Hello from Kosovo! For the last month I've found myself volunteering at a hostel called Buffalo Backpackers in Kosovo's capital, Prishtina. I was originally only supposed to stay 2.5 weeks ( from mid month to the end of July), then three weeks turned into staying until the end of August, and the end of August has now turned into staying until mid-September. What can I say? Something about this country and this hostel has sucked me in and I'm not ready to leave. Why Kosovo?That seems to be everyone's question from back home to the guests that arrive and learn that I'm a volunteer from the States. Why would a woman from the U.S. be working at a backpacker hostel in the middle of the Balkans? And of all places, why Kosovo? My visit here started as a visa run. I needed to get out of the Schengen area (which includes countries such as Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, etc. etc. etc.) and so I found out the closest places to visit would be the Balkans. I also decided I needed a break from traveling for a couple months and needed a place to call home for a bit. After emailing a few hosts in the Balkans, the owner of Buffalo Backpackers was one of the first to reply and the most thorough in getting back to me (thanks, Chelsea!). So here I am! What I knew about Kosovo was mostly things about the war that I had watched on the news as a kid/teenager in the 1990s. I had also met a few travellers that had been here and convinced me that now was the time to visit because in 10 to 20 years the country will look completely different. But that's it. I had no clue what to expect as my bus pulled into Prishtina on July 14th. My Favorite Things About KosovoNow that you know why I'm here, it's time to share my favorite 3 things so far that I love about my summer here in Kosovo. 1. Buffalo BackpackersI have to start with home sweet home, the hostel. Normally I avoid traditional "backpacker" hostels. However, in the spirit of this journey in trying new things and pushing myself a bit I decided that instead of just staying at one for a few nights, why not live and work at one for a few weeks (now months)???? In my first couple of nights here the basement flooded and I found myself shoveling water out the back door in my barefeet. There's a lot of things in that sentence that I hate doing very deeply. That was the low, but it only went up from there! The owners, a Texan woman and local Kosovar man, made me feel right at home. Guests started arriving in waves with most people planning on staying just one night and then extending their stay on for 4 to 5. Between the staff and guests, it's been like having constant little travel families and stories that will last a lifetime. If I had to say what my absolute favorite thing to do is in Prishtina? It would be sitting on the porch with old and new friends, drinking the local brew called Peja, and talking about our travel lives and the things we love (and hate) about this fascinating little country. 2. Cafe Culture Along The BoulevardCafe culture is big in a lot of parts of Europe and my first experience with it was in Greece. The best place to have it here in Prishtina is along the pedestrian walkway in the center, The Boulevard. The street is lined with cafes, everybody hanging out and chatting for hours, and cupfuls of whatever caffeinated beverage your heart desires. I love cafe culture because it begs you to slow down, spend time with people, and, if you happen to be alone, to people watch and take in the world around you. (And maybe a little part of it reminds me of my first love, Seattle.) 3. Germia Park & Other Natural EscapesI've been to Germia Park twice, but if you heard the way I recommend it to our guests you would think that I spend every waking moment there. My true Californian colors shine whenever there's water involved and Germia Park has just that. At the beginning of the park is a lake-sized swimming pool nestled in the hills and in the hills there are trails for hiking and biking.
Outside of Germia Park, I've also joined our hostel's day trips to the mountains and waterfalls. I had no idea that Kosovo held such stunning natural beauties. A week and a half ago, I arrived in Tirana, Albania. I was able to find a last minute work exchange here at a hostel called Destil after my previous plans fell through. I'm taking the time to do some research and make some decisions for the future as well as review and reflect on some of my recent adventures.
