11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
9 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
CHICAGO RESTAURANTS - Mercat a la Planxa & Beard Papas
To contact us Click HERE
Chicago is one of the best cities in the U.S. for us foodies and regardless of your budget, you are bound to find tons of places and you will wish you had booked just "one more night"...
As decisions have to be made, and some places did not make our list for either price or timing reasons... the ones we did go range from really good to superb.
MERCAT A LA PLANXA
We decided to try this Catalan cuisine for lunch and all in our party went for the $18 lunch deal that included a fountain drink, starter and main course.
One of the appetizers, we most refer to as tortilla de papas in Argentina, and it was so good that surprisingly my even my mom approved (she still makes the best tortillas!) this one was very well seasoned, nice vegetal notes from the spinach and most importantly not overcooked. There's nothing worse than burned eggs.
I ate these all over Spain this summer, and it was still not enough... I came back wanting more... and Mercat's version with chorizo and the Romesco sauce did not disappoint... they were crunchy outside, with lovely notes of the jamon & chorizo, and the sauce added a nice finish to these perfect little bits.
For the world I can't remember the type of fish, but I can tell you if was mild in flavor with an incredible nice crunchy skin very nicely assembled with a smooth and creamy potato pure and the herb oil added a nice finish and sublime herbaceous notes.
I don't usually order sandwiches and this was no exception. The choice was my son's and it was a good one. This was no ordinary sandwich as the chicken was marinated in lots of herbs and unlike any chicken breasts, this one was juicy and tender as opposed to dry. Add to this the bacon, the amazing romesco sauce,tomato and parm... I'd say you have a delicious gourmet sandwich.
This hanger Steak was very nicely done, rare in the middle and a nice caramelization and smokiness on the outside. The short ribs were very and I mean very tender and well seasoned and both meats went really well with the mushrooms en escabeche which added a nice acidity. The only downfall of this dish is that the croquette got soggy in the middle as the beef was atop.
BEARD PAPAS Beard Papas is a transplant from Japan that has perfected the way of making these incredible puffs without compromising quality. They use NO preservatives, fill them up as you wait and are incredibly light, crispy, flaky, delicious... I could keep going!
The best part is that they have locations here in Southern California!!
As decisions have to be made, and some places did not make our list for either price or timing reasons... the ones we did go range from really good to superb.
MERCAT A LA PLANXA
We decided to try this Catalan cuisine for lunch and all in our party went for the $18 lunch deal that included a fountain drink, starter and main course.
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| TRUITA DE PATATAS CON ESPINACAS |
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| MIXTO DE CROQUETAS - JAMON SERRANO, CHORIZO & ROMESCO |
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| FISH OF THE DAY, POTATO PURE, HERB OIL |
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| LAS RAMBLAS GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH, BACON, ROMESCO, TOMATO & PARMESAN |
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| BLACK ANGUS HANGER STEAK, POTATO CROQUETTE, BRAISED SHORT RIBS,BEECH MUSHROOM ESCABECHE |
BEARD PAPAS Beard Papas is a transplant from Japan that has perfected the way of making these incredible puffs without compromising quality. They use NO preservatives, fill them up as you wait and are incredibly light, crispy, flaky, delicious... I could keep going!
The best part is that they have locations here in Southern California!!
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| STORE FRONT OF BEARD PAPAS - CHICAGO |
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| VANILLA CREAM PUFF |
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| AS YOU SEE, THEY DON'T SKIMP ON THE FILLING! |
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| THE STRAWBERRY WAS THE FAVORITE |
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| CHOCOLATE CREAM PUFF |
ANIMAL- Los Angeles
To contact us Click HERE
As one of the "IT" restaurants of the moment, ANIMAL has been on my list for a while, and with a group of foodies we made our way Sunday night for a spectacular and long awaited extravaganza!
This place is all about Animal parts officially known as "Offal".
