The Hidden Jewel of Central America

So my apologies... it's been ages since I've had time to sit down and just blog about my summer. If you have me on facebook or instagram, you would know I had a craaaazy summer! So let's start off with one of my favorite destinations this summer.... Nicaragua. This place is known as a hidden treasure of Central America because it is still relatively unknown to travellers. It's a beautiful country that has a very rich history that tourists should definitely learn about.

Well my family and I travelled to about 3 different parts of Central America and I must say Nicaragua was my favourite. The people were so friendly and the place is so cheap! Since there aren't many tourists there, it was nice to enjoy a destination without an insane amount of people running around everywhere. We also had the sweetest guide, Hulio, who was so smart and extremely kind.

When we arrived from the airport, our tour guide took us to the Plaza de Revolution in Managua. It's just a massive open space and since it was a Sunday, we were the only people there. It was a really hot day and very quiet so it was nice just to walk around and explore without people disturbing us.

A chapel that was destroyed in one of the worst earthquakes that hit the country about 20 years ago... You can't go into the church as it's all closed due to it falling apart. The funny thing was that everything was destroyed except the church bell. It still rings to this day!

After a day of sightseeing, we drove up to León which is north west of Managua. It's also the second largest city in Nicaragua. We stayed in the Hotel La Perla which was a lovely colonial building surrounded with statues of lions. The hotel had a beautiful courtyard in the middle where tourists could enjoy some delicious meals and cocktails. 

Since our hotel was very close to the city center, we walked everywhere! It was pretty safe, just a lot of large lorries and buses that didn't really stop for people to cross the road.. so you just had to be careful! It's difficult to communicate with the people as they only speak Spanish but they helped us to the best of their abilities and are extremely friendly! 

There's a lot of street art around the city! Some of the street art we saw tells of the Turbulent story of Nicaragua's past and it's struggle for independence. Much of the art is so detailed and vibrant! 

Necessary family picture in front of one of the hundreds of churches in the city! I must admit, the one thing that we did not do a lot of was visit churches because there were just SO many! The square we're standing on in this picture is a huge open space with a couple of restaurants on the right side. We had dinner at this square one night and there was a huge group of people singing church songs and celebrating life. One of the coolest things I've ever seen!

The best thing about Nicaragua was HOW INSANELY CHEAP THE ALCOHOL IS! My sister and I were so shocked at the fact that we could get a beer for $1.50!!!  That's  is an absolute rip off.. not that I'm complaining! 

This was one of the many volcanoes that we saw in Nicaragua! There's an active volcano and Lake Nicaragua right behind us in the above photo! I mean how cool is an active volcano?! Scary but insanely cool! Especially when we got the chance to walk around and look into an active one! 

Granada, Nicaragua, is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited! It's the 5th largest city in Nicaragua and the one with the most tourists since it's about a 2 hour drive to the border with Costa Rica! We stayed in the beautiful Hotel Plaza de Colon which was smack bang in the middle of the city and walking distance to the bar and restaurant street! We spent 3 days there and really enjoyed walking around the city! The city is not that big and relatively safe. We were told not to go down certain streets during the day/night as it could be of danger but as long as you listen to your tour guide, you'll be okay! My sister and I went out one night to a bar and the whole street is just surrounded with tourists so we felt pretty safe!

The houses were all pretty small and simple but they were SO colorful! Each house was painted a different color which gave streets variety and were great to look at!

One of the coolest activities that we got to partake in was making our very own chocolate! We got to grind the beans and make all different types of flavours while learning the process!

Nicaragua, you are one extremely beautiful country and we had an awesome time. We cannot wait to go back and see how you will develop in times to come!

The Capital of US of A

Okay so I know I've been a bit MIA on my blogs but it's because I've just embarked on a 3 week journey to USA, Central America and Southern Caribbean. I am currently in Washington DC and I've fallen in love with the city.

So I've traveled to many different parts of the US but I've never been to Washington DC till this trip. This city is possibly one of the nicest cities I've been to in the US.

My family and I are staying at the Fairmont in Georgetown. It's a really lovely neighborhood and super safe as well. Yesterday, we walked around Georgetown and tried to explore the place. Georgetown is like a small little town with lovely shops and restaurants. It was absolutely adorable! The atmosphere was great, on the sidewalk people were playing music and dancing. We also had a peek into a Nike Store and they had shut down the whole store for a mega workout session so there were people on the street doing workout and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. There were some great boutique stores and of course the more known brands like BCBG, American Apparel, Aldo etc. It's also SO green so it's really nice to run outside!

