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We won the lottery and we didn’t tell anyone!

That’s right, this is what many of our close friends, colleagues, followers on Instagram, Facebook and some family think of us. And how can they not think this? Of course, they can think this because it’s already six months of experiences around the world that many have had the opportunity to follow through social networks where we try to share our adventure with photos and stories of everyday life, full of countless experiences, new friends, places, meals, etc. All and many more things that we have enjoyed since May 20, 2019; that day 20 where we were scared on a plane, sad to leave our families for a long time, but at the same time excited to experience in our own flesh what we dreamed about and what we prepared for well in advance. Anyway, the answer is NO, we did not win the lottery and this post is to share a bit of how we got here and why we made this decision. Some may feel identified and partly inspired, perhaps others will not, either way, we are happy and happiness is also for sharing.

Cappadocia, Turkey

We are a couple both over 30 years of age (Santi 35 and Ingrid 33) and with many common interests. We are two immigrants that have lived in the United States and come from humble and working families and where we both went a long way to get our University degrees with a lot of effort. On the other hand, we have worked since we were 17 years old and it was there both at work where we met many years ago and where without realizing it, we have been preparing little by little with decisions that today bring us here. Finally, it is worth mentioning that we also have our families that have always supported us in each of our decisions that, however crazy they may seem, we agree that when happiness is sought, we must always move forward. Yes, we are two ordinary people and here we are.

Mount Batur, Bali

What if I leave everything to travel for a while? There were many days that this question passed through our heads, that question that the majority ask yourselves at some point in your lives, a question full of hope, but at the same time full of fear. How can I afford it? How am I going to do it? So you tell yourself you can’t, fears and more fears. One of the key factors is being able to afford it. Of course, it is the financial aspect that prevents many from making a decision of this magnitude. We are not the exception, there were many discussions and we put on the table the pros and cons to achieve this trip and there were also many times that financial matters also filled us with fears, but this did not stop us and in the end we understood that the most important thing is to make the decision. – “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” – Paulo Coelho.

Society on the other hand seems to want to impose the steps of our lives and we must be very careful. You are 22 years old, where is your university degree? You are 30 years old, have you gotten married yet? You are 35 years old, where is your house and your children? etc. It is these questions that in one way or another also stop us or fill us with fears when trying to make a different decision from what society expects. This cannot be an obstacle because you have to understand that we all have different priorities and that in the end you are the only one responsible for choosing what makes you happy.

Break during the Camino

It is clear that we did not win the lottery and much less that we are millionaires to have been able to do something like this. But how could we afford to do it then? Without going into much detail because we want to write another post regarding this, the response from us is the following: Working hard and organizing day-to-day priorities. In the United States it is common, for example, that each person has their own car. Three years ago we asked ourselves if this was necessary and analyzing our situation, we realized that it was not. This decision helped us not only to save but it also became one less responsibility for us in the long run. Do I need the last cell phone that came out? Do I need that pair of shoes? Do I need that designer bag? Do I need to go to the most expensive places to have a good time? Do I need to travel with luxuries to enjoy the world? Do I need to do something every weekend? Our answer to these questions is NO. Maybe you’re reading this post and have different views and believe me, we respect that 100%, but for us this mentality is what has brought us here and that is also to be respected.

Did you leave your jobs? Yes, we did. Are you both crazy?? Are you not afraid? Yes, we are, but that won’t stop us. And why are we not afraid? Well, just think about what we already wrote above; we have been working since the age of 17 and we have come from struggling families who have come forward with a lot of effort so continuing to fight does not frighten us. Afraid to start over? No, we will still have to work the rest of our lives regardless, so why not take a break if we are not affecting anyone. In the end there are many who choose to buy a house or cars, have children, or live a life full of material things. It is worth clarifying once again that we respect this 100% since from our personal point of view these decisions also require a lot of courage and financial effort. These are the same decisions that we may not have taken yet, but we are aware that the time will come. In short, we are all people who fight every day, people with different life projects and people who make great decisions without sometimes measuring the magnitude of what we are capable of. Apparently, we all have more in common than we think, and in the end, it seems that we all won the lottery and we have not told anyone!

Remember to follow us in Instagram & Facebook for more on our travels around the world! @everywhereabroad

Formentera, Spain
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¡Nos ganamos la lotería y no le contamos a nadie!

Así es, esto es lo que muchos de nuestros amigos cercanos, colegas, seguidores en Instagram, Facebook y algunos familiares piensan de nosotros. ¿Y como no van a pensar así? Claro que lo pueden pensar pues ya son 6 meses de vivencias por el mundo que muchos han tenido la oportunidad de seguir a través de las redes sociales donde intentamos compartir nuestra aventura con fotos e historias del día a día llenas de incontables experiencias, nuevos amigos, lugares, comidas, etc… todas y muchas cosas más que hemos disfrutado desde el 20 de Mayo del 2019; ese día 20 donde nos montamos asustados en un avión, tristes por dejar a nuestras familias por un largo tiempo, pero a la misma vez ilusionados de experimentar en carne propia lo que soñamos y para lo que nos preparamos con mucha anticipación. En fin, la respuesta es NO, no nos ganamos la lotería y este blog es para compartir un poco de como llegamos hasta acá y porque tomamos esta decisión. Tal vez algunos se sientan identificados y en parte inspirados, tal vez otros no, pero que mas da, nosotros estamos felices y la felicidad también es para compartirla.

Capadocia, Turquía

Somos una pareja los dos mayores de 30 años (Santi 35 y Ingrid 33) y con muchas cosas en común. Los dos inmigrantes en Estados Unidos venimos de familias humildes y trabajadoras y donde los dos recorrimos un largo camino para sacar nuestros títulos universitarios con mucho esfuerzo. Por otro lado, hemos trabajado desde que teníamos más o menos 17 años y es allí en el trabajo donde coincidimos hace muchos años y donde sin darnos cuenta nos hemos venido preparando poco a poco con decisiones que hoy en día nos traen hasta acá. Por último, cabe mencionar que también tenemos en común nuestras familias ya que siempre nos han apoyado en cada una de nuestras decisiones que por locas que parezcan todos coincidimos en que cuando se busca la felicidad siempre hay que seguir para adelante. Si, somos dos personas del común y aquí vamos.

