Going further into Hyde Park and reflecting about living in the USA

After my time of exploring the flower garden, I decided to walk towards this statue. It looked super important and I had to take a picture of it. The statue represents the British Empire and its strength. With everything that is going on now, I wonder if this statue will still be up. This was last summer, it’s crazy how things can change so quickly. Never even thought twice about statues like these. Which, I’m glad to be more aware of these issues.

Started going towards where the people were being people. I love people watching. Everybody was acting so genuine. Laughter with friends, you can tell Londoners live a nice life. When I say nice, I mean a life full of calmness. Although, in certain areas, there are parts of London that are busy just like any major city in the USA.

People sitting at the park photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Kept walking around to feel the moment. The differences in attitudes from New York City and London are very noticeable. I mentioned this before in another post. However, New Yorkers are very rude compared to the locals of this British city. It’s weird how living in new york has changed me. People say Londoners are rude and unfriendly. Try living in New York for a while. Nothing compares to the rudeness of the big apple. Afterward everywhere else, rude people seem mild.

Another view of the park photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

I felt so at peace here. I always feel this way when I’m out of the USA. In the USA, lately there always some stressful event going. During the time I went here, there was a record high shooting in Chicago. Also, the feeling of not worrying about being shot by police or some crazy person. That calm vibe and feeling are expressed in the faces of the locals here. There are violent crimes in London that involve a gun. However compared to the USA, the numbers are a lot lower. According to the number of violent crimes per population.

Street lamp photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

It started to get a little dark. Saw this street lamp. It reminded me of all the videos I have seen about London. The lamp had a spooky and classic charm. Here in England, it rains a lot. A little too much for my liking. However, that feeling of being safe is worthwhile. I almost wish I could live here. Until I saw the prices of the apartments.

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

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June 27, 2020 40

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!

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.

June 24, 2020 13

Wandering through Hyde Park

My first stop after visiting the palace was going to Hyde Park. I have been told by friends and family to make sure to visit this place. Luckily, it was about a ten-minute ride on the underground from where I was staying. So afterward, I can have a friendly chat with the Air BnB host for a little bit. I took the train and got out of the nearest station to the park.

entrance to hyde park photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Hyde Park’s entrance was interesting. It reminded me of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Just with an artistic image of a unicorn and a lion. I have no idea what they are supposed to mean. It just looks different than all the parks I have been too. So, I had to appreciate the uniqueness. I mean just look at it. It’s as if, the unicorn and the lion are dancing.

A path leading outside of the park photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Once inside, I was shocked at how similar it was to Central Park in Manhattan. A big park in the middle of the city. It almost makes you forget you are in one of the world’s biggest metropolis. I started walking around, I kept looking at how people were interacting. Everybody was relaxed and enjoying their time. It felt like Central Park without all the stress. Also, without the horse droppings. No need to watch your step here. The locals at this park look like they were genuinely enjoying their time.

the entrance to the garden photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

I stumbled across a little garden near the entrance. I went inside to have a look. I took out my camera to take photos for you all. To my annoyance, the moment I was seen with my camera was the moment I became a photographer for random strangers. They asked me to take pictures of them with their phones. Me being the nice guy I was raised to be, I couldn’t reject the requests. I ended taking pictures for two different couples in that part of the park. I just couldn’t say no at the moment. They asked so nicely. Of course, none of it was with my camera. I charge for that. I’m not that nice.

The beautiful purple flowers photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

After about 10 mins, I got back to my mission of taking photos for you all. The beauty of the flowers really made me appreciate nature. Sometimes you tend to forget, how prefect nature can at times. Even though I was alone, my smile and face exhaling any negativity. Parks just have this effect on you. It’s almost like time slows down and you are able to enjoy being in the moment to the fullest.

Stay safe everyone and remember to wash your hands!

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

June 20, 2020 32

Night time exploring around Stockholm

The sun went down and I wanted to see what the Swedish capital had to offer at night. Decided to go around at the risk of freezing. Since, it gets a lot colder at night. However, I’m in Stockholm and I don’t know when I will be back. I guess this was a yolo moment…**cringed**

Stockholm at night photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

When I got outside, I was hit with a cold blast of air. The air felt like when you put your head in the freezer or by the air conditioner on a hot summer’s day. However, without the warmth when stepping away. This cold was strong and I just had to adapt to it. Which, I eventually did.

