Museum of Ice Cream | Miami

Went to the Museum of Ice Cream with my friend had we had a good time.  Watch the video below to get a tour and decided if you wan to make the trip.  If you decide to go you must get your tickets now if they are still available.  It's only in town until Jan 22, 2018  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouDgRnZZy54

Miami Carnival 2017 (Revel Nation)

Had a blast on the road again with Revel Nation.  They came in 2nd place and looking forward to them being first next year.  Below are some snaps from Miami Carnival. Hope you enjoy.  

Camera Used: http://amzn.to/2gK93HQ

Lisbon 2017

On my way back from Marrakech I decided to make a quick stop in Lisbon. Libson, Portugal’s capital city is the kind of place you come expecting nothing in particular but surprised at what it has to offer. Where I stayed - Residencial Florescente Lisbon

Set in a charming townhouse, this simple bed-and-breakfast is a 3-minute walk from both the nearest metro stop and the Lisboa - Rossio train station.. The rooms are small, but they are clean, quiet and neatly decorated.  It is the location that is the charm of the hotel. When you walk out the door you're immediately in the bustling pedestrian walkway that goes past tons of restaurants and cafes.  The hotel is not luxurious but it has everything you need for a good night's sleep and a great start for the day.

The Pena Palace

The Pena Palace is located in Sintra - about a 40min drive outside of Lisbon.  If you're in Lisbon you should definitely go and check it out.  Go early if you plan to visit because it gets really crowded.  I took an Uber there and the cost was about €23 and it was three of us.  Buy your ticket in advance if possible.  Take a tuk tuk back down to the little town after exploring the castle.  It's the best option if you didn't drive and its about €5 per person.

Pastel De Nata - I was told I had to try this when I got there and this thing is amazing.  Nothing says Portugal quite like a Portuguese custard tart.  It’s an egg custard encased in layers of buttery pastry, which manages to be both crunchy and soft at the same damn time.  You can find these at almost any bakery across the city.

The Belem district is a nice area to visit and see many of the historic landmarks of Lisbon.  The Christ The King Monument is also worth visiting.

Over Lisbon is a very nice place. I had no expectations when going there and I'm glad I went.  I would love to plan a return trip there where Im able to do more exploring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1cJ43tApdg

GEAR USED Camera = http://amzn.to/2vk5FGB Mic = http://amzn.to/2unsNGI Drone = http://amzn.to/2wrWW51

Barcelona

If you're thinking about going to Barcelona, you can't go wrong with that choice.  There's a bit of everything there.  Good weather if you go around May, amazing architecture, rich history, good food, rich culture and good nightlife to name a few. NH Sants Barcelona

I was only there for three nights but I stayed at NH Sants Barcelona which was a pretty decent hotel.  The rooms were small but thats Europe for ya and it could run you anywhere from $124 - $300 a night depending on high or low season.  Reception staff friendly and helpful. Hotel close to the main Barcelona train station along with supermarket and everyday article shops.

Restaurante Barceloneta

I had the best food at Restaurante Barceloneta while in Barcelona.  Have dinner outside on the patio overlooking the sea.  Make a reservation before you go.  If you're on a budget it might not be the best place to go but its not the most expensive either.

Boqueria Market

Boqueria Market is one of the most famous food markets in the world.  It's located right off Las Ramblas and if you want to kill time and walk around you can do that here.  Definitely try some of their fresh local food and if you're staying in an airbnb then you can buy things and bring back home to cook if you have the time.  Items to the front of the market tend to be more expensive so browse around a bit and the further towards the back you go the cheaper things are.

Kino Barcelona

Kino Barcelona is a nice place to have lunch.   The place had a really cool atmosphere and is situated right next to MACBA.   The perfect spot to sit and enjoy a few drinks while watching the skaters outside.  Make sure you try their fried avocados.

Antoni Gaudi

The architect behind most of Barcelona's famous architecture such as The Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Mila, Gadi House Museum, just to name a few.  They are all worth checking out if you have the time.  A great way to see much of the city is to utilize the Hop On Hop Off Tour bus.  For around thirty euros you can take it to most of the attractions around Barcelona.  I believe it has about 44 different locations and like the name suggests you can hop on and hop off as you please.

Montserrat Day Trip

About an hour away from Barcelona is this beautiful place called Montserrat and its the perfect option for a day trip out of the city.  The area is rich with history, and its a completely different feel from Barcelona. Some of the best views I saw on my visit to Barcelona was here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wutjnFtKzY

Overview

I really enjoyed my time in Barcelona.  Its not the cheapest place to go but it can be done on a moderate budget.  There's plenty to do there and the people were so nice.  Very easy city to get around in. You can choose from the bus, the trains, taxis or even uber. Three nights might not be enough time to fully explore this city but its enough to get you hooked for a possible return trip there in the future.

Gear Used

Camera - http://amzn.to/2vjTHN8

Mic - http://amzn.to/2uE41h2

Drone - http://amzn.to/2vko9Xu

A Night In The Sahara Desert

I visited Morocco with the main intention of visiting the Sahara Desert.  We were based in Marrakech and you can find a ton of tours that will take you to the Sahara Desert from one to three nights. A friend of mine visited Morocco recently and did a desert tour with Mor'hara Morocco Tours, so I decided that I would go ahead with them since her reviews of them were pretty good.  Hassan was my main contact with them.  He can't type English well so instead he would WhatsApp call me.  He always got back to me in a timely manner with his response and that to me said a lot about him before actually meeting him in person.  When I finally got to meet him he was a very nice person.

