Off to Paris for $240 Roundtrip

 

You read that right!!!!!  I am not lying nor am I kidding.  I just scored tickets for me, my daughter, my niece and my mom.....all for $240 round trip. 

Now I've told you all on a previous post about one of the ways that I'm able to get great flights. This is by using Scotts cheap flights aka GOING. I've even given you guys my referral code .  Have you signed up yet? 👀 Well after this deal, you may be kicking yourself and saying, let me go ahead and sign up. I'm going to drop the link again for my referral. (https://goingwith.me/rdmap32d) It is only $50 a year, but as you can see, it is well worth the price.

So today I was feeling a little sad. I will admit I was feeling a little down, so I decided to check my email. The first email that I saw was an email from GOING aka Scott. The email said that they have a mistake fair to Paris for $240. I immediately started calling people that I knew had Paris on their bucket list. I asked my daughter if she wanted to go. She was like what...of course I do. Say Less! I called my mom and asked if she wanted to go. My mom was like well of course.  And then I asked my niece because previously my niece requested that I let her know wherever I was going ... so she could go to.  So, when my sister called my niece to see if she wanted to go, she couldn't get it out her mouth before my niece was like heck yeah! The flight is through American Airlines, so I am holding my breath and praying for a great experience. But overall I'm excited. 

My email from GOING

So essentially, I was able to book four tickets, round trip, from the United States to Paris for $240. 😁

Top 5 countries with the BEST food

Okay. So, here's the thing about your girl. I like to eat. 😊Yeah, I'm a big foodie.  Actually, it's one of my requirements for rating a place as good, bad or indifferent. Your country or city has to have good food in order for me to recommend fellow travelers to visit. You can be beautiful with great adventures but if the food is trash, I can't return ... nor can I recommend you. Yes, I'm looking at you Barbados. 😒 So here are my top five countries with the best food. 

1. Costa Rica

Oh my God. Costa Rica is such a vibe. But more importantly, the food is so good.  I have never had a bad meal in Costa Rica. I've been to Costa Rica twice; the first time that I went I wasn't too happy with the country. However, although I wasn't that happy with the country, I was always happy with the food. The food was so good that it made me overlook a lot of things and return to Costa Rica again a mere three months later with my daughter. Even my daughter proclaimed that the food was "bussin". 😂 The rice and beans are hands down the best rice and bean on the planet ... sorry Jamaica.  You cannot have a bad meal in Costa Rica. I would go back to Costa Rica just to eat. I would LIVE in Costa Rica just to eat. Such good food 

2. Kenya. 

I took my friend with me to Kenya so she can vouch for me when I say this..... the food in Kenya is delicious! Now I feel like I have to make a disclaimer here because we went to two different parts of Kenya and only one part had amazing food. We went to Nairobi for like 4-5 days and then we went to Mombasa for two days. So, when I say the food in Kenya is the bomb, please know that I am talking about the food in Nairobi. I did not care for the food in Mombasa at all.  Every restaurant that we went to in Nairobi was good. The franchise coffee market? GOOD! The hole in the wall joint? GREAT!  One night we stayed in and ordered from Uber eats and that was even AHMAZING! It was just a burger place but hands down they had the best burgers I've ever had in my life. My friend agreed and til this day we still drool and talk about those burgers. Just amazing. Amazing food. Just like Costa Rica, I'll go back to Kenya just to eat. Matter of fact, I have been looking for a Kenyan restaurant in the United States because there are so many different African restaurants that are Ethiopian, West African. etc Unfortunately I haven't found any yet and it makes me sad because if a Kenyan restaurant was to open in the United States, I would be their number one guest.  

3 Jamaica 

Of course, Jamaica is going to be on the list. I mean, come on, it's Jamaica!  I think I eat Jamaican food the most growing up in South Florida, so I am familiar with the cuisine. However, one thing that I do want to discuss about Jamaica is the Devon House. It is located in Kingston, Jamaica and worth a visit. The food here is divine. While there I decided to be adventurous and order a Curry goat patty. This is only sold at the Devon House ... trust me I have searched high and low. You're not going to find this anywhere else in the world. Well, baby, let me tell you, it was the most delicious patty that I've ever had in my life. I've had dreams about that patty ok.  I want to go back to Jamaica for no other reason but to go to Kingston, go to the Devon House, and have that patty with a side of lemonade. Just delicious!

4. Aruba 

Believe it or not, I really like the food in Aruba. Aruba is a vibe. They have a variety of different cuisines so there is something for everyone. They have Trinidad, Jamaican, and Dutch restaurants. All of it was yummy. I ate at Big Mama's Grill on Baby Beach which is a Jamaican restaurant and O'Neill's near the red-light district. O'Neills is just perfection.  I can honestly and without hesitation say that O'Neill's has the best Jamaican food that I've ever had in my life.  Even better than the food that I had in Jamaica. Sorry, Jamaica again.  O'Neill's is also the place that got me addicted to jerk pork.  Since coming back home to United States, I've tried several times to find a place that had jerk pork, and it just doesn't taste the same. So, yeah, I would love to go back to Aruba just to eat at O'Neills. Also, they're Dutch pancakes were very, very delicious. 