Monte Batur, Bali

¿Y si lo dejo todo y me voy a viajar por un tiempo? Fueron muchos los días que por nuestra cabeza pasó esa pregunta, esa pregunta que seguramente la mayoría se hace en algún momento de su vida, una pregunta cargada de ilusión, pero a la misma vez cargada de temores. ¿Y el dinero? ¿Y como voy a hacer? Seguramente no puedo, temores y más temores. Tal vez una de las cosas más importantes es la parte económica. Y como no si es esta misma la que le impide a la mayoría de todos tomar la decisión de esta magnitud. Nosotros no somos la excepción, fueron muchas las veces que hablamos y pusimos sobre la mesa los pros y los contras para lograr este viaje y fueron muchas las veces que la parte económica también nos llenó de temores, pero esto no nos detuvo y al final entendimos que lo mas importante es tomar la decisión – “Cuando quieres algo, todo el universo conspira para que realices tu deseo” – Paulo Coelho. 

La sociedad por otro lado parece querer imponer los pasos de nuestras vidas y hay que tener mucho cuidado. Tienes 22 años ¿donde está tu título universitario? Tienes 30 años ¿ya te casaste? Tienes 35 años ¿donde está tu casa y tus hijos? etc… Son estas preguntas las que de una u otra manera también nos frenan o nos llenan de temores cuando tomas una decisión diferente al común de la sociedad. Esto no puede ser impedimento pues hay que entender que todos somos diferentes y que al final tu eres el único responsable de elegir que te hace feliz.

Un descanso durante El Camino de Santiago de Compostela

Queda claro que no nos ganamos la lotería y que mucho menos somos millonarios para hacer algo como esto. ¿Pero como lo hicieron económicamente entonces? Sin entrar en mucho detalle porque queremos escribir otro blog con respecto a esto, la respuesta de nuestra parte es la siguiente: Trabajando y organizando las prioridades del día a día.  En Estados Unidos es común por ejemplo que cada persona tenga su carro. Nosotros desde hace 3 años nos preguntamos si esto era necesario y analizando nuestra situación nos dimos cuenta que no. Esta decisión nos ayuda no solo a ahorrar sino también se convirtió en una responsabilidad menos por mucho tiempo. ¿Necesito el último celular que salió en tv? Necesito ese par de zapatos? ¿Necesito la cartera de moda? ¿Necesito ir a los lugares mas costosos para pasarla bien? ¿¿Necesito viajar con lujos para disfrutar del mundo?? La respuesta de nuestra parte es NO. Tal vez usted leyendo este blog piense diferente a nosotros y créame que lo respetamos 100%, pero para nosotros pensar así nos ayudo a estar acá y eso también es de respetar.

¿Dejaron sus trabajos? Sí, lo hicimos. ¡¡¡Están locos!!! ¿Y no les da miedo? Sí, nos da miedo, pero eso no nos va a frenar. ¿Y por que no les da miedo? Pues sencillo, póngase a pensar en lo que ya escribimos arriba; estamos trabajando desde los 17 años y hemos venido de familias luchadoras que han salido adelante con mucho esfuerzo así que seguir luchando no nos atemoriza. ¿Miedo de volver a empezar? No, igual nos va a tocar trabajar el resto de nuestras vidas si o si, así que porque no tomarse un break si no estamos afectando a nadie. Al final son muchos los que eligen comprar una casa o carros, tener hijos, o vivir una vida llena de cosas materiales. Valga aclarar una vez mas que esto lo respetamos al 100% ya que desde nuestro punto personal estas decisiones también necesitan de mucho valor y así mismo de mucho esfuerzo económico. Son igual decisiones que tal vez no hemos tomado hasta el día de hoy pero que somos consientes ya nos llegara el momento. En fin, todos somos personas que luchan el día a día, personas con diferentes proyectos de vida y personas que tomamos decisiones grandísimas sin algunas veces medir la magnitud de lo que somos capaces. Al parecer todos tenemos en común más de lo que creemos y al final y pensándolo muy bien parece que todos nos ganamos la lotería y no le hemos contado a nadie.

Recuerden seguir nuestro perfil en Instagram y Facebook @everyhwereabroad para ver un poco más de nuestros viajes por el mundo.

Formentera, España
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Dead Sea

During our time in Israel we took a day trip to the Dead Sea. If you’ve never heard of it, the Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. It’s so interesting to visit because it is the saltiest place on Earth (33% salinity) and 431 meters (1,414 ft) below sea level which also makes it the lowest elevation point on Earth. It is 9 times as salty as the ocean and this level of salt makes you float making it almost impossible to swim.

What’s it like?

The area around the Dead Sea is very desert like. It’s amazing to see the landscape and on the way there you see all the beautiful views. The weather at the Dead Sea is mainly hot and humid. Temperatures can go up to 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit). We went in August which is one of the hottest months to visit and it was hot! The water temperature is also warm. Due to the salinity of the water it is recommended not to stay more than 20 minutes in the water. The sand was burning hot!! You can’t walk barefoot on the beach, not even to get in the water, you have to wear your flip flops till you reach the water and wear them again once you get out.

As you enter the water you will feel the salt crystals at the bottom which hurt a little bit and at this point you can float instead of trying to walk. When you try to reach for a handful of sand from the bottom you’ll get salt! There is no sand in the Dead Sea so you’ll get salt instead! Pretty cool! You’ll also feel a little bit oily, which is normal from all the salt in the water. When going in the water make sure you don’t have any cuts or those will burn badly. Shaving should be done 2 days prior. Also, try not to get water into your eyes, that will hurt (a lot because it happened to us).

Salt rocks. Take a look how white it looks under due to the high amounts of salt.

What beach to go to?

There are many beaches you can choose to visit in the Dead Sea. We chose Ein Bokek Beach (also spelled En Boqeq). The beach has all amenities such as bathrooms, changing rooms, showers, even an outdoor gym, and many options for food. There are also many hotels running along the beach if you want to stay a few nights. We enjoyed the day at Ein Bokek Beach and recommend this beach for your visit to the Dead Sea.

