Last Updated on February 19, 2024 by Travelationship
Our October was all about animals, family, and friends. It started with an incredible Trustedhousesitter sit in Nairobi, Kenya, and ended at a petsit in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Those were the only two pet sits we did for the month because the rest was b-u-s-y!
We are breaking our monthly update into two parts because Kenya was so awesome it deserves its own update!
Where We Went
The Stops
- Ephesus, Türkiye
- Pamukkale, Türkiye
- Istanbul, Türkiye
- Oslo, Norway
- New York City, NY, USA
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Four continents in one month (3 in 1 day) is wowzer!
What We Did
Kenya
For our Kenya highlights – see Part 1 of our October Monthly Update.
Türkiye
Mid-month, we flew to Istanbul to take in some new sights with Matt’s parents. We chose Turkey and flew with Turkish Airlines because they have a stopover program allowing a complimentary stay in Istanbul. On the way from the US, Matt’s parents took advantage of this to help break up the long flight. In 2013, we had all been to Istanbul together, so it was time to see more of Türkiye. We landed, picked up our car, and drove to Ephesus. We touched ground on three continents in one day. When you think of travel in those terms, it really blows my mind!
Ephesus
For those who do not know about Ephesus, I will happily let you Google it. As we all know, I am no history expert. I love learning about history and visiting historical places, but I could improve remembering and regurgitating historical facts. So here’s my guide for dummies summary – Ephesus is located on the west coast of Türkiye. It’s a UNESCO site. It was an ancient Greek city that was eventually left to the Romans.
The current state of Ephesus is worth a visit because many of the ruins are visible and in reasonably good shape. I know at least a handful of you will appreciate my easy guide to history, and yes, I know the rest of you are cringing or canceling me. To the latter, lighten up. Ephesus was worth the visit. Our biggest recommendations are to go as soon as it opens, get a guide, bring water, and wear a hat.
And we had a big surprise when we were in Ephesus; we caught up with 2 of our 7th Street neighbors, Ann and Ralph. It was so fantastic to see them and catch up.
Pamukkale and the Cotton Castle
From Ephesus, we drove for what seemed forever to Pamukkale, aka the cotton castle. Again, for those who don’t know about Pamukkale, get your Google on. But before you do that, let me help you with what I found to be a confusing matter before we arrived. Pamukkale is the thermal springs, carbonate mineral sites, and town. Hierapolis is the ancient Greek city built on top of some Pamukkale mineral sites. I’m fairly certain of this explanation, but I could be wrong, too.
Both are included in your paid ticket visit. Both are beautiful, especially in the early morning, with all the hot air balloons set against the white mineral landscapes and green mountains. With that said, we enjoyed the Heiropolis sections more than the Pamukkale sections. A lot of the thermal springs water has been redirected, so the pools on the hill are empty. It doesn’t look nearly as full as many of the advertisement photos. However, parts of Heiropolis were preserved and pretty interesting. It’s also a UNESCO site. The landscape views of the valley and the mountains were gorgeous. And if you want a fantastic meal with incredible service, make a reservation at Hiera Coffee & Tea House.
Istanbul Bound
From Pamukkale, we took what felt like an entire day’s drive back to Istanbul. And just like last year, Marilyn, Bill, and I traded off feeling unwell. I stayed at the hotel as the fam wandered the old town markets. They had a great time and got lots of exercise in after sitting on our butts a lot for the past two weeks.
And just like that, another trip with Bill and Marilyn was over with lots of incredible moments to cherish.
Norway
It was our first time in Norway, and with Norway, we completed the Scandinavian countries in one year. Our Norway trip needed to be longer, but we had chosen Oslo as a layover and to fly Norse Airlines into NYC. It’s a newer and cheaper flight. We will definitely return to Norway and hopefully get to see more outside of Oslo. Oslo had us instantly in love! We weren’t prepared for the cold weather (0ºc/32ºf), but we layered on tons of clothes and survived. Sadly, we missed two ahhhmazing people, Jennifer and Olga, because they were out of town. Happily, we saw our friend Kevin from my Rwanda days and met his lovely boyfriend, Dag Robert. We really, really love meeting up with friends and meeting new friends around the world. So when we catch up with an ol’ friend or two, it means a lot to us.
