My last day in Iceland

My final full day in Iceland appeared out of nowhere. There I was, thinking I had a few more days. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Spent the night before trying to capture the northern lights. That ended up in a failure. Didn’t have the right equipment on me to take a quality photo. As seen in the picture below, the only lights my camera captured were lights made by humans.

Trying to take photo of the Northern lights photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The morning afterwards was a little difficult to get up. I started to pack and get ready for the flight back home. Once done, I left my luggage in my rented locker and I was off to explore Iceland for a final time.

On another note, the awesome thing about Iceland is it’s features for tourists. One of those features are that most tours are at a reasonable price. Also, if you miss the Northern Lights, you have up to three years to go on the tour again. It is free and you can keep doing this until you see the natural phenomenon. Just remember the email to show the email receipt.

A small river photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Booked a last minute tour to see a few more sights around Iceland. Honestly, don’t remember what exact part of Iceland this was. Just knew it was somewhere in Southeast Iceland. Looking at the simple life of the Icelandic people, I noticed that fishing is a major part of their economy. I later learned that Iceland almost did not join the European Union. They had a fear of over-fishing from the other European members. That would cause their native fishes to go extinct. Of course, they made a deal and this freezing cold Island is now in the E.U.

Waterfalls photos courtesy of Hugo Morel

We ended up seeing more waterfalls. It’s hard to believe how many waterfalls are in Iceland. Still Iceland a has different charm to it. Most countries have big cities or human made tourist attraction. Iceland is very unlike other countries, all the tourist attractions are naturally made.

About 3 hours later, I went back to my hostel. Started exploring the surrounding areas again. Iceland is breathtaking, both with the bitter wind trying to freeze your lungs and the country’s beauty. It’s a shame that I will be leaving this behind but, this bitter cold is no joke! I will always be amazed to what this country has to offer.

Modern art of a viking ship photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

It’s hard to believe, how the Vikings used to travel around in this cold. Especially, traveling long distanced in the ocean. Iceland, I must visit you again. Next time when I come, it will definitely be during the summer time.

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

Check out our e-book “How to Travel for Dirt Cheap” by Hugo Morel for ways to make your dreams of traveling come without breaking the bank: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M848M47?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420&fbclid=IwAR0_mRF-eE9tODIshljVr7CQ8h6vKT6hHn_8gZfJ94DySY1ylPO2Itu2Qe0

June 15, 2019 39

A sprinkle of Icelandic folklore

I don’t usually go into depth with the local folklore of the countries I visit. However, after exploring the lava caves and learning about the elves got me interested. Especially, with the local mythology having to do with the new Marvel movies. Yes, Thor is related to this Island way up North.

Lava cave tour guide telling us about the elves photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Mythology has never been my strong point. I was always been interested in the mythological adventures and thier characters. Sadly, at a young age I was discouraged to stop reading “fairy tales.” Coming from a Christian household, anything with multiple gods was against the house rules. So, it wasn’t until I was older that I got back into reading folklore.

The awesome thing about Iceland is that it’s a Nordic country. Meaning that it’s culture is similar to Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Yes, Iceland is home to the Vikings. All Nordic cultures share the same gods before christanity arrived. Having the Marvel movies being such a dominant force in Hollywood, the god Thor came to mind.

Being the god of lighting, Thor is claimed to be the protector of humanity. There are many gods like Odin and Loki. So many movies have been made out these gods from the Pre-Christian times. I could write 100’s of posts just on this topic. However to not get off topic, I will focus more on the elves of Iceland.

Icelandic elf photo courtesy of https://www.re.is/blog/the-hidden-people-of-iceland

From what are tour guide told us, Icelanders are obsessed with elves. It’s really engraved in their culture. When something goes missing, they blame it on huldufólk or the hidden people. That’s what the people of iceland call elves.

Hidden people Photo courtesy of https://icelandictimes.com/elves-in-iceland-the-hidden-people/

According to the local folklore, elves live among humans in a parallel universe. Icelanders are told to not throw rocks in fear of hitting one of the hidden people. Some of the Icelandic people truly believe that if you anger the elves/huldufólk, they will get thier revenge on you. By casting spells, damaging your car or causing you to get into a car crash. Not the elves we probably grew up to know and love. These ones are not as kind.

