Greece 2016 Trip Report: Day 2 (Athens)

September 24, 2016

Woke up at 7:30 am and had breakfast on the rooftop of Athens Gate Hotel. I really do love how central this hotel seem to be to everything! In addition to the Acropolis, other ruins/attractions are nearby within a 15-20 min. walk as well as windy pedestrian-only streets full of shops and restaurants.

After eating, went to the Acropolis Museum. This weekend is the last weekend in September, and its known as the European Heritage Days so most museums are for free, including the Acropolis (which is 20 euros). However, glad we went to the Acropolis yesterday at 5 pm. It wasn't that crowded at all. Today we saw hordes of tourists heading over at 11 am (though at 9 am it was pretty dead). The museum, which is along the path to the Acropolis, also offers free admission today (Saturday) but only from 5 pm-8 pm and all day tomorrow but we're busy at these time so we paid the 5 euro admission per person to get in. The museum showcases excavations from centuries ago. It was pretty cool and worth checking out for a couple of hours.

Lego replica of the Parthenon. Apparently Gandalf hung out with the Greeks too.

Afterwards we walked around the winding streets of Plaka where there's a ton of touristy shops and restaurants. Had a freshly made juice at Novagea. Loved it!! They blend fruits and veggies into a juice or smoothie for you. If you get a fruit or veggie juice, they hand you a glass to place in front of a tap faucet in front of the juice bar and you watch the juice pour out as they pummel the ingredients into the blender. Highly recommend this place if you're nearby.

I can see why people say two days in Athens is enough. I was pretty done after seeing Acropolis. However we went to check out Ancient Agora of Athens since we knew admission was free due to the holiday. It was nice but when you see one structure with marble columns, you've kind of seen it all.

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Where democracy thrived, at Ancient Agora of Athens

Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon

We were done and back at the hotel at 2 pm for a much needed rest. At 4:30 pm, we were then picked up by PK Travel for a private tour to Cape Sounion to see the sunset at the Temple of Poseidon. I chose PK Travel because the price difference between a private hire vs. going on a bus full of people was less than 10 euros. We were picked up in a nice big van with comfortable seats and headed 1 hr and 15 min down to southern Athens. The drive by the coastline was very pretty (didn't get to take pics since I sat on the left side instead of the right) and we stopped for dinner right before reaching the Temple. The driver basically gives you options where to eat and it's not like you can do any research beforehand so we just went along with whatever he suggested. Dinner was decent, have no idea what the name of the place is but we had lovely views of the Temple and the sea.

Fresh grilled fish (tasty), fried cod (ehh was too salty and dry for me), and fresh mussels (meaty and good)

Sunsets in late September are around 7:20 pm

All in all, this was a quick and easy day trip outside of the city of Athens. Was it worth it? I think so if you love chasing sunsets like I do and the color of the Aegean Sea was a beautiful blue. Our tour cost $160 euros for three people. We tipped the driver $20 so it's about 60 euros pp. I am pretty sure the bus tours charge between 53-58 pp depending on which one you look into. Also, you can skip dinner if you want. It's totally optional since it's not included in the price (our dinner ended up costing about 54 euros total).

By the time we got back to Athens, it was close to 9 pm. Ready to move on to the Greek islands tomorrow!

Greece 2016 Trip Report: Day 1 (Athens)

September 23, 2016

I'm on vacaaaation! After a few super busy weeks of work, I am finally on holiday and trying to soak up every minute that I can. With that being said, I'm also gonna try my best to re-cap my trip experiences while I'm here because I know I'm going to be too lazy to write about a 16 day vacation later after I get home! So here goes:

Arriving into Greece

Flew from JFK on an 8 hr+ overnight flight with Delta. Left at 5:45 pm and arrived closed to 10 am (3 am EDT). The dinner on the plane was surprisingly good (chicken with pesto mashed potatoes and some pasta) and the flight crew even handed out hot wet towels! When did Delta step up their game?? I brought sleeping pills with me and was able to pass out most of the flight but was still tired when the plane landed.

Going thru customs was super easy!!!!! Like what the hell? No immigration forms or questioning at all! Just show your passport, get it stamped and off to baggage claim you go. They don't ask you to declare anything! Even when you leave baggage claim, there are zero people asking anything. Not that I want to be held up with questions but I don't know. With all going on in the world, I expected some more security...

Before leaving baggage claim, I stopped by the ATM to get cash. I heard many places take cash only but so far in Athens, the only thing I've paid cash for is the taxi! But maybe when I'm out of the city it'll be different.

Taxi to the city center is a flat rate of 38 euros. I thought the taxi driver would automatically know where the hotel I'm staying at was but he had no clue. Thank goodness I have international service on my phone and showed him on my GPS. He didn't speak English or have GPS and even after he called his company for directions (since my phone wasn't getting great signals), he dropped me off at the wrong place! But he was off by just a block so I wheeled myself over.

