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

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.

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.

Lisbon: The City of Seven Hills

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I have visited Lisbon several times for short day trips, but this Spring, I stayed over for a two night break between destinations. This city with what feels like many more than just seven hills, is full of life and culture throughout.

Travelling to Lisbon

I travelled to Lisbon by Train on this occasion from the Algarve’s Lagos, in the South. This was about a four hour journey with one change, and then once in Lisbon there are several main stations you can arrive in. From there, buses, trams and metro are possible.

Neighbourhoods: Alfama and Barrio Alta

I stayed in the neighbourhood of Alfama which is one of the oldest parts of the city near to the river. I selected this area of the city because it is rich in culture, close to tram 28 which is the main tram to run through the touristic areas, and its an area with many fado houses.

I chose to stay in Convento de Salvador, which is a beautifully refurbished convent on the hill. It was very clean and minimal and still had the old layout and foundations of the convent. Our view of the river and downhill street was wonderful aswell.

It is easy to follow the river from Alfama along the promenade towards the Belem tower, or you can jump on the tram to head either towards the castle in one direction or towards Barrio Alto.

Barrio Alto is a bustling area full of shops, restaurants and squares with street performances at night. Wondering the squares to listen to music, enjoying a pastel de Nata and venturing to some of the local gardens can all be enjoyed within walking distance from here. There are also some wonderful churches, I visited two churches from the italian community that were very beautiful.

The must see monuments / attractions

Belem Tower – A monument to remember the power and colonisation by Portugal, it sits at the riverside and you can also see the bridge and christ statue from here.
Jeronimos Monastery – A huge monastery facing large public squares and standing to the front of the botanical gardens and presidential palaces.
Botanical Gardens – A beatiful setting to spend some hours in the afternoon seeing a variety of interesting trees and flowers, an oriental garden, old buildings, african sculptures and many peacocks.
Commercial Plaza – The location of a huge statue, the tourist information offices and a great gathering place for events.

Fado

Near my hotel were several Fado houses. These are traditional houses which have evening shows (normally with dinner) of traditional portuguese fado music. This is deep, very sad singing and guitar, supposedly derived from the soul.

The music is very relaxing to listen to, and when visiting the fado house, it was of the utmost importance that guests did not talk and food was not served out by staff during the music out of respect. So, several breaks were needed to dish out food and for conversation. This was good for me as it meant I actually slowed down and savored my food.

There is also a Fado museum downhill in Alfama. It has a lot of information about Fado but it is difficult to navigate and understand the information at hand, and I felt a lot more could be done to improve its guest experience.

To conclude…

I like Lisbon a lot, it is one of my favourite cities. It is vibrant and proud of its heritage. Next stop is another portuguese area, the Azores…

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Paris of the Americas (Part Two)

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Following my first trip to Buenos Aires, I returned to the capital city at the end of my three month trip around Argentina to have a final week there, enjoying some attractions I had not been able to visit in my first visit. This time I was joined by a travel companion and was staying in a luxury hotel.

A focus on Evita

Following my first visit to Buenos Aires, and visiting the grave of Evita, a famous Argentine first lady, this time round, I visited the Evita museum. I was keen to learn more about her life and work for the state. The museum is housed in a previous home for the poor that was set up through a foundation that Evita begun. The museum has several rooms with projections of Evita’s film clips as an actress, her speeches as an activist and also a viewing gallery for her red carpet gowns.

I found the museum to be really interesting but unfortunately photos were not allowed. The information was really good about her early life, career, relationship with president Peron, and her death. I learnt that she had a lot more involvement in charity work than I had realised. She also won the vice presidency but turned it down, which I was not aware of. After finishing our look around the museum, we had a tasty lunch in the museum’s restaurant which has a very nice courtyard.

A walk around the parks

I was able to visit a few more of the park’s in Buenos Aires this time, although not all of them, as the rosalade (rose garden) was closed for upkeep.. very annoying. I did manage to visit both the Botanical Garden and the Eco Parque which are next door to each other. This took a full morning, and both parks were worth a look, and free to enter.

