Feile Phadraig in Dublin, Ireland

I spent St. Patrick’s Day in the best way possible. In Dublin, Ireland. From the 14th to the 17th, Dublin turns it’s city to the spectacular St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I arrived in Dublin on the 15th after a 3 hour delay leaving Los Angeles. From the 15th, we kicked the celebration in style. Here was my itinerary:

Sunday, March 15th:

Outside the famous Temple Bar

We arrived in Dublin around 9AM and headed to our AirBNB apartment. Emily, our host greeted us at the apartment and told us a little bit about the city and some fun activities to do while we were here.

After checking in, we went to a cute cafe called Slice which evidently became my favorite place to eat on this trip. I had the full Irish breakfast which wasn’t my typical Irish meal. It was a soup based meal with chorizo, pouched eggs, butternut squash, green peppers, chickpeas, with a side of bread. Yum!

After a short nap, we roamed around The Temple Bar area. The city was filled with live music in the bars and on the streets. We threw back a few pints of Guinness before calling an early night.

Monday, March 16:

We spent a good chunk of time exploring Phoenix Park, the largest park in all of European cities. The park is a must! You have the US Embassy, Ireland’s President’s house, Ashtown castle, and my favorite part, free roaming deer. You can also explore the park by hiring a bike for only 5 euros for a few hours.

After the park, we walked towards St. Stephens Green Street for a free outdoor Irish Dancing festival. On stage were dancers, a live band, and a host interacting with the crowd. Prizes were given out to the crowd for showcasing their moves onstage. We learned how to Irish dance and went wacky with the crowd. After the show was over, a french opera group, Les Poupées Géantes surprised us with a performance. The opera singers were on dress-like platforms… (I know that doesn’t make sense so check out the photos above!) They even moved through the crowd. It was neat-o!

As much as I wanted to party hard into the night, my best friend got food poisoned right when we arrived at the dance. We went to Queen of Tarts, a very popular restaurant located in the city center. Everything was practically sold out at the restaurant leaving us with a few options. My friend ordered the Gruyère cheese and thyme tart. It was probably sitting out for a while which stir a bad reaction in my friends tummy. Instead of bar hopping, my friend and I returned home to watch some Comedy Central, drinking cider (me), and force eating Chinese food (the only thing open).

Tuesday, March 17:

Drinking with the roomies

My friend was still recovering from food poisoning so I skipped into town to watch the hour and a half parade alone….well I wasn’t technically alone, 25,000 people were there. The St. Patrick’s festival theme this year was: Celebrate Now. There were some psychedelic floats that reminded me of Ghostbusters, Alice in Wonderland, and Back to the Future. There were also several marching bands. Believe it or not, majority of the bands were from the States.

I met up with my friend near our apt for a quick bite before heading down to the city center.

The city center was madness!!! After the parade ended, it appeared that the entire town escaped to the bars. In the mist of all the madness, we ran into our AirBNB roommates. We joined them and 2 of their friends in their bar hopping bananza.

Our first stop: The Market Bar. We all ordered a round of drinks than some food to absorb our drinks. I had the pulled pork and cheese empanadas. They were yummy!!!

After lunch, we parted ways from their friends (they had a flight) and went to several bars which I lost track of their names. After drinking, we decided to do some shopping at Grafton Street.

I got a St. Patrick’s Day shirt to remember my trip. My best friend decided that she wanted a shirt that she saw at The Temple Bar store. We tried so hard to avoid that area and here we are squeezing out bodies through a crowd of intoxicated 15-year-old adolescents wearing close to nothing. Thankfully, we made it out alive. She made the purchase and we dashed away from the crowd.

Wednesday, March 18:

After a great St. Patrick’s Day celebration, my best friend and I decided to part ways to enjoy a little bit of the Ireland. My best friend went to the countryside while I spent the day exploring the fisherman island, Howth. I will talk more about my experience on Howth on a separate blog. Please keep your eyes pealed for it.

If you plan on visiting Dublin during St. Patrick’s Day, be prepared for crowds, drunkies, and a lot of partying! There are a lot of things to see and do so make sure you do a little planning.

Where did you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

2015: 12 Months of Travel

I have quite an ambitious travel list for 2015. I should tell myself to set smaller goals… but lets face it, I’m not like that. I like to strive for the “impossible” and see where that takes me. Last year, I also set high standards and only crossed off 1.5 on my list. Here was my previous list:

• New Zealand
• Cambodia
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Brasil
• Bankok, Thailand
• Galapagos Islands
• Maldives
• Morocco
• Washington, DC
• Munich, Germany
• Barcelona, Spain
• Greece

I was able to visit Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest and had a short layover in Washington DC… that counts as half, right?

