Shopping in Seoul, a run at the river and a trip to Greece.

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

Not even a week in and already December has proved to be an interesting month.  This past weekend Mara, Bryan and I ventured up to Seoul to take part in the 7^th People’s Health Marathon. Both recovering from injuries we only signed up for the 5km race but being my first organised run, it was still such a great experience.  After arriving in Seoul around 1am and getting settled in at our friend Warren’s (who was kind enough to host us) and getting a couple of hours sleep, we woke up to a sunny sky, ate a quick Paris Baguette breakfast and headed out to the Race. All the tents were set up at a big square right along the Han River and the atmosphere was electric when we arrived. We were greeted by the Seoul Flyers running club tent (who we registered for the race through) and picked up our race gifts (a big plus when entering races in Korea – the gifts are plentiful!) Bryan got a full training tracksuit, hat and gloves for the full rate and for the half rate Mara and I scored a fleece hat, neck warmer and 2 pairs of gloves.  All the runners for the half marathon, 10k and 5k got together in front of the starting line about 20 minutes before the kick off and had a mass stretching session with an announcer to some entertaining Kpop and then the countdown began and off we went.  We ran right along the river and it was just so much fun. The group comradery in events like these is just so effortless – everyone cheering each other along, supporters along the way yelling “FIGHTING” and even race cyclists riding alongside the runners to keep them motivated.  Bryan and I synced our ipods to play Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard light” as our race opener and with the sun shining brightly we had lift off. At the half way point after a very strong first 2.5km, we turned around to come back along the river and didn’t realise how strong the wind was. The icy chill was quite a shock to my system and Bryan did some great motivating by yelling “WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION?”  to get me to yell back – “I AM A SPARTAN! SPARTANS DON’T QUIT!” – A line he has used on the hardest part of the mountain with me many times.  Getting to the finish line and seeing our time to be 29 minutes was glorious. I don’t know what I was expecting since because of my injury, I haven’t run for over a month but it was a really positive day and result in all ways. My leg felt good (though the next morning was a different story) and it just felt SO brilliant to be back out on the road.

Bryan's new tracksuit

Gwangju Running Club - Represent!

We spent the late afternoon recouperating at Warrens and then went out into Gangnam to get some dinner. MEXICAN FOOD at Dos Tacos was just what the doctor ordered – an avocado Burrito with Guacamole, Chips and Salsa and a Margerita. Mmmmm! 

We went back to Warren and Jo’s and played some really fun drinking games and then decided to catch the subway to Hongdae – a popular university Area of Seoul  full of bars, clubs and my personal favourite – a street cocktail bar (where your Long Island Iced Tea comes take out in an IV bag.) Around ¾ of the way there on the subway, the train simply stopped and we all had to get off as it was time to close. It took us 45 minutes after that to find a taxi because there were so many people trying to do the same thing and by the time we eventually made it through the traffic and into Hongdae to meet up with our other friends, it was 1am and most of the drinks had worn off. There was an HIV Benefit fundraiser called ‘Rubber soul’ being held at 6 of the clubs in the area and it so happened that a Korean Punk Band that Jo really likes was playing at one of them. I really wanted to go to support the cause too because it actually benefited HIV Causes in South Africa. We paid our entrance fees and got Zulu Beaded Doll key rings which were made at the Hillcrest HIV centre which is really close to Durban. So from that perspective, it was pretty close to my heart.  We went inside the club and the band were amazing but the venue was very crowded and had so little ventilation that my eyes were watering from all the smoke. Luckily Bryan was feeling the same so we decided to go and find another bar until our friends were finished with the concert.  I had also completely forgotten what it was like to party in Seoul sans a big group or event (like a Feed the Boats show) and it really is a completely different scene.  People are not as welcoming and open as they are in Gwangju and it is also just so busy and intense that I wasn’t really prepared for it. Around 3am, I had had enough and luckily so had my other partners in crime. We decided to ziggle to the food stands for some street kebabs and Pad Thai and then catch a taxi home where we had a few beers and then fell into a comfortable sleep. Bryan had to wake up ridiculously early to catch a bus to Gwangju to make it back in time for his play practice but Mara and I slept in until about 11am, got dressed in comfortable clothes – running shoes and hoodies and then caught the subway to Myeong Dong to get into some winter shopping. Although it was freezing at first without coats on (we didn't want the inconvenience of having to carry them or deal with them when constantly trying on clothes), a soy latte did the trick and warmed us up nicely whilst we wandered round the streets for a while before getting into some serious retail therapy.

