Current location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico |
Hello,
I made an important realization... This past weekend, I took a short trip to the city of Merida, Mexico, located 3.5 hours away from Playa del Carmen. And it didn't take long for me to realize how much I miss the cultural depth and energetic vibe that can be found in a city. We spent the weekend roaming the colorful streets, admiring the impressive colonial and art-deco architecture, eating such amazing, creative, traditional and fresh food, and fully 'feeling' the town around us. In the evenings, we would hop from cantina to cantina, which are local bars, each with their own unique story and typically set in hidden courtyards or old buildings. Going to Merida's cantinas is one of my favorite activities in Mexico. There's always live music, an upbeat crowd, cool interior designs, great drinks, tasty food and a festive atmosphere that fills me with such a positive energy. To put it simply, this short trip was perfect. It should then come as no surprise that this weekend getaway made me realize that Playa del Carmen, the town where I've lived for the past 7 months, really does lack the type of culture, art, food, history and vibe that I crave. I need more than a town that's simply designed to be a comfortable hangout for foreigners. Playa was perfect for the past 7 months during Covid times but I realize that as a more permanent base, this town is not the answer for me. I'm not sure what that means or where I'll head once it's possible to move on again, but it was an important realization nonetheless. After a very long wait, I'm beyond happy to announce the Wandering Earl Tours I'll be offering in 2022. My tour website has also been updated with a new, fresh design to mark the occasion! Since 2013 I've been offering these locally-focused, hand-crafted, small group trips to my favorite destinations. So if you're looking for a super cool, small group experience that's nothing like a group tour at all, come and travel with us! 2022 Trips
It's time to use your travel knowledge and research skills! Last week
There were a ton of guesses and the majority focused on Greece, Argentina, Chile, Morocco, Spain, Montenegro, Albania and Sweden. While a handful of people did guess the correct country, only 5 people guessed the exact location...
Congratulations to Kelsey, Michelle, Mafalda, Drew and Brittany! The location in the photo below is indeed NAZARE, PORTUGAL. We stayed only one night in this fishing town during a trip from Lisbon to Porto. It was off season and the town was empty. We had the beach, quaint lanes and impressive views to ourselves. Nazare comes alive with tourists in the warmer months and it's a big surf spot due to huge waves caused by an underwater canyon off the coast. Also, Restaurant O Veleiro is one of my favorite places to eat anywhere. We popped in only to get out of the rain and ended up with the best seafood meal during our stay in Portugal! This week's photo The Rules
1. Try to figure out where the below photo was taken. 2. Reply to this email with your guess.
3. The more specific the guess, the better!
4. The location will be revealed in next week's newsletter.
So, here we go :) Where in the world is this? Travel-related (usually) tidbits that appeared in my inboxesHow I Manage My FinancesA reader by the name of Victor emailed me some questions about how I handle bank accounts and debit/credit cards while traveling. They were good questions and so I thought I would answer them here:
What bank accounts do I use and why? I have accounts with Charles Schwab and Chase. The simple reason is that these two accounts don't charge any fees when I take out money from ATMs around the world. They are also large banks that I know I can get in touch with at any time if I have an issue.
What is the process for setting up a bank account overseas? I've never opened a foreign bank account as I never had a reason to do so. Unless it's required as part of a residency visa, it's not necessary in my opinion.
What credit cards do I use? My main credit card is a Chase Sapphire Reserve, mainly because of the bonus points I can earn/redeem as a result of my purchases and the extra perks such as a Priority Pass membership (access to airport lounges around the world), car rental insurance and privileges, a $300 travel credit every year and free Global Entry.
How do I keep my cards safe? I never carry all of my debit and credit cards with me at the same time unless. If I have all of my luggage with me (such as flying somewhere), I keep them split up in 2 or 3 different places to avoid losing them all. Also, in many countries, I use my phone to pay with a credit card, by simply tapping the machine. This way, I don't need the physical card with me each day.
What happens if I lose a credit card? Over the years, I've lost a card twice (in India and Romania) and each time, my bank sent me a replacement card quickly. But now, if I lose a card, I can have it sent to a family member in the US. They can tell me the card details and I can manually add it to my phone so that I can continue 'tapping' payments without having the actual card. Cafe 4AM in Merida, MexicoFor many years I've been in touch with Cris, a reader of my blog and newsletter who now lives in Merida, Mexico. And since I was coming to Merida last weekend, he invited us to visit his newly-opened coffee shop, Cafe 4AM. Cris set up a wonderful coffee tasting for us where his enthusiasm for creating a flavorful and thoroughly enjoyable coffee experience for his customers was on full display. The cafe is well worth visiting if you're ever in Merida! |
Tuscany Perfection
The medieval walled village of Monteriggioni is perfectly preserved, sitting atop a hill between Siena and Florence. Mostly used as a military base in ancient times, it's now a tiny community that offers visitors a glimpse into the Middle Ages.
Lamu, Kenya
In a remote corner of Kenya, on the tiny Swahili island of Lamu, sits Lamu Town. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and according to many visitors, a simple yet magical destination to visit.
Copenhagen's Potato Row
Built to provide good, inexpensive accommodation for working families in the late 1800s, the Kartoffelrækkerne neighborhood of Copenhangen has 11 streets full of houses lined up like potato plants...and the land actually used to be a potato field.
Trippy Taiwan
How an old Taiwanese village was saved from destruction by an 86-year old resident...and how that colorful village then became a super trippy destination that receives over 1 million visitors per year.
Venice and Cruise Ships
After a long push by residents, a resolution has now been passed that bans cruise ships from entering the lagoon of Venice, Italy. This means no cruise ships in the historic center of the city...and this could pave the way for similar resolutions in other destinations around the world.
US Diversity by Streetlight
A British photographer traveled across America to take photos of small town scenes lit only by streetlight and moonlight. Afghan Dreamers
An incredible group of teenage girls in Afghanistan are using their interest in robotics to create low-cost ventilators to help their country. They are also fighting back against a male-dominant society while giving real hope to many other girls looking for a better future. |
|
|
