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A colourful dip into the Baltic

With a few weeks sailing the Baltic sea, I managed to experience an Autumnal viewpoint of a collection of European cities; Helsinki, Tallinn, Visby, Copenhagen and Hamburg. With some glimpses of sunshine and lots of rain, I was able to wonder the highlights of these important places and you will quickly figure out which were my favourite.

Helsinki, Finland

My two day visit to Helsinki was absolutely full of rain, and was very chilly but I still managed to venture out and see some of what was on offer. Just racing around in the back of a Tuk Tuk, I could see that the city was keen on design. There were so many striking buildings of brick and cement, and a clear futuristic feel.

During the day, there seemed to be a reasonable amount of activity, especially in the public saunas where I could see people steaming up and then jumping in the cold waterways that surrounded the city. Sauna culture is huge in Finland, and many people even have saunas in their homes. The Finns are very keen on wellness, which I know first hand from the lovely yoga mad vegan Finnish roommate I once had. She was all about health for the mind, body and soul.

My Finnish friend also loved to be asleep early but now I think she is not uncommon because when I tried to go for dinner out on a Friday night in Helsinki.. there was not a soul to be seen. There were so little restaurants open, I ended up only going to a Kebab house! And having the wierdest kebab ever, might I add. According to the locals I asked, this is not unusual here. It is definitely the quietest capital city I have ever seen.

One of the most interesting things about Finland to me, was the history. I learnt a lot more about this country’s past when taking a rib ride to another island in Finland’s huge archipelago of more than 75,818 islands.

I visited Suomenlinna Island which was once a military base for Sweden, during its rule over Finland.

Finland has had a long history of being conquered, with lots of fighting here between Sweden and Russia for territory over Finland. This is one of the reasons why the Finns are now quite multilingual.

The guided walk I took around this island was very enjoyable and had great views although it was bracingly cold!

Overall, chilly but calm Finland was a good introduction to my Baltics adventure.

Onwards to Tallinn, Estonia...

Tallinn’s old medieval town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a beautiful little place to explore.

I felt like I had been transported back in time, and into a fairytale book in Tallinn. The city has a beautiful stone gateway with pretty turrets as you enter and then I continued to see more of these Rapunzel type turrets as well as picturesque church steeples and sweet little town squares. There were traditional markets and shops and I found myself a very tasty bakery.

As I walked my way up to a viewpoint on what was becoming a very rainy day, I could also see their Russian built church which whilst beautiful, told the instant story of their conquered history too.

Next stop Visby, Sweden…

Now ordinarily, I think Visby must be a very sleepy place. I was lucky enough though to visit when they were having a food festival!

Visby is actually a heritage city on one of Sweden’s islands, named Gotland. This is again a fairytale location but here you get that traditional Viking feel from the design of the place.

The old walls, houses and cathedral are all impressive, but as I mentioned, it was a food festival, so I was taken in by a very tasty and unusual Bison Stroganoff and an amazing selection of cheeses!

After some delicious food and music, I had a wonder around before rejoining my ship to go onwards to Copenhagen.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen was certainly very colourful in their city vibes and friendly people. The city is full of hustle and bustle, mainly around their famous harbour and in the form of the speedy cyclists that zoom around the city.

On foot, I explored the impressive palace squares with their palace guards and procession that could easily compete with London’s own. I also ventured further to the gardens of the pretty Rosenborg Castle and tried some very odd plant food from the public food hall which wasn’t half bad. Later, it was time for a relaxing dinner at one of the harbour’s many restaurants where heaters and blankets were much appreciated in the night air.

I found myself talking to a guy from Argentina that had moved to Denmark. It seems to be the place for many people wanting to run away to a new country and has a lot of easy visa rules for this. On a visit to a sleepy harbour town outside the city, my guide was also telling me about his move from UK to Denmark, after meeting his danish girlfriend. The girls across all of Scandinavia are known for their beauty.

One girl is well known in the city, and that is the little mermaid. A true lurer of men in mythology. The statue sits on the outskirts of the city and is a world famous symbol of Denmark. Whilst well known, for me she was very underwhelming. Sitting alone on the waterside, (except for all the tourists), she didn’t actually look like a mermaid. Apparently, she was actually based on the sculptor’s wife. She was probably the part of the city that was least interesting.

Finally, after all these other places, I can’t forget to mention my afternoon in Hamburg.

Hamburg, Germany

I have been to other parts of Germany and had never thought much about visiting Hamburg. Once there, I was captured by it’s charm.

This red brick city has a famous port and historic district called Spiekerstadt, which is full of converted warehouses and factories that gives a post industrial redesign vibe.

Apparently the city has actually grown on land that has been man made over the original marsh areas that were here. Tons of sand is actually brought into the newest HafenCity to raise its level higher, for construction to be done on a more stable foundation. I went to a part of the city that was still being built and could just see masses of sand there. You can get the sense for the different heights of the city just driving around though.

Walking around the city, there is a lot of life in the streets as well as an intricate network of canals and a gorgeous town hall. I really enjoyed my short time here and would love to revisit. I hear that the nightlife is also well worth it!

So overall, my little dip into the Baltic was a great introduction and even though these places are all in the same part of the world, they all definitely had their own unique identity.

A Touch of Norway

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After years of wanting to visit the Scandinavian nation of Norway, but my plans always being scrapped last minute, last year, I finally made it to this luscious land. As I expected this country was a green heaven of rolling grasses and waterfalls, that I would be happy to get lost in.

My journey took me along the coastline to some key port towns and inland to some beautiful scenic locations, which wasn’t hard as it seemed everywhere I turned, there was heavenly landscapes to see. I felt like I had walked into a movie with little wooden houses, and waterfalls everywhere you turned, it just needed a viking or two and the dream would be complete!