Trying to keep warm in Myeong Dong.

We spent about 3 hours in the giant forever 21 trying on all sorts of clothes and shoes and after we had managed to cut down our choices and fit in with our reasonably generous budgets we hopped back on the subway Itaewon or should I say GREECE bound.  Santorini was sweetly calling our names and we settled into comfortable chairs in the cosy 2^nd floor restaurant in the heart of the foreigner district of Seoul. The food was sensational – if we were in Greece, I imagine it is exactly how it would have tasted.  So, let me take you on a photo tour through our delicious meal of Giros and potatoes, tzaziki, Greek Salad, Hummus and Pita topped off with a glass of red wine.  Perfection: 

Step 1 - Hummus.
Step 2- Salad.
Step 3 - Meat.
Step 4 - Tzaziki.
Step 5 - Take a Giant Bite.
Step 6 - Taste the goodness and Smile.

Where'd it all go???

Our weekend in Seoul was awesome and the trip to Santorini was the perfect way to end it off.  The weather is really turning chilly and so all our new winter purchases will really come to good use soon enough. Physical Therapy is over this week and hopefully my leg or ‘pelvis’ won’t be giving me any more grief. Christmas plans are being formulated and then soon after that it will be back to summery South Africa for 3 weeks of family, sun and delicious food. La Vita e Bella.

Winter is coming.

Preparing for Winter: Gillian and my new couple set hoodies. Absolutely Turning Korean.

The temperatures are dropping at an alarming rate (well at least for me) and that for one means that I am going to have to start frequenting the shopping streets to get my winter wardrobe up and running. Having been in summer for the past 18 months has resulted in a cupboard overflowing with brightly coloured dresses, bikinis, skirts, shorts and t-shirts with absolutely no sign of the ever so necessary pants, jeans, jerseys, scarves, beanies or even closed shoes.  

Halloween was coming up and my friend Chelin and I (both being tropical people) decided that it would be a good idea to dress in a costume that was both warm and comfortable aaaaand that we would be able to wear again. Walking downtown one chilly autumn evening I noticed racks and racks of fluffy, fleecy pajama sets and somehow in my head began singing "Bananas in Pajamas are coming down the stairs...." whilst rubbing my face up against the soft fabrics. **Light Bulb** I immediately got Chelin on the phone and our costume was decided. We were going to bring B1 and B2 to life and get a pair of warm, fleece pajamas to get us through winter at the same time. We found ourselves some adorable matching Pajama sets and matching slippers that looked like sneakers which completed half of our outfit. The next step was creating banana heads and this was going to be far more challenging. The night before the Halloween Festivities downtown 4 of us gathered in my Damyang apartment to eat a feast of good food (lately it seems my obsession has been recipe searching and then bringing them to life) and costume making.

Sweet Potato/Peanut Bisque.

FEAST: Guacamole, homemade basil pesto, homemade salsa, french loaf, sweet potato/peanut soup and of course RED WINE.

Once we had enough wine and food in our systems, the construction began. We formed the base of the bananas by moulding wire coat hangers.

Then we covered the coathangers with yellow felt and glue gunned it together, topping it off with a folded brown tip. Put the head together with yellow face paint , our matching Pajamas, slippers and of course our banana personalities..it turned out quite sensationally...

Bananas in Pajamas!

B1 and B2 come to life.

Halloween out on the town was an absolute blast. Particularly funny becasue in Korea (much like at home) Halloween isn't really celebrated, only among the foreigner community. Speakeasy (the local foreigner bar) held a massive extravaganza and Feed the Boats were the star performers dressed as Pirates. As if being a foreigner in Korea isn't already enough of a spectacle..imagine now being dressed in outraegous outfits. And boy, does it get ridiculous. Among the many interesting characters - there was a Dead, Zombie Hitler, a caricatured Kim Jung Il (which my friend Jolean handmade and was by far the best costume of the evening), a robocop, a Mister Potato Head, a flood of Zombies, a Kung Fu Panda and Gillian even managed to create a 'Bermuda Triangle.' I was particularly impressed by how the Koreans took to the costume of Kim Jung Il. They were flocking to take pictures of the brilliantly created mockery version of the Korean Dictator. It was great to see their sense of humor and appreciating the costume for what it was. I can see how it would be very easy to look at that costume and many others in the wrong way and possibly take some of the more controversial costumes as being offensive and/or disrespectful but it was just Halloween. Nobody was out to antagonize or horrify anyone, it was just a night of fun and games and a fantastic one at that.

