Travel Guide: City of León

This is a great place for those who want to be alone, to meditate, to think about life and to know more of you, because it is very quiet and less tourist are coming. If you are thinking that the place is not good, you are wrong, because León is a very wonderful place. The León is located in the Northwest of Nicaragua. This place is more than just a city, because of its history, delicious food, outdoor activities, volcanoes, and nearby beaches. This is a great place that most of the travelers are missing. The city is named after León, Spain. After Nicaragua was granted independence in the 1800s from Spain, the elites of León and Granada struggled over which city would become the capital (eventually Managua was picked). León is also famous as the university town and home of many colonial churches. Here are the top things and places that you should do and visit in León:

·         See the churches. León is home of many colonial churches, each of these churches has a unique identity. It is a perfect place to celebrate your Lenten Season. Even if you are not religious or fan or architectures, you will surely appreciate its beauty and history. These are the most beautiful and historic one Catedral de León, Iglesia El Calvario, Iglesia La Recolección, and Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Subtiava.

·         Enjoy the Beach. There are a lot of beach around León. A short bus ride from the city, you’ll find beautiful beaches, warm water, and people in the surf. The surf isn’t as enjoyable as in the southern part of the country, but if you’re looking to relax and cool off in the dry heat of the region, these beaches check all the right boxes. Playa Poneloya is the most popular beach.

·         Visit the Museum of Revolution. The León isn’t a place for enjoyment; it is also a good place for learning. León has a very wonderful and interesting history. This museum in the old mayor’s residence is dedicated to the Sandinistas and their fight against “the man”. The museum is only a two room; you can get a personal guide to explain more of its history. This is one of the best activities in the place, because of great personal guide that provides wonderful information about the place.

·         Try the volcano boarding down Cerro Negro. This is one of most exciting activity in León, as you see people who are wearing shirts with prints saying “I went volcano boarding”, they are the one who experience this activity. It is a great experience to slide down of the active volcano in just a piece of wood. If you are brave enough to slide down, then it’s for you, but if not you can do hiking in this active volcano. Trips leave multiple times per day and last a few hours. Bigfoot Tours and Quetzaltrekkers are the two biggest operators.

·         Wander the markets. One of the biggest markets in León is found near the cathedral. The market is full of people, but it is very fun. You can find everything there: grocers, street food vendors, toys, kitschy souvenirs, and everything in between. Moreover, you’ll find delicious soups, BBQ meat sticks, and other local fare. It is a great place to be full with awesome and delicious food and to know and experience more the culture of this city.

·         Take in the art. León is for every type of traveler. For those who are fan of art and galleries, it is also for them. There are a lot of art galleries in the city, Museo de Arte Fundación Ortiz-Gurdián ($2 USD) being the biggest. Housed in two buildings, it features a collection of old religious art as well as modern Nicaraguan artists. It takes a few hours to explore, and both buildings have lovely courtyard gardens to relax in. There are more beautiful sceneries and wonderful art galleries in the city that also features its life and culture of the people.

·         Hike some volcanoes. For those travelers who love hiking and extreme activities, León is for you also. One of the main reasons why travelers León are to hike in nearby volcanoes. The León is near the volcanic range, where a hiker can choose what type of hiking him or she wants. Take note that some of these volcanoes are active. The most popular hikes are: Cerro Negro (volcano boarding), Telica (where you go for sunset hikes — see above photo!), San Cristóbal (the longest and hardest).

·         Visit “old” León. The León Viejo or the León now, is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nicaragua. If you want to experience and feel the Old León, then you must visit this place. It is one of the oldest Spanish colonial settlements in the Americas. While this isn’t some lavish ruin site, it’s really the only place to see and learn about the country’s founding colonial past.

