Feeling Lucky in Malta

September 17, 2015 by Julia

Once in a while the present can hit you right in the chest and you recognize instantly how amazing this very moment is. This week in Malta has been exactly like that.

On Land

The country of Malta is actually three inhabited islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. I skip over the main island of Malta and head straight to Gozo, the smaller and more laidback option. Gozo is known for being the location of many films and TV shows: Parts of Troy, Game of Thrones, and Brad and Angelina’s new movie By The Sea were all filmed here. There’s a very distinctive landscape with rocky limestone cliffs, which are reflected in the scenery under the water as well. It’s evident the cities here were built long ago because the streets are impossibly small and difficult to navigate. Vehicles constantly have to pull over to allow oncoming traffic to pass and I’m still in awe that busses can fit around even the tiniest street corners. Not to mention all the roads look the same and curve in confusing directions. One night I spend a full hour walking in circles trying to navigate the 1km from the town square back to the guesthouse. Quite an adventure!

Though the island is small, the busses run so infrequently that I learn it’s actually better to walk the 2.5km to the dive shop in the morning than to try to navigate the bus schedule.

View of my daily morning commute — not too bad!

Marsalforn, where my dive shop is located

Actually one of the larger sized roads in Gozo

Yes, this is a two-way street and yes, busses drive through here

Under Water

There’s lots to explore on the island, but my sole intention is diving so I spend five of the six days here underwater – exactly where I’m happiest! It’s my first time diving in Europe and it’s very different than anywhere else I’ve been so far. Continue reading →

Tunisia: Hamdallah!

September 14, 2015 by Julia

Two weeks in Tunisia to kick off these travels. It’s my first time in an Arab country, though Tunisia is referred to as “Arab-lite” since it’s less extreme and strict than other Arab countries. The Tounsi language is a mix of Arab and French so I can understand a small bit, but much of it is a mystery of sounds. It’s also an adjustment being back in such a conservative society with so much male-female segregation and sexual repression. I have to once again be extremely mindful about how to dress and deal with incessant yells and honks walking down the street (usually a mix of “Nihao!” and “Konichiwa!” hollered at me for no good reason).

But before all else I have to get on Tunisian time, which can involve sleeping until 1pm and sitting down to dinner at 1am. Everything is at a leisurely pace, which suits me perfectly coming off of so many months of nonstop work and activity. I meet some great people, swim in lovely beaches, and visit the beautiful northern tip of the country. But many days I do absolutely nothing except relax, meditate, cook, and read.

There’s an interesting energy here as the country is going through transition and political instability. You can feel it in the attitudes of the young people; in the intense road rage of the taxi drivers; in the beaches full of people at 11am on a Thursday morning (nobody has to work??). I’m thankful to have experienced a sliver of Tunisia, but I’m also looking forward to moving on and hopefully seeing the Tunisian people find more peace and stability in the near future. Continue reading →

Third Time’s a Charm?

August 25, 2015 by Julia

This is the third time I’m packing up and leaving New Haven to go on the road. Incredible how life unfolds itself in the most unexpected ways. It may seem similar, but here’s what’s different this time around.

I’m lighter… Spent the last 3 months purging my parents’ house, which has been my dumping ground for 10+ years. MANY bags and boxes of books, clothes, gadgets and gizmos tossed, sold, and donated. I’m leaving physically, mentally, and energetically lighter.

Clear eyes, full hearts… What began as a brief interlude in between travels turned into more than a year of tremendous growth. I learned to embrace the subtleties of staying in one place. I found community. I discovered the power and humbleness of being a teacher and serving others. And I leave New Haven this time not out of a desperate need to escape, but instead with my heart already so, so full.

My Intention… Is to go deeper inward. My friend Anna and I used to joke that we went all the way to India just to sit in a room with our eyes closed for hours. A bit funny but also true. This time there’s no need for guidebooks or grand itineraries. I am absolutely ecstatic about simply floating in the middle of the ocean, deepening my yoga and meditation practice, and spending time with great friends who expand my soul. Doing nothing, just BEING.

