August, 2015 - Lili on the Loose

31 08, 2015

Travel Missteps: The Early Shuttle

By Lili|August 31st, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2004, 2012, Asia, Bath, button, Central America, Colorado, Costa Rica, Japan, North America, packing, pants, sewing, shuttle, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Super Shuttle, USA|0 Comments

I use to be a horrible packer, waiting until the last minute. This lead to many sleepless trips such as the time I finished packed at 4AM for my trip to Japan. Unfortunately my shuttle was picking me up at 4:30 AM so there was no point in sleeping. But one day that changed in me. I started to have everything packed and ready in advanced. And then I started cleaning my entire home and having it ready for when I returned. That was always nice as now when I get home, no matter how tired I am, I unpack

27 08, 2015

Travel Thursday postponed this week due to Miami

By Lili|August 27th, 2015|Categories: Currently Traveling, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2015, beach, Florida, Freedom Tower, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Heat, night, North America, ocean, sand, South Beach, Telemundo, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

Hello all! Sorry I didn't get a chance to write this week's Travel Thursday post as I was in Miami last week for work! So instead I will share two of my favorite Instagrams from my trip! South Beach Sun Freedom Tower Downtown

24 08, 2015

Museum Monday: Unicorns at Denver Museum of Nature & Science

By Lili|August 24th, 2015|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: Colorado, Denver, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, DMNS, exhibit, Fantasy, museum, Mythical Creatures, Myths, North America, Unicorn, USA|0 Comments

This is a reminder that Denver Museum of Nature and Science's Mythic Creatures Exhibit ends in 2 weeks on September 7th. Read my review here. Unicorn at DMNS Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

22 08, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Bodhrán

By Lili|August 22nd, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2009, at the heart of it Ireland 2009, Blarney Castle, Bodhrán, drum, Europe, instrument, Ireland, Irish drum, music, Tamborine|0 Comments

Bodhrán, an Irish Drum with a "tipper" to play it. I remember in middle school, my dad found his old drum set. I had fun watching him play, and even attempted some beats myself. So when I saw this drum in Ireland I brought it home so I'd have my own little drum. It is a Bodhrán, a drum that is opened at the back, and is nicknamed the "poor man's Tamborine". You can hear how it is traditionally played. I found this drum in the shops near Blarney Castle. The back of the drum. Souvenir Saturday

17 08, 2015

Travel Missteps: Lost in Japan

By Lili|August 17th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2004, Asia, exchange program, Girl Scout, Japan, lost, shopping, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Tokyo|0 Comments

View of Tokyo from the observation deck. As I've written before, in the summer of 2004 I went to Japan through a Sister Cities student exchange. We first spent a couple of days in Tokyo before heading over to Chino in Nagano prefecture. On our first day in Tokyo we decided to take a tour of various parts of Tokyo. While on the tour we met a young Japanese guy who said he wanted to work on his English with native speakers, so he got a ticket for this tour and said he would be happy to work

13 08, 2015

Cave Tubing in Belize

By Lili|August 13th, 2015|Categories: Activities, Travel|Tags: 2013, Belize, Cave, Cave Tubing, Caves, Caves Branch River, Caye Caulker, Central America, dark, Mayan Encounter 2013, Nohoch Che'en Archaeological Reserve, San Ignacio, Travel Thursday, Tubing|0 Comments

Coming from Boulder, CO I’m no stranger to tubing down a river, but Belize offered a new twist on that activity: Cave Tubing! Belize is known for having the largest cave systems in all of Central America, but the most popular cave tubing is found at a small part of the Caves Branch River at Nohoch Che'en Archaeological Reserve near Belmopan. Here you will goes through 5 different caves, weaving between sunlight and darkness for almost 5 miles! Coming to the end of a cave! Our plan was to stop for cave tubing while on the drive from

10 08, 2015

Review: The Power of Poison at Denver Museum of Nature & Science

By Lili|August 10th, 2015|Categories: Museums, Travel, Travel Review|Tags: Colorado, Denver, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, DMNS, exhibit, Fantasy, museum, North America, Poison, The Power of Poison, USA|0 Comments

Last month The Power of Poison opened up at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. While I didn't like the recent Mythical Creatures (ongoing until September 7th), I absolutely loved the Power of Poison! I found the way the exhibit is laid out beautifully with clearly planned themes, each with a different but congruent feel. Colombia's Chocó forest model. I recommend to come in the early hours of the exhibit so you can have it mostly to yourself. There are many smaller artifacts that require attention to read the place cards. I also would suggest this only for

8 08, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: In fair Verona, where we lay our scene…

By Lili|August 8th, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2005, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Europe, Italy, love letters, romeo and juliet, statue, Verona|0 Comments

Romeo and Juliet is one of the best known plays by Williams Shakespeare and takes place in Verona, Italy. In Verona you can visit "Juliet's Balcony" which is in a courtyard and use to have a statue of Juliet. It is said that those who touch her right breast you'll be lucky in love. So many people touched her breast that it destroyed the statue and was recently removed. People also leave pleas on notes or graffiti on the way into the courtyard also looking for Juliet's help. I found it a bit ironic due to how the story ends.

3 08, 2015

Travel Missteps: Negotiating a Discount

By Lili|August 3rd, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2006, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Barter, Discount, Europe, Haggle, Italy, Leaning Tower, Pisa, shopping, Sister, Trafalger, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site|0 Comments

Follow my blog with Bloglovin The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a gauntlet of gaudy souvenir hawkers and littered with people taking that same vacation snapshot. Neither of which is necessarily a bad thing. As long as you are aware of that going in, you’ll be fine. So after enjoying the lesser known Pisa Church and Baptistry my sister and I made our way out of the area when one of the many souvenir sellers called out to us, and his wares caught our eye. The Leaning Tower of Pisa He had fashion watches, jewelry, and knock off