But don't let that scare you. Crispy pig ears with lime & fried egg, crispy veal sweetbreads and perfectly seared Foie Gras with a warm soft biscuit, maple syrup & sausage gravy are just a few of the standout dishes you'll find here.
The combinations may seem strange to some, but they are not extremely inventive. Spain has been consuming pig ears for centuries as well as other countries. Foie Gras with Maple Syrup is not that out of the ordinary, the paring of Foie with a sweet element is a classic, so lets be honest, they are not re-inventing the wheel here, but the dishes are amazingly tasty, very focused, perfectly seasoned and well thought out. They leave you wanting more... and that's always a good sign. You will not be disappointed by coming here, with that said, one flaw I found, they were not very well coordinated with the kitchen, as least Sunday night when we were there. Some people had not received any dishes, some just one, while I was finishing my first, with another waiting... and here comes the waitress with my Foie Gras... OH NO!
She kindly took it back as I made her aware of the mishap. Don't let this deter you from trying ANIMAL, the service was still very attentive and the food amazing!
The only other time I tried pig ears was at INK Restaurant in L.A. and loved it, but you never know with a name like "pig ears" what you're in for... This was spectacular... The pig ears were like the upscale version of mediocre bacon... with a nice heat from the chili, a little acidity from the lime to cut through the heaviness of the dish, and the oh-so-good fried egg with a runny yolk... mmmm... it was superb!
Next was the Hamachi tostada, which was recommended by a fellow member of our table... and although skeptical, i gave it a shot. Really, its hard to have a dish come out so light yet satisfying in flavors... but this did just that... I loved the combination of the fish sauce vinaigrette, the crunchy onions and the peanuts along with the freshness from the herbs... the peanuts really did make the dish stand out to the next level for me as it added a nice depth of flavor.
A table mate ordered this, and i was so lucky to try them... they don't look like anything special on the menu... how many times have you seem sliders on restaurant menu's... But the bread was very soft and fresh, with lovely buttery notes on top with a perfectly cooked BBQ pork (you know, the one that falls off the bone tender-except no bone here of course) and a very nice fresh (not soggy) slaw.
This was the dish I was waiting for and it was everything I thought it would be and more. Perfectly cooked Foie with those buttery notes and nice sear on top with a tender fluffy biscuit, savory and flavorful sausage gravy and topped off with enough maple syrup to give the dish another dimension. Beautiful!
Sweetbreads is one of my favorite things to eat... and these definitely lived up to my expectations. Much more mild than your average sweetbreads, the veal variety were soft and silky inside, with a perfect crust outside paired with a nice lemon Aioli, tiny bit of cumin for some smokiness and freshness from the shallots.
Loved the subtle orange tangy-ness along with the rich and dense pudding. I really could taste the toffee which added a nice caramel-smoky note.
I didn't think I would taste the bacon, as i've had chocolate+bacon before, and the chocolate really takes over the whole dish. But they must have used a much savory (saltier) bacon because I did taste it, and it was lovely! The ice cream sounds weird, right? salt & pepper? but it was just a hint of pepper, which really went well.
The tres leches cake was simple yet very well done. I thought it was not too sweet which I appreciated. Very moist,with the frosting adding a touch of creamyness but again, not too sweet.
Over all, I really felt that they truly knew what they were doing. That they really thought through each dish as they came up with them. I most definitly need to go back, especially before Foie becomes illigal in Caifornia next year!
This place is all about Animal parts officially known as "Offal".
But don't let that scare you. Crispy pig ears with lime & fried egg, crispy veal sweetbreads and perfectly seared Foie Gras with a warm soft biscuit, maple syrup & sausage gravy are just a few of the standout dishes you'll find here.
The combinations may seem strange to some, but they are not extremely inventive. Spain has been consuming pig ears for centuries as well as other countries. Foie Gras with Maple Syrup is not that out of the ordinary, the paring of Foie with a sweet element is a classic, so lets be honest, they are not re-inventing the wheel here, but the dishes are amazingly tasty, very focused, perfectly seasoned and well thought out. They leave you wanting more... and that's always a good sign. You will not be disappointed by coming here, with that said, one flaw I found, they were not very well coordinated with the kitchen, as least Sunday night when we were there. Some people had not received any dishes, some just one, while I was finishing my first, with another waiting... and here comes the waitress with my Foie Gras... OH NO!