Our tour was a private tour meaning it was just myself and my friends on this trip (6 of us). You need to understand that the Sahara Desert is very far from Marrakech- basically its about 10-12hrs away depending on how many times you stop and where you stop.  Hassan came and picked us up about 7am and we didn't get to the desert till about 6:30pm which included a few stops along the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GqC619jNXs

Day 1: Marrakesh – Erg Lihoudi

Departure 7am.  We drove to Ouarzazate through Tizi n’Tichka (2260 m height), we have lunch in Ouarzazate. We leave Ouarzazate towards Zagora through Tizi-n-Tinififft (1660 m high), a stop in the village of Agdz. We continue journey along the side of Draa valley with its daty palm oasis and ancient Kasbahs.

After Zagora we will leave to M’hamid, in our way we will make a stop in Tamgroute to visit the Koranic library, the underground Kasbah and local pottery. We continue our way to the desert, arriving at a camp with Berber nomadic tents in ERG LIHOUDI by the evening, where you will have your dinner and overnight.

2nd Day: Erg lihoudi – Marrakech

After your breakfast, you will have an hour camel ride in the dunes, We leave to Ouarzazate through a road along the side of Draa Valley. Lunch in Ait Ben Haddou after we visit the ancient kasbah, we continue our journey by the road of ancient caravans and approach the life of Berbers in their villages to get to Telouet and visit Glaoui Kasbah. We arrive to Marrakech by the afternoon.

The above itinerary was basically what Hassan sent me.

Once again there are stops along the way and it's up to you how long you would like to stay at each stops. Some stops that Hassan had in store for us we actually skipped because we just wanted to get to our destination.  The video will highlight a few of our stops along the way so watch the video.

Make sure you arrive at the desert to watch the sunset.  It is one of the most beautiful things.  Of course do not miss sunrise either.  Depending on what time of the year you go weather conditions varies.  I went toward the end of May and at one point along the journey it was 96 degrees Fahrenheit.  There are more luxury camps (glamping) available and maybe if I had known I would have chosen that route with AC lol but of course those cost more as well.  When I arrived at the camp it was around 630pm and you could roast a pig in those tents.  At one point I decided I was going to sleep outside and took my bed out and just stared up in the sky looking at all the different stars.  I've never seen darkness like the darkness in the desert and I've never experienced silence like how I did  in the desert.  You could hear a mosquito fart out there.  It did start getting cold later in the night and then I went back inside my tent.  It's a good thing I did that because when I woke up in the morning and went outside it was a bit chilly.

There were 3 beds in our tent but its up to you how you want it arranged.  There is a place for you to shower and use the bathroom and they also have electricity there from solar energy.  Pack light and just bring your main essentials like a change of clothes, light jacket to survive cooler nights, comfortable clothing. I wore shorts and had no issues when camel riding with my shorts.  Bring a headscarf to block the sun and dust.   You can pick those up along the way just ask Hassan to stop for some.  Bring your camera for some amazing pics.  Chap stick and sunscreen could come in handy.

One or two nights?  If you have the time I say spend two nights. If you spend one night you don't really get to explore because you are driving all day to get there then you drive all day to return.  My only regret was that I should have spent two nights.

Camera I used: http://amzn.to/2uCFCK8

Band Launch Season 2017

Scenes from Revel Nation Carnival Band Launch - Empire Rising. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgOY_S_qY1I

2017 Carnival Weekend in Jamaica (Vlog)

A small excerpt from my Carnival weekend in Jamaica with my friends and Co-host Dj Bambino. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu07ZEDC4PA&feature=youtu.be

Jamaica Carnival 2017 - Xodus

This year I was a bit skeptical about carnival in Jamaica with four different bands.  I really didn't think it was such a good idea.  One thing I loved about Jamaica carnival was the fact that I could see all my friends in one area.  All I had to do was walk up and down the trucks and I would basically see everyone.  Now it's four bands and four different routes. I spent the day with Xodus since that's where all my friends were.  Overall I had a great time and was very surprised with Xodus.  Xodus band looked like last year carnival to me in terms of the crowd.  This shows that carnival in Jamaica is growing and maybe it wasn't a bad idea to have more bands. After all competition is good.  Xodus costumes were on point. The music was awesome. The vibes was just right.  My only concern was the chaos around lunch time getting your food and the very short time for lunch. After finally getting and eating lunch, before I could even fart it was time to hit the road again.  This is the only area I think Xodus can improve in and thats a very easy fix.  Can't wait for Jamaica 2018 carnival. Stay tuned for my vlog about my carnival weekend.

Trinidad's Carnival Tuesday 2017

Carnival Tuesday in Trinidad.  Thanks for a great time Fantasy.

Venice

Venice is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world and I'm glad I got to check it off my bucket list earlier this year. Check out my video below for highlights from my Venice trip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhevDh30eDo

Happy Holidays

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holiday. I spent my holiday with friends and family.  I also gain two new friends Felicia and Kathy and look forward to working with them. If you're in the Dade City area of Florida stop by and say hello. (http://www.dadecityswildthings.com) I enjoyed my visit to their private zoo and I'm sure you will enjoy as well. I have attached a few pics just to give you a taste of the experience