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Sean Plamondon
Sean Plamondon

Sean Plamondon

traveled in 86 countries Read more🇨🇦Ottawa
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  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon

    Iskanderkul

    July 10, 2024 in Tajikistan ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Farzona and her brother picked me up at 8am and off we went north into the mountains for another tour. Apparently Tajikistan is 93% mountainous and holds the world's second highest mountain chain after the Himalayas. And these details became apparent very quickly. Within 15 minutes of leaving the capital, we were entering some pretty crazy terrain. And it got more dramatic as we went.

    3.5 hours later we arrived at Iskander lake. Didn't really see the lake on arrival, and we had a big feast again immediately. Then farzona and I embarked on a two hour hike. First past the turquoise lake, and eventually to a canyon and waterfall. Beautiful throughout.

    On the way back, got even better shots of the iconic iskanderkul lake before hesding to snake lake. Bit of a challenge getting there but was a very nice place to relax for a while. Also went to some natural springs along the way.

    Returned to a rustic spot by the lake where we they rented us a house but with food and beverage service too. Big family operation. Me and Khurshed had some beer together on the dining table and then moved things to the lakeside. For a brief period the lake was so still and we unwittingly got some crazy awesome pics. Followed by endless food and then just relaxing on the cushion table until bedtime. I'm starting to get used to relaxing on pillowed tables haha. Life is rough 😁    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon
    My private museum tour guide
    Tallest flagpole in the world. Super random!The white houseParliament1Crazy spice options at the marketNuts for nutsSitting ON the table :)My spacious hotel room1Looked like i got cat food with my beer hahaLocals i met before the soccer game. Super curious about me

    Dushanbe

    July 9, 2024 in Tajikistan ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    Got up at 5:45am to make my 8am flight to Tajikistan. The international terminal in Tashkent is pretty chaotic but the organized chaos kinda works at the same time. Entering security depends on your flight time. I had to wait until passengers with much more pressing flight times got through security first. Getting there super early has no benefit.

    Hired a guide for a tour of Dushanbe. To my surprise my guide (Farzona) offered to pick me up at the airport which was super nice. Farzona's brother Khurshed was our driver for the day while we chatted and walked around.

    First stop was the National museum of Tajikistan where farzona had hired a museum employee (kasymova) to give me a private tour of the entire museum. Wow. Extremely detailed.

    Then Farzona walked me through beautiful parks to several monuments and both the parliament and president's "white house". After that we went to a massive food market and farzona chatted with many different vendors and got me samples of tons of different fruits and nuts there without ever giving anyone money. I must ask her more about this tomorrow

    After filling up on fruits we went to a traditional restaurant and had a huge feast in a private booth. I really wish i hadn't just come from the market because i was pretty full from so much sampling. Very different "table". Basically, we are sitting on the table with cushions and all the food in the middle. Food was soooo good. Especially the creamy dish.

    And after 5 hours together i was dropped off at my hotel. Where I napped for 3 hours. I really needed that. Plus the heat was intense again. Looking forward to some mountain temperatures tomorrow. The city is really nice and almost feels like a big american city like Washington. Huge avenues, lots of flowers and monuments. Very safe and comfortable.

    Got going again around 6pm and found another huge monument near a pub i was trying to find and then sampling some Tajik beers at a great outdoor spot. Not finding any real craft beers yet here. At least not any Tajik ones. But enjoying the city. Its definitely not what I expected. Very modern, and western feeling. I would never know i was in central asia right now. Very few girls wearing headscarves and most dressing in stylish garb. Even the ones who are much more conservatively dressed often look really sharp and bedazzled :)    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon
    I had to navigate a km of this by foot. UghInsanely beautiful subway platforms. And each one completely differentMarcus and Maria from Norway

    Tashkent

    July 8, 2024 in Uzbekistan ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Day started with a 730am drive from Khiva to the Urgench airport which took about an hour. Then a 2 hour flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital.

    Couldn't check into my hotel until 2pm, so I went for a long walk to the main bazaar and eventually to the massive muslim spiritual complex with tons of different ornate structures - mosques, madressas and minarets. I had no idea it was so huge. And they are just about done building the biggest mosque I've ever seen. Pictures dont show it properly at all. Shame it was closed still because i really wanted to check it out.

    My walk there wasn't so great. I decided to take a route through residential streets and get off the big noisy roads. Big mistake. Those residential streets were under massive construction and took me forever to navigate them. And because of road closures and also making a wrong turn, cost me an extra 45 minutes in the heat.

    But i did walk all the way back in a much more direct fashion to the hotel. Quickly checked in and then had earmarked a few nice restaurants to check out. Decided to try the subway. Wow every station is an elaborate art piece. Just beautiful. I wish they put that level of detail into signage though haha. Super hard to know which direction each platform is.

    Messaged my Norwegian friends i met in Samarkand for some ideas about a good beer place here in tashkent. Turns out they had just arrived in Tashkent too! So we agreed to meet up for a beverage later that night.

