Exploding Fun in Colombia

Tejo is Colombia's national pastime and I was fortunate to learn and play the game during my time in Bogota. It is similar to horseshoes, bocce or American corn hole but with a bang. It is played by tossing roughly a 2kg disc, called "Tejo" across a lane, about sixty-five feet in length, onto an angled board covered completely with clay. In the center of the board is a metal circle called "bocin" and around the perimeter are four folded paper triangles filled with gunpowder, called "mechas". The object is to get the tejo inside the bocin along with hitting one, or more, of the mechas so it explodes. Yes, explodes! The more your team, usually three to four people, hits the mechas or gets close to the bocin, wins. CRAZY FUN!

I can think of a few sports in the world where drinking while playing is encouraged. I couldn't imagine playing darts, pool, corn hole or even bowling without an ice cold alcoholic beverage. So tejo with explosives and heavy weights = excessive amounts of beer drinking. And the added bonus, it is free to play as long as you order, and continue to order, lots and lots of beer. I was with seven other people so we ordered a crate of beer which was more convenient than going up to the front each time.

Lastly, after many, many cervezas you can dance with a local like I did.

So the next time you are in Bogota or anywhere in Columbia, try and play Tejo. Guaranteed to be a blast! 

Top 5 Things To See in Rome

I was looking back at some photos and reminiscing about the time I have spent in Rome. I think if you plan on traveling to a different country, Rome should be on that list. The Eternal City with countless pizzerias, wonderful family-owned trattorias, cafes, delicious pastries and yummy gelato. Whenever I travel, I usually look for a furnished apartment to rent versus staying in a hotel. Most of the time, I find renting a furnished apartment is more cost-effective and you have more space and privacy. Here are a few sites I have used and would recommend for furnished apartments: Airbnb, Roomorama and Oh-Rome

As you can imagine, listing only five things to see in Rome can be arduous. If you ask those who have visited or even live(d) there, you will not be surprised that everyone's opinion will vary. So after much consideration, here is my top five list "when in Rome" of what not to miss.

#1 COLOSSEUM / ROMAN FORUM 

The Colosseum, as you would expect, is massive. It was the largest amphitheater built in Rome and could hold 50,000 people. As I walked through the dilapidated ruins, I tried to imagine what it was like back in 80 AD when Gladiator slaves where fighting each other, or animals, to the death. 

I am not much for personal guided tours, so I purchased my ticket, online, that included a map with a downloadable audio guide. The ticket also included Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum and was good for two days so I didn't have to see all the sights at once. If you plan on visiting all three sites in one day, I would suggest visiting the Roman Forum first, give yourself about 3 hours, before heading to the Colosseum. The total cost (in 2012) was $18 US / 13.50 Euro.

#2 THE PANTHEON 

You will find the Pantheon at the Pizza della Rotanda, with cafes around the perimeter of the square. A perfect place to rest your weary feet, have an espresso and just take in this magnificent building. Built in 126AD, it is one of the best preserved Roman buildings.

The large opening in the center of the dome is the only form of light inside the Pantheon. The 43 meter high dome used to be the highest in the world until the Florence Cathedral was built in 1436.

#3 TREVI FOUNTAIN
Probably one of the most famous fountains in the world and my favorite place to go late at night. As you can imagine, during the day, this area is jam packed. Tourists trying to take photos or excited children scurrying threw the crowds to throw coins into the water for good luck. It occurred to me that most people would probably not visit Trevi Fountain in the late evening. So as you can see in the photo below, I found my peaceful time with just me and the Trevi Foundation around 10pm.

#4 VATICAN CITY

Visiting Vatican City will take up most, if not all, of your day so plan accordingly. Most people enter Vatican city by going over the Ponte St. Angelo bridge to St. Peter's Square. There are several museums to walk through and the entire complex is the largest in the world with over 1,400 rooms. In addition to visiting the museums, you can tour St. Peter's Basilica and the papal tombs. If visiting St. Peter's Basilica, check ahead of time on the dress attire. I know last time I was there, shorts and bare arms were not permitted.

#5 PIAZZA NAVONA

Of all the city squares in Rome, Piazza Navona is my favorite. I remember my first time in Rome, I stumbled upon this area walking from my hotel. It was so lively with numerous restaurants bordering the piazza and musicians signing in the streets. My fiance also introduced me to a wonderful wine bar called La Botticella and the owners name is Giovanni. Stop by and have a drink, you will have a great time!

And lastly, if I proceeded to list five more "Things to see in Rome" I would include:

Stroll the Trastevere Street
Browse Campo de' Fiori
Eat at a family run trattoria
People watch on the Spanish Steps
and
Visit the Villa Borghese, one of the world's finest small art museums

WHAT IS YOUR TOP FIVE?

Home For The Holidays

It is hard to believe I have been home for almost five months. This is the longest I have been in Ohio since 2009. I have to admit, although there is not a lot to do in our hometown, I have enjoyed just being home. Having time to visit with family and friends and hanging out on my comfy couch. You don't realize how much you appreciate "your stuff" until you live out of two suitcases and in hotels most of your life. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love traveling but at times it is just nice to be home.

