We had the fortune of touring the CheChem Hah cave with its founder, Will. Will is a Mayan and Spanish decendant who lives at a farm type home with a few bulls and cows. In 1989, he was venturing out to find palm leaves (which are used for the roofs in many homes here, including our cabanas at the resort). His dogs ran off chasing something, and they came to a hole in a rock wall and barked to go in. Will removed some rocks (which he later learned were placed by Mayan people about 1200 years ago to seal off the cave) and noticed that it was very deep inside. Over the next few days, he cut some brush and moved rocks and explored the cave. He found large, clay pots instead and realized ... read more

Andrew and I just made it back from Vegas! It was truly the best honeymoon a couple could ask for. When we landed, we quickly found a shuttle to the strip. It pulled up first to the Signature, which was our stop, and everyone in the shuttle (including us!) gawked at it. It was terribly elegant and surrounded by palm trees and fountains. As Andrew and I walked in, he hunched down to my ear and whispered, "This is seriously the nicest place I've ever been in." The staff was the friendlist, and our room was remarkable. Andrew's parents had sent a gift basket with some cookies, fruit and sparkling cider, and we had a jacuzzi and a large window. We got settled in and hit the casinos! The next morning, we were able to explore ... read more

Yes, The Sound of Music is everywhere in Salzburg. As a matter of fact, our hostel plays the film every few hours or so for the guests. I'm sure the workers there LOVE that! Haha. For any Sound of Music fans out there, go to Salzburg and take the tour! Because I've never actually seen the movie, I did not choose to pay the 30 Euros ($35?) to take the tour. Salzburg has breathtaking views of the mountains, which look *similar* to the mountains here in Colorado, only sharper and taller. It's very green here, too. With the cobblestone streets (which are actually all over the place in Europe) and small houses, it's a very cute city, and I haven't discovered any places at all that seem run down and such. Some people here are ... read more

Our hostel has free internet! I'm very excited about this. We arrived in Vienna this morning at 8:30am from an overnight train from Venice. The first thing we noticed from the train was how green Austria is. We later found out that that is because it rains ALL the time here! Haha. After finding our hostel (the one with the free internet! yay!), Phuong and I set out to find Shönbrunn Palace. We walked through the gardens in the drizzle and found a small restaurant with live music. I ordered a coffee and an apfelstrüdel, and both were amazing! The coffee in Vienna is a bit stronger than the coffee in America, but it's not as bitter. The strudel was fantastic! I wish I could describe it, but it had a strong apple taste, only ... read more

Cesky Krumlov is a town I could live in. It's so homey! Not to mention vegetarian friendly! The first night here, Phuong and I found a vegetarian restaurant where we were seating at a picnic table next to the river. The food was awesome, but the view and atmosphere was unbeatable, so we sat there for a couple of hours just taking it all in! Everyone is very laid back, and no one is in a hurry to get anywhere. We went to the castle today. Apparently, in the 17th century, the royal family decided (mistakingly so!) that they were related to an Italian royal family, whose name they translated to mean "female bear." So, the royal family here became obsessed with bears and added them to their coat of arms and started breeding bears ... read more