Madrid – quick travel guide

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Madrid is Spain’s main big inland city…full of fun neighborhoods, night life, and walkable streets.

What Madrid lacks in Barcelona’s beaches and unique architecture, it makes up for with its chiller less-touristy vibe and bigger party scene. Madrid is comfortable to live, party, work, or base-jump from. Great neighborhoods to choose from, big parks and squares everywhere…easy to walk and metro around. It’s unfortunate that many people won’t ever discover this as backpackers are usually told to skip Madrid and not venture past Barcelona.

There’s a saying that some people are Barcelona people, and others are Madrid people. I felt myself to be a Madrid person easily the first time I visited both. Madrid can be a 3-5 day stay to feel like you saw everything.

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Buenos Aires – quick travel guide

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An energetic city with a mix of Latin, European, and [some] African cultural influences. Cheap (for outsiders) and hipster vibes. A popular favorite city by those who like a high-energy fast-pace city…like New York or Paris.

You could probably experience most things within 5 days and move on to something else.

UPFRONT DISCLAIMER: I am not the biggest fan of Buenos Aires. It is far from my favorite big city and “Portenos” or “Portenas” (people from BA) are also not my favorite people. It may be better for you to read a guide from someone who fanatically loves BA.

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Istanbul – quick travel guide

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Super fun and exotic city with a wide mix of many cultures (European, Asian, Arabic, probably other stuff too).

Istanbul and Turkish people/culture are such a trip. For me being an American with lots of experience in Western Europe and South America, Turkey was really exotic, energetic, fiery fiesty. The Istanbul vibe is something right in between a big cold metropolitan city like New York or Paris but with the feistiness of South Americans. Again, they are not outwardly warm and friendly but are feisty.

Maybe you expected a hyper-Muslim culture here and there is but it’s only part of Turkey like this where people are super religious and women all covered up in traditional headwear. Most Turkish (especially the new generation) curse, drink, party in clubs, and engage in all kinds of obnoxious “Western debauchery” like you would find anywhere else. Long story short, Istanbul is as much a party place as any other. Don’t be afraid that you’re stuck in some overly religious prison ground.

There’s enough craziness here to last you a solid month of fun but you could see the main points in 3 days. I definitely recommend 4-7 days so you can relax and not feel like you’re always stuck in an anxious taxi. The pace of life here seems fast and crazy so try to find time to slow down. If you have more time, there’s a handful other worthwhile cities in Turkey to visit as well.

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Isla Mujeres – quick travel guide

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Beautiful island off the east side of Mexico with beautiful beaches, views, and private piers. Way more fun and instagram-able than boring Cozumel, more developed infrastructure than Holbox. If you’re in the Quintana Roo area, Isla Mujeres is a can’t-miss destination. It has the perfect mix of hippy-Tulum zen vibes and party town Playa (Del Carmen) vibes. There’s something for everyone. And lucky for you, it’s easy to explore since it’s small and everything’s quickly accessible.

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Cartel extortion racket for businesses in Mexico

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Want to run a business in Mexico? Make sure you keep this in mind!

It doesn’t matter how safe the neighborhood is. Your business can be approached at any time by a cartel member and they demand payment or else they’ll threaten yours or your customer’s lives. They are absolutely serious and also quite clever.

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Backpack vs Rolling luggage

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Which is better? A big travel backpack or the traditional rolling suitcase?

It depends on your personal preference, strength, and traveling lifestyle. I personally prefer rolling luggage.

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Mexico – quick travel guide

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Fun colorful country with nice people, easy tourism and adventures to explore, and with extremely diverse terrain.

Mexico is still a vastly underrated place because most people THINK they know Mexico. When in fact most people only know beach Mexico…but there is also jungle Mexico, mountain Mexico, island Mexico, and city Mexico.

I’ve explored mostly everything from Mexico City to Playa Del Carmen, a few other cities. See the list below. I came to Mexico thinking I’d only be there a month but ended up staying for 8, often returning to the same places multiple times. Basically…I felt like I was living there.

Most tourists come for a weekend or weeklong beach getaway. Most backpackers come for a month. But really, you could easily spend 3-6 months in Mexico and still not see everything everything. Mexico is an absolutely huge country which so much diversity in landscapes, terrain, culture, food, and activities.

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Playa Del Carmen – quick travel guide

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Mexico’s “best” beach party city with lots of adventures and proximity to other incredible destinations.

I was there for 3-4 months in 2021. Some people love it (most people just wanting to have general fun and party). Some hate it (the ones who prefer a more spiritual vibe like Tulum).

Playa is good for 3 things:

  • Central homebase to other towns, good infrastructure for remote working or just living in Mexico.
  • Good partying, clubs, bars.
  • Can still relax if you stay off the crowded touristy streets.

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