12 Friday Oct 2012
Posted in Flashback, North America
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In May 2012, Mr. Selfish and I took a trip to Cancun, Mexico. Through a Groupon deal, we stayed at an all-inclusive resort for three nights. This was mine and Mr. Selfish’s first trip to Mexico. We therefore crammed in as many ruins as possible and a scuba diving trip.
First, we went to Chichen Itza, the Mayan ruins in the Yucatan. Although you can no longer climb up the pyramid, it was still a sight to behold.
05 Friday Oct 2012
On our honeymoon in 2009, Mr. Selfish and I went to Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon in Vietnam. Vietnam is a land of motorcycles. The roads are full of them, and there is a constant honking sound at all times. We quickly learned that honking is not to indicate that something has gone wrong but rather it is to indicate one’s presence. In other words, a honk is equivalent to “hello, I’m riding here.” It was definitely something we had to get used to.
In any case, one of our favorite past times was finding interesting items being hauled on motorcycles. We saw whole families, kegs, ducks, and chickens. We also found a huge live pig on its back, but we didn’t get the camera out in time to capture it.
28 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Flashback, Food & Drinks, South America
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Mr. Selfish and I visited Machu Picchu in September 2011. Because Machu Picchu is at about 8,000 feet elevation, it is recommended that visitors acclimate to the elevation in Cusco, Peru prior to visiting Machu Picchu. Cusco’s elevation is approximately 10,000 feet. We therefore stayed in Cusco for the recommended three days prior to venturing to Machu Picchu.
Cusco is a lovely town in which to take it easy and learn to acclimate to the elevation. You can just walk around and enjoy the beautiful architecture. There is also a market selling a variety of goods and different types of foods. Moreover, the ladies in their bowler hats and llamas were quite charming.
21 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Europe, Flashback, Food & Drinks
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In May 2010, Mr. Selfish and I went to Brussels with our two good friends, Mike and Tini. We didn’t spend that long in Brussels to really take it in, but here are my thoughts on what is the best of Brussels:
1. Chocolate – It’s everywhere, and the quality is amazing. I guess the standards in the U.S. concerning cacao content being lax are true. The chocolate in Brussels was rich and dark – just the way I like it. Plus, the hot chocolate is pure melted chocolate – not that horrible powder stuff.
14 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Asia, Flashback, Food & Drinks, Vietnam
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Mr. Selfish and I did a “homeland honeymoon,” which means we went to Hong Kong and Vietnam. While we were in Hanoi, we decided to try snake. We hired a driver to take us to a restaurant in the village where they serve snake.
The restaurant had an outdoor courtyard that was lovely. We were relaxing a bit when they brought out a snake and started playing with it. After a couple of minutes, the negotiation for the price started. Once we settled on the price, they got to business!
07 Friday Sep 2012
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In May of this year, Mr. Selfish and I spent about three days in Copenhagen. Prior to planning this trip, I had no idea what was in Copenhagen – except for the Little Mermaid.
During my research, I discovered that Copenhagen has quite a few attractions and museums. I also learned that one could buy a Copenhagen Card for three days for about $80 USD per person. The Card covered about 70 museums and attractions, as well as the metro and the bus. It seemed quite pricey but as I continued my research, I found that everything in Copenhagen is expensive (for instance a draft beer is close to $9). I did the math and decided to buy the Card.
On Day 1, we went to the Danish Design Centre and Tivoli. Both would have cost $25 per person without the Copenhagen Card.
31 Friday Aug 2012
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In May, Mr. Selfish and I spent eleven days in Berlin. This was the longest time we had ever stayed in one city while on vacation. It was a precursor to this ultimate “Selfish” year. We stayed in an apartment, grocery shopped, cooked in, and generally took it easy in Berlin.
One of the most memorable things that we did in Berlin was the Peristal Singum labyrinth. The labyrinth was built by hippies in what seems like a large abandoned apartment building. Interestingly, the labyrinth is next to a bar/dance club called the Salon Zur Wilden Renate. You order drinks and pay the person at the bar 10 euros to go into the labyrinth. You then sit in the outside courtyard and enjoy your drinks, and eventually, someone comes and brings you into the labyrinth.
The person that retrieved me was a goth looking girl with a husky voice. She gave me a gold coin and told me that I needed it to enter the labyrinth. She then told me to leave all my bad thoughts in the foyer area and enter the labyrinth. I put the gold coin into a door and then went down a slide.
The Selfish Years 