The botanical garden has many exotic plants and large trees as expected, and had attempted to theme different sections by different garden styles, for example french or italian.

The Eco Parque is a very different experience. This pretty park used to be a zoo with many large exotic animals, and elegant victorian styled animal houses. In recent decades, most of the animals have been moved to other locations, or sent back to their natural habitat.

There are a few that still roam through the park though, because they are either too old or unwell to move, or do not need to be relocated. The park still has an old camel, plenty of capybaras, strange half rabbit half deer things, and even some monkeys. It is a pleasant place to take a walk in the middle of this huge city, as you never know what new animal will be around the corner.

Nightlife

In the evening, I was lucky enough to be rejoined by my German traveller friends again as they also finished their journey in BA. We headed out to Palermo Hollywood for a night of clubbing and mischief. After a night that lasted until around 6am, I was glad for my full hotel continental breakfast the next day!

La Plata

For a day out, we decided to visit the capital of the Province, the city called La Plata. The city was easy to get to, only 90 minutes on the train, and the main attraction there is a beautiful cathedral.

The cathedral is gorgeous on the inside, and as well as the main church, the attraction offers exploration of the crypt with a museum about its construction and original pieces, the opportunity to be lifted up the tower, and a sweet restaurant. A lovely morning out.

Horse riding in the Pampas

The province of Buenos Aires is part of the ‘Pampas’ region, and this is where the gauchos (Argentine cowboys) farm cattle the most. So, I decided to book us a day of horse riding in the area.

The four hour riding experience included a traditional asado lunch at the house of a local which was pretty special, and the horse riding itself was an unforgettable experience. For good and bad reasons…

The horse I was given, was a little young and barely broken in. This was coupled by the style of gaucho riding which is very different compared to english riding. The saddles and riding kit on the horse is very different and there is no front to the saddles. You are also expected to ride one handed and without a riding hat.

Whilst a little nervous about my horse’s behaviour, I took on the challenge. We rode through long grasses, roads, ditches, and woodlands and after trotting, cantering and a little bucking by my horse, I did manage to stay on the horse! Even though I was a little banged up. The experience was good fun, but the major downer was the extreme amount of mosquito bites I endured all over my legs i was rubbing toothpaste on my legs for days after! (Fun fact: it takes out the itch).

Lunch in Uruguay

We became aware that you could visit Uruguay easily from Buenos Aires’ port by crossing in the river ferry for around an hour. It’s always tempting to cross another country off the list if the opportunity arises, so we booked our ferry tickets and took the pleasant ride across to a town called Colonia del Sacramento. From here you can also take a bus to Montevideo (Uruguay’s capital) but we decided to save that for another trip. Colonia del Sacramento is a picturesque town with a very portuguese style to it, from when it was colonised by Portugal.

There are a couple of small museums and a church in the town to enjoy, and we had a long and luscious lunch of a traditional Uruguay dish called ‘chivito’. This is like a giant inside out meaty sandwich. Like Argentina, Uruguay also does not skimp on food portions.

Before we knew it, it was time to take the ferry back across the river. We had a good laugh about how we left the country just fot lunch though! 🤣

Tango

You can’t visit Buenos Aires and not watch a little Tango, as the traditional dance of the city. Not only can you see people dance this in the streets of Caminito in Boca, there are also plenty of theatres offering shows and classes. I wanted to do a class but they were multiple hours and I felt too lazy about it, plus I only had walking boots to dance with.

I did decide to book a show and after a little research, I booked a show at Teatro Porteno. You had an option of paying for the show on its own or with dinner included. I chose to purchase just the show which was about £23 but then on arrival, we were also provided with another menu to pick and choose food. We went for some empanadas and a delicious ham and cheeses board.

The show itself was amazing! Focused on locations around Buenos Aires, there was a variety of styles of Tango on display. They also had an act that used drums and cattle whips to create impressive rhythms with the music. I was really glad I visited.

Another location where tango can be viewed and learnt is Cafe Tortoni. This is one of the oldest and most fabulous cafes in Buenos Aires. The decor is very traditional italian/ bohemian and many famous faces have eaten here. We decided to visit for a merienda (afternoon snack) and really enjoyed our visit with some great sandwiches and cake.

