TRAVELLING BACHS |
Author: Beth So as the title suggests, I was lost in Panama. Sounds frightening, right? It was. I was genuinely afraid. Let me start from the beginning: I was travelling solo around central America, after flying more than 5,000 miles to escape the smog-filled bubble that is London. I was used to travelling alone and honestly enjoyed the freedom. Don’t get me wrong, I am a sociable person, but to have the ability to go where you want, whenever you want, without having someone by your side, is all I have wanted in life. After two weeks of sunbathing (burning) on the beach and drinking too much (alcohol not water as I should have been) in Costa Rica, it was time to cross the border into Panama. A few people had recommended a remote hostel, aptly named ‘Lost and Found’ - hidden in the western hills. It’s a steep stretch to reach the hostel, but the view from the top is so worth the mid-morning hike in the sweltering sun. I dared to lie in the swinging hammocks, overlooking the stunning mountains. It was breathtaking. After taking in the views, this brand new home for a few nights, I felt my belly began to rumble. The cost of meals at the hostel wasn't cheap and would soon amount to a fair bit in just one week, so I headed out on my own in search for food, down the steep hill to the main road. ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ - I sighed. The nearest store was a 10-minute walk away once you reach the bottom of the hill, and after a 15 minute walk, it was clear, that I walked in the wrong direction. So, I had no idea where I was, I was tired, my feet were aching and I had no water or food on me. It was only late in the afternoon but I was scared. More than scared. Where was I?
I was out of my depth, with no idea what to do, I slumped down not the ground, and all the confidence I had previously felt about ‘travelling alone’ was starting to fade away. After what seemed like an eternity, I saw a glimmer of hope driving towards me in a white van. I held out my thumb, and closed my eyes in fear it wouldn't stop, or worse still, in fear it would stop. A short man with the biggest smile on his face, stepped out of the van, took one look at me and we stood there in silence. He gestured me into the van, and so I took a chance. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat in the passengers seat, with the cool breeze of the air conditioning and smiling family pictures posted all around. I told him where I wanted to go, and he just handed me bottle of cold water and turned the engine on. I was starting to feel better when I heard the Spice Girls singing on the radio. Viva forever? Oh yes. I was going to be ok.
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Author: Beth Part 1 - HanoiSimilar to capital cities across Asia, Hanoi is a bustling noisy one, with a reported 5 million motorbikes on the roads along with Tuk tuks, taxis, cars and bicycles. The streets are littered with rubbish, food waste and there is a smell to it, not a strong one but a lingering smell that lasts throughout the day and into the night. This city is a great central point if you want to explore nearby towns/cities which can be done in a 1/2 day trip - and that's exactly what we did. This wasn't our original plan but we received great advice and help from Ann, who worked as the receptionist at our hotel. We stayed at Hanoi Sincerity Guest House a basic and simple run down hostel but it is located in a great location. In almost all the reviews, tourists are raving about Ann or 'Miss Ann' - she was a fountain of knowledge about the area, and went above and beyond for us in helping organising trips to pointing out the best places to eat. Famously known for its 'street train' we were excited to catch a glimpse of this unique attraction. Videos online have shown a wide train flying through the streets of Hanoi, almost to big to fit through! It wasn't too hard to find and once you have you know you're in the right place, as train tracks are running right up the street (pictured above) with houses and even small cafes remaining open for most of the day. Unfortunately, we didn't see the train despite walking there twice over 2 days. We were given different times by so many different people , so if you manage to see it at all, count yourself lucky! Here is a link to a video of said train - Hanoi street train We found a treasure of a breakfast place and looked forward to returning there each morning. The place is called Joma bakery cafe and served food from croissants to cooked foods including vegan and veggie options! As much as we enjoyed Vietnamese food out there, it was great to have a taste of treats from home. I enjoyed a granola bowl and seeded bread with mango and cream - delicious (pictured below right) along with some traditional Asian cuisine and a typical busy Hanoi street. Our sleepy journey to Sapa Having read about sleeper buses, we decided this was the best way to travel to Sapa in north Vietnam, about 200 miles from Hanoi. After a rush to find the bus stop and a lot of help from Miss Ann - we managed to board and find 2 beds together. There's around 30 beds on board and they are mainly used for long journeys (hence the name - sleeper bus) The trip to Sapa was 7 hours plus and felt like it... Fortunately, the bus had air con, wifi, free water, a safe place for your bags, and a cable for charging phones, so listening to music/podcasts was not a problem. The beds are comfortable enough and although I can't remember if there was a toilet on the way there (as we made 2 