November 29, 2011

Cool Architecture in Philadelphia

Here are some pics from Downtown Philadelphia (known as Center City). As you can see, I like skyscrapers. Believe it or not, there was actually a “Gentleman’s Agreement” in Philly (up until it was broken in 1987) that no building would be taller than the hat on the statue of William Penn atop City Hall (the statue is actually 50 feet tall!). This meant that the skyline of the city was kept pretty mid-rise until the glorious year of my birth, and as you can see, some really impressive steel and glass buildings have gone up since. Philadelphia City Hall…

November 27, 2011

Occupy Philadelphia – The Homeless, The Hipsters and The Hopeless

So I’m back in Philadelphia for Thanksgiving and decided to spend a whole week instead of just a few days to enjoy the city a bit and see some friends. After I graduated from college, my parents sold our house in the burbs, and did like many other empty nesters, headed back to downtown to try and reclaim their youth. I even have to say they’re cooler; way more laid back, down to drink that extra glass of wine at dinner and try new things again. At first, I was a bit sentimental about them giving up the house I…

November 25, 2011

Thanksgiving – Religious-Free Gluttony

I love Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday about be being thankful for what you have in life, minus the fact that Jesus, Allah, God or Shiva had anything to do with it (at least in my family). Just a time to reflect how lucky you are for the plentiful and delicious food on your plate and the family around your table. Thanksgiving is a holiday primarily observed in the US to celebrate the anniversary of the colonists settling in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. They held a huge feast to commemorate their first harvest which was mostly successful because the Indians helped them out by providing seeds for crops and…

November 20, 2011

The Weather in Miami is like no where else!

When I first moved to Miami 5 years ago, I was surprised to learn that there are not 4 seasons like I was used to in Philadelphia. In fact, the seasons here aren’t determined by temperature. There are only two seasons in Miami, rainy and dry. While it typically “cools off” from late October through March, you can still expect to have 80 degree days (about 26 centigrade) the majority of the time. The difference is that there is very low humidity which makes a world of difference and the real reason I’m still living here! A fun fact that…

November 18, 2011

Picture of the Week: flickr likes me!

In my attempt to start using an optimized image hosting website, I thought I’d give flickr a try, especially because it’s owned by Yahoo and I really don’t optimize anything for it. Who the hell even uses Yahoo anyways? (supposedly poorer people according to Gizmodo). When making my flickr account this morning, I was welcomed with something special. Call it fate, a divine algorithm, or just sheer coincidence, but I like flickr already, Zdrasti to you too!

November 17, 2011

Even 1% Jewish? Then go to Israel for Free, no Joke!

When my friend Dave told me about Birth Right a few years ago, I thought it sounded too good to be true. A 10 day free trip to Israel with airfare, hotels, and food all completely paid for?..No jew I knew would front that bill. Well, it was true, and a couple years back, just for being Jewish, I got to on one of the most fun, interesting and enlightening trips of my whole life. Mazol Tov to Me, 8 Years of Hebrew School Finally Paid Off (Sort of)! The Birth Right website qualifies anyone 18-26 with any part Jewish,…

November 12, 2011

A Breath of Fresh Air at Dragalevtsi Monastery

After spending four days in Sofia, I needed to get the F*** out for a minute. My new friend Téodora who I actually met through CouchSurfing (check out that website if you don’t know what it is!) suggested we check out one of the many beautiful monasteries near Sofia. Bulgarians love getting out of the city, and any chance they get, you will find them skiing in the mountains, hiking, camping, or if it’s the summer, topless on one of the many beaches on the Black Sea. So, I took a cab to the outskirts of Sofia and met up with Téodora who knew…

November 11, 2011

Sofia, Bulgaria – The Paris of the Balkans…Not!

The final leg of my two week travel to Eastern Europe culminated in Sofia, Bulgaria. I took the bus from Plovdiv which took about two hours and offered some pretty nice scenery. Bulgarians have the most owned property per capita in the world, and much of it is not developed, ensuring that much of the landscape is untainted by human influence. In complete contrast to the tranquil countryside is Sofia, a crumbling soviet era capital city that isn’t easy on the eyes, but offers a certain grime and grittiness that is somehow endearing. Sofia is a shithole that will win…

November 7, 2011

Picture(s) of the Week: Plovdiv!

Plovdiv, Bulgaria is a really nice place to visit after being in a bustling city. It is the second largest city in Bulgaria, but is still rather small and relaxed. The population of the entire country is only 7.5 million people, with the capital and largest city, Sofia, only having a little over a million. I’m sure some of you have been wondering what the hell I’m doing in Bulgaria in the first place, so I guess I’ll fill you in. I am in fact, Bulgarian. My grandparents moved to the US in the middle of the 20th century to…

November 3, 2011

Taking The Train Through the Eastern Bloc

So I began my journey westward from Turkey to Bulgaria yesterday, and after hearing how miserable the bus ride is, I decided to take the train. The train left Istanbul at 10 PM and was supposed to reach Plovdiv, Bulgaria the next day at 10 AM…12 hours…Shit. I had read online that there were private sleeper cars available, but when I got to the train station, all that they offered was a cohette car which is 6 bunks in a little compartment. I didn’t have a choice so I bought it. I got onto my car and the conductor…

October 31, 2011

Byzantium, no Constantinople….Dammit, Istanbul!