    First place i tried was more of a store with tables. Second place was super nice and more of an expensive lounge restaurant. But the third was amazing. Beautifully situated along a river and prices were good too. Met up with Marcus and Maria and shared stories for a few hours. Nice finish to a bit of a frustrating day. Will see them again in 10 days haha. Fun!    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon
    My tour guide1

    Khiva

    July 7, 2024 in Uzbekistan ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    Khiva is a far away place that looks amazing but every traveler has to grapple if it is worth the effort. Out of all the adventurous souls i have met so far, only one made the trek... but he's also traveling for 6 months. Time is not a factor for Dan.

    The train option is at 4am and takes 8 hours. Ugh. The flight option is much more pricey and requires two flights to do it. Or just skip it. I chose option 2. Got up at 7 and eventually made my way to the airport. Connected in Tashkent and landed a tad before 3pm in Urgench and still required a 40 minute taxi ride from there to khiva. Its a lot of effort for just one night in khiva. Worth it?

    Yes! Khiva is gorgeous. Properly walled city and feels even more authentic than bukhara. Beautiful madressas, mosques and minarets throughout. Attractive alleyways connecting everything and markets set up throughout.

    I got offered a tour by an uzbeki student where i could set my own price because she is still practicing her english vs the real tour guide telling me it was 40US I was tired and still fighting my cold but I decided to give it a try. She gave me a ton more info and into buildings i never would have entered. Worthy expenditure as i gave her 15 dollars and cut it short cuz i was melting in the insane heat.

    Minutes after my guide left, two uzbeki girls approached me and asked if they could interview me for a khiva tourism video they are making. I agreed and they mic'd me up and started rolling the camera. I hope i did canada proud haha.

    After that i just needed relief from the scorching desert environment. Got an ice cream and walked with that to a nearby 2nd story indoors restaurant near tons of the sites. Waited for the sun to drop a bit and then went to the top of a nearby watchtower for more great views.

    And then to a few different restaurants for the views and eventually a really good local meal. Walked around more after sundown but ultimately I'm too tired to persist. Plus this small town seems to be shutting down early too. And gotta be up early for my flight to Tashkent anyways.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon
    One of many many madresses in the registan
    My second home at the oasis part of townChor Minor madressaThe ArkBukhara old town from The ArkNo way i was getting on that camel and i kept my distanceThe ArkRe-entering the registanSoooo many carpet shops hereShops like this everywhereMy hotel's rooftop restaurant view. Part of it. Total panoramic views not possible in one picAnother lamb dishSunset over madressa and The Ark in the backdropSwiss siblings handing Switzerlands euro loss well :(Owner of the place i keep meeting so many people while watching the Euro soccer tournament

    Bukhara - Day 2

    July 6, 2024 in Uzbekistan ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    Woke up at 6am to watch Canada beat Venezuela at the Copa America on my phone and shockingly advance to the semi finals. Then back to bed until noon. Had an awesome lunch back in the oasis area of town and then ventured off to the Chor Minor madressa. Very disappointing that it was closed and i wasn't able to climb one of its 4 towers.

    Found a driver nearby to take me to The Ark, which is a walled city within a city. Super nice guy. Only $1 for a 15 minute drive. He didn't speak any english but really tried to connect with me. People here are just so authentic and kind natured. And all respond very happily to my canadian nationality.

    The Ark looks really cool from the exterior but unfortunately was mostly destroyed by the mongols and soviets. Massive restoration project under way. Some great views of Buhkara's old city from the top of The Ark though.

    From there got myself back to the registan and was so incredibly relieved to walk into my air conditioned room around 5pm. The intense heat is killing me. Plus I'm fighting a small cold. So lay down for 3 hours and then to my hotel's rooftop restaurant for supper at 8. Possibly the best viewpoint in the city. The panoramas are so incredibly striking. Had another lamb meal there and then headed back to the same bar as last night to watch the England Switzerland Euro match.

    Met a nice Swiss brother-sister pair there and felt awful for them when England beat them on penalty shots. All the while texting the british guys from the prior night, congratulating them :) The owner was really happy to see me again too :) And eventually called it a night. Back on the road tomorrow morning.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon
    Samarkand train station
    Entering the walled old town area by footView from my hotel rooftopEvery building opening is both a market and a passagewayOasis in the middle of the old town.Amazing "Melted Lamb stew"The cats in this town are extremely affectionateThe cellar bar outside the old town1Dan and Rogen from England

    Bukhara - Day 1

    July 5, 2024 in Uzbekistan ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    Took the 2 hour fast train to Bukhara and arrived at 130pm. Plus a 40 minute drive including circling around cuz it was prayer day and many roads were closed. No joke. I could eventually see on my google maps that i was relatively close to my hotel and i opted to walk the rest.
    On my walk through the old town, i quickly appreciated how well bukhara has been kept in its original state.

    Everything here is a sandstone style. With lots of curved sandstone domes but also the beautiful mosaic madresses and turquoise domed peaks like in samarkand. But its very different and perhaps a more authentic feel here. Hurts to say it because i really loved samarkand.

    I walked around amid the gorgeous mosques and quaint alleyways and markets. Hard to explain but its quite special here. But also a much smaller city and definitely quiter too

    After about 30 minutes wandering around and thoroughly enjoying the beautiful structures, i made my way purposely to Labi Huvoz plaza to relax with some cold beverages. The heat here is unforgiving. Relaxed by the oasis area for number of hours and had an amazing lamb stew.

