deniahaniadeniahania Rainforest Adventure in the Amazonas]]>Enni Maria, 05 Feb 2018 04:42:44 +0000
''GOOOOOOOOL'' screams the football narrator as Peru's national team makes a goal and Peru is leading the match against New Zealand and gets its first chance in the world cup in 36 years. Time to celebrate! The night continues by several cheers and the atmosphere in Miraflores, Lima seems like a carnival has just started. you can see white and red, the colours of Peru everywhere. It almost seems like it would be a crime not to wear a shirt with the logo of the national team and ''Guerrero'' written in the back. The fun and the celebration continues until the next morning, however, I have to hurry up back to my place, get my suitcase and hop into uber and drive off to the airport. The day that I have been waiting has come, I am going to the Amazonian rainforest!
At 7 am me and my 6 friends met at the departure hall of Jorge Chavez International airport, full of excitement of the upcoming trip. We boarded the flight to Iquitos, a city in the department of Loreto in the middle of the Amazonian jungle.
Iquitos is an interesting city as it is the biggest city in the world that isn't connected to other cities by land. Therefore, the only way is to arrive by aeroplane if you don't want to take a boat along the Amazon river for many long days.
Once we arrived at Iquitos and got off the plane, a warm humid air welcomed us and I certainly felt that we are far away from cloudy Lima. Our guide was waiting for us at the parking lot of the airport and once we had loaded the trunk with our backpacks we took off to the centre of the city where their office was located at.
As we had a couple of hours to kill before our boat would arrive to take us to the jungle where we would be spending the next 4 days, we decided to take a tour around the city.
There are a few things worth seeing in the centre such as a famous Iron house which is rumoured to be built by the famous French architect named Eiffel (yes the one that built the tour), as well as, the boulevard next to the river where you'll have a great view of the river, a wrecked ship and where you can do some handicraft shopping.
After a nice walk in the burning sun, we decided to grab some fresh mango slices and coconut water to refresh our minds. After that we took mototaxis to the harbour and did some last minute shopping for the jungle, I had to get a flashlight and I was ready to go!
We boarded to a small boat where we met Miguel, our local guide for the rest of our trip. As the boat was loaded with our stuff, food such as fruits and fish we could say bye to Iquitos and start our journey to the jungle along the Amazon river.
The boat ride took around 1,5 hours until we arrived at a small village where we had to walk to the other side of the village and get another boat along a smaller river called Yanayacu. Another hour or so and we arrived at our hidden jungle lodge alongside the river.
The place where we stayed was a bungalow style settlement where we had our rooms for 3 or 4 people and a common area for all the guests where the food was served and where we spent all the evenings laying in the hammocks and talking about the things we did during the day. There was no WiFi nor phone signal which was very refreshing and detoxing! We truly could connect with each other and the nature around us without any modern-day distractions.
For the following 4 days, we did a lot of things in nature. I was actually surprised how many different and unique activities one could do in a jungle. Here are a few of the things we got to do while our jungle getaway;
WALK IN THE JUNGLEOne of the first things that we did when we arrived at our lodge was a walk into the jungle. We put on covering clothes, a lot of repellents and jumped into rubber boots and we were ready to go.
As we started our walk we passed by some amazing looking plants and trees that I had never seen or heard of before. One of the coolest trees we came across were those with long spikes growing all over it. Unfortunately a guy who had gone on the walk just earlier in the same morning had accidentally fallen into one of those spike trees and had several scars on his knees, so as you go you should be extra careful.
I had always imagined moving in the jungle to be hard. But oh boy, there was a lot of things to look out. Watch out not to fall into random holes full of muddy water that are covered by the huge leaves laying on the ground. Watch out for the snakes, they can bite. Watch out for the spikey and poisonous trees and plants...I could keep going.
It was such a strange experience; at the same time I felt scared for my life and kept repeating ''watch out for snakes'' inside my head. (If you didn't already figure it out, I am dead scared of snakes). But at the same time, I couldn't stop thinking how amazing it was to actually be in the Amazonian rainforest. It seemed so full of life! You could see movement everywhere you watched. Little insects moving pieces of brown leaves to their nest, mosquitos trying to suck us dry, beautiful birds singing their lungs out and monkeys jumping from tree to another.
We saw a lot during our 2-hour walk. We came across a herd of Amazonian birds, monkeys, frogs, lizards and many others.
I also thought I'd die. As we made our way through the jungle a friend behind me screamed ''SNAKE!'' and the only thing I could do was to freeze and start to look for the snake from the ground. The scariest moments were when I really couldn't see where it was due to its' camouflage colour. Soon our guide, Miguel rushed to see what was going on and once he noticed the snake he asked us to stay calm and move back with calm. ''It is the most poisonous snake of the Amazon.'' - Well great. Miguel took his machete and hit the snake so that it wouldn't get a chance to bite anyone. He then explained that once the snake bites, you'll start feeling ill in an instance and there are chances that you won't survive the bite if you don't rush to a hospital immediately. Luckily nothing happened to us and we could continue our walk until we arrived at our lodge to rest and process all the things we saw.
Liana fun
Everyone who has been watching Tarzan as a kid (why not adults too) has imagined how fun it would be to swing from liana to another. Well, in the Amazon rainforest you can try it yourself and get back to your childhood memories and pretend to be the king/queen of the jungle. Our guide brought us to a enormous tree where he tied us a self made liana. He would catch a hanging part of it and give us speed so we could fly through the jungle. Let the photos speak for it.