How to get there?

Since we try to avoid tours as much as we can we took a bus. From Jerusalem it is a 2 hour bus ride to the Dead Sea. We took bus line number 486 which stops at Ein Bokek Beach. If you prefer a tour, many tours are available for the Dead Sea. We recommend Abraham Tours, they have great tours from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Health Benefits

Dead Sea minerals like magnesium, sodium, and potassium have been found to relieve skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, and acne. The minerals have also been found to reduce skin impurities and respiratory conditions. While at the Dead Sea you can apply Dead Sea mud to yourself for the complete spa treatment after spending some time in the water. The Dead Sea mud has been found to reduce inflammation and relieve back pain among other benefits. Dead Sea products and cosmetics can be purchased along the beach for you to take home or for your use while there. We tried to make our own mud and failed at it so we went to buy some from the store nearby and it felt pretty good! Spa treatments are also available at most hotels.

We really enjoyed this trip to the Dead Sea, it’s a must if you’re in the area. Want to know more? Just ask us, or visit our Instagram/Facebook pages @everywhereabroad for highlights and more on the Dead Sea!

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Jerusalem

Holy to Jews, Muslims, and Christians this is where Christ died, was buried and was resurrected. In Islam, Jerusalem is said to be from where Muhammad rose into the heavens, and the Dome of the Rock makes this city the third holiest for Muslims after Mecca and Medina.

We visited Jerusalem for 2 days during our stay in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem was always a place we both had heard about since children and off course we wanted to see it for ourselves. Jerusalem is a modern city (the West) that is growing and we felt better here than in Tel Aviv. Within Jerusalem is the Old City which is a walled one-square kilometer. We got to the Old City’s Jaffa gate and walking into the city was a mix of feelings and a rush of excitement. Holy land, one of the oldest and symbolic places in the world.

The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into 4 quarters, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Armenian. We were very surprised to see how divided the holiest and sacred place on earth was, this is a fact that you sense within these walls, separation between people due to religion differences. Very disappointing. As you walk by the different quarters you can feel the city is wounded. There are still violent clashes between religions; mainly between the Jews and Muslims. There is an intense mix of feelings as you walk through the streets of Jerusalem and it is so personal depending on your beliefs and religion that you have to experience it for yourself.

The Western Wall

The Western Wall (Wailing Wall) in the Jewish Quarter is the holiest site in Judaism. The Wall is support to the Temple Mount and this small area is what is left of the wall from when the Romans destroyed the temple. The wall is divided on one side for women and the other for men. Many visit the wall to say their prayers or leave them on a piece of paper in between the cracks. The Western Wall is free and open daily. Women and men must dress modest when visiting The Western Wall.

  • We left our prayers here
  • Section of the Western Wall

Temple Mount

Within The Western Wall you can find The Temple Mount which is an elevated area holy to Jews and Muslims. Holy to Jews because this is where it is said that Abraham demonstrated his devotion to God by taking his son Isaac to be crucified. Temple Mount is also holy to Muslims because in Islamic tradition, this is where it is said Muhammad ascended to heaven in the seventh century. This area is the third holiest in Islam after Mecca and Medina. Currently, you can see the Al-Aqsa Mosque with the symbolic golden Dome of the Rock. There are 11 gates to enter the Temple Mount, one is reserved for non Muslims and the other 10 are all for Muslim access only. Each gate has an Israeli guard police post. Violence can occur anytime due to the Arab-Israeli conflict. To witness and to be standing there at one of the most controversial sites in the world was one an experience like no other that will stay in our memories forever.

  • The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

In the Christian quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem you can find The Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is one of Christianity’s most sacred sites. This is where Jesus was crucified, died, and rose from the dead. Since children we used to watch Easter movies about the life of Jesus and now that we were there all we wanted to do was follow his steps and walk where he walked. To enter the church we followed the path that Jesus walked carrying the cross on his way to his crucifixion. This path is called the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows) which is marked by 14 stations of the cross (Via Crusis). The last five stations are inside The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There is no need for a tour guide to be able to follow the Via Dolorosa, like us, you can do it on your own following the plaques that mark each station. A small guidebook might be helpful to help identify each station along the way since not all stations tell you exactly what happened there. Walking the Via Dolorosa was so rewarding and you can also spot many other important sites along the route, for example, the birthplace of the Virgin Mary.

When we arrived at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre we continued to identify the areas where Jesus was first stripped off his clothes, nailed to the cross, where he died (the Rock of Calvary which we touched), the site where he was taken down from the cross, and lastly the tomb of the Holy Sepulchre which we witness is empty. We enjoyed doing this very much and felt something special, this was something that as a kid you never think you will get to experience. The church is a bit crowded and so it’s better to get there early or in the late afternoon to avoid a lot of the crowds from tours.

Standing in front of The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Old City of Jerusalem comes with surprises and many mixed feelings. It is something you have to go see for yourself, even if not religious! While in Jerusalem we also went to The Mount of Olives which is another location of many biblical events. You’ll also get great views of the walled Old City of Jerusalem.

  • View of the Old City from The Mount of Olives

There are many tours to choose from depending on how you would like your experience inside the Old City. The only tour we did was a free 2 hour walking tour, which gave us an introduction to the old city and helped guide us through the different areas. We recommend this tour by SANDEMANs.

Don’t forget to visit our Instagram/Facebook pages @everywhereabroad for highlights and more on Jerusalem!

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Tel Aviv Israel

We arrived in Tel Aviv on August 10th and stayed until August 18th. This was enough time for us to make day trips from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Palestine (the West Bank), and the Dead Sea of which I will discuss on separate posts. Tel Aviv was not our favorite place, however, we recommend traveling there for the experience. We traveled to Israel because we were very curious to see what life was like in a country that has been in conflict politically and religiously. It is an eye opener of the current situation between the Israeli and Palestinians. There is definitely a lot to learn here and to draw your own conclusions rather than believe everything the media shows. Feel free to contact us for more on our personal thoughts regarding the conflict that is ongoing! Without getting deep into politics and religion and because this is a travel blog I will tell you more of our time in Tel Aviv.

