Arrived here in Cape Town after a grueling 17 hour flight plus 7 more waiting in 2 airports. You know what that means for one's bad back. Completely zonked out in my sleep-deprived condition, Cape Town makes for a good introduction to South Africa. This lovely town is just what I expected and dreamed about. We breezed through immigration and felt welcomed as Table Mountain greeted us out of the airport. This iconic landmark makes its presence felt as soon as you breathe South African air. Not bad. Even as the sun fades, its beauty cannot be easily dismissed. url=https://marilil.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/into-south-africa-and-that-lovely-12-apostles-hotel-by-the-atlantic/The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa It was nearly dusk when we arrived at our hotel. I could have easily spent the next 2 days without stepping out of this luxurious hotel to catch up with my ... read more

I know, it's no big deal. But hey, I like how I feel now. Just got wind of it last week when I checked how my latest blog was doing in terms of hits. I must confess the countdown to 100,000 hits was exciting by itself. I never kept tab of how many countries I have visited. Should be nearly or slightly over 40 by now. I have not covered as much of the globe (and as luxuriously) as Pierre-Alexandre of Maisondubonheur nor gone on long hauls like Ben Beiske of LivingTheDream . I do not write half as good as Jason of aspiringnomad or Jonathan aka Vinovat Sudarynya . My blog entries were never as engaging yet comprehensive as Shane's of Travel Camel, and my... read more

A weekend in Barcelona. Semana Santa in Sevilla and Cordoba. They didn't come cheap, especially for babes from the Tropics where our currency struggles against the Euro. What's Cheap? When Westerners go RTW, their $, € or £ will go a long way in Asian countries. Not so with Asians (with the exception of the Japanese, maybe) on holiday with their hard-earned savings in local currency. In our case, we easily spend quadruple or more over what we would otherwise pay back home. Like a canned soda costs 4x what it costs from home. So it ain't easy to take off from my "nest" in Madrid without budgeting for it. Since transport and hotels take the lion's share of expenses, I lined up a few day trips from Madrid. Out in the morning or noon, back ... read more

Just a week before, I was in Segoviawith some friends. We made it for late lunch here after a morning spent in Avila. That time, the sun was out and we made it through the day with light jackets. Snow in April? Not this time. By the time we got off the AVE train from Madrid, it was raining and the field across the Segovia-Guiomar Train Station was fully blanketed with snow! Bus #11 was jampacked with train passengers eager to reach the heart of the historic city of Segovia some 7 kilometers away. The bus stopped right before the 2,000 year old Roman aqueduct. We had the good sense to make reservations for late lunch at the Meson de Candido by the Azoguejo, now run by the fourth generation of the same family who made ... read more

It's been 10 years since I last visited. Easily, these things come to mind. Chocolate con Churros at Chocolateria de San Gines, Prado Museum, Bullfights, Puerta del Sol, Tio Pepe, Callos, Jamon Iberico, Quezo Manchego, cafe con Leche, paella, CASA Botin, cuchinillo, Retiro Park and Plaza Mayor. Surely there's more. As soon as we slept off our jet lag, I was ready for my first chocolate con churros. That sticky hot choco and crunchy churros from Chocolateria San Gines makes a determined glutton out of me. The Jamon, Quezo, Paella, Callos can wait. But just like 10 years ago, getting lost searching for this Chocolateria seems to be the norm. I'm willing to bet I'd get lost again the next time I go for my churros con chocolate fix. But that cup and those crunchies are ... read more