stops on route for a comfort break and a leg stretch) there was definitely a toilet on our sleeper bus back. Ensure you have tissues and hand sanitiser with you at all times - and if you have ever been on a coach journey before I'm sure I don't need to tell you the perils of a bus toilet....! As I mentioned before there are comfort breaks where you can pick up snacks, but we were lucky to find a bakery store in Hanoi called King Roti - selling sweet treats for as little as 50p/cents - definitely worth a trip and the long queues are worth the wait! Author: Beth Venice is unlike anywhere else I have ever been. It is a unique, but expensive city. Yes your € can go further in some parts of Spain, and I have even heard that other parts of Italy are cheaper, but, Venice IS worth it. Surrounded by water, it is a beautiful place, and refreshing to not see one motor vehicle on the streets. We landed in Venice in mid-June (before we knew just how hot Wales would be all summer!) If you go and it's due to be hot, pack: suncream, after sun, sunglasses, a hat, a parasol - anything to keep you shaded from the strong sun. We took the water bus 'Ailaguana' from the airport into Venice, as a friend told me to arrive that way and "It's like being in a Bond film!" She was right, it is a pretty cool to start a holiday. The water bus cost around €15 one way and took 35 minutes. Water taxis will cost a bit more, and of course, trains are an option, but they take an hour or just under. Getting Around It is so easy to get lost in this city. You can spend the whole day wondering around the side streets, crossing many, many bridges, and finding that you have walked miles. After walking a gruelling 9.3 miles on our first day in 28/29 degree heat (!!) we had a look at the fares for the ACTV water buses. Daily tickets and single on way rides aren't cheap but a 2 day pass costs €30, and trust me, it is worth it. There are so many routes and you will find water stops all over, close to wherever you want to go, and you can hop on and off as many times as you want for 24 hours. The boats are often packed full of people, and unless you are quick to get a seat, you will have to stand. Where to eat? Vino Vero is a place I recommend for wine and tapas lovers (pics below) Situated on a quieter part of the riverbank, it's a great spot to relax in the sun, or shade over delicious and reasonably priced food called Venezian tapas. But get there early, doors opened at 6, and there are few tables by the canal. Ostaria Antico Dolo - a narrow cafe/bar we found by chance. Near the Rialto bridge, this is great spot for a light lunch or for a glass of wine. Despite it being so close to one of the biggest tourist attractions in Venice, the prices aren't bad at all. Order their house wine, red or white, both are worth a sip. I tried a tuna pizza at Dodo Cafe and drank Aperol spritz by the river. Another great find by the canal. The street in Cannaregio was packed most night, full of tourists or students, drinking at the bars, and is far enough away from the centre, if you'd like a change of scenery. Small cosy coffee bars can be found on almost every street corner, and the espresso is cheap and strong. Torrefazione Cannaregio is a stand-up coffee bar in Cannaregio, where you can start your day right with a 90 cents espresso shot. What we did As beautiful as this city is, it is one of the most expensive European destinations I have ever been to. You can budget for your break of course, but be prepared to spend €30-50 for a meal (starter and meal with drink). Visiting the main tourist attractions will set you back by quite a bit, but how often do you find yourself in Venice? St Mark's Square is a big, grand area, full of tourists, day and night, just taking it all in. It's particularly great in the evenings when restaurants welcome orchestras and bands, and music is all around you - a rather romantic atmosphere. They say the view from the clock/bell tower in St Mark's square is great, but if you'd like a 360 panorama version, head to the T Fondaco Dei Tedeschi A shopping mall full of expensive bags, purse and shoes at first glance, but head to the top floor, and you will find a queue of people waiting to see Venice from above (pics below) The views of the city are fantastic, and it's free! We were fortunate to stumble across this and queued for less than 5 minute, as only a limited number of people are allowed on the rooftop at a time. On our final full day in Venice, we stayed on the water bus a little longer and headed to Lido de Venezia. A friend, who has visited Venice many times, suggested we hit the beach to escape the city buzz.
To our surprise, the streets on the lido were littered with cars, vans and bikes, and the city looked so far away, despite it being a 10 minute boat trip. I understand that beach days aren't for everyone, especially if you've planned a city break - but for us, it was a refreshing way to spend an afternoon, and a dip in the sea was more than welcome. I had wanted to do this for a very long time and in my new-found independent phase I decided that I wanted to do it on my own. Far from the original purpose of a religious pilgrimage to visit the shrine of the apostle St James the Great, my aim was to have a nice outdoor experience in the North of Spain, a physical challenge and to learn to get by with the basics while enjoying of the wonderful Spanish cuisine I miss so much. In a way, it was "an atittude of search" as they require for you to obtain the certificate once you finish and that I will explain below.