Gillian, being Jewish, thought it was great  to "Kill" Hitler.

Kim Jung Il.

Me, but with Glasses (and this sign.)

Hilarious array of characters.

 

Sometime on a Sunday in October a few friends and I also entered a team into a Scavenger Hunt that was put together by the Gwangju International Centre held at the annual Kimchi Festival. It was an awesome opportunity to have some fun and to explore the festival which is one of Gwangju's biggest events. We arrived to register around midday and hung around watching a beyond adorable and actually rather brilliant child rock band. Of course Chelin and I were dancing a little wildly and ended up having a camera being stationed right in front of us and every so often being paraded across the big screen. We began the 2 hour hunt around 3pm and tried to get going on the long list of clues ahead. The idea was to find things around the festival by following the clues on the list and taking pictures of them. We added one very important task to the end of our list and that was 'Have fun.' Well we didn't tick off too many of the actual clues (mainly because we got much too easily distracted by the many activities at the festival like getting glitter tattoos, face painting, amusement rides and getting to make our own kimchi) but the 'Have fun' task on our list was ticked off about 20 times by the time we had to go back to the meeting spot and have our pictures counted. We got some delicious food and some free Makgoli and of course a free tshirt. Absolutely happy with that. As a team, we decided after the hunt to head downtown to Speakeasy for some drinks to end off the weekend. This resulted in well, you can only imagine.An excellent way to spend a Sunday.

Here are some pictures from the glorious day courtesy of Dan Hendricson -

Number 62 - HAVE FUN!

Making our own Kimchi.

...and after draining the Jagermeister machine at Speaks.

 What I thought were shin splints has turned out to be a dislocated/shifted pelvis and that is being taken care of with daily Physical Therapy which will hopefully have me good as new in a week or two, just in time for a race in Seoul. I had to miss out on the Damyang 10k because of the injury. My friends Mara and Bryan and I are going up to Seoul for the Race on December 4th and are also going to use the trip as an opportunity to do some Winter Shopping and to eat some goooood food. School has been going well, the students have their exams next week and then they go on Vacation until March, lucky for me! My job really is the best job in the world.

We are going to Road Trip down to Daegu in a few weeks for a Feed the Boats show and then it will be time for Christmas. A few of us are going to have a giant sleepover/cookoff in my apartment in Damyang to celebrate the holiday no doubt with some silly drinking games and cuddle sessions.Soon we are going to see the white balls dropping from the sky which is always a rivetting experience for me being from a place where temperatures below 15 degrees are unheard of. It is the only part of Winter that I actually enjoy, it's impossible not too - it's just so pretty!

So I guess, that's it for now.

Sorry it has taken me so long to put this all in writing but I hope you enjoyed reading it anyhow...

See ya sooon

Lots of love,

Katie

Globally Gathered.

A group of us journeyed to Seoul by train early on Saturday morning for a massive outdoor DJ festival called Global Gathering. 900 minutes of music, 900 minutes of chaos. DJs from all over the world come to strut their stuff on 6 different stages to thousands of wild party shufflers. We cracked open our first beers of the day around 10:30am and 3 hours later pulled into Seoul Station. First order of business: Lunch. A big lunch. and by big I mean a Churrascaria or a Brasillian steak buffet complete with giant Caiprinhas and Portuguese speaking waiters. I was a happy girl. Stumbling up the stairs and into the afternoon sun at 4pm into the open arms of my first bottle of soju was the sign that it was time to get my dance on. A few taxis later, we arrived at the venue - a huge outdoor park with stages, tents and drink stations set up everywhere. And that's how it went for the next 12 hours. We also managed to get hold of a box of face paint (which we accidentally forgot to return to the kind people who lent it to us - sincere apologies) which aided effortlessly in the "let's look as outrageous as possible" campaign. Ryan and I resumed our mudfest buddy system and we did sensationally well - this was assisted by attaching lanyards to our jeans and then attaching the lanyards to each other which assured that we would not lose each other in the masses. We made it until about 4am when we decided to take a taxi to Hongdae to resume the festivities and find the Taco Bell for some late night snacking.However, after a pitiful 5 minute unsuccessful search for the Mexican food fiesta we decided to make our way back to the bus terminal and find a jimjilbang (a 24 hour Korean bath house) where we could nap for a few hours before hopping on a bus back to Gwangju. It is safe (or maybe not) to say that Global Gathering very nearly defeated me, it took a full two days to recover, however that is not to say it wasn't completely worth it and a fantastic way to officially call an end to a summer of unforgettable momentos.