    Eventually decided to see if i could find any craft beer in this town. Found a place on google maps outside the historic old town and ventured off down several narrow alleyways until i came across it. Sat down in this attractive stone cellar tavern amongst the locals thinking "i will definitely not meet any other tourists here tonight" as i was way off the tourist trail.

    An hour later, the spain germany soccer match started up and two brits asked if they could join my table to my surprise. Hung out with Dan and Rogen for a few hours and then I eventually made my back through the very quiet streets to my hotel.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon
    Amir Temur
    Amir TemurMountain range we had to cross overLook how small the people are bottom-rightShahrizabzShahrizabzShahrizabzShahrizabzShahrizabzRandom mosque we drove by in ShahrizabzView from mountain restaurantFaro my driver with our lamb feastRandom driver to take me to the beer garden again. Happiest guy on earth hahaAli and the owner at Gusto beer gardenAmir Temur at nightRegistan at nightNew friends at Sam CraftNew friends at Sam Craft

    Samarkand - Day 2

    July 4, 2024 in Uzbekistan ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Beds are pretty firm here. Didn't sleep great. But fairly early to bed and up around 7. But with lots of hours catching up on US politics craziness too cuz i couldn't sleep.

    After breakfast, walked to very impressive Amir Temur complex. Wanted to take a pic inside the dome but there were 50 people praying and i didn't want to be disrespectful.

    I unofficially had a car rented, but a guy outside the Amir Temur asked to be my driver today. After some haggling agreed on $60 to bring me to Shahrizabz. Its a 2 hour drive each direction plus he gave me as much time as i wanted to explore the sites. Which were really impressive. But unbelievably hot walking around. My phone kept shutting down from overheating!

    To get there and back, we had to pass over a big mountain range. Faro, my driver suggested we stop at his favorite restaurant at the top of the mountain for lamb on the way back. Sounded good to me. Awesome views to go with a big feast. I wasn't terribly hungry so i told him to bring all the leftovers home to his family.

    Got back at 4pm, and despite having air conditioning the whole drive, i was destroyed from the heat. Lay down for 3 hours at the hotel and re-energized. Then easily found another driver quickly to bring me back to the beer garden (Gusto) i was at Day 1. I love how every car in Uzbekistan is a potential taxi haha. I got the happiest driver possible. We didn't understand a single word from each other but it was super enjoyable.

    Met up with Ali the bartender again who definitely speaks the best English of anyone i have met so far here. Super nice friendly guy who has taken care of me so far. Had 2 beers chatting with him and the owner before venturing off to other places. All the staff were really happy to see me again too. Kinda sad i won't see them again. My samarkand family.

    Made my way to some cool ancient sites to get nighttime pics while all lit up. Then decided to finish my night at the same craft beer place i was at last night. The front deck area was bustling and full so i went inside and sat at the bar again. Was maybe 10 minutes later that i waa chatting with some other travelers who invited me to join them.

    Really nice couple from norway. Two other guys from norway. Another nice couple from india and taiwan. And also eventually two more nice couples from belgium and france too

    Got contact info from several and we all got booted aa they were closing. But supposed to meet up with the Norwegian couple in Geogia in 2 weeks. Fun!! Kinda surreal because i spent 2 days feeling like the only tourist here. Bit of a shame i am leaving tomorrow    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon
    Beer gardenSam CraftAwesome shawarma at Sam Craft

    Samarkand - Day 1

    July 3, 2024 in Uzbekistan ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    My Old Silk Road journey starts here. Which i think is a pretty cool starting point. Arrived at 5am, got some local currency at the airport's atm and quickly found a taxi to my hotel and passed out.

    Got going again at 1:30pm and immediately to the very nearby Registan right outside my hotel. Walked in and out of the 3 huge impressive madressas. Got directions from a local to the other ancient sites and off i went.

    Super hot and sunny but lots of nice parks to walk through along the way too. Stumbled across the massive Bibi khanym mosque. Then the much smaller but pretty Hazrat Hizr mosque with great views of the city. And finished at Shah I Zinda mausleums area, which was easily my favorite. The detailed mosaics covering each building plus the striking blue domes throughout are quite something to witness

    After that trek through ancient sites, i needed some food so i just stood next to a crazy busy road and within seconds an unmarked car pulled over and took me to the "russian town" of samarkand where there are lots of restaurants and nightlife. 30 min drive in heavy traffic cost me $2.

    5pm seems to be too early here. Many places closed or i was the only one there. Eventually found a newly built beer garden and made that my home for a few hours as i caught up on messages and figuring out some logistics for the next number of days. Nice surprise that they had excellent beer too!

    On my walk home found a 24 hour car rental place, so made arrangements for tomorrow for $25 including insurance. Much cheaper than the $75 driver plus guide i was gonna hire. And just before my hotel i found a craft beer place. Nice spot to finish my day. Totally exhausted from the long trip, and so many km of walking today too.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonCentral Asia and CaucasusSean Plamondon

    En Route

    July 1, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This trip has been in the making for 5 years now. I had flights booked to central asia pre covid but the world shutting down took away that travel year and my flight in 2020 got cancelled, like everyone else's.

