div>We waited quite a while for our food to be prepared, since we didn't order ahead. However, it was nice to know our food was being prepared fresh rather than quickly (or, most likely, prepared ahead of time). Even with bringing our food back to the hotel, the food was still nice and hot. The food overall was okay, although the price was a bit on the higher end. The flavors weren't spectacular or anything really special, sadly. The portions were reasonable and enough to keep my husband and I full and satiated, without being overstuffed. It's hard to say if we recommend going back, but we do recommend trying something else. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Walk around <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/listing/woldenberg-park/32771/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Woldenberg Park</a> (night edition)</b></h4><div>After dinner, my husband and I took a stroll to Woldenberg Park, which houses the <a href="https://www.steamboatnatchez.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steamboat Natchez</a> and overlooks the Mississippi River, to watch the sunset. The park is a long, paved (non-grassy) stretch. There weren't too many people at the park when we went, but there some joggers, couples, groups of friends all enjoying their time exercising, walking, or sitting to eat/chat/people watch along the stretch. </div><div><br /></div><div>The stroll was nice and enjoyable especially without the crowds. Going in the evening was a great choice, since we also had the opportunity to enjoy watching the Steamboat Natchez with all of its lights lit up. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 2</b></h3><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Walk around <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/listing/woldenberg-park/32771/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Woldenberg Park</a> (morning edition)</b></h4><div>Our morning began again with yet another stroll through this park, this time to catch a glimpse of sunrise. It was a cool morning, and we picked up some beignets from <a href="https://www.cafebeignet.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cafe Beignet</a> for breakfast at the park. Afterwards, we conveniently walked over to our next stop -- Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Visit to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60864-d104486-Reviews-Jackson_Square-New_Orleans_Louisiana.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jackson Square</a> and <a href="https://www.stlouiscathedral.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St. Louis Cathedral</a></b></h4><div>Jackson Square was just a short walk away from Woldenberg Park. It was, quite literally, across the railroad tracks and up some stairs. The St. Louis Cathedral was quite a sight to see. From afar, it's appears very castle-like with it's metal statue directly in the center and the cathedral itself enclosed with a contrasting dark wrought iron gate. Up close, a cathedral appeared towering and bright. My husband and I wish we could have caught a glimpse of the inside, but a glimpse of the outside will have to do, given the COVID times.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Gator and swamp bayou tour with <a href="https://www.graylineneworleans.com/all/tours/swamp-and-bayou-tour" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grayline New Orleans</a></b></h4><div dir="auto">My husband and I knew for sure wanted to do a gator and swamp tour while in Louisiana. It was an activity that was also suggested to me by a close friend who came to Louisiana pre-COVID. Because of COVID and capacity restrictions, my husband and I had booked tickets well in advance. We opted for a platoon boat tour.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">The gator and swamp bayou tour by Grayline New Orleans included coach bus transportation from a designated parking lot near Woldenberg Park to the swamp dock area. Round trip transportation itself to and from easily took over an hour. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">The swamp tour docking area was most crowded initially when all the different tour groups we're waiting to dock. The crowd thinned out as tour group by tour group docked their different assigned boats. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Our tour guide and boat captain brought the group to different areas of the swamp. It was really hit-or-miss whether or not we were able to find alligators out and about. There were several times where we caught smaller alligators suntanning by the shore side. Eventually, we reach the deeper part of the swamp, where there were medium-sized alligators swimming about. About midway through the tour, the tour guide and boat captain brought out a small alligator that tour guests were able to hold and take pictures with. It was a fun experience overall and something I recommend doing while in Louisiana. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><a href="https://www.norta.com/Getting-Around/Our-Streetcars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Street car</a> ride to and walk around the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_District,_New_Orleans" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Garden District</a></b></h4><div dir="auto">When my husband and I got back to town, we caught a streetcar trolley and took it to the Garden District. The Garden District has several tree-lined streets and historical homes. Walking through the quiet neighborhood streets and appreciating the styles of each home and the style of wrought iron in their fences made it feel like I was on a Hollywood set of some Victorian era movie. I definitely recommend visiting the district if you enjoy architecture or photography.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/nola-poboys-new-orleans-2?osq=po+boy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NOLA Poboys</a></b></h4><div dir="auto">Our last stop of the day was to grab some food at Nola Poboys, a food place recommended by the same close friend. The poboys from this eatery were are fresh made to order and had a little kick to it for seasoning. You have a choice of how spicy you want the seasoning to be, so it really caters to everyone's spice tolerance level. We both got one shrimp poboy each, and the poboy from here was very solid and the best of our trip. We enjoyed the freshness of the seafood, a small kick with each bite, and the fact that our sandwich was not overly soggy by the time we made it back to our hotel to eat. The sandwiches did take some time to make after we had ordered, so we recommend ordering ahead if you plan to take your food to go.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPkEbvwKt7iWx6C1OlqVtZ8_l8BZcx6dSv701fN1_euPqs-VrnlpqEhFvm8EBslIsZDC18s6Jp__NXPZM-_ZKL-7G8XxTqw3q2VO059y2qf4tIgU91fwTlsQIs3C0QQ7HEzIY4XyTaRtPNvkmtQLy8e5r6Zx3KPEnFcfUTWdMJ9M5da-8oFmNBPOw=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nicole's Trip to NOLA" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPkEbvwKt7iWx6C1OlqVtZ8_l8BZcx6dSv701fN1_euPqs-VrnlpqEhFvm8EBslIsZDC18s6Jp__NXPZM-_ZKL-7G8XxTqw3q2VO059y2qf4tIgU91fwTlsQIs3C0QQ7HEzIY4XyTaRtPNvkmtQLy8e5r6Zx3KPEnFcfUTWdMJ9M5da-8oFmNBPOw=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 3</b></h3><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Breakfast at <a href="https://shop.cafedumonde.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cafe du Monde</a></b></h4><div dir="auto">We started off our morning similarly to yesterday with a walk again at Woldenberg Park and a beignet and coffee breakfast from Cafe du Monde. We had gone to the large Cafe du Monde location. The cafe was crowded with a lot of people dining outdoors, as well as a long line of people getting their orders to go. The line moved efficiently, since most of the orders were either beignets themself or paired with a cup of coffee. We had our beignets this morning paired with a cup of coffee.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Local <a href="https://www.frenchquarter.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">French Quarter</a> walk</b></h4><div dir="auto">After finishing our breakfast, we started the day with a local walk around the French quarter. We visited several main streets walking around and enjoying the different styles of each building. Some buildings were lined with hanging flower plants from the wrought iron balcony fencing, others with just the plain undecorated wrought iron. We passed by several small shops and museums, some of which were closed on this day. Because of COVID and the fact that we walked around earlier in the day, there weren't many people around, which was great for photo-taking and being able to enjoy the walk at a leisurely pace!</div><div dir="auto"><b><br /></b></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Lunch from <a href="https://www.mambosnola.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mambo's</a></b></h4><div dir="auto">We each had a shrimp poboy. The poboy was pretty average. The sandwiches were not as flavorful as that from NOLA Poboys and the sandwiches ended up being soggy by the time we reached the hotel. The serving size was definitely enough to keep us stuffed, but we wished we had given another place or a different food option a try instead.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><b><a href="https://nola.gov/parks-and-parkways/parks-squares/congo-square-louis-armstrong-park/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Louis Armstrong Park</a></b> </span></h4><div>We wanted to check out the surrounding local neighborhood, while staying safe, of course. The nearest park by foot was Louis Armstrong Park. The park had a large area of water with an active fountain in the center and a paved walkway so you could literally walk a circle around the park. There are several statues of notable people in NOLA's history and art pieces scattered throughout the park too. The entrance we took included walking past the auditorium, also located inside/near the park grounds. The auditorium area, unfortunately, was worn down with broken and boarded windows rampant and graffitied walls present. There were other couples and visitors at the park, but nothing too crowded at all. There were also some shady looking people passing through, particularly at the auditorium side of the park. My recommendation is to bypass the auditorium and look for the entrance that says "Armstrong."</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Dinner from <a href="https://www.oceanagrill.