Waterfalls

I really am not exaggerating when I say I was seeing waterfalls everywhere, this was really the scenario. From little trickles, to huge falls, there was simply one waterfall after another. Norway is actually nicknamed the ‘land of a thousand waterfalls’ and has some of the tallest waterfalls in the world.

Whilst I didn’t actually have to go any distance to see a waterfall, I did make the effort to visit a few big ones. I visited Kjosfossen, Tvindefossen, Manafossen, and Langfossen. So here is a clue I worked out… anytime you see ‘foss’ in the name, it means waterfall. Before you start thinking that is where we get the word ‘faucet’ tap from; I already thought of that and the evidence is not there to support it I am afraid, but it would make a lot of sense…

All the waterfalls had their own charm but Langfossen was particularly impressive. A road bridge has been built over half the fall and so you can get pretty close for photos from there, but even closer by boat! After viewing it from the road, I jumped on a tour boat that literally mounted the waterfall as it entered the fjord, (so much so that I was concerned), and the tour guide picked up a bucket and scooped up some falling water for me to taste. The guide said that there was a legend that if you drink from the falls you would become more fertile, particularly the men, so of course, the men on the boat were taking extra servings.

Reflections

I know that ‘reflections’ is a strange subheading but I feel that it is something special about Norway that I can not describe another way. I have never been to a destination that has provided me with so many mirror or kaleidoscope like views. I saw these trippy images whilst sailing on the fjords, which are Norway’s famous sea inlets, that are characterised as long,narrow and deep, and formed from glaciers, that left behind beautiful valleys.

At multiple times during the trip, I would get up early to look out at the water, and it just messed with my head to see the crystal clear reflections that these fjords created. The water is so still and glimmered and it is really hard to tell where land and water meet as everything is just mirrored endlessly. It’s really magical and I loved it, next time I go, I want to do some kayaking so that I can get closer to the water and get even more amazing photos.

Wide spaces

Of course, not only are the waters spectacular, but the huge green landscapes are a great match to them. I was struck by how much of the area was perfectly trimmed rolling grasses, miles of picture perfect lawns, and its no suprise that there is a big tradition of insulating houses with turf covered roofs.

Beyond the grass, there are many smallholdings, vast pine forests, and brilliant ridges and mountains to hike. Some of the most popular are Pulpit Rock, a huge mountain plateau for the perfect Instagram shot, or another similar one is Trolltunga (troll’s tongue)! I would love the opportunity to return to Norway and spend more time exploring the big landscapes here, on foot.

Scenic Railway

In the beautiful little town of Flam, I had the opportunity to travel on one of the world’s most beautiful railway journeys. I boarded the Flam railway train from Flam and took a round trip via Myrdal, with a stop to see a huge ‘foss’ with classical music in the air, and a dancing actor jumping out to welcome me and the other passengers. There to portray another waterfall legend of a lady of the falls, the guide later told me that the ‘lady’ dancing around was actually two different local men dressed up as the same lady, to fool the tourists by quickly jumping out in different locations.

The journey was pretty pleasant and the views were great, but it was crowded, which makes it hard to enjoy when everyone has their cameras pressed against the windows!

Overall, I just loved Norway. As a nature lover, and someone that is keen to go for long walks in the fresh air, I could almost see myself relocating to Norway. The only thing keeping me away is the cold winters, but there is no question that I will be visiting again. Next time for longer, and hopefully with my someone special to enjoy it with.

India: Where culture, colour and faith collide (Part Two)

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After almost a week exploring the North of India, I flew South for a few days in the state of Goa and a short stop in Mumbai. This was a chance to see coastlines, cityscape and countryside of this huge nation.

North Goa

On arrival in North Goa’s Mopa Airport, I felt the humidity hit me like walking into a sauna, and began to recognise the familiar scenes of holiday makers as we made our way through town. This southern region of India is known for being a holiday location for nationals and foreigners alike.

The North of Goa is much more commercialised for visitors with bars, shopping and large hotel chains, whilst the South is a sleepy, wild and undeveloped area. We stayed in the area of Candolim, right by the beach. I got to have my lazy day on the beach and a lovely shoulder massage on my sunbed with very little hassle at all. I’ve learnt that most of the Indian people I know do not actually like to go to the beach to sunbathe or swim, so by day it is pretty quiet there. Its only at sunset and into the evening when the crowds begin to gather. I have never seen so many people on the beach in the evening, it was hard to move around amongst the crowds.

The next day we hired a motorbike for the day for a grand total of £5! Motorbike transportation is really common in India, and I have enjoyed now a number of motorbike trips in different countries as a passenger riding pillion. Normally, from an unexpected new local friend, which always makes it extra fun!

My friend drove us around the area to see historic forts and a nearby lighthouse. I would say though that climbing a lighthouse in the high temperatures of South India is somewhat challenging, to say the least.. I was gasping for air by the time I pushed my head through the hatch door at the top! North Goa has a few attractions and viewpoints to visit, but the main activity is relaxation, and food it seems. This is actually the only part of India where you can find beef, because of the high volume of Catholic Indians rather than Hindu. I was advised not to trust it though, as you don’t know how long it has been sitting there and I was still suffering with Delhi Belly.

My friend arranged for a special river cruise to entertain us in the evening, with traditional dancing, and even I tried to do a little dancing, though I was not that good!