    I had spent a full year researching and planning it. There's so many borders that are not open to tourists in this area or just sporadically close for everyone. This time around i decided to bypass those concerns and unknowns by booking flights inbetween countries instead. And oh boy there's going to be a lot of countries!! Mostly really affordable flights too. But definitely less of a real world experience. There's usually so much amazing culture to absorb on the local transportations. I will have to find other ways to immerse myself.

    I have 3 flights to get there. Over 20 hours total travel time across 9 time zones. But i am flying business class the whole way, with a bed for most of it. So, i will be a happy, semi well rested guy on arrival hopefully.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia
    1Entrance to Mahdia medina
    Sousse medinaSousse medinaEntrance to Hammamet medinaHammamet medinaMy beer spot while soni shoppedSidi Bou SaidSidi Bou SaidSidi Bou SaidSidi Bou SaidSidi Bou SaidSidi Bou Said

    Sidi Bou Said

    May 19, 2024 in Tunisia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Today needed to drive north all the way back towards Tunis because we were flying the next day at noon. But first we went to the Mahdia medina for some shopping for Soni. And apparently for me too cuz i bought a few things as well

    Then drove about 1.5 hours to Sousse which has a huge endless fortification around the medina. We walked into the medina and it was like an indiana jones movie. Narrow cute passageways with market shops throughout with really unique arabic stuff. Found an awesome restaurant in the middle of it and had an awesome lunch before taking off again.

    Drove another 90 minutes to Hammamet and visited their medina too. This medina was like a disney medina. Modern and made to look authentic but definitely contrived. Still, lots of shopping for soni while i relaxed on endless pillows and a beer. Seafronts of both sousse and hammamet were beautiful sandy beaches and resorts all along the coast.

    Drove another 90 minutes south of Tunis to absolutely gorgeous Sidi Bou Said. It was like being on a greek island. All the buildings were white and blue, narrow cobblestone roads, full of restaurants and shops on hills overlooking the Mediterranean sea. So beautiful and quaint.

    Had an amazing traditional fish meal there and some really good tunisian wine. I had no idea tunisia even made wine but we both loved it. Things closed down semi early so got back to the hotel at a good hour to rest up before the long flight home.

    I absolutely loved tunisia. Its beautiful with awesome roman history. There's so much i didn't get to see and i feel this is part 1 and to be continued. Tunisia's biggest treasure are the people though. Soooo incredibly kind and warm. Genuinely sad to leave.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia

    Mahdia

    May 18, 2024 in Tunisia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Got ourselves to the Tunis airport to pick up the rental car and headed due south through a rainstorm. I thought it was interesting to see highway signs that said 110kph normally but 90kph while raining. Another first.

    2.5 hours later arrived in small El Jem for one huge main purpose. The roman ampitheatre! And it was magnificent. Super similar to the roman coliseum in rome (romans conquered tunisia 2000 years ago, so it checks out haha). But i think its better. Can climb everything, almost no people and camels! Haha.

    I tried to take a picture next to a camel but it didn't approve at all and pushed me 5 feet away with its nose. The camel owner told me to get on for a picture. I didn't expect the camel to stand up and i almost toppled over its head because it stands its hind legs up first. Took me for a walk in front of the amphitheater.. none of which i asked for. But was very amusing.

    Had lunch right across from the amphitheater and the owner was hilariously giddy that i was canadian. Had some chicken kebabs there and back on the road.

    Made our way to Mahdia, which is a coastal town semi nearby. We decided to book an all inclusive resort because it was only 100 cad for the night. Soni was in heaven, while i looked southward down the coast to the old city in the distance and longed for more adventure. So soni basked in the sun and i walked 40 mins along the beach shoreline to the medina and castle in town.

    Took me a while but i finally found a place serving beers outside the medina. I'm seeing a pattern perhaps. Then headed back to the resort to meet up with soni for dinner and planning out our last day in Tunisia tomorrow. Food at the resort was awesome and a bit of luxury wasn't terrible either.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia
    Commercial plane with zero markings

    Tunis

    May 17, 2024 in Tunisia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    One last time driving on the left side of the road to get the car back to the airport. Despite doing pretty good in my opinion, i have never been so happy to hand over the keys to a car haha.

    Flight to Tunisia was supposed to be at 4pm but delays pushed it back to 6pm unfortunately. So spend most of the day in the airport, catching up on seth meyers and colbert at the Hard Rock cafe.

    Our plane to Tunisia was really old and it wasn't even painted. An all white commercial airplane. Very weird haha. On landing, exchanged some dollars for dinars and got a taxi to the medina to our hotel. Taxi driver left us about 300 meters from the hotel because the streets in the medina are extremely narrow and only pedestrian.

    Started walking into the medina and the hotel staff was kind enough to come meet us half way. Super nice. Checked into our super authentic Tunisian hotel and ended up eating at the hotel's restaurant. We both got fantastic couscous meals (one chicken, one fish), each of which could have fed a small family.

    Soni was happy to relax in the room to cap the night. Whereas i wanted to find a place for a beer to write my blog, as i usually do. Asked the hotel staff where i could go and they said the medina is too religious to sell beer but there's a place 20 minute walk away. I wasn't gonna go but Aziz said no problem, he'd be super happy to walk me there. I didn't really feel like going that far but i also felt it was great luck to have a temporary tour guide to show me through the medina.