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oceana Grill</a> </span></b></h4><div>As above, we were hoping to find a different food place to try, so Oceana Grill was it. We each ordered the fish poboy this time. We were surprised and a bit disappointed to find that the food was similar (if not, the same) as that from Mambo's. There wasn't anything different about the poboy from here. It was the same size, same flavor, same sogginess (after walking back to the hotel to eat), and the same to-go packaging. The only real difference was the plastic bags used because of the branding and names of the restaurants. It's a reasonable place to try for a first-time poboy, but I would probably try something else from this place or save my stomach space for a better poboy place. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Sweet treats from <a href="https://southerncandymakers.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Southern Candymakers</a></b></h4><div>Making some time to try some local, handmade sweets worked out perfectly, thanks to a suggestion from my sister-in-law. Having been to NOLA before and a fellow foodie as well, she suggested that we visit Southern Candymakers and give their pralines a try. When we arrived at the shop, one of the workers patiently answered our questions about the different candies, and another worker was working on another batch of pralines. </div><div><br /></div><div>We didn't want to end up with more food than we were able to finish, for lack of a refrigerator and microwave in our hotel room, so we each tried one of their original creamy praline and one of their king cake praline. We went back to our hotel to enjoy the treats, and I am glad we did because I probably would have purchased more if we were still at the store. Each bite of the praline was accompanied with a piece of pecan and fluffy, creamy, butterscotchy, sugary goodness. The king cake praline was equally delectable and creamy, but decorated with purple and green sprinkles. I definitely stopping by to give their handmade sweets a try!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 4</b></h3><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Breakfast at <a href="https://cafefleurdelis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cafe Fleur-de-lis </a></b></h4><div>For our last few hours in NOLA, we decided to take our breakfast craving to Cafe Fleur-de-lis. I settled for the big easy breakfast, while my husband went for the seriously southern breakfast. The cafe was busy, to our surprise, since it was early in the morning. As with all of our other food ventures this trip, the food took some time to prepare since we didn't order ahead. The food portions were plentiful -- it made us a little more than satiated. Both breakfasts were typical and reminiscent of your typical American breakfast, and made us wish we had chosen something else off the menu, something a bit more...Southern and Louisiana-y to close our trip with. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Flight back to <a href="https://www.flysanjose.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)</a></b></h4><div>Our flight back was simple and no fuss with the airport not as crowded as pre-pandemic times. Despite all the fun we had being tourists and the change of scene, it is always nice to be back home. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">-----<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdRD2_BXRWbhYQEI75N0iyItz0HY9HxbRG7D7kSkORC61eDFKp5ex28u5zfDeMGN2CO_sruFCVm6rp2f2tRCdSJ6KTIFfLRCyaJk-cHthcP-GZtOZgY17sN-IcMHt14a0Yx0r_aAKDLVQvglHh6IrRAUNbvsFucYzMqt_DfK16osQqVkOk7PnnNkM=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdRD2_BXRWbhYQEI75N0iyItz0HY9HxbRG7D7kSkORC61eDFKp5ex28u5zfDeMGN2CO_sruFCVm6rp2f2tRCdSJ6KTIFfLRCyaJk-cHthcP-GZtOZgY17sN-IcMHt14a0Yx0r_aAKDLVQvglHh6IrRAUNbvsFucYzMqt_DfK16osQqVkOk7PnnNkM=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>If you've made it to this point, I think you can agree with us that we were a bit "fried out" after our trip. I remember telling my husband that it would be a while until I wanted to eat fried anything again! Although our trip was short, it sure was filled with lots of things to do. The only other thing I had wished we had time to do was a plantation tour, since that seems to be unique to the South. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have you been to NOLA? If so, what activities do you recommend doing?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0New Orleans, LA, USA29.951065799999991 -90.07153231.6408319638211459 -125.2277823 58.261299636178833 -54.9152823tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-73902764150631299582021-03-01T12:00:00.081-08:002021-04-18T21:42:23.661-07:00Thoughts | Deciding On My First NP Job<p class="mobile-photo">Job hunting has been tougher for me during this time. For the past month, I've been really doing a lot of reflecting and soul-searching for what it really is I want to do as an NP and what would truly make me happy. </p><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">As much as I have enjoyed my time working in the inpatient setting, I wonder if going for the additional education would be worth it -- that additional time, monetary debt, and effort. Would going back to get yet another certificate lead to the job I like? Or would I be happy just moving forward with a job that I already have all the certifications and/or training for? And how would I really know if I like or dislike something until I've given it an honest chance? I mean, if I also enjoy the outpatient setting, wouldn't that save me from having to go back for another certificate again?</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">In a way, the answer to these questions would be more obvious if I had landed an inpatient job. You know...the question of whether or not the additional certifications would lead to the job I want. But, this was not the case for me.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oeP2vah0Lsk/YHyCCT2clKI/AAAAAAABBPU/umtvuvvGtCYLdRgCsCp6dYMSn-M945_YQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PXL_20200928_175804136-01-789205.jpeg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6952574900953191586" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oeP2vah0Lsk/YHyCCT2clKI/AAAAAAABBPU/umtvuvvGtCYLdRgCsCp6dYMSn-M945_YQCK4BGAYYCw/s16000/PXL_20200928_175804136-01-789205.jpeg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">These questions were what I've been thinking about and pondering the past few months as I started the job search. In hindsight, it may have not been the best way to go about. I wish I were one of those nurse practitioners I follow on <a href="https://instagram.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> who have found their happy place in their careers, whether it's their first job as a nurse practitioner or after several bouts of trial and error. Seeing so many nurse practitioners, new and old, be happy and excited about their job (at least on <a href="https://instagram.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>), I wondered if I would find that happiness too. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Then again, I remind myself of the reality outside of Instagram. It's easy to fall into the cycle of comparison and wonder what it is, pandemic aside, that has made it so difficult to find <i>that</i> job, <i>the</i> job, <i>the one</i>. What I've found as I job searched within the neurosurgery specialty was that I was lacking (not for all places but for most in the location of where I would have liked to work), per the recruiters: the acute care certificate and ability to first assist.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Now, having applied to many jobs, landing some interviews, and receiving a small handful of offers, I need to make a choice. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">The choice seemed easy and straightforward...maybe even obvious. Why did I do a fellowship in neurosurgery if I wasn't going to work in neurosurgery, right? So I thought about going for it. This full time, 5 days a week, outpatient only neurosurgery position that paid well, has great benefits, and is with a reputable organization that I received an offer for. It would be at a place where I already knew the people and the system. It would give me the opportunity to stay in the specialty and to really see if I enjoy the outpatient setting. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">The catch of all of this, you ask? I would need to move to Sacramento again for the third time and my husband and I would be doing that long-distance marriage again. Long distance relationships are tough, and the pandemic has made distance seem all the more far. After being long distance for about half of our time together as a couple (dating and marriage), I think it's time to just be together. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div>Despite having discussed the pros and cons again and again with my husband and family, we all (myself included) thought at first that this would be the best move to make -- to take a job and stay in the specialty despite the distance. After all, the job search has proven to be brutal and how long is <i>too</i> long to sit without a job before the experience I've worked so hard to gain would be considered too far in the past? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">-----</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>So, set on that decision, I was ready for the next phase of the process: securing housing. Unfortunately, our original plan for housing fell through, so we had to plan for a house rental or apartment rental. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My husband and I weren't new to the Sacramento area. Like I've said before, this would be our third time moving to the area. We knew which parts were considered safe and what was considered affordable based on our budgeting. Despite all this, we ran into several issues on our apartment hunt. The places we've lived before (minus our most recent housing arrangement) were off limits in our book -- hey, after going through an apartment complex fire and strange roommates, you'd feel the same way too. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Because of COVID, we've read several news articles talking about how people from the bay area have migrated north to the Sacramento area, partly because of more space, affordability, and the flexibility of working from home. We didn't realize how much of an impact this migration caused until we started looking for places again. I had gotten away last year by living with a friend, so I never really felt the impact of this. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My husband and I made weekend trips to visit Sacramento, each time booking a few places that we wanted to look at. We were only able to look at a few places at a time because of COVID, places becoming unavailable, people no longer replying once I brought up questions about parking, or people being unavailable when we were available. By the time we decided on a place, the place usually ended up being no longer available. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>And don't let me get started on the housing scams we ran into. Who would've known this kind of thing existed? We've ran into at least three postings where the scammer listed the house/apartment unit as "for rent" on Zillow, Apartments.com, Craigslist, etc. Most of these houses and apartment units seemed too good for the price, for the most part. Maybe only one of them seemed about right price-wise. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>When I submitted an inquiry for the place, I would typically receive a prompt response -- some were very straightforward and listed the costs and the amount needed to "hold" the place, and others gave some seemingly legitimate story about how they had to relocate for their job and are scrambling to find a responsible renter. The interesting thing was that the replier would mention something about ignoring the "for sale" sign in front of their homes because they were in the process of not selling the place and renting it out instead. I don't know why I decided to do it, but I crossed checked the placed by plugging in the addresses into a Google search only to find that these places listed "for rent" were actually listed for sale. Of course, after receiving a reply from the scammer, the original post (for the rental) would mysteriously be taken off/removed. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Below is an example of one of the places that is actually for sale (even pending) that was listed as "for rent" on Craigslist. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqzCJSdZYQA/YHyE2qc1FsI/AAAAAAABBPc/0e1au6dFUzk9Usmt_pD2u1_eeQVDwzsiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-03-09%2Bat%2B3.27.20%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqzCJSdZYQA/YHyE2qc1FsI/AAAAAAABBPc/0e1au6dFUzk9Usmt_pD2u1_eeQVDwzsiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-03-09%2Bat%2B3.27.20%2BPM.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the email reply I received when I inquired about the place on Craigslist. Along with the email were attachments with the exact same photos from the above listing. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6kjL8W3hvH0/YHyG_FIk9zI/AAAAAAABBPo/2Ra2zP7Jta0ceziXa7cU_CSrWfmjVnv4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2590/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-04-18%2Bat%2B12.20.35%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="2590" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6kjL8W3hvH0/YHyG_FIk9zI/AAAAAAABBPo/2Ra2zP7Jta0ceziXa7cU_CSrWfmjVnv4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-04-18%2Bat%2B12.20.35%2BPM.png" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, anyone can tell it was a scam by checking out the email, but trying to reach out to places ate up a day here and there. This was probably the third or fourth scam posting we came across. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After that, my husband and I decided that perhaps the best way to go is to just rent with some larger apartment complex....at least that's as legit as it gets, right? I scoured through different apartment complexes in the area online and read review after review in search of a place that would be safe, cost a reasonable amount, and not be too much of a burden with driving. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, we ran into some more issues. Some places didn't have or provide additional parking, others had additional parking but it was pretty costly and/or was not located near the complex. After completing some tours via Zoom, we narrowed down our choices easily to our top two, then our top one -- only to get "bait and switched" on. The apartment had a cheaper unit (let's say A) available for rent on their website, but only allowed us to virtually tour another unit of the same size but higher price (let's say B). The leasing agent knew when my husband and I would need to move in by and said that there were applicants already for unit A. My husband and I applied for unit B, since we believed the leasing agent. As the final week before move in started, unit A was still listed as available on the website. My husband and I requested to transfer over to unit A, which the leasing agent did. Now, the day before the agreed upon move in date, the apartment manager said that unit A was no longer available (although it was still listed on their website as available), and that we would have to take unit B and pay the higher rate because that's what the market value is for that. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My husband and I could've taken it, sure. But it made us wonder, too, with <i>everything</i> we've experienced while living in Sacramento -- the apartment fire, the car accident, and more -- what else would be heading our way if even securing housing has been this rough? Also, what kind of service could we expect from the apartment complex, since they're already like this...and to be stuck for a whole lease term of this?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As easy as it all sounded, each part of this process chipped away at the waning time that was left before I would have started. Needless to say, it...all of it...was a very frustrating process. As excited as I typically am when moving for work or school, for the first time, I wasn't excited at all. I was mostly scared -- scared of what was to come with the increased violence against Asian Americans; scared of what could possibly happen as I faced having to live alone and venture on the long distance marriage again; and scared of the expectations the job would come with because, on the one hand, I trained there for a year, yet on the other, I am still a new-er nurse practitioner. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The wake up call was my husband admitting that he's "tired" from all the years of driving around, and just hearing him verbalize that, the introverted person he is, got me thinking...<i>really</i> thinking whether this move is what <i>we</i> want. Sure, career wise, it's what I wanted...sort of, kind of. It's in the specialty that I want, it's with supportive co-workers, and it's with a reputable organization. But, it was also not quite the schedule I wanted (with both of us working 5 days a week, how would it work out?) and not exactly the setting I think I would've liked (would've because who really knows until I've given it a try on my own). I also wasn't sure how things would work out with different people quitting...would I also be expected to absorb some of their work (aside from that as an NP), since I would be the only one (NP) there 5 days a week?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">-----</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>All of this eventually led me to the realization of what's valuable to me -- gaining back the would-have-been lost time with my husband, being physically closer to my support system (even if they're the in-laws), being physically at a place where I feel safer (after everything I went through the years I had lived in Sacramento), and maybe being able to settle. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><blockquote>TLDR; there are many, many factors that go into the job decision making process. It may not make sense to everyone, but what matters is that it makes sense to you and aligns with your values/wants/needs. </blockquote></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>It's also like one of my supervisors said: </div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>"Your job is not there for you at the end. Family is."</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div><br /> </div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.3382082 -121.88632869.0279743638211514 -157.0425786 65.648442036178835 -86.7300786tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-19272936367429581182021-02-20T10:24:00.018-08:002022-03-20T18:50:06.380-07:00Q & A | Nurse Practitioner Fellowship / Residency<p class="mobile-photo">Having recently completed a nurse practitioner fellowship (aka residency) myself and documenting my journey, I've received many questions including:</p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What are nurse practitioner fellowships/residencies?</li><li>How did I find the nurse practitioner fellowship/residency I went through?</li><li>What I thought about the <span face="sans-serif">nurse practitioner fellowship/residency?</span></li><li><span face="sans-serif">Would I do the </span><span face="sans-serif">nurse practitioner fellowship/residency again or just find a job to start out with?</span></li></ul></div><div dir="auto"><span face="sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">So I've decided to share my take and answers to these questions! </font></div></div><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZA1LkHzFaxE/YD0xejpeRDI/AAAAAAABAeQ/DvxWlCzOyjccxmIDJpECwfN44GsmLQUTACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PXL_20201029_144919961.MP-01-798132.jpeg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6934753402255459378" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZA1LkHzFaxE/YD0xejpeRDI/AAAAAAABAeQ/DvxWlCzOyjccxmIDJpECwfN44GsmLQUTACK4BGAYYCw/s16000/PXL_20201029_144919961.MP-01-798132.jpeg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b>What are nurse practitioner fellowships/residencies?</b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b><br /></b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">Nurse practitioner fellowship (aka residency) is basically additional training after being board certified and state licensed to help the new provider transition into the role. For any nurses out there, think of it like a nurse residency program...except it's one for the NPs. Fellowship/residency for nurse practitioners is a newer concept and hasn't been around for too long, so you may find yourself explaining what an "NP fellow" or "APP fellow" is. Some are accredited (and likely to be more rigorous, I would think) and some are not. Either way, the idea behind it is to provide structured support and training for the new provider. The fellowship/residency is available in various specialties and primary care, and there are more in the east coast compared to the west coast (at least for now).</font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b><br /></b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b>How did I find the nurse practitioner fellowship/residency I went through?