She kindly took it back as I made her aware of the mishap. Don't let this deter you from trying ANIMAL, the service was still very attentive and the food amazing!
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| Pig Ear, Chili, Lime, Fried Egg 12 |
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| hamachi tostada, herbs, fish sauce vinaigrette, peanut 15 |
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| barbecue pork belly sandwiches, slaw 13 |
A table mate ordered this, and i was so lucky to try them... they don't look like anything special on the menu... how many times have you seem sliders on restaurant menu's... But the bread was very soft and fresh, with lovely buttery notes on top with a perfectly cooked BBQ pork (you know, the one that falls off the bone tender-except no bone here of course) and a very nice fresh (not soggy) slaw.
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| foie gras, biscuit, maple sausage gravy 24 |
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| Veal Sweetbreads, Finger Lime Aioli, Cumin, Shallot 14 |
Sweetbreads is one of my favorite things to eat... and these definitely lived up to my expectations. Much more mild than your average sweetbreads, the veal variety were soft and silky inside, with a perfect crust outside paired with a nice lemon Aioli, tiny bit of cumin for some smokiness and freshness from the shallots.
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| sticky toffee pudding, mascarpone, orange 7 |
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| bacon chocolate crunch bar, s&p ice cream 7 |
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| tres leches, dulce de leche 7 |
Over all, I really felt that they truly knew what they were doing. That they really thought through each dish as they came up with them. I most definitly need to go back, especially before Foie becomes illigal in Caifornia next year!
To contact us Click HERE
2 DAYS IN SAN DIEGO UNDER $250
Think it's impossible?Me & my Son managed to stay within this budget just a week ago! and I'll be honest, it's the most fun I've had with him in a long, long time. I guess because we are not so busy going from Theme Park to Theme Park and thus exausted from trying to cram as much as possible in our 2 days.
Arived late on Wednesday do to a tire completly coming appart while driving! Thank God I drive slow...
To make a long story short, we ended up at the gates of Camp Pendelton because there was nothing close to buy a new tire and I was not going to make it with my spare very far... they were kind enough to let us "IN" and had our tire changed at a Firestone Tire inside the base. My son loved seeing all the Fighter Jets & how the Marines live on base... so he loved it!
Once we finaly arrived at DOLPHIN MOTELin Point Loma which was an incredible value at $55 per night with free parking & free breakfast and an amazing owner & staff ( I highly highly recomend it) we went to have a quick dinner at COTIJA'S TACOS in Point Loma.
They have the most amazing Carne Asada Fries (HUGE) for about $6, and we also had really good fish tacos with no skimping on the fish!
Instead we took it slow and it was very relaxing and to my surprise, my 11 yr old was not bored... actually, he enjoyed taking turns with our camara to get some cool & weird shots...We rode in our car to FORT ROSECRANS NATIONAL CEMENTERY which has gorgeous views, beautiful grounds and my son truly felt respect for all those men & women who fought for us, some were so young and i think it was an awakening for him to see the sacrifice these men and women go through to keep our Country Free. Later went to Mission Beach and parked at the BELMONT AMUSEMENT PARK for free! (got there early) and went to RAYS RENTALS across the way with a coupon from their website and rented a bike for the whole day for $10! It was old, but it worked... and my Son had his bike that we took, so that saved me even more money.
We rode all the way to Pacific Beach, nice & slow all day taking breaks for pictures, etc.had a late lunch at BAHIA DON BRAVO IN PACIFIC BEACH which was just O.K. kinda bland the food. Rode all the back again and had an amazing bonding time with my son. He was really exited and thought I should buy myself a bike...