Okay so one of the reasons why I really really wanted to go to DC was to see the famous Lincoln Memorial. I didn't really know what to expect because I had only seen the memorial in pictures but I remember the minute we got off our tour bus my mouth literally just hung open. The memorial is so marvelous. It's just so so beautiful and as I didn't know what to expect, I was even more surprised. On the rims on the building, there are the 36 states that Lincoln ran during his time as President. They're engraved on the sides of the building. The structure itself is very impressive. It's fairly large and is surrounded by grass and has a perfect view on the National Mall. The best thing about visiting the memorial in the morning is that there aren't very many people so great photo opportunities!

My dad and I in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

The statue of Abraham Lincoln is incredibly stunning. The statue is HUGE and I actually expected it to be tiny so I was very happy that it was really big like in the movies! I really wanted to sit on his lap but there's a fence around him so you can't really do that :( The statue is very detailed and in my opinion it really resembles him. I could just stand there for ages gazing at this statue because it was just so surreal that I was standing in front of it.

Finally got a picture in front of Abraham Lincoln!

The view from the top of the Lincoln Memorial.

There it is... the famous White House! We were actually on a bus when I took this photo. You can't really go very close to the building. Today, I ran all the way from Georgetown to the White House and since I was on foot and not in a bus, I could at least stand by the fence and take a peek. It looks pretty much like how it's been portrayed to the public but what really fascinates me is the past and the present residence of The White House. It's crazy to think that so many important American Presidents once called The White House their home.

The famous Capitol building can be seen pretty much from every direction if you're walking down the National Mall. We didn't have much time to take a look at it today but it's the first thing I'm going to do tomorrow and then I'll let you know how it is inside. :)

America is so patriotic!

Smithsonian Institution is one of the most famous museum institutions in the whole world, especially the National Air and Space Museum! I've always wanted to take a look in the museum but I really never thought I'd ever have the opportunity, till today! The National Air and Space Museum is something I've never seen in my life. It's HUGE and so informative. I personally LOVE museums so it was my paradise and I had so much fun! The National Air and Space Museum was also featured the Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

Okay, that's all for today! Can't wait to explore Washington DC again tomorrow!

Cigars and Rum... Mmmmmm

Ok so another cool place I've been to has to be Havana, Cuba. Actually this is possibly one of the coolest cities I've ever been visited. Havana is somewhat hard to reach so there are not a lot of tourist visiting which is really nice because there's more places to explore without being crowded by other tourist. The city is absolutely beautiful! It was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of it's history and old architecture.

Honestly I was a bit nervous when visiting the first time because I really had no idea what to expect. I was told not to expect a whole lot in regards to accommodation and food but to expect that the country is an absolute dream.

Rum and Cigars... MMMMM. Cuban rum is... AMAZING. Well I think when someone mentions Cuba to me, the first thing I think about is rum and cigars. There's a lot more to Cuba then just rum and cigars but for now let's just focus on this. They sell Havana Club EVERYWHERE and it sure it delicious! The Havana Club factory/museum was right next to the hotel we stayed so it was pretty convenient to have a drink once in a while ;) I also had NO IDEA that mojitos where from Cuba and they taste good everywhere that you order them! So cigars were a huge part of our trip because I think the main reason why my dad wanted to go to Cuba was because of cigars! My dad collects/smokes cigars so this was basically his heaven. The most awesome thing about this place was that you could smoke cigars EVERYWHERE and people wouldn't be irritated about the smell of the cigar (in Singapore, my dad gets complaints and weird glares about the cigar smoke). Also pretty much everyone is smoking cigars so it's like a bonding experience!

So as I said above, everyone pretty much smokes cigars, even the ladies :) We were walking down a small alley way and saw these lovely ladies singing, playing instruments and smoking cigars. They were just joyful dancing around and enjoying each other's company. As Cuba is so called "communist", the people don't have much and it's very clear as I noticed it during my 10 day stay. People aren't wealthy but they pretty much love life. From what I observed, their lives didn't look glamorous or easy but they made the best out of it. We witness people just dancing and singing everywhere and everyone was just so friendly. It made me so happy to see how people who don't have a whole lot, make their lives so meaningful.

