Belgrade, Serbia + Hong Kong Island
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We did the third show of our #10KDrivewayTour in Denver, Colorado after exploring Red Rocks Amphitheater! You can watch the video episode here!
Alison is obsessed with sleep. As we’ve been on our #10KDrivewayTour, staying in hotels, she’s had plenty of room in bed, multiple pillows, and no kids waking you up!
Recommended by a hairstylist, Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is changing Lulu’s life! It’s like having a good hair day every day.
Alison wishes for a magic suitcase, that would store all of her clothing in an organized fashion, perhaps with the push of a button it would pack and unpack itself. Clearly she’s been road tripping for two weeks and is tired of packing and unpacking over and over again. Lulu is wishing for another not-yet-real road trip dream…she wants car seats that has built-in massage functions. Perhaps it’d be a safety hazard, but you’d be oh-so-relaxed!
Lulu is dropping over $4,500 at Square Nine, a boutique accommodation brimming with modern luxury in a city previously dominated by hotel chains. She is staying in the Presidential Suite, which has a living room, a dining room, a kitchenette, and an entryway cloakroom. If that doesn’t intrigue you, the wraparound terrace with a hot tub and loungers boasting panoramic views is definitely something to write home about. You’ll feel fancy once you realize the lighting, curtains, and blinds can all be controlled from a bedside panel of switches. Refined mid-century decor, upscale dining and drinking options, and a "wellness sanctuary" round out the perfect stay.
Lulu's first stop is Bistro Grad, a hometown bar and restaurant centrally located...and highly recommended. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you can find all kinds of Balkan and Mediterranean dishes, as well as beer, wines, cocktails, and the moonshine of the Balkans. Popping in for breakfast Lulu tries a traditional Serbian breakfast known as a combat bun - egg and kajmak (un-aged cheese) in a crispy bun served with sauce and homemade soured milk.
Combining two of her great loves, Lulu heads to Little Bay, a spot that is described as “the opera in a restaurant or a restaurant in the opera”. Dining while taking in the talents of two singers and a pianist is #travelgoals. Staying on a musical note (see what we did there), Lulu visits the National Theatre in Belgrade, which opened in 1869. You can go on backstage tours, and its absurdly affordable thanks to state subsidies! There is so much to do in Belgrade for inexpensive or even free, or you can go for a guided tour that groups tons of sights together!
Time for some dinner at the maximalist marvel Lorenzo & Kakalamba, with its fantastical aesthetic and fantastic cuisine. Mixing Serbian and Italian influences in their dishes, Lulu opts for the minced meat in grape leaves, served with sour milk. Oh and a chocolate SPHERE.
During her research it was clear to Lulu that her meals would be served on the side of rakia, a fruit brandy. With a very high alcohol content - we're talking 40-50% ABV - Lulu is going to be having a right good time. To prepare she has brought along some Patch Aid Hangover Vitamin patches and an Oceanik Touchless Cooler that is a bottleless (and bottomless) water cooler and filtration system that taps into the water line. Gotta rehydrate after all that rakia!
Alison landed on Hong Kong Island by taking Jetsetter.com's Which Travel Destination Best Fits Your Personality? quiz and getting this result:
"You’re independent and full of energy. You enjoy exploring city life and trying new foods, and you want to go somewhere unlike anywhere else you’ve been before."
Now, Lulu went to Hong Kong in a previous day, but Alison is getting specific with her locale, as she is going to Hong Kong Island, a specific section of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It's like she picked a neighborhood to spend her day in, instead of a whole town or city...or country. Well, kind of. Her hotel is in mainland Hong Kong, and one activity is on a whole other island, but we digress.
Alison is excited to stretch out in the Presidential Suite of HarbourView Place, this home away from home has a fully-equipped kitchenette and a washer-dryer! The bathroom features a rain shower, and an electronic bidet. It has a living room and a study with a daybed...in addition to three bedrooms! At 3200 sq ft (297 sq m), this suite is bigger than her entire house.
Alison gets an early start to her day and hits the Aberdeen Fish Market Canteen that is run by local fishermen. Hidden within the wholesale fish market, the eatery has loads of choices like pan-fried shrimp, steamed perch, deep fried abalone...even starfish soup! It is often packed, so be prepared! Also there are no prices, you just tell them your budget and they whip something up for you, how cool is that? Alison plans to drop $1,000 on her seafood feast, which should go a long way.
Feeling like a bit of adventure, Alison heads to Dragon's Back, a mountain ridge in southeastern Hong Kong Island that is thought of as one of Hong Kong's best urban hikes. From a distance, and at different points along the hike, you can see the ridges and why it is called Dragon’s Back…because it looks like the curves of the back of a dragon! She booked an experience through X-Fly Hong Kong Paragliding Club to hike up to the Shek O Peak, and jump off and glide down while catching awesome views. $2500 covers the lessons, gear (both main and reserve, safety first!) and your tandem partner. To really "fly" in style, Alison dons this Norse Dragon Cosplay Corset and Spanx Faux Leather Moto Leggings.
A post-adventure snack of Dragon's Beard Candy is next. The wispy sugar-strands look like dragon whiskers, and they are quite difficult to make. Originally reserved for royalty, now they can be found on street corners and in markets.
After hiking Dragon's Ridge....in a dragon costume...then eating dragon’s beard candy...all Alison wants to do is buy a dragon. Apparently Komodo dragons are illegal to keep, so she finds a bearded dragon for sale. They make "excellent companions", as they are quite docile. There is a math kerfuffle, as she thinks it's going to cost $1548 USD, when it is actually only $154.80 USD. That's a doable souvenir, whom she names Lizanardo Da Vinci, and then buys him a partner she names Elizard Doolittle. Ever the loving pet-owner, she buys her dragons leather leash harnesses complete with leather dragon wings on them!
Now with her lizards, two by two, she heads to the world's largest model of Noah's Ark. Located on Park Island between Hong Kong mainland and Hong Kong's Disneyland Resort is a 450 ft (137 m) boat situated in a biblical theme park. Built by property tycoon Thomas Kwok and his wife after their conversion to Christianity, inside you will find exhibits on biblical themes, a small zoo, there's even a biblical-themed resort hotel you can stay at!
Jumbo Kingdom one of the largest floating restaurants in the world, built to look like a ancient Chinese imperial palace. It's really a barge that has four floors worth of different eateries and attractions, ranging from fine dining to tea houses and wine gardens. She buys Lizanardo Da Vinci a tuxedo and top hat, and a dress for Elizard Doolittle, so that they are "dressed for dinner".
After her evening out with her dragons, Alison heads to Miri's Spa for a meridian breast massage and a magnetic lymphatic foot massage. We love a spa day here at 10K Dollar Day, and these may be the most unique services we've discovered yet!
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
PHAB (stands for Physically Handicapped and Able-Bodied)
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