    So off we went and it was really cool. Mostly covered narrow cobblestone streets winding through the medina maze. I feel like i got into yet another time machine. Eventually ended up at a crazy busy spot and I was set up nicely at quick makeshift table where there wasn't one minute ago. I bought Aziz a beer before he had to go. He protested but he eventually relented and accepted my thanks for his efforts. Then Aziz gave me his number and told me to contact him and he would come back to get me and bring me back to the hotel.

    An hour later, i paid up and was ready to go. I felt bad asking Aziz to come all the way back to get me so was debating finding my own way back. Chatted a bit with some locals behind me who were really nice. I asked them if it was dangerous to walk through the medina now and they both assured me it was not dangerous at all. The girl asked me if i wanted to go to a nightclub with her, but i had to be up early, so i politely declined. And the guy Dali also gave me his phone number and told me to contact him for any questions etc. Super nice.

    I got about half way through the medina and i came across Aziz who was coming to get me of his own volition. So nice. Walked me back the rest of the way and emphasized again that i should contact him for anything i might need the rest of my trip. So far, i definitely see why people say Tunisians are so nice and hospitable.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia

    Valletta again

    May 16, 2024 in Malta ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Started the day driving about an hour to the really pretty fishing village of Marsaxlokk which is especially famous for multi coloured painted boats everywhere. Also a wonderful place to sit by the water for lunch and shopping in the seaside market. Had an awesome raw fish platter for lunch and got back on the road.

    Drove to gorgeous St Peter's Pool, which is a natural swimming area along carved out sandstone rocks. Then headed to The Three Cities which right across the grand harbour from Valletta and has tons of gorgeous cathedrals and fortifications plus the usual cool narrow streets everywhere. You really can't go wrong in this country any direction to opt to head.

    And finally finished the rest of the day back in Valletta. Soni was super happy to have a free shopping evening. I had ambitious ideas to explore valletta's fortifications and waterfront but instead found myself back at an awesome vertical street full of restaurants. Had my favorite pasta (truffles) of the trip and thats saying a lot considering the first 5 days were in italy.

    Soni eventually caught up with me and we headed back to the Kapitale bar and luckily enough both Alice and Neggy were working again. Big hugs all around and they both sat down with us for quite a while. That place closed pretty early again but this time Neggy took us to another bar with more of their friends. Really fun last night in amazing Malta. I can't recommend this country enough.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia

    Mdina / Rabat

    May 15, 2024 in Malta ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Malta was controlled by the british for over 100 years, which i didn't know. Ergo, I also didn't realize my rental car would be driven on the left side of the road. Which i have never done before!!!

    But there's a first time for everything, right? 😁

    Holy crap that was challenging to adjust to. If cars were in front of me, it was a bit less on the brain.. follow the crowd. But all the roundabouts were clockwise instead of counter clockwise, and left hand turns did awful things to my brain. Always looking behind me for a car coming up on my right instead of a car coming in front on my right.

    But otherwise i think i did really well!! I could hear Soni pounding her shoes against her imaginary brakes in the passenger seat haha. But she kept telling me i was doing really well and it was her that was forgetting we were exactly where we should be haha. Oh boy, what a hilarious experience and on crazy roads and crazy busy roundabouts with cars going every direction.

    Ok back to where we went. Drove to the northern tip of the island and took the ferry to the island of Gozo and got ourselves to Victoria in the middle of the island. Beautiful fortress and maze of narrow streets below to yet another gorgeous cathedral.

    Checked out the sights and then headed back to the ferry to the malta main island and to the elevated fortress city of Mdina. Yes that's spelled correctly. Which is a twin city to Rabat. Amazing walled city on a hilltop. Felt like a prince walking through such amazing grand buildings and cobbled passageways. And outside the fortifications, Rabat was wonderful too. Narrow maze like streets filled with beautiful churches and restaurants

    We found a cave restaurant that offered a somewhat expensive 5 course meal maltese foodie experience and we went for it. Sooooo good. I'm such a spoiled person wow.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia

    Valletta

    May 14, 2024 in Malta ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Flight to Malta wasn't until 3pm, and still over an hour drive away from where we were. With a lot of time remaining, decided to maximize our time and drive to the town of Enna perched high up on a mountain. Managed to walk the cute streets to some pretty piazzas and cathedrals. But didn't linger very long and got back on the road to return our rental car and get to the airport.

    Landed in Valletta, Malta a while later and immediately could tell malta was going to be something special. All the buildings are beautifully ornate and grand. And all are the same sandstone color too. Incredibly striking. Every turn and block offered something beautiful. And extremely lively place with endless restaurants and shops throughout.

    Found a place for a quick bite on a really cool vertical street filled with tables and chairs on every stair going down the steep hill. Then found a craft beer specialty spot and settled in. Alice the bartender shocked me with her beer knowledge and was super sweet to chat with too.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia

    Caltanisetta

    May 13, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    After about 20 minutes walking up and down narrow hilly streets, finally found our car and headed off to Agrigento. Once we arrived, got really stuck in a series of insanely narrow streets. I had to reverse a lot plus a lot of inching back and forth to get the angle just right on turns. Its a minor miracle we still have all the paint on the sides of our car :)

    After a nice lunch in town, drove to the valley of the temples. Its an ancient greek city dating back to 450 BC ! I was shocked to see so many ancient structures still standing. Really spectacular. And hot!