SPOTTING WILDLIFE FROM THE BOATThe way to move from place A to B in the Amazon is by boat. Another great advantage of his way of transporting is that you will be able to see great views with calm. We had several boat rides during our stay where we explored the life alongside the river.
The fact that the jungle transforms constantly, long term and short term, is a fascinating phenomenon to see. One morning we woke up around 5am, got on the boat and went flooding through the river just listening to the nocturnal noises of the jungle. It was more than relaxing to start the day by relaxing on a boat in the dawn listening to an amazing track of nature waking up to another morning. When it comes to the seasonal changes of the jungle, you could see the first length of the trees on the river bank being coloured in white. This is because of the seasonal changes in the water levels of the river. We were visiting the jungle during the ''dry'' season so the marks that the water had left were visible.
One of the coolest experiences was when we went to look for sloths. However, spotting them isn't always an easy task to do as they live high up in the tallest trees of the forest. The sloths are known not only for their smiley faces but also their long claws that make walking on the ground difficult. An average day of a sloth consists of sleeping, eating leaves and well occasional swim in the river. They like to be alone, so don't expect to find a sloth family.
VISITING A TRIBEOne of the last things that we did during our trip was to pay a visit to a local tribe called Yagua. We once again got on a boat and went to their little settlement in the jungle where we were greeted by a family-like group of indigenous people. The head of the tribe, an old man wearing a traditional skirt made of leaves greeted us and invited us to a hut.
There with the help of our guide who spoke the yagua language, the chief told us a little bit of their history and lifestyle. They used to be rather isolated from the outside world and defended their culture by killing the intruders until a couple of decades ago. Nowadays, they are peaceful and welcoming the curious travellers like us to visit.
After the storytime, the rest of the tribe was invited to dance with us. The dance was rather easy, we basically just ran in a circle holding hands and screaming some random words in their language. We also had to take a sip of a traditional drink of theirs made of some plant that had heady effects when drunk some. Later our faces were painted with a red paint extracted from a local plant, the paint was meant to bring good luck and indicate the marital status.
The next activity we had was using the traditional blowgun that they still use to hunt their food. Each of us had to aim to a target and then blow the spike until we hit the target. I was surprised how easy it was, or then I just had luck as I hit the target on the first try.
After all the activities we had a chance to buy some traditional handcrafts. I got myself a carved Yagua mask that I could hang on the wall back at home.
SWIMMING IN THE AMAZON RIVER & MUD BATHThis was one of the activities that I had been waiting for the most. I was so ready to jump into the water and swim as the heat was always present and we were in need of refreshment.
Our guide explained that it wasn't safe to just jump into the brown water where ever you felt like, as there might be hidden snags that could get you hurt. Therefore, we headed back to the Amazon river where we could jump out of the boat and spot pink river dolphins. The guide said that the dolphins would approach us more bravely if we would splash the water while swimming. However, as they are wild animals they wouldn't let us touch them and would still keep a fair distance.
We could swim to a riverbank where we found a lot of clay that we massaged all over our bodies as it has great benefits for the skin and hair. It was also very fun to have a little clay war and jump around looking like a walking pile of mud.
FISHING PIRANhASI can't really remember when was the last time I had been fishing so I was kind of excited to try it. Our guide had small pieces of chicken meat as a bait and our main goal was to fish piranhas so that we could then prepare it for dinner.
It's funny how everyone (including me) had this vision of piranhas being big fishes with enormous teeth shredding every moving object on their sight. If you are mistaken putting your finger into the water, it would be one second and you'd have lost it.
Well, luckily piranas aren't really like that. They were small funny looking fishes that enjoyed chicken but wouldn't touch a human. We decided to bust the myth by jumping into the water after our fishing session. All of us had our fingers and toes attached.
NIGHT WALK IN THE JUNGLEOne of the scariest sh*t I've done. It was again time to put on rubber boots and turn our lanterns on and get into the wilderness this time without any extra light whatsoever. I was saying I wouldn't come after the snake episode we had had on our previous excursion but then decided to suck it up and go.
The scariest thing ended up being the enormous night butterflies that didn't have any problem flying into our clothes (yep, they went inside our shirts and all) and flying around like crazy. What made it even more disturbing was the size of them, they weren't just some cute butterflies, but some of them were the size of the whole palm of the hand. Hrr, I still get shivers thinking of them.
However, despite the annoying attacker butterflies and panic attacks caused by them, we were able to see some super interesting animals such as frogs, tarantulas, insects and lizards. Our guide was trying more that hard to find snakes by knocking some scary-ass trees to get some movement but luckily couldn't find any (Thank God!).
All in all, the trip to the rainforest was a unique experience that I would recommend to everyone. It's something everyone should be able to witness once in the lifetime. Especially for those of us who are used to hang out in the internet all day and that does not really connect with nature too much. It was truly eyes opening to see how the locals lived by the rules of the mother earth and kept keeping their traditions alive despite that the outside world is evolving and changing all around them.
Have you ever been to the jungle?
6 Things about Lima, Peru]]>Enni Maria, 27 Jan 2018 18:14:00 +0000
Big, noisy, chaotic, dusty. Interesting, charming, lively.
That's Lima. It is also a home for more than 9 million people. One of the biggest cities in Latin America. Lima is often left in the shadow of other cities of Peru, like Cusco and Arequipa which both offer a great variety of tourist attractions. Lima is definitely not the prettiest or most interesting place in Peru but I also believe that it should be appreciated a little more because there are plenty of cool things to do and nice places to see.
Living in a huge city like Lima can be a truly interesting experience. Every day you learn more about this chaos that somehow controls itself and makes it work. - The first day I arrived, I could not understand the city, it seemed like a huge labyrinth. But once you explore a bit and get to know the names of the places you start to put the pieces together.