Our Experience

If you have traveled to Tel Aviv you might be in love with it or had a very good time at nightclubs, bars, and restaurants. This is the case for most people that visit Tel Aviv. Many young people from all over the world have made Tel Aviv their home and have careless attitude towards their surroundings. We felt a heavy atmosphere from the moment we arrived at the airport; people were not smiling (we smile all the time so this was not a good sign), it was so true that when someone did smile at us a couple days later we were amazed! Some parts of the city smelled very bad, homeless people doing drugs everywhere at night, and there was always a broken pipe somewhere along the way releasing some bad smells.

The contrast between old and new was very traumatizing for us. We would see a very old building that looked like it was about to fall apart and when you enter it is something modern and completely different. This was the case of our airbnb and many other buildings around. Very weird. We stayed near the old town about 5 min walk from Florentine street (hipster artsy neighborhood). All this, plus the idea of knowing that at any moment you can have a terrorist attack and people did not seem to notice any of it, like they are used to it and they live in paradise blew our minds!

It is definitely an uncomfortable feeling that took us about 2 days to digest. I would describe it as a city that wants to be free and grow, the young want to be liberal and live in peace, sadly, from what we could see there is still a long way to go. I have to clarify that locals were very nice to us always. It’s just a mix of things that do not go together. At the same time you can sense that in Tel Aviv they are trying to make things work.

The people

In case you did not know, people in Tel Aviv are mainly Jews. Their religion is Judaism and speak Hebrew. In Tel Aviv people are more liberal. Gays and lesbians are encouraged and marihuana is legal. Religion is not followed by all in Tel Aviv and some don’t even care of what is happening in other areas of the country. But you will see soldiers walk around with their shoulder strapped M-16s and you will be checked at all transportation terminals before entering back into the city.

Shabbat

It is very important that when traveling to Israel you keep in mind Shabbat when making plans. Shabbat or Sabbath is a Jewish holiday. In Judaism it is the seventh day of the week and day of rest. They refrain from work and many businesses are closed and transportation can be hard to find except for taxis which you can find. It is a time for Jews to rest and spend time with family. Traditional meals are prepared and festivities begin with a blessing. Shabbat starts right before sunset on Friday night so expect many places to close and public transportation to stop about a couple hours before sunset until the appearance of three stars on Saturday night. At this time things will start to go back to normal with many restaurants /bars opening up as late as 8 or 9pm and Sunday is the first day of the week and everyone goes back to work. In Tel Aviv we noticed it is not observed as strictly as in Jerusalem for example. This is because Tel Aviv is more modern and some of the younger people don’t follow it. Also because in some areas there are Muslims living.

Our recommendation is to book your plans such as tours and visiting religious sites between Sunday through Thursday and for early Friday before 4pm. Don’t plan much on Saturday, stay local, resting or exploring around the area where you are staying.

Transportation

Taxi from Ben Gurion airport will cost about 200 shekels (almost $60usd). There is also a bus from the airport for 9.30 shekels ($2.70usd). To move around the city you can use taxis, buses, bikes, tram, and electric scooters. Make sure to get the Rav-Kav card that you can fill for rides. We mainly walked and used the bus system which is very good.

Food

Tel Aviv has very good restaurants and many options when it comes to food. We enjoyed the food and even ate much healthier than normal. The food is fresh and prepared using healthier options and many dishes are dairy free. People are vegan and some Kosher (if religious). Kosher foods are foods that are suitable for a Jew to eat as stated in the Torah (Hebrew bible). There’s a lot of delicious international restaurants. One of our favorites was Saluf & Sons which is Yemen, very lively and truly great experience. They concentrate on home style cooking with many rice dishes, great salads, stews, and more. We also visited some of the markets and tried all sorts of local foods. Carmel Market and the upscale Sarona Market have many options. In Carmel Market you can find the famous Hummus HaCarmel featured in Netflix on the series “Somebody feed Phil”, this is the place to try the best authentic hummus (don’t miss it!).

Tip: Tel Aviv and Israel in general is expensive. Sometimes way too expensive! Keep this is mind when planning a trip there.

Places to visit

While in Tel Aviv we visited the Jaffa Flea Market, Carmel Market, the upscale Sarona Market, Tel Aviv Boardwalk, Jaffa Old City, and walked around Rothschild Boulevard. The boardwalk was our favorite and is very nice walk along the beach.

Remember, to visit our Instagram and Facebook pages to see more about Tel Aviv. @everywhereabroad

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Cappadocia Turkey

If you’ve never heard of it, get ready to fall in love! Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey. It’s known for its unique rock formations (fairy chimneys), natural caves, and history. It’s a magical place, specially during the sunrise and sunset! Perfect for everything you can imagine like weddings, engagements, honeymoons, getaways, or a family vacation! We visited Cappadocia in August while staying in Istanbul. The main reason for going to Cappadocia was to ride a hot air balloon there for the first time. We had seen pictures and heard about it and could not let it pass being so close. The landscape makes it look from another planet, I cannot stress how amazing this place is and a must go if you visit Turkey.

How to get there? We flew from Istanbul to Cappadocia through Turkish Airlines to Kayseri (Kayseri Erkilet Airport – ASR). Cappadocia’s other airport Nevsehir (Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport – NAV) does not offer as many flights as Kayseri but is also a good alternative. Our flight lasted about 1 hour, we had arranged our hotel pick-up which was very convenient and took another hour to reach Uchisar where we stayed. With Cappadocia’s topography the ride to the hotel was an adventure as it was full of hills and curves where most of the time if you come a across other cars coming in the opposite direction, and the streets are so narrow that you would have to go in reverse with a hill behind you, let’s just say you do not want to drive there. There are also overnight buses from Istanbul and other parts of Turkey that take about 10 hours if you want to go that route. We believe the easiest and cheapest way is to fly there. Our roundtrip ticket from Istanbul costs us $70 USD.

