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Showing posts from 2019

Day 5: Now we're Sevillians!

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Today, we packed our bags, and we were off to Seville. We first walked to the train station and got past security pretty quickly. After that, we boarded the train. There was a big foldable table and a nice soft seat. We finished some work, ate a croissant, and played Candy Crush. Once we got off our train, we went to our very nice 4-floor apartment in downtown Seville. The first floor had an empty pool and a bedroom with a bathroom attached. The second floor had a full kitchen, a dining area, and a comfy living room. The third floor had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The last floor had a washing machine and led to the terrace, which had beautiful views. After the apartment manager left us, we went for lunch and had pizzas and tapas. Afterward, we chilled out for a while and settled into our apartment (when we arrived, the cleaners were still cleaning the apartment). We then went for a little and had a yummy chocolate crepe with gelato. We also had a waffle with drizzled chocolate an
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Day 7: Say Goodbye to Urban City - Hello Nature!

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On our last day in Vegas, we packed up, checked out, and were on our way to Caesar’s Palace. We had a great time taking pictures and were on our way to Hoover Dam, which lies on the border of Arizona and Nevada. We drove through the Dam, and loved the view. For about 6 hours, we drove through a long, dark and windy road with no carrier service at around 6 - 7 pm, and mentioning sunset was at 5:20! We were quite scared in some cases but we  finally got to Sedona, a small city in between two huge national forests. We first stopped at India Palace for food, then drove to Marriott Courtyard and slept in our room. 
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Day 6: Thankful for The Magic of Las Vegas

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As normal, we got up and got ready for the delicious breakfast at Palazzo and checked out a few more hotels and casinos. We explored many hotels like Luxur, Excalibur, and New York - New York. At our final hotel, we found a roller coaster called the Big Apple. I went on it with my dad and we had a good time. Then we were craving Indian, so we stopped at a food court and ate. We then went to Planet Hollywood for a Magic Show in one of its theaters. We loved it, although I knew a couple tricks he performed. After that, we walked back to our hotel for some refreshments. It was cold and snowy outside, so we played in our room until dinner, but got take out so we could resume. We enjoyed our evening, and we had a good sleep. 
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Day 5: Viva Las Vegas!

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Whew, today was a lot of fun! We started off in Page, and we drove for about four and a half hours. Our trip to our next stop, Las Vegas, was really uneventful except for our Mazda giving us data about a Winter Storm. Once we were about twenty-ish minutes from one of the many 5-star hotels in Vegas, the Venetian-Palazzo, we started to see the city. We started off with an Amazon Prime Warehouse, and then slowly hotel after big hotel after huge hotel! While my dad was  driving, I saw an Eiffel Tower, a Statue of Liberty, and huge hotels, like the Cosmopolitan, Trump International Las Vegas, and The Bellagio. We checked into  the Venetian-Palazzo, where it was crowded. The place looked really classy and luxurious, and they even had a replica of the Sistine Chapel’s paintings on the ceiling. We drove to our actual building, The Palazzo, and we checked out our room. It was a huge suite, and it was really fun to explore. There was everything there! When we opened our shades that can be contr
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Day 4: Into the Antelope

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We got in the morning, and took a tour to the famous Antelope Canyon. It was super cold, but got warmer when we got inside. We took beautiful pictures. Our tour guide was helpful, and we knew how and when to take pictures. The colors of the canyon were amazing on photos!  There was nothing much after that, we just took the day to relax.
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Day 3: Like a Raven on a Page in a book

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Today we woke up and had a breakfast at the Yavpai Lodge. We soon checked out after getting our bags into our car. We saw the Canyon from Mather Point and then drove for a little bit to see the Desert View Watchtower. We stopped at multiple points on the way to admire the views. At Mather point we found a raven who looked really cool with the views, so we got some pictures and we were on our way. In the watchtower we learned about some of the Native American paintings on the wall and we climbed up 85 stairs to look at the view. My brother forgot his hat and I had to go all the way to fetch it! We also bought a small medallion with the Native American tribes that inhabit the Grand Canyon.   We left Grand Canyon National Park and were on our way to Page, AZ. On our way we saw sand dunes that surprisingly looked like rocks. At Page we checked into our Marriott, left our bags and drove to Horseshoe Bend. Page is famous for Horseshoe Bend and is a one and a half mile round trip. If
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Day 2: Hermits, Condors, and Skies

