We made an impromptu visit to Budva for a day over Memorial Day weekend. It was a good call; we enjoyed the old town and a bit of the beach without the blistering heat and throngs of tourists that you’d find later in the summer. Only an hour from our house—we’ll be back :)
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Our first stop along Montenegro's picturesque Adriatic coast is Sveti Stefan, used as the cover of National Geographic Traveler magazine and long-time host to international celebrities seeking a private escape (think Marilyn Monroe). This pebbly beach is only an hour away from home, making it our perfect half-day getaway.
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After experiencing some cold weather and snow in Aspen, we thought it would be a great idea to visit Cancun and enjoy some warmth, beach, sand, and more importantly oxygen. We wanted to be lazy, and an all-inclusive hotel hit the spot.
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This past weekend we traveled to Aruba for Nate and Gigi's wedding. The wedding was fantastic and a great time was had by all especially Annika who enjoyed the pool and the beach immensely. Congratulations to the newlyweds. Wishing you guys a long and happy life together!
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Many thanks to Marco and Graciela for allowing us to stay at their place, La Isla, at South Padre Island. We got to enjoy the beach and spend time with the family even though the remnants of Patricia brought some heavy rain.
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Friday the 23rd
Saturday the 24th
Sunday the 25th
With our time in Ecuador quickly coming to a close, we decided to take our long anticipated trip to Las Galapagos. Because we wanted the peanut to experience the Galapagos and to fully take advantage of the experience, we decided it would be a good idea to bring Marcela, Annika's nanny. As a bonus, it was Marcela's first time on a plane and first time visiting the Galapagos. To save time and avoid the ferry, we took an avioneta, with no more then 10 passengers including the pilot, from Baltra to the Island of Isabela. We are grateful that she could visit this part of her country with us even though she had a peanut that requires A LOT of walking.
Annika and Marcela enjoyed hanging at the beach side hotel while Julia and I took the opportunity to take some not-so-baby-friendly tours. Posts regarding the tours will come later later.
We felt welcomed by the staff at the Iguana Crossing hotel (where the Iguanas actually cross to go to and from the beach). The water was perfectly warm and Annika really enjoyed walking into the waves. Quite a different beach experience from Texas.
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It was getting pretty close to a year since Abuelo and Abuela have seen Annika. With Julia's blessing, Annika and I flew to McAllen to visit the folks for a couple of days. Vivian and Richard were kind enough to rent a place at South Padre Island so Annika could hopefully enjoy the beach. Unfortunately Annika did not approve of how sand felt on her feet. Regardless, a good time was had and after a couple of days with the Cubans, she warmed up to them with smiles.
We will be returning to the RGV in September to further expose Annika to screaming Cubans and to give her another try at the beach. Hoping for better results.
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Julia and I spent a long weekend at South Padre Island with my family. The current at the beach was strong but the waves were fun for boogie boarding. The days many activities included a day trip to South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center where we saw a lovely Crocodile (or Aligator) feast on a raccoon, a Saturday with the Brownsville family, and a drive to the dunes to photograph the landscape and beautiful sunset. Links to our videos: Sal Boogie boardingJulia and Sal boogie boardingCubanos en las olasCrocodile feasting on a raccoon
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As our tour in Mexico is coming to an end, we took one final trip with the Mexi-crew to Baja California Sur. A world of contrasts, BCS is beautiful and we were lucky to share it with great friends whom we will miss immensely. The Casa Blanca was our beautiful home at Punta Pescadero, and from there we took a day trip to La Paz and then Isla Espiritu Santo for snorkeling with sea lions and kayaking. Our adventurous fisher-friends took a day trip fishing in the Sea of Cortez. While it was our last trip in Mexico during our tour, it is certainly not our last trip to BCS. To view the entire album click here.
Click here to view our video from Isla Espiritu Santo.
And finally, click here for our Kayaking video in Isla Espiritu Santo
The last time Julia and I visited Riviera Maya was back in 2006 and my has it changed. This time we stayed at Maykoba and while it was set back from the beach, the room was private and our balcony oversaw what to us appeared like a jungle. We saw all sorts of birds and heard the clean wind blowing through the trees. A much needed break from the city life. Seven years ago we visited Akumal and we were literally the only ones there and after snorkeling we had lunch at a tiny fish shack. This time, however, there were a lot of tourists and a plethora of restaurants unfortunately priced for the tourist. We snorkeled and saw plenty of fish and were able to swim with the turtles again. This was my first time filming underwater with my GoPro so the video is not perfect by any means. We also re visited Dos Ojos Cenote and again it was a bit more packed with tourists. The cenote was still fantastic and I would highly recommend visiting any of the cenotes in the Yucatan.
Below are some links to our videos. Akumal - A compilation of esnorkeling videosDos Ojos Cenote - Julia and I esnorkeling basically...Dos Ojos Cenote - Another video of Julia and I snorkelingDos Ojos Cenote - Snorkeling above scuba divers
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Julia and I along with some friends headed over to Puerto Escondido for surfing over Semana Santa! I must say that Julia did a great job surfing - easily stood up and rode the waves with great balance. Unfortunately no pictures of us surfing as I did not want to bring the camera and leave it on the beach. But I did get some shots of the ocean, our place, and a sunset.
After a busy work week we decided for a little pampering at an all inclusive hotel in Cancun. Our first all inclusive. The fish tacos, ceviche, and tuna tartar were delicious and although the sun was potent the ocean temperature was just right! Some pics...
We flew to Huatulco Mexico for much needed R&R. We stayed in Villa Sol y Mar in Conejos which had a great pool and patio with a view. We spent a day at Maguey Beach and ate a 2 kilo huachinango fried in garlic! Below are some pictures from our trip. To view the entire album, click here.