    After that, drove another hour to a smaller town in the middle of the island called caltanisetta where we found a few places to eat and get some much needed rest. One younger guy near us at a cafe came over and asked if we were tourists. He was amazed any tourists would come to this town haha. It was cute, but ya pretty small and sleepy.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia

    Sciacca

    May 12, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Very pretty drive along the northern coast to the small town Trapina. Walked around the narrow streets and had a really nice lunch by the water.

    After lunch continued on toward Sciacca (pronounced sh-ocka). At one point during the drive on the highway, i accidentally cut off another driver who was in my blind spot. He honked of course but then everything after that was wildly insane. He would get alongside me and inch my way over and over trying to run us off the highway. I had to brake hard to let him fly by and continue on. But he kept coming back and doing the same thing. Eventually came across a police car waving traffic through so i pulled over. But that guy pulled over too and got out of his car and charged toward me wanting to fight. I drove away but he got back in his car and harrassed us for a really long time. Crazy stressful. Until he finally sped up and left. Super unstable person. And he had a baby in his backseat too!

    Arrived in Sciatta and walked around to see the sights in this very hilly town. I admit, it was a bit underwhelming compared to everything we had seen in other cities and we especially had a hard time finding an open restaurant.

    After a ton of exploring and a lot of uphill climbs we finally found an outdoor cafe and then a tiny pub to settle in to. Ended up getting to know the bartender and wife and parents who were all there too. Plus a few other locals. Nice finish to a strange day.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia

    Palermo

    May 11, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Started the morning with a relaxing, and grueling uphill hike to the top of the giant cliff above cefalu :) Incredible views from the top. And amazing they were able to build such fortifications in such a dramatic location.

    After a quick meal next to the cathedral, drove up the coast to palermo. Intentionally chose the winding coastal road which took longer but so gorgeous with the mountains and ocean colliding.

    Wandered around to a lot of nice churches and admired the beautiful architecture. Found some crazy streets with endless terraces completely filled with Italians enjoying the life. Extremely lively city and very friendly too.

    Devon was exhausted and went to bed early. Kris found a restaurant that had a 7 course fish foodie experience for an amount incredibly cheaper than anything you could ever dream of in canada. Even the ice cream dessert had fishy flavors but still surprisingly good. Who knew!?

    We tried to find a craft beer place i found via google but on the way traversed a parking lot that was converted into a crazy block party. We never reached the craft beer place cuz it was just so hilarious fun at the parking lot party. Really fun place and super easy to meet people at. Amazing night all around    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia

    Cefalu

    May 10, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    In the morning, the plaza outside our hotel had been transformed into a massive sprawling market. Unfortunately we didn't have time to explore the market because we had to pick up our rental car and then also pick up Kris and Devon at the airport.

    Drove about an hour part way up the north side of mt Etna for a tour we booked on the volcano. Shortly after starting the hike, Soni had to abort because she was having an issue with her diabetic sugar levels or something like that and she returned to the restaurant where we started. And the rest of us continued to the crater rim.

    After that, drove a bit over 3 hours high up through the mountains and eventually by the sea to cefalu, a very picture perfect seaside town. Had dinner by the water and watched the sunset and eventually finished the evening at a nice rooftop spot.    Read more

  • Sicily, Malta & Tunisia
    Despite all odds, made our flight to Rome from DC
    Flight to SicilyRoman amphitheater. Apparently sat 15,000 people back in the dayAmazing seafood pasta by the basilicaNew friends Jody and Tania from New Zealand1Soni doesn't approve of this pic hahaBest artisinal white beer i have hadSuper nice staff at the last place close to our apartment

    Catania

    May 9, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Back exploring the world. And this trip will be with my lovely friend Soni. Plus meeting up with Kris and Devon too for a couple of days.

    The start to this trip was very awkward. Had a one hour connection in Washington but unfortunately the flight out of ottawa was delayed by one hour as well. Missing our flight to Rome from Washington seemed depressingly guaranteed. Bummer. And really gonna mess up some critical plans.

    But on arrival in Washington, ran a few kilometers across two terminals plus a train in-between and super fortunately they were waiting for us at the gate. Soooo happy.

    Over 8 hours later arrived in Rome and a few hours after that, finally in Catania, Sicily.

    Soni and i walked around the quaint streets and beautiful buildings until finally arriving at the piazza with the main basilica. Sat down shortly after for dinner on a nearby busy street. Started to rain and a couple next to us were getting rained on so we invited them to join us at our table with total canopy coverage. Super nice couple (Jody and Tania) from New Zealand. Spent about 2 hours with them before they had to go to their dinner reservation.

    Wandered back towards our apartment rental and stopped in at a really nice old school place with beautiful stone and brick arches throughout and super nice staff. And a wonderful craft white beer that was sweet as a cocktail.