In order to share some bits and pieces, I have gathered a few things that are either very common in Lima or things that have surprised me while living here.
Transportation & Traffic Jams from H*LLOh boy, where should I start with this? As I chose to live in one of the most known districts of Lima, called Miraflores I decided to accept the fact that I'd have to commute to the university (located on the other side of the city) every day using the public transportation. I had local friends warning me about the traffic before I arrived and I just thought they'd be exaggerating. '' It can't be _that_ bad.'' Little did I know, after almost 3 months adventuring with the buses around the city I can confirm that the traffic jams are horrible!
The word traffic has a whole new meaning after trying to get from place A to B, especially around 6-8 in the evening when supposedly the whole city gets off from work. This subject might deserve a proper post of its own as I have so much to say! But I promise you, it is an experience of one of a kind!
The differences between districts The city of Lima consists of 30 districts that each have their own characteristics. The most known districts among tourists are Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro and Centro de Lima as most of the most popular sights are located in these areas.
However, these are only a fraction of the city and they do not give a proper image of Lima. In order to understand the size and volume of the city one have to get out of the touristic areas and explore the other parts of Lima as well.
While exploring the city one quickly notice how distinct the districts are from one another. In some parts of the city, the border of the districts can be easily seen, not only from the signs but from the landscape. You might find yourself wondering between luxurious villas and rich suburb areas and suddenly after crossing the district line, you find yourself looking for a pavement as you notice there's no asphalt on the roads and you see dusty unfinished brick houses everywhere.
This is mainly due to the fact that each district has their own leaders and they are responsible for the cleanliness, safety, and branding of the area among others. For instance, wealthy districts like Miraflores and San Isidro have noticeable safety system on the streets; just outside my apartment there is a security camera on the street and the security patrol (serenazgo) is on its duty day and night.
Whereas, poorer districts like San Juan de Lurigancho and Ate are hardly supervised when it comes to the general safety. They simply do not have the resources to establish common security system. In this kind of areas, you can see shanty houses built on the side of the hills with no electricity or water system, and that really shows the real contrast between the rich and poor in the city.
The weather
One of the first things that I noticed when arriving in Lima was the white sky. Wait a second, isn't the sky suppose to be blue? Well, not in Lima. The locals often refer the sky as a donkey belly as it truly seems like there is a donkey laying on top of the city.
But even the sky is grey there is still somehow light and I sometimes get an urge to wear sunglasses because the brightness hurts my eyes. But limenos don't do it, so I have tried to deal with it.
Another interesting aspect when it comes to the weather in the capital is that it hardly ever rains. The average rainfall of the year is literally under 0mm. However, once in a blue moon there is a humid fog which is called llovizna here. It doesn't wet you but it feels almost like you'd be standing next to a fountain.
Fashionable dogs Limenos and Peruvians, in general, seem to like pets! One of the most popular pet in Peru has to be the llamas and alpacas. However, I'm sorry to disappoint you but you will most likely not find those buddies here in Lima. You'll have to go to the Sierra (Mountains), where there are plenty of them.
However, Limenos seem to love dogs! What's funny about that? Well, it seems to be some sort of trend or even a custom, that the dogs are dressed up. I dare to say that if you spend a day in the center of Lima, you can't avoid coming across a dog wearing a colorful costume; a jumpsuit, a tie or anything that you can think of. Some of the owners seem to enjoy planning their outfits according to what the dog is wearing (or the other way around) and it certainly isn't unclear which dog belongs to who.
One explanation for this phenomenon is that some believe that if your dog is dressed well, it's a sign of the wealthiness of the owner.
Usually when you go to another country and talk with the locals the first question they tend to ask is; ''How do you like *place the name of the country*?'' but here in Lima the first question is one of these;
''What is your favourite dish here?''
''Have you already tried ceviche/ají de gallina/any typical Peruvian food?''
The food is important here. Well, good food. Lima is full of restaurants; something for everyone. There are high-end gourmet restaurants that are known all over the world as well as super cheap menu options where you'll get a delicious meal including starter, main dish and dessert with a glass of juice only for 10 soles (around 2,5€). In the past years Lima has definitely become an international food tourism destination and Peru's tourism board has understood the potential that Lima has and is currently running many campaigns around the Peruvian cuisine. Therefore, if you want to eat well, come to Lima.
Lima has a big Asian population and it can be seen on the streets as in every corner there are chifa restaurants. These restaurants serve Chinese or oriental dishes with a Peruvian touch and I swear it taste amazing! There are also maaany super good places to eat makis - in all kinds of flavours imaginable.
Underappreciation of archaeological sitesHave you heard of Pachacamac? Well if you answered no, don't worry, I did not have any clue about what was it before moving here. In fact, I guess I had never heard of it.
In fact, it's an archaeological site located around 40km away from the central Lima. It's a huge historical and cultural complex which covers over 600 hectares of land. There are some major constructions such as pyramids from the cultures such as Ichma and Inkas. It is truly a great place for those interested in ancient cultures and great views to the Pacific Ocean.
It's not only Pachacamac and the other archaeological sites on the outskirts of Lima metropolitan but also you can find many impressive and interesting historical ruins inside the city. One huaca worth visiting is located in Miraflores, it's known as Huaca Pucllana, big historic site constructed by the Lima people long before the Inkas. I have seen only a couple of advertisements about the site even I found it has a great potential to become a great tourist attraction. Even some of my local friends haven't heard of it.
