Where's Baldo?

15/01/2023

Check out our travel map, or keep track of your own travels, by using the My Travel Map site. It's pretty cool!

10/08/2022

Silverback Gorilla seen in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in July 2022 Confession…I don’t have a bucket list. I can't narrow down all the places and experiences in the world to just a few things I absolutely want to do.... I seriously want to do them all. And I don't really like the term bucket list. When you're lucky enough to live in different places in the world, you're already blessed beyond reason....

The story of our sensational experience gorilla trekking with mountain gorillas in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest.

10/08/2022

Giraffe seen in Murchison Falls National Park We spent most of July on our 22 day Uganda safari with Insight Safari Holidays. This was a big ticket trip for us (along with our South African safari in June) that was funded through the sale of our house. Even though the trip itself was paid for, there were still come expenses associated with this trip....

We spent most of July on our 22 day Uganda safari with Insight Safari Holidays. This was a big ticket trip for us (along with our South African safari in June) that was funded through the sale of our house. Even though the trip itself was paid for, there were still come expenses associated with […...

11/07/2022

View of Cape Town from Tygerberg Nature Preserve We spent most of June visiting South Africa, with the bulk of our stay in Cape Town. Even though the cost of living index of South Africa is only 47 (meaning it's roughly less than half as expensive living in South Africa as the US), we still had some lessons learned as we enjoyed the many things Cape Town had to offer and we can use those lessons as we move forward with our travels....

We spent most of June visiting South Africa, with the bulk of our stay in Cape Town. Even though the cost of living index of South Africa is only 47 (meaning it’s roughly less than half as expensive living in South Africa as the US), we still had some lessons learned as we enjoyed the […]

26/06/2022

Great White Shark in Gansbaai, South Africa As soon as I realized we'd have extra time in Cape Town before our safari, my mind immediately went to Great White sharks. It's always been my dream to go cage diving with Great White Sharks. Great Whites evoke two distinct reactions out of people...fascination (that's me raising my hand) or pure terror. So given the chance to spend some time with these magnificent animals in their natural habitat was an absolute must....

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=767

As soon as I realized we’d have extra time in Cape Town before our safari, my mind immediately went to Great White sharks. It’s always been my dream to go cage diving with Great White Sharks. Great Whites evoke two distinct reactions out of people…fascination (that’s me raising my hand) or p...

21/06/2022

The Great Whites are back, indeed! Awesome day today with MarineDynamics getting to experience something I've looked forward to for so long. I can't describe the feeling of being in the water with these apex predators in their natural habitat. What a day. The video is on my YouTube channel at the link below:

https://youtu.be/wNJFsewSUhE

11/06/2022

Spent the day with Cape Town Bucket List at Duiker Island (Seal Island) snorkeling with the Cape Fur Seals. The seals weigh between 100-300 kg (220-660 lbs) and are super friendly and curious in the water. As soon as we entered the water, the seals were excited to hang out with us. The colony has about 9000 members (there were fewer than that today, but there were still a lot of seals).

If you're in the area, this is a must do event, and Cape Town Bucket List is the operator to use. Their crew was extremely professional and helpful, and made sure we all had a great time. So happy we were able to book this trip.

https://youtu.be/oDJ-IXNBt8g

07/06/2022

One of the many trail highlights on the Mantra Trail at La Chimba The theme I’ve heard with San José, both while in Costa Rica, and on the many Facebook travel groups I belong to is this… the only reason to go to San José is to use the airport before heading out into the “better” parts of Costa Rica. I do agree there are many parts of Costa Rica that are much more beautiful or interesting than San José....

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=739

While Costa Rica is rightfully known for its biodiversity and conservation efforts, San José is a gem of a city and is worth a few days of your travel plans as well.

05/06/2022

Istanbul Turkey Airport

01/06/2022

Nyhan is one of Copenhagen's most iconic sights We spent May in Denmark, and visiting Copenhagen was the first real financial test in our concept of living our bucket list life. With Copenhagen bring ranked #8 on the list of the world's most expensive cities to live, we knew our month here would really strain our budget. But even with a very wacky month financially (more on that below), we made it through the month successfully!...

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=659

Visiting Copenhagen can be expensive. Here's the latest blog showing how our budget held up against the 8th most expensive city in the world.

01/06/2022

One of the reasons I love booking third party shore excursions when I have the chance. Today we had a nearly private tour of Helsinki at a fraction of the price of any ship excursion. Lukas, or guide, on the left, then one other guest and us. This was taken on a ferry out to an island fortress.

30/05/2022

A couple of pictures from our cruise so far on the Norwegian Getaway. These are from Visby, Sweden and Tallinn, Estonia. Stockholm tomorrow and then Helsinki on Wednesday.

27/05/2022

We didn't do much of anything yesterday except laundry and pack. That gave me some time to mess around with older pics. This is one of our sunsets from Playas del Coco in Costa Rica.

25/05/2022

Great final day exploring Copenhagen. We'll take tomorrow to wrap up preparing to depart Friday for our Baltic Cruise.