Coolest part about Havana/Cuba? THE OLD CARS! My dad had been to Cuba about 30 years ago and he kept going on and on about how they have really old cars but somehow I didn't believe him... We got out of the airport and we were picked up by two really old old cars and it was possible the coolest ride of my life. There are old cars EVERYWHERE. I mentioned above that since Cuba isn't as wealthy as other nations and their communist status also plays a role in this, they don't really have all the newest technologies or in this case, the newest cars. This is what makes the country/city super duper unique. I felt like I was in the 60's/70's because there wasn't a single new car on the road. Made the experience so much more real.

Well there was bound to be a cigar smoking picture. Okay so we weren't actually smoking the cigars (as you can see, I have no idea what I'm doing) but it was a perfect photo opportunity. We were actually outside a cigar factory and thought we'd take this "awesome" picture! So if you go to Cuba, YOU MUST SMOKE A CIGAR.

So we did a lot of driving around the country and stopped by loads of little towns/villages and one thing that I spotted was that almost every place we stopped at there were people selling these beautiful paintings of Cuba. I actually bought a few and have them hung up at home. Most of these paintings were actually painted on wood and you can buy them in different sizes.

Well that's it for now! If you do visit Cuba, please do let me know because I'd love to hear about your adventures!

The City of Dreams

So it's about time I create a post about Ameeeeerica. I love the States, it's one of my favorite places to travel to. I especially love California. My family and I visit LA almost once a year. It's a great city. Every time I visit, I try to skip all the touristy activities and try to find places where more of the locals go to.

The Santa Monica Pier is a great place to visit anytime of the week. I love the pier because there is just so much to do! Of course it's a little touristic but there are some quiet spots along the pier and it's just so much fun to discover them. What I love to do in Santa Monica is just borrow a bike and ride along the pavement for ages. It's a great way to see the pier as well as doing some sports on the way! It's also possible to rent roller skates and just skate around.

The Santa Monica Pier has something for everyone. There's a theme park, an exercise park and even a small aquarium! There are also some nice restaurants along the beach and some stalls where you can just enjoy a drink and a ice cream!

My aunt, my sister and I actually came across Venice Beach on the way back from the airport. We had heard about it a couple of times and thought we'd check it out. Venice Beach is really different to Santa Monica Pier. It feels a lot more alive. There were people dancing on the side walk, playing music and singing. It felt a lot more real than the touristic Santa Monica Pier. There were many vendors selling clothes, shoes, jewelry and even people telling fortunes. Around Venice Beach there are some great little cafes and really nice boutique shops.

Hollywood and Highlands... Whenever I'm in LA, this is one of the places where I love to just grab a coffee and people watch. It is located in the heart of Hollywood and definitely a tourist attraction but somehow it's a really nice place to just chill and watch the world go by. There are tons of stores with famous brand names and it's right next to the Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The famous Kodak Theatre is located here (the Oscars are held every year at the Kodak Theatre). What I've discovered is if you go to the 3rd floor, you'll have an amazing view of the famous Hollywood Sign.

If it's your first time in LA, you'll have to visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Basically it's a pedestrian walkway full of stars with celebrities names on it. Also, if you visit the front of the Grauman Chinese Theatre, you'll see loads of handprints of famous celebrities. It's always really busy during the day so I'd advise you to visit it in the morning when there are less people!

So The Grove is another must see. I LOVE The Grove. It's basically an outdoor shopping arena with great restaurants and a Farmers Market. I've been to The Grove many times and I still never get bored of it. The shops are great and there's just a lot to do there. Sometimes, if you're lucky you'll see celebrities shopping around. From Monday to Friday "Extra" is being filmed on location at The Grove! If you don't know what "Extra" is, it's hosted by Mario Lopez and it's where he interviews celebrities and there are music performances.

The Farmers Market is great as well! My sister and I love walking around the market. There are lots of really cute shops and nice places to eat. I'd advise you, if you have a full day to spare, do spend it at The Grove/Farmers Market. You won't be disappointed!

If you like shopping, you'll love Rodeo Drive. Rodeo Drive is one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world but you'll still be able to find shops where you can shop reasonably! There not much that you can do here except shop, keep a look out for celebrities, and take really nice pictures outside the famous Beverly Wilshire (Pretty Women, Entourage).

Okay guys, that's all for now! I'll be visiting Washington DC next week so I can't wait to post about that! And thank you guys for checking out my blog!