This year, I have bigger plans. Let’s see if I will follow through.

 

January: Edinburgh, Scotland √

I returned from Edinburgh earlier this month after celebrating their Hogmanay festival. I came home with a viral infection but it was worth it.

February: Costa Rica

My birthday is in February and I have an entire week off! My friends and I were planning on a trip to Miami, Florida, however, my friends were unable to get those days covered. Now, I’m onto plan B: Going to the beach somewhere, but where? My friends recommended Costa Rica and now I’m trekking the exotic ocean and jungle with 2 of my coworker a coworker.

March: Dublin, Ireland

I love Ireland. It’s my favorite place in the entire world. Hopefully, I’m able to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in my favorite country even though their celebration isn’t as outrageous as those in America.

April: Cambodia

A family friend is getting married in Cambodia. My mom is against traveling to Cambodia because she claims that it’s “unsafe”. Surprisingly, she gave me the okay to travel there as long as I’m in the presence of my bong (an acquaintance who is older than you). My mom wants me to represent her at the wedding… however I’m not very fond of that idea. This will be a great opportunity for my family friends to auction me off to the single men at the wedding… It happens all the time.. even in America. My plan is to say my hello and part ways to celebrate Cambodian New Years.

May: Turkey

Turkey has never been on my top list of places to visit until recently. I’ve seen beautiful photos of the Mediterranean Sea/ Black Sea and the hot air balloon drifting across the sky. Sounds like a fantasy to me!

June: Iceland

I tried to travel to Iceland last year in July but let’s say that I got stranded in New York. I’ve done my research and now I’m aware of my other options. I won’t be stranded this time around.

July: South Korea

There is a cosmetic company in South Korea that couldn’t afford to advertise their products so they created the Boryeong Mud Festival to allow people to test out their products. It became an instant success and now people from around the world travel just to experience this. I’m not about rolling around in mud but it would be interesting to see.

August: Italy

La Tomatina! That’s on my bucket list for who knows how long. It’s time to cross that off!

September: Norway

On my trip to Guatemala, I met a girl from Norway. We became instant friends. We are both adventurous and love to hike. She showed me beautiful sceneries from her hikes throughout Norway. I would love to see what Norway has to offer.

October: Albuquerque, New Mexico

I’ve been to Albuquerque numerous times for work. There isn’t much to see there but the people are friendly. I love that. What makes me want to visit Albuquerque in October is their International Balloon Fiesta!! I’ve seen photos and it looks breathtaking. Can I ride in one of those balloons too..probably not?

November: New Zealand

I really want to go here!!! I don’t think I’ll get here next year but it’s a dream.

December: Barcelona, Spain

I want to bring in the New Years with a glass of wine and some tapas with my best girl friends. Cheers!!!

What are some of your 2015 dream destinations?

Bucket List: Things I Accomplished in 2013

I’m currently contemplating of all the places that I could go next week for my 1 week vacation. Last month, I wanted to go on a trip where I could relax and not do anything simply because the holiday season has been quite stressful for me. This month, I want to do something outrageous, maybe a bucket list worthy experience. I thought about white water rafting in Costa Rica, going zip lining through the jungles/rain forest, going on a safari in Africa, or even holding a koala in Austrailia (childhood dream). As, I sit here planning my trip, I can’t help but think of all the incredible things that I’ve done in the past year. Here are my 5 bucket list accomplishments in 2013.

1. Traveling alone

Paris, France | July 2013

I’ve always wanted to travel alone but I never muster up enough courage to do so. I booked a spontaneous flight to Paris, left the following day and forced myself to see Paris alone. Realized that I do prefer traveling alone but I wouldn’t do Paris again. My experience in Paris is unlike any other and maybe I’ll share with you the crazy events that happened during my week stay in Paris.

2. Ceilidh Dancing in Scotland

Edinburgh, Scotland | Oct 2013

I think ceilidh dancing is the most exciting form of dance that ever existed. I had a blast dancing even though I absolutely have no idea what I was doing. My partner was a better dancer than I was and I had a background in dance! Despite of my lack of coordination, I would do this again and again.

3. Sailing in Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | November 2013

I went to Hawaii a few months ago to visit some friends. One of my good friends from high school took me sailing and it was very exhilarating. I love every minute of it.