Next day, we were in a taxi this time, visiting the bigger attractions, including the famous churches of Goa. Goa was for a long time ruled by the Portuguese exclusively and so much of the heritage remains. Many people speak Portuguese, and follow the Roman Catholic religion and you can see scatters of original buildings and churches left behind and many still in use. Some of the main churches are all found in one conserved square that is full of visitors. This was a little strange to see a familiar piece of Europe, smack bang in the middle of one the largest countries in Asia. The churches looked very traditional and we were even lucky enough to see a wedding service.

We also visited the famous coloured houses which really only make up a few quiet streets, before finding ourselves at a known Hindu temple that was quite large in the area. Full of kiosks selling snacks and drinks on arrival at the parking area, then as we arrived to the Shree Mangueshi temple, shoes and socks had to be removed and I began the painful and embarrassing dance on my tippy toes, as my bare feet burnt against the concrete boiling in the sun outside. Inside was the opportunity to move clockwise around the temple and make an offering to the shrine. Many Hindus gathered in the centre of the temple to carry out their prayers. After a quick wiz around, I hopped about with my shoes half hung back on and headed back to the taxi to the next location.

The best thing of the day in my opinion… the Tropical Spice Plantation. We drove into the bush to a beautiful site, with a rustic wooden bridge over a river for an entrance. On entry you are greeted with flowers and herbal tea to enjoy before your guided tour around the forest, and the guide allows you to see, smell and sample the different plants that make up this treasure chest of spices that India owns. Amongst them was cloves, nutmeg, vanilla and cardamom.

The local guide brought it to life when talking about the different spices they use traditionally at home that come from these native plants. Something about being in the green foliage makes me very happy, and even though I was struggling with the heat, the natural landscape provided some shade and nourishment for me. The plantation provided a buffet lunch as well so I was able to taste the spices in freshly cooked recipes.

Throughout the day, it was really nice talking to our taxi driver as we were driven around. He told us about his background, and how he was part of one of the many native tribal communities. He told us his very sad story about how the societal views of a traditional India, is still negatively affecting so many young Indians today though. He told us that the girl he wished to be married to, whom he had been dating for seven years, was not allowed to marry him because they are from different communities. My heart felt for the guy, as it is not the first story I have heard of this.

Parents forcing their children into unwanted marriages, and casting them out for relations outside their community; in worst case scenarios, leading to violence and public executions for those who disobey. Political parties and local committees are regularly set up to monitor and address the relationships of young people. The systems dictating societies in India (especially in rural areas) are very complex and consist of castes (a class system), religion, geographic area you are from, wealth, and ethnicity. For many families, every tick has to be in the correct box for your potential partner to ever be considered. An unfair and outdated viewpoint in my opinion for what is a very fast growing developing country. The poor taxi driver had a hard road to go down to try to be with the person he loves.

Mumbai

This dark side of India played on my mind as we travelled from Goa to India’s modern metropolitan city of Mumbai. Formally known as ‘Bombay’, Mumbai is India’s largest city, and thankfully, the home city of my lovely friend that was happy to show me the sights.

We only stayed for a short time before our onward journey to the Philippines, and in that time we managed to squeeze in a collection of local sights and have a few laughs too! We took a night time sightseeing bus to the Gateway to India, Marine Drive, Taj Mahal Palace, and the train station. All huge spectacular buildings with people surrounding them like buzzing bees to a hive.

We also visited the science museum amongst other great collections in the city, but the astronomy show at the Planetarium was literally out of this world! They had shows in different languages at different times and I had never been to an astronomy show like this before so I was really impressed.

My friend took me for a delicious dinner at a famous restaurant, Cafe Modegar, where murals are painted around the walls, with themes of the city in good humour and western as well as local food can be obtained. The restaurant has a big menu, a jukebox and lots of chequered table-clothed tables squeezed back to back.

The funniest and craziest part of the trip had to be when we ventured to a local shopping mall to buy me a new suitcase. The taxi driver decided to place the bag on top of the taxi without strapping it down (against our instructions) and it went flying off and into main traffic going 70mph along the new motorway in downtown Mumbai! He then began to reverse back against the traffic to retrieve it and fought off another driver who tried to steal it before we got pulled over by the police. All very stressful but my suitcase survived and officially passed the hardiness test for travels to come!

Before our feet left the ground of India and went onwards to the Philippines, we enjoyed a delightful time at Mumbai’s airport lounge for a bargain price of £30 each, inclusive of food, drinks and a complimentary foot massage. I shall definitely use it again. It was a good way to say a temporary ‘alavida’ to India.

Overall, India was a whirlwind of sights and cultures for me to see in such a short amount of time. With many friends residing there, I know that I will be back again, and I want to see more of the rural areas of the South next time. India has a lot to offer visitors in beauty, history and diversity and it is a difficult balance to create. In the future, I want to learn more about the customs, festivals and people that call this huge nation home.

India: Where culture, colour and faith collide (Part One)

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After years of socialising with my Indian friends, I came across a cheap flight to India and decided to travel there, sometimes alone, and sometimes with friends. I was somewhat prepared for what I might find, but there were still surprises along the way, as I scraped on just the surface of one of the largest countries on the planet, with the largest overall population in the world.

The North – Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan

Dehli

I came into Delhi Airport and was met by a close friend that guided my through the madness and crowds to the city. We hired a tuk tuk for the day and the very enthusiastic driver drove us all around the main landmarks of New Delhi, the Capital of India. The India Gate monument commemorating those lost in the first world war. Surrounded in park and crowds, this looks similar to an ‘arc de triomphe’ in Europe.

As we jumped back on the Tuk Tuk we saw many more buildings that were government or national monuments like the Red Fort, but I hadn’t realised that as it was Monday (actually Easter Monday), most things were closed, but it was so so very hot, I was happy to see it from the outside and keep moving. With having the local driver I think we actually saw a lot more smaller places that I would not have expected, for example an old water reservoir which was particularly impressive due to its architecture.