A dark street in stockholm photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Stockholm is very beautiful during the day. Once nightfall comes, it another level of beauty. Seeing the skyline at night was truly amazing. I couldn’t tell if it was the cold or the view. Regardless, my breath was taken away. Every major European city at night has this attractiveness that most of the world lacks. You see more flashy lights and taller buildings elsewhere. Yet; in Europe, most major cities are not like that. There’s like a classic charm here. I know i mentioned this before. It’s just what I keep noticing

Walking down one of the main roads in stockholm at night photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Walking around, I was in awe of everything. It felt like I was in the north pole. Which is not too far from here. As if Stockholm was where Santa Claus lived. I’m sure if I was a kid, it would had been a dream to travel here. It’s cool that Swedish culture has roots to Nordic culture. Which is probably why, I hoped to see elves here working with St. Nick.

The beautiful “tunnel” photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The pathways here are so beautiful. Walking down the alluring cobblestones street, I turned to my right and saw what I’ll say was a “tunnel.” Imagine walking through this every day. I’m sure it looks pretty to us but for the locals, it’s whatever. Sometimes we don’t value what is in front of us everyday.

Just outside of another main street photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Eventually, started walking further down the street. More and more stores kept appearing. All of them were advertising hot chocolate. Being distracted by the beauty, I almost forgot I was freezing. The hot chocolate ads brought me back to reality. It was time to warm up. However, my night of exploring was still not over. Couldn’t wait to see more of this Nordic city has to offer.

Stay safe everyone and remember to wash your hands!

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

June 17, 2020 10

Relaxing and reflecting by the Victoria Memorial

After the disappointment at the Buckingham palace, I decided to walk towards this beautiful statute. It had a fountain in the front that I had to go see. At that time, I was unaware that it was called the “Victoria Memorial.” However, what I did knew that it had some importance. I mean it’s in front of the palace, it has to be important for the Queen wants to see when she looks out of her window.

Victoria Memorial photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The closer I got to the statue, the more groups of sitting tourists appeared. Everybody was taking selfies with their long selfie sticks. Luckily, this was not near a cliff or some high edge. The tourists were more worried about the angle of their photo than their footing. Saw a few people trip and almost fall. Selfies are probably the number one leading cause of tourist injuries.

A closer look of the Victoria Memorial photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Went down the stairs towards the fountain. I wanted to take another photo of this statue. Saw more tourists doing potentially dangerous stunts. I can’t believe they are doing this for a photo that they can post on social media. The length people go just to show off on social media. It’s never a dull moment.

The fountain by the Victoria Memorial photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Got to the fountain, started taking in the moment. Hard to believe I was in London. After traveling so much, you tend to get lost in the moment and not have enough time to reflect. This was a perfect stage to relax and really take in the experience of being in the capital of the British Empire.

A duck swimming in the fountain photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Looking at the fountain water, reminded me of my time in Argentia. I felt happiness again. The disappointment of not seeing the changing of guards left. There was no emotional war going on inside now. The only emotion I felt was peace and joy. This trip has reminded me just how important is water. Just staring at bodies of water can be so relaxing.

A closer look of the duck swimming photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Maybe because my family comes from a Caribbean island, water has always been majestic to me. Something that creates life and can take it away at the same time. Water being a substance that is not alive, can have emotions. When in anger, water creates storms and tidal waves. In times of peace, it can heal. There is a lot of different ways water is used in physical and mental therapy. Almost like there is a higher form of intelligence behind it. Glad, I got to reflect by the memorial dedicated to Queen Victoria.

Stay safe everyone and remember to wash your hands!

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.

June 13, 2020 18

Freezing in Stockholm, Sweden

Yeah, for some reason this winter I went to some really cold countries. There was a reason why the tickets were so cheap. It must had been the weather. Still, I won’t let it ruin my time. Sometimes, you get what you pay for. It was only 340 from NYC, so you know there had to be a catch.

A street outside of my hostel photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

When I got to Stockholm, I was surprised that it wasn’t as cold as I expected. It felt like winter in New York City with more snow. At the beginning that’s what I thought the cold here was. Also, I was surprised to the diversity I kept seeing. It really felt like I was in Queens with all the cultures I saw. For those who don’t know, Queens in New York City has a community for almost ethnic group in the world.

A square in downtown Stockholm photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

It was mid-January when I was in the capital of Sweden. So there were leftover Christmas decorations. Still in shock about the diversity here. Saw Ethiopian and Iranian restaurants thinking I was in Manhattan. It’s funny how we Americans don’t realize how multicultural European cities are. In the main Nordic countries, excluding Finland, they are sometimes even more welcoming to immigrants than the usa claims it is.