Eating our way through Singapore and Malaysia.

China Town, Singapore

Singapore, what a glorious surprise. To be honest, of all the countries in the South East Asian peninsula Singapore wasn't really on the top of my list of places to see. This is probably because I really didn't know anything about it - other than that it was a city and a country in one. Within 10 minutes of landing in Singapore I could tell it was going to be a great experience. Just standing on the subway on our way into the city from the airport we were surrounded by people of too many different ethnicities to count, a welcome change from the homogenous setting in Korea. It was wonderful to suddenly be able to hear multiple different languages being murmured around us as well as discovering that Singapore's first language is actually English which would help us tremendously in finding our way around.The subway system was easy as pie to use and a mere 30 minutes later we emerged onto the brightly lit streets of China Town. We found our hostel with the unrequested yet appreciated help from a group of Russian guys, dumped our bags on our bunks and went out in search of our first meal and a cold tiger beer. A plate of Satays and Wontons and 6 beers later we decided to check out the 'kareoke' bar underneath our hostel. Although the place was maybe the weirdest, eeriest bar I have ever been in - we thankfully managed to score a couple of free welcome drinks (after realizing that tequila shots were going to cost $12 a pop) and made friends with an adorable Indian girl called J who insisted on a kareoke performance. We snuck out the bar soon afterwards and crawled into bed in our dorm WITH AIR CONDITIONER. ( We have been living through the hottest part of summer SANS air conditioner so when I say it was a treat worth mentioning - it really was!)

Sentosa Beach

So much Indian Food

Ganesh

We slept in a little and then it was on with bikinis and TO the beach. Sentosa is a 'resort island' just off Singapore which has some lovely beaches (even though they are exceptionally touristy.) We drank some fresh fruit smoothies and walked along the boardwalk snapping shots and then caught a bus to the beach. It was gorgeous and the weather was great. We did a triple combination of lay, tan and swim for most of the afternoon mixed in with some great burgers and cocktails at the BORA BORA beach cafe. We had to get back to the subway via a large shopping mall which came with a Forever 21 and supermarket with the best fresh food in the world so naturally, even in our sandy state, we bought a couple of cute dresses and devoured a bag of baby carrots and a big tub of delicious ready made guacamole as well as adding Salt and Vinegar chips and baby bell cheese to the shopping cart. We made a stopover in Little India for some dinner which was incredible. It actually felt like I was in India. Ganesh statues everywhere, loads of illegal liquor stores, scarves and saris, street stalls selling Pakoras, breyani, curries and Kingfisher beers and televisions showing Bollywood Dramas. We got a little carried away and ended up with a tray heaped with every kind of food which though delectable, was way too much to finish. After swigging down a Kingfisher strong, we needed to lay in a food coma. We relaxed in the pleasurable hostel airconditioning for a couple of hours laughing hysterically at the thought of going back to living without it while we waited for SARAH to arrive and as soon as she made it, 'we hit the town' - well as much of the town that could be hit taking into account the very expensive drinks and our tight budget.

Falafel Salad

Strawberry Margerita

That was one thing about Singapore that was unavoidable - the alcohol was Startlingly expensive. We managed to find ourselves a hookah bar in Clarke Quay where we drank a few margeritas and then when wandering to the bathroom Gillian and I discovered the road of dreams. A COVERED walkway lined with "express" restaurants. We almost melted when we saw the falafel stand. FALAFEL SALAD covered in yes, HUMMUS! I almost collapsed on the spot. It was mouth wateringly delicious. So delicious in fact, that we decided our night had reached the pinnacle and we wanted to go home.

Picnic!