Cordillera de la Viuda: Day Trip From Lima]]>Enni Maria, 27 Sep 2017 03:24:43 +0000
There are more than many beautiful and interesting things just outside of the capital of Peru. If the city dust and busy way of life make you dream of a little break to nature and fresh air, there are plenty of options for a little weekend getaway or a nice day trip.
A couple weeks ago I and a few friends decided to take the chance and go visit Cordillera de La Viuda. We had purchased a day tour from Sierra Verde Peru.
Our trip started early in the morning, around 6 am from the meeting point where we got into the minivan. There we were introduced to our guide, who was very caring and who shared lots of interesting information during the day. We were given little breakfast packs that included a sandwich and a juice.
It took quite a long time to get out of Lima as we drove through Los Olivos, Comas and Carabayllo, which are vast residential areas on the outskirts of northern Lima. We continued our way for a couple hours and the landscape started to change rapidly to mountains as we drove higher and higher.
Our first stop on the way to the Cordillera de la Viuda was the capital of the Canta Province, the village itself is also called Canta (2837m) and is located approximately 100km away from Lima. We had a little break from driving and then continued to our first stop; a view point to the village. The view was spectacular; you could see the valley of the river Chillón.
After taking in the view and a few photos we continued our trip higher to the Andean mountains and it was at this point when we started to feel the rising altitude. After a good 20 minutes of driving uphill, we arrived at a beautiful waterfall. The water was very clear yet freezing. After that, we continued by car for a little while and we arrived at our main destination Cordillera de la Viuda (over 4000m).
The first thing we did was an ancient ritual for the water in which we asked for a permission to enter the sacred place from the magical spirit. We were given a shot of Pisco (Peruvian spirit) and coca leaves, then we poured a few drops of the drink on the ground in honor of Pachamama, the mother earth and after that we'd take the shots and feel a little warmer. Then we threw the coca leaves in the air. The final step of the ritual was to take a sweet made of honey and coca and hide it somewhere in nature. Unfortunately, the strong aftertaste of the pisco made me hide mine into my mouth.
After the ritual, we simply just enjoyed the incredible view. Two beautifully turquoise colored Lagunas surrounded by enormous snow topped mountains. Chuchun, the first laguna is often called a laguna of eight colors, because it has different shades of blue and red in it. On the other side of the hill, one can see another slightly bigger laguna, Leoncocha.
On the way back to Canta, you can see one mountain peak which reminds of the Rainbow mountain Vinicunca in Cusco, however, there is no way to get there yet, but according to our guide, the tour operators are currently exploring the opportunities for the future.
On our way back we stopped by a little village called Cullhuay and then continued to a village called Huaros which is known for its fish farm where you can get delicious trouts that are used in many traditional dishes in the area, such as ceviche.
We had a lunch at a local restaurant and then walked around the village a bit. There's a 30-minute walk around the town which passes a beautiful waterfall and other interesting sites. You can also rent a horse for the way. The last stop of the day was in Canta where we had some time to do shopping. The local fruit yogurt that they sell is totally worth buying!
Things to consider before going:
Cordillera de la viuda is located over 4000m high which means that there's a risk of getting altitude sickness (often referred soroche) therefore it is not recommendable for people with cardiac problems, older people or for young children. To avoid getting soroche; bring some coca leaves or coca tea or take a soroche pill before arriving. Remember to stay hydrated. Nature is harsh in the Andean mountains meaning there is a risk of big rocks falling to the road. therefore the road might be blocked or there might be dangerous bumps on the surface. Therefore I recommend the route only for experienced drivers. As the route goes through small villages, there might not be any signal, let alone the internet connection. The best operator for this area is Movistar but it is highly possible that even that won't work. As you go up to the mountains, the wind is harsh and cold. Therefore you should bring warm clothes and a hat to cover your ears. However, the sun is still strong even you might not feel the heat, therefore using sun block is recommendable.
20 Unique Things to Do in Morocco]]>Enni Maria, 03 Jul 2017 11:45:57 +0000
Sand, camels and secret oasis? Is this the image that you get when you think of Morocco? Well, it is all true, but it is only a tiny fraction of things that Morocco has to offer. The diversity of this country does not stop surprising me even after my 10th visit!
In the past few years, Morocco has become a trendy travel destination thanks to super cheap flights from Europe and to the fact that Morocco is a safe and cheap place to spend holidays at. Here I have gathered 20 unique and exciting things to try or do when visiting Morocco.
1. Drink mint teaMoroccans love their tea and so do I! The tea is an important part of the Moroccan culture as the family and relatives gather together and enjoy sweet mint tea on a daily basis. Make sure to try some as it tastes super delicious. It might seem weird at first to see people having tea when the temperatures rise over +30 Celsius, but actually drinking some warm tea makes you bear the heat better.
2. listen to Gnawa musicIf you want to experience something very traditional make sure to go and listen to live Gnawa music. Gnawa is a rich Moroccan repertoire of ancient African Islamic spiritual religious songs and rhythms. It is a combination of ritual poetry and traditional singing and dancing.
Head to the Café Clock in Fez, to listen to Gnawa music
3. Fez TanneriesOn your trip to Morocco, make sure to head to Fez, one of the biggest cities in Morocco where you can pay a visit to the famous leather tanneries. There you can see how the leather is coloured and then later manufactured into some beautiful handmade bags, jackets and garments. Entering the tanneries are basically free, but often the guides expect you to give a tip for the service. (15-30 dirhams should be fine).
4. Visit Rabat It seems to be a common belief that Casablanca is the capital of Morocco, which isn't true. Casablanca might be the biggest city but Rabat is the capital. It is not quite as famous destination among tourists but it is worth visiting! Rabat is rather clean and fresh city and there's a great public transport system in the centre, which makes it easy to move around.
