Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

Tag: snapshot

St. John Snapshot

And now without further ado, here is my St. John snapshot post! I’ve rounded up a few snippets of info about our trip, and some of our favorite moments and photos.

Trip Details

Chris and I traveled to St. John, U.S.V.I. with my sister and brother-in-law, and we all stayed on the Coral Bay side of the island in a two-bedroom villa called All About the View. We flew round-trip from IAD to STT June 2-9 and we rented a Jeep once we arrived on St. John.

Best Moment

I’ll have to separate this category into a two-part answer this time! Best travel-related moment was our day in Maho Bay swimming with the turtles. I was so thrilled to see these guys thriving and it was a treat to see so many at once!

Best non-travel-related moment: the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup while we were on the island! Chris and I watched the whole game from the bar at Greengos over margaritas and nachos. Of course we would have loved to experience the watch parties at home with the massive throngs of fans in D.C. or even to attend the game in Vegas, but the next best thing was seeing our team take the cup and then to celebrate with tequila shots with a handful of other Caps fans on the island. We’ll never forget that night!

Worst Moment

Spider. Big one. Spotted in my bathroom after I finished taking a shower. My brave and heroic sister managed to catch it and relocate it outside. (Arachnophobia must not be genetic.) If you know me well, you know there are no photos of this incident. This is a spider-free blog.

Funniest Moment

I think everything that falls into this category from this particular trip is a you-had-to-be-there moment, like the four of us doing impressions from an overheard conversation of some construction workers next door. We kept ourselves giggling all week, but it’s hard to recreate that here.

Best Meal

This is a tough one on an island that consistently offers amazing options in the food and drink department. We loved so many meals throughout the week, but we all agreed that Indigo Grill was our favorite spot and we ended up eating there twice. Reasons for landing in the top spot include live music, a huge menu with tons of delicious choices, and some of the best mango margaritas I’ve ever had. Chris and I split ceviche and the Cuban sandwich, and of course we had to try their version of the island’s most popular drink: the Painkiller. Yuuum.

Perhaps a second-runner up for me was drinks and snacks at The Longboard. Those Caribbean Summer Rolls with a peanut dipping sauce were fantastic!

Something We Learned

We learned that the island is doing even better than we imagined. Recovery is well underway, the locals’ spirits are high, and the island is more than ready to welcome visitors!

We’re Thankful We Packed

A Neso Tent turned out to be a really fantastic item to have! The foliage around the beaches on St. John still needs some additional time to recover, but in the meantime this little tent is the perfect shade solution.

The tent works by filling a sandbag pouch in each corner after pulling the tent into an x-shape. Once the anchors are situated, you simply prop the poles up inside. It did take a bit of trial and error to figure out how to position the tent against the wind, but once we got the hang of how to anchor it it worked perfectly! (The trick was to heavily fill and then bury the anchors.)

We Didn’t Need To Bring

I think we packed pretty well for this trip. It helps that this was our fourth visit to the island, so we’re well-versed in what we need to bring (most important: bug spray). We used/wore everything in our suitcases!

Trip Regrets

I wish I took more photos! I did grab a couple of the four of us this time, so it’s an improvement over our last trip together, but I didn’t document a ton. Sometimes it’s really nice for me to take a break from being behind the camera all of the time.

Reasons To Go Back

We can always, always go back to St. John, no reason needed!

Favorite Photos

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October 30, 2018
Honduras Snapshot

It’s time (or well past the time) for a Honduras snapshot post! Here I’ve rounded up a few nuggets of info about our trip, and some of our favorite moments and photos.

Trip Details

Chris and I traveled to Roatan, Honduras and stayed on the east end of the island in Camp Bay. We flew round-trip from IAD to RTB with a layover in MIA. Our Saturday-to-Saturday itinerary from April 7-14 included a week-long stay at the Living Waters villa which we reached by rental car.