I did manage to visit a few religious spots as well, a beautiful and busy mosque site, which was rammed with muslims for ramadan, and also the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, or Golden Temple.

The golden temple site is an important location for Sikhs. This beautiful location took you away from some of the hustle and bustle and to a quieter place where it was my first experience taking off my shoes, washing my feet and walking around a sikh space. Outside you could see the impressive golden structure and also some sort of large pole with fabric which sikhs use to replace their turban everyday.

This religious site also houses a large community kitchen and dining hall, where several volunteers come everyday to make free meals for their community. People wait in crowds outside for their turn to take a seat and eat what has been provided. This was a really impressive operation.

There are four main religions in India; Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism. The popularity of the religion varies with the region of India you visit, and as I continued on my journey, I learnt more about the ancient and present day conflicts this still causes unfortunately.

At night, as the air cooled, the streets became alive with people selling their wears and street food being available. I was offered things at triple the price due to my obvious foreigner look, so my friend had to purchase what I wanted for me whilst I hide around the corner. He was very successful, coming away with some bangles and clothes for me. I am now all set for my next Indian celebration.

I tried to stay away from the street food, as I had three weeks away ahead of me, and did not want to have a bad belly. (Little did I know this would happen despite me being careful, and last from day 2 to day 12). I went to the best rated restaurants though, and had some delicious curries, and oh my god, I love cheese naan so much. The food in Delhi is supposed to be some of the best, and I would have to agree.

Agra

The next day we were up early in the morning to head to Agra, the home of Taj Mahal. India being a huge place, it takes ages to get everywhere, and this is no exception, Agra is a 3 hour drive from Delhi, and I arranged a private car and tour to take us there and see the sights. There was little to see on the route but that was fine as it started at about 3am.

On arrival at Taj Mahal site with our guide, we were seperated in to men and women’s security which is the norm in India, for scanning and privacy. We then went into the huge site and crossed through the impressive gates before our first views of Taj Mahal.

The romantic story behind the building is that it was built as a mouseleum by the Mughal Emperor in the 1600s for his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. We also found out that he had actually wanted to build one for himself opposite to the Taj Mahal, on the other side of the river, and it would have been a reflection of the original, but after construction started, his son put a stop to it, as he was spending too much money. His son later led a rebellion and captured his father, imprisoning him in Agra Fort and stealing his throne, eventually leading to the decline of the empire.

As we wandered the grounds, our guide told us many stories of the Emperors or Kings of the different regions and the different dynasties that held power. Many of the dynasties still exist today, and in their regions the royal families are without power but are still wealthy and well respected.

The gardens are well kept and there is a good order of security to allow people to follow the right paths and not allow them to wander all over, and consequently ruin the photos. I even managed to get a photo on the famous Princess Diana bench without too much hassle!

On approaching the mausoleum itself, you start to see the decoration of it. It is inlaid with many jewels that have been flattened down to look as if they were painted, but on touch you can feel that they are real. To my embarrassment, I learnt that the best jewels were taken by the British and one lies in our crown. I had to shake my head at this. Inside the building it is quite plain and small, centred around the tomb.

Visiting Agra Fort close by, the location of the emperors captivity, you can see that Akbar the Great, whom built it as a military fort and royal residence, had respect and tolerance for many of the religions. He decorated the Agra Fort with many religious symbols including the swastika which in Western Europe is known for a dark and twisted history but originally is the symbol for hinduism. He even married hindu princesses including Jodha Bai who famously was his favourite wife and his chief consort.

This huge great red coloured fort is vast in passages and areas that would have once housed royal rooms. In one location you can see a strange optical illusion. A view of the Taj Mahal where as you get further away, it looks larger. Completely confused me!

Rajasthan – Jaipur

The next day we were on the road to Jaipur. The pink city is the final part of the ‘Golden Triangle’, the famous tourist route, made up of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The capital of the Rajasthan region, the city is famous for being the royal home of the region’s king and for its pink buildings making it very recognisable. In the city we travelled with our guide from palace to palace, through a fort and even to an interesting observatory park full of large sundial sculptures.

In the palaces, the royals were obviously big fans of mirrors, as there were rooms covered in mirrors, which also seemed to be used for keeping an eye on the other people in the room. Jaipur was obviously trying to keep the royal VIP feeling going as well, as elephants marched through the streets merging with modern traffic, taking tourists up and down the large hills to the palace.

Our guide in Jaipur was sadly not as pleasant as the one in Agra. He seemed to be a lot more bias in his views and heavily supportive in his stories to the hindu people, whilst quite against the islamic people, this did put a spoil on things a little as my friend is a practicing muslim, and I found the guide to be quite rude. This also extended to him, not acknowledging me fully as a woman compared to my male friend. This meant that we did ignore him a little and unfortunately gave us a bad taste in Jaipur.

Whilst the palaces and sights were beautiful, by the afternoon, I was suffering from the heat and struggling. Going at one of the hottest times of the year, was not my smartest move. I was taking lots of opportunities to rest and break, and by the end, I had to say enough was enough, and we made our way to the train station. This was the start of a ‘fast’ train journey of 8 hours to the lake city of Udaipur. My final destination of the North.

Rajasthan – Udaipur

Arriving in Udaipur late at night, I jumped on a tuk tuk to my hotel, Lake Pichola. A beautiful hotel on the picturesque lake and a room with a intricately carved balcony to sit in. It was a gorgeous hotel, with a charming building, beautiful views, and a flute player to serenade me during breakfast. What more can you want!

