Author: mochatruffalo
It’s been almost 3 weeks since we’ve landed in Taipei. A couple days after arriving, we developed mild flu-like symptoms which made me think we caught the flu since our Covid tests were negative 3 days in a row. Unfortunately, Joe lost his sense of smell a few days later, and a repeat Covid test … Continue reading Taiwan Routine
Post-pandemic airfares have been obstinately high this year due to increased demand and limited supply. Travelers have been willing to pay for these astronomical prices just so they can get away after being stuck at home for 2 years. Premium economy prices on transpacific flights have now doubled. Round trip business class flights now cost … Continue reading EVA Air Royal Laurel
We finally get to take our very first points redemption flight. The original flight booked a year ago was to have us fly to Asia from the West Coast. However, EVA Air went ahead and canceled the flight back in April leaving us with no way to get to Taiwan using our points. I had … Continue reading NYC Drive By
After two months of gallivanting with friends & family, and chasing hotel status, we are finally back to our routine. Got my Hyatt status! Routine entails running for me, and BJJ for Joe. Back to enjoying this view after my runs. Also back on the menu is our oatmeal cleanse. Two months of overindulgence is … Continue reading Back To Regular Programming…For Now
Given the desert conditions of SoCal, our national parks pale in comparison to the ones located further north in the state. One of the best and most well known national parks in California is Yosemite. Due to its popularity, visiting the park requires advanced planning to secure lodging, permits, and reservations. But that’s not always … Continue reading Upper Yosemite Falls Trail
It’d be a shame to come to California and not visit any one of the National Parks. So we dragged Angela to her second National Park during her monthlong stay with us. Sequoia National Park is famous for its gigantic sequoia trees. General Sherman being the largest tree in the world by volume. While other … Continue reading Tokopah Falls Trail
After returning from Tanzania, we made a beeline for Vegas since Angela’s never been. For us, Vegas has always just been an overnight stop between home and our hiking destinations. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything else to see while in town. Walking through all the hotels for the decor and installations is a … Continue reading Reason Behind All The Madness
The word “Serengeti” in Swahili translates to “the land that goes on forever”. The open plains of the Serengeti make animal viewing far easier than in other terrain. Our camp in the Serengeti, Asilia Sayari, was much more luxurious than the previous two camps. Large lounge Dining deck Dining room Bedroom Bathroom with a soaking … Continue reading Serengeti National Park
The Great Migration - the largest animal migration in the world. So large that it can be seen from outer space. When people hear “great migration”, they imagine the wildebeests crossing the Mara River, when in fact the migration spans several months, during which 1.5 million wildebeests and half a million zebras migrate clockwise from … Continue reading The Great Migration
Relatively unknown compared to the Serengeti, Ruaha National Park is Tanzania’s largest national park. Here you’ll find mostly European visitors, as opposed to the predominantly American tourists in the Serengeti. Given it’s remoteness, there are only a handful of camps within the park. The Kwihala Tent Camp is one of Asilia’s more basic tents. Like … Continue reading Ruaha National Park
This is the story of a giraffe, or more aptly, the story of the lives around a dead giraffe. It is a showcase of how efficient Mother Nature is. Day 1 Afternoon - Pride of 6 We arrived in Ruaha National Park, a two-hour bush plane ride from Selous, a little after lunchtime. After a … Continue reading The Gift That Kept On Giving
After spending a day in Dar es Salaam, waiting for our luggage to arrive, we hopped on our private charter (private because we were the only passengers) and headed southwest to Nyerere National Park. Aerial view of Dar es Salaam Before Nyerere National Park became a national park in 2019, it was known as Selous … Continue reading Slow Beginning
Flight travel time from the US west coast to East Africa usually takes about a day. Given there are no nonstop flights, travelers must layover in Europe, Türkiye, or the Middle East. Out of all carriers Qatar Air offers the shortest travel time, clocking in at 23 hours. Imagine being seated in economy for that … Continue reading Qatar Q Suites
Cabo in Spanish means Cape, and Los Cabos refers to the region consisting of the two towns - San José Del Cabo on the east end, and Cabo San Lucas on the west. With a rental car available, we took the opportunity to visit both towns. One of the well known sights in Cabo San … Continue reading Los Cabos
We finally flew the coop after 4 days at the all inclusive Hyatt Ziva. Now we begin our 6-day mattress run at the Hyatt Place in Los Cabos. My original plan was to take the bus between San Jose Del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos, but Sheldon proposed a much more comfortable … Continue reading Todos Santos
Los Cabos had served as a quick getaway for us back when we were still working. A nice place to escape to, away from the daily grind, at any of its all inclusive resorts. Immersive travel, it is not. Mindless, yes. With a two-week window between the dogs getting picked up and Angela arriving, we … Continue reading Chasing Status
Summer winding down for everyone means the end of hibernation for us, and the start of our busy travel season. Even if we had wanted to go anywhere, we wouldn’t have been able to, thanks to the tiny fur ball anchors we were entrusted to care for. What was supposed to be a 2-month stint … Continue reading A Fur Ball Summer
Taiwan’s borders are opening up slower than I’d like. At this point foreign tourists are still not allowed entry, which poses a problem for Joe. Dad doesn’t think Taiwan will open up this year because election is at the end of this year, and no politician wants to be blamed for rising COVID cases if … Continue reading A Day in NYC
California is one big National Park. In total we have 9 National Parks with varying scenery, from the desert terrain of Death Valley and Joshua Tree, to the Giant Sequoias in King and Sequoia, granite rocks with waterfalls in Yosemite, volcanic rocks of Lassen, and the shores of Point Reyes and Channel Islands. Today we … Continue reading Redwood National Park
Joe has a soft spot for Japanese gardens, and I have a particular fondness for Japanese maple. And what better place to go than to the largest Japanese garden in the US - the Portland Japanese Garden. Entrance to the garden Unlike most gardens, one thing we noticed about this one is the absence of … Continue reading Beauty All Around
Wherever we travel to we try to imagine ourselves living in that place. At the end of the day, we always ultimately decide that Laguna Beach can’t be beat. We joke that in SoCal, the thing you can always count on are sunny days. That lack of precipitation is reflected in our brownish and not-so-pretty … Continue reading Multnomah Wahkeena Trail
My 6-week work stint lasted a grand total of 7 days! The ever efficient government VA failed to submit paperwork to request funding for the month of May. Finally government bureaucracy working in my favor. I am re-retired! How do I let my recruiter know that he can no longer make money off my back … Continue reading Watson & Toketee Falls
After almost a year of retirement, I was hit with a minor bout of existential crisis. I was surprised that it would hit me because I made a point to never let my profession define who I am. I guess more than 2 decades of doing the same thing, one’s profession inevitably becomes part of … Continue reading A Change In Pace
I feel like I’m just planning trips and not going anywhere. The reason why we’ve stayed put the last 4 months was so that I can train for Boston, which is happening next Monday. Unfortunately, a mid-January injury has lingered until now. I have resigned to the fact that 2 decades of marathon training and … Continue reading Third Redemption
Not even a year has passed since getting in the travel rewards game, and I have managed to make 2 redemptions with points and miles I’ve earned through credit cards. The first redemption is a pair of round trip business class tickets to Taiwan on EVA through Membership Rewards. The more recent redemption is a … Continue reading Capital One Miles Redemption
FIRE'd @ 47 