Vatican city, the home base of the Catholic Church. A country of about 1000 people and the place where the Pope lives. Do not let the name confuse you, it’s actually a country.
St. Peter’s square taken by Hugo Morel
Although, it’s not recognized by the United Nations as an actual country; Vatican city is self-governed. Besides speaking Italian, the Pope’s home is not apart of Italy nor Rome; even if it’s in the middle of Italy’s capital.
St. Peter’s square at sun rise taken by Hugo Morel
Entering this country feels more like an airport than immigration. You have to go through a metal detector. If someone acts up, they will have to deal with these guys.
The guards of Vatican City taken by Hugo Morel
To be honest, these guards I think are just for show. They aren’t really frightening nor to be taken seriously. Just look at those colors!
The entrance to Vatican City taken by Hugo Morel
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Much love!! Have an awesome weekend and stay healthy! Next time we will be exploring more of Vatican city.
The more we explored Rome, the older the man-made structures got.
Taken by Hugo Morel edited on Instagram
Rome is such a beautiful city. However, there’s a part of Rome that makes the human life span feel inferior. To see these thousands of years old structures is something everybody should experience.
Taken by Hugo Morel
The energy of the Colosseum was out of this world and slightly dark. To know that many people and animals had died for entertainment, left me with a sour taste.
taken by Hugo Morel
We eventually went to where the battles for survival took place. It really made you think as to how far we came as people and a society. These battles to the death were truly barbaric and savage. Gladly, we replaced this violent entertainment with sports (Pun intended).
taken by Hugo Morel
Regardless of what I felt, I really enjoyed my time. Experiencing Roman history first hand, is a memory I’m proud to leave with.
Taken by Hugo Morel
Thank you for reading our post! We love you all! Stay healthy!!
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!!
*warning: the photos you will encounter on this post, will not be children friendly.
After getting settled in Kingston, my friend and I went around looking for a good place to eat jerk chicken. Ironically, it was not that easy. I noticed that there was a lot of curry chicken and curry products. I learned from a local that Jamaica has a strong community of East Indians, due to the English bring them for cheap labor.
Eventually, we found a place. The chicken taste like it was out of this world! Much better than the stuff you find in NYC. I never felt so fat before because within five minutes, I was fighting myself to not order three more plates.
The cool thing about the restaurant, it had a collection of old silver and gold coins. It made me truly feel like I was in the Caribbean.
We eventually went to the Bob Marley museum in Kingston, Jamaica. It was an interesting place. It made you see how the superstar lived. It was pretty cool but, they played a movie at the end and no lie, we all fell asleep during it. No disrespect to Mr Marley.
Before we end this, I just had to show you this hostel. This hostel had some Rasta statue of this horny old dude. Here you go!
Yes, it’s what you think it is.
This was the most memorable surprised ever, unfortunately.
Thank you for reading! Next time we will explore more of Kingston.
It was my third day being in Canada, we just got invited to go to a farm that a friend of my teacher makes maple syrup. My teacher and I were excited to see how maple syrup is made. Little did I know, he would be an interesting character.
Outside the farm, Hugo Morel
At his doorstep, Hugo Morel
After driving to the edge of town, we reached his house. All I could think of, was the fact that this guy’s house looks like the opening of a lot horror movies. It gave me the creeps. It didn’t really helped, when we knocked on his door and he poked his face out of the window. While he was poking his head out to see who it was, all I could think about was that I was going to die and this guy is a serial killer. Luckily, that was not the case or I would not be sitting here writing this post.
My friend, Hugo Morel
It turns out, the guy was not a blood thirsty serial killer. He was actually a good guy with dogs. Although, he was little weird. The kind of weird that believes all important people are reptiles wearing human skin.
the chickens barn, Hugo Morel
storage of the trees that would be used to make syrup, Hugo Morel
He gave us a quick tour around his farm. We got to see the trees that would be used for maple syrup and the chickens he gets fresh eggs from. The man lives a very simple life.
The sugar shack, Hugo Morel
I was informed by a follower that in Canada, Maple syrup “factories” are called sugar shacks. My thanks to Mind Traveler, check out her blog. She was the one who corrected me, so I would not sound like an American.
Hey guys, we just reached 500 followers and over 2000 views last month!! My thanks for finding my life interesting!! I’m so humbled to be able share my stories with you all. I hope my travels can inspire you to enjoy life more and make you realize that money is not everything. You can not bring money with you to the grave but you can bring your experiences. Much love to you all!! Next week, we bring a little of Brazil to a small city. Stay safe and healthy!!!