I do need to mention that I had not gotten on a bike for about 17 years... so the 1st time i got on I was so scared and i had a hard time balancing the bike for a few minutes... but i eventually got the hang of it! My son though it was so funny!
Later went back to the hotel and relaxed a bit before driving for dinner to SUPER COCINA which was SUPER! LOL
Had Real Mexican Food! My son somehow always chooses the best dishes and this was no exeption,he had Mexican Squash stuffed with cheese, battered and fried with a light tomato sauce on top, and perfectly cooked Carnitas (all searved with rice & beans)
I had a Delicious Pozole soup with cabage on top and lime and Cochinita Pibil.It was very good, great service and truly a great deal at $16 for both! Later went walked about a block to a Mexican bakery and had some sweet breads to go.
Day 2 we were looking for some sort of free walking tour... and I found I good one!
Went to the HISTORIC PARK IN OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO and they have free tours every day at 11am & 2 pm.Some of the houses are still originals... and they give you a nice mix of history from those days. Even my 11 yr old son was interested! it took about an hour.
From there we had lunch at CAFE COYOTE which was average at best and the "home made" tortillas were not cooked all the way and too thick so they were "gummy" i would not recomend it... but if you are not so into food as I am, the ambiance is nice, especially if you sit outside. After Lunch, we walked around Old Town to window shop... and One of the stores in the Historic Park is a Candy store!! Of course we had to try it and spend a good amount of time there.. and they even had lots of samples.We picked & choose our favorites, I paid & then started heading home.
Had a wonderful time!! here's the rundown of our expenses for 2 people:
Dolphin Motel (super super clean & amazing people) : $120 ( 2 night weekday)
Gas (from L.A. and back) $40 (I know its cheap, but I have a small car)
Rays Bike Rental : $12 ( it was $2 extra for the basket & lock)
Cotija's Tacos: $11
Bahia Don Bravo lunch: $15
Super Cocina: $17
Bakery 1 block from Super Cocina: $4
Cafe Coyote: $22
Candy @ Historic park in old town: $4
Total: $245!
Think it's impossible?Me & my Son managed to stay within this budget just a week ago! and I'll be honest, it's the most fun I've had with him in a long, long time. I guess because we are not so busy going from Theme Park to Theme Park and thus exausted from trying to cram as much as possible in our 2 days.Arived late on Wednesday do to a tire completly coming appart while driving! Thank God I drive slow...
To make a long story short, we ended up at the gates of Camp Pendelton because there was nothing close to buy a new tire and I was not going to make it with my spare very far... they were kind enough to let us "IN" and had our tire changed at a Firestone Tire inside the base. My son loved seeing all the Fighter Jets & how the Marines live on base... so he loved it!
Once we finaly arrived at DOLPHIN MOTELin Point Loma which was an incredible value at $55 per night with free parking & free breakfast and an amazing owner & staff ( I highly highly recomend it) we went to have a quick dinner at COTIJA'S TACOS in Point Loma.
They have the most amazing Carne Asada Fries (HUGE) for about $6, and we also had really good fish tacos with no skimping on the fish!
Instead we took it slow and it was very relaxing and to my surprise, my 11 yr old was not bored... actually, he enjoyed taking turns with our camara to get some cool & weird shots...We rode in our car to FORT ROSECRANS NATIONAL CEMENTERY which has gorgeous views, beautiful grounds and my son truly felt respect for all those men & women who fought for us, some were so young and i think it was an awakening for him to see the sacrifice these men and women go through to keep our Country Free. Later went to Mission Beach and parked at the BELMONT AMUSEMENT PARK for free! (got there early) and went to RAYS RENTALS across the way with a coupon from their website and rented a bike for the whole day for $10! It was old, but it worked... and my Son had his bike that we took, so that saved me even more money.
We rode all the way to Pacific Beach, nice & slow all day taking breaks for pictures, etc.had a late lunch at BAHIA DON BRAVO IN PACIFIC BEACH which was just O.K. kinda bland the food. Rode all the back again and had an amazing bonding time with my son. He was really exited and thought I should buy myself a bike...