We arose at a reasonable hour and went straight back to the beach. This time stopping in at the supermarket to pick up all the necessary ingredients for a picnic. Wholewheat wraps, chicken, cheese, guacamole x 3, carrots, spinach, tostitos AND fresh AVOCADOS...mmmmm!  What a perfect day - and finally our tans are starting to blossom. We explored the island a little and spent most of the day in the sea. On the way back into Singapore through the mall, we got a box of fresh sushi and more guacamole. (When I say we ate our way through Singapore, I really mean it.) We got ourselves together at the hostel and then headed into Clarke Quay for the last day of the Singapore SPICY FOOD FESTIVAL (Ummmm, really?) The food was delicious - hundreds of stalls with every kind of food you can imagine. After sitting at the lake for a while and coming out of our food coma we decided to take the subway to the zoo for a 'night safari.' I won't lie I was a little sceptical (being from a place where we can go on actual safaris with wild animals.) but it was an entertaining ride. We were able to get off the vehicle and walk to the enclosures, I can't say it wasn't rather creepy to be out in the 'jungle' at night especially as the glass windows seemed to disappear in the lack of lighting. We also got to see some baby elephants which are the cutest animals on the planet so that was worth it.

Though it was really weird to just SEE the animals sitting there waiting for us. We also accidentally took the wrong trail and ended up walking for about 3/4 of the trail that we were supposed to go on in the cart. By the time we walked out of the night safari and climbed into a taxi we were all so exhausted that we basically crawled into bed and passed out.

China Town, KL.

We woke up reasonably early and went in search of a dim sum breakfast before we had to check out and catch ourselves a bus to Kuala Lumpur. The bus to KL took a little over 5 hours including the 2 brief stopovers at immigration. After checking in to our hostel (which seriously is the best hostel I have ever stayed in) which was located nowhere other than China Town. We took a walk out to the main market street and eventually settled at a street style restaurant for dinner. We were starving and ordered EVERYTHING we could lay our eyes on: Sweet and Sour Pork, Lemon chicken, Asparagas and mushrooms, fried rice, spring rolls and Chow Mein all to be washed down with a bucket full of Tiger Beers. What more could we ask for? It was sensational. We spent the evening people watching and enjoying the food and trudged back to our hostel to get in some good sleep before our big day visiting the elephant sanctuary. 

The day started with breakfast and coffee at the hostel and then we hopped on a bus. We made a quick UNEXPECTED stopover at a place called deerland where we got to feed some deer - random?, hug a sloth bear - cuddly! and wrap a python around our shoulders - involuntary shiver.  We had lunch and then motored on to the elephants. We arrived and were shown a video of how the elephants are moved from places where their habitats are being destroyed to safer spots on islands nearby and the like. Absolutely traumatic to be honest, the poor creatures. Eventually we were allowed to walk down to the feeding ground and feed the elephants some fresh fruit. We then went on a little spin riding the elephant (when i say a spin - not even 5 minutes) and then we went in the water with them. Although it was kind of cool to be up close and personal with these beautiful animals, I can't say I wasn't disappointed as I really was expecting more of a wild experience with the elephants. I assumed we would be going trekking in a small group and then getting to spend a fair amount of time in the water with them. I guess we just picked the wrong place because this one was just a tourist hubbub with people EVERYWHERE.

We hopped back on the bus all wet a few hours later and on the way back into KL had a stopover at the 'Batu caves.' There is a temple in a cave at the top of a giant staircase where monkeys are supposed to roam free. There were a couple of funny monkeys but most of them had retreated for the evening. We did receive a blessing and a wish bracelet from who I think was a buddhist monk, took some pictures, played with some monkeys and got back on the bus.

We all got showered and dressed back at the hostel and then took a casual walk to a recommended Malayan restaurant called Bijan. The atmosphere was lovely, the food was great (once again there was soooooo much of it) and the cocktails flowed (especially since in comparison to Singapore - these drinks were cheap as anything.) After we were nice and buzzed we took a walk down a road with rows of bars on either side and settled for an irish pub where there were buy-one-get-one-free mojitos on offer. Safe to say that after 12 of those and a couple of tequila shots and a couple of hours dancing, I was more than ready to get home to my bed. But a great time exploring KL's night life.

The next morning we got up and went in search of a Subway (I was in desperate need of a Tuna Sub and a bottomless coca cola) Instead we found possibly the best coffee shop known to mankind which provided us with coffee, coca cola, chicken, cheese and guacamole wholewheat sandwiches AND real, delicious, leafy caesar salads. It was the perfect hangover cure and set us on a positive route to finding a bus to take us to Malacca. A few hours later we pulled into Melaka after a perfect nap on the bus.