But first…
The very first thing I’ll be doing as soon as the plane takes off is… sleeping!! Another joke Anna and I used to say in India was that by the time we finished our morning practice and fully enjoyed breakfast, it would already be 2pm and nearly time to get ready for dinner. After 15 months of East Coast grind, I’m ready to surrender back into a natural rhythm and allow my mind and body relax, absorb, and process.

In the inevitable whirlwind before any trip, I was up until 3am last night trying to figure out how to fit a year’s worth of gear for temperatures ranging from 10-35deg C into a single backpack that wasn’t horrendously overpacked. Not sure I succeeded but it eventually looked something like this:

My packing skills are a little rusty, but a copy of The Prophet is always included. Food for the traveling soul!

Follow Me:
Aug 25-Sep 10: Tunis, Tunisia
Sep 11-17: Gozo, Malta
Sep 18-29: Tubingen, Germany
Sep 30-Oct 6: Barcelona & Madrid, Spain
Oct 7: Mother India!

India: First Impressions

December 31, 2013 by Julia

I was prepared for a very difficult India — a dirty, noisy, chaotic, and dangerous India. These are the impressions I was given before arriving and I land in Delhi fully on guard. But this is not the India that greets me. I walk out of Delhi airport to a fairly calm morning, without the expected rush of touts and chaos. I take the metro to Greater Kailash 1, a much nicer and calmer neighborhood than the main backpacker area, and easily find my guesthouse with the help of some kind locals. It’s an unexpectedly gentle introduction to a country full of extremes.

Gradually I do begin to see the India that so many warn about: streets so crowded it’s impossible think or breathe; the pungent smell of shit that hits without warning; the extreme poverty; the stares from men as you simply walk down the street; the constant bother from touts and beggars that you can only deter by being extremely rude and harsh in return. All these things exist but they’re part of an India that I already knew to expect. I’m not shocked or put off by these things.

What shocks me is how much I love it here. I can talk about the heavenly array of vegetarian food, the delicious chai, the beautiful clothing, the cheap cost of living, the ease of communicating in English, the fascinating temples and rituals, and so much more. But above all, there’s a palpable energy here that’s unlike anywhere else. The life lessons, realizations, and experiences I’m having here every day is blowing my mind. It’s almost impossible to explain in words except to say that India is taking me on a very spiritual journey.

So far I’ve spent 5 days in Delhi, including a one-day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I stayed in a wonderful guesthouse and got to spend time with an old friend and many new ones. I then took a sleeper train to Rishikesh, also known as the “yoga capitol of the world.” I completed a 7-day yoga/meditation retreat at an ashram, which I will definitely write more about separately as it was a really unique experience. Rishikesh as a whole has a unique vibe. It’s a spiritual and peaceful place along the Ganga river, full of ashrams offering different yoga and meditation courses. I’ve been here for 2 weeks so far and plan to stay another week more. I’ve made a great group of friends and am looking forward to ringing in the new year here.

More to come in 2014!

To India and Beyond

December 10, 2013 by Julia

Leaving for India tomorrow!! Planning on being on the road for a few months. Rough itinerary:
December – Yoga/meditation retreats in Rishikesh
January – Western & Southern India
February – Permaculture Design Course at Heal The Soil in Auroville
March – Malaysia Borneo & Brunei
April-May – Philippines

Made a playlist of my favorite traveling tunes:

Will update when I get there and settled!

Laos Part III: Some Anecdotes

December 9, 2013 by Julia

For having spent only 13 days there, I have a lot of fond memories of Laos.

The LPB Night Life
After months on the road, Luang Prabang is a good place to put down the backpack and chill for a while. Stick around for more than a day and you will discover the top three hangout spots that almost every backpacker in town will inevitably frequent in this order:

1. The night market buffet – For 10,000 Kip (~$1.25) you get all the vegetarian food you can possibly pile on a single plate. Meat eaters have to dish out a few more thousand Kip. This place is wonderful and disgusting at the same time. The first time you go, you can’t believe someplace this great actually exists. By the third night, you try to talk yourself into going somewhere else for dinner — after all, there’s no way those huge piles of food can be fresh night after night — but the pull of the buffet is just too strong.