5. Rabat old townWhile visiting Rabat, one should definitely visit the old town of Rabat which is like a smaller and less touristy version of the blue city Chefchaouen. You can get lost in the narrow streets surrounded by houses painted in blue and white and then, later on, visit the big castle area just next to the old town.
6. sahara desert Now we get into the typical stereotype of Morocco. If you are dreaming of experiencing the Bedouin lifestyle and wanting to see the spectacular endless desert, Morocco is a great place for you. Head to the city of Merzouga which is often called the door to Sahara and get yourself a local guide and get on a camel and enjoy the beauty around you.
7. Haggle, haggle & haggleWhen it comes to shopping in Morocco, you should head to the souks and medinas. These are traditional Moroccan bazaars where you'll find shops next to one another selling souvenirs, paintings, spices, food, ceramics, ...ANYTHING! Just remember to haggle a lot, usually, the prices are not shown and you'll have to ask for them. Never accept the first price; you can haggle 50% off the price with good spirits.
Some of the best souvenirs to bring home are carpets, pillow cases, textiles in general, leather items, jewellery and traditional slippers called charbiles.
8. Try Moroccan CouscousWhat would a trip to Morocco be without trying couscous? It is very traditional and common dish in Morocco and it is often eaten on Fridays, which is the most important day of the week for Muslims. However, it can be eaten on any other day as well. It is often served with meat and vegetables. Don't be surprised if the waiter brings you and your company a large common plate which will be shared with everyone on the table. That's the local way of eating couscous.
9. Escape the heat to the mountainsIt can get very hot during the summer months in Morocco. Sometimes the heat might feel unbearable, but no worries, in this kind of days you can take a bus or a taxi to the closest mountains and enjoy the cooler weather and the breathtaking views. Morocco has an amazing mountain range called Atlas, so nearly wherever you are, you won't need to go far to find yourself on the mountains.
If you are looking for a getaway during your stay in Fes, make sure to check out a beautiful mountain town Ifrane. More on:
10. Chefchaouen blue city
I'm sure you have seen those photos of the blue city of Chefchaouen. If the photos seem too beautiful to be true, you should certainly go and explore the city yourself! It's like you are in another world as you get lost in the blue. Make sure to check out my Chefchaouen diaries and read all the tips on what to do in Chefchaouen.
11. train across the countryMoving around in Morocco is easy yet a little time-consuming. However, trains are rather nice as you can choose to travel in the first class for your comfort. There are frequent connections between the biggest cities and the train tickets are very affordable. On your train trip, you'll also be able to see the beautiful countryside of Morocco.
12. Meknes Only a couple hours away from Fez, lies a city of Meknes where some of the most important events in the history of Morocco has taken place. Due to that, there are some very interesting sites to see for those who are into Islamic architecture, history and culture.
13. Go to the beachMorocco has long coast of on the Mediterranean sea as well as a long coast on the Atlantic, therefore it's not a surprise that Morocco has some great beaches. There are plenty of beaches where you can try surfing as well. On the Mediterranean coast: Martil and Cabo Negro Some beach towns on the Atlantic coast to visit: Mohammedia, Essaouira and Dakhla.
14. Get yourself a beautiful Henna Henna is naturally produced paint that is very commonly used in Morocco. The orange-coloured paste is used to decorate women's hands and feet especially during important events such as weddings and religious celebrations. There are plenty of henna artists willing to give you a nice design for a less than 10 euros. Henna lasts on your skin approximately for couple days to 3 weeks depending on how long you let it before washing it off and the quality of it.
15. Learn DarijaEnglish is not widely known in Morocco, especially when it comes to more rural places. Therefore it is not only useful but also interesting to learn some basic greetings in the local language. Darija, Moroccan Arabic, is a dialect spoken in Morocco that differs from the traditional Arabic quite a bit. If you are not comfortable trying it, French is a great option, as well as around half of the population, knows French.
16. Fez Medina The most famous thing to do in Fez is to visit its Medina (Arabic: city) which is the biggest car-free city area in the whole world. There are plenty of things to do and see there; for instance, pay a visit to the world's oldest university; which nowadays serves as a Mosque and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
17. Hike
There are plenty of possibilities to go on hikes. Some of the best views can be seen in the national parks throughout the country. Just remember to follow the advice of locals and find out beforehand if a guide is needed. Some of the best hikes in Morocco; Azrou waterfalls near Chefchaouen & Taza National Park
18. Observe the call of prayer Morocco is a Muslim country, which you will quickly notice due to the fact that there are a lot of Mosques that you'll recognise by the tall tower-like building. The tallest towers are called minarets and they serve as a ''big speakers'' that give a call to a prayer 5 times a day.
19. Mawazine World Rhythms Festival
It's an annual music festival held in Rabat. There are many international and local artists performing and it has become one of the biggest music festivals in the whole world. This year (2017) the festival took place in May. This year artists such as Nick Jonas, Tamer Hosny, Ellie Goulding, Wiz Khalifa and Sami Yusuf performed there among many others.
20. admire the mosaic art Morocco is the place to go for those who are into beautiful architecture. There are hundreds if not thousands of very detailed colourful Islamic style buildings around the country. Some of the best places to admire the architecture are the residences of the king of Morocco.
There were my 20 things to do in Morocco! I could go on forever but I'm sure you'll keep yourself busy visiting and trying these things out first! If you have already been to Morocco, what was your favourite thing to do there? Let me know in the comments!