Where to Stay

Since I was only going to be in Athens for two nights, I decided to stay close to where the main attractions are and also at a place that's comfortable but on an upper scale side. The Athens Gate Hotel totally meets this criteria. Located right in the heart of everything, it's a great place to base yourself. And check out the view from my balcony! I don't even need to visit the Temple of Zeus because I think the best view is from my room!

All the hotels around here all seem to have rooftop bars/restaurants as well. This is the one at my hotel:

First of many sunset obsession pictures to come

Where to Eat

Had two good meals today

1) Avocado Cafe. Vegetarian friendly spot near the hotel. Quality fresh food and decent prices. Casual and gives off a hipster vibe. They also offer yoga and Pilates classes. Tried the hummus with avocado (ok), caprese sandwich (good) and the mushroom burger (also good, different than other ones I've had).

2) Oroscopo. About 7 euros away from the hotel by taxi or 4 by Uber (took an Uber back). Food was huge portions and for the most part, delicious! Wasn't a fan of the table bread they give you but the complimentary leek soup and three different pieces of cake for dessert at the end was good. I had the Ionian seabass which was light and tasty with steamed veggies. Travel partners had Greek short ribs (so good) and other had a baked chicken dish, also very tender and flavorful. Would recommend to others.

What to See (on limited time and when jet lagged)

Decided to walk up the Acropolis in the late afternoon to avoid massive tourist crowds and the heat. The hotel is super close to it, by about 5-10 min. to the entrance. Note there are two entrances and you should take the second one for more direct access up to the Parthenon. You'll be missing seeing this theatre but think you'll survive.

Also since we were going up late in the day, we skipped the new Acropolis museum to save it for tomorrow instead. I didn't want to wake up too early and rush thru breakfast to get to the Parthenon so this is why I jammed it into today. Glad I didn't because it's not as big or tough as I thought it was to get up there. There really are marble floors and walkways though so wear shoes with grip on them! Otherwise you might be sliding around.

So I left the hotel at 4 and by the time I walked over, bought entrance fee (20 euros) and got up there, it was close to 5 pm. I think late Sept. is a good time to go because there wasn't as many people as I expected. Finished walking around up there and by the time I was done, it was just after 6 pm. It was enjoyable with wonderful panoramic views of the city all around.

May 2016 Trip Report: Copenhagen, Denmark

June 25, 2016

This past Memorial Day weekend (the last weekend in May in the U.S.) I decided to spend it solo in Copenhagen, Denmark. There was a fairly good deal from SAS Airlines. For a non-stop direct flight from Newark airport, roundtrip airfare was just under $700 USD. On top of that, the flight schedule was great--I flew out on a Wednesday at around 5:30 pm and arrived in Copenhagen at 7:15 am. My flight home was the following Monday at 6:35 pm, arriving back in Newark airport at 9 pm. This allowed me 5 full days to spend there. I usually never fly out of Newark but now that Uber offers ride sharing, it's actually affordable to get to. Through rideshare, my Uber fare was $38, and I did not have to pay extra for toll! JFK is so much more expensive.

Copenhagen is an excellent place to spend a few days on your own, or with someone else. There is SO MUCH TO DO THERE. I did not anticipate this. I was not bored for one second, and I was generally out and about the whole entire day, getting back at midnight almost every day. Sometimes when I travel alone, of course you wish you had someone to talk to or share the experience with, but I was really glad not to have anyone to cater to or organize my plans with. There were so many restaurants I wanted to try and places I wanted to tour, and I know I tend to be a bit overbearing in wanting to do everything and see everything so I was a bit relieved to go at whatever pace I wanted.

What I Love About Copenhagen

As I mentioned before, there is so much for everyone--whether you're a foodie, love art, history, nature, shopping, activities. I can't imagine anyone getting bored here unless you care nothing for beauty or culture.
It's very easy to navigate and super clean! In fact, Copenhagen reminded me of a European version of Japan. If you've ever been to Japan, you'll know what I mean. Public transit is very easy to follow and public restrooms were so well kept. I was surprised at how many public restrooms were easily accessible and some had attendants who made sure they were kept clean and safe. Being a New Yorker, this is pretty much a luxury I'm not used to.
There is a plethora of different neighborhoods and areas. I definitely did not see it all but many places had their own charm and character.
Highlights for me was visiting Kronborg castle (which inspired Shakespeare's Hamlet), the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, taking a boat tour on the canal, Paper Island, and exploring the parks.

But...

It's really expensive to eat out.
Food for me was a hit or miss. For the most part, you can tell their ingredients are local and fresh but I think Scandinavian food tends to have some pickly taste to it that I'm not a fan of. So certain meals/dishes I didn't enjoy much due to this flavor, but I did find some places that I thought were good.
Hotels are also really expensive. Definitely try to do Air Bnb! I stayed in the Norreboro area which was great, it was easy to get anywhere else in the city (especially to the airport). The lovely couple who rent out the guest room are friendly and the place is just as described online.