    Super great day despite getting about 2 hours sleep :) The future is looking extra bright 🌞    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon
    Alexa bravely sporting the cusco jersey in lima :)
    Awesome cliff side restaurantMy insane catch of the day mealRabassa family at a nearby beachUrban beachKennedy park areaThe last supper togetherFound this sign at the last spot of this trip. Not sure what it means but i feel included :)

    Lima - Day 2

    March 15, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The first day of the trip without any specific agenda. No flights or trains, or tours or hikes.

    So we didn't get going until close to noon. Walked to this huge mall built down the side of a cliff for lunch. I asked the waiter what he recommended and he said the catch of the day is fantastic. So i went with that. He then told me there's 3 ways it can be prepared. Ceviche style, fried, or a third option that i didn't know what it was. He highly recommended the 3rd option so i happily agreed, curious what i would get.

    It was a huge tray the size of a full lasagne tin filled with soup and a whole fish inside the soup plus a lot of yucca and other smaller vegetables. He pulled the fish and yucca out for me onto plates and said the rest is soup for me. That soup could feed 10 people!! Anyways it was amazing. I ate all the fish and a bit of the soup but i really barely put a dent in what i received. Felt bad to waste so much.

    From there, we went looking for a taxi to the beach. This guy outside the mall with official looking clothing and an id dangling from his neck agreed to a price with me. But when we walked to his car, there weren't any taxi markings whatsoever on it and he was already being a bit pushy. I didn't feel comfortable, and politely walked away and into a real taxi not too far away. Maybe it was fine but not worth finding out.

    Found a nice spot on playa agua dulce and rented an umbrella and 2 chairs relatively close to the water and we enjoyed a few hours in the sun and waves.

    Eventually made our way back to our hotel. Alexa wanted some quiet time to herself, so i got her some food and then walked to the busiest part of miraflores to see what kind of craft beer i could find. Only about a 10 minute walk. Abdel and family ended up at a nice restaurant a block away, so i joined them for a bit and eventually said our goodbyes because alexa and i are flying home in the morning while those guys have one more day in lima.

    And thats pretty much our trip minus boring packing, taxis and airport stuff. I will definitely return to peru. It was a relatively short trip and peru has so much more to see and discover. I have felt pretty safe in all my south america travels so far (but with my usual precautionary measures), and Peru definitely felt quite a bit safer than brazil, Argentina, Colombia and ecuador.

    Just about everyone we encountered in peru were incredibly friendly, and happy and really nice. Very salt of the earth experience.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon

    Lima - Day 1

    March 14, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Another travel day getting ourselves to Lima which meant another relatively early wakeup and a lot of time in airports, taxis and in flight.

    Finally arrived at our hotel early afternoon both feeling pretty tired. Found a nearby place for some lunch and then back to the hotel. Alexa wasn't feeling great and very tired so she took the afternoon to rest up. Lots of early mornings and busy days taking their toll.

    Our hotel is in lima's nicest neighborhood Miraflores close to the ocean, but situated high above on a clifftop. Walked along the clifftop paths for a bit and met up with the Rabassa family at Mango's restaurant situated over the ocean. Taught them how to play Donut (card game) which was a lot of fun.

    And later we all went for supper at a place near the hotel and then bed. Was a very welcome chill day to recharge our batteries and relax.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon
    Alexa's favorite restaurant ever
    Even the bathroom is coolCute passageways like this everywhereView from high up San BlasBaby alpaca kissesTook a lot of willpower to not kidnap this alpacaOne of many hidden markets as you wander the streetsInside one of the cathedral chambersLook at the fork for scale haha. Tiniest mugs everShopping in the san pedro marketI cant believe people eat snouts. YuckOutside the stadium before the gameResdy to cheer on the home teamFirst goal of the gameRiot police breaking up the team brawl

    Cusco - Day 2

    March 13, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We got up early for our day trip to the famous Rainbow mountain. Very shortly after departing, found out we would be spending 9+ hours in the bus to get there and back and the details at the mountain were different too. We decided to abort and managed to get half our money back

    So we had a casual day wandering the city and lots of relaxing too. Found a really cool restaurant called Dr Beer and Miss Potato where alexa got chocolate waffles and i had omelette and tacos apparently :) All the music there was on Alexa's playlist and she was immensely happy about every aspect of that place, even the bathroom was cool.

    From there, went higher into San Blas for some great views of the city. Took a lot of narrow cobblestone passageways/streets on the way down and came across some Bolivians with their pet alpacas with indescribably soft wool coats. I don't know why, but farm animals always try to kiss me when i bend over for a photo. Then continued downhill more, passing someone carrying a baby lamb and hidden markets and finally to the main plaza. You never know what you'll find in cusco as you wander around. Definitely worth it to venture off the main streets.

    At the plaza found a brewery place overlooking everything where i had super cute tiny sample mugs the size of my thumb and alexa had an exotic fruit juice mixture. Before leaving the plaza, we quickly toured the massive cathedral which was amazing inside. And some jewelry shopping for alexa. Silver is really cheap here.

    Then met up the abdel and family in the massive San Pedro market which literally has anything you can think of. After making a few purchases, unwisely walked through the meat area. Seeing the animal parts and smells were really overwhelming and alexa had to exit the market and eventually back to our apartment and rest a bit. I was pretty grossed out too.

