Weekly Dose of Travel 4

My rendition of NYC goes something like this.....

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Weekly Dose of Travel 3

And you thought traffic in NYC was bad......

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Fish Spa

                         They're hungry for dead skin cells!!!!

                         Had to get my toes done for this special occasion. :)

                                Central Market, Kuala Lumpur

Most are interested in trying this when heading to Southeast Asia. The concept of fish nibbling at your feet to remove dead skin cells and to improve circulation, doesn't sound like a bad idea at first....but just wait till you put your feet in the water! I don't consider myself a ticklish person at all, but I couldn't keep my feet in the water! It's an odd feeling....cause not one but probably two dozen fish are nibbling at your feet at once. Since I went to Malaysia before going to Thailand, my Fish Spa experience was in Kuala Lumpur. These are all over the city, but I found one of the cheapest places to be in Central Market (not far from Jalan Petaling (Chinatown). Once you walk into Central Market, make a left turn and walk to the end and then walk straight (it's towards the middle of the market on the first floor). The place is called Cute Fish Spa....nothing cute about it. Oh, and make sure you have some sanitary wipes at hand....only god knows the kinda feet these fish have been nibbling on prior to yours...

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Travel Diary: Kutna Hora

                        Even the sign at the train station is eerie!

                                  Finally at the Bone Church!

                     
                                           Entrance

                               Tombs surrounding the church

                                     First glimpse....

                            No Touching! Why would you anyway??

Cathedral of our Assumption of the Lady and St. John the Baptist (World UNESCO Heritage Site)

           I can't even count how many skeletons, bones, skulls....etc. I've seen today!

                                 There's a second floor....

                                        Back to Prague

                         Really??? At least learn how to spell!

                              Rebels crossing the train tracks! lol

Kutna Hora is a popular day trip from Prague as it only takes about an hour. We departed from Praha Masarykovo Nadirazi (smaller local train station near Republic Square). The train station is old and filled with locals that don't speak English, so you better know which train you're taking or else you will be running around to find someone to help you. We had that problem...Most trains to Kutna Hora h.l.n (closest train station to the Bone Church) require you to transfer at Kolin, which we had to do; hence the confusion in Prague. Kutna Mesto is the main station in Kutna, but it's quite far from the Bone Church, which is the only reason we decided to go. Once you get to Kutna Hora, the walk to the Bone Church or Kostnice Ossuary is only a 10 minute walk. We also went to the Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist (World UNESCO Heritage Site) since it was on our way back to the train station. Both sites are a great representation of Bohemian Gothic architecture. The Bone Church, I'm sure to most, was eerie and fascinating at the same time. I think it's definitely worth the trip if you have the time. 

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Weekly Dose of Travel 2

                                      Sri Mariamman Temple


There's a whirlwind of diversity out there....and we should embrace it all. 

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Love Locks

                                    Prague-Charles Bridge

                                  Salzburg (smart! no names!)

                                           Salzburg


Have you ever noticed these locks along bridges in Europe?? Couples fasten these padlocks onto the fences of the bridge to symbolize their everlasting love...blah blah blah. The bitch is... if you guys break up, better remember to go back to the bridge and take down the lock. Ahhhh... what it's like to be young and "in love".... but they make for great pictures :)

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Weekly Dose of Travel 1

Cause you won't find a monkey asleep on the streets of NYC....

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Coffee Reading aka Kahve Fali

I'm not a firm believer of fortune telling or psychics, but every so often I enjoy knowing what I can possibly look forward to in the coming year. There are many variations of coffee reading and differ with culture. The one I had required the cup to be covered with the saucer and turned upside-down for 10-15 minutes. I can't say if the lady that gave me a coffee reading was a pro, but some comments sure hit home...

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Istanbul on Christmas Day

                         In front of the Blue Mosque and fountain

                                      Hagia Sophia

                                      Blue Mosque

                        Palatium Cafe and Restaurant-definitely coming back!

                                   Lamb Chops were awesome

I was excited to head back to Istanbul on Christmas Day as our Christmas Eve in Budapest was a total deb. :( It was a quiet Christmas evening and there were hints of Christmas spirit, even though it's not celebrated here. We ate dinner at a cozy spot called Palatium Cafe (across the street from the Four Seasons hotel). They had Christmas decorations decked out for the tourists and service was great. The place is super chill with people laying out on beanbag chairs (covered in traditional Kilim) smoking nargile and enjoying good food and drinks. I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas setting. Took some dope pics of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia too. 

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Christmas Eve

             Andrassy Ave was completely deserted. This pic was taken around 20:00

                                   No dancing tonight :(

     Not my favorite Christmas Eve meal, but it was better than chocolate and chips back at the flat.

                Anyone up for a root canal?? Only place opened on Christmas Eve!

Probably the worst day of the year possible for a tourist to be in Budapest. By 14:00, all stores, markets, restaurants, attractions, and public transportation shuts down. I found myself googling in our flat, "What is a tourist to do in Budapest on Christmas Eve?". The answer: Nothing. Food options are LIMITED! We trekked along Andrassy Ave. and found one or two spots open, but we ended up at the Oktogon and had Turkish food! What else?! 

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Christmas Markets

                                          Vienna

                                             Prague

                                 Kaiserpunsch from Vienna

                           Kurtos Kalacs (available in Prague and Budapest)

                                Streudels-they taste good cold!

                                  Beautiful glass ornaments

                                         Budapest

I can't think of anywhere else I rather be on Christmas, but roaming these beautiful markets. The tastes, sights, and sounds will have you head over heels. After six years of traveling for Christmas and my birthday, this is definitely on the top of my list. :)
Prague: Honey Wine and I enjoyed the Langos (fried dough topped with garlic, ketchup, and grated cheese) but you're gonna have some kickin garlic breath!
Vienna: Hands down best place to shop for ornaments. Best part is that the stands are color coordinated (I stuck with the snow white ornaments!) After strolling around numerous markets, the only market we were able to find Kaiserpunsch (best punsch!) was at the Rathausplatz market. Side Trip: The Salzburg Christmas market in the center of town had the best wurst and sauerkraut.
Budapest: Head to Vorosmarty Square. Kurtos Kalacs (cylinder shaped pastry coated in cinnamon sugar, vanilla, or walnuts) and the Streudels. The hot cherry beer was also a notable drink.

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