24/05/2022

No matter where you travel, the best experiences are with people. Who would’ve known a random encounter on a plane would turn into a great friendship and plans to meet in the US next year so we can be their tour guide.

22/05/2022

One of the overlooks at Cueva del Indio Just as we covered how to enjoy the east side of Puerto Rico, the west side is also loaded with ways to explore Puerto Rico. From beautiful beaches to cozy towns with good eating (and better surfing), western Puerto Rico has something for everyone. Let's take a look at a few places you can't miss....

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=618

There is so much to do when you decide to explore Puerto Rico. Check out this guide to enjoy the west side of this amazing island.

22/05/2022

After being disappointed yesterday, today more than made up for it. We visited The Human Library today and it was more than awesome. It was great to sit and have honest conversations about people and issues in their lives. We had 30 minutes conversations with the TIcs, High IQ, and emotional abuse “books”. Best way I can think of to spend 90 minutes.

21/05/2022

For the first time in our trip to Denmark, I'm a little disappointed. I did some research into things to do here and found out about Copenhill. It's a huge waste incinerator that supplies heat to 90,000 apartments and electricity to 80,000 households. It's so efficient, Denmark imports waste from other countries, just to burn at Copenhill. And it's an environmentally friendly process, which is a huge plus.

Instead of having this plant as a huge eyesore, the architects designed a recreational area in conjunction as a part of the design. There's a huge climbing wall on the outside, and a ski slop made of recycled plastic that comes down from the top.
I love to ski. Seemed like a great, unique opportunity. Hmmm... great theory. Poor design. The skiing just wasn't good. I talked to a few people on the slope and we all agreed.... it was like trying to ski on straight ice. It reminded me of skiing in NC on blown show as the night skiing session ends and it's all just a flat sheet of ice. No fun.

I almost fell once, finally fell the next time, and I decided I was done. I talked to the people at the ski rental desk when I turned my stuff in and they said it takes a few hours on the slopes to get used to it and be able to have it feel like snow. I didn't feel like investing the time. And I didn't want to risk getting hurt trying to learn how to slide on plastic.

So it's disappointing, but it was a unique experience and I'm glad I did it. So it can't be too bad.

I messed around with iMovie and made a little video of the experience. Don't beat me up too bad about it. It's the first time I've really messed with iMovie.

18/05/2022

The view from El Yunque National Park Puerto Rico is amazing! It was our first location when we decided to sell our stuff and travel the world. We spend one month in an oceanside Airbnb in Luquillo. That was the perfect location for exploring the eastern side of Puerto Rico. While Puerto Rico isn't an entirely huge island, I soon realized it would've been best if we'd split the trip into two halves, staying on both the eastern and western sides....
https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=566

To really enjoy Puerto Rico, you should break your trip into focusing on the east or west side. Check out my guide to enjoying the east side.

16/05/2022

We went on a canal tour today out of Nyhavn. I had resisted going for a while because it seemed so touristy. But more than a few locals have encouraged us to go. They told us locals go on the tours because they’re so fun. And they’re right! We had a blast.

A couple notes on the pics:

The pic of the crowd is to show just how many people will stand in line to see the Little Mermaid. And if you look close enough, you can actually see her (she’s pretty tiny).

The pic of Nyhavn is standing in the same spot as the other pic I posted, but looking down the other way.

You may have seen the building with the tall spire in some of my other pics. That’s Børsen, the old Copenhagen Stock Market. Built between 1619-1625 (making it one of the oldest surviving buildings in Copenhagen), the building is a classic example of the Dutch Renaissance style with spire and elaborate gables, designed by the brothers Lorenz and Hans van Steenwinckel.

The finishing touches to the building came in 1625, with the addition of the 56-metre spire (pictured above) which is formed from the tails of four dragons entwining together. The spire is topped by three crowns, symbolizing the Scandinavian empire (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden).

12/05/2022

Dinner and entertainment at Wallmans tonight. Should be a blast.

10/05/2022

Thinking of changing up the Europe schedule for next year. Clips like this have me thinking a month in Tuscany, a month in Switzerland, then a month in the Black Forest. 🤔🤔

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CdSTTQVgyvh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

08/05/2022

Free Stock photos by Vecteezy No matter how good life is, there's always room to get better. And one of the best ways is to travel. Some of the ways traveling changes your life for the better is practical and some of it is just crazy things that happen when you're in a foreign land, especially for extended periods of time....

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=546

No matter how good life is, there’s always room to get better. And one of the best ways is to travel. Some of the ways traveling changes your life for the better is practical and some of it is just crazy things that happen when you’re in a foreign land, especially for extended periods of […]

05/05/2022

Pics from our visit to Christiansborg Palace on Sunday. I'm a little late posting them because I'm a bonehead and thought I'd lost them by screwing them up in Lightroom.