This blog will be short on words and instead focus on some photos of my time on the small country and island of Malta. Why Malta? Nine years ago when I was working at a resort in Phoenix, I met a bunch of coworkers from all around the world. One of those was a Bulgarian woman named Maria. Thanks to the invention of the internet and social media we have kept in touch and I have now met her twice on my travels - once when we both happened to be in Bangkok and again in June when she hosted me at her home in Malta. Malta is a gorgeous island with medieval architecture, sandstone buildings and alleyways, unique balconies, and natural formations along the sea. Take a look for yourself! Like a big pizza pie, that's amore! I finally found a place that I had those strong romantic feelings for in Italy. i'll be honest. My expecations for Italy were high. Perhaps unattainable. While everything has been great (because Italy is Italy), it took me awhile to find my bearings in Italy. It for sure took me a bit to find somewhere I felt as strongly as I do about some of my other favorite travel destinations. That all changed when I reached the Cinque Terre. Surprising since, like Hoi An in Vietnam (where I also had very strong romantic feelings), it is quite touristy. Maybe it was the sea. Maybe it was the picturesque villages. Maybe it was the wine and seafood. Maybe it was hiking along the cliffs. Probably a combination of all the above. The Cinque Terre is a national park in Italy made up of five villages. Surprise! Cinque means 5 (kind of sounds like "cinco" from Spanish). The five villages (from north to south) are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. My favorite? Manarola. Why? Well, it was my first village that I visited. It has views of the other villages. And I had the loveliest first night there. Since, as I said before, Cinque mean 5, here are my top 5 suggestions if you visit the Cinque Terre: 1. Dive into the sea!I arrived to Manarola with my swimsuit in tow because I had heard you could dive right in or at least sit on a beach. I was game for whatever the coast was providing. My two pieces of advice for swimming in the Cinque Terre: (1) always bring your swimsuit and towel because you never know when you will want to take a dip, especially during the HOT summers. (2) Watch where you dive because there are sea creatures, like jelly fish, that can hurt you. Also when you're climbing the rocks be careful for creatures because there are ones that have spines. It's simple to avoid these things, but keep your eye out for them. 2. Hike between at least one of the townsWhen I was there in June 2015, the trails between Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Corniglia were closed (basically if you went south to north to the first 3 villages). However you could go from Monterosso to Corniglia via the hiking trails. Many people had warned me that the hikes were a lot more intense than the signs and locals make them out to be. They were correct. Even with the amount of hiking I have been doing in the last few months, these hikes were pretty intense. They are even more intense, if you're an idiot like me, and do them from north to south. The incline from Monterosso to Vernazza and then Vernazza to Corniglia had me wishing that I had taken the train. However people coming from the opposite direction seemed to be carrying themselves a little lighter. Lucky ducks. The reason you do the hikes is, not only to enjoy the coastal terrain, but also to see the views of the villages from a whole new angle. While you're resting at a lookout point (because you will be so exhausted), you will be able to see the entire village that you are either entering or leaving. The view is the thing of postcards and paintings...not to be cliche or anything. If you don't feel very fit, I still encourage you to hike at least one section. If anything, be like the German and French retirees that I saw and pack your walking sticks! 3. Get on a boatI took one ferry ride and rented a kayak for a couple hours. The ferry was peaceful, about 10 Euros, and gave me time to take some pictures of the villages I was leaving and entering from the water. The kayak journey is not for the faint of heart and definitely not advisable to go alone in the sea when a storm is approaching even if the guy says it will be fine. It was fine. However, if you do this then definitely be comfortable with kayaking, recruit someone to go with you, and maybe take a whistle just in case you need to flag down a nearby boat for help. 4. Eat all the seafoodOh man. Okay, the picture on the left is a fried seafood cone that was only 5 Euros and it was filled to the brim with goodness. Everything was fresh and tender. It was perfection. The picture on the right is of a seafood pasta. There were pieces of shellfish in there that I have never seen and I grew up on the West Coast and love seafood. The shellfish, octopus, and some fish are incredibly fresh in this area. It would be a crime to not splurge at least once (or twice) on a seafood meal here. 5. Last but not least, the wineThe rule in Italy is: drink all the wine. Every region is different and the flavors that you can taste mirror that. You can see the grapes growing off the hillsides and cliffs in the Cinque Terre. It is VERY necessary that you try the wines from here at least once.