It was a two hour drive from Winnpeg to Brandon. Not much to see on the way there. The ride was extremely dull. Nothing but flat corn farms for hours. Luckily, I had made two new friends. Which made the ride survivable.
Brandon, Manitoba discovery center, Hugo Morel
Once we got into Brandon, the city reminded me of my hometown. Slow, small and it gave a chill vibe. I met the person who was I staying with. Luckily, she was a very nice person. It was a couch-surfing experience I will never forget.
outside my host’s house, Hugo Morel
Unfortunately, my host had to work. So I was stuck at the home for a day. She informed me how she never locks her doors. Of course, I was completely shocked. There was so much trust in this small city. No locks! Unless, it is late at night. This still surprises me.
waking up to these guys, Hugo Morel
I was introduced to two new furry friends. These guys were wild and crazy at times. Waking me up and jumping on the bed my host let me sleep on. It was hard not to develop feelings for these little guys. They would eat anything and I mean anything. Caught one trying to eat a rubber-band.
Starbucks with french and English, Hugo Morel
inside of Starbucks, Hugo Morel
After the first day of being stuck inside, one of my teachers came. To find something entertaining, we tried to explore the city. That was over in 10 minutes, literally. The city only has 6 main streets. So we decided to hang out in Starbucks because of free WiFi. Long story short, we stayed there for two hours and some crazy guy kept trying to talk to me. He kept asking if my teacher, was my girlfriend. It was very awkward!!
wolf, Hugo Morel
Wolf with Santa’s Hat, Hugo morel
bear and beavers, Hugo Morel
Brandon, Manitoba is home to some very interesting wildlife. The southern part of the province, there are normal bears with black fur. As in the north, there polar bears and penguins! Also, it’s rumoured Santa Claus lives in the most northern part of the province. He also has wolves helping. One of them, was in the picture above.
Brandon’s downtown in the background, Hugo Morel
Thank you for taking your time for reading this post! Drop a like and a follow. Next week we will be visiting my friend’s Maple Syrup factory. Much Love!! Stay healthy!!
New year, new me as the saying goes. For me, new year means new adventures. It was the end of January 2016. New York City just survived a record breaking snowstorm. I was invited to go to Canada for a Capoeira event. The event will have masters of the art to teach us. The thought of it filled me with joy. Little did I know, it would be a journey just to get there.
NYC during the blizzard, Hugo Morel
One word of advice, never call your mother during a storm and your flight is the next day, after the whole city closed down. Yeah, the city that doesn’t sleep had to shut down at 2:45 pm; yet, any mother makes a situation seem more awful than it actually is. Okay yes, the blizzard was bad enough to close the city that never sleeps down but I was still alive. After a few “Are you alive?” calls, my mother convinced me to go three hours early to the airport. I’m still trying to figure out how she did this. Once the taxi dropped me at the airport, I knew I was in for a long night.
The day after the storm, Hugo Morel
As I got into the airport, the place looked like a dead zone. Everything was unusually closed down. The airport is open 24 hours on a normal schedule but a storm just passed. The airport looked like a homeless shelter. The food court was filled with people who were stuck in New York City. Their flights were canceled and the local hotels were closed. The only choice they had was the food court. This was a sight from a horror movie and a traveler’s worst nightmare.
people sleeping at the food court, Hugo Morel
the storm’s aftermath, Hugo Morel
After three hours of waiting, it was take off time. To save money, I bought a connecting flight, New York City to Denver international. The flight was full, due to the storm. They kept asking for handbags and luggage to be put on another flight. The kind person would be rewarded for a thousand dollars worth of flyer points. They asked four times and waited until someone actually volunteered before taking off!!
Denver International airport, Hugo Morel
At Denver International, I was surprised how big the mile high city’s airport was. It felt bigger than JFK. There was a mile long walkway (pun intended) and even a mall. I expected to see the cast of South Park here. This was mind-blowing!!
Flying to Winnipeg, Hugo Morel
After all the trials, I was finally in Canada. The country that is the home of Justin Bieber, Drake and maple syrup. Of course, instead of seeing Santa Claus and the north pole, I get a not so jolly welcome. Long story short, the immigration center kept me for about 20 mins trying to understand my story. It’s hard to explain to people, what Capoeira is. Lesson learned, never say you are going to stay at someone’s house that you met on Facebook and learn from a master that you never met in person.
Welcome to Winnipeg…kind of, Hugo Morel
Thank you for taking your time to read this post. Drop a like and a follow. Much love!!! Next week, we go to the city of Brandon. Stay safe and healthy!!
It was the summer of 2014, one of my childhood friends was graduating from a private university. This was a major accomplishment for him. I was and am still proud of him. After the graduation, we explored Boston together.