Is This The Most Beautiful Beach in Europe?]]>Enni Maria, 25 Jun 2017 12:31:42 +0000
Now that I got your attention, I swear this is not a clickbait (which by the way seems to be more than trendy these days) because I am not annoying like that.
As we got that clear, I'd like to introduce you to the most beautiful beach in Europe, or at least one of the most beautiful ones.
I love the beaches in Algarve, Portugal as they are harsh and rocky and you can see the waves crashing to the shore and against the gigantic weird shaped rocks, but at the same time there is something so gentle and beautiful that creates a perfect balance. As I stand there a little too close to the edge, at least according to friend of mine who stands far from the edge and shakes her head, I can't stop but wonder how beautiful our little world is. As I stare at the view, a lecture that a member of Algarve's tourism board had given earlier this week came to my mind; her words had painted me a picture of ships heading to the new world, sailing away to the horizon full of hope and excitement of the unknown. Then I remember the common belief of that this was the end of the world. If it indeed was this beautiful, I would not mind.
Even it's only April and it is just a little over +20 Celsius and the first sunny moments in days, which the locals insist is very unusual in Algarve, it is supposed to be sunny almost every single day of the year, but well, we had bad luck I suppose. The turquoise ocean against the orange(ish) rocks keeps calling me. In a short moment, we can't resist no more and we start to look for a way to get by the water.
There's a path that we take which itself is also a beautiful site with all the green around it. As we make our way down the stairs we hear Yeppees & Yuhuhuuus and as we finally arrive at the small white-sanded beach surrounded by big rocks. We quickly find out who the happy voices belong to. We see a local family playing near the waves and a little dark-haired boy holding his beach bucket and running around and jumping in the waves.
It doesn't really take a long time and we are there doing the exact thing, waiting for a big wave and then running as the mother nature keeps chasing us until we find ourselves covered in sand and salt in our hair. And very late from our fancy gala dinner.
There are plenty of beaches and incredible rock formation in Algarve and it would be impossible to visit all in a day, therefore I really hope that one day I can go there with a plenty of time to waste and simply take in the beauty of the Portuguese coast.
The best way to move around in Algarve and around the attractions and beaches is by car. Therefore, I advise to go with a group of four or less and rent a car and drive around to see the best places of Algarve. Driving in the Southern Portugal is easy as the traffic isn't too bad and the roads are in a relatively good shape. Here I gathered a few good tips if you are considering to rent a car in Algarve or Portugal in general.
- Book as early as you can! (The prices can be double, even triple if you do it at the last minute) - Make sure you have some extra on your credit card as the company might freeze a certain amount with some extras until the car has been returned - There are different types of roads and the motorways have toll fees - The legal age for renting a car in Portugal is 18, but there are some companies that have higher age limits or they charge you extra for young drivers
All in all, I'd say Algarve has earned its nice reputation and it certainly is not only rumours and hype, you need to go and see it yourself!
Riohacha - Door to the La Guajira Desert]]>Enni Maria, 19 Jun 2017 20:53:32 +0000
Riohacha is a big town located on the Northern coast of Colombia. It is the biggest town in the department of La Guajira. It is known for its long beach line and the Caribbean atmosphere. It is the ultimate stop before entering the desert of La Guajira. This area is known for the ethnic group of Wayuus. Their traditional and colourful handmade bags and other handicrafts can be bought from the Avenida Primera, beach boulevard.
The city was founded by a German conquistador in 1535. Later on, Spaniards found a lot of pearls from Riohacha, which was one of the reasons for many pirate attacks that the town had to go through. Even the famous English pirate Francis Drake came to Riohacha looking for gold and pearls. In the time of independence war, the port of Riohacha served many vessels in the battles for the Colombian and Venezuelan independence.
Many travelers come there on their way to the desert. It is a charming little city with not too many specific tourist attractions, however if you find yourself from there and you've got some extra time to explore the surroundings here are some general tips and suggestions on what to see and do there ;
How to get there?
Riohacha can be easily reached from cities like Santa Marta and Bogota. There is an airport called Almirante Padilla airport where there are flights to/from capital Bogota, Valledupar, Santa Marta and the island of Aruba.
There are minibuses operating between Riohacha and Santa Marta many times a day. It takes around 3 hours and cost around 20 000COP. Make sure to catch the local's minibus, it departs on the side of the road in front of a gas station.
The weather is great throughout the year and thanks to the Sierra Santa Marta mountains it doesn't rain too often. The average temperature is around +30 celsius at daytime and around +24 celsius at night. You can feel the humidity just like in any coastal city. The dry season is from December to February when it hardly rains. The rainiest month is May. Make sure to check out my packing list for the Caribbean coast of Colombia, so you'll pack the right clothing!
Now that you know a little bit of the history and the common tips here are some of the best things to check out in Riohacha!
The beach The beach in Riohacha is a perfect place to have an afternoon stroll or dipping yourself in the cooling water after exploring the city. There are some outdoor beach bars and cafes you can order a cool drink and enjoy the view or you can take a walk on the deck which leads to a boat stand.
Avenida Primera This is probably the nicest street in the town. You can enjoy the statues along the boulevard, poles decorated with colourful mosaics, nice restaurants and cafes as well as Wayuu handcraft vendors. Stop by one of the restaurants and enjoy some local Colombian dishes while you gaze to the ocean and follow the daily life of fishermen selling their catches. Make sure to walk the whole avenue as there are some cool details worth seeing, such as old cannons and a beautiful butterfly statue.
