10 things to do in Oaxaca, Mexico
When I say that I lived in Mexico, I say that I lived in Mérida, but in fact I have spent as much time in the state of Oaxaca as in Mérida. As my husband comes from its capital, Oaxaca de Juárez, whenever we go to Mexico, we go to Oaxaca to visit the family. The state...
Discovering Yucatán (Mexico)
The Yucatan peninsula is one of the most impressive places I have ever visited! I lived in its capital, Mérida, for a semester, and this city is a great starting point to visit several other places of this beautiful state, since it is in a very central position in...
What to do in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
For those who don't know, I lived in the city of Mérida, Yucatán, between January and May 2015, an exchange financed by Santander, Ibero-American program, still when I was in university. There were two main reasons for choosing this city, the first is because it is...
5 days in Mexico City
Mexico City, capital of the country that was named after the tribe that lived here, the Aztecs, who called themselves Mexicas. Mexico City, the third largest city in the world, with more than 20 million inhabitants. Mexico City, land of chilangos, city of contrasts,...
Teotihuacan ruins, Mexico
Five years ago I lived in Mexico for seven months, more precisely in Mérida, Yucatán. When my classes ended I went on a trip of about 3 weeks in southern Mexico and Guatemala, with José, my friend and Art History student, which culminated in Mexico City. One of the...
Belém of Pará – on a boat through Amazonia
The "planning gods" were generous in December and after a five-day layover in Moscow, I had another five-day layover in Belém of Pará. My first time in Brazil, one of the destinations TAP flies with the A321LR, another long haul destination for the mid haul crew, as I...
The Smithsonian Museums – Washington D. C.
As I mentioned in the previous post, after visiting the Capitol, this huge building whose white dome is familiar to us, I made a reconnaissance tour of the Mall, where most of the Smithsonian museums are located. The first time I heard about these museums was in the...
Monumental Washington
No, I’m not flying “long haul” yet. What is happening is that TAP is buying some Airbus A321LR (Long Range) airplanes, which are narrow body airplanes (single-aisle, usually used in middle-haul flights) but with a higher autonomy and so can fly further away, including...
Camino Real Zaashila, Bahias de Huatulco, Mexico
The last three days of this holidays in Mexico were spent in Huatulco. The state of Oaxaca has two main beach areas: Puerto Escondido, where I spent my birthday in 2015, more accessible to all, full of surfers, more relaxed; and Huatulco, where we find several all...
Holidays “at home” – Oaxaca, Mexico
Since I’ve been with Jorge, going to Mexico is going home. Especially when the plan is actually going home. I changed my holidays to the second half of May so I could go there with Jorge, also on holidays – him for almost a month. I will not lie, it is not the...
Holbox, paradise on Earth
Imagine a place with paradisal beaches, an island without cars, in which the few hotels that exist are not skyscrapers that destroy the landscape. Imagine beautiful birds you’ve never seen in your life, imagine eating lobster pizza or swimming with whale sharks! I...
Mexican Caribbean – Beaches not to miss
Every time I talk about the city where I lived in Mexico, Mérida, as it isn't "famous" in Portugal, I always tell it is near Cancún. Actually there's a five hour way separating both cities, but for Mexico that's close. Though there are beaches next to Mérida, we...
Chicago by Mónica Costa – Stories from out there #7
Mónica is 19 years old, is a cinema student and went to the United States with AFS, still in high school, for 10 months because after the 11th grade she felt she needed to broaden her horizons and live a new experience to learn more about the world and herself. In the...
New York by Mariana Machado – Stories from out there #4
Mariana is 26 years old and was living in New York for 6 months in 2015 with Inov Contacto program as a Brand Ambassador for a wine distribution company. While she was there I had the opportunity to visit her and she accompanied me through Central Park and Guggenheim!...
How much does it cost to live in Mérida
I spent five months in Mérida, Yucatán with a scholarship from Santander Ibero American Programs. The scholarship was of 2300€ for the whole semester and it is the same to every destination, independently of the costs of the city or how far away it is (for example,...
Typical costume from Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico
My boyfriend's family comes from the south of the state of Oaxaca, in Mexico. All the regions have their traditional costumes, that you can see during the Guelaguetza, in Oaxaca, in July. Normally all the families have typical costumes from the region they originally...
Reasons to go to Mérida in exchange
I was in Florence, doing my Erasmus, loving my second year abroad. It was April, which meant the experience was almost over and, though I love Portugal, I really didn't want to go back for two more years of university. One day I arrive home after school and I had an...
New York – advantages of buying or not the NYPass
Happy 4th of July, fellow friends from the US! When I came back from Mexico to Portugal I stayed one week in New York. When I was planning my trip I understood that to visit most of the main attractions I would have to pay a lot, though there are some museums which...
“Highlights of Midtown” Walking Tour with the NY Pass
The very first thing I did in New York with my NY Pass. This tour passes by the main monuments of 20th century american architecture and explores the history of Midtown area communities, like the hidden residential enclave Tudor City, the UN Headquarters, the Ford...
One week in the city that doesn’t sleep – New York
I’m in New York City!!! When I first arrived it seemed really weird to be here, it seemed unreal to be in a place that you feel you know from so many movies, but where you have actually never been! My first impression, when I arrived in the subway coming from the...
10 days in Guatemala
The itinerary I leave here today isn’t exactly what I did, once I integrated Guatemala in a trip from Mérida to Mexico City and I was just 7 days in the country. This is my suggestion for 10 days (aka I wish I had more time there!) to those who travel directly to...
Cuba – 14 days through Havana, Viñales, Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Varadero
Cuba is a country that has always been present in the conversations in my house, one of my father's dream destinations, communism in its purest state. I was living in Mexico when it get started speaking about the opening of the embargo that the American government...
Dominican Republic and all-inclusive resorts
Yes, the "child" on the photography above is me. How you can already imagine I went to the Dominican Republic a few years ago, precisely in 2005. One of the advantages of having divorced parents is that you have duplicate holidays and on that summer, the first they...