A protest in stocholm photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Another view of the protest photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

I kept exploring and somehow I ended up in a protest. I have no idea how I keep getting myself into these situations. Not trying to get caught up into what was going on, I left that area in a hurry like a kid running away from getting a vaccine. Im not trying to spending time in a Swedish jail. If I knew the local language and what the protest was about I would had stayed. However, it’s like playing russian roulette.

A Swedish bus photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The more I walked around, the more I felt the cold. Yeah, this wasn’t like NYC. The cold up here sneaks up on you. I started to feel like I was an ice cube. It’s crazy how people here are so used to the cold.

Another public bus in stockholm photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

After exploring for a few hours, I had to head back into my hostel. It was way too cold for me to just walk randomly around. Still my first impressions of this swedish capital were good. Couldn’t wait to see what more this city had to offer!

Stay safe everyone and remember to wash your hands!

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.

June 10, 2020 17

What is it like to be a minority in the USA

As the USA and the World continues it’s fight for equality. I wanted to share what is it’s really like to be a minority in the USA. A lot of people who genuinely don’t understand the black lives matters movement. They think it’s about minorities against police. When black lives matter is way more than that! I’m sure you all know that Im latino of African descent. Meaning my ancestors were brought to the americas from slavery. As someone who actually knows the people who originally founded the black lives movement. I thought I might as well spread some light on this one. Before you jump into conclusions, please read this whole post. I would love to have an open and respectful conversation with all opinions.

When we say black lives matter, it’s not about starting a race war or we believe all cops are bad. It’s not like what some of the news is pushing out. What we mean when we say mean black lives matter is that our lives has value too. There is are a lot of hard working minorities that pay their taxes. The same taxes that funds the local police departments. The same police that harrass us or even worse. When people say defund the police, some mean it litterally. However, most hard working minorities mean if you are going to get money from our taxes, please don’t ruin or take our lives when we did nothing wrong. We matter as humans beings. Here are some stories of what is like to be a minority in the USA.

My childhood friend’s mom was someone who always had a smile on her face. She always knew how to make people smile and feel good. Her name was Maria. She was an afrolatino like me. One day, Maria saw that I was really down. She smiled at me and told me that no matter what you are going through, the sun always rises the next day. It will shine light to places you thought were only shadows. A week later she was killed by a stray bullet. Leaving my friend as an orphan. His dad was in jail and his mother now gone. My friend beat the odds and became a professional basketball player in Puerto Rico and Europe. Sadly until this day, her murder case remains unsolved. Sitting in a cold case file. They never attempted to find where the bullet came from. Out of respect for my friend, I won’t put the article’s link. If you want to see the story google novato woman killed by stray bullet.

My childhood friend’s brother went to college and got a degree. He was a clean person. One day at a party, someone called the cops for a noise complaint. The cops came and freaked out my childhood friend’s brother. He ran when he wasn’t supposed to. Thinking he committed a crime when he never did. He just knew he was guilty until proven innocent here, if you don’t have money and/or you are a minority. So he ran like he was guilty. Sadly, he was the only black kid in a party full of white and latinos. The police got him and were only able to charge him with resisting arrest. The time he spent in jail changed him. He got fired from his job because he wasn’t able to go to work. He spent 10 months behing bars. Jail mentally broke him. After spending time in jail or prison, you are never the same. Last thing I heard is that he became an addict. His life was ruined.

I can write more stories. Even a book about about my friends and I experiences. However, I hope you understand by now that the USA can be diffcult for minorities. We still smile even when the odds are highly against us. Hope you see that black lives matters is not only against police brutally. It is about a whole system being against us. We just want to be treated as a person first and not anything less. I love the usa because it’s where I grew up. However, there is always room for improvement. It’s truly amazing to see people of every color around the world caring about my struggles. It’s hard to put in words but I just want to say thank you for trying to understand!! It’s greatly appreciated 😁

June 9, 2020 42

Seeing the Buckingham Palace

I usually dislike the whole monarch thing. However when in Rome, do as the Roman. So, do as the British do. Glory to the monarchy, I guess? Decided to go to the Buckingham Palace on a whim. Been told by my host to go there before 11 am to see the changing of the guards. So, thus my adventure began.

Entrance to the Buckingham Palace photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

When I got to the entrance, you are bombarded with fellow tourists. Everybody wanted to see this famous palace. This somewhat made me more excited because there seemed to be a big hype around this landmark. It lead me to take my camera out early.