</b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b><br /></b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">Honestly, I heard about the nurse practitioner fellowship/residency program that I went through because I happened to go to NP school there. As far as applying and getting selected, I didn't have any connections or know anyone who went through the program. I just applied and gave myself a chance at it. </font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">I did compile a list of nurse practitioner fellowships and residencies that I found via Google search to a spreadsheet and categorized it by state, specialty, application requirements, and application deadlines. It helped keep things organized; and as I narrowed down top choices/specialties, it made the application process a lot smoother since I had all the information I needed in front of me.</font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b><br /></b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b><br /></b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b>What I thought about the nurse practitioner fellowship/residency?</b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b><br /></b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">I thought the nurse practitioner fellowship I completed was pretty good, despite being only the second person to go through it for my department. I felt that all of my colleagues, attendings, and residents were supportive of me and my learning and taught me a lot about their subspecialty and/or the nurse practitioner role. There was always someone I could touch base with or run my plan over with. It was nice too being able to take the time to learn and to build up the amount of patients I was able to see on my own. </font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">We had monthly meetings focused on an advanced practice provider (aka nurse practitioner and physician assistant) topic and a quick debriefing of how the month was going for us. There were a total of 5 fellows including myself in my fellow cohort, but we all were in different specialties except for 2 of them. </font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">What I wish we had more of was didactics in our specialty fields. I know this would have been tough to figure out since we all are pursuing different specialties, and in that sense, have different learning needs... but I think that would have helped with the knowledge gap between school and practice, and make the transition in the specialty all the more smooth. </font><span face="sans-serif">I really had to take the initiative myself to learn during my down time and to do resource gathering, so I really think it's like the saying goes: "you get as much out of it as you put in."</span></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b><br /></b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b><br /></b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><b>Would I do the nurse practitioner fellowship/residency again or just find a job to start out with?</b></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">There are times now in hindsight where I wonder the same thing. In a way, the learning process was tough, but I learned so much in neurosurgery and had so much support in my transition to the provider role. Having trained in a specialty right out of school has been helpful when applying for neurosurgery jobs because, well, that's what I've been trained in now. The additional training seems to have caught many recruiter's eyes, but the deal breaker is that I am not acute-care certified, although I now have inpatient work experience, and I am also not certified to first assist (APPs didn't really need it at the place I had trained). Both of these really depend on the hospital policy, hospital type (academic vs community), and work setting. Per policy where I trained, nurse practitioners for this specialty did not need to have the acute care certification nor the ability to first assist at the time. </font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">There seems to only be small spurts of job openings for my specialty and location. </font>I'm not sure how much of this has to do with COVID and decrease in surgical cases, but it may be something to keep in mind when applying for a fellowship or residency, especially if it's in a specialty.<font face="sans-serif"> </font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">So far, as I've job hunted, it's been difficult applying to other specialties or even primary care. When I have been extended an interview for another specialty or for primary care, I've always been asked "why <i>not</i> neurosurgery?" Of course, I tell them I'm interested in something else and translate the skills I have gained from fellowship and neurosurgery to the one I'm interviewing for. For the most part, I haven't made it past the interview stage for this. </font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">This past year, I have had colleagues and classmates who found their first job this past year and ended up being furloughed or laid off due to COVID. In that aspect, I am thankful that I at least was able to keep my job and continue learning in the fellowship. </font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="sans-serif">I guess what I'm trying to say is that the fellowship was worth it for me when everything is taken into account. It gave me the training, support, and time I needed to transition to the provider role and stand out when applying to jobs in the specialty. Then again, being a family nurse practitioner with this training under my belt, I'm in a gray zone where recruiters seemingly want me to have these additional certifications and duties...unless I work in a solely outpatient capacity, which I haven't found too many openings for yet in my job search post-fellowship. </font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><font face="sans-serif">-----</font></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div dir="auto"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQLysnO0XvEuq6DuUbUkrK_ADZUMpyAlJ52fIFWjAOiy99zJUaWd1ZtIJ1VmcseqjS5HnmIRZj83SsuA_wseWeFhgs9u1hkZV4K1ljF36FDGsh-KY7K1XgFOv273XYuO_ISg2Cf0b5kAhM9_FE5CGcrfcgatlXZ4Kh0tFmO4omt4l5pPV8nzK16PE=s1500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQLysnO0XvEuq6DuUbUkrK_ADZUMpyAlJ52fIFWjAOiy99zJUaWd1ZtIJ1VmcseqjS5HnmIRZj83SsuA_wseWeFhgs9u1hkZV4K1ljF36FDGsh-KY7K1XgFOv273XYuO_ISg2Cf0b5kAhM9_FE5CGcrfcgatlXZ4Kh0tFmO4omt4l5pPV8nzK16PE=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.5px;" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div dir="auto"><font face="sans-serif">If you're thinking of applying or looking into </font><span face="sans-serif">nurse practitioner fellowships/residencies yourself, feel free to ask me anything in the comments below or send me a message!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span face="sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span face="sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div style="text-align: right;">Nicole G.</div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.3382082 -121.88632869.0279743638211514 -157.0425786 65.648442036178835 -86.7300786tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-46850977926364928782021-02-06T19:33:00.044-08:002021-11-09T20:24:56.347-08:00Overnight Trip in Pismo Beach, California<p class="mobile-photo">If you ever find yourself traveling from norcal (Northern California) to socal (Southern California) or vice versa, and find yourself wanting to make a pit stop or a mini stop, Pismo Beach is the perfect location to visit!</p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e9ZOXW9XWyQ/YYs9zh54n2I/AAAAAAABC8M/ocygcSm_gdIqH7WpnU7T-GgBgPDi_6TBwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PXL_20210125_003416677-778202.jpg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7028779598925569890" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e9ZOXW9XWyQ/YYs9zh54n2I/AAAAAAABC8M/ocygcSm_gdIqH7WpnU7T-GgBgPDi_6TBwCK4BGAYYCw/s16000/PXL_20210125_003416677-778202.jpg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;">-----</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">My husband and I found ourselves traveling from socal to norcal and decided to schedule in a short overnight mini trip to Pismo Beach. Truth be told, I had been curious about visiting this little town because one of my previous apartment mates in nursing school is from the area. Unfortunately, no meeting up took place because of COVID, but I suppose that's what technology is for.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Pismo Beach is a small town along the central coast that is more or less midway between Los Angeles and San Jose. As boring as the beach may be at times (because a beach is a beach is a beach is a beach, right?), it was pretty nice being able to see and spot the differences between the ocean water along this part of the state. My husband and I didn't get to do too much, since this was literally an overnight pit stop, but that just means we'll have to visit again when time permits and we find ourselves travelling across the state.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />-----</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxDLe-YmT8nftF8UbdG7NQicKT-kcxRCVK3syhCAH-2oJXzb3hOLzjl7e3PMYIgXdLNvU7-ta8Yk-k1gjq1pHlyMmQGGFUSx2epKLJ7Yu9DlF0LcObPtnDGUVjl9YJYBQQnySD-_MBfv0q-wgJrSXB1YzL8FDw5oL6WhM9hG7z3SDpFCBebaI0PgA=s2000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxDLe-YmT8nftF8UbdG7NQicKT-kcxRCVK3syhCAH-2oJXzb3hOLzjl7e3PMYIgXdLNvU7-ta8Yk-k1gjq1pHlyMmQGGFUSx2epKLJ7Yu9DlF0LcObPtnDGUVjl9YJYBQQnySD-_MBfv0q-wgJrSXB1YzL8FDw5oL6WhM9hG7z3SDpFCBebaI0PgA=s16000" /></a></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Where we stayed:</u></b></h3><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><b>Inn at the Cove</b></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">The <a href="https://www.reservations.com/hotel/best-western-plus-shelter-cove-lodge?rmcid=rcc3&msclkid=15e53eca17611f78b85b5f42d83d3bcc&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Top%20Hotels%202&utm_term=inn%20at%20the%20cove%20pismo%20beach&utm_content=Best%20Western%20Plus%20Shelter%20Cove%20Lodge_1727195" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Inn at the Cove</a> is a nice beach side hotel that boasts ocean views. Imagine being able to wake up to the sound of ocean waves in the morning, watch the sunrise and sunset without obstructions, and having the beach and ocean as your backyard (albeit with some stair climbing). </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">During low tide, you can catch some interesting sights, such as the mini crustaceans I saw hanging out (or perhaps trapped) in the tide pool. What I appreciate most is how underrated and not crowded the beach was. It is definitely something in contrast to the busy beaches in both southern and northern California. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><u>What we did:</u></b></h3><div><br /></div><div>There isn't anything particularly spectacular about what we did during our short overnight pit stop. When we first arrived, we took a walk on along the beach, where we spotted a beautiful, naturally made arch. </div><div><br /></div><div>We also visited the <a href="https://www.pismobeach.org/288/Dinosaur-Caves-Park" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dinosaur Caves Park</a> in the neighborhood. No, there were no sightings of dinosaurs, but there was a playground perfect for children, a huge grassy field perfect for pets, and a long paved trail along the bluff perfect for locals and tourists alike.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">-----</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx-0IrA9zi3h0N9ZKZZxFp9DhBW77ba2rwYBv9E_wuufzNrhbY8sLQ8FjIrUtjb1GOdoeaz9v-ivTHOFJVHzBgRrvJAq5z04nwPmFGNgD3gq2aoeyT1W-BHJGEb18_vSkZotHIDLhGygfoD5ZS3KQIEAHckuaNxWDqUJVZGilfdydQeJYh9Ay961M=s1500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx-0IrA9zi3h0N9ZKZZxFp9DhBW77ba2rwYBv9E_wuufzNrhbY8sLQ8FjIrUtjb1GOdoeaz9v-ivTHOFJVHzBgRrvJAq5z04nwPmFGNgD3gq2aoeyT1W-BHJGEb18_vSkZotHIDLhGygfoD5ZS3KQIEAHckuaNxWDqUJVZGilfdydQeJYh9Ay961M=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Found the post useful? Pin the image to share!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Have you visited <a href="https://pismobeach.org/1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pismo Beach, California</a>? If so, what activities do you recommend doing or places you recommend visiting?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div><div dir="auto"><br /><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Pismo Beach, CA, USA35.1427533 -120.64128276.832519463821157 -155.7975327 63.452987136178848 -85.4850327tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-70365882163003456752021-01-12T22:38:00.025-08:002021-04-25T23:02:20.694-07:00NP Job Hunting During the COVID Times<div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"></div> <div>Job hunting with COVID still around has been difficult. After job hunting over several months (during and after fellowship), I think I've figured out a couple of trends and things hiring managers and recruiters are looking for in nurse practitioner candidates. Despite how much more saturated the nurse practitioner market can feel especially now in COVID times, there are several key factors that can play into how easy or difficult it is to land a job -- new graduate nurse practitioner or not.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q4_dMuhrCWY/YIZXMXa_AcI/AAAAAAABBSE/zBPE6vAeaRcoFKU2YeeIDcfPqLeoBrhfACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20200516_192117-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q4_dMuhrCWY/YIZXMXa_AcI/AAAAAAABBSE/zBPE6vAeaRcoFKU2YeeIDcfPqLeoBrhfACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20200516_192117-01.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The state you live in</h3><div><br /></div><div>Just like the housing market, there are places and certain states that may be more desirable to live in than others. Even within the state, there are certain cities that are more desirable, or something a nurse practitioner candidate is willing to make the commute to. In these places, it will be more competitive to find jobs because "everyone" wants to live there. Of course, there are those who are job hunting in the not-as-popular cities/area because they live there, and they probably do not feel the same about the "saturation." Unfortunately, to my disadvantage, the cities my husband and I hope to settle in are in the more popular places. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The things you want</h3><div><br /></div><div>Some things most nurse practitioners look for in their job search are their ideal<b> </b>location, specialty, general benefits, pay/salary, retirement, and fringe benefits, such as reimbursements, CMEs, and malpractice insurance. There's a saying that goes "beggars can't be choosers." I heard this phrase said once by a classmate in nursing school, and I could hear her saying it again when it comes to the job hunt.</div><div><br /></div><div>What I'm saying is, you <i>can</i> be choosy, but just keep in mind that being choosy could make the job hunting tougher. At the same time, it's also necessary to make sure you get what you want out of your career and work each day feeling fulfilled. From what I've observed, primary care and family medicine jobs are the easiest to come by. I've seen several job listings and have been head hunted by recruiters for these positions. Of course, some of these were not in my ideal location in California...and some were even out of state! </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">What the employer wants</h3><div><br /></div><div>Part of landing a job is whether or not you have what the employer wants in a nurse practitioner they hire. Most of the time, it will have to do with the number of years of experience you have, whether or not the experience is related or exactly that of the specialty/job department, and whether or not you have certain licensures/certificates for certain nurse practitioner specialties or work settings. </div><div><br /></div><div>Remember how I mentioned that there <i>were</i> job opportunities in primary care and family medicine at a non-ideal location for me? The few that were in my ideal location in California required so many years of experience (2+ years strictly), that I was short of luck being a newer graduate with only one year of fellowship (in neurosurgery) under my belt. Prior to the pandemic, I've seen such jobs requiring or "preferring" 6 months to 1 year of experience. During the peak of the pandemic time, I've even seen some postings requiring 3+ years of experience! </div><div><br /></div><div>No, some of these job don't even consider my fellowship experience as "actual" experience, especially when I spoke with recruiters about jobs in different specialty areas. The only jobs that did consider my experience as actual experience were jobs from the neurosurgery specialty itself. <br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Reasons I didn't get the job</h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div>If you didn't already know, I am still currently on the job hunt for my next nurse practitioner position. I've done a lot of reflecting now that I'm done with fellowship and have the time to think, strategize, and re-strategize as I move forward. There are certainly a lot of factors that played into why I <i>still</i> don't have a job, despite having started my job search in September 2020 (and more actively applying around October 2020). </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Relatively saturated job market because of location and state.</b></li><li><b>Not enough experience, especially so in COVID times, where there are so many candidates...but also so many furloughs, layoffs, and hiring freezes. </b></li><li><b>Not the "right" (relevant) experience (even though I tried to find some overlap with my fellowship). </b></li><li><b>Had an internal candidate already (and was basically interviewing eligible/qualified candidates for formality/because they have to by law to make things "fair"). </b>Yes, some of the current internal candidates were students who rotated with them. I found this out because a recruiter profusely apologized to me after I made it to the last rounds of interviews for two different job postings he was in charge of filling, and the department manager admitted it herself in the rejection email that they decided to go with a "student who rotated with them who they liked." </li><li><b>Had other candidates who were a "better" fit (right/relevant experience and/or many years of experience).</b></li></ol></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><blockquote>You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. -- Wayne Gretzky</blockquote><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Though the job hunting may be brutal and can drain the life out of you, the main lesson learned is that not applying means not trying. As exhausting as it is to receive rejection email after rejection email, applying and trying will get your name out there, and perhaps you'll land the job of your dreams (or maybe a stepping stone one to pass the time). </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "DM Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" style="border: 0px; color: #888888; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.3382082 -121.88632869.0279743638211514 -157.0425786 65.648442036178835 -86.7300786tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-65607823323054564582020-12-31T19:42:00.002-08:002021-01-04T00:27:58.428-08:00Fellowshipping: Month 12 (El Fin)<div dir="ltr"><p>If this year and my time in fellowship was a movie, I guess this post/chapter/episode would be appropriately followed with "El Fin" (<i>aka</i> the end, in English). As I sit here back in San Jose typing this post quarantined in my little guest room surrounded by unpacked boxes from my move from Sacramento just the day before, this last chapter marks the end of what was known and the start into my adventure into the unknown ahead. </p><p><br /></p><p>Muddled is perhaps the "right" word to describe this month. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ygY3kvF7AFw/X-6Z6WFO0QI/AAAAAAAA_fw/yZxWtky7i-ADmkUhtg7VzYNn2kwjAvFpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PXL_20201220_000658286-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ygY3kvF7AFw/X-6Z6WFO0QI/AAAAAAAA_fw/yZxWtky7i-ADmkUhtg7VzYNn2kwjAvFpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/PXL_20201220_000658286-01.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>I spent the month mostly back in the outpatient spine clinic with shifts helping out on the inpatient floors. </b></p><p><br /></p><p>Going back to the spine clinic felt like being reacquainted with an old friend, one I haven't seen since June/July of this year. It was pleasantly surprising that I haven't forgotten too much, at least not the basics. I guess you could say it felt like I picked up from where I left off. There were certainly times where I was still lost, as I call it. I mean, things have changed even in my short-ish time away from this setting/clinic. But it was nice and comforting being back to see familiar faces and spaces, sad to hear of some who have left, and exciting to see what the new has brought and would bring. </p><p><br /></p><p>I made the most of the opportunity to be back revisiting the spine clinic, I think. I was no stellar all-star by any means, for it isn't in my nature to stand out or curry favor, but rather to just do my thing and be myself. </p><p><br /></p><p>In a way, my time back was made <i>muddled</i> by the complicated mix of feelings -- that of being caught between continuing to pursue what I want (or maybe rather, what I <i>think</i> I want) and what there is right now at this time, and that of knowing the end of this seemingly long dream is nearing as each day passes. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now, on this last official day, the dream has ended, and I'm left to face the unknown that I have been dreading more and more as each job application ends at that stage or each job interview leads to the all-too-familiar email that begins with "Dear Nicole, Thank you, <i>Unfortunately</i>..." And really, this all makes me ponder if continuing forward in pursuit of my "dream" job is worth it, since it may come with more formal schooling ahead; if I should just wait and see what opportunities are available when/if the job market improves; or if I should give up, settle, and be complacent with what there is <i>if</i> there even is anything. </p><p><br /></p><p>The problem doesn't lie in not knowing what I want, but more so in knowing exactly what I want and facing the challenges of unavailability because of what is going on in the world (ie. COVID) and wondering if the chase, the additional time, effort, money, schooling to get to that point would <i>truly</i> lead me to where I want to be. Or, would I be disappointed to learn that there is yet another certification or formal education program that I would have to undergo yet again? I know working in healthcare entails the virtue of being a lifelong learner, but when will the necessity of formal education end so that the journey of real world learning and practice can begin? Perhaps these latter feelings would be allayed had I landed a job since it would give me a guarantee that my efforts and time would not be for naught. </p><p><br /></p><p>So I spent the month <i>muddled</i> amongst all of these thoughts and feelings. It was a most bittersweet month. My little fellowship graduation celebration planned by my co-workers was greatly received COVID friendly style, of course, and I am the utmost grateful for the lessons, teachings, and pearls I've gained throughout the year. Like the NP who took me under her wing while redeployed, each member of this team has been a "light" on this journey. I still feel both sad for myself not having the opportunity to continue, yet excited for the new fellow who will be working with some of the most supportive colleagues on their new graduate nurse practitioner journey. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JQqyts8AJ3A/X-6Zgt1IrkI/AAAAAAAA_fo/W1q__WQdlso_hRUEZ-w01BTBAU12XboRACLcBGAsYHQ/s210/IMG959597.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JQqyts8AJ3A/X-6Zgt1IrkI/AAAAAAAA_fo/W1q__WQdlso_hRUEZ-w01BTBAU12XboRACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG959597.jpg" title="Fellowship Graduation Celebration (the least blurry photo I have)" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>And now, I'm back in San Jose typing up this post while listening to some of my favorite Asian drama OSTs (original soundtracks) and quarantining.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>It may seem abrupt and untimely, this move back to San Jose with my in-laws, but it's the logical next step at least given what I know. Rent payment and expenses continue regardless of whether or not I have a job. Not having a job would mean that my husband and I would be pulling from our savings, which we were hoping to save for emergencies or our future first home whenever, wherever it is I land that "dream" job. Is sitting around while expenses keep flooding in for possibly the next few months with not knowing when I would get a job the "right" thing to do? My husband and I discussed this topic for a while, and I think we came to a consensus that it would be wiser for us to move back, at least until we see where I land my next job. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>In a heart-to-heart conversation with my husband, I think it's kind of true when he told me he saw people in a forum he follows post that for most people, it's <i>like 2020 never existed, like it's a wasted year.</i> </b></p><p><br /></p><p>Having moved back here to San Jose, sitting here job hunting on the daily, hoping to find "the one" (in terms of a job) has made me unable to help but think that maybe what he said is true. Logically speaking, we can't discount all the bad and ugly that 2020 has brought -- the lives taken, opportunities lost, and the dreams and plans shattered. But 2020 did happen, and it brought along, with all its challenges, many lessons that have and will change the way we approach life hereafter, or so we all hope at least. </p><p><br /></p><p>In a way, I understand what those people on the forums are saying. I feel like I'm back to where I was after graduating and passing FNP boards. I'm here again, on the job hunt, except in a tighter market, except with additional fellowship training. This year, all in all, has felt like a very long and fleeting dream. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p>If you haven't gotten the hints or message yet, I <i>still</i> don't know what's next for me. Right now, I'm just figuring things out day by day and week by week. I still have a vision for where I want to be in so many domains and aspects of my life, but I'm learning to enjoy the moments along the way. And really, I think it will all be okay in the end. </p><p><br /></p><p> See you in a few hours as we begin 2021 (on the west coast)!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;">Nicole G.</div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Jose, CA, USA37.3382082 -121.88632869.0279743638211514 -157.0425786 65.648442036178835 -86.7300786tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-23336330919406304462020-11-28T20:10:00.009-08:002020-11-30T20:15:15.479-08:00Fellowshipping: Month 11<p>Month 11 of fellowship is practically over. Like October, it seemed to begin and end quite quickly. It's hard to believe that my final month will begin in just two more days. </p><p><br /></p><p>I spent the beginning of this month on a short, but much needed, vacation spent visiting my parents in southern California. I am glad I was able to visit home when I did. Who would've known the cases would be back up again during the holiday weekend? It was a time when COVID cases were down. Like the theme of "timing" this year, the vacation came at a much needed time after some unfortunate events that happened the previous month that had me thinking more about what I want out of my career. </p><p><br /></p><p>Upon arriving home, I had found out that my second aunt on my dad's side had passed. Just last month we were told that her chronic lymphoma had become aggressive. She decided she didn't want to proceed with chemotherapy at the time, so we all knew it would be a matter of time...but who knew that time would come so quickly? At the same time, my fourth aunt on my dad's side had started chemotherapy. I only found out recently that chemotherapy has become too much for her, and she, too, wants to proceed without it now. </p><p><br /></p><p>I spent my month at work returning back to the inpatient wards/floors. It was a rotation I missed a lot having been in the ICU the past weeks. It was nice working alongside other advanced practice providers again and feeling more supported. I hate saying it, but my time working in the ICU was challenging... feeling and being treated like a "visitor" on a new planet, like I'm constantly on the outside looking in. It is also difficult to be new at something, ask for guidance, and to not receive the support needed. Like the times when I've earnestly told the ICU nurses that I'm a new NP and would like their help/guidance only to be met with apathy. This among other interactions and things. I guess I need to "grow thicker skin." Until then, I'll be here working where I'm more comfortable and feeling supported.</p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ep3jdEG-p0U/X8XCUiWvzSI/AAAAAAAA-84/8qL3YZG75z8tNmur-gbc09EgFu-AhRMFgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PXL_20200920_224244197-01-758097.jpeg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6901135662090538274" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ep3jdEG-p0U/X8XCUiWvzSI/AAAAAAAA-84/8qL3YZG75z8tNmur-gbc09EgFu-AhRMFgCK4BGAYYCw/s16000/PXL_20200920_224244197-01-758097.jpeg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">-----</p><p><br /></p><p>This month has been stranger than the rest given the holiday (Thanksgiving) season and being apart from family...not voluntarily. It's not the first Thanksgiving I've been apart from family. No. While I was a student up here in Sacramento, I've missed a Thanksgiving or two with my family down in southern California. Part of it had to do with the shortness of the time off, the other part of it had to do with balancing the time spent with my family with that of my husband's family in northern California. </p><p><br /></p><p>This year, the holiday is quite a bit different. With the virus still around and its spread ever so increasing, our original plan to visit family in southern California was cancelled. To me, it would be a heavy weight to carry if I were to go home for the holidays only to find out later that family and friends have caught the virus possibly because of me. For some, it will just be a one year miss that doesn't make a big difference in their overall lives. For me, it's yet another holiday and time spent away from family. </p><p><br /></p><p>I spoke on the phone with my parents recently. We mused and reflected on the past and the present and how this year has made it <i>very </i>challenging to see/visit each other despite living in the same state. We talked about, too, how I haven't really been back home since I went off to college (UC Berkeley) at the age of eighteen, except for the short time that I did work in Los Angeles. I've been away from home for so long that I actually am starting to miss it.</p><p><br /></p><p>Unfortunately, whether or not I'll be going back is up in the air. Really, I don't know where (geographic location and area) my next job will be. My mom's friends have commented how easy it would be for me to find a job in southern California since my fellowship is ending and I could move anywhere. The reality is that their statement is much too simplified. I can possibly find a job by looking solely in southern California, but...what about my other half, my husband? As the only one with a stable job, which he happens to love, would it be realistic to just have him drop it and for both of us to be jobless? Eh, not really. </p><p><br /></p><p>Not only this, but it has been difficult finding a job in general...at least for me. I have been concentrating my efforts mainly on northern California (bay area) and Sacramento area, while applying to some positions in southern California (LA area) if they are of great interest. The issue seems to be that there are jobs that I don't have the <i>relevant</i> experience for. There have even been jobs where an internal candidate (student) has filled positions. With COVID cases going up again, I don't foresee that there will be many positions out there, or if there are, they are probably positions that don't have the best working conditions. I don't expect much being picky with my job applications and job hunt so far, but wouldn't it be wonderful to find a job I truly love?