That good Swedish eating

Alright, when I went Sweden didn’t expect the food to be good. I was thinking about eating at 7/11 or any other convenient stores. Trying to save a few dollars. When I was here, I was told to eat Swedish meatballs and pancakes. During my time explore Stockholm at night, all I wanted was some hot chocolate.

The dark street photo courtesy of Hugo morel

Kept walking in the cold dark street on the mission of finding some hot chocolate. It was at this moment, I really felt out of place. A strong cold wind passed through my coat and pants. I had about three layers on. I was built for the tropics. What am I doing here? Then, I remember the price of the flight being so cheap. I kind of asked to be put into this situation. So, I kept thinking about a warm place like the tropics. Surprisingly, this works out well.

The sign that attracted me to the restaurant photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

After about 5 minutes, which felt like hours, I saw this sign. Swedish glogg, my first impressions were Viking soda. I thought this glogg was going to be very cold. It wasn’t until I got back that I learned it was an alcoholic drink. I was freezing. So I had no choices but to go inside.

Swedish pancakes photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Once inside, the atmosphere was a very “hipster.” For those who don’t know how hipster restaurants are, there is dim lighting with pop music playing in the background. Everybody was on their laptops. Kind of like a Starbucks that serves real food. I saw they had Swedish pancakes. Which, I just had to order. It felt good to be out of the cold. The waiters at the restaurant were from Ethiopia. Another reminder of the diversity of this country.

Once the Swedish pancake came, there was no chance for this Swedish dish to survive. Along with my hot chocolate, I had to regain the body heat my body let go during this night out. So, I had to eat for all the snowmen in the North pole. Most will say the pancake looks more like a kid’s dream than a meal. Still, I’m not complaining. It was really good.

The Swedish meatballs photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

I had to find my way back to the hostel I was staying at. I just couldn’t keep moving with this cold. The later it got, the colder it became. There was a restaurant next to the hostel. I was told by the front desk that the restaurant has the famous Swedish meatballs. I had to try it. After a warm shower, I was ready to go to eat a real meal.

Swedish beer photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The meatballs were really good. I did not know at the time that reindeer was mixed with the meat. Never ate that type of meat. Got some local beer to drink everything down. Not much of a beer drinker. However, this was pretty good. It was great to end the night. I couldn’t wait to see what the next day had in store for me.

Stay safe everyone and remember to wash your hands!

Check out our eBook “How to Travel for Dirt Cheap” by Hugo Morel for ways to make your dreams of traveling come true without breaking the bank. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M848M47?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420&fbclid=IwAR0_mRF-eE9tODIshljVr7CQ8h6vKT6hHn_8gZfJ94DySY1ylPO2Itu2Qe

For videos about cultures of the world and to see our travels, subscribe to our youtube channel!

For my underwater photos, I use the gopro hero 7 white.

We have partnered up with booking.com and working on TripAdvisor. Here are some links for each hope you all enjoy!Here are links to hotels and other deals.For Hotels, make sure to click here. For apartments make sure to click here. For Resorts click here. For villas click here. For bed and breakfast and for Guest houses, make sure to click the link!

June 24, 2020 13

My first time in Madrid, Spain

Landed in Madrid on December 23 , two days before Christmas. The flight from Tangier to Madrid was about an hour long and costed me 25 dollars. I never been to Spain, so I was super excited to see what this city had to offer.

Picture of a bodega in Madrid photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Took a taxi from Madrid’s international airport to my Airbnb apartment. Got into a conversation with the taxi driver about the current affairs in Spain. Barcelona really wants independence. They been fighting for it recently and it’s had become more intense. I was told to not speak Spanish to locals in Barcelona. It might cause a fight.

Flan in spain photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Once settled, I had to eat. I haven’t eaten since being in Morocco. There was no food given out on that flight. Maybe, that’s why it was so cheap.

Found a place near the apartment I rented out. It was owned by a Chinese couple. It was interesting to see Chinese people speak Spanish with Spaniard accent. It was kind of mind blowing to be honest.

Of course, I ordered rice with beans. For desert, it was flan with a glass of sangria. These are so common in Latin American countries that I almost felt at home. Speaking Spanish was so simple and natural to me. Coming from Morocco, having people around that spoke Spanish felt like 10 tons of weight left my shoulders. Compared to my time in Morocco, they only spoke french and arabic. Few spoke English or Spanish.