When Scott wasn't traveling for work, we took a couple trips. First we went to Pawleys Island, SC over Thanksgiving to see my brother and his family. Pawleys Island is roughly 20 miles south of Myrtle Beach, SC. My parents were there too so it was nice to have my entire family together, which is not often. For Thanksgiving, we decided to have dinner at House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. I actually worked for House of Blues (mostly in Chicago) for 12 years so it was a nice treat. House of Blues is located in an area called Barefoot Landing which has a ton of shops and restaurants. Before dinner we stopped in and had drinks at Greg Norman's Australian Grille which I would highly recommend if you are ever in the area. 

Drinks at Greg Norman's Australian Grille

Mom and Dad

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at House of Blues. They offered a southern style spin on Thanksgiving. Some of the menu offerings were hand-carved turkey, roast beef, peeled shrimp, macaroni and cheese, cornbread stuffing, red beans and rice, white chocolate banana bread pudding and pecan pie. They also provided live jazz which was a nice addition to a wonderful day.

We lucked out with some great weather so Scott and I enjoyed walking on the beach.

My niece loves hanging out with Scott. I thought this was such a sweet picture of them walking on the beach together.

If you are ever in Pawleys Island / Murrells Inlet area, here are some
restaurant recommendations. Clicking on the name will take you to their website.

Pawleys Island
Chive Blossom Cafe
Frank's Outback
Bistro 217
Nosh
Perrone's Reataurant, Beer and Wine Bar
Pawleys Island Tavern (P.I.T.) great place to hang out and listen to live music

Murrells Inlet
Twelve on 17
Drunken Jack's
Bubba's Love Shak
Bovines
Divine Fish House

VEGAS HERE WE COME!
Right before Christmas, we booked flights to go and visit Scott's Mom and Stepdad who were in Vegas to celebrate her birthday. The last time we were in Vegas was early 2009 so we were looking forward to going back. 

Although not the newest casino, the Bellagio is one of my favorites. First I love Dale Chihuly's blown glass and Bellagio has a huge exhibit throughout their hotel. I also enjoy visiting their Botanical Garden and Conservatory to see their newest exhibit.

Ceiling by the front desk of Dale Chihuly's work.

Botanical Garden and Conservatory Exhibit. Don't you just love Christmas? I do!

The bears are made entirely of flowers.

Hash Hash A Go Go is a popular restaurant especially known for their huge breakfast entrees and sandwiches. I learned about this restaurant from the TV Show Man vs. Food where the shows host, Adam, ate the Fried Chicken Farm Benedict. So, we decided to head over to The Quad Resort and Casino to have breakfast. All I can say is WOW! The portions are huge and there are so many choices it was hard to pick just one. Scott had the Griddled French Toast dipped in Banana Cinnamon Cream with Pecan Maple Syrup, two scrambled eggs and bacon.

I attempted to eat Andy's Sage Fried Chicken with 2 eggs, bacon, mashed potatoes and a biscuit. Both breakfast dishes were very good but it was just too much food. Glad we went to experience it and next time I want to try one of their sandwiches.

After four great days in Las Vegas, we are back in Ohio and ready for Christmas!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. We head to Baku, Azerbaijan sometime in March. Really looking forward to visiting Baku and I have no doubts I will have a lot of photos to share with all of you! 

Forbidden City

Our last day in Beijing and we finally made it to the Forbidden City. Excluding today, we had amazing weather so unfortunately my pictures are a bit on the gray/hazy side. 

Built in 1415, Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world and located across the street from Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square can hold more than 300,000 people. It is a gigantic plaza with government buildings so I was not overly impressed but I do understand why the square is so important to the Chinese.

The Forbidden City lives up to expectations. It was the palace for 24 emperors from the Ming to Qing dynasties and now houses the Palace Museum. The place is absolutely massive, covering 720,000 square meters (90 football fields) and China's largest architectural grouping of ancient halls. When you first enter, it is very stark; no trees, shade or grass which I found out was on purpose. Trees were not allowed because intruders might hide in the branches.

To tour the museum, you enter at the southern entrance gate with the recognizable picture of Chairman Mao Zedong.

 After purchasing your admission ticket, $9.50 US or 60 RMB, you enter through the Meridian Gate (Wu Men)

 Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe dian)

 The grounds around Hall of Supreme Harmony

 Hall of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing gong)

 Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunning gong)

 Hall of Union

Grounds around the Earthly Tranquility and Union Halls.

 At the very northern end of Forbidden city is the Hall of Imperial Peace (Qin'an dian).

 Alas, our time in Beijing has come to an end. I feel like we definitely packed in as much as we could in a weeks time. It was an amazing trip but most memorable will be us getting engaged. Looks like our next destination might be to Osaka, Japan which will definitely be another fascinating city to see. I have a feeling a few of our friends and family might want to visit us on that trip.