I do need to mention that I had not gotten on a bike for about 17 years... so the 1st time i got on I was so scared and i had a hard time balancing the bike for a few minutes... but i eventually got the hang of it! My son though it was so funny!
Later went back to the hotel and relaxed a bit before driving for dinner to SUPER COCINA which was SUPER! LOL
Had Real Mexican Food! My son somehow always chooses the best dishes and this was no exeption,he had Mexican Squash stuffed with cheese, battered and fried with a light tomato sauce on top, and perfectly cooked Carnitas (all searved with rice & beans)
I had a Delicious Pozole soup with cabage on top and lime and Cochinita Pibil.It was very good, great service and truly a great deal at $16 for both! Later went walked about a block to a Mexican bakery and had some sweet breads to go.
Day 2 we were looking for some sort of free walking tour... and I found I good one!
Went to the HISTORIC PARK IN OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO and they have free tours every day at 11am & 2 pm.Some of the houses are still originals... and they give you a nice mix of history from those days. Even my 11 yr old son was interested! it took about an hour.
From there we had lunch at CAFE COYOTE which was average at best and the "home made" tortillas were not cooked all the way and too thick so they were "gummy" i would not recomend it... but if you are not so into food as I am, the ambiance is nice, especially if you sit outside. After Lunch, we walked around Old Town to window shop... and One of the stores in the Historic Park is a Candy store!! Of course we had to try it and spend a good amount of time there.. and they even had lots of samples.We picked & choose our favorites, I paid & then started heading home.
Had a wonderful time!! here's the rundown of our expenses for 2 people:
Dolphin Motel (super super clean & amazing people) : $120 ( 2 night weekday)
Gas (from L.A. and back) $40 (I know its cheap, but I have a small car)
Rays Bike Rental : $12 ( it was $2 extra for the basket & lock)
Cotija's Tacos: $11
Bahia Don Bravo lunch: $15
Super Cocina: $17
Bakery 1 block from Super Cocina: $4
Cafe Coyote: $22
Candy @ Historic park in old town: $4
Total: $245!
WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE TRAVEL PHOTOS??
To contact us Click HERE
For a long time, I would have to carry around my notebook or laptop in order to show my photos to friends & family... because lets face it, who prints out pictures anymore,right?
I came across this fabulous blog about photo books called Photobookgirl... not the ones you slide in your 4x6's, but the ones you design online and a photo book publishing company print it and mail it to you. You end up with an amazing photo book that looks like something you bought as a coffee table photo book.
I am currently waiting to receive my 1st photo book and I'll be sure to let you all know the results.
I chose My Publisher for my Spain & Portugal photos which you can have a sneak peak HERE
***I just received an offer from MYPUBLISHER... which is an amazing price... A Classic Hardcover Photobook with up to 100 Pages for only $35!!
Use Code: PAGES4FREE at checkout... Offer expires January 9th... that means you must be done with your book and submitted by this day.. hurry! get those travel photos!
I came across this fabulous blog about photo books called Photobookgirl... not the ones you slide in your 4x6's, but the ones you design online and a photo book publishing company print it and mail it to you. You end up with an amazing photo book that looks like something you bought as a coffee table photo book.
I am currently waiting to receive my 1st photo book and I'll be sure to let you all know the results.
I chose My Publisher for my Spain & Portugal photos which you can have a sneak peak HERE
***I just received an offer from MYPUBLISHER... which is an amazing price... A Classic Hardcover Photobook with up to 100 Pages for only $35!!
Use Code: PAGES4FREE at checkout... Offer expires January 9th... that means you must be done with your book and submitted by this day.. hurry! get those travel photos!
SURVIVING LONG HAUL FLIGHTS, 2012 PREDICTIONS & THE PERFECT CARRY-ON
To contact us Click HERE
Hello there!