Elf running away Photo courtesy of https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulduf%C3%B3lk

Of course, not all Icelanders believe in this folklore. Actually, the mass majority believe the hidden people are just stories to scare children. Most believe these fairytales are used to keep children in good behavior. Looks like the locals are not fooled by the fairy dust. Our tour guide seemed to think otherwise. To me, it’s just another interesting part of the local culture.

Ps. Sorry for that random post that was untitled. Not sure why it was published. Must had a been a glitch with the wordpress application. Thank you all for the continued support!

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

June 8, 2019 18

Freezing at The Black Sand Beach of Reynisfjara, Iceland

Iceland’s most famous beach Reynisfjara. It’s nicknamed the black sand beach. Although, Iceland has several beaches with black sand. This is the one everybody talks about.

Black sand beach photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Reynisfjara is just outside of Vik. Freezing, I got out of the tour bus to see this famous beach. I wanted to see what the hype was about. Also, sitting down became a painful task. Needed to start walking around.

black sand 2 — Members of our group going next to the ocean photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

black sand 3 — Another shot of members of our group photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Once outside, I couldn’t believe how courageous some of the people that were on the tour with me. They ran towards where the waves were. Ignoring what our guide told us to void going near the ocean. I guess they thought it was the summer time and this was Miami Beach.

Another view of members in our tour group photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Even if this wasn’t a beach in the Caribbean Sea, it was still very interesting to see the black sand. The bitter wind was out control though. My hands were freezing through my gloves. It’s hard to believe people live and fish here year round. I couldn’t imagine living here. The Icelandic people are very tolerant to the cold.

Selfies of me freezing photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

I was told by family members to start taking selfies. They told me to use those photos as proof you been to the country that the photo was taken in. Of course, I did it with my own spin. For whatever reason, I decided to take my gloves off to do the peace sign for all my doubters. Sadly, I could only put up one finger due to the painfully numbing cold. Risking my health to prove naysayers wrong, sounds like a smart social media move. Everybody is doing it.

P.s. Sarcasm is used four times in this post.

black sand 5 — A view of the beach’s landscape photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

black sand 1 — Another shot of the beach’s landscape photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

As we all nearly froze ourselves, our time at Reynisfjara was nearly up. The majestic beach was going to be left behind. Our tour group ended up with a success. No one ended up frozen or taken out to sea. It was at this moment, I started to doubt if this was a smart idea. Being in Iceland during winter time near a beach, sounds like everybody’s dream. California, I miss you.

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

Check out our latest e-book “How to Travel for Dirt Cheap” by Hugo Morel for ways to make your dreams of traveling come without breaking the bank: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M848M47?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420&fbclid=IwAR0_mRF-eE9tODIshljVr7CQ8h6vKT6hHn_8gZfJ94DySY1ylPO2Itu2Qe0

June 1, 2019 21

The natural beauty of Southern Iceland

The day after exploring the lava cave, I decided to take a tour of southern Iceland. Alot of people were telling me how beautiful the southern part of the island was. Everybody at my hostel was over selling me on it. Was a little suspicious about it at first. Yet, looking back, it was all worth it.

Screenshot of southern iceland in google map courtesy of Hugo Morel

A tour bus picked me up from my hostel in Reykjavík. And the two and a half hour long ride started. After a butt-numbing sit down, we got to the southern part of iceland. Our first stop was seeing an ice glacier. Like a kid about to go to the candy store, I was eagered to see this Arctic beauty.

Landscape of southern Iceland photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

When we got there, I was in complete awe. I never seen ice naturally in the color blue. Still trying to understand it. Coming for a place where it never snowed, this was something I will keep forever in my memories. As a kid, I remember we used to drive 6 hours just to see snowfall. Seeing this glacier pulled my heart strings.

Ice glacier photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Freezing, I had to take a photo. While doing this, our tour guide gave us the history of this ice beauty. According to him, this glacier is about 20,000 years old. Sadly, climate change has been melting this majestic formation of ice. He told us that it has about 4 more years before it’s completely melted. Seeing the impact we human have towards our environment in person, really changes you. It made me want to go green and recycle as much as possible. Make sure to visit Iceland and see these ice beauties in person.

More landscape photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

We started to walk away from the glacier. Our group was walking slowly. When I wasn’t taking photos, I was talking to people on our tour. Met people from The United Kingdom and other parts of Europe. Most were friendly and others were too focused in the beautiful nature. Me, I was wondering about the person in the photo above. That right leg looks awkwardly bent. Also, that was badly executed sarcasm.