While they have variations of reds and whites, the unique variety of this region is called Sciacchetra. It's basically a dessert wine. That means if you're debating between dessert and wine, choose the Sciacchetra to play the role of both. Those are my five recommendations for the Cinque Terre! If you have more questions, please feel free to leave a comment or write me an email. I'd love to help. :) [email protected] I'd like to start a new series on my blog called: "The People You Meet." (I'm taking suggestions for a more creative title. ;)) One of the first questions I'm often asked is if I'm travelling with someone or if I'm travelling by myself. When people find out that I'm travelling alone, they're usually surprised and immediately want to know how I do it and how I feel about it. The truth is that although I am technically travelling alone most of the time, I am never lonely or without help. I have one of the strongest support systems back at home and I am constantly meeting people along the way. Some of them will remain nameless and just a short memory like the countless locals who have walked me to my destination or paid for my transportation to make sure I get there safely. Some of them are unbelievably generous with their lives and time to me and we form bonds that no distance can shake. While I'd love to write about everyone I meet - both the nameless and the ones I have time to know longer - I will only be highlighting a few. The first person I'd like to introduce you all to is Nu. Nu and I met as a fluke really. I was supposed to meet with the marketing manager of KOTO, the organization in Ho Chi Minh City I was volunteering for, but they left the organization a week before my arrival. They sent Nu to meet with me instead. Right away we connected. I think she asked me how old I was and, since we happen to be the same age, I'd like to think she liked me right away. In a nutshell, if I had to choose someone to be a con artist with, it would be Nu. Together we made some of the smartest and stupidest decisions of my entire trip in Southeast Asia. Let's start with my favorite example, the night we were pulled over by the police. Nu was driving her motorbike with me on the back when we got pulled over for not having the headlights on. Problematic for two reasons (1) obviously not having the headlights on and (2) because Nu may or may not have had a license on her (spoiler alert: she didn't). Nu is fast on her feet and immediately concocted a story (I would later learn) that involved how she was rushing to take me home to my hostel because I was a foreigner and needed to get home. Although I understood nothing of what was going on because it was all in Vietnamese, at one point in the conversation Nu and the police officer both turned towards me. I thought to myself, "I bet she's using me as an excuse. Since sometimes people mistake me as a local, I should smile and wave hello so he knows I'm just another stupid American." Which I did. A few minutes later (and after falling sideways on the motorbike in front of all the police officers), we were on our way without a ticket! Nu asked if I had understood what they were talking about because I had waved and said "hello" at just the right time. Nope, we just make the perfect, trouble-making duo. Ways Nu Helped MeNu and I are really similar in a lot of ways. A few of those being that while we are both strong, independent women, we can also be pretty silly and clumsy. I hope that was illustrated in the above story. Nu was a lifesaver during my Vietnam trip in a lot of ways. Here are some of my favorite highlights: - "Nu Oy!!!!" This was a common phrase and cry from me during my time in Vietnam. If I wasn't seeking her help for translation or navigating in person, she was there to answer all my texts and cries for help. - While Vietnam obviously recognizes the calendar years, the New Year of Dec 31/Jan 1 holiday is not celebrated as much as the Lunar New Year (where basically most of the country gets up to two weeks off). One of our very first outings together was Nu indulging my desire to celebrate and ring in 2015. Her boyfriend and her took me to a local bar where we feasted and I learned that people from the Mekong Delta can hold their own. - At one point in Ho Chi Minh, I wasn't sure where I was going to live, I was obviously still unemployed, and I had lost my bag in Cambodia (don't make me relive that story). Nu immediately texted me when I had gotten my sense back and took me out to dinner. Food heals all. - While Nu is a local Vietnamese woman, owns her own motorbike, and has experience driving it, she is not the strongest driver when she has a passenger (she will even admit this). Once she admitted this to me and I agreed, I would occasionally drive both of us on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. The first few times it was hard to tell who was the more dangerous driver but after awhile I was confidently driving among the thousands of motorbikes. Thanks to her, I can say I learned how to drive the crazy streets of HCMC! - I've had a dream of experiencing Lunar New Year in an Asian country that celebrates it. Nu helped make that a realization when her family hosted me in Cam Ranh for the holiday. Ways I (Would Like to Think) I Helped NuThere aren't really a lot of things that I contributed to our relationship. In fact, I probably caused her more headaches. However, here are a few things I think I did provide:
- Laughs. I think that my favorite memories in Vietnam are laughing together at all the idiotic mistakes one (or both) of us made. - Since local transportation is a must to figure out when travelling on a budget, I've become somewhat of a master at learning local bus and metro lines. Such a master, in fact, that sometimes I end up teaching locals like Nu how to ride the bus. Yup. Two things. Maybe she can let me in on any other things I may have helped her with. She is someone who I still keep in contact with even though I left Vietnam in February. Nu is one of many who have helped me along my journey. I can't wait to highlight and share more of these stories with you all. Ciao! I'm writing to you from a B&B in the hills of Tuscany where I'll be spending the next four nights. I figured I should probably write you all a quick update before I start digging into the wine that's so famous around these parts. If Poland was ADORABLE, then Italy is Italy (if Italy can be used as an adjective, which it most definitely can). Italy is just as gorgeous and delicious as everyone says. I've spent a lot of time on trains and the scenery is breathtaking. I've also spent some quality time tasting any and all food and beverage recommendations thrown my way. I'm hoping that the amount of walking I have to do will balance out the amount of carbo-loading I'm doing. I didn't find a work exchange in Italy so most of my time here will be spent sightseeing and hopefully couchsurfing to meet locals and learn more about this deep rooted country. Below is a summary of my 2.5 weeks here with pictures and a few short snippets or moments from my journey so far. MilanMilan was my first stop in Italy, mostly because i found a cheap flight on Ryanair from Warsaw to Milan. My first 3 impressions/experiences in Milan: - I used Chinese before I even had a chance to practice some Italian phrases that I had learned or even English. Turns out, Milan has a huge Chinese population. Luckily for me I still know enough to ask for directions and help when I need it! - The center of Milan feels more majestic and Italian, but the outskirts are a little more gritty with evidence of the crisis in stores/shops closed up and (unrelated probably) tons of grafitti. It reminded me a lot of Athens actually. - My first stop in the morning was a gelato place my host recommended. While ice cream/gelato shops are more common in the summer in the States and usually crowded with families, gelato shops in Italy are frequented by the young and old alike. I love seeing people chowing down on a cone of gelato while they chat on their cell phone, carrying their briefcase, and basically saying nonverbally that this is just normal. LET'S MAKE GELATO NORMAL, AMERICA! And let's make a scoop $1 because, from what I remember, ice cream can be pricey in the States. Milano was nice enough, but after visiting other cities it has definitely moved to the bottom of my list of favorite cities in Italy. Peschiera del Garda & Verona (try #1)When I started researching Italy (basically two days before my arrival), there was definitely sticker shock when I looked at accomodation prices. Then after all my social time in Poland through my work exchange and the hosts through that, I wasn't ready quite yet to be going solo again. Enter Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is the perfect combination of meeting local people and having a free place to stay. I still promise a blog on the ins and outs of Couchsurfing, but for now just know that it allowed me to stay with a great host in the small town of Peschiera del Garda. I picked my host because they were close to Verona, which was my initial destination. However, the one day I tried to enter Verona by myself I was rained out after 2 hours. My time in Peschiera was most enjoyed spending time with my host at a local food festival (duh), wandering around their town, and eating THE BEST chocolate croissant from their local bakery. Rovereto, Verona (try #2), and BolzanoDuring my last week at my work exchange in Poland, I had the greatest roommate named Megan. Megan is a fellow American woman travelling on her own. She had spent a large portion of her time in Italy, which was perfect because that's where I was headed to next! Long story short, she was headed back a week after me but had asked her friend, Ben, if I could couchsurf with him until I figured out a plan. Ben was also an American and clearly amazing since he agreed to host me for almost a week without even knowing me beyond social media and Megan's recommendation (who I had also only known for a day before agreeing to all this!). Ben lives and studies in Rovereto. Rovereto is a charming town just north of Verona. I had a chance to go to the market, meet lots of other graduate and Ph. D students in Ben's classes, and rest and recoup for awhile. Leaving Poland after 6 straight weeks was hard for many reasons, and even though this is Italy I knew I was facing some travel fatigue. Ben's was the perfect place to regain my footing and I am so thankful that he provided the space for that. Also thankful that Megan was able to join us again because she is simply fantastic. While in Rovereto, I tried again to visit Verona. There I saw all the main attractions AND while