Part of the fun of traveling is eating out, discovering new dishes and buying food in the markets. The first thing we noticed in Israel was how expensive eating out was, so we tended to go for cheaper eats where we could. This may be why our experience of Israeli food was dominated by hummus and falafel! If you order ‘hummus’ on the menu it typically comes with pita bread and pickled vegetables and/or olives, sometimes with falafel and usually with small side salads. […]
food
Ramallah, Palestine
Ramallah, just 10km north of Jerusalem, has become Palestine’s de-facto capital, home to the Palestinian parliament, government ministries and the offices of the President and Prime Minister. Closely associated for me with the Intifada and Palestinian resistance, Ramallah is today the most affluent and liberal city in Palestine and the cultural hub of the West Bank, with many famous Palestinian activists, poets, musicians and artists residing here. We took a Palestinian bus from Jerusalem for the short trip, without much of a plan of […]
Sleepy Sigatoka
It was always going to be hard to match the beauty and enjoyment of staying on Kuata Island but I couldn’t stay there forever. It was time to explore the mainland. The bus from Nadi to Sigatoka (pronounced Singatoka) was less than $6 and took an hour. I was the only non-Fijian on the full bus. An older bearded gentleman sat next to me. After a while we had a little chat. Turns out he went to Canterbury University and Massey back in the […]
Barefoot Kuata Island
Day 2 in Fiji, I headed to the Denerau Marina where I was to take my boat to Barefoot Kuata Island. Denerau is actually an island, less than 3 square kms in size, attached to the mainland by a causeway. The golf course on the way in looked gorgeous as did the homes on the other side of the road. Few locals can afford to own them though and this is a distinctly tourist area. The Marina was a relaxed yet busy place with all […]
Arriving in Fiji
Nadi (said Nandy, rhymes with Andy) is home to Fiji’s only International airport, so travellers usually need to stay here for at least a night before their boat leaves to the islands the next morning or they head off for more beautiful spots on the mainland. There is plenty of accommodation available here with all the fancy hotel chains having beach side resorts in Denerau (where the marina is) and a few backpackers and hotels in Nadi itself. I opted for an air bnb […]
Angloville
In 2016 Antony and I did 5 different Angloville programmes (and a Diverbo Englischhausen which I will blog about separately). All the programmes were really enjoyable and a great chance to meet locals. We can highly recommend doing these programmes if you are a native English speaker travelling in Europe! Participating in an Angloville programme usually means spending 5 nights in a resort or hotel in the countryside, where, as native English speakers, you receive all meals and accommodation for free. In return you […]
Krakow (Part 2)
Legend has it that Krakow was founded on the defeat of a virgin-eating dragon! A statue of this dragon is to be found betwen the Vistula River and Wawel Castle and if you’re lucky, you’ll see it breathe fire. The legend goes that as well as eating cows, the dragon found virgin girls particularly tasty. Given the King had a daughter who could very well be the dragon’s next victim, he offered the daughter’s hand in marriage and half his kingdom to anyone who […]
Day 5 Operation Refugee
Today, June 20th, is World Refugee Day and the last day of Operation Refugee. It has been a really interesting experience eating these refugee rations. I am stoked we have been able to raise so much money for refugees… together our sponsors have donated $2395. My individual total is the highest at the moment, being $1759 but I’d love to see it get to $2000. People can donate for another month so it’s not too late! Click here if you want to support Syrian […]
Day 4 Operation Refugee
Our first night in the tent went without a hitch… the forecast rain was very light and came around 6.45am after Antony was already up and inside. It wasn’t too cold outside, about 3 degrees the low. I was toasty warm in my sleeping bag with a long sleeve merino top, PJ pants and a warm hat. Antony had just boxers on but was warm enough – such a hottie 😉 We both slept fine. Frost and minus 1 forecast tonight though! Usually on […]
Day 3 Operation Refugee
Day 3, Sunday June 18 dawned and the first thing I did was grab my phone and check the total amount we’d raised in Operation Refugee. $2000 exactly! Thanks to some clever exchange rate calculations, my Scottish friend was the one to get the total to that exact amount. I looked outside to a very white lawn and frozen garden and thought… oh boy, we’ll be sleeping there tonight. A little bit crazy! This morning Antony stacked the load of firewood that had arrived, then […]