Skógafoss waterfalls photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

We later went to the waterfall called Skógafoss. I tried not to get too close. There was a lot water vaper from the falls. Had to watch it from far. Still it was very beautiful. The fact that the water has not been frozen over, still dumbfounds me. Iceland, one day I will understand your majestic nature.

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

May 25, 2019 41

Exploring Iceland’s lava caves

After spending some time exploring what was near my hostel, the big event came. Today, I would be exploring a lava cave in Iceland. I was super excited and had no idea what to expect. Rented out water proof clothing because I’m not from the Arctic. So, I had no idea what to wear!

Iceland landscape just outside of Iceland’s lava cave taken by Hugo Morel

The awesome thing about Iceland is all the opportunities for tourists to see it’s natural beauty. The packages are not that expensive; however, they aren’t that cheap neither. This tour costed me about 65 usa dollars. Also, I was very much a tourist on this trip. No regerts!!

Entrance to the lava cave taken by Hugo Morel

It was about a 30 minute drive from Reykjavík. I was so excited and had no idea what to expect. When we got there, we were welcomed with a few openings that lead underground. The scenery was out of this world. Iceland’s landscape is so beautiful. Makes me not miss the city life.

My tour group taken by Hugo Morel

Once inside, you get a smell of rotten eggs. Which come from the lava that made this cave. It’s a lot warmer inside, than it is outside. I went with a group and met fellow Americans. I could tell by thier accent that they were from the south.

The lava cave’s terrian taken by Hugo Morel

The further we went into the cave, the harder it became to stand up straight. The ceiling of the cave dropped to where a normal human adult would have to crouch or crawl. With the uneven flooring, it was rough passing through. One of the Americans I met was 6 foot and 8 inches. He must had a very difficult time.

Icicles taken by Hugo Morel

Occasionally, we would get in the path of these icicles. With the fear of getting one of my eyes poked out, I never looked up. Just focused forward and backwards. It’s super crazy that I was doing this.

We went through the whole cave, up into the point where it was almost impossible for human adults to move around. From what our tour guide told us, in Icelandic culture the tunnels are known for having elves.

The exit of the ice cave taken by Hugo Morel

Learning a little about the folklore made me more interested in the topic. However, that’s another story for a future post.

More Iceland’s landscape outside of the lava cave take by Hugo Morel

Once we got of the lava cave, I was completely excused. I got my workout for the day exploring that cave. Truly an experience that I will never forget. Make sure add this adventure to your itinerary, when in Iceland.

To start your own adventures, check out the link below.

May 18, 2019 24

Going to Iceland in the winter

Yes, you read right! I went to the land of ice during winter time. This crazy kid from california went to Iceland. At least, that’s what all my family members were telling me. But hey, you can’t really blame me for jumping on 200 dollars round trip tickets.

The flight from New York City to Keflavík international airport was about 4 and a half hours. I took an overnight flight. Literally, dozed off and I was in Iceland. The flight was very smooth. It was surprising because I expected to go through snow clouds.

Google map of how far Keflavik International Airport is from Iceland’s capital

Landed in Keflavik International Airport. It is about an hour away from the capital Reykjavík. The great thing about iceland is that there are a lot of tour companies that will pick you up at the airport and drop you off at your accommodation. Their prices are reasonable and they come every hour.

Me sitting at the hostel’s main lobby taken by Hugo Morel

Once I got to my hostel, I was very interested in getting to explore Iceland. Left all my luggage in my room and it was time to see this Nordic country. There was no time to waste.

Went outside and all I could feel was the harsh cold wind. I was definitely not in California anymore. Holding up my phone and camera to take pictures was like putting dry ice on your hands. The low temperatures kept stinging my fingers. Even with all that, I made sure to take pictures for you all!

As the finger-numbing wind kept blowing, I knew I was in viking land. Can’t wait to see what this country has to offer. The adventures and the experiences that I had in this in country, will stay with me for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to share it with you all.

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

To start your own adventures, check out the link below.

May 11, 2019 33

My last hours in Paris: reflections at the Louvre Museum

As my time in Paris was coming to an end, I wanted to make the most out of my time. Decided to eat at a Burger restaurant my local friends recommended. Had to take a picture of the menu, this is what the french think about Americans. Burgerz and french fries named after the current USA President. We truly have a bad reputation around the world.