The gates surrounding the Buckingham Palace photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Of course, the moment I took my camera out and started to photos. It made me into a huge target. A target for people wanting their photos taken. I keep getting asked to be the camera guy for a few photos. I really should start charging people next time. Maybe two dollars per photos. That hefty price might make them leave me alone.

The front of the Buckingham Palace photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Once inside, the palace didn’t really looked anything special to me. Everyone around me seemed in awe of the building. After going to Norway, the Buckingham Palace looks similar to the Norwegian counterpart.

The famous Palace guard photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The main reason why I came here was for the changing of the guards. After waiting for about 20 minutes, I took a look at my watch. It was 10 minutes past 11 am. Still no change of the guards. The main event of my day seemed to have been canceled. Walked around to see that it was canceled due to a charity walk. A little disappointed, I made the best of my time. Saw the guards stand still from a far. There’s a moral to this story. Traveling don’t always go according to plan. Just embrace with what you got and go with the flow. Life is so much better that way.

Sorry for posting on Sunday. Everything has been very eventful in nyc lately.

Stay safe everyone and remember to wash your hands!

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.

June 7, 2020 17

A letter of peace, hope and love

In a country where I grew up. Where I learn to love it because this is my home. I’m constantly being reminded that I’m of lesser quality just based on my skin color. It stings but I still smile and I would never purposely cause harm on anybody.

I still smile because I have hope. Hope for a better future where everybody gets equal treatment. I know this may seem naive but hope is what got me through some really dark times. Regardless of religion, gender, race or sexual orientation. You are a person over everything.

I don’t agree with the looting and destruction of the local businesses. However, I can understand why they do it. Two wrongs don’t make a right. We need peace.

Through my travels, I learned to love people. People from all different backgrounds. Regardless of what their opinions are. I have friends who are Jewish, Christians, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Spirtual and everything else in between. I have friends who are far right and friends who are far left. At the end of the day, we are human beings. These labels we put on yourselves just divides us. Letting us be easily controlled by others’ agendas. We should learn to understand each other. It’s okay to disagree but never take the life of someone.

Hopefully, what is going on in the world will spark a postive change.

Rest in peace to all those who lost their lives due to hate and ignorance. Your lives matter!!

Sorry everyone for not replying to the comments the last week or so. I will finish as much as I can in the following days.

June 4, 2020 22

Last day in Morocco. Saying good bye

After painting the town red with my friend last night, I woke up tried and hungry. She promised that she will show me how the Moroccans eat thier breakfast. I would have to meet up with her at the restaurant. Which finding the place was my next task.

A Moroccan breakfast photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Of course, I got lost. Had to ask a few locals to find the restaurant. When I got there, my friend already ordered and told the waiters hold off on servicing. The moment I sat down, a waiter was already there with my plate.

As seen in the picture above, Moroccans love to eat bread in the morning. My plate had 6 different types of bread with a pancake at the end. The sauces were honey, butter and a peanut butter made with Moroccan argan oil. It was amazing, every bite tasted with a hit of familiarity and a dash of foreign flavors.

A cat and the goat ramming into the wall photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

After eating our breakfast, my friend wanted to show me her neighborhood. We went around in a taxi and got the local price. Trust me, it’s always good to have a local friend. Paid for a third of the normal price.

As we pulled up to her childhood surroundings, we passed by one of the royal family’s vacation homes. I wanted to take a photo but, she suggested not to. I could be mistaken as a journalist. That could cause problems for the both of us.

The view Tangier’s coastline photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

As the taxi was going around, we eventually ended up on a hill. From what my friend translated to me, the taxi driver suggested I see the view from this hill. We got out and I was stunned. I was reminded that this was not France. A random goat showed up to see the view with us. It’s hard to see goats out in the open in Western countries, especially in metropolitan areas. The goat kept running into the wall. Not sure what enjoyment that creature getting from self harm.

Local boat docking station photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The view was out of this world, it felt like California. As if, I was looking at the hills just outside of San Francisco. It gave me a warm feeling in my heart. It was so nostalgic.

The Atlantic ocean meets the mediterranean sea photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

After about half an hour passed, it was time for me to head for the airport. We dropped off my friend at her parents’ home. I offered to pay because she got the taxi driver to pay the local price. Which was about 7 USA dollars all together.

Eventually, I made it to the Tangier airport. My adventures in this North African country was ending. Learned a lot here and made some awesome friends. Definitely a country I will have to visit again. Good bye Morocco, until we meet again.

Stay safe everyone and remember to wash your hands!

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.