There were plenty of other bits and pieces I experienced in this bustling capital, but these were definitely the highlights. My return to the UK following Buenos Aires was a very long journey, but also gave me time to reflect on my amazing journey around this beautiful country.

After my return to the UK, I will soon be embarking on my next journey, working on board a cruise ship around the Mediterranean…

Cordoba, Argentina: ‘City of Bells’ / ‘La Docta’ / Cultural Capital

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The second largest city in Argentina, after Buenos Aires, Cordoba links the Capital and Pampas region to the North West. This huge city is well known for many things, and sits within the rolling Sierras landscape. It was founded by Jesuits, leading to one of its many nicknames ‘la docta’ meaning ‘the wise’, because of the Jesuits founding the first university there that became a jewel for the city. The city is thought to have been named Cordoba in honour of the founder’s wife who was from Cordoba in Spain. What a romantic gesture! Anyway… I was in Cordoba for six nights and had a blast!

The city has not only history, culture and good food, but is also bustling with modern amenities and a great nightlife. On my first day in Cordoba, I went on a free walking tour which showed me around the old part of the city, and inside the gorgeous cathedral.

In this tour I made friends that I would enjoy the company of for the rest of the week. As well as a feisty Mexican and two South Koreans in my hostel, and two locals I enjoyed dinner with. 🙂

I joined my new friends in the first evening for a night in Guemes. This bohemian part of the city, has a collection of trendy restaurants, bars and clubs. We danced the night away to the modern music of Argentina and the odd hit for the states until 4am. It was a good night.

There are plenty of museums and things to enjoy inside the city, and I had particular fun visiting the various shops and one of the fine art museums.

‘Dirty War’

Another interesting piece of history that was clearly dominant in Cordoba,was the remembering of the ‘Dirty War’. During the ’70s there were a series of kidnappings, torturings, and murders of Argentine people by their military government at the time. Anyone that criticised or opposed the government in anyway was abducted, and many were never seen again, becoming one of ‘the disappeared’.

There were up to 30,000 people that went missing including students and pregnant women. Many of the pregnant women were killed and their babies were illegally adopted by government officials. Every thursday people still gather to protest what happened and ask for any information about what happened to their loved ones. If an Argentine person has questions about their identity, they can even access a free DNA test to check that they are not one of the stolen children.

The history is shocking, and appalling and there is a museum to remember this in the centre of Cordoba. It is housed in the former official building where people were taken, tortured, and killed. It has several testimonies of people that were present there, photographs and possessions of victims. The city itself also has statements, photos and symbols in memory of the tragedy around different parts of the city, even though this happened throughout the country.

Surrounding the city

Outside of the city, there are plenty of towns and scenic drives to enjoy. There are also a few towns that were colonised by Germans, and so have German style architecture and attractions. Unfortunately, the tours to these locations were all booked so I could not visit, but I did enjoy the authentic company of my new German friends, so I was happy with that! Some of my new travel buddies had hired a car for the day, and invited me to join them on a tour of the area.

We followed google maps out into the hills and drove along the ‘El Camino del Cuadrado’ a road that winds around mountains, and takes you to a town called La Falda. This town has a pretty little church, a cuckoo clock, and a restaurant with heavenly pasta, and complimentary sangria! We stopped in a nature reserve on the way back and joined the locals in a dip in the river under the sunset, and it was super relaxing. On the way back over the hills, we drove back to the city amongst lightning throwing clouds, with the radio blasting.

Later in the evening, I joined the Germans at their hostel for some games, drinks and laughs. Our friend from Holland joined later, and brought some friends from her hostel. There was plenty of laughter and conversation at our little party in the hostel, with two guys from Germany, a guy from Ireland, a girl from Holland, a girl from France, a guy from Brazil, a guy from Argentina, and little English me. These last minute adventures and meetings of like minded people are so rewarding, and possibly the best part about travelling.

I spent the following days recovering from the late nights, relaxing and visiting nearby towns within easy reach from the bus station.

Cordoba is a great city, and I would say that it has something for everyone, but ultimately it is a place to relax, dine and enjoy. Next stop.. Corrientes.