So it has been a few days since I’ve been on my Turkish getaway in the ancient city of Istanbul (it has had many names in the past), and so far, I’m having a great time. There is so much history here and you can literally see it stacked on itself through the many visible levels of architecture from ancient Roman ruins to modern shining glass sky scrapers. Istanbul is truly where east meets west, and the city is divided up into many districts where you can either feel like you’re in Saudi Arabia, or strolling down a tree-lined boulevard in…

October 29, 2011

Screw Hotels, Stay at Someone’s Place for Half the Price!

Before I left for Istanbul, I decided to try out a new concept in vacation rentals via an online service called Wimdu. I found out about it after receiving some recommendations from friends who were making a lot of money renting their apartments (free to list) with them in the States. Basically,Wimdu is a website where you can list your apartment or house for a night, week, month or however long you want, and vacationers can “book” it for a short stay. It’s a great way to make a little supplemental income and meet some interesting people in the process. Wimdu offers users a much more…

October 27, 2011

My Grand Arrival in Istanbul!

After 12 grueling hours 30,000 feet above the earth, I finally made it to Istanbul. I lucked out on my flight from Miami to Madrid with no one sitting next to me, but the overly vocal red neck missionary across the aisle erased me enjoying that luxury. My second flight from Madrid to Istanbul was one of the most turbulent i’ve ever been on, but I lucked out again with no one in my three-person row, so I had the chance to curl up into fetal position and catch a few Z’s. Upon my arrival at Ataturk Airport, I opted…

October 23, 2011

Video of the week: Mexico’s Coolest City

After reading an article in USA Today…today, about how Mexico is spending $30 million on an ad campaign to bring back its favorite American tourists, I thought I’d do my part and help reiterate the fact that Mexico is indeed a safe place to travel. I think it all comes back down to not going to places you probably shouldn’t go, or doing things that will probably end you up on an episode of Locked up Abroad (great show by the way). I’m from Philly, one of America’s worst cities, but you would never know it, unless you go to…

October 20, 2011

Picture of the Week: Wine Tasting in South Beach

Last night I went to a free wine tasting event compliments of Bordeaux Wines at a really cool “local’s” spot on South Beach called Bistro 555. I sent the email invite over to my always “Yes” saying friend Clark. We filled out our “wine profile” online and when we arrived, were given 4 drink tickets to our predetermined “personal preference table”. Mine somehow ended up being the shitty desert and juice-tasting white wine table, so after bartering with various patrons, I managed to trade some of my tickets for some at the robust reds table. I had a great time,…

October 18, 2011

How to not gain weight while traveling

People always complain about gaining weight when they travel. And while I personally don’t think putting on a few pounds on the road is that big a deal, especially if you’re going on a weeklong cruise (you’re supposed to eat whatever you want), there are a few things you can do to not gain weight while traveling. My view is that short term travel (a week to two weeks) is all about indulgence, having fun and not worrying about things like your gym regiment, stringent diet, etc. You go on short term vacations, because 1. You only get two weeks…

October 14, 2011

Video of the Week: Every Boy Band Has to start somewhere

Yesterday, I got called up by a friend from college asking if I’d like to come to an event at a high-end fitness club in downtown Miami. I had a long day and needed a drink (it was open bar) so I decided to head over. I have been to plenty of “events” at fitness clubs before being that my background is in exercise science and I used to be a personal trainer. They usually consist of a couple bush league vegetable platters from the super market, awkward fluorescent lighting and the club’s 65 year old patrons looking to snag some free snacks.…

October 6, 2011

Photo of the week: churros…for breakfast?!

When growing up and as a young American male, all I wanted to eat were cookies for breakfast (Cookie Crisp cereal satiated that one), so I guess it just makes sense that a young latin boy or girl would want churros for breakfast… Saw this new cereal at the super market this morning and found it comical/genious marketing. Gotta give em’ what they want!

October 4, 2011

Indiana Jeremy and The Secret Mayan Mounds

It seemed like a normal Sunday for me. Up at 7, breakfast and straight to the city archives to scour the South American records post 1492 for any references to the ancient Mayan Mounds of Guatemala and the secret treasure they hold. I had spent months checking old maps scribbled out by conquistadors, documented accounts from the natives about the terrain and stories of cities completely made of gold that glistened in the afternoon sunlight. It was that Sunday that seemed no different than the rest that I finally found what I was looking for, a document from Pedro de…