People were surprised to hear me speak Spanish with a non-Spaniard accent. They couldn’t believe I was from the USA. Americans really don’t have a good reputation around the world. I’m constantly reminded of it. PS. We are known as culturally ignorant. Please, make sure we change their views.

Madrid street with Christmas decorations photo courtesy of hugo Morel

Once my meal was done, I walked around little bit. Didn’t want to go too far because getting lost was not my ideal situation at the moment. I usually wait for the second day. Got back to my apartment and was ready for the next morning.

Thank you for reading! Stay safe and much love!

For videos about cultures of the world and to see our travels, subscribe to our youtube channel!

For my underwater photos, I use the gopro hero 7 white.

We have partnered up with booking.com and working on TripAdvisor. Here are some links for each hope you all enjoy!

Here are links to hotels and other deals.

For Hotels, make sure to click here. For apartments make sure to click here. For Resorts click here. For villas click here. For bed and breakfast and for Guest houses, make sure to click the links!

December 6, 2019 1

Who are the Belizean people

As my time in Belize was coming to an end, I kept noticing the mixture this country has. I mentioned this before in another post. However, I never really went in depth.

The people of Belize Photo courtesy of belizing

With a country with a little over 350,000, the people living within it’s borders are very mixed. The people are mixed with African, Native Mayans, European or east and south Asian. Most Belizeans have some mixture of one those ethic groups. There are recent immigrants that are not mixed. However, by the next or the following generation, they would mix with the majority of the population.

Women of belize Photo courtesy of https://www.northernbelize.com/cult.html

Growing up in California, there were so many descendants of the Mayans that were my friend. From the Salvadoran to the Guatemalan and Mexican, I was very familiar to the Mayan facial features. Coming to Belize completely shocked me. It was like seeing all my Mayan descendants friend speak English with Caribbean accent. All this was so surprising and it was a little hard to believe.

Another photo of the women of Belize Photo courtesy of https://hashtagiamenough.com/project-proud-to-be-belizean/

When I first saw the Belizeans, I expected them to speak Spanish. After seeing the people at my hostel, you could tell they had some African roots. This mixture is really interesting to me. I had a few friends growing up that were half African American and half Mexican. The Belizeans I met at my hostel could pass as my friends’ siblings.

Traditional Belizean food Photo courtesy of https://flavorverse.com/traditional-belizean-foods/

The food in Belize is amazing! You can taste the diversity of this country. It was like eating Mexican food mixed with Caribbean dishes. The rice had the flavors of Jamaican/west Indian. The rice and beans were spicy. You can taste the Indian curry in the meal. I almost felt like never coming back to the USA, after eating a few dishes here. My family comes from a Caribbean island. So eating this food reminded me of my childhood. Bringing Mexican food from the restaurants then mixing it with the home cooked Caribbean meal my mother used to cook me. The sweet plantain made the memories even stronger. All these flavors reflected the people of Belize.

Mennonites women with their children photo courtesy of https://www.belizehub.com/belize-mennonites/

Lastly, the funny thing about Belize, there is an ethic group of Europeans that speak German as a first language. They are called the Mennonites. The majority of the Mennonites have been historically white European. However, in recent years there have been some converts from all the racial groups of Belize. Yet, the white European are still the majority within that ethic group. Also, the Mennonites are a form of Christians. Think of them being similar to the Amish of the United States. I didn’t get to see them because I spent most of my time on the islands. The Mennonites are usually on the main land of Belize.

Photo courtesy of https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/mennonites-belize-christian-sect-community-central-america-a8541116.html%3famp

As you can see, Belize being the tiny country it is has a lot to offer. With so many ethic groups and so much diversity, it’s hard to come back home as the same person. Coming to Belize has really opened my eyes. From North to South America, the countries in them are enriched by immigrants and the culture they bring. All that mixture is what makes the western hemisphere so interesting. Glad, I got to spend my time in Belize. I wish I could had stayed longer.

Thank you for reading! Much love and safe travels!

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

August 24, 2019 16

Saying farewell to the cold and Iceland

As when I was heading towards the airport, it was dark. Like completely dark to the point, it did not look like 7 in the morning. Had to google the local time a few times just to make sure. Thought I miscalculated the time differences. One of the biggest issues for a traveler, make sure you have a local SIM card. It changes the time on your phone automatically. Or at least, having a service plan that gives you International data. To be upfront, it’s cheaper getting a local SIM card.

