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Tips for the Budget Traveler
So I can surmise what you may be thinking here after reading them title. Iriebabel, how can you to afford traveling to Europe so often? I am a young retiree (pensioner, to the europeans) I am officially retried from the military after mandatory service years but I was also injured last 2 years on active duty so this makes me a young retiree. If you is familiar or unfamiliar with military pensions the name automatically suggests it is not a fortune 500 company 401k retirement plan. Military retirement essentially involves a small basic income, lots of daily/ monthly creative budgeting, ingenuity and constantly saving pennies for a rainy day. Traveling CAN be…
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Episode1: Where in the World (WITW)is IrieBabel ?
Episode 1 of WITW is Iriebabel‘s next great adventure has begun. Can you guess where I am? Covid Isolation was tough and add 2 foot surgeries to that …I need a change of scenery. So I am off and running …well errrrrr…I really mean hobbling. With vaccination certificate… check, Passport…check, airline ticket…double double check here we go! Tune in to the next exciting episode for the big reveal and find out where I land. Will I land feet up or head down, or is that feet dow head up? 🤔 hmm let me think about that, in any case we will soon see. Must jet I have a car waiting,…
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Tarpon Springs, Florida, Greek Sponge Docks
Have you ever wondered where your luxurious bath sponge comes from or how it is made? You may be surprised to find out that it actually comes from the ocean. It was once a living breathing organism and once harvested off the ocean floor it is cleaned, disinfected and sold to happy bathers like you. Recently I had the opportunity to see the process. Located not too far from home, literally in my backyard so to speak, there is a little known Greek community approximately 30 minutes north-west of downtown Tampa, Florida just off US Hwy 19 on alternate US Hwy 19. The name, Tarpon Springs is synonymous with the harvesting…
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From Poop to Gourmet in Bali Indonesia
In late 2012, fortune found me in Asia and subsequently led me to Bali, Indonesia. I experienced what can only be called an interesting “taste bud encounter”. Balinese coffee, specifically Kopi Luwak, is known as the world’s most expensive coffee. In the U.S., Kopi Luwak can go for as much as $1000 per kg. What is so special about this coffee you ask? I will spare you the lengthy details, but, if you consider that this coffee passes through the digestive tract, then out the rear end of a cat-like mongoose animal it is not only “special,” it is considered “gourmet.” According to baliorchidgardens.com, “Coffee Luwak is a rich, smooth,…