Christiansborg Palace is a government building in Copenhagen. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister's office, as well as the Supreme Court of Denmark. Parts of the palace are used by the monarch, such as the Royal Reception Room, Royal Chapel, and Stables.

The present building is the third built on this same site, with the first being built in 1167 and the current being built from 1907-1928.

05/05/2022

Budgeting for your next travel? April was a kind of in-between month for us, so we expected it to be very budget-friendly. And we were right. We got back to the US from Costa Rica on the 8th and left again for Copenhagen on the 27th. The time in between was spent doing what we love to do when we're "home"....living our bucket list life by spending time with family and friends....

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=519

Recap of our expenses over April 2022 in Costa Rica and US, showing examples of how you can sustain a long-term bucket list life.

02/05/2022

Some pics from exploring today, mostly around Kongens Have (The King’s Garden).

Kongens Have is the oldest and most visited park in central Copenhagen. It was established in the early 17th century as the private gardens of King Christian IV’s Rosenborg Castle.

30/04/2022

Loving Copenhagen already! Beautiful city.

30/04/2022

What a day! We did a bike tour with Rune, a local to Copenhagen, and he was awesome. Super knowledgeable and just hosted a great tour. Top notch bikes and asked us all what our interests are before we started and then incorporated that info into his tour. If you find yourself in Copenhagen, definitely book the tour.

https://abnb.me/PFctZfpHEpb

28/04/2022

The coolest thing about traveling is the people. We met Mette on our flight from Munich to Copenhagen. We got to talking on the plane and she was more than willing to share some insider tips to enjoy her native country. She hung out with us picking up luggage and all the way to where we needed to transfer on the metro. Awesome start to our trip.

🇩🇰

28/04/2022

Another lesson learned. Pack your plug adapter in your carry on bag. Luckily, I don’t need to charge anything now, but there will come a time….

27/04/2022

It was bound to happen at some point in our travels; I just didn't expect it to happen so soon. We got off our cruise in Puerto Rico (our very first stop in our world travel plans) and I couldn't find our hotel reservations for that night. I searched all over my email...even old credit card statements....but nothing. I had to face the fact......

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=490

Having one place to access all your travel plans is both a lifesaver when you're actually traveling, but it can prevent hiccups in your travel due to unintended gaps.

27/04/2022

Happy anniversary to Mama Debbie and David, who spent their anniversary morning by getting up and making sure we got to the airport at 4:45 for our flight.

14/04/2022

It's important to budget, regardless of whether you're traveling or at home. But it's an especially important tool/skill to to have when traveling. Let's look at 5 important reasons to budget while traveling. Budgeting inspires confidence What's the #1 thing that budgeting while traveling does? It inspires confidence that you have the money you'll need to successfully be able to travel long term....

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=454

In-depth discussion why it's important to budget throughout your travels, with tools to help get you started.

10/04/2022

Is there anything more exciting than a successful bucket list life budget? That is the best feeling in the world to me. Each month, we'll review our previous month's spending. We're no experts in anything, so we have road bumps and lessons learned, just like anyone else. So hopefully we can learn together when we experience those crazy curveballs life throws at us....

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=441

Reviewing our expenses in March in Playas del Coco against our average monthly budget to show how sustainable long term travel is attainable.

07/04/2022

Epic sunset last night as we wind our trip down in Costa Rica.

02/04/2022

The discussion topic that comes up all the time as we meet people and explain what we're doing...how to successfully afford long term travel. And this is my response early in those conversations...while I firmly believe in having zero debt before embarking on long term travel, I feel just as strongly that having the right premium travel credit card in your pocket is an essential tool to extending your travel budget....

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=411

There are a million credit cards, with groups of cards geared toward different rewards. The key to extending your travel budget is finding a good travel focused card and leveraging its benefits to their maximum potential.

01/04/2022

One of the best things about traveling is the people you meet. We’ve met a ton of people this trip, but didn’t expect to meet some cool Canadians in Costa Rica that would become great friends. Can’t wait to meet them in Alberta and explore their neck of the woods.

24/03/2022

When living a bucket list life, you need easy ways to eat that aren't breaking the bank. In this section of The Truth About Affording Long Term Travel, well dive into ways to get cheap meals while traveling. Just a tip before you start shopping. Wherever you travel, book a cooking class with a local. You'll learn where to shop, what to buy, and best yet...how to make your dishes taste like they cook them!...

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=328

When living a bucket list life, you need easy ways to eat that aren’t breaking the bank. In this section of The Truth About Affording Long Term Travel, well dive into ways to get cheap meals while traveling. Just a tip before you start shopping. Wherever you travel, book a cooking class with a loc...

24/03/2022

Here's the truth about affording long term travel. You can do it! Just a disclaimer before getting started.... it's important to realize this is our budget. Unquestionably, every budget and situation is different. So as you look at the numbers, don't automatically close the browser and count yourself out. Are there cheaper ways to afford long term travel than what's shown here?...

https://wheresbaldo.blog/?p=271

The truth about affording long term travel, detailing how one retired couple financially sustains their long term global travel.