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Our morning was quite lazy, but we enjoyed it. We got ready and ate breakfast. After breakfast, we walked to the bus stop shuttle and completed Hermit’s Rest. Hermit’s Rest is a 9-stop route on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and can be only completed by bus or by walking. The scenic stops include Trail View Overlook, Maricopa Point, Powell Point, Hopi Point, Mohave Point, The Abyss, Monument Creek Vista, Pima Point, and Hermit’s Rest. Some of the information we learned was about the California Condors. These birds disappeared in the 1920s and and were close to extinction around the 1970s. In 1996, a group of scientists breeded the remaining birds and restored the population. These are among the only species which every bird is numbered and can be recognised immediately. We found it really cool to observe the birds. I even saw one bird do a 360 degree flip! We saw bird 17 and 35. We took a lot of pictures, but at the final destination Hermit’s Rest, we enjoyed a light snack and took
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Day 1: Thankful for Canyons

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The family has been busy, and now it’s time for a break. We are going to Arizona and Nevada, and everywhere from the Grand Canyon to Page to Las Vegas. Here’s how today went. We woke up at about 4 am to catch our flight at 6:15. We got ready just fine, but a couple security issues brought us down to the last minute. We were the last ones to board, but we got on safely. Once our flight landed at around 8 am, we picked our SUV. We had a quick lunch and drove to Grand Canyon National Park, checked into our lodge called Lodge Maswik, and out we went. We walked on a Rim Trail for about 4 hours and watched the sunset and got some amazing pictures. We walked on the cold trail called the Trail of Time, and learned about the 2 billion history of the GC and how it was formed. There were some samples of the rocks formed at the times the trail displayed, and it felt really cool touching the rocks. Finally, after about 4 hours, we took 2 buses to get back to our lodge. We had some food there, which
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Day 16 - Day 17: The End

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The last two days were all about getting home. We had an awesome time in these three amazing countries, filled with history, excitement, and a lot of cool times. We took two airplane flights. We had some delays. But, we got home and we were alright. Thank you for following our vacation.
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Day 15: Lokrum

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Today was our last day on vacation, but we had a lot of fun! We went to Lokrum, an island which is really magical. We first took an Uber to the Old Town, and finally, I stood on the gargoyle for 3 seconds! Then we hopped on a ferry and went to Lokrum. On Lokrum, there are is a botanical garden and a monastery. But, what makes this place really cool are the shining water which you can see from all angles and the wildlife. It's really normal to see a peacock or 20, and a bunch of peahens with their little furry chicks eagerly following their mother. It was so cute! We found a couple feathers, but two of them had the full peacock eye. If you ever visit Lokrum, you can find feathers in places people normally won't go, but peacocks do (they go everywhere!).  After looking around, we found a restaurant named Restaurant Konoba. That's when we learned something really interesting. Because of the beauty of Lokrum and wildlife, everyone (and I mean everyone) has to get off t
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Day 13: Exciting, Scary, and... Dubrovnik?

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Today was one of the most exciting days in this trip. We went to Bosnia, and then went to Dubrovnik. We woke up, got ready, and packed everything as we got ready to leave Split. We drove to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we stopped in the city of Mostar. We had lunch at a place called Sadravan, but more interesting, Bosnian coffee. The server presented us with a small plate with three items. A cup with sugar cubes, one empty one with some Turkish Delight, and a small džežva (A small copper pot with a long neck). First, take out the Delight. Then add sugar cubes into the empty cup. Then you put the coffee over the cubes and wait for it too dissolve. Then you take small, gradual sips. If drunken properly, you can finish the coffee with no mud at the bottom. Then when we came back, there was a crazy surprise. It was thundering outside and we were stuck. We tried to make a run for it to our car and we saw our tires were submerged in water. The water was at least 2 inches deep on one sid
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Day 14: Dubrovnik