The other guests staying there were clearly very wealthy, and its no surprise as it was the most luxurious place I had stayed. I did end up in an amusing conversation with one family, when the father could not wrap his head around me being alone there, and kept re-asking me if I was with anyone, and each time I said no, he was shocked and his wife and daughter were laughing at him. I don’t think those girls had quite the same freedom… As I continued to discover in my trip, the women and young people in general in India are quite restricted.

I had one full day to enjoy, and so I took a boat trip of the lake to see more of the views around me, and saw the famous Taj hotel owned by the king, floating in the middle of the lake, and only accessible by boat. I then wondered the streets by myself, making connections with some of the people that called the city home.

I visited a hindu temple that was made of old stone and was covered in hundreds of carvings, depicting different people, gods and elephants especially. One of the caretakers of the temple showed me around and explained the manner in which I should enter. Shoeless and in a clockwise route. I gave a donation of flowers and thanked him for his time before I ventured into the old cellar home there where people lived and worked painting art with traditional minerals, stones and vegetables, and of course I bought one for my collection.

I met another man that invited me out to the hindu celebration that was taking place in the evening and showed me a walking route around the town that I could follow back to the hotel. Lastly, I visited the city palace and learnt a bit more about the royal family there. Apparently the current prince comes to work there everyday alongside everyone else to make the best of the attraction. I was quite surprised to hear that he works as another ordinary man.

The palace was another impressive sight and had beautiful rooms, and artwork, old elephant carriages, and I was even told about the event of elephant trunk ‘tug of war’ where people would come to watch and take bets on which elephant would be able pull the other forward when their trunks were tied together. This was a bit sad, but it did explain some of the art work I had seen and been confused about.

I really liked Udaipur and it was very romantic, I would love to return with someone special and stay longer. That was the North part done for me for this trip, and it was really culturally enriching with so much history, it was hard to not get confused by it all! But now it was time to fly South to Goa…

Things I never thought I’d be collecting as a traveller

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Most people go on holiday and try and always bring back a fridge magnet, a funny t-shirt, a pack of fags or generally something that they could easily find in the airport duty free shop. Us long term globetrotters though… we always have to be a bit different… and our collections are abit stranger.

I realised after a short time of backpacking that if I would buy regular souvenirs everywhere I went, my money would run out fast, my bag would get very heavy and eventually when im home again, my house would be full of crap… so I came up with some other ideas of what to collect!

Rocks and shells

When I started travelling and didn’t want to spend much money or add much weight to my bag, I would carefully select a pebble or shell from interesting places I visited. I had gravel from volcanic springs of iceland, and shells from ushuaia at the end of the world.

The initial intention was to end up with a beautiful catalogued display. Good intentions don’t always work out though.

For starters, many countries will not allow you to take out or bring in natural materials like shells. So you have to know the rules where you are.

Secondly, whilst pebbles are sturdy, shells tend to break, and when a shell breaks into hundreds of sharp small pieces in your bag full of all your clothes, you tend to have regrets.

The final nail in the coffin that ended my collecting these though was when i was moving around my boxes of rocks that had all been labelled with cute string tags. The box got shook, and all the labels fell off and so now all my rocks are without labels and I cant remember where each one came from. Rendering them abit pointless!

Passport stamps

After I got a very unique stamp in my passport from ushuaia, and after collecting stamps in my pilgrim passport during my camino, I started to get quite excited about getting my passport stamped at immigration.

I am now in a habit of counting how many passport pages I have left and how many stamps it might take to fill it. I have seven years left on my current passport and about six pages so im hopeful that I can fill it!

Its a bit bad actually as it makes me want do extra stops in countries just for the stamp!

Badges / Patches

I always felt a bit jealous seeing experienced travellers with so many cool patches or badges on their bags or jackets and so I decided to start collecting these.

I have a bright green 40L backpack and I want to slowly cover it with patches but the downside is that it takes a lot of effort to sew them all on, and eventually I will run out of space and have to start a new one… but then all my patches won’t be together.

I may have started something difficult to end, especially when your are a little OCD like me!

Postcards

A bit more of a standard one, one postcard per country is a nice way to have a really good photo at the beginning of my photo albums.

I love sending postcards even though it is getting more and more pricey for the stamps. I always buy an extra one for me just for the photo though.

Aprons

This one is not mine but I decided to include it as its a wierd one. Another traveller I know likes to collect aprons for her mum with the names of the locations on. This is because her mum loves to cook.

This isnt the easiest thing to collect though as its not the standard souvenir. I have been with her many times before when she has struggled to find one!

Basic words and profanities of different languages

I keep a note page in my phone of all the phrases (helpful, funny and rude) that I have learnt from my international friends.

It is always fun to suprise people by responding in their own language when they are not expecting it! The only problem is when they then try to have a full conversation with you and you only know the few phrases…

So far I have collected phrases in hindi, urdu, swahili, romanian, german, spanish, chilean slang, vietnamese, tegalog, and hebrew.

The amount of Indian friends I have now, I feel inspired to try to learn more hindi and I have already downloaded an app but we will see how this affects my spanish learning!

Ideas

Of course the one thing I end up collecting in abundance with each new place and new travelling companion I meet, is more ideas on where to go next. This is definitely my most costly collection but will also end up being the most memorable…

I’m curious to know what other travellers collect, leave a comment below!

Vietnam: North to South – Part Two

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Continuing my journey South from my previous days in North and Central Vietnam, I explored Hoi An, the Meekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City.

Hoi An

A shopping mecca, this city is well known for its markets, historic trading houses, and modern day fashion boutique stores. The best value shopping you can do is on tailor made clothing.