Where to stay? We recommend staying in either Göreme or Uchisar. The two are within 10 minutes of each other and are very well located to see the hot air balloons at sunrise. The most popular/touristy is Göreme for its many options of accommodations, restaurants, location, and activities around it. We stayed in Uchisar (quieter town than Göreme) at Millstone Cave Suites Hotel, loved it! Oh and get their breakfast! Turkish breakfast with the valleys in the background is priceless!! We recommend staying in a cave hotel to make the experience even more unreal! You’ll have beautiful views all around and get that cavern living vibe. There are also other towns around like Urgup and Avanos that are worth looking into.

What to eat? Just like in Istanbul, food in Cappadocia is delicious and there are many places to eat, you won’t have trouble finding something you like. For the most part we ate at our hotels restaurant which serves delicious plates for dinner and off-course the exceptional Turkish breakfast. We also enjoyed lunch at Dream Spot Cappadocia in Uchisar which has spectacular views and really nice quality food and service.

Hot Air Balloon Ride. If you’re interested in the hot air balloon ride you must book ahead time. Although, there are many companies, they do get filled up quickly so make sure to book at least 1 month in advance. Standard rides cost about $190 USD per person with 20-24 people per basket (well worth it!!). The cheapest ride we saw while searching was $170 USD and was already filled up. There’s also private rides if you’d like to go alone. We got lucky last minute (1 week in advance) and booked through Urgup Balloons. Highly recommend them, they offered hotel pick up/drop-off, coffee and pastries before the ride, champagne toast after the ride, and the guide was great! They picked us up from our hotel at 4:15am, took us to have breakfast, we finished registering, and waited for the green flag! Yes, many things can affect the ride but most importantly is the wind speed and direction. We got lucky because for the previous three days they had not been able to fly and had to cancel peoples reservations. There’s no way to tell how things will turn out, I would just recommend to visit Cappadocia for at least 3 days in case you don’t get to ride on your planned day you always have more sunrises to do it in. We heard of some people that were not able to do it after traveling there just for that, don’t let this happen to you and give it enough time! We waited like 20 minutes for the green flag and were on our way to the hot air balloons!! The experience is a once in a lifetime, there are many other places to ride hot air balloons but I know they will not be as magical as doing it in Cappadocia. The scenery is mind blowing and the ride is so smooth you forget you are between 3,000-6,000 feet above ground level!

Sunrise. It was important for us to also watch the sunrise with all the balloons getting ready to fly and then in the air. We knew this would be the best opportunity for a magical moment and amazing pictures since the day that you actually fly you don’t have that background as you’re up in the air. It was tough to decide where the best spot to see the balloons would be. We had options to go to Göreme to a high point, stay in our hotel which had great views and could pay extra for a setup with Turkish carpets (like you see on Pinterest), go to the Uchisar Castle, or go to one of the many viewpoints around. It was tough because the guide was explaining to us that they don’t actually drive the balloons, they go where the wind takes them so I cannot tell you and we did not know what would be a good place. Since we had identified the area from where they start flying from our flight the day before we knew at least we would see them go up. What we ended up doing was chasing the balloons! Yes, we chased them lol. We ended up on this grassy hill at 5:30am where a group of street dogs came at us and I don’t know how we scared them away and they simply left us alone. Santiago and I really felt danger because those dogs were big and ready to bite!! Anyway, from there we moved since we noticed the balloons were not coming that way and went to another viewpoint where we stayed most of the time in shock of how beautiful it looks. There were times where they flew right above us!

Other activities: Since our goal was to ride a hot air balloon and see a sunrise with all the balloons in the air we booked Cappadocia for only 2 nights 3 days. This was enough time to fly, enjoy a sunrise watching and taking pictures of the balloons in the air, visit the Uchisar Castle, explore Göreme and Uchisar, and enjoy the hotel. We recommend a longer stay if you want to explore more. There’s plenty to do like hike the Red and Rose valleys, visit the Underground City, Göreme Open Air Museum, and go horse back riding.

It’s a must see even if you don’t want to ride a hot air balloon it is out of this world you will not want to miss it!

Remember, to visit our Instagram and Facebook pages to see more about our adventures. @everywhereabroad

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Istanbul Turkey

How does traveling from Europe to Asia on a daily basis sound to you? Well that is what we experienced in Istanbul (Constantinople as it was previously named by the roman emperor Constantine the Great). The city is so large that it extends into two continents and we loved going from one side to the other by ferry through the Bosphorus strait . During our stay from July 25 to August 10 we had an incredible time indulging ourselves in this magical place where Europe meets Asia.

Before traveling to Istanbul we did not realize how much we were about to learn. Now that we think of Istanbul, names such as Alexander the Great, Constantine the Great, Ottoman Turks, Sultan Mehmet II, Suleiman the Magnificent, and Ataturk come to mind. Through the rise and fall of many famous empires such as The Roman Empire and The Ottoman Empire, Istanbul has evolved to what is now a rising power in the world and as an important capital of culture.

The major religion in Istanbul is Islam. Islam is the second largest religion in the world and teaches its followers (Muslims) that there is only one God (Allah) and that Muhammed is the messenger of God. As you travel being aware of traditions and religion of the places you visit is very important as you want to show respect for different customs and beliefs. In Istanbul or I should say Turkey in general, there is a call to prayer everyday five times per day. Speakers are installed at every Mosque in the city to remind Muslims that it is time to pray. You can hear the Arabic song of praise, called the adhan, all over the city. To hear what it sounds like go to our Istanbul highlights on Instagram @everywhereabroad, we loved it every time during our stay in Turkey.

Did we feel safe in Istanbul? This is one of the parts of traveling that amazes us every time we visit a country that has been said to be dangerous and that some have even advised not traveling to. This is because for the most part we always find the opposite of what everyone imagines. This is why we say you don’t know until you actually go there and experience it for yourself. We did not feel unsafe, scared, frighten, or suspicious of anything at any point during our time in Istanbul. Not at night, not early morning, to be honest I don’t think it even crossed our minds after arriving there and seeing how the city works. Although we did not experience anything negative, we do advise like in any other country to watch your belongings specially in crowded areas.