Enjoy the food scene. Another reason why León is a perfect destination is its food scene. While you are never in short supply of local Gallo pinto, I branched out to eat a lot of Western food (there is only so much rice and beans one can eat). León has many great foods to offer that you will love and eat again and again. The best foods of León are usually found in the outdoor markets. There are a lot of food stalls, serves local foods. Take note this meals aren’t expensive and they are worth it. León is really great place for any type of traveller. It is a great place to be alone, because there are only few travelers are coming here. Everything is great in this place from the water to the land and volcanoes, to the food and markets, to the people and its history, there is no bad thing that you can say about this place. Make sure to include this place on your bucket list, and remember to help its people to maintain its beauty and cleanliness.

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Travel Advices from Traveling Couples

 

Having a solo time with your partner is a very important matter in a relationship. You can have date; go on out of town of out of country trip. Why? There is a lot of reason why traveling or having a solo time is important. Below are the best travel advices for couples who are traveling:

·         Keeping the relationship spark alive on the road. This is a great way to keep spark in your relationship. Traveling with your partner makes is a great time for you and your partner reminisce all the good things you have. Sometimes it happen that we almost forgot to spend time with each other. Traveling is the best way to keep the spark alive. There are a lot of things that you can do and enjoy while traveling with your partner. For example, you can enjoy the different tourists’ spots, have a date of most wonderful restaurants that serves world class dishes, try extreme activities, party all night in the bar, and drink coffee or wine. Those are the few things that you can do that will help you maintain the sparks in your relationship.

·         Dividing up travel responsibilities. There are many tasks to perform when you travel. Questions constantly need to be answered: Where are you going to stay? What visas do you need? What currency is accepted? Splitting up these tasks early on can make traveling with your partner far easier and much less stressful than a disorganized approach, giving you time to focus on what’s important. Each one of you should have the role and before traveling or going anywhere, make sure that all are ready so that there would be no more hassles on the road. You should have equal responsibility, in that way both parties have done their job to make your trip perfect and memorable.

·         Coping with fights on the road. There are a lot of reasons why couples usually having fight while on the road, because there is misunderstanding. What are those misunderstanding? Sometimes your partner doesn’t want to do that, or one of you doesn’t want to eat in that place, or many hassles are on your way. One of the answers to solve this problem is to have a plan that you both agreed. If you have differences, in making your decision where to go or what to do make sure that you consider both parties. The best way to have a good relationship is for each other to get into your partner wants and likes. While there is no secret to a successful relationship, these couples share the wisdom and insight they earned from months or years of traveling together.

·         The Importance of personal time. Life on the road is different from life back home. Regular routines or structure are things of the past. You have to work, communicate, and solve problems together while navigating new surroundings frequently. While Ant and I do most things together, we have days when we need our own space. Sometimes we just need to do our own thing, whether sitting on the beach with our iPod or off doing a hike alone. Taking time away from your partner and doing what you want for you give you time to relax and recharge, which only helps your relationship. You’ve done your own thing, so now you can be ready to listen, compromise, and be a loving partner with even more confidence.

·         The joy of traveling as a couple. Traveling as a couple gives a satisfaction and happiness to both parties. Traveling as a couple is unlike anything else. You’re not alone, nor are you just traveling with some friends. It’s more than that. You’re traveling as a unit, and as such you get to share all your experiences (the ups and the downs) with someone else. It can be a challenge, but ultimately it is a source of constant joy. Traveling with your partner is also a way for you to have time and enjoy every single moment with your partner. Travelling should be a way for you to maintain your honeymoon stage doesn’t lose.

There are a lot of reasons why you should travel with your partner. As you travel you and your partner will learn new good things and you can also have a good time to know more of your partner. You should always make time to have bond with your partner. In that way you can maintain the spark in your relationship.