Do you want to know how did it go for me? Do you want to learn more about it because maybe you fancy doing it yourself? Read my story to find out where I went wrong and the kind of stuff you need to take with you. Author - BethThe Philippines has never been high on my long list of countries to visit, but when a friend asked if I wanted to escape a bitter January in Britain and spend two weeks in a foreign HOT country, I jumped at the chance! There are more than 7,000 islands across the Philippines, and I had a mere fortnight to try and see as much of them as possible. We travelled a lot more than I thought we would, and looking back I am glad we saw as much we did. However, a two week break isn’t a very long time, and worrying over which bus to take at what time, isn’t worth it. After all, a holiday should be relaxing and stress-free time. So, here is my guide of what to see, where to go when travelling across the Philippines. So Fran, do you agree with my guide? What do you think? Manila It was a long 13-hour flight to Manila, and the hot muggy weather infused with the traffic noise hits you right away. All I wanted to do was meet my friend at the condo we had booked, and go to bed. Taxis queue right outside the departure terminal and most drivers are willing to haggle on the price, but of the very little advice I did read, the pound to PESO ratio was good, and 150 PESO for one person is less than £3 each and was enough for journeys that taken more than 10 minutes. Skyscrapers, Starbucks and McDonalds’ restaurants were around every corner, but the streets were dirty, full of rubbish, and cable leads were hanging from poles. It was hard to escape the crime stories plastered all over the local newspapers, sharing news of gun and knife crimes, and local drug dealers being shot by police. Moalboal From Manila we flew to Cebu, another busy town, with a great big bus terminal, that will take you to all the main ports across the island. We took a four hour coach journey from Cebu at midday – it wasn't pleasant. Temperatures reached 28/29 ºC most days, and despite the air-conditioning and plastic covered seats, it was an uncomfortable journey and looking at the blue ocean and the green fields, just weren’t the same from behind glass windows. To our relief, Moalboal was only a 2 hour bus ride away and, avoiding the bigger restaurants, we found a small local cafe, run by a Philippine family, who served a delicious helping of fresh fish and rice, for as little as £3-4 each. Tricycles lined the main roads, and most relied on pedal power alone, with no engine what so ever. A one way trip will cost you as little as 100P each, (less than £2), and is the cheapest way to travel through the town. Oslob I was excited to visit this tiny town, and if you’re a big fan of sea life, like I am, it’s definitely worth a visit. Do not miss out on the chance to swim with whale sharks, the town of Oslob is famous for it, and for just 3,000P each, just over £50, you’ll be glad you did it. Despite a 6am wake up call and just a slice of left over pizza for breakfast, we headed for the beach, and arrived in time to watch the orange sunrise over the sea. The sheer size of the whale sharks doesn’t hit you until you’ve jumped in the water and they are merely a few feet away. Fortunately, they don’t spot you, and they’re more than happy to float around, eating fish and minding their own business. Siquijor Named the Isla del Fuego or the island of fire, Siquijor is famous for its witchcraft and known healers, and was the first green lush area with a lot less tourists than we had expected. We booked a small wooden hut, complete with a huge double bed and mosquito net, and a tiny bathroom with one toilet, sink and a shower head. This was a typical Philippine style bathroom, and hot water was a rarity. With help from friendly locals, we found the island’s 400-year-old tree. It was an impressive size but we were pointed in the direction of the island’s stunning waterfalls. After a ten minute walk downhill on rickety wooden steps, we discovered four stunning waterfalls, and spent the afternoon swimming around in its clear blue waters- the best way to cool down. Boracay After a week and a half of travelling around, staying just one or two nights in small hostels, we finally arrived at the stunning island of Boracay. Now, I do not use the word ‘paradise’ lightly, but I can’t think of another word to describe how I felt when I saw the 4km stretch of white sand at the White beach in Boracay. If I could change anything about my time in the Philippines, it would be to travel a lot less and to research all the places we had planned to visit beforehand. It’s a beautiful country and I would fly back there tomorrow – but on my own terms. It’s hard to pack everything into a two-week holiday, and experience has taught me to prioritise what you want to do and where to avoid, and if that means travelling a group or venturing on your own path, then so be it. |