There are many tailors offering good prices on any design you would like made with a huge selection of fabrics and can make it in under 24 hours! Very impressive. They will also keep your measurements in file for three years in case you want more made and shipped home.

I could not resist the chance to purchase a new formal ball gown, and the price was a bargain. I gave them a photo of what l wanted and came back the next afternoon to find it all done, and looking beautiful.

On another day in Hoi An, I secured my bike helmet once again and headed onto a ferry to two main islands for a cycle tour. I had the chance to visit three local families and see how they made their living from the land around them.

One family showed us how they spent from 4am to 9pm using dried and dyed reeds from the garden to make floor, bed and table mats. I had a try at it and it was not as easy as it looked!

Another family invited us to sing together after showing us their in home process of making rice wine to sell to the people in their community. This was very impressive in its sustainability. For example the man (who was a one legged veteran – making it more impressive) kept pigs and he used the ‘pigshit gas’ as its locally known to fuel the fires that are used to run his operation!

Lastly, we got a chance to hand make our own rice noodles and enjoy a delicious lunch full of local ingredients.

The best thing was, in all of this, I never fell off the bike! Even when I thought I could pass out from the heat!

Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon

In the early hours of the morning we took a short flight with Vietnam Airlines to Ho Chi Minh City. The city is referred to by many as Saigon, as this is its former name. Since the end of the Vietnam War, the city was renamed after its victorious communist leader, Ho Chi Minh. There are many monuments and images of him throughout Vietnam, as his party still stands in place today.

In HCM City you can visit only a few attractions like the Independence Palace, former state home of the president, and the War Remnants Museum, which is an impressive and informative space to learn about the war history in Vietnam. It is really complex as many other countries have been involved in commanding the country and has left a lot of wounds behind.

I found the museum to be a little one sided but this makes sense as it will have been censored by the government, before publishing. The most striking elements of the museum was the information about the ‘agent orange’ chemical that had been used. It is now considered a war crime and has left many generations of people, severely deformed. I could see this on the street when some people may be passing or begging, and I suspected that they were victims of this.

Aside from these visitor attractions, HCM offers plenty of places to eat and shop, but it is very modern and definitely, for me, not the highlight of the trip.

In about two hours drive from the city you can visit the Meekong Delta. The most South I went, this wetland area offers plenty of boat rides to different islands where you can see different markets, temples and localised farming.

I spent the day visiting a few different islands by boat, and had the opportunity to see local coconuts being shredded up into coconut milk and turned into sweets and wrapped by hand. I did actually get carried away and bought 6 packets for the price of 5! I think I got a bit silly.

I also visited some local people’s garden and tried some of their homegrown fruits, including a Vietnamese Kiwi, that is a local delicacy, and tastes nothing like Kiwi from home! I also had a chance to play a monostring instrument that is traditional there, and much harder to do well then it looks! To finish off, I had a chance to enjoy a traditional wooden row boat ride through the bush before heading back to the city.

Overall, Vietnam was a great chance to dip my toe into Asia. The people have been super friendly; I always felt safe, and appreciated. The holiday was great value and I would happily revisit. In the Meekong Delta you can even take a boat cruise out there onto Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. This could be a lot of fun!

Smells and tastes of Vietnam

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During my time in Vietnam I had many opportunities to sample the local dishes and have been potentially converted to this refreshing diet.

From Garden to Plate

If I could describe the food in Vietnam in one word, it would be ‘fresh’! Vegetables are grown in the small farms and gardens of the local people around the country. It’s also a normal scene to see chickens and even pigs kept at the back of someone’s house outside of the large cities.

People then cook from their own supply or these products are taken every morning to the wet markets that seem to be in each large village and town. These markets are a shock to the more delicate western senses. The smells are strong…

Every trader rents a space and generally lay out close to or straight on the floor. Some traders are selling vegetables, some are selling dried goods, but the most fresh is the meat and fish. Tin baths full of fish still swimming, and if you order one it will be pulled out of the water and laid out to suffocate, and sold whole. With meat, it is a little less miserable, the chickens running around just have their necks snapped straight away. More straightforward. What was most sad was when i saw the tiny, fluffy ducklings for sale. They were being sold to grow up into big ducks to eat.

It was actually useful to see this as I think in the UK we have become too far removed from the food on our plate. When we buy a frozen chicken it does not look much like a bird. When you buy one in Vietnam it still has its head, neck and claws.

By the time I left, I understood that when you see a motorbike with a cage full of live chickens on the back (quite strange to see), you can bet they are heading to the market to sell them.

At one point whilst shopping in town, I saw a small cage full of beautiful puppies, I hope they were for petting not eating though. Apparently cats and dogs are still eaten there but it is now unusual and you have to seek out specialist locations to get some ‘hotdog’.

Rice

I felt rice deserved its own paragraph as its so important to the Vietnamese way of life. The people of Vietnam rely on the growing of rice for their local economy, as a staple for most of their recipes, as a fuel for fire, and even as a key ingredient in their liquor. The effort that goes into production of rice is massive, and Vietnam is one of the world’s biggest suppliers.

The Flavours

The flavours of the Vietnam diet are really exciting. I always felt like I was filling up on light, fresh and interesting recipes. Herbs are used frequently in dishes, especially coriander and garlic. Some of my favourites!

Nuts are used quite a lot, especially peanuts. I don’t normally like peanuts but the way that they used them in meals was really complimenting the food. I started thinking that maybe I had been using them wrong this whole time…

Fruit is also used abundantly, which is not a suprise when it is grown so easily and with such a great variety. Traditionally the vietnamese don’t eat sweet desserts, just fruits. They also use fruits with their mains, the best example I had of this was sliced pork marinated in passionfruit. Actually so suprisingly delicious!