In terms of dress code, Turkey is a conservative country. Istanbul, however, is a cosmopolitan city and conservative dress code is not followed at all times and is not frowned upon unless you are visiting a Mosque. It is required to wear shirts that cover your shoulders and skirts or shorts below the knees when entering a Mosque for women and men. Women must cover their head before entering as well. A robe or shawl will be provided for free if your clothing is inappropriate at the entrance of every Mosque. In other parts of Turkey the conservative dress code will more than likely apply so plan accordingly. When walking around Istanbul you will see women wearing conservative modest clothes as in the tesettür which is a headscarf (hijab) and long dress/topcoat covering arms and legs completely. You will also see Muslim women or women from other countries that are a bit more strict and will wear a burka or a niqab which cover the entire body and face. Everyday Ingrid wore her summer dresses and short shorts and was just fine, Santiago had no issues at all with clothing, he fit in so well that he even got confused for being Turkish!

Transportation in Istanbul is affordable and very good! You can move around by taxi, bus, tram, ferry, metro, train, and funicular. There are plenty of options to move around, you just have to choose wisely what to use and when. For example, taking a taxi might not be the best idea because traffic can be very bad and sometimes streets are blocked or closed and taxi drivers have to go around to find alternative ways, taxis may also cost more. From the airport we took a nice bus with air conditioner and wifi to reach Kadikoy which cost us $4usd each. The bus line is #7 and takes an hour, this is very convenient and there’s one leaving the airport and the Kadikoy port every 30 minutes from 5am until midnight. Find out your route and you will discover this is a very convenient inexpensive way for airport transportation. We stayed in Kadikoy (Moda) which is on the Asian side of the city, we enjoyed taking the ferry back and forth and it was only 15 minutes to the old town where all the Mosques are and cost $ .50 usd cents. We enjoyed it so much that we would time our ferry back to Kadikoy with the sunset in order to watch it on the way back. From Kadikoy there are ferry stops along the Bosphorus to reach any of the neighborhoods on the European side. Şehir Hatlari is the main ferryboat company of Istanbul. We also did a lot of walking as always, sometimes used the tram, hardly used a taxi (I think one time after partying), and that was about all. We did not have the need to use the metro or the buses in the city. We highly recommend getting an Istanbul Kart (Istanbul Card), unless you will be using taxis all the time. Istanbul Kart is a prepaid and rechargeable card for public transportation, it makes paying easier and gives you about a 40% discount on fares. To obtain one just go to any major public transportation station, there is a small fee for the card of about 10 lira ( $2 usd ) which is totally worth it and can be used by multiple riders so no need to get multiple cards.

What to eat in Istanbul? Well you can find just about anything you like except limes, they are very hard to find! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and they take it very seriously. A Turkish breakfast will include all of the following: cucumber, butter, honey, olives, tomatoes, cheeses, bread, pita, eggs, sucuk, ham, Turkish sausage, french toast, soups, and all kinds of jams. In Istanbul you have to try a lot of the food to find your favorites, there are so many options that I can go on and on.

Some of our favorite foods to eat/drink in Istanbul were:

  • Gözleme: Turkish pancake, loved it!!
  • Turkish breakfast mentioned above
  • Kebaps: delicious mainly the chicken kebaps
  • Balik Ekmek: grilled fish sandwich
  • Manti: Turkish ravioli
  • Meze: different appetizers or salads
  • Mussels: stuffed or deep fried
  •  Künefe: shredded wheat and cheese, amazing! (dessert)
  • Dondurma: Turkish ice cream, chewy, good
  • Backlava: thin layers of dough stacked on top of each other, coated in sugar syrup, many varieties (dessert)
  • Turkish delight: Turkish candy, many varieties, found in all the markets
  • Çay: Turkish tea, tea in Turkey is like coffee, we drank tea about three times per day, it is very good and it will be offered to you everywhere!
  • Ayran: yogurt drink that you will see almost every Turk drink at any time during there day. This one is tough because the first time we tried it, we did not like it, we gave it another try and Santiago liked it more this time, Ingrid sipped on it and agreed it tasted a little better.
  • Turkish coffee: made of very finely ground coffee beans, so strong that they give you a cup of water for after. Delicious. Oh and don’t drink all the way to the bottom as you’ll taste some of the settled grounds, which is not good.
  • Beer: a beer will cost you around 14-18 lira ($3usd) at pubs and 22 lira ($4usd and up) at clubs.
  • Kebap
  •  Künefe
  • Turkish Breakfast
  • Lady making Gözleme
  • Rice Pilav
  • Turkish eggs with sausage
  • Turkish tea
  • Turkish coffee

We were in Istanbul for 2 weeks and it still felt like there was so much more to discover. Some of our favorite things to do included visiting the Mosques and museums such as the Hagia Sophia (AyaSofya) which is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Once a church and a mosque now it is a museum. The general entrance fee is 70 lira ($12usd).

Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), it is still a functioning mosque and entrance for tourist is not allowed when it is in service. If you hear the call to prayer (5 times per day) you know to wait 30 minutes before it opens to the public. There is no fee to enter the mosque. There are also many rooftop bars near this area to visit after or before visiting the mosque.

Suleymaniye Mosque, beautiful functioning Ottoman mosque. You’ll see it from the ferry if you’re coming from Kadikoy to Eminonu. Free to enter.

We also visited the Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) for amazing city views. The line here will be long but don’t get discouraged it moves pretty quick and the entrance fee is 35 liras ($6usd). Worth it? yes, but we still loved the views from the rooftops near Suleymaniye Mosque way more.

Grand Bazaar, one of the biggest and oldest shopping markets you will visit! There are more than 5,000 shops here, you’ll want to bring many items home with you from this bazaar just remember to use your negotiating skills to get a good bargain!

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici), designed to service the Great Palace and many of the nearby buildings the cistern was able to hold 80,000 cubic meters of water. This is is a quick trip and should not take too much of your time. The entrance fee 20 lira ($4usd).

  • Medusa pillar inside the cistern

We also enjoyed Istiklal Avenue, Taksim Square, the neighborhoods of Ortakoy, Bebek, and Besiktas. Remember to cruise the Bosphorus, try playing backgammon, smoke a hookah (shisha), have a Turkish bath, watch the sunset, and have lunch or a drink at one of the many rooftops.

