• Home
  • About
    • Who We are
    • Affiliates
    • Disclosures & Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Privacy Notice
  • Funding Your Travels
    • Banking on the Road
    • Credit Cards in Our Wallet
    • Spending
  • Contact
    • Media
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Partnership Opportunities

i should log off

log off and live!

  • Travel & Planning
    • Travel Reflections
      • Good, Bad & Ugly
      • Re-Entry
    • Travel Resources
      • Travel Tips
      • Travel Bloggers
    • Reviews
      • Gear
      • Operators
      • Travel Clothing
    • Travel Gear
      • Cameras
      • Danny’s Clothes
      • Electronics
      • Health & Hygiene
      • Jillian’s Clothes
      • General Gear
  • Destinations
    • Travel Guides
    • Africa
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Lesotho
      • Kenya
      • Malawi
      • Morocco
      • Mozambique
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
      • Sudan
      • Swaziland
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
      • Zimbabwe
    • Asia & Oceania
      • Armenia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Georgia
      • India
      • Kazakhstan
      • Laos
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uzbekistan
      • Vietnam
    • Caribbean
      • Antigua
      • Cuba
      • Jamaica
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
    • Europe
      • Armenia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Czech Republic
      • France
      • Georgia
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Mexico
      • USA
    • Middle East
      • Egypt
      • Israel
      • Jordan
      • Oman
      • Turkey
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Bolivia
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
  • Weekend Adventures
    • Cycle
      • Pastimes
        • Beer & Wine
        • Books
        • Cooking
        • History & Culture
    • Dive & Snorkel
    • Hike
    • Trek
    • Whitewater
  • Photos
    • Photo of the Day
  • Family Travel
You are here: Home / Archives for chocolate

Funny and Delicious

April 2, 2012 By Jillian

As a child, my mother always begged me not to play with my food. Chicken nuggets never took on the same “personality” as a chocolate version of Mannequin Pis.

The famous statue in Brussels of a small boy relieving himself, Mannequin Pis is a cultural icon of the city.  A bronze statue, crafted somewhere around 1618, Mannequin Pis has been err…playing in the same fountain for centuries.  Of course the Belgians would make him out of chocolate these days, leaving us with no choice but to play with our food.

Fortunately the Belgians have a good sense of humor and they not only make chocolate replicas of Mannequin Pis, but they line them up in various colors along their shop window.  A deliciously funny window display indeed.

Belgian Chocolate Mannequin Pis statues in Brussels

IF YOU GO: Brussels is the heart of the European Union so do not be surprised to find it a cultural melting pot.  The chocolate, beer and pomme frittes are as good as they say- I highly recommend trying them every opportunity you get!

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: brussels, chocolate

Brussels: Chocolate and a Tour…

July 22, 2010 By Jillian

We were determined to prove two Belgian travelers wrong about their country: it is NOT possible to see Belgium in one day. In fact we spent 4 days in Belgium and only left Brussels once. So there.IMGP5355

More than any place on this entire trip, Brussels reminded us of home. No, it wasn’t the french accent, the chocolate, the strange little boy statue or the little-Africa neighborhood downtown. While these could all be said of DC, it was the vibe of “power” in the city. The political center of the European Union, we attended a birthday party where the attendees were from no less than a dozen nations.  (In fact, ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung in three different languages.)  It was the first time in a long time that we were really able to enjoy ourselves in a big group, not having to constantly wonder if the other person understood what we were saying.  English in fact, despite there being only three native English speakers at the party, was the language of choice.  Like DC, everyone it seemed directly or indirectly worked in European politics. Conversations swirled about current events, international politics and exotic travel. We felt at home.