But about Oslo, it was cool. We really liked the chill, inclusive, natural vibe. The meals we had were deelish. And the fall colors were gorgeous!
New York
We both love NYC. We thrive in NYC. And both of us crave to live in NYC for a year or so, but the chances of that are slim. NYC was intended as a layover to South America, which then turned into Mexico.
NYC Day 01
We hit the ground running in NYC because we had a list of stuff to do/see and only two days to get it done. First up, I needed some socks! Yep, that’s right, socks – lol! And I had to get a new pair of trainers, and we both needed some clothes. We really thought clothes-wise, Uniqlo was going to be our end all be all, but it failed us. We couldn’t find any reasonable warm weather clothes, really anywhere.
I know NYC has winter on their minds. But we did hit up Target for some socks and toiletry essentials. And I did get some new sneakers, which l-i-t-e-r-a-l-l-y alleviated a significant amount of my old lady foot, leg, and back pain. If these monthly updates do anything for you, let it be to encourage you to get some good footwear. Damn, it makes a difference. BTW, I got the On brand Cloudmonster shoes, and I have never loved a pair of shoes so much – ever! As I should at that price point!!
Back to NYC, we ate our first official meal at Win Son Bakery in Brooklyn. I have been wanting to eat here for so long. The bacon, egg, and cheese scallion pancake was worth the wait.
We wandered DUMBO and the Brooklyn Flea. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, but the best part was we danced and dipped on the bridge. I regret not having someone take pics, but let’s be honest, not all moments have to be on camera, and there are times when you feel ok with handing off your camera or phone to someone, and there are times you don’t.
We then proceeded to the Oculus and the World Trade Center area. Stopped in at St. Paul’s Chapel along the way and were so glad we did. We witnessed the most beautiful solo concert practice. It moved us. St. Paul’s Chapel is located next to where the Twin Towers were located. During 9/11, St. Paul’s Chapel miraculously was left with no physical damage and served as a haven in the days after. I first visited in 2004; it was an incredibly spiritual experience, as was this visit. Regardless of your religious beliefs, this place is special.
And absolutely, of course, we visited the @gillieandmarcart statues. Seeing as many of their statues as possible was high on my list, but I had totally forgotten. Thankfully, the train broke down (when does anyone ever say that), and we had to walk. Otherwise, we would have missed seeing the ones by the Oculus, arguably the best ones in NYC. We also saw their statues by Rockefeller Center (although we missed a closeup of one because the gate was locked) and sort of by Grand Central Station.
Another place of importance we visited was the Stonewall National Monument, located across the street from where the Stonewall Inn was located (the current bar is not the original). Located in Christopher Park, the monument has two statues—one of two men standing and one of two women sitting. Again, let me remind you that I am not a history or history teacher expert, so if you are unfamiliar with the 1969 Stonewall Riots/Uprising/Rebellion that launched the gay rights movement, please research and educate yourself.
From there, we headed up to Hudson Yards to do some more needed shopping. We struck out with the shopping, but we were super happy to meet with some IG friends. We have been chatting online with Sam and Natalia from @somethingoffreedom since 2015ish. We’ve almost crossed paths a couple of times, but this time, we were all able to meet. It was a wonderful meetup, and if you don’t already follow them online, you should!
We ended our first day with some delish Thai food in Queens.
Day Two in the Big Apple
On our second day in NYC, we ate breakfast at a cafe near Times Square. We visited the International Center of Photography, which we visit every time we are in NYC. We weren’t impressed with the new-to-us location or the exhibits, but we liked the inside of the venue. From there, we went to Grand Central Station and headed across the street to meet a new friend. We met Marianne in Maasai Mara, and we had a great time reminiscing about our safari sightings and photography. Her IG is @rammar212, and her photos are gorgeous.
We also visited Bryant Park, The New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, Soho, Noho, Chelsea, Hells Kitchen, and Garment District. We covered a lot of ground, which one should when in NYC.