Overall Impressions & Tips

Five days is enough to see everything and squeeze in a day trip. See my itinerary below for suggestions.
Go in May or June, when the weather is warm, many sunshine hours, and before it's peak tourist season.
Get a 24 hour metro card for at least a couple of days--especially for the day you arrive, so you can use it on the train to the city from the airport. It's worth it if you just use it at least 3-4x to get around the city, and it works on the water taxis on the canal. All you need to do is show it to the bus/water taxi driver and whoever might be checking on the train (and they do check!). I definitely got tired from walking around so much and getting on the bus was a relief at times. I bought a 24 hour metro card pass for the day trip to Kronborg and Louisiana as well, this is a slightly different pass (I think you pick you want it for all zones, Copenhagen is just zones 1-3).
If you choose to do a day trip while you're here, do it on a Sunday, when most shops are closed anyway. I went to Kronborg and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art on a Sunday. They are both on the same train route and you can easily see both in a single day.
Sweden is super close! I didn't get to go, but the nearest city is about an hour away by train. Bring your passport if you decide to visit.

Sunset at 10 pm at Amass, a farm-to-table restaurant

My 5 Day Itinerary

The Quick Version:

Day 1: Landed at around 7 am. Got into the Air Bnb by 9 am. Walked around Christiania, Paper Island, Opera House, Nyhavn market, took a canal tour, dinner at Amass.
Day 2: Breakfast at Torvehallerne Market (many food vendors here), visited Rosenborg Castle, saw the changing of the guard at noon at Amalienborg Palace (where the Danish royal family lives), went to the top of the tower at Christiansborg Palace (free, panoramic views of the city), went to Tivoli Gardens, had a drink at a great cocktail place called Curfew, and had dinner at Radio.
Day 3: Lunch at Fiskebar, shopping around Strøget street, dinner on Paper Island.
Day 4: Visited Kronborg Castle and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Dinner at Oysters & Grill.
Day 5: Last minute shopping and lunch at Grod, snack at Joe and the Juice. Left for the airport at 3:30 pm.

I will expand more in upcoming posts!

March 2016 Trip Report: Cartagena, Colombia

April 23, 2016

South America is a place I've only skimmed the surface of. Whenever I travel, I usually prefer to go to Europe or Asia but lately I've asked myself while I haven't spent more time down there.

Graffiti art in the Getsemani neighborhood of Cartagena

Given that I have a full time job in finance, it's hard for me to take too much time off every year (I am allotted 15 days of vacation time a year) so I try to take trips around holiday weekends to maximize time off. I was a bit hesitant to go to Colombia alone, but I was craving to go somewhere culturally different and easy to get to from NYC and easy to get around once I was there. Cartagena definitely met my expectations!

Is it safe traveling there alone as a woman? It is. Of course you should keep your wits about you and do some research so you know what to expect. Be sensible of your surroundings and have a basic understanding of the culture and rules. For example, one thing I read about Colombia before I left is that everyone, including tourists, need to have some sort of identification with them at all times.

It's also very helpful if you know some Spanish. Mine is terrible and I tried to brush up on it by watching the Netflix series Narcos. Narcos is an amazing show about Colombia's most notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar. Whether you know or don't know anything about him, the show (which has only 1 season out so far) is entertaining and you will definitely learn quite a bit about Colombia's history, politics, and drug trade. Knowing Spanish or not won't make or break your trip, though it would be helpful.

So!

Why I Went to Cartagena, Colombia

It's easy to get to. JetBlue flies there direct from JFK and you will get there in under 5 hours. While Cartagena is in the same time zone as NY, they don't observe daylight savings time so there might be a time difference based on when you go. I went over Easter weekend, which was after daylight savings time in NY, and gained an hour when I arrived (since they don't spring forward).
Met my criteria of being out of comfort zone (meaning, not being in the U.S or a developed country)
Met my criteria of being easy to get around. Cartagena is a really small city, but there is lots to do in the outer areas. I stuck mostly to staying in and around the Old City because I just didn't have the time to research and go further out.
It's super cheap there! When I went, the exchange rate was $100 USD = $300,000 pesos. A taxi ride from the airport to the city, which is about 15 minutes, cost around $8,000 pesos, which is like $3 USD.

Overall Impressions

Go if you're also looking for a quick/easy trip and you can fly there direct. However, be warned that you don't really need more than two days in Cartagena itself. You can see the whole city in a day and a half. If you want to do more and go for 5 days, then definitely do a day and/or overnight trip out to the Rosario Islands. I didn't do this but wish I had. I just didn't have time to plan it.
Don't expect a lot when it comes to food. Food wasn't terrible, but nothing was memorable either.
People are generally friendly, but again, you do have to be careful where you go. The Walled City and Getsemani were generally safe, but can't speak to any area outside of this.
Five days is more than enough if you're just doing Cartagena. I'll discuss my itinerary in upcoming posts!