Homes & Masks | Harry Potter Studio Tour 4 of 6

Hagrid's Home

The other areas of the first studio had sets and props from other famous places in the world of Harry Potter. There were the homes of Hagrid, Sirius Black and the Weasley family. I will say that it's super awkward seeing this sort of headless mannequins dressed as all the characters. I do like that they had something, but seeing my favorite characters clothing without heads is slightly off putting.

The Leaky Cauldron

Weasley's Home

Sirius Black's Home

The second studio was filled with even more interesting things. The first part delved into special effects and showcased a lot of the monsters and makeup. It was crazy seeing how detailed and intricate the masks were for some of the characters. I'm pretty sure being a make-up artist for films like these is an awesome job. Although, I do think they could've displayed Dobby a bit better. It was a bit jarring seeing his head propped up on a desk. Poor Dobby, murdered and displayed for all the world to see. 

Westminster Abbey | London, England | 4 of 6

Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it inside Westminster Abbey. We visited on our last day in London and by that time, we were a bit tired of museums and things of that nature. Also, the £18.00 ($27) fee was a bit steep. Now, in hindsight, I regret it a tiny bit. I had the chance to see the beauty and splendor of the Westminster Abbey and I let my fatigue and an entrance fee stop me. Who knows when I'll ever be back in London, that's the thing about wanderlust. It causes you to want more and see more. Most likely, you'll never return to the places you've been because the world is so big.

I think while we were there I knew I would later regret not going inside and went a bit crazy on the photos. I only had the outside to take photos, but it was enough. Even though we weren't able to go inside, we were able to make it memorable. James, Ari, Markus and I found a nice grassy spot in front and sat for a bit. We had a nice chat and people watched. It wasn't how I thought I would remember Westminster Abbey, but it's still a nice memory.

Eats with Jeff #1: Grilled Octopus

Markus and I love to eat. It's one of our favorite pastimes. We enjoy finding and trying new things. It's one of the greatest things about living in Korea. There isn't a lack of interesting and delicious foods. Recently, we befriended Jeff who, as I said before, bears a strong resemblance to my older brother. He also volunteers at the Women's Shelter and we bonded over our passion for food. Jeff has been a bit more proactive in his culinary adventures. So, as of late he's been taking us all over Busan to indulge in his finds.

Recently, Jeff took us to a grilled octopus restaurant in Seomyeon. One night, he stumbled upon the nondescript place in a back alley of the neighborhood. Later, he went with a Korean friend so that he could sample the food. As soon as I saw the photos on Facebook, I knew we had to go. 

Pancakes filled with pork

Spicy Grilled Octopus

The Boys: Kasim, Markus and Jeff

I'm glad Jeff found the place because it was quite delicious. The restaurant is hard to find and could easily be missed. It's down a very small alley that is off a side road that is off the main road. It's that hidden. Despite it's hard to find location, the place was packed. There was even a wait, which I rarely see. The restaurant focuses on one thing, octopus.  Glancing at the other tables, it's the only thing that everyone had on their table. The octopus itself was quite delicious. It was very spicy, but not in an unbearable way. It only heightened the taste that comes out once the octopus is grilled.

Once we were finished eating, we quickly left to free up our table. We stood outside the front of the restaurant with full bellies. We were trying decide where to go next. While Markus and Jeff were chatting, Kasim and I had a quick shoot. I believe he'll take any chance to pose and whip out his "modelling skills."

Strawberry Waffle

After eating heaps of spicy octopus, we all agreed that we needed sweets to soothe the fire in our mouths. We found a nearby cafe that served delicious strawberry waffles. Kasim couldn't resist feeding Jeff, its a thing they love to do in Korea! The waffles were so yummy that Kasim and I ordered another and proceeded to meet our carb quota for the day. Overall, it was a successful and delicious night out with Jeff.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

I really loved Cambodia and our short time there. It's an amazing country with the friendliest people I've ever come across. Sometimes, as a traveler, it's easy to forget how kind and genuine people can be. Considering their violent history, Cambodians are easily the nicest people I've ever met. It was refreshing to be around them and made our vacation even better.

The first three days of our trip we decided to temple hop at Angkor Wat near Siem Reap. Angkor Wat is "the" place to see and it's absolutely massive. It is the largest religious monument in the world and dates back to the early 12th century. It began as a Hindu temple and later converted to Buddhism.

There was so much to see, even on the main roads to the temples. Many of the temples had streets lined with statues and huge carved entrances. We stopped for a few minutes to admire the detailed work and avoid some of the crowds. It was a perfect sample of what was to come.

Trafalgar Square | London, England | 3 of 6

The last time Markus and I were in London, we were novice travelers. We had no idea how to manage our time and we missed out on a lot of the highlights of London. This time around, we decided to catch all the things we were unable to see. Thankfully, we had our dear friends, James and Ari to show us around this time.

On one of our last days in Londy Town, we headed over to Trafalgar Square. We climbed on top of the lion statues, where I took too many photos of Markus.  We stood in front of the Olympic clock and basked in the momentous occasion. Afterwards, we admired the many stunning portraits in the National Gallery. It was a very simple afternoon, but it was quite enjoyable. Sometimes, life is truly about the little things.

London 2012 Olympic Clock

Trafalgar Square and Big Ben

National Gallery