The bus ride to Boston was crazy. Four hours of just sitting, can do damage to any healthy person. It was 2014, and we still have not created a teleportation machine. The epic struggle!! Anyways, when going to Boston you have a few choices. You can go by plane, train or bus. If you are on the east coast, a bus will be best. In certain areas, it is only 50 dollars round trip. From New York City, I paid only 40 dollars for a round trip. I used Lucky Star bus, they are great and a money-saver.
another shot of Boston from Tufts, Hugo Morel
Once in Boston, I met my childhood friend. We knew each other since elementary school but, didn’t become actual friends until the end of middle school. We took Boston’s subway to get to Tufts University. I got to see where he lived and what his projects were. I’m so proud of him. When I used to visit his home, he would live off MacDonald’s. At that time, he was living in a single parent home with his little sister. Money was very tight for them. For him to be at this university is an amazing achievement. He is the first person in his family to go to college. When I saw him receive his bachelors, it took a lot of willpower to hold back tears.
Boston’s freedom trail, Hugo Morel
A Different view of Boston’s freedom trail, Hugo Morel
After the emotional graduation, we went to explore Boston. We did what tourists do in Boston, walked the freedom trail and go to the infamous Fenway park. Sadly, we did not care who would win and none of us were Red Soxs. After the game, we went bar hoping in Boston. So apparently, Boston’s bars close at 2 am. Living in New York City for awhile, really changed my views of late nights mean.
Baseball game at Fenway Park, Hugo Morel
Wanted to dedicate this post to one of my closest friend that helped me out so much growing up. I was going down a wrong path in my life and he encourage to get back into reading. Which eventually lead to this blog and me starting my company! He encouraged me to do what I love. As you guys can tell, I love traveling and being able to write. The friend I’m talking about is the one that graduated in this post. He is now a few years away from getting his PhD. I’m so proud of him. May he continue to inspire others and change more lives.
Guys, we just reached 500 likes!! Thank you so much!! I love you guys so much and I’m so humbled you guys see my life as interesting. Once again, thank you. I hope, I can inspire you all to travel!! Much Love!!! Drop a like and a follow. Next week, we will start a Canadian adventure. Stay healthy!!
After a few days of workshops in Dallas, it was finally time to go to Mexico. We were all excited to teach English and to get out of Dallas. For many of us, it was our first time to America’s Southern neighbor.
mountain range in Monterrey, Mexico- Hugo Morel
As we got on the bus, we had no idea how long of a bus ride we were in for. Once about 8 hours passed by, we arrived in Brownsville, Texas. A border town with lots of social problems. The atmosphere completely changed, you could cut the air with a knife. The city looked very poor, broken houses everywhere. It was as if, we were in another country and not the USA. The people walking on the streets looked very tensed and scared. This was completely another world.
border guards, Hugo Morel
Once at the border, the air became thicker. All the guards had semiautomatic guns. This was not a laughing matter. The border control made us get out of the bus and checked our bags on a white table, as shown in the picture above. As one of the guards was checking my bags, I looked him in the eye by accident. The other two were quick to put their hands on their guns. It was as if, I was some type of criminal. The lives these guards live, there is not much smiling. I didn’t felt love here and I only sensed hate mixed with fear.
USA/Mexican border on Christmas day, Hugo Morel
After the scare from the border control, we passed through the border. On Christmas day, we were finally in Mexico. You can see the differences and it was heartbreaking. A lot of women showing off their bodies on street corners. There were a lot of men just sleeping on the floor with a look of despair. The hopelessness in people’s face, made us realize how lucky we are to be Americans. Seeing all this, made us want to teach even more.
another shot of the Mexican mountain range , Hugo Morel
We finally arrived to where we were going to teach, the University of Tecmilenio. Unfortunately, they did not allow us to take photos of the school or the classroom. As the classes started, we saw the looks in the adults’ faces. Their faces expressed friendliness and warmth. As we taught more English, their faces lite up and English was finally clicking. This experience was so amazing. A lot of the adult students, invited us to their homes. The stories they gave us really touched our hearts. Many of them, have seen crimes unthinkable. Coming to the USA, for a lot of them, was their only way for a better life. The rest that will stay, learning English is needed to getting better jobs. This was one of the most memorable experiences on my travels.
outside view of the school we taught, Hugo Morel
Thank you for taking you time to read this post. Drop a like and a follow. Much love!! Love you guys so much! Next we will be heading to Cambridge, Massachusetts for my friend’s graduation at Tuffs university and explore Boston!! Take care and stay healthy!!
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.
Haitian Flag street art, Hugo Morel
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!!