Mendoza: Argentina’s Culinary Capital

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Mendoza is located in the North of Argentina, close to the border of Chile and it’s capital city of Santiago. It is well known for being Argentina’s key wine making region, as well as being a small city with several suburb neighbourhoods. I visited Mendoza for a few days on my way across the North of Argentina.

I travelled to Mendoza from Ushuaia over several days, mainly by bus. My main overnight stop being in Bariloche again, where I enjoyed an unexpected hostel party before my final bus. On arrival to Mendoza, I checked into my hostel, (which was not very desirable), and relaxed quite a bit on my first day, but the humidity of the city did mean that I was eaten alive by mosquitos.

Following my rest, I began to explore. Mendoza is a reasonably small city with many small suburbs and hills surrounding it. The city has plenty of restaurants and shops, and of course several opportunities to taste wine along side Argentina’s famous asado dish. Unfortunately, the city is lacking in other things to do and see. There is a museum dedicated to the city’s foundations, which was somewhat interesting, but it is quite small and with little information in english. Next door, are the ruins of the original church, but the entire experience takes less than an hour.

The other thing to see is the Parque San Martin. This is a huge park which you can relax within, it has a huge lake, and a museum of natural sciences. I did enjoy a pleasant lunch in front of the lake following the one exciting thing there is to do in this city… paragliding!

I decided to ‘tale the leap’ and enjoy a short paragliding experience from the 100 metre cerro (mountain). I thought it would be more scary, but you did not have the chance to get scared, you are simply strapped in and pushed off! Then you can float over the city for 15 minutes, and enjoy some complimentary acrobatics from the pilot, which were fun but almost made me vomit!

As well as paragliding, there are other adventure sports available around Mendoza, for those that do not want to spend their time just drinking and eating. Rapid rafting, repellling, climbing and hiking are all available, and Mendoza provides accessible trips to the tallest mountain in the Americas, Mount Aconcagua. I was happy with the paragliding as my bit of adventure for that time, as I was only there a few days.

I realized that I could not come to Mendoza without visiting the wineries, even though I do not drink much wine normally. There are countless tours selling full day and half day guided tours to the ‘bodegas’ which are the wineries. These were quite pricey, and as I knew this was not very important to me personally, I decided to find a cheaper way to do it. I found out that some of the bodegas offer tours for free, so I made a reservation directly with one of them.

I booked a one hour tour with the Lopez family Bodega in Maipu which is only a 25 minute bus ride from the centre. Down the road from there is also an olive growing farm where you can also access tours directly. So my day became sorted for very little money at all, saving me around £100, and I still got to have the tastings. The winery had giant wooden barrels storing their oldest wines, and a small museum about the history of the bodega, and it was quite interesting to learn a little about the process. Equally, the olive farm was very pleasant, and I learnt that to have a mature olive tree that produces enough olives to be commercial it takes several decades, so they have to be quite dedicated.

Overall, I think Mendoza is a pleasant city and especially well suited to those visitors that like a little luxury and love their wine and grilled meat, but if you are a little more of a commoner like myself, it is best not to visit unless you are prepared to part with a good bit of your cash and have some adventurous activities!

Onwards and upwards. Next I visit Salta!

Tips for surviving a 24+ hour bus journey with your sanity

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When travelling in South America, large buses/coaches/colectivos/micros are the main form of long distance transport. It is not uncommon to travel for over 24 hours on the bus to get to your destination, as the distances between towns and cities are vast. Whilst the scenery might be amazing, you can only look out of a window for so long. Thankfully, most of the buses offer decent seats, the occasional rest stop and if you are lucky then you could have a shared TV playing movies (in spanish or silent). To survive the inevitable boredom, it is wise to follow some of the below tips.

Snacks

I have seen a few hopeless tourists embark on a 24+ hout bus journey with no food in hand, and then moan about being hungry for several hours. There are normally rest stops but you cannot guarantee what food will be on sale, or the regularity of the stops. Go prepared. There will not be a fridge so choose savoury items that will keep. Empanadas is a great choice. A large bottle of water is a good idea, but also kids sized fruit juice cartons can come in handy, to give you some much needed vitamins. I made sure to keep all my snacks in a separate bag to my main rucksack so that I could keep it on the seat with me, and not disturb everyone each time I needed something from the overhead shelf.