Brussels of course is not like home. IMGP5381Chez Antoine is not cooking up fries on in a petite maison on 14th street in Washington and there is no way Ben’s Chili Bowl is going to start serving pomme frites with 20+ varieties of mayonnaise. We walked into the European Parliament building without showing a badge, doing the same in DC would have been a breach of national security! Buildings are much older and much taller, and there’s good Belgium chocolate is everywhere…not just at Trader Joe’s.  Yes, things are different, but not by too much.  And since we were there for the 4th of July, we still managed to enjoy a nice BBQ, some fireworks, and a trip to to Waterloo to celebrate the defeat of the French….clearly the next best option when in Europe with no other American’s around…

Besides eating ridiculous amounts of french fries, we spent our long weekend in Belgium visiting with friends, and dragging them to the Tour de France, which went through Brussels on its way from the starting point in Holland back to France.  Le Tour was the real reason we wanted to come to Brussels. If we were going to be in Europe in July, we were going to the Tour de France. That was the deal. So off we went, and when people asked why we were in Belgium we always replied in the best French accent we could muster, Le Tooouurrrrrr! The Tour did not disappoint, but you’ll have to wait for our next post to find out why…

Filed Under: Belgium, Europe, Headline Tagged With: chocolate, home, travel

Necessito ir a Banos

August 3, 2009 By Jillian

Alive and happy after Danny’s second attempt on the river, and after overcoming the worst of my stomach bug, we took a very bumpy ride through the jungle back into the mountains to get to Banos. A lovely mountain town, famous really for its hot springs, but also a number of adventure activities from mountain biking to whitewater. Advised against kayaking in the nearby rivers due to pollution, and after seeing the “mountain bike” path (the curvy, heavily traveled mountain road), we decided to just spend some time relaxing.

Heading to the hot springs our first night, we were shocked to find them crowded, no, really they were overflowing with people. Packed in like sardines into two small pools cut into the mountain the setting was relaxing but the atmosphere was anything but. Turns out the hot springs are extremely popular at night and after about 10 minutes we couldn’t take the crush of people any more and headed back to the hostel for dinner.

Taking it easy, we spent the next day hiking through the mountains (really easy at 2000m in altitude!) from view point to view point. After about 3km, we came across a beautiful cafe high above the city. Accessible only by foot or mule, cafe de cielo was part of a luxury spa and resort complex. Very affordable, just not on a backpackers budget, we sprung for two hot chocolates instead. Continuing on our path, we climbed through cow pastures and farm land before reaching the highest viewpoint. Thwarted by clouds, we could only see the bottom third of the volcano.

Heading down to a viewpoint overlooking the city, we came across a shaking tree. Giggles from the tree tipped us off to the children inside before they offered us some fruit. Asking their names and sharing ours, Danny inquired as to what they were playing. We are monkeys they replied in laughter and you are a cow. Not processing what they said, Danny smiled. They called you a cow, I said to him. What? Danny said as he turned to the children. They erupted in laughter and we continued up the path.

Banos was relaxing and delicious. Apart from finding real pizza, we also found the first Ecuadorian chocolate bar that we liked. Unsatisfied with just one bar, we bought four to last us until Lima where hopefully we can restock. Although our packs might be small, somethings are just that important. 🙂

With Banos, our time in Ecuador had come to a close. Instead of 9 days we could have spent 90. This is a country just filled with outdoor activities and culture to go with it. Although we got some river time in and the all important equator, there is a lot we didn’t get to do in Ecuador like biking to indigenous villages or visiting the pacific coast at all.

The big thing we really missed out on was the the Galapagos. We had hoped to find a last minute deal while in Quito but the last minute deals were virtually non-existent because it is the middle of high season…which corresponds to the U.S. school year. Given the timing and the cost we figure that we can book a Galapagos trip sometime during their low season and fly from the USA for cheaper than we could do the trip for now. Since it is so close to the US we’d rather save our “big-ticket” money for things that are farther away and more difficult to return to….like Antarctica!

Filed Under: Ecuador, Food, Hike, South America Tagged With: children, chocolate, hiking, hot springs

Connect With Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Featured Posts

Our Bucket List
How We Travel For Free
$ Travel Tips

Recent Comments

  • Barbara on Kayaking Kauai’s Na Pali Coast
  • Lori Hubbard on Review: Eneloop Batteries and Charger
  • TK on The Trouble with Philadelphia

Banking on the Road

It can be very hard to keep track of your finances while you're on the road long-term. Be sure to check out how we took care of our finances while traveling and feel free to email us any questions you have.

Adventure Guides

Torres Del Paine
China Adventure
Uzbekistan Overland
Egyptian Odyssey
Malaria
Argentina Adventure
DIY African Safari
South Africa Guide
Bolivia by Bus
How-To African Visas

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright 2008-2015 · All Rights Reserved · Contact I Should Log Off · RSS · Partner With Us · Privacy