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Travel Advice: Seattle

Whenever people and travelers heard Seattle, there are three things come to our mind: Starbucks, music and hippies. Most of the locals and travelers really love drinking coffee, while listening to music. This popular city is the city of nightlife, a liberal and alternative city, but this is also a city of fun and exciting things. Whenever we heard the city of Seattle, one of the best adjective to describe it is cool. The life here and the daily routines is superb. There are a lot of things to do and enjoy, especially their food. Here are the travel guides whenever you decided to visit the beautiful city of Seattle:

·         Pike Place Market. This is one of the major things to do in Seattle. There are a lot stuffs that you can buy and enjoy in the market. The stores open early, and you’ll find people selling all sorts of fish, produce, food, jams, flowers, and gifts. This is one the busiest place in Seattle, and many people are visiting this place, so expect a large crowd. If you want to buy some food, make sure that you are ready to pay more, buy it is very worth it. Don’t forget to see the famous fish throwers. It’s fun to watch!

·         Woodland Park Zoo. This zoo is very huge place for you, your family and most especially for the kids. The zoo is 65 acres, has more than 1,000 animals from 290 species. Half day or the whole day is good enough to enjoy and meet every single animal in the zoo. This zoo does a nice job of treating the animals better and providing detailed educational information to visitors. Whenever you are with your children, make sure you bring them here and if not its fine for you to be alone, because animals are for everyone.

·         Mount Rainier National Park. There are hundreds of miles of hiking at this national park, located about 90 miles from the city. This national park offers great view and happiness whoever tried to hike in this place. The best time to visit here is the summer, but fall is something not to be missed. Every national park is a must visit, and whether you like hiking or not, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity.

·         Space Needle. Probably the city’s best-known landmark, the Space Needle offers breathtaking views of the city and surrounding mountains from the top. The elevators travel at 800 feet per minute, which is as fast as a raindrop falls to earth. There’s also a rotating restaurant at the top, offering the same beautiful and panoramic view. For those who love updating their feeds, this is an Instagram worthy place.

·         Seattle Art Museum Downtown. Art is also very famous in Seattle. There are a lot of art exhibits around the city that offers great modern arts. Some of art exhibits there is the great art of Picasso, Rembrandt and many more. The best time to visit this museum is at night, because it offers free drinks and live music that you will love and enjoy. It is the best place to spend your night.

·         Ballard Locks. Many tourist and people are coming here to witness the beautiful parade of boats. The lock has a link for boats in Puget Sound and Ship Canal. It is very exciting to try and view its wonderful parade. The fish ladder is a must try activity, which allows salmon to pass between the fresh and saltwater. There are glass panels below the water line to watch the fish as they swim upstream. It’s pretty cool.

·         Pioneer Square. This is the heart of Seattle; this is where you will find the history of the place. It is located near the Underground Tour, Pioneer Square. This place reminds the great and old Seattle, from the structure and to its design it is very amazing. The area has a certain old-time charm to it. And supposedly, the best coffee in town is at the nearby Zeitgeist coffee shop.

·         Boeing Museum of Flight. This is another great museum in Seattle, this is the best place for the travelers especially to those who want to fly airplane in the future. This is the great place to see the evolution of plane up to now. It is also the best place to see the original Boeing Factory. You can see an original Air Force One too. Keep in mind, this place is located south of the main part of the city.

·         Fremont Troll. Located under the north side of Aurora Bridge, this troll eating an original Volkswagen Beetle troll was commissioned as an art project by Fremont. Visitors are encouraged to climb on the troll and have fun.

Seattle is very great place to visit, its history, food, buildings, museums are amazing. Everything about this place is great and surely memorable. Seattle should be on the top of your list, it is very worth it.

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Top signs you are a backpacker

 

Being backpacker isn’t about packing a lot of stuffs and brings to some other place. Backpacker refers to those persons who unfortunately don’t have permanent address, because they love to travel in different places. It isn’t a bad thing, because some people used this to stay away from stress and be refreshing in life. Being backpacker is a privilege, because you all have the time, money and opportunity to enjoy and experience new things. Are you wondering if you are a backpacker or not? Here are the things that will answer your questions:

·         You don’t know what to write down when asked for your permanent address. This is because you are traveling to different places from time to time and you don’t permanently stay in a particular place.