Really, how can you resist?

2. Utopia – A typical backpacker bar scene. Beerlao, volleyball, and a view of the river. Not to mention it’s a nice walk over after stuffing yourself silly at the buffet.

3. Bowling – Ah, the night’s main event. All the bars in LPB are required to close at 11:30pm sharp; the bowling alley is one of the few places open and serving alcohol past this curfew. Walk out of Utopia around closing time and every tuk-tuk driver in town will be waiting to take truckloads of drunk backpackers to and from the bowling alley. This is the place to be if you want to go out for a good time past midnight. It is as ridiculous and hilarious as it sounds.
Continue reading →

Laos Part II: A Crash Course in Motorbiking

December 6, 2013 by Julia

No SE Asia trip would be complete without some motorbike adventures. Mine takes place over the course of five action-packed days in Laos.

Day 1: Crash
I arrive in Luang Prabang fresh off a 13-hour night bus from Huay Xai and decide this is the perfect time to drive a motorbike for the first time. Some new friends from the hostel are renting motorbikes to go to the Kuang Si waterfall, about 30km away. When the kid brings out the bikes, I ask him to teach me, emphasizing that I’ve never driven one before. His tutorial lasts about 30 seconds. I’m sensing a trend in this country (see previous post on the amazing tutorial I got on zip lining in Laos).

With not much else to go on, I decide to hop on and give it a go. Women and kids all over Asia ride these things with bags of groceries, half their family, and a chicken coop piled on the back. This can’t be that hard. I inch down the narrow little street, wobble over a couple speed bumps, and then crash full-on into a parked car while trying to make a tight left turn. Crap. The bike falls on me but luckily not much damage is done except for a scraped knee and shattered ego. The locals at that corner got quite a show.

I decide perhaps this isn’t the best time to drive a motorbike for the first time after all.
Continue reading →

Laos Part I: The Gibbon Experience

December 5, 2013 by Julia

This might be the coolest place I’ve ever slept: a treehouse 40m off the ground in the middle of the Laos mountains!

The Gibbon Experience is a conservation project established in 2010. It built an extensive network of zip lines and tree houses in the Bokeo Nature Reserve in northern Laos. Money earned through tourism here goes toward protecting the forest and its resident gibbons.

The first thing I learn about zip lining is that you must first climb up to be able to fly down. Funny how that works. After being driven from town into the forest and meeting up with our guide, we spend the first morning on a 2-hour uphill trek. Most people opted for the longer 3-day, 2-night package, so our group is an intimate party of two: me and a Kiwi from Auckland. Our actual group is much larger though — we’re accompanied by two local guides, a chef, a woman carrying food, and a few other staff that inconspicuously travel just ahead of us so that everything is miraculously arranged and ready upon our arrival. This must be how the queen lives.

Two guides and two queens

The zip lines set up through the forest are impressive. The longest lines are 600-700m long and some parts must be at least 40-50m off the ground. Here are the “safety instructions” we receive to fly on the zip lines:
1. A 5-minute safety video shown at the Gibbon Experience office before heading into the forest.
2. A 30-second demonstration by our local guide upon arriving at the first zip line.

Got it? Great. The guide zips off down the line, leaving the Kiwi and I staring at each other, hoping to god that we correctly understood and remembered everything he just said. The remaining guide, who doesn’t speak English, watches as I hesitantly clip onto the line and then nods that I’m good to go. His confirmation is far from reassuring — I’ve learned long ago that the locals will always nod and answer yes, even if they don’t understand a word you just said.

Continue reading →

SE Asia Chronicles: Myanmar!

November 17, 2013 by Julia

I didn’t get vaccinations before going to SE Asia and somewhere along the way I caught the “must-see-everything” bug. That’s how I ended up with a crazy whirlwind itinerary in Myanmar that included 3 marathon night-bus rides, a 40km trek, 8 different sleeping arrangements, 1 nasty stomach flu, and 1 night on the airport floor all in the span of 10 days.