debating visiting and paying for a ticket to go to the Arena for sunset, I learned that there was a free concert. Highlights of this concert include: doing the wave over 5x in a row with the whole Arena, hearing people get shushed when they clapped at inappropriate times, and having the Italian old woman next to me feed me candy. I also had the opportunity to visit Bolzano. This is a fascinating place because almost everything is initially in a dialect of German and THEN Italian. I met a couple from Bolzano, and they actually preferred to speak their German dialect because their Italian was about the same level as their English. The picture of Bolzano below is everything else you need to know about it - it's gorgeous. Florence, Siena, & San GimignanoFlorence, Siena, and San Gimignano were some of my touristy stops. All I really did in these cities was stop, take some pictures, and take in the history of these historical cities. Here are my highlights: Florence: My top favorite experiences were watching the sunset from Plazza Michelangelo, walking along the River Arno at night with a view of Ponte Vecchio, and eating the best gelato so far (pear & ricotta and cheesecake flavors) at a place called Carraia on the southside of the Carraia bridge. Siena: A gorgeous town with a rich history. I felt like my time was best spent wondering the alleyways of this town, but main piazza is also a must see. San Gimignano: My time here was short, but if you want to know what it feels to be in a medieval town than this place is it. Couchsurfing in TuscanyI spent 5 days total in the greater Florence area in the region of Tuscany. I spent one night in a hostel, 2 nights with a host in Empoli, and 2 nights with a host in Reggallo. In Empoli I stayed with Marco, Silvana (his wife), and their son. After I wrote my request, Marco invited me to stay with them in their country home in Empoli for one night and one night in their home in the town of Empoli. The highlight of my time (besides getting to know this sweet family) was seeing my FIRST FIREFLIES. You guys. They are so cool. I could have stared at them for hours (and I did). Then I moved to my host, Giovanni's, house in Reggallo. This was also a perfect spot because Florence is PACKED with tourists and while it's beautiful, I enjoyed the quiet of the countryside. Giovanni is surrounded by vineyards and was a very gracious host. What's Next????As a game changer, I actually have more plans ironed out for the next few weeks (and months) than normal.
This week I'll be in Tuscany. Then I'll head to the Cinque Terre (bucket list item of the year!!!!). Next I'll visit a friend in Malta, which is a tiny country just south of Italy. I'll return to Italy until 26 June when my time in Schengen countries is out (Americans only have 90 days in Schengen countries). From Italy I will head to work at a hostel in Albania for the summer. I'll post updates as the internet and time allows. For now, thank you as always for all your support and for following along. Ciao! Last weekend I celebrated 7 months of solo travel and almost 6 weeks in one of my favorite countries thus far, Poland. Two questions have probably come up in your head (and I've received countless emails and messages with the same questions): 1) HOW THE HECK ARE YOU PAYING FOR THIS? 2) Why Poland???? It's time to start revealing the secrets of travelling for long term on a budget and why the love for Poland is so strong. Finding Free Accomodations through Work ExchangesThis week I'd like to start by writing about how to find cheap or free accomodations. This is relevant because it's how I ended up spending so much time in Poland. The two ways I score free accomodation (along with meeting locals) is through Couchsurfing and work exchanges. This entry will focus on work exchanges. What is a work exchange? It's the basic idea of providing some sort of labor in exchange for accomodation and/or food. Work ranges from English (or another foreign language) teaching or tutoring, gardening or farming, childcare, elderly care, hospitality in hostels or B&B's or hotels, and animal care. Those are just a few examples. There are opportunities all over the world, even in the States, that are advertised by a subscription to a website for a small yearly fee. The two main websites used by most work exchange hosts and travellers are: workaway.info and helpx.net I signed up for workaway.info because I liked the website's usability a little more, but I meet more people on the road that are signed up for helpx. For only 20 Euros for two years, I'm thinking it might be worth it to sign up for both. My first work exchange was in Poland with an organization called Angloville. Why do you love Poland so much????BECAUSE IT'S ADORABLE. That's the simple answer. As soon as I crossed the Slovakian border into Poland on my bus, I knew I was in love. Our first stop was a simple petro station in the mountains where an old woman wrapped in floral scarves was selling baked cheeses. ADORABLE. Then we drove through the countryside there and spotted multiple tiny towns with quaint homes and beautiful churches. ADORABLE. My first city in Poland was Wroclaw (pronounced: Vv-row-suave) and they have over 300 gnome statues hidden around the city. ADORABLE. Should I keep going? I was already smitten with Poland and I hadn't even met the best part - the