Batteries

Whilst some of the buses have USB chargers over the seats, this is not the case with all of them. I have found a portable charger (fully charged beforehand) to be invaluable. You can bet that you will not be able to access any signal or internet for the majority of your journey either so there is no need to waste charge on your phone trying and failing to get 4G. Put your phone on airplane mode, and you will be surprised how long it lasts you.

Bathrooms

There is normally one toilet on the bus and toilets at your infrequent rest stops. You can be assured that the hygiene of toilets being occupied by 30+ people in a short period, will not be good. Not only can you expect poor hygiene, but also dodgy locks and no toilet paper is common. Take tissue and anti-bacterial gel with you, I can not stress this enough. It is also not a bad idea to carry some pills to avoid any unexpected stomach problems on a strenuous and very shared journey. To give you an example of the demands of the on bus toilet… on a 26 hour journey, I put off going in the bus toilet as long as I could, until I could wait no more. I took myself to have a wee, to the toilet which by this point (hour 20 maybe) was a state. There was not only no tissue, but also no water in the tap, and I had thought the door was locked. Apparently not. When I went to pull up my pants, another lady threw the door open, and said “I’m sorry but I have to go in, I am going to be sick”. She then vomited into the only toilet for a bus full of people about four times. I did not use the toilet again that journey.

Offline entertainment

Before your long journey, do an audit of your phone/tablet/laptop apps. How many of them can you use offline? There are actually a lot of games that you can access offline that can provide some easy entertainment. I have become a regular player of the offline chess.com app at the this point, but I am still struggling to beat the computer… Previously downloaded tv series and movies on streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ or music from Spotify can also be a great way to kill off the long hours. You can also take to the traditional pencil and paper, and do some sketching, or journaling. I have been improving my sketching by drawing copies of photos I have taken of local scenery and wildlife. If all else fails, maybe bring a book?

Offline work

If you have the sort of job that you can work offline with, such as writing, then this can easily be a way to lose some time. If you are feeling like you want to put that time to good use. It is a good idea to test this out before your journey by disconnecting yourself from WiFi at your hostel, to see that everything works okay before you start promising on deadlines to be completed. I have been burnt by this myself when I assumed that the Microsoft Word on my chromebook would still work okay offline, it turned out that it was still powered by an online service, so I missed out on doing hours of work.

Sleeping

If you are on a long journey by bus, you will be travelling overnight, and testing out those reclining seats to the maximum. It can be cold on the bus in the evening, as you have not been moving around much, and the drivers always seem to crank up the AC for some reason. Probably to stay awake themselves. The problem is, this also keeps me awake. If you have a light blanket or something to put over yourself, make it reachable. I tried to get my coat from the overhead shelf in the middle of the night (4am), and it was very dark, and very awkward when in pulling my coat out, I accidently knocked a shoe off the shelf and it fell and hit the sleeping passenger in the face who was sitting in front of me. It was really bad.

Sometimes, being awake when everyone else is asleep can be a blessing though. It is super quiet, and you might see an amazing sunrise that everyone else misses. That is what happened to me on one journey…

Overall, don’t underestimate the planning needed before your long road trip. If you put in a little effort to prepare, you will be glad you did.

Argentina: Central Patagonia (Santa Cruz Province)

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Following my visit to Argentina’s Lake District, I continued my journey South into the center of the Patagonian region and one step closer towards the bottom of the world. This area is full of mountains, and glaciers, and many national parks!

Perito Moreno

After a 13 hour bus journey from El Bolson, I made it to the small town of Perito Moreno. I was the only person to exit the bus at 1am and make my way to my little wooden cabin in the town centre. I had come here for only one reason, to see the Cueva de las Manos, only accessible by car or tour.

Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands)

I joined a tour group of Argentine people, and we made our way across some very bumpy roads and past wildlife and huge canyons, before finally arriving at the UNESCO site of Cueva de las Manos. This world famous spot has an amazing collection of ancient cave paintings and hand prints, not inside the cave but across the front of it, along a huge rock face. The guide on the site escorted our group through a long boardwalk running across the side of the paintings and with views of a canyon on the other side.

These amazing paintings crowd the walls and include handprints of adults and children from possibly three different times. You can also see illustrations of animals that they would hunt, geometric shapes, that are suspected to represent a map, and there is even a suspected paw print of a puma! The whole collection is made up of different colours, including yellows and bright blues, and are made from different natural materials. I imagine that the person that discovered this must have been completely astonished by all the haunting raised hands.

Patagonia Park

The tour also included visits to other interesting locations nearby such as the Patagonia Park, which had huge salt flats to see.

The locals prepared a lunch for our group of traditional and locally produced food. It was delicious and in true Argentine style, the portions were huge. I tried to tell the people in the group that I was full, but the little old ladies in the group said they wanted to fatten me up and they are like my ‘abuela’ (grandma) and want to look after me! haha

Coloured mountains

The last stop was an hour hike over some amazing hilltops/mountains that were brightly coloured in oranges, red and yellows. This is due to the properties in the rocks and all the minerals being brought out by rainfall. It was pretty awesome, and the short walk to the top gives you an amazing view!

El Chalten & Fitz Roy

Next stop on my trip was to the little town of El Chalten. Getting there was a struggle. It had been raining the night before, and so they rerouted the bus to the only other motorway that took us to the bottom of the country then we turned back around and went back up… A 10 hour journey took 18 hours… craziness.

On finally arriving, I headed straight out for a short hike to a nearby waterfall. It was great to get some fresh air and put my head under the flowing glacier water. I also got great views of the landscape and the town. El chalten is a part of this natural landscape and is an absolute haven for hikers and climbers.

Laguna de los tres

The next day, I started the strenuous hike of Laguna de los tres to Fitz Roy mountain. This hike is only 20 km but it took me about 9 hours. The final km took about two hours as the climb was a directly up ascent on difficult terrain. Normally I walk 4-5 km per hour.

The trail passes through forests, rivers, lakes and grasslands, as well as going through two campsites. It was a very warm and busy day on the trail, but this gave me the opportunity to meet many people. During my day of trekking, I befriended two different groups from Argentina and a girl from Spain. Making conversation with strangers is one of my favourite parts of solo trekking, as I meet so many interesting people from all around the world.

On reaching the top, I collapsed in a pile for a few minutes, then made my way to the lake that was formed by the melting glacier, and took an icy drink, before taking a dip. I spent a few hours here, relaxing and enjoying the sights of the Fitz Roy mountain and the falling water to the drop below.

El Calafate

Next day, I was off to Calafate, on the other side of the National Glacier Park from El Chalten. This town is bustling with tourist shops and restaurants. I have a dwindling budget so I cooked whilst I was there, but still managed to admire the Patagonian Lambs being roasted over the fire through the restaurant windows.

Perito Moreno Glacier

The main excursion to take from El Calafate is to see the huge Perito Moreno Glacier. You have to take a tour which costs about £35 to get to the glacier which is a few hours away. There is then a small charge for the entrance to the park. We were given four hours in the park. I was given a choice to pay extra for a one hour boat ride that takes you closer to the glacier, but I chose not to take this option, and just enjoyed the various boardwalk routes around the front of the glacier.

This huge glacier is very unique and larger than the entire city of Buenos Aires (which blew my mind)! The glacier is apparently in balance,meaning that it loses the same amount of ice each day as is returned to it, due to how the water flows around it. There are three different routes you can take around the glacier’s boardwalk, and they vary by height and length. I did all three, and found the boardwalk system to be very efficient and plentiful in relaxing balconies where you could eat your lunch and watch pieces of the glacier fall into the water below. This phenomenon was amazing. I saw not only the ice fall and splash against the lake, but also the lower layer of ice boil up to the surface and spin around in circles. Very cool.