The Dining Experience

There were different ways you could enjoy food in Vietnam. Especially in the main cities.

Street food is probably the most famous and you could buy this to take away or to sit on the street. In the tiny gaps on the pavement between the hundreds of motorbikes parked up over the pedestrian space, you would find someone with a little fire pit on the ground and groups of people sitting on little plastic stools. I felt certain that I would snap these chairs in half if I tried to sit on them as well as not feeling confident in the hygiene of the food. Even my guide said to be weary of the street food because the kitchen space is far from the cooking and eating area.

Good quality restaurants are plentiful and much more comfortable. I much preferred this, and the food is still extremely cheap. I spent on average about £6 for a 2 course meal and drink.

When choosing from the menu, choosing local dishes is always going to serve you well as these are the dishes they make regularly and do well. Don’t expect the local vietnamese small time chef to make an awesome italian pizza, it is just unrealistic as well as a waste.

I think my favourite choice of dining had to be eating in the homes of local families. If you get the chance, it is well worth it. You can have good conversation, see inside a local home and get fresh food that you are likely to see cooked and learn to eat the ‘right way’.

Overall, dining in Vietnam has opened my taste buds to some new dishes that I would not have considered before, and reminded me the importance of fresh herbs!

Vietnam: North to South – Part One

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Booked only a week before, after my trip to Israel was cancelled last minute, I decided to have my first go at Asia this month. Vietnam was on offer so I went for it and discovered a crazy and unique way of life with amazing food and very friendly people.

Getting there

The travel to Vietnam was very very long, whilst the flight duration may say 16hrs by the time we had travelled to Heathrow, and waited around in Bangkok and then traveled to the hotel we had stacked up over 24 hrs of travel. I had thought I’d planned out to miss my jetlag but it actually took 3 days of waking up at 3am to get over it.

We flew with Thai Airways which had tight seating but plenty of hospitality from the crew and the aeroplane food was some of the best I have had. On arrival to Hanoi airport, our taxi driver was waiting for us and we got to our hotel in about half an hour, after seeing some of the cityscape lit up at night.

Hanoi

We stayed in a hotel for our first few nights in Hanoi city. The hotel was immediately a relief with a welcome drink on arrival, a porter to carry our bags and a free upgrade to a very nice room. It was all going well, until my 3am visit to the bathroom…

That is when I discovered scuttling across the floor, the biggest cockroach I have ever seen. When you are already sat on the toilet half way through a wee too, the only choice is to throw your legs in the air! I found myself doing toilet balances at 3am to avoid it. Unsure what to do I spent the rest of the night with a light on unsure what to do and worried if I fell asleep I would wake up with a cockroach on my face. It took me a few days to get past this fear and just accept the potential for creepy crawlies around me.

Venturing out of the hotel into the city was another experience of taking your life in your hands. The traffic is some of the craziest I have ever seen. There is no pavement due to mopeds being parked all over it and to cross the road you must do what the locals do and just walk slowly and confidently over (like you’re sleepwalking) and hope nothing hits you! The roads here are so congested that they even have a street that is famous for a train that comes through as well as all the pedestrians and bikes and ends up about an inch from your face!

We cautiously took the steps from our hotel down to the famous lake which thankfully is pedestrianised around the edge and began to explore our first attractions.

First on the agenda was a few impressive buddhist temples, and also the St Joseph Cathedral. This gothic cathedral looks so strange with all the little asian shacks around it and motorbikes everywhere. I couldn’t go in unfortunately but I imagined it was similar to other catholic ones I have seen. A little bit of Europe in the middle of this crazy South East Asia whirlwind. I later found out from my guide that the french actually governed Vietnam for centuries and is the reason for some catholism here and that they now use alphabetic letters instead of chinese characters. Something to be grateful for as a tourist!

Another day in Hanoi took us on our four hour bus ride to Halong Bay, the famous world wonder that is an absolutely huge bay and once a very important port full of huge bouldering islands. We had a relaxing overnight boat cruise here where the service was amazing and we enjoyed an impressive selection of seafood and bar service on a boat all to ourselves in our small group of nine.

There are many local caves on the islands to explore and we ventured into one, and then towards dusk I had the pleasure of exploring an empty and calm section of the bay by kayak. The only thing that was man made around me was a small floating pearl farm where oysters were floating below growing pearls for fine jewellrey.

At night all the boats have to gather in one part of the bay so you can enjoy the sounds of distant karaokes and good times from your neighbours all around you.

We also got the opportunity to see some amazing charitable organisations on our route from Halong Bay. Two groups of crafters that were helping their community by making things to sell, one was doing it for the environment and the other for the disabled. I will touch more on this in a later blog.

Back in Hanoi, we had one more opportunity to look around. We tried for a third time to see the train on train street, but this time at night. The train schedules on the internet were all wrong, so we got there badly timed and when we tried to wait the police made us leave, even though we were half way through a paid meal. Overall, I would say only go to train street if you are happy to waste a lot of time and maybe only see the tracks.

Something that was well worth it for only about £6 and 1 hour was the Thang Long water puppet show by the lake. This show was a traditional artform telling folk stories of Vietnam in their language and with singing, using puppets within a big pool of water.

I wasn’t sure if it would be entertaining enough, but it was actually very funny at times and the show somehow managed to use smoke and fireworks on the water aswell which I dont even understand how. The best part may have been the music though. There was an orchestra of local folk musicians playing traditional and strange instruments and all in vietnamese formal wear. Overall it was super impressive!

Hue

Writing this section of the blog at 4am from a twelve hour sleeper train from Hanoi to Hue. Sharing a bunkbed in a room with three other travellers, I feel quite at home and I am enjoying the bumpy swaying of the carriage more than expected.