The view outside of the hostel waiting for the shuttle photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

I was waiting for the airport shuttle, when the sun was starting to rise. It’s still really hard to believe that I’m so far up north. I thought it would be like some parts of Alaska, where sunlight is only out for a couple of hours. However, this country only gets dark in the early morning and after 3 p m. So there’s about 5 hours of sunlight here during the winter. Which is about a few hours less sunlight than New York City in December. Iceland still amazes me.

After about 15 minutes in the cold, the airport shuttle arrived. The crazy thing about Iceland’s shuttles, they have free wifi and USB ports to charge your electronics (I was definitely not in Cuba). Sat down for the 45 minute ride to Kavilf Airport.

The sun starting to rise photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Got to the airport, passed through customs with ease. Eventually, got hungry and walked to one of the airport stores. I was talked into buying some local chocolate. I did not regret the choice. It had an interesting flavor. Imagine the sweet milky chocolate taste with a little hint of salt. It was definitely something worth remembering.

Icelandic chocolate bar photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

After some time passed, I kept thinking about my experiences in Iceland. Still surprised I haven’t came back with a cold or some flu. The fact that humans can live in such extreme temperatures, it really opens your eyes. Humans are very adaptable. From the bitter cold of Iceland to the heat of the Sahara Desert, humans will find a way to live. Im really lucky to have experienced this island all the way up North. Can’t wait to see the next country and what it had to offer.

Walking to the airplane photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

As I walked to the pathway to board the airplane, I was excited about going to my next country. It would be a complete 180. This place will be warm with a Caribbean coastline. A new experience was waiting for me. As I took my sit, I sat there in excitement. Central America, here I come!!

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

Check out our eBook “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 29, 2019 22

The Beauty of New York City

There’s a reason why I choose to live in the New York metropolitan area. As the “capital” of the world, you get access to pretty much any type of food from any culture.

Taken by Hugo Morel

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay, you do not get the access to all of the cultures that you do here in New York City. My family here would tell me stories about hanging out with thier friends from Mongolia and Turkestan. My cousin would tell me about how he used to get invited into thier home and they would cook him authentic exotic food. I was always envious of him growing up. We only had awesome Mexican food out in the Bay Area!

Traditional Mongolian dish by google

The skyline, the food and the culture is what really attracted me to this city. Truly love this city, as expensive as it is. I truly wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Downtown Manhattan taken by Hugo Morel

Being the capital of the world, the New York City metropolitan area has two international airports and one national. It has three airports in total. Being the traveler I was, I just had to move here. So much food, culture and possible airplane tickets.

Curry chicken with rice at a Jamaican restaurant taken by Hugo morel

The reason why I am posting about New York today is because we are going to start a series of food from all over the world that is found in New York City.

Be on the look out!

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this post. Much love!

December 5, 2018 42

The saint of Assisi, Italy

After our experiences in Florence, the crew started it’s way to Assisi. At the time, I never really thought much about this city; however, it would be an unique experience.

Arriving to the city was actually exciting because we were very hungry. The crew thought it was best we did not stop to eat and just drive straight there to save time. Well of course, we got stuck in traffic. So we feed on light snacks. Once we got to Assisi, we ate like Kings and Queens.

So this city is actually the place where Saint Francis is from. My home town San Francisco was named after this Saint. It was a weird experience that is truly hard to put into words. I could see the similarities in the city and the Saint. Saint Francis to the Catholic Church is the saint of animals. San Francisco has a lot of vegans and animal rights activists. I found that to be very interesting.

Assisi itself is just a normal sized city. The buildings were nice. The narrow alleyways reminds you are in an european town; yet, the mountains in the background, reminded me of the mountains on the Californian countryside.

The city was so beautiful in a classic European way. No big skyscrapers, just beautiful Italian scenery.

The shops had everything in them. From assassin’s Creed gear to soap. It was weird to see soaps being sold right next to coats with hidden blades. There’s a joke hidden in there but I’m not going to touch it (pun intended).

As we explored more of the city, we were shown where Saint Francis was locked up by his dad. His dad was a very rich man and was angry that Francis wanted to become a priest. So he locked him in a small room similar to a dungeon. Eventually, Francis became a clergyman and later, one of the most well known saints.

(All photos were taken by Hugo Morel)

Thank you for reading, enjoy your weekend. Next time, we will finally go to Rome!!