Once my Burger was done and in my stomach, I left to go to the Louvre Museum. Took the short subway ride to the location. Wasn’t truly sure what to expect. I’m not really someone who likes going to museums.

Building with French flags taken by Hugo Morel

When I got out of the subway station, I was greeted with this awesome looking building. I just had to take a picture of it. Paris has so much beauty every where you go. Eventually, I entered the museum courtyard. Didn’t bother to pay the fee to go downstairs. I just wanted to relax and have some me time.

Outside view of Louvre Museum taken by Hugo Morel

Found a place to sit down and people watch. Yeah, I became an elder at heart. I love taking in the moment and seeing how people react to the museum’s pyramids.

I eventually got up to walk by the pyramids. These pyramids in Louvre Museum were made out of glass. They were made by a Chinese-American architect. It’s actually the entrance to the museum and a landmark to the city. It’s still hard to believe that I went to Egypt and saw the real pyramids. Until this day, it still shocks me.

The entrance to the Louvre Museum taken by Hugo Morel

Something about seeing people walking to the entrance reminded me of all my travels. Looking back at my experiences, life is such an adventure. You never really think your life is exicting or interesting, until you are forced to write about it. Where I come from, traveling to Europe is so out of reach. Looking back, you never really take account on how far you have came. I accomplished so much for some random ghetto kid from California.

Ps. I really recommend you all get a journal and write about your life experiences. You will be surprised at your achievements!

The suburbs of Paris taken by Hugo Morel

Finally my time was up. Off to the airport, I went. I’m going back home, as a person with more confidence. I can walk a little taller knowing I’m breaking barriers by traveling.

Reflecting on the beauty of Paris, I can see why people fall in love with this place. Unfortunately, my love affair with Paris was more like a fling. My time here was short. Still, I couldn’t wait for my next adventure and to start a new chapter.

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

May 4, 2019 28

Meeting up with friends in little Africa, Paris: seeing the hidden ugliness

After that wonderful night of strolling through Paris, the morning after was hard. The time difference really messed me up. It was like getting up at midnight my time. Well, still had to fight through it. One of the down sides of constant travel, your body has to get used to the time zone changes. If it doesn’t, you are in for a rude awakening.

Farmer’s market in little Africa Taken by Hugo Morel

Walking like a zombie, I met up with my local friends. They wanted to show me around little Africa in Paris. One of my friends was half Senegalese and half french. So, she promised to show me how the Senegalese eat their food. Of course, we ended meeting up at the local KFC. Since that’s what the French think about Americans. McDonald’s and KFC are jokingly claimed as the American embassies.

Another shot of the farmer’s market taken by Hugo Morel

As we were on our way to find the Senegalese restaurant, they showed me the real life of immigrants in Paris. Paris is not a nice place to live, if you are from one of the former French colonies. Life is rough in Paris. They told me employment is difficult for immigrants. Got to see a side of Paris, not many tourists have access to.

Little Africa logo brought to you by google

Now, as we were going toward the restaurant, we finally came across some American posters. In Paris, people want to speak English like they do in Wall Street, New York City. If they only knew, how little English is spoken there and how many curse words are used instead. This experience was such an awesome culture exchange. They got to learn about the USA and I was exposed to a new side of the french capital.

The poster I was mistaken as a racist advertisement taken by Hugo Morel

We started walking towards the Senegalese restaurant and we noticed this poster. At first we were mistaken at the time as it being a black face racist advertisement. I was corrected. However, I still noticed the undertone racism that goes on in France. It was like connecting the dots. For a country that has only one race, you can’t help but notice the hypocrisy. Inequality, still goes on strongly here. Even, if “race” is just the human race in France on paper. From the gypsies to the immigrants of the former french colonies, people are discriminated. Hope one day, people can stop seeing the differences and end discrimination. We can all learn from each other and help build a better world for the next generation. That’s my wish for humanity. This is why I encourage others to travel. You will learn to understand others different to you. Eventually, you will learn to love humanity. Even, if we are very flawed.

Ps. We never got to eat at the Senegalese restaurant. It was opened when called them but closed, when we got there. According to my half Senegalese friend, they didn’t feel like being open on a Sunday. 😆 Apparently, Senegalese people change their minds like race cars change tires. She did warned me though.

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

To start your own adventures, check out the link below.