For more information and tips on Istanbul please email us at everywhereabroad@gmail.com or contact us on Facebook or Instagram!

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Valencia Spain

We arrived in Valencia June 28th and stayed there until July 25th. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, this was our first destination after the Camino de Santiago.

The reason we chose Valencia is because we’ve never been there before and because it is in the south part of Spain. After walking the north from Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela we also wanted to experience the coastal areas of Comunidad Valenciana and Andalusia, which we had been told is a must see. Compared to other cities in Spain, Valencia is more affordable to live in, for us this is important since we will be traveling for awhile. For those looking for a great cheap vacation, Valencia is a great option. Staying here for almost a month, is a way to get involved in the culture and really get a feel for how people live, to have a daily life while at the same time exploring around. During July it is very hot with temperatures of up to 35C as it is summer time in Europe. Coming from Florida this was not too much of a problem for us, it felt better because there was no humidity like in Florida. We definitely made a good choice by choosing Valencia as one of the cities to live in.

Our Airbnb was very nice and located right on the Plaza Tossal in the neighborhood of El Carmen. Here we had everything we needed such as cafes, tapas bars, restaurants, small fruit/veggie markets, fashion boutiques, museums, theatre, and the Central Market was 3 minutes walking distance from our apartment (aka piso). No matter what day of the week it was El Carmen was always ready to party at night. Whether we walked downstairs to what became our corner to have a drink and enjoy the evening or look through our balcony we enjoy it very much!

  • Our apartment building to the right and some of the street art
  • Torres de Serranos, one of the 12 gates that formed part of the ancient city wall.

In Valencia you can rent a bike, scooter, or simply walk like we did. There are also free walking city tours that you can book online and offer great insight (at the end of the tour you pay what you consider appropriate).

Food in Valencia like everywhere in Spain will not disappoint. Tapas, burgers, fresh seafood, paella, agua de Valencia, horchata, vermouth, fartons, churros, arroz caldoso, and many more! Valencia is where you can find the most famous Spanish dish, the paella, which originated from this area. For those of you that do not know, the traditional paella Valenciana is made up of chicken and rabbit. In Valencia they do offer other combinations of paellas for those that do not like the taste of rabbit (like Santiago). Agua de Valencia was Ingrids favorite after a sunny day of walking around. It’s very refreshing and made up of fresh-squeezed Valencian oranges, along with cava, vodka, and gin. We also had anything we could ask for at the many markets and shops around town. Santiago was able to cook some of our favorite meals from home during our stay in Valencia. We also went to many international restaurants like Chinese, Argentinian, and Colombian. Needless to say, do not worry about food in Valencia because there is something delicious for everyone!

  • Agua de Valencia
  • Horchata and Fartons
  • Paella de Mariscos

The City of the Arts and Sciences complex will amaze you! It’s very futuristic and offers many activities for the entire family. You’ll need to dedicate some time when visiting even considering coming back a second day if you have the time. The City of the Arts and Sciences is comprised of the Museum of Sciences (hands-on exhibits fun for the entire family), L’Hemisferic (IMAX cinema), Palau de les Arts (opera venue), Umbracle (open air area to take wonderful photos), The Agora (multi purpose event space), Oceanographic (Europes largest aquarium). We recommend purchasing a combined ticket of your choice which is good for the day of purchase and the next day to allow you to come back. Tickets are around 25 euros for combined activities depending on what you want to see. You can also walk around the complex and its gardens for free.

  • Umbracle
  • Museum of Sciences
  • The City of Arts and Sciences

La Lonja de la Seda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was originally used for trading in silk. This is a beautiful Gothic building worth seeing that will not take much of your time, it’s free, and it’s right around the corner from the Cathedral at Plaza de la Virgen.

Jardin del Turia is a park in the center of Valencia that runs about 9 kilometers stretching from the Bioparc to the City of Arts and Sciences. It is the largest urban park in Spain with activities for the entire family. Within the park you can enjoy activities such as morning runs, cycling, yoga, sight seeing, skateboarding, festivals, fairs, playgrounds for children, Gulliver’s park and much more! We enjoyed walking through here to reach different points in the area and take advantage of the shade, we did our daily runs, and enjoyed the fair that was there at that time. When in Valencia it is very hard to miss as it stretches along the city and from its history you’ll want to go see this park that was once the River Turia.

Bioparc is one of the top zoos in the world located in Valencia. We visited the zoo and enjoy it very much! The park has a concept of zoo-immersion, which is a more natural habitat for the animals and where you’ll see rivers, rocks, and ponds separating you from the animals. Pretty cool!

The Mediterranean Sea has a lot to offer and along the coast of Valencia you will find its many beaches. We visited La Malvarrosa beach and drove a scooter to Playa de la Pobla de Farnals. Both very nice beaches to spend the day.

  • Playa La Malvarrosa
  • Playa de la Pobla de Farnals

We loved The Central Market! We were 3 minutes away walking and we were here for our daily coffee and some pastry almost everyday after our morning run. Inside the market you can find fresh fish, meats, cheeses, all kinds of ham, veggies, fruits, spices, and many many international foods.

  • Central Market

Valencia’s Cathedral claims to have what is supposed to be the Holy Grail, the actual cup that Jesus drank from at the last supper. There is a small entrance fee for the cathedral. You can also go up to the cathedrals bell tower (El Miguelete) through a spiral staircase of around 200 steps for city views.

  • Plaza de la Virgen and the Valencia Cathedral
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Granada Spain

While living in Valencia for a month we decided to visit Granada which is a 5 hour drive from Valencia. Granada just as Seville is also in the Andalusian region of Spain and it is right in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. During the summer it could get very hot and dry reaching temperatures around 40C degrees.

We had not planned on going to Granada and it was a last minute getaway. We left July 20, 2019 and returned July 22, 2019. We had been recommended to visit Granada by many people on the camino and also by our Airbnb host from Seville, so we thought well it’s not that far and renting a car for 2 days cost us $70 from Eurocars in Valencia.