Malacca

 Malacca is a small, cultural heritage town in South Malaysia. It is quiet and relaxed and ideal for a few days of chill time. We checked into Jalan Jalan guest house - the most relaxing hostel in the world also 'surprisingly' located in the China Town district and went exploring. The town is a photographers dream - full of interesting things to see, hidden in all unexpected places of the city.

PESTO PASTA - HELLO???

We did some shopping and then found ourselves sipping on red wine and pouring over the extensive menu at the streetside 'Geographers cafe.' Gillian and I shared a plate of BASIL PESTO PASTA, Fish and chips and Vietnamese spring rolls. It was heaven. After a couple of hours of chilling and chatting, making new friends with a multi talented traveler from Sweden, we decided to take a little walk around town at night. We obviously did a loop of the town becasue about 45 minutes later we realised we were right back at the Geographer's cafe. Another bottle of wine you say? Well I guess I could oblige. Once we were the last people still standing, we decided that we should just call it a night. However on the walk home (granted we were in the middle of the street) a car pulled up next to us, a man yelling "hey, why are you walking in the middle of the street at this time..." Before we could respond, he quickly added "you should be drinking with me..get in." And just like that we climbed in the back of the car and drove to a 24 hour street Dim Sum shop, with plastic chairs and tables all laid out and ready for us. After a few beers, we politely declined the man's invitation to go and dance to some R&B and pick up some ladies and decided to stroll back home for a hot outdoor shower and some sweet dreaming.

Malacca Fort

We wandered around the town square the next morning, taking lots of pictures and then decided to take a taxi out to the beach for the afternoon. The beach was nothing special but it was deserted and the sun was out in force. Only after about 2 hours of laying did we notice that we had been suntanning in our bikinis in front of a mosque. No wonder it was deserted. Oops. We came back into Malacca in the late afternoon and snacked on some traditional chicken and rice balls. We chilled out in the hostel for a few hours, danced a little to some folk songs, napped, laughed - the usual and then got all dolled up in our new dresses for dinner and wine back at the Geographers cafe. After about an hour of scrumptious food (calamari, spring rolls, pesto pasta, fish and chips and red wine) and listening and singing along to an acoustic set we realized how exhausted we were and settled on going back to bed.

DIM SUM BREAKFAST

Early the next day we snuck out for another Dim Sum breakfast - this time a lot more affordable than the one we found in Singapore, peaced out of Jalan Jalan and got on a bus back to Singapore. After finally getting into China Town and finding an overpriced hotel after all the hostels were booked up - we set out in search of dinner. A Thai street cafe won our vote and boy did it do the trick. Prawn Tom Khai Gai coconut soup, Green Curry, Pad Thai, Jasmine Rice and Spring Rolls washed down with a few too many Singha Beers - we couldn't have asked for a better technically 'last dinner.'   The Thai ladies were also adorable ( one of them was called Candy and was ecstatic when Gillian showed her Candy tattoo!) and the food was so authentic, I felt as though I was actually in Thailand. Singapore really was incredible in that regard - not only could you find anything you wanted from any country - there were about 20 different restaurants serving food from all over the world on any one block at any one time. Needless to say, we were thrilled. We decided to head out to Clarke Quay for some more drinks to celebrate our fantastic holiday but after a few puffs of hookah and some $20 margeritas - we were ready to pounce on a falafel salad covered in hummus and go home to bed.

Sun kissed

We awoke nice and early so that we could get to the beach and make the most of our last full day. We zoomed through the mall, ate a sushi breakfast on the run and picked up all the necessities for another picnic. We frolicked in the sea and added the finnishing touches to our tans, drank some fruity cocktails, ate some satays at the free beach barbecue and then trudged back to the mall to pick up some last supplies before heading to the airport accompanied by a Subway Sandwich.

Last Day on the Beach :(

Our holiday was so relaxing, the perfect break from the busy times in Korea. None of us really had a definite plan so we just kind of went with the flow and it worked out great. Both countries were an exciting adventure and of course the food in both made us melt. The ideal vacation: Beach, Sun, Sea, Guacamole....

The rest of summer coming soon....

Lots of love ...
Katie