    Late afternoon, we walked to the stadium, met up with our gang, bought jerseys and went in to watch the cusco soccer team battle a lima team. Before entering the stadium, I got interviewed on tv shortly after putting on my jersey haha.. they loved that we were canadians cheering on cusco.

     My first south american footy match! And oh boy, what a game! So many crazy scoring chances, 3 goals, lots of fouls, an ejection, and a massive brawl between both teams where the riot police had to run onto the field to break it up. I thought the riot police were there to repel the fans haha! And from start to finish, the stadium was soooo loud with both fanbases trying to out-scream each other. Cusco scoring the game winning goal in the final minutes set the entire stadium into a crazy celebratory frenzy. Amazing experience. What a great, mostly unplanned day.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon
    View from our apartmentPachapapa restaurant11

    Cusco - Day 1

    March 12, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Began the day with a 90 minute train ride to Ollantaytambo, followed by a 2 hour bus ride to cusco. Such incredible scenery the whole way again.

    It was a 20 minute walk to our apartment rental from the bus drop off, so decided to walk. But didn't realize the last 7 minutes of that walk was up really steep hills and with backpacks on our backs. We didn't feel so great after that and I'm sure the altitude (11,000 feet) was a big part of that.

    Rested a bit in the apartment but i think we both needed to get some food in us so we found a great spot in san blas plaza with a wood kiln oven and an outdoors courtyard. We were very content to relax there for a few hours and wait to see what abdel and family to find us.

    Eventually they joined us and we all followed a recommended walking route in my travel book which took us through charming narrow cobblestone streets, and many different central areas and markets.

    Stopped at one more restaurant for a late snack and called it a night. Even though we didn't exactly do a lot today, i think we were all pretty tired.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon
    Mountain behind alexa is our destination
    Tiger spiderUp waynu pichu we goAlmost at the top"Stairs of death"We did it!Abdel, max and calebTouching the cloudsThe not so easy trek backThankfully lots of ropes to cling toFinal details from FredyMy blogging locationGuinea pig!

    Aguas Calientes - Day 3

    March 11, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    For day 2 at machu picchu, we hired a guide (Fredy) to show us and explain the ancient city and to also take us up wayna (huanya) picchu mountain. Another cloudy day but much better visuals of the mountains around us off and on.

    After a very educational tour of the ancient city, up we went to try to summit wayna picchu. This hike was even steeper than yesterday's mountain but half the height and much more interesting hike too with incredible views throughout.

    Our guide was great to take videos and pictures of us throughout the climb. At the summit, there are many different giant rock features to get great photos from which was fun to climb over too.

    After descending and finishing the ancient city tour, grabbed some lunch and eventually back to our hotel. Alexa rested for a while and i found a nice place by the river to write my blog and relax with a beer.

    After a quick nap and shower, we met back up with the group at another restaurant by the river. Abdel tried the guinea pig which is a peru delicatessen. I admit it was pretty tssty but couldn't help but feel sorry for the little guy.

    The kids went out to find a good dessert place while we had a few beverages to cap the night. And start to pack up for the trip to cusco tomorrow.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon
    Our hike in the clouds
    Rachel's stopping pointSuper steep climb for 2 hours like thisFinally at the top but minimal viewWe did it!Totally in the clouds at the summitTreacherous descent !Just as we descended, the clouds opened a bitMillion dollar viewGetting rained on but we didn't care360 degrees of beautyRachel much better dressed than us :)And of course, blue skies when descended back to the townAlexa's yummy trout supper

    Aguas Calientes - Day 2

    March 10, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Another early morning, up at 6am. Quickly got ready, quicker breakfast and out the door by 6:50 to figure out how to get a bus up to machu picchu. And i do mean UP :)

    Lots of confusion for us. We got in a big line on the street but then found out we had to buy tickets at the office. So rachel and caleb raced off to get our tickets while i tried to hold our spot in line. I kept getting hassled that i couldn't be in line without tickets but i found a way to not lose our spot. After Rachel arrived, she thought she lost her phone and sent caleb a block up to look but the bus was boarding. He got back just in time. Alexa and i got on first and sat at the back and eventually noticed rachel and caleb weren't on the bus yet and then we all realized i had all 4 tickets in my hand haha. They got the last 2 spots. Phew.

    The bus ride up the mountain is otherworldly. But were heavily covered in clouds too. Still, all the mountains here are so vertical, it was very striking regardless. Once at the ancient city, everything was in the clouds. Didn't matter too much because we signed up for a hike to the top of machu picchu mountain, high above the ancient site. 4 hour round trip hike.

    Incredibly gruelling hike to the top. Took us about 2 hours but we were all exhausted. Poor rachel decided to only go 1/4 of the way and wait for us to return. At the top, we were unfortunately completely in the clouds and couldn't see anything. But every now and then some clouds would part and we'd briefly enjoy great views momentarily.

    After a long, painful and treacherous hike back down, we got incredibly lucky with the clouds breaking up for some awesome views of the ancient city. Got really wet in the process too but i didn't care. This is what we came for.

    After descending back to the town, rested up for a bit and finally met up with abdel and max who had missed their original flight due to passport issues and travelled in transit almost 40 hours straight to catch up with us. Had an amazing peruvian meal at andio and put our tired bodies to bed.    Read more

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