Rio Gallegos

My last stop in Argentina for a while, was Rio Gallegos. I came here to the bottom of mainland Argentina, to cross the border into Chile. There is not much to see here but it is a good supply stop, and there are some sculptures along a promenade walk and a small house that you can visit as a free museum.

For now, I am off to Chile, for some more trekking and to see the other side of Patagonia, before I return to Argentina, to visit the bottom of the world…

Barcelona & Girona: From a theme park to a quiet space

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My final stay in Spain of 2021 was two nights in the popular city of Barcelona. Whilst there, I hopped on a train to Girona to explore the cathedral for a few hours. This was my third visit to Barcelona, and the city continues to baffle me!

I arrived in Barcelona by train and made my way across the underground network to my hostel ‘Yeah – Barcelona Hostel’. Whilst very busy, the subway system there is a great way to move around the city, you can pay for single journeys or multi day trips, and it is very affordable. I would also say that it has some of the cleanest underground stations and trains, that I have ever experienced, especially when you compare it with grimy subways like NYC’s network.

I didn’t realise until I arrived, that the hostel I had booked is actually a sister luxury hostel to the one I stayed in within Madrid. The hostel is very trendy and only 15 minutes walk to very big attractions. There is a comfortable lounge with access to Netflix and games etc, a rooftop terrace with a pool (though it was too cold for me to use), and the rooms are very comfortable. I also decided to have the breakfast, which can be very ‘hit and miss’ in hostels, but I was impressed with this breakfast, for five euros, I accessed an all you can eat continental buffet, which had a ‘make your own’ pancakes table with all the syrups! Delicious!

It had been a decade since I last visited Barcelona, and I recalled that the last time, I had found the city quite stressful. I wanted to give it another chance, but I knew that I would be avoiding the tacky tourist spot of La Rambla. This is the longest street, with living statues, novelty shops, and lots of pickpockets. I wanted to try to understand more of the Gaudi vibe in the city. Barcelona is famous for the architect and artist, Guadi. His works are very unique with lots of busy shapes and colours, and a vast amount of tile mosaic use. There are several buildings in the city that were designed by him, including Casa Batlló, and Casa Mila.

I left the hostel in the morning to explore and find these locations, and hopefully visit. I don’t know how, but I managed to get lost a couple of times. It seems strange to me that one can get lost in this city, because the entire centre is designed as a grid, with no alleys or shortcuts. This is frustrating though, because it takes ages to walk everywhere, you cannot cut across diagonally to get to your destination faster, you must walk along very long wide streets until you eventually get to the side street you want. The city is so busy and has so many buildings and wide roads, it can be quite overwhelming, especially when you are struggling to find any fingerpost signs to point you the right way!

After some irritation I found my way to Casa Batlló, and the outside of the building is very striking. It is definitely worth a photo. I wanted more information, and began to queue to visit inside. When I realised the cost of admission though, I quickly exited… I am a budget traveller right now, and running low on cash. Most attractions I have visited in Spain, have been less than ten euros to visit. The Casa Batlló wanted 35 euros for admission, which would have been blowing my budget on the first place, for an experience that would probably be less than an hour. It was the same situation when I wondered down to the next Casa Mila, so I just enjoyed the views from the outside and decided to use my imagination for the inside!

I knew I wanted to make a visit to the Sagrada Familia, which is Barcelona’s world famous basilica, designed by Gaudi. It is well known as a complex example of architecture, that 135 years from being started, is still not complete, and construction is ongoing.

I found my way to the building and wanted to visit a ticket office to buy my ticket, as I had no internet data left on my phone to go on their website. I wondered around the perimeter of the building, struggling to find the ticket office. When I decided to ask one of the security officers, I found out that the attraction does not have an office. You must buy tickets online… very unhelpful to me. Alternatively, you can buy a ticket from the tourist information centre, so I then had to get my paper map out, and begin the search for the TIC. When I eventually found it, I had to wait in a long queue, and was given my self guided admission ticket. I also asked the vendor about my intention to visit a park attraction later in the day, assuming this would be no problem as it is a park. She told me that this must also be booked in advance, for an allocated time, and she only had one slot left, so I grabbed that to.