4. Fly First Class

Dublin, Ireland | October 2013

I got upgraded to first class on my flight from Dublin to JFK! During the flight, we were offered a 5 course meal, a seat that rolls out into a bed, and of course unlimited drinks. I never slept so well on a flight in my entire life and I never want to travel coach ever again.. if only that was possible.

My setting area

Meal #2

Meal #3

Meal #5 or #6?

5. Hiking at the Yosemite

Yosemite Village, CA, USA | June 2013

The most intense hike I’ve ever done was at the Yosemite National Park in California… on my own. My friends ditched me to fend for myself. Thanks guys.. but I did it and I’m proud of myself. I would love to visit all the national parks here in the states. Yellowstone, you’re next!

 

I’m hoping that this year, I will be able to experience more bucket list moments. For now, back to the drawing board.

Where should I go and what activity should I experience next week?

5 Reasons to Visit Dublin, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland is my favorite place in the world. My first visit to the city was about 2 years ago and because of it, I have this yearning to see more of Ireland and the world. So why is Dublin my favorite place? Here are 5 reasons:

1) The Most Friendliest People

No matter where you are, there are always people there who want to spark a conversation with you. The Irish love to talk and I love to listen. There were countless times where I walked into the store and the workers would start talking to me about my day, and what I do for a living.

Also, the Irish are very helpful! I have perhaps the worst sense of directions ever, but I hate dealing with maps. I would rather wonder around getting lost than pulling that map out. In Dublin, for some reason, people will approach you and ask you where you’re going and offer to send you on the right direction.

2) The Music

I have come to the conclusion that every Irish person can sing. During my first visit, my friends told me to “just follow the music”. All the bars and even random streets in Dublin have live performances after a certain hour and we would choose a place simply by the sound.

Irish music is very interactive. The band would play their instruments and the crowd with clap and sing along. I dare you to not participate. It would be dang hard not to join in!

Band singing Wild Rover at a Bar in Dublin

Jazz band performing on the streets of Dublin

3) Everything is soo GREEN!

I have this weird fascination with open green field. It is true, Ireland is very green!!

4) The Carefree Environment

Everybody there is pretty carefree and relaxed. Don’t be surprised if you went to the bar and the person next to you started treating you like their best friend.

Enjoying some shots with new friends

Met a random guy at the bar and we became instant best friends

5) The Accents

Need I say more..

There are way more reasons why I love Dublin but that would take several posts.

What is your favorite place in the world and why? 

Please share in the comments below.

SANDEMANs NEW Europe Free Tour

Traveling around Europe doesn’t have to be expensive. SANDEMANs NEW Europe offers FREE walking tours throughout several cities in Europe as well as the Middle East and New York.

The tour guides at SANDEMANs are excellent and knowledgeable and they are only working on tips. You tip your guides according to how much you believe the tour is worth! People generally tip around $5 to $10 for this 2 to 3 hours tour. Another added bonus is that you don’t need reservations! Just show up!

The Tour

The tour starts at a meet up location in central city. (**Side note: If you are staying in a popular hostel, the tour will meet you at your hostel before heading to the main meet up location. Ask your front desk person for more details.) Depending on the turn out, the group may be split into smaller groups of 20ish people. Your guide will then introduce himself/herself and will give you a rundown of the tour. (S)he will take you to several famous attractions and tell you the history behind these great places. You don’t necessary get to go inside to all these places but it’s a good time to keep tabs on where you want to revisit later on your trip. With that said, I recommend going on this tour the first night so you get to see the overall city and later focus on what interests you most on that tour. The tour also offers discounted tickets for several main attractions if you purchase them directly through your tour guide!

Another wonderful thing about this tour is that you get to see various attractions that you wouldn’t have otherwise known about. I was able to see several U2 landmarks in Dublin and see the story behind Harry Potter unwrapped before my very eyes in Edinburgh. In Berlin, I was able to visualized the devastation that took over the city when the Nazis were in power!

I learned a lot and left the tour more observant to my surroundings. Be prepared to expand your mind. You won’t be disappointed.

Tips

-Bring water

-Wear proper shoes… be prepared to walk!

-Bring cash for tip, snacks/food. You will have a break. Some longer than others. I had a lunch break during my Berlin tour and had a small rest break in Dublin and Edinburgh.

-Get to know the people in your tour. I made some incredible friends from all over the world because of this tour

-Ask your guide for tips on places to go, places to eat, etc

-Have Fun, ask questions.