Best Moment

I don’t know if it gets any better than snuggling a sloth, but I also had an amazing time kayaking around the water behind the villa.

Worst Moment

The power at the villa went out for a little while one day, and I did get a couple of itchy bug bites, but that’s all just part of island life. I’m reeeeeeally not complaining. The trip pretty much went as smooth as we could hope for! I’d happily accept a couple of bites and a temporary lack of electricity if it meant I could return to that magical spot on the island right now.

Funniest Moment

Seeing Chris play jungle gym to a couple of capuchin monkeys was certainly worthy of a few giggles!

Best Meal

This one is a straight-up tie: we absolutely loved our home-cooked lunch at Geraline’s (part of our Jade Beach tour guide’s family – I wish she could cook for us after every time we go snorkeling!) and our giant crab feast at Gio’s in the French Harbour area. I’ve never had so much fun making a mess while eating.

Something We Learned

This was our second time doing a mangroves tour (we also saw a mangroves forest on Grand Cayman), but this was the first time we had an opportunity to get really close to the tropical trees and to learn about them from a born-and-raised Roatan local. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees that have adapted to harsh conditions that would normally kill other plants, and they provide a rich environment for all kinds of fish, birds, and insects.

We’re Thankful We Packed

I’m always happy to embrace my inner-nerd and work on a jigsaw puzzle during our beach trips. I pack a 1000-piece one every time. It’s perfect for a rainy day (although this time we didn’t have any rain at all), and it gives me a break from the sun whenever my fair skin has reached its UV-limits. I also like to work on it in the early morning while I eat my breakfast, and this puzzle happened to be breakfast-themed! So meta.

We Didn’t Need To Bring

Scuba gear. I originally planned this trip around completing our open water diver certification, but I simply didn’t end up falling in love with scuba diving like I was hoping and decided not to continue the training for now. More on that later, but I didn’t end up needing the wetsuit I brought for our open water checkout dives.

Trip Regrets

We spent the week watching kite surfers on the water behind our house and it looked like so much fun. But it also looked like a steep learning curve, and that week was really just carved out for pure and utter relaxation, so we decided not to put the effort into much of anything beyond floating in the pool, eating, and drinking. I wish we had at least attempted it though! We’ve decided we would love to go back to this exact spot and stay a week or longer, so next time we will definitely sign up for some lessons.

Reasons To Go Back

See above re: kite surfing and…I would like to stay at that amazing house again!

Favorite Photos

August 7, 2018
Peru Snapshot

I am long overdue for a snapshot post about our Peru trip! Better late than never, and I’m always happy to look back on the memories and relive the adventure a little through these highlights (and lowlights) posts. I suspect because I had so many posts lined up about Peru that maybe I Peru-ed myself out a bit, hence the delayed snapshot. But I love writing these entries, and even more, I love looking back on them years later.

Trip Details

Chris and I traveled to Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley region of Peru. We flew round-trip from IAD to LIM, and round-trip domestic from LIM to CUZ (on LATAM). Our two-week itinerary from July 1-15 included two days in Lima, two days in Cusco to acclimate, a week with Mountain Lodges of Peru on their Lares Adventure trek, two nights in Cusco after the trek, and two more nights after we returned to Lima.

Best Moment

I mean, I don’t know if one can go to Machu Picchu and not name that as the best moment of the whole trip. I’ll admit that I didn’t have the overwhelming feeling of a magical connection like some visitors are said to have experienced, but I definitely understood the significance of where I was, and I was in awe.

Worst Moment

Even taking into consideration the situation with the protests in Cusco and nearly missing our opportunity to see Machu Picchu, I’m still going to say the worst moment was my stomach issue on Day 2 of our Lares Adventure. Thankfully I recovered quickly and in time to continue on without missing much.