When entering the Sagrada Familia, there is an audio guide available, but you must download their app to use it. Thankfully, the attraction has free WiFi that you can sign up for. I got the app, and began to make way from point to point around the outside and then inside of the church.

There is no question that the design of the building is remarkable and unique, I especially liked the turtles holding up the columns at the front entrance. The inside columns are also designed to make you feel as if you are in a forest space, which I think provides the space with an unusual feel. There are many sculptures of the holy family (which the church is named after), and they are especially prominent over the main doorways. The stained glass in the building provides a multitude of colours in the space, and generally, there is so much intricate design going on inside the building it is hard to know where to look.

According to the information provided, Guadi made a special effort to make sure that the building’s height did not exceed the nearby mountain, because he said that no work of man should surpass a work of god. It seems that Gaudi did intend for the space to honour god, but for me, the space did not fulfil this purpose.

I have visited many holy spaces over the years, and in the past few months, I have been to countless churches within Spain. Sagrada Familia is the only one of all of them where I would not feel at peace, or have the comfort and security I needed to worship God.

The space feels very hectic. Whilst the design is beautiful, the crowds of tourists, the noise, and even the security ropes strung across the pews just made me feel as if it was more of a theme park attraction than a church. I loved the sculptures and the colours, but I did not feel a holy connection here, and the atmosphere was actually very stressful.

Later in the day, I made my way to Park Güell for sunset. This park has a collection of buildings and spaces inspired by Gaudi, and it is also at the top of a large hill, so is a viewpoint of the city skyline. I enjoyed seeing some of the views and there were many people gathered here to watch the sunset.

It did not take me long to realise though, that we were not facing West. The sun was on the other side of the mountain, and it wasn’t going to be as good of a sunset as I hoped. It was still pretty but nothing like some of the other sunsets I have seen on my travels. This is the problem, I have been spoilt rotten!

After this, I walked back down the hill, and joined a friend living locally for some well deserved dinner. This was very relaxing, and the best part of the day for me.

Before flying home, I wanted to take the opportunity to visit nearby city of Girona. I had heard it was pretty, and I also knew that the cathedral was the filming location for some scenes in King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. So, of course, I had to go!

The train journey was a comfortable 90 minute journey on high speed railway. The train station is then only a 20 minute walk from the cathedral. I only had about two hours to enjoy Girona, in the mid morning. On arrival, I could tell that the city had more of a traditional spanish feel, that I am now accustomed to. There is a river running through the centre of the city, and a set of old bridges to cross, before you come to a quaint high street, and pleasant plazas. As I continued to walk closer to the cathedral, I began to ascend up various alleys and steps, to this special church that could just slightly be seen from the bottom of the hill.

On arrival to the cathedral, one can stand in the shadow of the striking building, that towers over hundreds of steps. The steep stairs could easily rival the ‘rocky’ steps in Philadelphia, in terms of my ‘puffed out’ factor. The steps and front facade at the entrance was the view that was used within Game of Thrones for many notable scenes, such as the ‘walk of shame’ and many grand arrivals to the ‘King’s Landing’ location.

The cathedral admission was very reasonable, and also included entrance to the basilica next door. The cathedral has a very wide nave that is quite unique in architecture, and provides the space with more sunlight. There were also some chapels, and a room with a unique sculpture of the sleeping Virgin Mary. I have never seen anything similar to this before.

The basilica is just across the road from the cathedral, and is a smaller space. It still benefits from beautiful designs and art in its chapel, and a lovely altarpiece as well.

After this quick walk around Girona, I headed back to Barcelona, for my flight home to the UK.

Barcelona, and Girona are so close to each other, but have such different vibes. I really liked Girona, because it has a fairytale look to it within the old town, and had a very traditional vibe. It felt authentic. Barcelona also has a fairytale look in many locations, thanks to Gaudi, but instead of feeling relaxed, I find the city very stressful to be in, due to its popularity and ‘overtourism’. It actually feels more like a bustling theme park, with overpriced product, crowds, queueing and a confusing layout. The city is so large and important though, I know that I will likely visit again. Next time, I will try to see more of the neighbourhood areas of the city, as I am sure somewhere in this city, I will find my fit!