</p><p><br /></p><p>Instead of ending the month with the usual conditions I've learned about, I'll end with some things I'm thankful about (disclaimer: this is most likely not an all-inclusive list): </p><p><br /></p><ul><li>My life</li><li>My family (includes the husband and his side of the family)</li><li>My friends</li><li>The essentials (water to drink, food to eat, air to breath and no trouble breathing)</li><li>The job I currently have</li><li>Having a car to drive</li></ul><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">Nicole G.</div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Sacramento, CA, USA38.5815719 -121.494399610.271338063821155 -156.6506496 66.891805736178839 -86.3381496tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-49667137454996624632020-11-09T18:57:00.000-08:002020-11-09T18:57:38.533-08:00BTS | ELLE Medical Apparel Brand Ambassador<p class="mobile-photo">So, if you've been following along on my blog/nursing/travel journeys, you're probably wondering what this "BTS" post is all about. I'm thinking of starting a new "theme," if you will, called "BTS" or behind the scenes, where I talk about sponsored brands and products. As with everything I do, I try to be as transparent as possible. </p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo">I am so thankful to have been selected as one of <a href="https://www.ellemedicalapparel.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">ELLE Medical Apparel</a>'s new brand ambassadors! I had applied back in September, interviewed in early October, and found out I was selected towards late October. I am happy to be joining this small team and that they truly support and believe in my humble, little (but hopefully growing) platform to help pre-nursing students and future nurses and nurse practitioners. </p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo">I will disclose that I have been gifted quite a few scrub sets from them for free as an ambassador. Despite this, I will be writing my honest review about the scrubs and keep it real like I do when I review places on <a href="https://nextwithnicole.yelp.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Yelp</a>. </p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-757MlBGrEf0/X6niXX1yRUI/AAAAAAAA-uc/Z61AbxI4ZfkKTSyTQvct2fnDNASNda9FgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PXL_20201108_183451946-01-752303.jpeg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6893289595831731522" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-757MlBGrEf0/X6niXX1yRUI/AAAAAAAA-uc/Z61AbxI4ZfkKTSyTQvct2fnDNASNda9FgCK4BGAYYCw/s16000/PXL_20201108_183451946-01-752303.jpeg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><p>Like for most of my Yelp reviews, there is a certain set of criteria I look for personally. It's a little different when shopping for scrubs...and maybe clothes in general, but these criteria are: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><ul><li><b>Material </b>-- What material is used? Is the material durable?</li><li><b>Quality </b>-- How long will these scrubs last/how often will these need to be replaced? Is it worth the investment?</li><li><b>Sizing </b>-- What size range do they offer? Are they inclusive? Do they have sizes that fit me?</li><li><b>Style </b>-- What styles do they offer? Are they styles I would wear? Would the style allow me to do my job/function without interference?</li><li><b>Colors/Selection </b>-- What colors do they offer? Do I need to wear a certain color? What kind of prints/designs do they have?</li><li><b>Pricing</b> -- Is it affordable?</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>More lately than not, I've also been more conscious about inclusivity, diversity, and what the business stands for/supports (ie. where my money is going). I'm only the second brand ambassador (there's only one more who also happens to be a nurse too), and my hope is that the company will continue to diversify their ambassador community and models as they grow. There are <i>so</i> many different professions that make up the healthcare community and we're all pretty diverse in our experiences and what we bring to the table!</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">My Thoughts On ELLE Medical Apparel Scrubs</h3><p><br /></p><p>There are three things that I love about ELLE Medical Apparel's scrubs. I love that...</p><p></p><ol><li><b>they're <i>stylish</i></b> - some of these can pass as business casual pieces and they have tons of pockets</li><li><b>they're <i>affordable</i></b> - I love that the price point is reasonable and does not exude a feel of superiority or exclusivity</li><li><b>they seem to be of</b> <b>good <i>quality</i> material</b> - the material feels soft and silky, great for summer for sure and questionable for winter...but I guess that's where layering up comes to play. I also emphasize the word "seem" because I'm curious to see how durable the scrubs are over time. </li></ol><p><br /></p>In all honesty, I can't judge the quality of the scrubs yet, since I haven't owned them for years and haven't put them into heavy rotation yet. You can thank the uniform policy at my workplace for that. <br /><p></p><p><br /></p><ul><li><b>Material </b>-- Silky, soft, textured (subtle stripe pattern) material</li><li><b>Quality </b>-- TBD</li><li><b>Sizing </b>-- Inclusive range of sizes from XXS to 3XL; Range of lengths including tall and petites for bottoms</li><li><b>Style </b>-- Different styles with different shaped/size/number of pockets</li><li><b>Colors/Selection </b>-- Range of colors and prints</li><li><b>Pricing</b> -- Relatively affordable compared to big/bigger named brands</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>Really, the scrub brands I have worn either on heavy rotation and/or for some years include <a href="https://www.dickies.com/scrubs/" target="_blank">Dickies</a> and <a href="https://www.cherokeeuniforms.com/" target="_blank">Cherokee</a>. For both of these, the material is a bit stiffer, although there are more improvements on Cherokee's end, and both have had color fading over time. Cost-wise, scrubs from these brands are more on the moderate ($$-$$$) end, but not as pricey as some others ($$$$ like on Yelp, anyone?).</p><p><br /></p><p>If you own a pair of ELLE Medical Apparel brand scrubs, what are your thoughts and what criteria do you use when shopping for the perfect scrubs?</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicole G.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" rel="noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #94829d; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" rel="noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #94829d; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" rel="noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #94829d; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> </div> </div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Sacramento, CA, USA38.5815719 -121.494399610.271338063821155 -156.6506496 66.891805736178839 -86.3381496tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-21901092805636908972020-10-30T19:00:00.006-07:002020-10-31T11:36:29.877-07:00Fellowshipping: Month 10<p class="mobile-photo">As the month of October comes to a close, it's amazing to me how quickly the month has passed. I started my first week of October after having returned from a week-long vacation, and it actually wasn't too difficult to get back into the swing of things.</p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo">My schedule for the month was stable and fixed for the most part -- working three 12-hour shifts per week, scheduled on Wednesdays through Fridays each week. It wasn't difficult getting a sleep routine down, and it was nice having a consistent length of time off each week, although that time was mostly used for studying and reviewing. </p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qFbeP8l1SIo/X5iRDoM4Z9I/AAAAAAAA-fU/eCNq5GWVVzgjSlbMVpopto9ku66oq_feQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PXL_20200920_012920456-01-726022.jpeg"><img border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6888415121580255186" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qFbeP8l1SIo/X5iRDoM4Z9I/AAAAAAAA-fU/eCNq5GWVVzgjSlbMVpopto9ku66oq_feQCK4BGAYYCw/s16000/PXL_20200920_012920456-01-726022.jpeg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><p><br /></p><p>My weeks came and went like this:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><ul><li><b>Sunday - </b>Day off. Rest + studying. </li><li><b>Monday - </b>Day off. Laundry + errands. Study in between. </li><li><b>Tuesday - </b>Day off. Meetings x2-3 (for some Tuesdays). Meal prep for the week. Finish any last task(s) that can't wait until the weekend. Study in between. Look up patients for the next day.</li><li><b>Wednesday - </b>Work day. Study, if able, or rest.</li><li><b>Thursday - </b>Work day. Study, if able, or rest.</li><li><b>Friday - </b>Work day. Study, if able, or rest.</li><li><b>Saturday - </b>Day off. Rest + studying. </li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Overall, the month has gone by quickly and has been stable work schedule-wise. This month has been a huge learning and growing experience for me as a provider and has opened my eyes in how I can improve my practice going forward. It has also been an eye opener in terms of assessing what patient acuity I am comfortable caring for and managing. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">-----</p><p><br /></p><p>Home-wise, I am wondering how much of a genetic component there is for B-cell lymphoma. I've had two aunts who have passed away from this, and two more who have it -- one active and one who had the slow growing version. I say <i>had</i> because she has been hospitalized. What are the odds that 4 of 6 aunts would have this type of cancer? And, what are the odds that there are this many cases from one side of my family? Does it mean that I am at risk too as a female?</p><p><br /></p><p>I guess that's life. We all have questions, stories, and worries. I guess what has also been on my mind this month is the unknown after fellowship. Ideally, a job I love and will stay a long time working in, but hopefully, a job than none at all. It's scary hearing from classmates about being laidoff/furloughed because of COVID and hearing from others about <i>still</i> being on the job hunt since graduation. </p><p><br /></p><p>It's times like these I have to bring myself back to the present and to stop trying to plan ahead...way ahead, and instead, to think about the opportunities to be had as I turn this last bit of the bend toward the finish line of fellowship. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;">Nicole G.</div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2713706323338194220/8522402282321351220#" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextwithnicole" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">@nextwithnicole</a> // <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nursenicoleg" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">@nursenicoleg</a></div></div></div> </div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Sacramento, CA, USA38.5815719 -121.494399610.271338063821155 -156.6506496 66.891805736178839 -86.3381496tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713706323338194220.post-13081387610659738282020-10-18T16:24:00.000-07:002020-10-18T16:24:34.474-07:0010 Kyoto Street Foods You Must Try<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">You know what they say, if you are up for trying the most bizarre foods on earth, Japan is the</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">place to start. You will get to experience a variety of exotic and unique dishes, from green tea</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">flavored ice cream to fried octopus on a stick. Visit the old capital of the country, Kyoto, which</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">is listed as a ‘World Heritage Site’ by UNESCO. It is a popular tourist destination, being home to</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">several imperial palaces, Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kzhwkTVtnXc/X4zK3LXmnXI/AAAAAAAA-co/6hrOldmwGXEIeLBhe4MCtO4w6swDBCQBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/michael-lee-h90ttyWKFQQ-unsplash.jpg" /></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@guoshiwushuang?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Michael Lee</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/kyoto-street-food?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kyoto is the safest city in Japan, and the crime rate of the country is impressively low. The</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">reason is their strict law and severe punishment against <a href="https://www.congdon-law.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">criminal offenses</a>. The Nishiki market of</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kyoto is famous for its divine street food. Here are my top ten among the vast variety:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Tamagoyaki</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tamagoyaki translates to ‘grilled egg’ and is basically an egg roll. It is a kind of Japanese omelet,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">mainly made from egg and soya sauce. Vendors add different additional ingredients, such as</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">seaweed, vegetables, and sometimes meat/fish. It is prepared in a rectangular pan where the</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">beaten omelet mixture is repeatedly rolled over. Layers are added by pouring raw egg to the</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">emptied space in the pan. Although it sounds like a simple dish, it requires an acquired skill to</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">prepare. It is ideal to eat for breakfast, and the fluffiness of eggs is spectacular.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. Takoyaki</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’ve never tried octopus before, then Kyoto’s Takoyaki can definitely convince that you</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">have missed out. It looks somewhat like a meatball platter, and it tastes strangely delicious. The</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">fried snack has an outer wheat flour layer, and inside is a filling of diced octopus, green onion,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">pickled ginger, and tempura scarps. It is topped with Takoyaki sauce, which is a close relative of</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Worcestershire sauce. It is faintly similar to the Chinese dumpling, if that was fried rather than</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">steamed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Dango</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dango is the most widely devoured snack all over Japan, and you will find numerous variations</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">of the recipe, even within Kyoto. It is a sweet dumpling made from rice flour and sugar; the dish</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">is available all year round and is normally served with green tea. The rice balls are infused with</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">different colors and served on a stick. Some sellers add toppings like nuts, soyabean powder,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">sesame seeds, or red bean paste.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4. Okonomiyaki</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake, and is also known as the Japanese version of pizza. Just</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">like classic pancakes, it requires a flour based batter. The recipe is flexible, but the Kyoto</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">version typically contains shredded cabbage, green onion, tofu, soya sauce, egg, and shrimp. It</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">is a grilled dish, and looks incredibly appetizing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5. Taiyaki</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is Japan’s celebrated fish shaped pastry, traditionally made with a special fine grained flour</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">named ‘Kuruso’. The pastry usually contains a red paste for filling, which is made from</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">sweetened ‘azuki’ beans (red beans). Nonetheless, you shall find a range of fillings available,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">including sweet potato, chocolate, cheese, and custard. The presentation of Taiyaki is adorable,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">and that makes it irresistible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>6. Tako Tamago</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tako Tamago is one of Japan’s utterly bizarre street foods. You might think twice before trying</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">it, but you won’t stop at one after you do. It is a glazed mini octopus stuffed with a quail egg</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">and then impaled on a skewer. This peculiar looking snack has a lot going on with a chewy</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">exterior, soft center, giving sweet and savory hints at the same time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>7. Tomorokoshi</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’ve all had and loved a good corn on the cob, and Tomorokoshi is the Japanese version. It</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">may not be classified as a strange food, but it is still worth mentioning. The grilled corn is</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">typically seasoned with butter and soy sauce, which gives it a distinctive flavor. It is a simple </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">street food that is popular all over the country during summers. You will like it better than any</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">other corn on the cob you’ve had your entire life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>8. Yakisoba</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yakisoba is a dish of fried noodles that is similar to the Chinese chowmein. It is traditionally</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">made with soba noodles that are prepared from buckwheat, but many street vendors use</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">ramen noodles that are made of wheat flour. The dish includes a variety of stir fried</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">vegetables and shredded meat (usually pork). It is topped with a special Yakisoba sauce that</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">is a close relative of Worcestershire sauce.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>9. Kakigori</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kakigori is a summer classic all over Japan, and you will find several variations of it all over</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kyoto. It is made of ice shavings flavored with sweet syrups, and may look a lot like a snow</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">cone. However, the texture of ice is much fluffier and the dessert is always consumed with a</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">spoon. You can find Kakiglri with numerous kinds of toppings, and condensed milk is</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">frequently added to the mix.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>10. Amazake</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enough of eatables, so let us end this list with something to drink. Amazake is a specialty drink</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">of Kyoto and perfect for the chilly winters; it is a sweet sake drink that is served hot. It is made</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">from fermented rice, so it is either low alcohol or alcohol free. It has a thick consistency, which</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">resembles a lot to rice pudding.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Author Bio</u></b></span></h3><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">John Adams loves to travel and experience the different cultures of the world. He regularly</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">blogs about his personal experiences and encourages readers to go on adventures. He has</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">contributed on various online platforms focusing on tourism and lifestyle. When he is not</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">travelling, his writing is focused on physiological traumas and personal healing. He encourages</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">readers to fight their fears and overcome the obstacles holding them back. He believes that any</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">person can improve the quality of his or her life by incorporating positivity in every thought and</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">action.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0