At night I can see the reflections of the train in nearby waters and marshlands and the odd distant light of a farmer or two working in the fields and by day the scenery becomes many small villages and plenty of rain!

The train has different classes, we are in a 4 berth, but there are 6 berth and then soft reclining seats and hard seats (for those true hardasses – literally). My room is quite good with a little mattress, space under the bed and a table with a selection of sweets.

The only thing that has been a horror is as expected, the bathroom situation. There is either a squat room for guess what.. squatting, or there is a western style toilet. The toilet started off okay but now I can tell you that by 4am it is not okay. Its a horror show. I am trying to figure out how I can not pee now until 11am. Note to self, must purchase a she-wee for travels!

Once we got to Hue and freshened up at our hotel, with an umbrella in hand, we were guided to the ancient citadel. Hue was historically the imperial capital and home of the kings of Vietnam. It still has the 21 metre thick walls surrounding it and many of the original buildings either still exist or have been rebuilt or are in the process of being rebuilt after collapsing from weather or war bomb damage.

The site is very pretty and a bit of a maze to walk around if you do not have a guide. It is mostly an outside visit except for a few locations where you can visit inside after slipping off your travelling shoes. I Particularly enjoyed the king’s gardens with many bonsai trees and bright green foliage. Obviously, due to all the rain, but green is my favourite colour so I’m okay with that!

The stories about the kings were interesting too. Kings were seen as Gods by the people, but for many centuries the kings were actually puppets for the french to put their influence over Vietnam. The kings ranged from 7 year old boys to a man that went from being a king to a french pilot. So random!

Later in the evening I had dinner with a local family that had been there for generations and the lady’s grandfather had been a direct servant of the king. The family now are well off in the area but still cannot afford to travel much and still work very hard. It is becoming apparent how hard people in Vietnam work to make a minimal living.

The next day in Hue, we ventured around the surrounding countryside and the town centre by motorbike. This thrilling experience was one I will never forget I imagine, it was an adreline rush full of beauty and culture. As I rode pillion to a Vietnamese man named (‘kern’) I explored a king’s final resting place, a local fresh market (where it is so fresh that the animals are still alive), and a local monk community. What a thrill!

Next day we move on to the South to Hoi An… in my part 2 blog.

Lovely Lugo

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One of the most beautiful cities of Galicia. Lugo offers a historic setting within a surrounding of Roman walls that create an isolated space for wondering and wandering about the stories of this old city.

I spent an afternoon visiting Lugo from La Coruña in Galicia. It is the capital of the Lugo province and the fourth most populated city in Galicia. It is a popular location for locals and visitors and is also a stop on Camino de Santiago (The St James Pilgrim’s Way).

The walls

This spanish town is fully shaped by its Roman history. The 3rd century roman walls are 2117m long and create a full circuit to admire and walk on top of. The 85 towers that exist along the walls also create an amazing shape and interest for those interested in history or photography. These roman walls make Lugo a famous location among Galicians and were not suprisingly made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The spaces

As well as wondering the perimeter of Lugo using the walls, you can also enjoy many public squares, a beautiful cathedral, and quiet lanes filled with gastronomical delights.

I spent much of my afternoon here eating a delicious traditional Galician Pulpo (octopus). I love it 😀

I would happily revisit Lugo again, its a nice place for a relaxing day out and I can see its easy appeal with locals from the region.

Doñana Natural Park: An Exclusive Paradise…

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During one of my many days in beautiful Cadiz, Andalusia, I had the opportunity to take a tour to Doñana, a part natural park and part national park, where the inside of the park is only accessible by exclusive tour. I was blown away with the landscapes here in one of the most important natural areas in Europe.

My small group of less than ten with our guide took the long drive to Doñana’s water edge where La Rábida village was and a small ferry was available to take visitors back and forth to Doñana’s beach and natural park. The 30km of white beach is a public space that can be accessed but parked up on the beach waiting for our small group was our exclusive monster jeep that would take us deeper into the park.

The bumpy ride took us through a mix of ecosystems that were strange to find all in one place. Forest was first on the list and as we pushed our way between the trees over our muddy makeshift road, we spotted deers and wild horses.

We also visited some traditional thatched huts that once made up a small village of people that lived in this oasis, but are now government owned as the families have now passed on. The only person with a residence there now is the king that has a palace set in the middle of paradise.

Next was meadows and wetlands with wild free roaming cattles and wild pigs. I even got to spot a mama with three little piglets running around. I asked how the cattle access food and water because this is the driest region of spain, and the ranger explained that ditches have been dug out for the cattle to drink ground water that is underneath, but that is the only thing they do to intervene with their nature. I was very impressed with the animals’ resillience.

After this we ventured into a land of sand dunes that were up to 30 metres tall and vast! We stopped to have a walk around and the dunes that had been windswept there made you confused to think that you were just stepping outside of forests and meadows into this wasteland environment.

Our guide showed us some viewpoints here high up on the dunes as well as insects that were living in the sand and it made me curious to try to identify the animal tracks I was finding in the sand. The park is home to many endangered species including Spanish imperial eagles (which we thought we saw) and the Iberian lynx, which mostly keeps to itself.

Finally we returned to the beach for a drive amongst this long stretch of sand, crabs and driftwood before stopping our jeep so that the guide could show us a scorpion he found sitting under the wood.

I was totally blown away by this absolute eden of a park and considered how I would love to revisit as I sat down for a nice meal back on the other side of the water. I realise though that this exclusive park would not allow me back again unless it was on a tour so that they can properly protect this truly beautiful space. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to visit.