CathedralClose to the beach, there is a beautiful catholic cathedral which was built in the mid 19th century in a Colonial style. There is always masses or other events going on and the doors are kept open during the daytime, therefore if you are a curious kind like I am, but don't feel like entering, you will be able to see a little bit just by stopping at the doors.
Restaurants and bars
Riohacha has it all, you can find many restaurants and cafes along the streets that offer various kind of dishes. Despite the small size of the town, there are plenty of places to choose from. Walk down the 15th Avenue in the evening and have a relaxed dinner at one of the local outdoor restaurants selling barbequed meat and hamburgers or head to the center and look for Lebanese, Colombian or international dining places. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes also on the Avenida Primera, but the quality and the price range is mainly worse than the ones mentioned earlier. If you still haven't eaten (enough) of fish, this is the place where you have to try it!
If you are looking for a night out, Riohacha might not be the craziest party town in Colombia, but if you wish to head out for a nice beer or a tasty cocktail, make sure to stop by Happiness Hostel's bar. It's super cosy and with lots of good vibes!
Riohacha offers rather good shopping possibilities. You can head to the modern mall where you can find international brands as well as high-end products. There's also a supermarket at the mall, so you can stock up on groceries at the same time. If you start to miss food that you know from back home, you can secretly head to upstairs where you will find Subway and other international fast food restaurants, that are most likely a safe bet. If you are looking for more local atmosphere, you can head to the Carrera 7 in the centre where you can find all kinds of local boutiques and shops selling daily items and clothes.
For souvenirs, head to the Avenida Primera along the beach to buy local handcrafts by Wayuus. They are a lot cheaper than in Cartagena, therefore make sure you get one for yourself
Hang out in the parks Riohacha has some parks where one can sit down and relax and watch as the locals spend their days. Simon Bolívar Park is located on the side of Avenida Quince. It is popular among families and the locals enjoy spending the evenings just relaxing in the park. If you are visiting Riohacha during Christmas time the park is lighted with beautiful Christmas lights.
Another, maybe the most known park in Riohacha is the Plaza Jose Prudencio Padilla, which is located just next to the Cathedral. The park has a statue of the famous admiral Jose Prudencio Padilla, who led the battle of Lake Maracaibo successfully in the Spanish American wars of independence. The wreck of him lays in the Cathedral next to the plaza.
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Extempore Trip to Minsk, Belarus]]>Enni Maria, 20 May 2017 18:18:10 +0000
It's still snowing in Finland and seems like the summer is months away but if we ignore the ice age that is happening outside we can say that the summer season is near. This means that students like me are working on the final assignments and completing the courses. I and my class have been working on a project for a Scandic hotel chain this whole school year and we had the final presentation in Helsinki a couple weeks ago.
We had a nice terrace space booked for us to celebrate a successful project. After a couple of cold drinks, we started to joke around about a weekend getaway. A friend of mine who had a birthday coming up on the following weekend told that there was a good flight deal for Belarus for the following day.
'' Let's go to Belarus ''. Well, sold! He didn't really need to convince me or our other friend.
We just instantly decided to do it. -- But wait, what about the visa? --
Well, turns out that Belarus has decided to allow visa-free travel for the European Union citizens who are flying through Minsk airport, for 5 days in order to boost the tourism and to move towards the rest of the Europe.
The next afternoon we jumped on a plane to Belarus. I did not have any idea of the currency or basically anything at all. We had not booked any accommodation so we were lucky that we could stay with a friend of our friend's sister. Later we found out that the hotels in Minsk are rather expensive and there are only a couple hostels, which were overbooked. So make sure to book your accommodation well beforehand if you are tight on budget.
We flew with Belavia, the flight took only a bit over an hour and the service was surprisingly good. Despite the fact that the flight was only about an hour long, we got a decent sandwiches and cup of coffee/tea. Once we landed in the Minsk airport, all I saw was green fields and a strange ufo-looking airport. Where on earth had I arrived in?
The border control went quickly without any hassle, they were asking about my travel insurance but that's all. Once we were in the country we took a bus to the main train station where we met our host, Dara.
The first impression of the country was: It's so CLEAN and SPACIOUS. Everything was in order, no rubbish in sight nor crowds. It certainly didn't have this typical busy capital atmosphere. To be honest, I had no expectations whatsoever and I went there with an open mind and got surprised positively. I had the impression that there was not much to do or see in Minsk, but a weekend we spent there wasn't really enough to see the main attractions.
The atmosphere was quite exciting as the city was preparing for a big celebration which took place on 9th of May. This day is called Victory Day which is celebrated in former Soviet countries which is held to celebrate the victory of Soviet Union over Nazis in the second world war. The whole city was decorated with Belarusian flags and posters! I wish I had known, so I could have stayed to see the parade and the celebrations.
The local people seemed a bit reserved, which is understandable as they are not used to seeing tourists (other than Russian speaking) too often as the visa has been quite hard and expensive to obtain. The locals hardly speak any English so the communication was a bit hard, but after all, we managed pretty well. If you ever travel to Belarus, I suggest learning at least some basic phrases in Russian!
Moving around in Minsk is easy! They have a nice underground that works well and is very inexpensive. The easiest way to purchase a ticket is to go to a ticket window and buy a violet plastic coin that you'll have to drop to the machine to enter the metros. There are also buses and trams but we didn't really need to use those.
When it comes to eating, it's rather cheap. However, we found it a bit difficult to find a place where to eat. I'd suggest eating somewhere a bit outside of the centre to have better meals and prices.
Minsk is definitely not a place to go shopping. There are not many international brands presented there, only a few. Also, it was rather hard to even buy postcards as there were no souvenir shops. For souvenirs head to the old town where there are a few little stands that sell some magnets, keychains and matryoshka dolls.