Funniest Moment

If I had a dollar for every time we were solicited to purchase a llama keychain in Cusco I think we could have paid for our entire trip. I generally don’t mind the solicitations and in fact, I’m impressed by the hustle of tireless street vendors, but the llama keychain pressure was intense and overly frequent! Every time we left our hotel to explore the streets of Cusco, we were offered street art, sunglasses, hats, and most of all, llama keychains. And I’m all for supporting local artists, but I’m selective and purposeful about purchasing something that will have a purpose or a prominent place in our home. I’m not a big fan of buying stuff just for the sake of buying stuff. I’m not a tchotchke collecting kind of person.

Days later in the peaceful calm and quiet of the Sacred Valley, Chris and I received the key to our accommodations at the K’uychi Rumi Lodges. We dissolved into giggles to see lo and behold the key was attached to…a llama keychain, of course. I actually do kind of wish I had purchased one after all.

Best Meal

We ate so many great things on this trip and I ended up dedicating a whole post to good eats in Lima. It was indeed in Lima where we ate our best meal. ámaZ in Miraflores came recommended to us from a friend, and we ended up there on our last night in Peru for a huge Amazonian-Peruvian feast. Wild boar empanadas, a charcuterie board, lomo saltado, fried rice, and pork-stuffed plantains – I’ve never been so full in my life. I didn’t even have room for dessert! And that’s saying something.

Something We Learned

All the Inca (or Inka) history! I thoroughly enjoyed having such knowledgeable guides for the duration of our time in the Sacred Valley. Eddie and Admil educated us on the region’s ancient origins, the agriculture, architecture, religion, lifestyle, and beyond.

I also learned the difference between a llama and an alpaca. Llamas are bigger, and have long faces with banana-shaped ears, while alpacas are smaller with smaller faces, and they have short ears. Alpaca fleece produces a soft fiber used for fine wool garments. These are alpacas pictured below. (And maybe a few of them are llamas?! Even knowing the differences, it’s still hard to tell!)

We’re Thankful We Packed

Good hiking shoes!

We Didn’t Need To Bring

Rain jackets or ponchos. We brought both, but lucked out with amazing weather and didn’t use them once (although I would always recommend having proper rain gear on hand).

Trip Regrets

I initially wanted to tack on some time in the Amazon or maybe even a week in the Galapagos Islands, but we just couldn’t make it work logistically. We ended up being happy with our itinerary and I think it would have been too much if we tried to squeeze anything else in, especially in hindsight with the protests and transportation issues. It would have been nice though to consolidate some of the things we know we want to see in South America. We will hopefully get to do those other bits soon!

Reasons To Go Back

I really really wanted the postcard shot of Machu Picchu which I did get, but I also really wanted a photo of a llama with the ruins in the background, which I didn’t get. I was completely overwhelmed at the Inca citadel, and I actually didn’t end up taking as many photos as you might think. I soaked much of it up through my mind’s own lens, so hopefully those images in my memory will last. But I’d love to go back someday to take some additional photos, and to hike Huayna Picchu, which we didn’t have time for on this trip.

Favorite Photos

November 28, 2017
Maldives Snapshot

I’m posting this wrap-up a little later than I intended, but it has been fun to relive a few Maldives memories while writing this snapshot entry. It is also making me want to go back to the atolls sooner rather than later. Chris and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary this year and we have talked about going back for another big milestone anniversary like our 20th, but I don’t know if I can wait that long!

Best Moment

I’m hard-pressed to think of a best moment when every single day it felt like we were living inside of a postcard.

Worst Moment

It rained one afternoon? And we didn’t get to do a few of the things we originally planned because it was oddly windy (which made the water too choppy for going out on a boat to look for manta rays), but I actually don’t think we encountered any drama or major bummers on this stretch of the trip.

Funniest Moment

We had some really great moments interacting with the amazing staff at Komandoo, and our new friend, Ali, in particular had us in stitches! He was an absolute delight to talk to, and we all had a good laugh together when he told us that President Barack Obama worked at the resort…and a few moments later he fetched a co-worker/friend who did look amazingly like our 44th president! I wish I had a photo to show you.