·         You don’t know what to write down for occupation on the customs forms. Backpacking and Traveling is your occupation and profession. Your mission is to enjoy the world.

·         Pasta has been your main meal for months. Sometimes you mix it up by putting chicken in it. This is the basic of all countries around the world.

·         You wear the same shirt for a week. Because you are a backpacker, you don’t really have leisure of time to bring a lot of clothes and at the same time your budget is for traveling purposes.

·         You wear the same jeans for two weeks. Backpackers don’t really need to have different jean every time, what matters is what they enjoy.

·         You do your laundry in sinks. To save up some money, there are a lot of sinks around the world and use it as your washing machine.

·         Everything you own fits into one pack. Being a backpacker doesn’t really need to bring a lot of stuffs, because they usually walks in different places.

·         You make new friends everywhere — bus stops, ferries, train stations, airports.

·         You think nothing of sharing a room with the stranger you just met at one of those places.

·         Hot water is a luxury.

·         So is air conditioning.

·         You will sleep anywhere, as long as it is cheap. Being a backpacker requires you not be too choosy in your sleeping area. Backpackers sleep wherever they decided to stop traveling.

·         You have a warped sense of cost. Three dollars for a room? Great deal! Three dollars for a meal? Outrageous. Being wise while traveling will prolong your trip.

·         When you go back home, you find it weird that you can’t haggle over prices.

·         You can’t sleep without earplugs anymore, even if no one is snoring.

·         You haven’t slept in a room by yourself since you left home.

·         When asked what day it is, you can’t remember. Because you are focus on the sceneries and activities.

·         You ask people where they’re from before you ask them what their name is, and you remember them according to where they came from. This is the usual conversation of many backpackers, because they are looking for companions.

·         No matter where you go, the beer is never cheap enough.

·         You can say “cheers” in more languages than you’d like to admit.

·         You have learned to say beer in 10 languages. Beer is one of your most favorite drinks.

·         Your budget revolves around how much alcohol you can buy in one night.

·         You have permanent flip-flop tan lines on your feet. Travelers walk a lot with their flip-flop, because this is the most comfortable way to travel.

·         You find it odd to be surrounded by people who have the same accent as you.

·         You fill your pockets with many bread rolls and jam packets from the free breakfast as you can so you can eat lunch today.

·         You are pleasantly surprised when you find toilet paper in the bathroom.

·         You believe that a good shower constitutes running water.

·         You haven’t showered without flip-flops in months.

·         You plan your travel around getting free accommodation on a train, plane, or bus.

·         You spend your nights in airports to save money.

·         You know the nationality of everyone just by looking at their bags.

·         You see a television as a luxury and a waste of time.

·         You still think the three shirts you have been wearing for the past 6 months are fashionable.

·         You have fisherman’s pants.

·         You know what the words “visa run” entails, and how painful one can be.

·         You plan all your future trips around free accommodation from all the promises people made to you at hostels.

If you some of these traits, then I must say you are a backpacker. These traits and attitudes represent all the traits and attitude you will learn and have during you travel. Backpacker is a very exciting activity to do, because in every place that you decided to visit has something to learn and something great that can offer to you.

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The Saturday city: Austin

 

Austin is a very wonderful place in Texas. The beauty of this place is breath taking and once you get the opportunity to be here, make sure that you will do everything good that the place can offer to you. Austin, the state capital of Texas, is an island of blue in a sea of red. It’s a liberal city in a very conservative state. In Austin, you’ll find boutique food, bike lanes, alternative bars, hippies, openly gay people, food trucks, art, and culture. It’s a welcoming place where anyone who likes happy people, good food, and great music would find themselves at home. This is a great place that is full of surprises. Every year many tourist, bloggers, musicians and traveler come here to experience the most exciting music festival, the SXSW music festival. Here are the other things that you will enjoy and love in Austin:

·         Cathedral of Junk. Sounds disgusting, but what you were thinking is absolutely right. It is a cathedral of junks. It is real bunch of junk, but this is the real highlight of traveling in Austin. The cathedral was built by Vince Hannemann, who sits around while people hang out with his stuff. There’s a towers of TVs, bikes, old refrigerators, tires, hubcaps, and more. It is a great place for families. Talking to some locals, you will found out that a lot of people come here with their kids; many were running all over the place and having a merry time playing make-believe. Kids + junk + pretend = an easy afternoon.

·         Museum of the Weird. This museum located on 6th Street is a typical penny arcade featuring weird oddities like a two-headed chicken, a “fish man,” a mummy, and even a sideshow. This is really a weird place, but for you to enjoy this is you need to pay $5 and you can see alp the weird for as long as 20 minutes. The place is composed of really weird stuffs, but as you continue walking you will wonder if this things and creatures really exist. Remember from the name itself everything is weird.

·         Taste of Joy. If you are a fan of hot and spicy food, this is a great place for you. This place serves different spicy hot sauce. They offer free tastings for many of the sauces. If you want to go crazy, try all the sauces on the shelves aptly shaped like a coffin. They are for serious spicy addicts only.

·         Food Trucks. The locals of Austin aren’t big fan of high end restaurants but food trucks are life for them. There are a lot of food trucks crossing in every streets and top tourist spots. You can taste everything from the sandwiches, burgers, nachos, tacos and even Asian cuisines. This is the best place to be full in just a small amount of money. The South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery on S. 1st Street is really good. Definitely check that out.

·         Listen to the Music. Like the other cities and countries around the world, the locals of Texas particularly in Austin they are a big fan of music. Every year they are celebrating the biggest music festival in the country, the SXSW. There are a lot of bars in every streets, where you can enjoy the food, beers and most especially there music. The Austin is very famous of its music scene, and you can get lot opportunities to listen some of the world class music’s.

·         Visit Whole Foods. If you really out of budget, you want to cook something or you want to feel how to buy in their markets, then the Whole Foods is the best to try. Whole Foods, the nationwide chain, started in Austin and the flagship store is located here in the city. This particular store features a wine bar, smoothie bar, beer locker, roof terrace, giant salad bars, and seemingly endless supplies of vegetables, food, and in-store restaurants. It’s a food heaven, and it might be your happy place, too.

·         Watch the Bats of Congress. From mid-March until November, the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin is home to 1.5 million flying bats. Visit the waterfront at dusk to watch these beauties head out for their nightly foraging. If you are a big fan of bats, the plan your trip from mid-March to November. It is a great experience.

·         Get drunk on 6th Street. If you aren’t satisfy to the nightlife of locals and tourist in Austin, then you should head up in the 6th Street. It is a great place to meet people, locals, and friends. Most of the bars, restaurants, and food trucks are located. It is the best place to eat and try everything, to get drunk, to party and dance all night. It is like a Mardi-Gras atmosphere. You shouldn’t miss this place, and if you fall in love to this place, then its fine to come over every night.

·         Jump in to Barton Springs. It is the hidden water frontier in Austin, if you want to get wet this is the best place for you. Most of the days in the summer the Barton Springs is filled by many people, most especially families. It is great place to bond with the family, to do swimming and just to remove the heat in our body. If you are done enjoying the water, then you and your kids can play in the park. The Barton Springs is located in the Zilker Park.

Austin is really great place and must to visit. The Austin offers weird, fun and exciting activities. You can enjoy a lot of stuffs, the music festival, the Weird Museum, and the Cathedral of junk you shouldn’t miss that, it should be on the top of your list. The Austin is worth a try. Your time, money and patience is worth it. Its great place to unwind and get away from the stress that your works and cities brings to you.

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