August 5, 2018 48

Just wanted to say thank you

Hello everyone! Just wanted to say thank you for your support! We reached over 1340 followers!! Another awesome milestone accomplished! We have so much more content for you all that we can’t wait to share!! Places like Europe, Asia and Africa! Have a great weekend and stay safe!

July 20, 2018 6

The foods of Venice

Italy is known for it’s food and it’s rich history. Different parts of Italy have different styles of food. Venice brought it’s style and gave me something to remember.

The best pizza in my travels of Italy was in Venice. The pizza here on is another level compared to the other parts of Italy. Just remember, pepperoni is not called pepperoni here. The right word is salami. I can talk for days on how good the pizza was here. Let’s just say, new york style, chicago style and any other type of pizza style will not compare. This feels like pizza’s true motherland.

The pasta here was fantastic! Honestly, I had so much pasta in Italy that it was hard to say which one was the best. All of it was good! Truth be told, I ate pasta everyday while in Italy. No complaints!

The gnocchi was really good! It’s potatoish pasta. That really is the only way to describe gnocchi. When you take a bite, you taste the potato. I loved it and enjoyed it. First time trying gnocchi and I was not disappointed.

How can I not mention gelato while being in Italy? This lemon blessing was no expection to the Italian food hype. It was truly a gift from heaven. Took my time eating this for obvious reasons.

Thank you for taking your time to read this! Much love! Have a merry Christmas and a happy new years! Also, happy holidays!!! Next week, we will finish up Venice.

December 23, 2016 24

Frozen lake and a bison buger

We just got invited to go to clear lake, Manitoba. We were excited to see the northern lights. Which was one of the reasons why we wanted to go to Canada. After about an hour and a half drive, we arrived at Clear lake.

Clear lake is a very small town with a population a little over 2,000 people. Majority of the people that have property here, tend to come during vacations/summer. The place feels like a great community to raise a family. Never met such wonderful and down to earth people.

As we drove deeper into this small community, we saw the frozen lake. This was the first time in my life to see a lake completely frozen. Being able to walk on the lake was mindblowing.

The lake had at least a foot and a half of ice covering it. I jumped a few times to see, if it was real. Luckily, it was.

One of our friends, who is a local, informed me about quinzees. A quinzee is a shelter made of out snow that is hallowed out. They are actually very warm. They were made from the indigenous people of Manitoba to survive the winters.

Since coming to clear lake, people kept telling me about this creation called the bison burger. I was really interested by this. The locals kept telling me it was very similar to beef. I had to try it for myself.

We finally found the place were they serve bison. To my surprise, it really did taste like beef. Bison is actually more healthier than beef. Makes you wonder, why beef is more common than bison. Probably, money is the root. Sadly, we did not see the northen lights as a group. I saw the northern lights at my host’s house, later that night.

Thank you guys for taking your time to read this post. I love you all! You are all awesome!! Next week we go to NYC!!! Much love and stay healthy!!

April 29, 2016 22

Checking Out Little Haiti

Little Haiti, a place of real culture and down to earth people. Going to Little Haiti was a very eventful time in my life. I made friendships that would open many doors and eventually this blog.

Going to Little Haiti, I do recommend going by car. Public transportation to Little Haiti is not always the best. Once you are there, most of the corner stores are Haitian owned. Make sure to check them out, when you get the chance. You can get a lot of Haitian products from fruits to candy bars.

While in Little Haiti, you must eat at a local restaurant. No fast-food or Mcdonald’s! Eating from those types of restaurants, will ruin your experience in this cultural paradise. If you want some real cultural food, always ask the locals.

A nice family owned restaurant,Hugo Morel

After asking around, I was told about a restaurant called The New Piman Bouk restaurant. It was a great place to go. It gives you the feels of being in Haiti. The restaurant is owned by a Haitian-American family. This is authentic as it gets for Haitian Creole food in America. One plate of food can feed two people. It is a great place for food at a great price.

Haitian soda, Hugo Morel

another view of the soda, Hugo Morel

Haitian Food, Hugo Morel

Little Haiti has many cultural activities. While in Little Haiti, make sure to check out the Cultural Center. The Cultural Center has many events throughout the year. From movies to social groups, Little Haiti’s Cultural Center is place to visit for anybody looking to experience the local culture.

Just want to say thank you to you all for reading and liking my posts. We reached over 100 followers. I met the person who pushed me into starting this blog in Little Haiti. Drop a like and a follow. Next week we will be going to Dallas for some workshops to teach English in mexico. Much Love!!