And now, let’s get to the food. One of the huge reasons we were in NYC was the food. And let me tell you, we did great, and we (I mean Matt mostly) really f*cked up when it came to food. Going into NYC, my primary wants were good Chinese food and Win Son Baker. Matt’s primary wants were a slice of good pizza and maybe a NYC hot dog.
Matt knew the stakes going into this were extremely high, and he dropped the ball on both our food obsessions. I say Matt because he was in charge of the restaurants, and he said, “I’ve got this.” Well, he sure didn’t. And yes, it’s my fault for putting my most important meal into someone else’s hands. But whatever, I gave him a list of suggestions that friends had so kindly sent to me. I reminded him daily how important this Chinese food meal was every day for at least two months. I really could not have been more helpful, really?! Not sure why he screwed himself on the pizza or hot dog.
Overall, NYC was and always is a success. Anyone who says they hate NYC, well, we question your decisions and wish you the best of luck in life.
Mexico
We are in Playa del Carmen for a Trustedhousesitters sit. We have three dogs, three cats, and four chickens, which I will leave to discuss in the November update. Bonus: we are also here during Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), but upon arrival, we discovered PDC doesn’t go all out like other locations around Mexico. So stay tuned to the November update for that info.
Speaking of arrival, we were on the plane with Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and some crabby Belarus player. Ms. Gauff was really cool and kind.
We also ran into Mario Rigby, an eco-explorer who has done amazing things for the BIPOC community and educated all on sustainable adventures and travel.
Other than that, we really haven’t done a whole lot in PDC. Ohhh! But we have eaten our weight in taro ice cream from the ice cream stand at the local Walmart.
Our thoughts on PDC are still forming, and we will let you know next month.
The Great
Favorites
- Meeting up with old and new friends, and making new friends.
- Oslo was gorgeous, and even though we complained about the weather the entire time, we were super happy to experience the fall colors. We can’t wait to return to Norway and see more.
- Finding some more Gillie and Marc Statues. I don’t know why, but we love these statues. They are so fun.
- NYC, but of course.
The Not-So-Great
- The Chinese food disaster. I’ll be mad about this one for a bit or until we find some good Chinese food.
- Getting sick in Istanbul. Getting sick anywhere is no fun, but on your last day with the in-laws really sucks.
- Matt doesn’t always like being in charge of all the driving all the time. But he also wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Least Favorite
- The long car rides in Türkiye.
- Possibly, the PDC housesit…will advise.
- Feeling so hungry! Hmmm, Matt!
The Oops
- Waiting far too long to get new shoes (and socks). I could have alleviated some of my pain months ago.
- Only giving ourselves two days in NYC. It was out of our budget to stay longer, but we still wish we had had more time.
- Only giving ourselves a day in Oslo.
The LOLs
- The excitement to eat Funyuns.
- Being so underprepared for the Oslo weather.
- We stood outside the Oslo airport to take a video of our breath because it was snowing and so cold.
What We Learned
- Visit Oslo in the summer or pack more cold-weather clothes because the weather changes instantly.
- Don’t let Matt plan my most important meals.
What We Read
- Me – of course, nothing, but I did download at least 12 books to my Kindle and let them all expire.
- Matt – Started but hasn’t completed “The Running Grave” by Robert Galbraith.
What We Watched
We had lots of flight time, so we racked up some movie time.
- “A Good Person” – I was bawling on the plane.
- “Something About Queens” – it was ok.
- “The Masked Singer” – all good fun.
- And I know a lot more (at least three movies on each flight), but I can’t remember a single other title.
- We started Season 3 of “The Morning Show” on Apple TV.
Up Next
We aren’t 100% sure how November is going to play out. It’s our least planned month of the year, and in some ways, we are hoping it will turn out to be our least traveled month of the year. Our Mexico petsit will take us into the beginning of November. I’ll be staying in the Quintana Roo area while Matt flies back to do some work on our Arizona rental.
We also know we will be in South America. Most likely, Brazil before the month is up.
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