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Today we explored Dubrovnik. We got up and walked on the walls of the Old Town in Dubrovnik. There weren't a lot of people and it was drizzling outside, so it wasn't too hot. The views were absolutely beautiful. We could see the Old Town from all angles! Then we came down and explored the Old Town and found a Vegan Fusion restaurant called Restaurant Nishta. There was a short menu, but the food was good. Then we sat down and ate crepes and ice cream, and we learned about Red Coral and how it can be used in jewelry. There are only 12 certified divers to get red coral. It is really hard to get it, as you need to dive at least 100 meters to get some good coral. Then it takes a lot of time to polish and clean it. Finally, the product can cost up to 22,000 dollars! After having a great lunch, we went to Fort Lovrijenac or the St. Lawrence Fortress. This is a fort you can explore, but it also works as a theater. We had a great time exploring the fortress and there are a lot of
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Day 12: Bracelets and Beaches

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Today was our mom’s birthday! Today first we went out to a supermarket to get some food. Then we got nautical Break Tine bracelets. These are handmade in Croatia, so it’s a great souvenir for our trip. We got for almost everyone a one fits all size so we can keep it as we grow. Then we took a taxi to the beach. The beach sand was warm and the water was a little cold, but we had a great time. Finally, we ate at a restaurant called Silk. It was an Asian Street Food resturant, and the food was nice. Overall, we had a great day!
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Day 11: Zlatni Rat Beach

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Today we went to the Zlatni Rat Beach on the island of Brač. We had so much fun. We got up and went to Babic Cafe, a local cafe in Split. The baked goods we great and a lot of them were filled with chocolate. We got a chocolate filled donut, a chocolate twist, and some croissants. Then we went home and relaxed, watched a movie, and sat in our apartment until 2:00 PM, where we got ready to catch the 3:00 ferry to Island Brač. Then, we took a taxi through a long and interesting path across the island to Zlatni Rat Beach. First, we saw lots of olive trees on either side of us, then grapes. The driver told us that the right side was for white wine and the left side was for red wine. Then we came across some white stone. The stone is so pure here that when making the White House  they imported stone from Brač! Eventually we got to the beach and we played in the water. This beach makes the top 20 list in the world’s best beaches. Then we went to the Bol ferry station by boat and took
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Day 10: Let’s Split Plitvice and Zadar!

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Today we woke up, ate some food at Hotel Jezero, and completed the last four lakes in Plitvice Lakes National Park. The trip only took an hour, finishing with two boat rides. The views were absolutely beautiful! Then we drove to Zadar to see the Sea Organ that plays by itself using the power of the wind and the sea. The sound was beautiful but it was also very hot! The temperature was about 95 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest day of the year!  Finally, we went to the city of Split. It’s a beach city and we settled into our Airbnb. Then we went out to get some food. We came across Daddy Cool, a falafel resturant and we took a falafel  sandwich. Then we went to Diocletian’s Palace. Unfortunately the main courtyard was closed due to an opera performance happening the time we arrived, but we found a pizzeria so we ate some pizza. The food was ok.  Finally we walked back to our hotel and had a great night. Goodnight, Split!
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Day 9: Waterfalls and Lakes

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Today we left our Airbnb in Rovinj and checked out. We got some food at a bakery and we set off to Plitvice, which is known for their national park: Plitvice Lakes National Park. We saw the Adriatic Sea and ate some delicious food at Jezero Restaurant, the resturant near our hotel in Plitvice. Plitvice NP is divided into two sections: Upper Lakes and Lower Lakes. The Upper Lakes covers the lakes on higher ground: 14 lakes, where as the Lower Lakes only cover 4 lakes. There are also many waterfalls.We were tired after travelling so we only did the upper lakes. After the lengthy two hour hike, we spent the night in Hotel Jezero, a hotel in Plitvice. Tomorrow is day 10!
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