people. As soon as I stepped off the bus and found a bank to withdraw some cash, a man heard me speaking English, had his teenage daughter practice English with me to help me, and then proceeded to help me find my local bus and carry my bags to my station. Then I had the loveliest Couchsurfing hostess and host for a few days before I headed off to meet with the people for Angloville. My Work Exchange with AnglovilleAngloville is a Polish company that provides weekend and weeklong retreats for Polish people to improve their English. Most Polish participants are there because their company is or is becoming international and English will the official language, they have a customer that they will have to use English with, or they want to travel internationally. The week starts with a bus ride out into the countryside. When we arrive at our hotel location, we usually drop off our stuff and indulge in a heavy Polish lunch of all the classics - hearty soups, meat and starches, and (if you're lucky) dessert. Then the fun starts. From then on, there are only two rules to Angloville (1) you can only speak English and (2) you must be on time. Every day starts at 9AM for breakfast and game time ends around 9PM. That's when we are "on" and have to speak English all day long for all the different activities. If I do that, I have a cozy hotel room and all my meals provided for the week. Really tough stuff. The best part wasn't even the food (although it was plentiful and so delicious), it was meeting Polish people who had jobs in multinational corporations to government positions to creative entrepreneurs. AND we even got to meet some native English speakers with some fascinating backgrounds and stories to share as well. I spent a total of three weeks working with Angloville. There were Polish people who became close friends, opened up their cities and homes to me for visits after our week, and showed an overall gracious sense of hospitality. There were native English speakers who I bonded with, hope to connect with on future travels, and am even currently travelling with in my new location of Italy! Angloville and my work exchange provided an opportunity for relationships that I hope to hold on to for many years. Major Stops in PolandOutside of Angloville, I was able to do some major exploring of Poland. I still feel like there's so much to see! I really need to start planning my trip back. If anyone wants a tour guide...
Below (in order) are a picture from each of the cities I visited: -Wroclaw -Torun -Warsaw -Krakow -Gdansk (Sopot, Gydani, Hel) At the end of March, I completed my time in Southeast Asia and returned to Europe. I stayed in Budapest, Hungary for over a week with a Couchsurfing host and then moved on to Poland which is where I'm at for the moment. I love everything about Poland and have been taking advantage of almost every moment with people - locals and fellow travellers. This is my excuse for not writing this month, but more on that later... My last entry detailed "plans" I had for my time in Myanmar. I had twenty-six days in Myanmar and I thought I had my plans all worked out. They were all immediately erased as soon as I reached the meditation center I was so looking forward to as a retreat. When you ask people to describe a meditation center, most people would describe a quiet, serene space maybe with blank walls, mats lined up in rows, and soft music playing in the backrgound. Let's be honest, most of us would picture scenes from "Eat, Pray, Love" with Julia Roberts. Like this: This was not my experience. Instead picture a small village with some concrete buildings and straw/bamboo huts, dogs running around and barking madly, chickens everywhere, dusty roads and paths, roosters crowing almost every hour, scorching heat with no escape, and a megaphone that blasts Buddhist teachings and chantings in Burmese from about 5AM to 9PM. Not exactly the mental and physical retreat I was looking for after the chaos of the city. While it wasn't really for me, ThaBarWa Centre is a unique community just one hour outside of the city of Yangon. I learned about it from Couchsurfing.com where one of the monks listed the center as a place to stay. The center is a welfare village, taking care of anybody who cannot support themselves because of various reasons (mental or physical disabilities, social or economic reasons) and at the same time teaching them how to meditate and take care of their mind. Foreigners who choose to stay at ThaBarWa can take part in any of the activities with the monks and even volunteer in whatever way they may want to invest in the larger community. All the foreigners (myself included) would meet at 7PM every evening with one of the monks that spoke English, Uzin. Uzin would answer all of our questions about Buddhism, meditation, ThaBarWa, and even questions about how he decided to leave his business life in Singapore to become a monk. After the questions slowly died down and we sat in silence for a few minutes, he would decide it was time for meditation. I participated in meditation for two out of the three nights I was there, once we stood for one hour and then the other we did laying meditation for one hour and forty-five minutes. The way we practiced meditation was to stay in one position for a certain amount of time with no movement and to clear your mind of all