It almost felt like the time had stopped, the Soviet influence was very visible but then again, the city was functional and had everything that a modern person would need. However, from time to time, I really felt I had stepped on a time machine back to the Soviet times as I could still see the red flags waving in the wind and when standing in front of a huge grey building and a gigantic statue of Lenin, I swear I got a bit confused.
I'd highly recommend visiting Minsk and Belarus if you are looking for a unique and different experience. It is certainly not a typical European destination and you will not find any significant attractions, but the atmosphere is worth the experience. Those who are interested in history and still want to witness the Soviet Union influence, Minsk is a perfect place to do that.
Stay tuned for the post about 10 best things to do in Minsk!
Prague - The Real Life Fairytale Part 2]]>Enni Maria, 12 Apr 2017 09:36:56 +0000
You know what guys? It's time for the second part of my Prague - The Real Life Fairytale -series! (I mean, it will be only these two posts so not really sure if that's a series? Well anyhow!) If you haven't read the first part you can read it here.
After exploring the area on the left side of the Vltava river the previous days, it was time to get our hands on the other side, where also our hotel was located in. As usual, we packed our bags and headed outside. Today we had decided to go to the Old Town Hall Square, which is probably the most famous square of the whole country. This was one of those places I had been waiting to see the most. We walked through those narrow alleys and followed other people until we arrived at the square. The houses were so beautiful and the atmosphere was lively.
We decided to buy tickets to the Old Town Tower in order to get an idea and a view of the square first from a bird perspective. The ticket was around 3€ for students and it included the entrance to the tower. Inside the tower you can choose whether you want to take a very futuristic looking glass elevator up to the tower or you can simply take the stairs. We decided to take the stairs. On the way to the top there were posters telling the history of the tower starting from the first construction until nowadays. I found it very interesting.
After a short history lesson we had to take smaller spiral stairs to the view level where we could step outside. WHAT A VIEW! It was so beautiful and definitely the best view I saw during the whole trip. You could see the whole city 360 degrees. It was so much fun to just gaze around and see what was going on down at the square. I was also super excited to put my fisheye lens in good use. We spent a good 30 minutes just gazing at the city and eventually walked back down to the earth level.
At the square one of the other famous attractions is a astronomical clock which puts on a puppet show every hour. Unfortunately the show started while we were up in the tower so we decided that we wouldn't wait for another hour to see it. I had seen it before on a video and although it seemed nice, it wasn't something mega super cool.
After taking in the square atmosphere we decided to head to one neighbourhood nearby called Josefov. As you might be able to tell by the name, it used to be the Jewish Quarter of Prague. It has a rather interesting history, so if you are into that, check it out. We were just walking around and constantly stopping to admire the once again be-au-ti-ful buildings! This part of the city seemed to be the most luxurious one as you could find all the high-end stores here and the houses looked super fancy!
However it wasn't only the glamour that caught our attention but also there was a Spanish Synagogue, a building that looked like it had dropped to Prague from the one thousand and one night stories. Just next to that building there is another statue (oh wow who would have guessed, another statue?!?) dedicated to who else, than Franz Kafka. This one was my favourite of its kind. If you are familiar with his novels you might understand the reference. I was glad to have such an intelligent and civilized person with me (if you reading this Khelga; you are awesome) who patiently explained me what was it about.
These things had just randomly popped in front of us while walking around but what we were actually looking for was an old Jewish Cemetery. After a little bit of running circles we managed to find it. However, we were greeted by another ticket sales booth. We decided not to pay and we had to settle for a quick look from a little window on the surrounding wall.
We found it a little lame that so many sites were something that you'd have to pay to enter. I can't think of any cemeteries in Finland that you'd have to pay to be able to visit. I don't know if it's even really ethical? What do you think?
Anyhow, after that we headed back to the center area and decided it was time to finally try a Czech pastry called Trdelnik. (I still have no idea how are you suppose to pronounce that) It is a spiral shaped pastry covered with sugar. Something similar to Spanish Churros or Finnish Munkki. Trdelnik can be eaten like it is or you can have something put inside such as nutella, ice cream, vanilla or coconut sauce.
After that we walked around the center and eventually headed back to the hotel.
It was our last day in Prague (sad face) and we felt like we had been able to see the ''must-see'' things on our lists so we took a moment of researching the internet to find out if there were some hidden gems that we could go check out.
We hadn't had the chance to check out one neighbourhood called Vysehrad and the second castle of Prague so we thought we'd go see it. As we walked we stopped by this beautiful Catholic church as it was free entrance. On our way we saw an interesting old building and decided to see what was it about. It turned out to be an monastery but in order to enter you'd have to pay an entrance fee so we once again settled for walking around outside of it and then continued our stroll to the castle.
We took stairs to the hill where the castle (Vysehrad) was located and on our way up, there was some beautiful viewpoints to the center and to the river. Once we reached the top of the hill, we were greeted with a beautiful dark church and a cafe. We took a walk in the park next to the church and entered to a gorgeous graveyard. All of the graves where unique and very detailed. This cemetery is a final resting place for many famous Czech poets, novelists and other important figures.
After a long walk we decided to have a break and order coffee from the cafe nearby. The weather was in our favour as it was sunny and warm! Finally felt like the spring is coming.
Having to say, there was no an actual castle, only the ruins of it, but the hill area was still worth seeing. The view from the hill was spectacular and the green areas were very peaceful and calming. I'd imagine that this would be a perfect place for a picnic!
After spending a couple of hours on the hill we walked back to our hostel to pick our suitcases and headed towards the airport.