Travel - Lili on the Loose

15 09, 2015

Local Treats: The Cookie Lady

By Lili|September 15th, 2015|Categories: Food, Food & Drink, Local, Travel|Tags: 16th Street Mall, Carrot Cake, Colorado, Cookie Lady, cookies, Cupcakes, Denver, Downtown, Local, North America, Santa Fe Cookie Company|0 Comments

The Cookie Lady has a wide Variety of cookies, listed out in cute place-cards in front of the baskets. I had heard rumors since I started working in Downtown Denver, of the infamous "Cookie Lady". Without much to go on, my mind ran rampant and likened her to the "Soup Nazi" of Seinfeld fame. So one day, when I smelled the most delicious fresh-baked-goods scent wafting through the air, I followed it down to the Santa Fe Cookie Company. But alas, that first visit was for nought. She was out of cookies! I nervously waited around, watching the

14 09, 2015

Travel Missteps: No See Ums

By Lili|September 14th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps, Travel Tips|Tags: 2010, 2011, beach, bites, bug bites, bugs, Caribbean, itchy, mosquito, no see ums, ocean, paradise, rum, sand, sand flies, snorkel, snorkeling, St. John, St. John 2010, St. John 2011, USVI, vodka|0 Comments

The US Virgin Islands are full of amazingly beautiful sandy beaches. And those beaches are often infested with small biting and blood sucking insects sometimes called No See Ums, Sand Flies, as well as many other names. They are almost invisible but their bites can swell up and look like mosquito bites. They can also carry/transmit diseases. They are also not fast, if you are moving quickly into the water, you'll likely not get bit, but its when you walk back through the sand, sit on a towel, or have stand sticking to you or your shoes that they can hitch

10 09, 2015

TSA Chemical Swab Test False Positive

By Lili|September 10th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Tips|Tags: chemical swab, Chemical Swab Test, Colorado, Denver, EDS, ETD, Explosive Detection System, Explosive Trace Detection, false positive, glycerin, Glycerine, Homeland Security, Nitrates, North America, pat down, Secondary Security Screening Selectee, Secondary Security Screening Selection, security, SSSS, Travel Thursday, TSA|0 Comments

I've written before of how I'm on the "random" SSSS list and so get extra security every time I fly. What I forgot to bring up in that discussion was how once I accidentally set off TSA's Chemical Swab Test using Explosive Trace Detection (or Explosive Detection System aka EDS) to find explosive residue on your person or belongings. It was like any other travel day for me. I was getting my usual extra "random" security, and automatically presented my hands to be tested with their chemical swab. But this time it beeped, and the female TSA agent checked the machine. "Sorry,

7 09, 2015

Museum Monday: Woman of Pompeii

By Lili|September 7th, 2015|Categories: History, Museums, Travel|Tags: Colorado, Denver, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, DMNS, exhibit, North America, Pompeii, statue, USA|0 Comments

A statue of a woman from Pompeii I love statues, there is something captivating from being able to walk around and seeing the artwork from all sorts of angles. This statues is from Pompeii, and was part of the A Day in Pompeii exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in 2012. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

5 09, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Omamori

By Lili|September 5th, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2004, Ai, Amelia Earhart, amulet, Anime, Asakusa, Asakusa Temple, Asia, Buddhist, charm, college, deity, en-musubi, evil, exchange program, Final Destination, gakugyō-jōju, good luck, Harajuku, Japan, kōtsū-anzen, Love, Love Charm, luck, manga, Meiji Jingu, Meiji Shrine, Movie, Nagano, omamori, prayer, protect, protection, Rei Hino, Sailor Mars, Sailor Moon, Sensō-ji, Shinto, Shrine, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, studying, Suwa, Suwa Grand Shrine, Suwa Shrine, Suwa Taisha, talisman, Temple, Tokyo, travel, TV Show|0 Comments

In Sailor Moon, one of the main characters Rei Hino (Sailor Mars), is a Shrine Maiden, and in some of the episodes she sells amulets. I remember watching this episode when I was young and I was very excited to go to Japan and purchase one of these charms! The Hikawa Shrine in Sailor Moon Called Omamori, these talismans are sold at Shinto and Buddhist shrines and temples and provide different protection or luck. They contain a prayer written on paper or wood and are contained within a cloth bag. The shrine or temple sell these in return

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