5. Brazil

Last but not least, coming in at number five is the country with the best food. The title is going to Brazil.  I mean, Brazil, Costa Rica and Kenya are just like my favorites and if I had to just pick one, I wouldn't be able to do it. 

But Brazil has amazing food. What I like the most about the food in Brazil is that not only did it taste amazing, but it was very affordable with huge portions. One time I ordered this seafood soup, and it was enough for me and my friend..... with leftovers bih! It was also very cost effective. We went out for my birthday dinner, and I remember just ordering like a ton of different items. I just kept ordering and ordering....and then it came up to like $50 in United States dollars. So yeah, Brazil is definitely recommended. Also, I had the BEST churro that I have ever had in my life (I swear I'm not lying) in Brazil for only 1 USD. 

So, here's my list top five countries with the best food. What would you add? What are you surprised by? Let me know.

You asked, I answered: How do you decide where to go?

I get asked so many questions via dms and in person. Traveling is deemed as a complicated task and people always wonder why I do it, how I do it, and more importantly how I afford it on a teacher's salary.  So, I decided to take the questions that I'm asked and turn them into posts. First up .... "How do you decide where to go?"

Recently I was at the airport preparing to take a flight to Seattle when my niece asked me "Auntie, why would you go to Seattle?" Before I could answer, she followed up this question with another one "Auntie, like, how do you find these places to go?"

So that brings me to my first question post "How do you decide where to go? 

To answer this, I must go back in time to when I was a little girl.  I had dreams of being a traveler. I would write down all these places that I wanted to go.... Egypt, Brazil, Venezuela, Paris. I never thought I would go but I always kept the list .... mentally. When I finally became an adult and I started to travel I transferred that list from my memories to paper in a notebook. I also wrote down things that I wanted to experience like seeing a WNBA game or swimming with the dolphin. 

Swimming with dolphins in Jamaica

I wrote all these things down in a notebook and once I started traveling, I started marking things off the list. When I travel, I use a plethora of different platforms. I'm going to blog about this later too; how to travel on a budget because a lot of people ask me about that too. One of the platforms that I use is called Scotts Cheap Flights (now called GOING 😒).  I receive daily emails about flights that are on sale. If something from my list pops up, I book the flight. For example, I got an email saying that they had a round trip plane ticket to Egypt from Miami for $500. I booked that thing so fast. 

Same thing happened a couple of months later.  I received an email saying tickets Kenya were on sale for $700. Once again, I jumped on it because this was a steal! Normally it's like $1600 to go to Kenya. 

Me at Giraffe Manor in Kenya

Once I go somewhere, you would think my list would get smaller as I'm achieving all of these things because I've been to so many places on my list and I've experienced so many things on my list. But nooooo. Here's the thing about traveling...... The more you go out in the world, the more you want to see! The more you want to do. 

So, while I'm traveling, I'll write down something else that I would like to do and add it to my list. Or I will think of a new place and will write it down. I just keep adding stuff because a lot of the things that I added as a child, have been fulfilled.  So, my list never dwindles down ... if anything it keeps expanding. I have enough items to last me a lifetime. And so, the cycle continues ... I add to the list and whenever something comes on sale, I check to see if it's on my list. And if it's on my list, then I go. 

So, to answer my niece, Seattle is on my list because of the space needle, its proximity to Alaska and just because 🤷. Seattle is normally pretty pricey from Florida, but this summer they had a major sale. So I jumped on that bad boy. I also noticed that an experience (see the Las Vegas Aces) lined up with going to Seattle so I was able to mark off 2 states, 2 cities and 2 experiences with one trip. I ended going from Orlando to Seattle to Phoenix back to Orlando for $300. Can you say STEAL!

Me at the Las Vegas Aces game 

So yeah, that is how I decide where I'm going to go. I highly advise everyone, regardless of age, to make a list of places that you would like to travel to. My daughter is only 10 years old, and she already has a list ... and she has marked off several spots. If you would like to join Scott's Cheap Flights (now GOING 😒) here is my referral code . It's $50 for the year but it's totally worth it. 

Now what will you add to your list? 

Exploring Mexico: Adventures, Experiences and Discoveries

Mexico is one of the most notorious destinations for travelers from the US. If you ask a novice traveler to name an international destination that they would like to visit, 9 times out of 10 they will probably say Mexico. This was the case with my niece. When given the opportunity to visit Germany, Canada or the Dominican Republic, she picked Mexico for her graduation celebration. Although I have been to Mexico before, I did not hesitate to book our tickets and go again because there is so much to do in Mexico. So here is my guide to exploring Mexico ... there's something for everyone so let's go ....