We got a Smart car which was very small but very comfortable and did the job. This brings me to renting cars in Spain. Be careful when renting a car in Spain, we had 2 very bad experiences. One, was in Santiago de Compostela in the north of Spain. We had finished our camino and wanted to have a road trip all the way to Valencia so we made a reservation online with Enterprise and thought well that was inexpensive and easy. Once the day came we show up to pick up the car and the lady tells us they have no cars that they have ran out! Off-course we were frustrated Santiago even spoke to someone in charge and they just simply don’t care. You can imagine how angry we were. On the bright side we were not in a hurry but it is still so disappointing. We ended up going to another nearby car rental company named Sixth that did have a car but we ended up paying double what we were supposed to! Our road-trip was not so pleasant after that since we were already out of budget, lost time, and had to drive 9 hours to Valencia!! All we wanted to do was get to Valencia and return the car. Our second bad experience which ended up being good at the end was in Valencia, renting the car to go to Granada. We made the reservation online and the same thing happened, they had no cars! We could not believe it!! Now we were in the southern part of Spain and same exact situation, we get there and they don’t have the car!! Needless, to say we walked out of there furious and went to Eurocars which was very close and the girl helped us get a car. We had to wait 45min for one to come in which was the Smart car but that was fine with us plus she was so helpful and it was a cheaper car than the other one we were supposed to have. Our recommendation would be to make your reservation and call ahead of time to make sure they have your car ready when you get there or go to the office to reserve a car there directly. They kept saying their online system is not reliable and they are not sure why they let people make more reservations online.

Back to Granada, to start, the drive there is amazing, the views from Valencia are very entertaining and specially if you take the route that passes through Benidorm. The highway and tunnels are in very great condition. In Granada we stayed at the Hotel Catalonia Granada. It is situated in walking distance to all points of interest with many options of restaurants. We recommend including breakfast at the hotel since it is buffet style with many options. The pool was disappointing since it is very small but the spa made up for it! We loved the spa and even used the gym the two days we were there.

The Alhambra is a must go if you are thinking of visiting Granada. Home of many Arab Sultans, this palace and fortress was also a runner up to be considered as one of the new 7 wonders of the world. Buy your ticket online in advance for 14 euros. There are four main areas you can visit when you go to the Alhambra; the palaces, the military zone or Alcazaba, the city or Medina, and the gardens of the Generalife. You will also get one of the best views of the city from here. I would recommend to spend at least half a day there if not more.

The tapas are very good here and the best part is that for every beer, wine, or drink you order you get a tapa and these are usually really good! We ended up not having dinner one night because we had ordered 2 beers each and that was enough food for us!!

Don’t forget to go to flamenco show, for 25 euros you can experience some of the best shows.

Mario Maya was one of Spain’s most influential Flamenco dancers who grew up in Granada. His statue is a tribute to all his great work.

During our getaway we had time to enjoy the hotel, walk to some of the bars, walk around town, ate tapas, went to the Alhambra, visited the cathedral, and some of the plazas and shopping areas which are all very close to each other. This is a very beautiful city worth visiting. Don’t forget your comfy shoes to walk everywhere, and bring your camera as you will be taking lots of pictures.

Don’t forget to check our story line in Instagram @everywhereabroad for more pictures and videos.

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Ibiza Spain

Ibiza! What a surprise for us! We visited Ibiza for the summer in July 2019 and spent a weekend there. Ibiza is one of Spains Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea with a population of around 140,000. Once you arrive you start to realize how beautiful and big the island actually is!! We imagined Ibiza as a party island, almost like a strip of clubs along the beach with all sorts of crazy, and unorganized chaos. Well we were totally wrong!!

We reached the airport and took a bus that after an hour ride took us to San Antonio where our friends were waiting to meet us. Ibiza is divided into many towns and San Antonio is where we chose to stay. It is considered one of the biggest towns of Ibiza. This is also where the famous Cafe Del Mar and Mambo Cafe are located (both well-know for their unique sunset views). Since we were traveling as a group we all chose the hotel or area where we stayed as a group so that it worked for everyone. We stayed in a nice hotel, the only drawbacks were that it did not have a pool and our room did not have any views. Since we were in a very central area, as San Antonio is, we had beaches and pools very near and that was not a problem at all. The best part of these pool lounges is that you had a view of the sea/sunset and all you had to do was consume something from their menu to be able to enjoy an entire day of relaxation.

We had it all within walking distance except when we wanted to go to the other side of the island or when we had to go to a party. We ended up going to 2 electronic music parties. One was at Amnesia and the other at Pacha. We had very good times at both. More at Amnesia I have to say, Pacha was way too crowded.

Amnesia Ibiza

Formentera! We can’t forget Formentera! This beautiful island is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, it’s the smallest of the Balearic Islands of Spain and is just an hour away by ferry from Ibiza! We did a day trip from Ibiza and it was totally worth it! We rented a scooter and drove through the entire island making stops at some the most beautiful beaches. Seafood and cocktails are also very good here at very reasonable prices.

Cala Saona, Formentera
Playa d’Illetes, Formentera

Ibiza has entertainment for the entire family, it is not only a party island as we discovered and it is very much controlled, clean, organized, and safe. Beautiful turquoise water beaches to enjoy the day with water activities for everyone, historic places to visit, boat tours, delicious food, and anything you can think of when you think of an island vacation.

Some of the activities we recommend doing while in Ibiza:

Take the ferry to Formentera for $30 (both ways).

Take a boat tour around the island for around $40 per person.

Check out one of the sunset cafes, including the famous Cafe Mambo or Cafe Del Mar. For these two places you don’t need to go in during the sunset times as it could be quite expensive (minimum $70 consumption per person). Instead, go to one of the many stores around to get some drinks, snacks, get a blanket and enjoy the music with your friends sitting by the beach. You will have an awesome time and better yet, one of the most beautiful sunsets you’ve ever seen.

Watch as many sunsets as you possibly can, they are some of the best sunsets we have seen.

Visit the old historic town. Remember your comfy shoes.

For our daily adventures see our highlights of Ibiza in Instagram/Facbook @everywhereabroad.

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