Best Meal

Chris and I don’t tend to gravitate towards fine dining too often while traveling since we’re usually more than happy to eat at hole-in-the-wall gems, in-demand food stands, and local casual favorites. And we truly enjoyed all of the food at the Komandoo restaurants, Falhu and Kandu. But our lunch at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant knocked our socks off because it was such an experience. I mean, just look at my sea bass! It’s a work of art.

Something We Learned

I re-learned how to play chess, but this time in giant form.

We’re Thankful We Packed

I was happy to have a wide-brimmed sun hat to protect my face. Chris was less happy about that hat every time it flew off my head into the water and he had to retrieve it. (He is my hero!)

We Didn’t Need To Bring

Shoes (we only packed flip-flops). What I do wish I packed is some kind of floatie. I had visions of getting onto a float and drifting down the island toward the bar. Not sure it this would have worked in execution, but it seemed like a good idea. Might try it next time.

Trip Regrets

We arrived to Komandoo on a Saturday and left on Friday, but because of the amount of travel on both ends, we only ended up having five full days on the island. I think at least two more days at the resort would have been a better plan.

Reasons To Go Back

The weather seemed so perfect to us, but the high winds made it impossible to do a few of the off-island excursions we wanted to do. I’d go back in a heartbeat, even if we still didn’t get to do any excursions!

Favorite Photos

I love this fun photo that Chris took of Eagle Ray 9 from the water. We used a dome housing for our GoPro to get these kind of half-over-half-under shots.

And I couldn’t get enough of photographing the gorgeous sunsets on the island.

June 22, 2017
London Snapshot

I am quite behind on getting this snapshot post up, but for good reason: I’m working on a little website sprucing/redesign project and I’m hoping to go live with it soon! In the meantime, here are the highlights (and one lowlight) from our most recent trip to London.

Best Moment

Well, it’s hard to rate any other moment up against seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on stage in London so I’m not even going to try! My full recap of that day is here.

Worst Moment

Ah, the worst moment would be when we were on the way to afternoon tea at Sanderson. In a moment of jet-lagged haze, I misjudged the walking distance, failed to memorize exactly where we needed to go, and neglected to look at the weather forecast, so Chris and I found ourselves a little lost during a heavy downpour on our first day in London. Knowing how predictably unpredictable the weather can be in the U.K. I can hardly blame this one on anyone but myself. We managed to arrive just in time for our reservation looking only slightly soaked, and we ended up having a lovely time, but I did get a little cranky on the way.

Funniest Moment

In my way-over-excited state right before seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I missed the directions for exactly where to pick up my tickets before the show and I entered the Palace Theatre through the front doors like I knew what I was doing. Never mind the fact that the entrance was roped off and the doors were tightly closed – I simply walked behind the roped barrier and happily let myself inside. The staff were genuinely surprised to see me in there and they were friendlier than I deserved for not properly reading the directions. A woman gently directed me to the side of the building where I would find the box office. Oops! Minus one for Americans – I did not represent us well that day I suppose.

Best Meal

We ate so well while we were in London! Chris and I both loved our mid-theatre dinner at Burger & Lobster, but I really enjoyed the afternoon we spent wandering through a very crowded Borough Market gobbling up goodies from various food stalls. It was a meal and an adventure all in one!

Something We Learned

We learned how to use Uber! Isn’t it weird that we hadn’t used it yet? Our first Uber ride experience went off without a hitch, and we’re now both fans of the ride-sharing world.

We’re Thankful We Packed

My Harry Potter socks. 🙂

We Didn’t Need To Bring

An umbrella, because I ended up buying a new, fancy one from James Smith & Sons.

Trip Regrets

A classic regret: this trip solidified London’s spot in my most favorite cities ever list, and I wish we could have spent more time there!

Reasons To Go Back

I have a feeling London will always call to me. I could go back any time, for any reason!

Favorite Photos

February 8, 2017