thoughts. When a thought does come up, it's just a thought and you shouldn't concentrate on whether it's good or bad. Thought in, thought out. Mostly you're supposed to concentrate on your breathing - concentrating on the air entering your lungs and then feeling your blood oxyganate your entire body. The whole time, Uzin guided us along with teachings like, "Do not focus on your thoughts. They are not good or bad, they are just thoughts, nothing else" or "Do not focus on yourself. You are not alone in your pain" or (all of our favorite) "Sometimes comfortable, sometimes not comfortable." Let me tell you, the way we practiced meditation was not comfortable. Standing meditation was fine for the first five minutes, but by the end of the hour my feet felt like lead and I was drenched in sweat from concentrating so hard on not moving. When Uzin finally freed us and said, "Congratulations, you have completed standing meditation." We all collapsed to the ground. After standing meditation, the next night we were eager to try laying meditation. I mean, if we could stand for an hour than laying down for an hour and forty-five minutes would be easy-peasy! Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Unlike standing meditation, I felt fine for longer than the first five minutes. I actually felt really comfortable for awhile and thought I might fall asleep. Then I wasn't fine. Then I remembered that I was in a sweltering hot room. Then I was sure that the mat I was on with no pillows was digging into the back of my skull. Then I could feel mosquitoes landing on my arms and legs and sucking my blood into their tiny bodies. Then I felt an ant climb my neck and wind it's way close to the canals of my ear. "Do not move. Yes, you will experience pain but it is only temporary. Sometimes comfortable, sometimes not comfortable," says Uzin from a distance as I try not to have a complete anxiety attack. Just when I thought that I might curl up and die, Uzin breaks the silence with, "Congratulations. You have completed laying meditation." There's a pause and then one by one we all start bursting out in laughter, giggles, and sarcastic quips about how painful that was for each of us. It was comforting that I was not alone in my pain, although it would have been nice to not feel pain at all. My time in ThaBarWa was like a microcosm of my entire time in Myanmar. I had various expectations and plans but all of them were blown away. I was sometimes comfortable and sometimes really not comfortable. The only thing that really kept me going on my journey were the people- the locals and the small travel family we formed with people in the room that night (and along the way). Sometimes we were comfortable like when:
Sometimes we were not comfortable like when:
While the lists of "comfortable" and "not comfortable" are pretty close, the "not comfortable" times were made bearable by the people. Even when we were sweaty, anxious, and ready to give up, we were able to lean on each other and laugh at the crazy adventures we were experiencing together. Before Myanmar, I'd been learning how to enjoy my own company and be alone. Myanmar was a reminder and jump start back into how much I enjoy forming relationships with people. Sometimes adventures are made just a little sweeter when you can share the memories with someone else. A few more pictures from our journey... Hello from Yangon, Myanmar! I've been here for four nights and I am already quite smitten with this place. Yesterday I went on the Free Yangon Walking Tour (my first one in Asia, but a common activity in Europe) and learned so much about the history and culture of this place. And we only tapped the surface!
I can't wait to explore this country even more over the next month. While this country is growing very rapidly, the internet connection here is spotty at best depending where you are. This means that blog posts will also be spotty at best...depending where I am. I already have so many stories and pictures to share of this place. I'm not breaking my New Year's resolution though as I will be writing every week, but I just can't promise it will be posted. ;) One quick story - I tried to find a Couchsurfing host for Yangon, but everyone was booked or one guy was sick. After the Free Yangon Walking Tour I went to an Indian restaurant recommended by our guide (there is a heavy Indian influence here). The only customers were me and a Myanmar guy. I overheard him speaking English on his phone, so when he got off I decided to try to make conversation with him. When he mentioned he had just been recovering from a sickness similar to the guy I had messaged, I asked him if he did Couchsurfing. Turns out it was the same guy! Of all the Indian restaurants in the city and of all the people to be sitting in that restaurant. It was an incredible small world moment. We ended up chatting and walking around the city for the remainder of the evening. It was such a random event and now I have a new friend in the city! Couchsurfing is a great social connector. I have a post about that coming soon... Moving on, here are my "plans" for the next month. I use quotation marks because I've been making "plans" for the last month, only for each and every one of them to be overturned by something or another. But here they are for now, and I really can't wait to update you all on what happens.