Preparing to go to Myanmar is arguably more difficult and complicated than actually being there. Aside from the visa issues in Bangkok, we also have to find crisp and clean US Dollars to bring because apparently in Myanmar, foreign bills become void if you crease, fold, rip, mark, or use them in any way except as bookmarks. Luckily, a bank in Siem Reap had the “new dollars” we needed. I used to suspect that people with a pocket full of $100 bills were drug dealers. Now I know they’re just people who recently came from Myanmar, the holder of all our clean money.

Twenty years in America and I’ve never had dollar bills this crisp and clean.

Converted into Kyat. I’ve also never carried around this many bills in my life.

Burdensome visa and forex rules aside, even given the fact that most of the people don’t speak English, Myanmar is a relatively easy and painless place to travel. That is because the Burmese people are so, SO nice. Our first day in Yangon, we walk into a travel agency next to our hotel and ask them to plan our 10-day itinerary. Because we’re traveling during the Water Festival (akin to Christmas time in the US), many trains and buses are closed or booked. The travel agents spend six straight hours tirelessly arranging our entire trip, from every bus and hotel to when and where our tickets would be dropped off. We make impossibly annoying requests and they meet every single one with a smile.

A typical conversation:
Us: We want to take a bus to Mandalay on the 15th.
Agent: No buses because of Water Festival.
Us: So there’s no way to get there?
Agent: You can take airplane.
Us: No, that’s too expensive. There has to be a bus. How are the local people getting around?
Agent: Ok, I try, but I don’t know because it’s the Water Festival…
Agent spends 30 minutes on the phone talking in Burmese
Agent: Ok, you can take this bus, arrive in Mandalay on the 15th.
Us: Really? I thought you said there were no buses because of the Water Festival?
Agent: Yes, I just talked to my friend. There’s bus.

You can always get by with a little help from friends. That evening we hop on a night bus to Kalaw.

Here’s the thing about night buses
They are a necessary evil for budget travelers. On the surface, they appear to be the cheapest way to get from point to point while saving time and money on a night’s accommodation. Win-win, right? Not quite. The reality is that they are painfully long and loud. The bus driver blares karaoke music through the speakers at all hours of the night and makes random pitstops without telling you where you are or how long you’ll be stopped there. You never get any sleep because it’s so loud and uncomfortable, and you always arrive at the final destination around 5 am with a swarm of tuk-tuk drivers ready to pounce on you in your most vulnerable and sleep-deprived state. In Malaysia, bus drivers blast the AC so high you’re forced to put on every piece of clothing you packed. In Laos, they don’t make real bathroom stops so women need to either refrain from drinking anything for the entire ride or squat and pee on the side of the road with the men. And the Myanmar night-bus specialty is this:
Continue reading →

SE Asia Chronicles: How To Do Siem Reap in 24 Hours

October 17, 2013 by Julia

Even the most off-road backpacker ends up at a tourist destination sometimes. For 24 hours in Siem Reap, we were full-on tourists: sensible shoes, cameras in hand, and herded from one site to the next. I didn’t mind this too much, because it was the Angkor temples and there’s a reason people crowd to see them. They are truly magnificent.

Five of us rent a tuk-tuk for a day. $15 for the driver to take us around the main circuit of temples, from sunrise to sunset. It was a good deal. Angkor has hundreds of temples that can take days and days to explore. For non-temple-aficionados, you can purchase a single-day pass and just focus on the big three: Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm. And so there we are, squeezed into a tuk-tuk at 5 am to beat the sunrise, about to embark on an exhaustingly long day of temple-hopping.

$20 One-Day Pass. I do not look happy about having my photo taken at 5am.

I do not look happy about having my photo taken at 5 am for this.

Angkor Wat is the most iconic of the Angkor temples, and all tuk-tuk drivers will take you there first to see the sunrise. Wiser travelers will tell you to save Angkor Wat for later because as nice as the sunrise may be, it’s not worth dealing with this:

The crowd waiting for the sunrise over Angkor Wat. This photo probably only captures half the people actually there.

Continue reading →