Happy 2012... As we prepare for a new year of adventures, here are some articles I found most helpful in preparing for all my 2012 travel.
Independent Travel is one of my favorite sites for travel news, so naturally I wanted to share it with you!
Enjoy!
10 Simple Tips for a Smoother Trip Independent Traveler.com
The Perfect Carry-On
2012 Predictions
10 Ways to Survive Long Haul Flights
Happy 2012... As we prepare for a new year of adventures, here are some articles I found most helpful in preparing for all my 2012 travel.
Independent Travel is one of my favorite sites for travel news, so naturally I wanted to share it with you!
Enjoy!
10 Simple Tips for a Smoother Trip Independent Traveler.com
The Perfect Carry-On
2012 Predictions
10 Ways to Survive Long Haul Flights
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
NICARAGUA & COSTA RICA 2012
To contact us Click HERE
After much thought and consideration (and research!) I really fell in love with Granada, Nicaragua and Costa Rica's Rainforests & Beaches. July 2012 I will be there with my son having an amazing time! We are so excited and cannot wait! In the mean time, as you all know me, I've been doing massive amounts of research for this upcoming adventure... and I'll leave you with some of my favorite places:
SAMARA BEACHOf course you cannot go to Costa Rica without a few days in Beach Paradise, right? ... Samara Beach is a beautiful little town on the Pacific side. And the Samara Tree House Inn is truly the only place I want to stay! They have "tree houses located "on" the beach. Its kind of a rustic paradise. Next to the tree houses there is a nice surf shop and school where we hope (or at least I hope) to be able to stand up on one of those boards!
ARENAL NATIONAL PARK, COSTA RICA
the Arenal Observatory Lodge is the only lodging within the Arenal National Park. From my research I know the food is sub-par and thus being the foodie that I am, I had to think about this one, but in the end a very wise person said: "When will you ever have a chance to stay in the middle of the Rainforest?"Ok, I'm sold! That is very true, besides this place has amazing views, lots of hiking trails through the rainforest, a bar open until 10pm, pool and jacuzzi and a game room... who cares about food? Ok, only for these 2 nights!
After much thought and consideration (and research!) I really fell in love with Granada, Nicaragua and Costa Rica's Rainforests & Beaches. July 2012 I will be there with my son having an amazing time! We are so excited and cannot wait! In the mean time, as you all know me, I've been doing massive amounts of research for this upcoming adventure... and I'll leave you with some of my favorite places:
SAMARA BEACHOf course you cannot go to Costa Rica without a few days in Beach Paradise, right? ... Samara Beach is a beautiful little town on the Pacific side. And the Samara Tree House Inn is truly the only place I want to stay! They have "tree houses located "on" the beach. Its kind of a rustic paradise. Next to the tree houses there is a nice surf shop and school where we hope (or at least I hope) to be able to stand up on one of those boards!
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| Your Own Private Hammocks |
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| Samara Tree House Inn-Out Door Dining under your personal tree house |
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| Samara Tree House Inn-Living Room with View of the Beach |
ARENAL NATIONAL PARK, COSTA RICA
the Arenal Observatory Lodge is the only lodging within the Arenal National Park. From my research I know the food is sub-par and thus being the foodie that I am, I had to think about this one, but in the end a very wise person said: "When will you ever have a chance to stay in the middle of the Rainforest?"Ok, I'm sold! That is very true, besides this place has amazing views, lots of hiking trails through the rainforest, a bar open until 10pm, pool and jacuzzi and a game room... who cares about food? Ok, only for these 2 nights!
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| Arenal Observatory Lodge-Pool area overlooking the Rainforest |
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| Rio Celeste-All day tour from Arenal |
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| Arenal Observatory Lodge-Nearby Hanging Bridges through the Rainforest |
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| Granada, Nicaragua |
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| Granada, Nicaragua |
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| Granada, Nicaragua-Town Center |
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| Granada, Nicaragua |
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| Masaya Volcano-Nicaragua |
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