April 27, 2019 16

How to use the Paris subway

Now, Paris is a very expensive city. Taking a taxi from the international airports will cost an arm and a leg. The most affordable way to get around Paris is through it’s metro system.

I took the train from the Charles De Gaulle airport shuttle. It left me infornt of a subway entrance. Watch out for gypsies that claim to want to help you when you are trying to buy metro tickets. They claim to want to help; however, most of the time it’s just a way to get money out of you or to pickpocket you.

Paris metro map brought to you by google

The Paris subway has stops near almost all the main tourist attractions. It doesn’t make sense to spend money on a taxi or to rent a car. The Paris metro is very reliant.

Machine where you buy metro tickets brought to you by google

A one-way ticket will cost you about 2 euros. A daily pass will cost about 7 euros. Weekly, will cost about 20 euros and monthly, will cost about 65 euros. These prices are very affordable. Also, the price of a weekly metro pass will cost less than most taxis in Paris going one-way.

A picture of a subway station in Paris brought to you by google

Careful when buying the tickets at the station, a lot of the ticket machines are in french only. A gypsy appeared out of nowhere, when she found out I was having trouble with the ticket machine. Luckily, a local saw me and showed me how to order a weekly pass. There are metro workers in booths in some stations that can help you out, as well.

When taking the actual trains, you have to keep a few things in mind. One, the train doors do not automatically open. Unless, you press a button on the middle of the door. Just keep a watch on how people exist the train carts. It will save you from missing your stop. Also, keep a high alert on Line 9. Line 9 is a train line within the Paris metro notorious for pickpocketing. Lastly, pickpocketing is another factor to keep in mind.

A sign warning about pickpocketing brought to you by google

Pickpocketing in the Paris metro is common. Here’s a few tips to remember. Make sure to be fully awake on the train carts. Any signs of sleepiness makes you a target. Another tip to keep in mind is the sound of when the doors are about to close. That’s when pickpocketers go on the hunt. Always be on alert, when you hear that noise. They would steal and run out of the door before you have time to react. Lastly, watch out for beggars. The moment you take out your money, another person runs to steal your wallet.

Now this post isn’t here to make you fearful of the Paris metro. Just wanted you to be aware. That way, your time in the beautiful French capital isn’t ruined due to some thieves.

Thank you for reading! Safe travels and much love!

April 20, 2019 17

Meeting up with an old friend and seeing how much travel has changed you

My good friend was in town to meet up with me. We haven’t seen each other in years and we needed to catch up. Who knew this experience would be so reflective.

I was excited to meet up with my friend. We haven’t seen each other in years. This guy is like a brother to me. We been through a lot of rough times with each other. We knew each other since toddler years. He has been through a lot in life. So, it’s always good to see him with a smile on his face.

Outside of the Indian restaurant taken by Hugo Morel

Of course knowing me, I convinced him to eat some Indian food. We went to a nearby Indian restaurant and we were a little bit thrown off. To our surprised, the restaurant was aimed more for romantic couples. This brings the joke of bromance to a whole new level.

Of course, we didn’t care what others might think and we ordered our food. As we waited, we exchanged stories about our lives and how our old friends are doing. After some time, the topic of my travels came up. Explain to him about my travel experiences and all my personal growth. Also, spoke about the awesome people I met, the cultures I learned about and the countries I have been to. The conversation became deep and intense.

My friend with the “bromance” heart in the background taken by Hugo Morel

He could sense the passion in my stories. Eventually, after speak for what seemed like 30 mins, we got our food. To his surprised, he saw I ordered food he never seen me eat before. My friend told me with a smirk on his face, “travel has really changed you. You aren’t the same person I grew up with. The Hugo I know, would eat the same food until he died.”

Taken by Hugo Morel

Those words really cut me deep. I was scared that I was becoming something that nobody back in my hometown would be able to relate to. The part of California we are from, there wasn’t much diversity at the surface. You really needed to look hard to find a Nepalese restaurant or anything diverse. All we had was awesome mexican food, some Chinese and occasional soul food. Unfortunately , that is usually it.

Still with my fears, my friend and I still had a great time. It felt great to enjoy your time with a childhood friend. All the laughs made me forget about the strom being created in my head. Best to live in the moment, being lost in thought would be disrespectful. Especially, when friends fly just to see you.

To start your own adventures, check out the link below.

April 17, 2019 16