Quick travel: update: After almost 2 months in Vietnam, I am leaving tomorrow morning to spend about 20+ days in Myanmar (Burma). From Myanmar, I will make my way back to Thailand to catch my flight back to Budapest on March 28th. I know the next month will fly by and I'll keep updating the blog as often as I have internet. If you have any suggestions or tips for Myanmar, pass them on. I have a rough itinerary, but I am still open to suggestions! Back to the blog... If you've met me, you know that I love good food, I love exploring a city/state/country's food culture, and I love passing on my knowledge to others. Vietnam has been an amazing culinary journey and I have had dishes that are sold across the country and dishes that are specific to a certain region or city. One of the challenging (and most rewarding things for me) things while travelling internationally is being able to order food from a local restaurant when there are no menus in English. Below I have highlighted some of my favorite dishes along with the city in which I ate them. If you are travelling to Vietnam soon, take a look (or even try finding these dishes at your local Vietnamese restaurant)! You can always write down the name and ask your hotel/hostel/host the best place to find that dish. They will be impressed that you know about something other than pho or fried rice. BBQ It UpThis is at a sit down restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), but you can find BBQ skewers EVERYWHERE. Growing up in the Southwest, we grilled all the time because the weather is rarely cool. Grilling involves two of my favorite things - fire and food. I've eaten so many BBQ skewers in Vietnam it's a little ridiculous. You can eat them on the street (make sure they grill it in front of you) or you can find restaurants where you can order platters of meats or veggies to grill yourself. Also, SO CHEAP. I saw skewers for as cheap as 5,000 Dong (that's less than 25 cents), but expect to pay more at a restaurant. Noodle Soup It UpNoodle soups are in endless supply in Southeast Asia in general, but I'm a HUGE fan of Vietnamese noodle soups. If you see the words: pho, hu tieu, or bun on a sign, there's a good chance you can order noodle soup from that place. Here are some of my favorites: Wrap It UpMost of my favorite meals have involved meat/seafood/poultry, vegetables, and condiments. Then you put all those things in a rice wrapper, roll it up, and eat it. You just keep rolling and eating and rolling and eating and rolling and eating...until you're rolling on the ground stuffed with goodness. Condiment It UpI learned really quickly that condiments are just as important as the meal itself in Vietnam, and many parts of Southeast Asia. While in the States (and maybe other Western countries) it can be seen as an insult to the chef if you douse their hard work with sauce and seasonings, it's not here! Add on as much as you want. Make it as spicy as you want. Have it your way. Brave It UpIf you're feeling brave and wanting to try something really out of your comfort zone, look for "hot vit lan" or baby duck egg. In other parts of Southeast Asia you'll hear them referred to as "balut". Basically if you're lucky yours may have a beak or some feet in the egg. If you're unlucky, it'll just taste like a regular hard boiled egg. Get your condiments ready for this one, folks!
Leave it to me, the hopeless romantic, to unknowingly pick the quaint and charming town of Hoi An to spend Valentine's Day weekend...by myself. Lucky me! Honestly though, I loved it. At home and in my travels there are certain places that give you romantic feelings (even without a romantic partner). In Seattle, it's strolling the Ballard Locks with a hot beverage. In California, it's the Ramos House Cafe in San Juan Capistrano for brunch. In Nashville, it's sipping wine at Arrington Vineyards. In Athens, it's any cafe with a view of the Acropolis. In Cambodia, it was bicycling through Angkor Wat. This weekend it's Hoi An, Vietnam, all of it. I can't quite put my finger on what makes Hoi An special to me. It's fairly touristy, which I usually hate, but it keeps it's own spunk and charm with artsy shops and magical river walks by lantern light. There's no more cliche way to show your love than through poetry, so this week's blog features haikus on my favorite aspects of Hoi An (with pictures of course). Enjoy! At night, visit the River to float along with Small paper lanterns. Enjoy regional Specialties in Hoi An like Com ga and com lau. Tailor made dresses And suits for gentlemen Ready in one day. Reaching Out Teahouse Where they serve high quali-TEA While serving social good. Bicycle along Rice paddies and farmland to Relax at the beach. |