Icelandic Roadtrip Part 1

Well hello there! I've been on a little unplanned break from blogging in case you hadn't noticed. Life, traveling and warm summer days basically took over and any attempt to write a blog post always got pushed to the side. 

So what have we been up to? London with my mom, camping in the Netherlands and, most recently, we saw two friends from our study abroad days in Finland tie the knot in Poland!

Perhaps one of the most exciting things we've done lately was an epic 10-day roadtrip around Iceland!! Together with our favorite travelin' couple Denis and Emma, we planned this trip over 9 months ago. So when the day finally came to hop onboard Iceland Air, it really didn't hit us until we set foot in Reyjavik just in time to celebrate the summer solstice.

I can't even begin to tell you how absolutely incredible Iceland was. Given the last year, traveling around Iceland was a sweet reminder of how beautiful the world is--and how beautiful life can be too. 

After a couple days in Reykjavik, our roadtrip officially began. We headed down south to the waterfalls and black beaches near Vik to the famous iceberg lagoon (couldn't try to spell it if I tried) to the lava-scapes in between. On day 1, Denis led us on a hike through green hills, steamy mountainsides, bubbling sulfur ponds and we even got to lounge in a heated river! It was magical. And by the time we retreated to our cottage for the evening, we were still asking ourselves: did we just swim in a heated river?! 

Why yes we did :).

Be prepared for some absolutely breathtaking pics of Iceland coming up and soon, Christian and I will have a huge announcement...travel-related ofcourse!

Into the Jungle

My favorite day in Costa Rica involved a jungle right next to the beach, pitchers of sangria and monkeys! The four of us set out on an adventure. We walked beyond the beaches of Puerto Viejo and into the jungle. The beach came right up to the edge of the trees and the seaspray lingered above the waves. Thirty minutes into our trek, we spotted a sign 'Pitcher of Sangria - 4500 colones'--only $9!--one pitcher turned into two and two pitchers turned into three. Somewhere during the 2nd pitcher, we spotted movement in the trees above and a band of monkeys were on the move! They swung from branch to branch and before we knew it, they were gone--but our giddiness remained. Then more monkeys came! It was amazing. In the jungle, sipping on sangria with my BFFs with a view of ocean.

We enjoyed this little jungle hut, their sangria and the sweet lady behind the bar so much, that we returned later that evening for dinner and feasted on grilled lobster and sea bass. Our previous nights' of street food meals freed up our budgets a bit and we splurged! Even with homemade guacamole, grilled lobster, dessert, sangria and pina coladas, we still didn't pay more then $30 per person. Oh I love that mysterious little jungle hut. 

The next morning we took the same route through the jungle and paid a visit to the rescued animals at the Jaguar Rescue Center. Highly recommend it! And sloths and baby monkeys are just so damn cute...

Playa Negra

Deciding to stay at Kaya's Place in Puerto Viejo was an easy decision--it was right across the street from Playa Negra, a black sand beach with lush, green jungle clinging to the edge of the sand. Kaya's is a typical backpacker accommodation--while not the cleanest place, Kaya's is a super affordable and rustic hammock heaven perfect for relaxing. Actually, this place was probably the most laid back place I'd ever been--the staff were friendly with a 'no worries' mentality, the bar served up fresh fruit juices, breakfasts and cheap Costa Rican beer and chilled out tunes played on repeat throughout the day.

If you ever find yourself in Puerto Viejo, be sure to check out Playa Negra, its a bit cleaner and more isolated than beaches in town but literally right down the beach from the main bus station. And if you find yourself in front of Kaya's Place, step up to the bar for a fresh watermelon-pineapple juice--my new fave ;).

 One night, we decided to bike across town and explore Puerto Viejo by night and grab some street food for dinner. 

It was ridiculously magical, picture this:

the sun is set,

tiki torches illuminate street corners,

street vendors sell freshly made empanadas, taquitos and brochettes,

Bob Marley tunes fill the air,

a warm, tropical mist falls from the sky,

and we're cruising up and down the streets of PV with the sound of crashing waves in the distance.

These are the travel moments I live for...