When we found a small little cabin from Airbnb in Costa Rica in a gorgeous setting bordered by lush forests and a property filled with banana, papaya, and mango trees, we were intrigued. Of course, any Costa Rica Resort can provide green layouts and (maybe better) amenities. But for this trip, we choose Airbnb. We read about the host...
The Monteverde Cloud Forest is the top attraction in Costa Rica due to it’s elevation, zip line tours, hanging bridges, and spectacular biodiversity. Though Costa Rica’s landmass is just .03% of the planet, it contains 5% of the biodiversity in the world. This biological reserve is home to over 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, and 1,200...
Renting a car in Costa Rica is the biggest hassle, and the biggest expense (excuse my superlatives) of anywhere in the world, but if you don't get a car you will regret it. Exploring the countryside at your own pace, and at your own leisure affords you an experience of a lifetime. We happened upon rice terraces, banana and...
Costa Rica is covered in volcanoes, so naturally one of the things we couldn’t miss on our trip to Costa Rica was a visit to at least one of these volcanoes. We narrowed it down to the most popular Arenal Volcano, the most active Poás Volcano, and the tallest Irazu Volcano. Ultimately we chose the Poás Volcano because it...
There is a reason people talk ad nauseum about Costa Rica. It is stunning, it is beautiful, it is peaceful, and it is breathtaking. But, it is also none of those things because the English language cannot capture what Costa Rica contains within its boundaries. One thing is for sure, Costa Rica is a playground for the adventurous, young...
We didn't know how good we had it. This was our first airbnb experience in Japan, and we didn't fully appreciate the fusion of amenities we were offered. We didn't yet appreciate that traditional Japanese housing offers mats on the floor instead of mattresses, paper for walls, a soaking tub with a bucket instead of a shower, and hand...
The grounds of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park include the Atomic Bomb Dome, the flame of peace, cenotaph, children’s monument and peace bell. We were fortunate enough to spend two days at this site surveying the grounds and appreciating the monuments and the significance of why they are here.
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As we walked around the grounds here we...
We spent two days amongst the areas that were ravaged by the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima, centered around the Atomic Bomb Dome. We learned about the past and present of nuclear weapons and Japan’s view of world history and World War II as the people there experienced it in real time. As we’ve come to learn through life experience,...
There is no shortage of things to do on Miyajima. You can play with deer, visit the Itsukushima Shrine and Grand Otorri gate, eat fresh oysters, go hiking, play on the beach, visit the aquarium, explore the neighborhoods and streets, take a gondola ride high into the mountains, and hike up Mt. Misen. It is a children's playground!
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Miyajima is home to the famous Itsukushima Shrine, the iconic famous shrine that floats on water. This location is considered one of three of the most beautiful sites in the whole of Japan. In addition to the shrine and temple, there are deer covering the island that walk with you and steal all your food, and a gondola ride...