1. Experience Chicken Itza 

If you have ever learned about the Mayans in school, then you know that they are an interesting people. This is made evident by Chicken Itza which is a large Pre-Colombia built city. Yes, Chicken Itza is a city. The pyramid that most people associate with Chicken Itza is actually just one of the temples located within the ancient city.  The site is located about 2 to three hours away from Cancun. The entrance fee is $30 USD. You can find several tour companies offering tours to Chicken Itza. However, I must warn you, it is very touristy. I was kind of taken back by how touristy it was in comparison to other world wonders that I have visited. However, if you are a historian, a world wonder collector or someone who likes to experience new things, try out Chicken Itza. 

2. Seek thrills at an adventure park

Adventure is the word in Mexico, and they have several parks and tours dedicated to the word. Whether it's ziplining or riding an atv through the jungle, you're sure to find it in Playa Del Carmen which is about 45 minutes from Cancun. Most of the tours include ziplining and riding on an atv in addition to things like horseback riding and a water activity. Bring your courage with you. 😁. Also bring clothes that you don't mind getting dirty, a positive attitude and a camera. 

3. Walk down 5th Avenue

There are some streets that I just love .... the strip in Vegas, Bourbon Street in New Orleans .... and 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen. 5th Avenue is just a good time. It's full of restaurants, alcohol, clubs, and etc. The infamous Coco Bongo is on 5th Avenue in addition to several beach clubs.  Anything that you want can be found on 5th Ave.  Seriously! My niece wanted to pose with exotic animals and guess where we found them? 5th Avenue.  This is by far one of my favorite things to do in Mexico.  You can spend as little or as much time that you would like there because there's an endless number of things that you can do and see. 

4. Discover Tequila 

Tequila and Mexico go together like peanut butter and jelly and it's just as common as the beloved sandwich since the alcohol originated in Mexico.  Everywhere you go you can find a tequila tasting. Of course, they would like for you to buy the product, but I made it known beforehand that I was not interested. Therefore, I took my 3-4 shots of delicious flavored and unflavored tequila and went about my merry way. Before visiting Mexico, I was not a huge tequila fan and could not do a shot to save my life. 😄 Visiting the tequila museum in Mexico changed all of that.  Many of the tours for Chicken Itza, the cenotes and even the adventure tours consist of a tequila tasting. So, drink up!

5. Visit the Frida Kahlo Museum

Ok so I can admit that I am a little biased on this one. I am a huge Frida Kahlo fan. I was so surprised to see that she has a small museum in Playa Del Carmen because she is originally from Mexico City. However, upon traveling around I have found that Frida is a national icon. Souvenirs barring her image and likeness can be found all over Central America. The first time I went to Mexico, the museum was closed down due to Covid. I was excited to see the doors open the second time I visited. I highly recommend it to art lovers and Frida Kahlo enthusiasts. 

6. Smile at the 3d Museum of Wonders

Maybe it's a rainy day or maybe it's just too hot outside (it was 104 the last time I went to Mexico) and you need to find something to do inside. I recommend visiting the 3d Museum, The first time I went to Mexico, the Frida Kahlo Museum was closed and I was trying to find something to do because the rest of my party was at the beach.  So I went around the corner to the 3D Museum. I really did not know what to expect. I just wanted to get out of the heat 😄It was so amazing experience.  I received so many compliments about the pictures.  A worker walks around with you helping you to take the best pictures possible. I laughed and stared in awe at the 50 pictures in my phone. Check them out!

7. Shop at a mercado

Mercado is Spanish for market and while they can be found in any Spanish speaking country, I love the ones in Mexico. Mercado 28 is one of the biggest mercados with a variety of vendors, tequila shops and food spots. It's the perfect place to walk around and purchase unique souvenirs or grab an authentic bite to eat. You can easily spend a couple of hours there as the people are friendly and there is so much to see and do. Wear comfortable shoes 😊

8. Experience a Photoshoot 

I did my first professional photoshoot in Mexico. We traveled to Tulum to seek out Instagram-able locations. The shoot cost about $100. Recently I traveled back to Mexico and saw several photoshoots offered for Holbox and Playa del Carmen for a mere $40. A photoshoot is a great way to find the beautiful spots of a country and see things that you probably otherwise wouldn't have seen. 

                 

9. Swim with animals

Remember when I told you that Mexico loves adventures. Well adventures don't stop with atvs and ziplining. There are a variety of animals that you can swim with in Mexico. The one that blew my mind away was the whale sharks. Listen I'm adventurous but I can admit that I'm not that adventurous 😄. If you're like me and whales are a bit too big, don't worry. They also have snorkeling with sea turtles in addition to swimming with dolphins. The prices range from $35 USD to $150 USD depending on the animal. If that is up your alley, then Mexico is the perfect place for you.

10. Explore cenotes 

A cenote is a natural pit or sinkhole that exposes underground water. Basically, it's a natural pool that you can swim in. There are several cenotes found all over Mexico and no two cenotes look the same in my opinion. Some of them are very small and localized... meaning that they are spots that the locals go to relax and swim in. While some of them are a little more advanced and more touristy. I can admit that in this instance I do like the touristy ones better because they are safer to get to and leave out from. However, they are all beautiful no matter which one you decide to visit. 

Out of all of the experiences, which ones are your favorite? Which ones have you done? Which ones would you like to do? Let me know.