Fifi Flipflops Big Adventure

November 2015 - March 2024
An open-ended adventure by Fifi flipflop
Currently traveling
  • 482footprints
  • 25countries
  • 3,043days
  • 2.3kphotos
  • 133videos
  • 138kmiles
  • 119kmiles
  • Day 3,016

    Fire show

    March 1 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    We work early in the morning and I'm very indecisive about what to do. It's really strange because when you're travelling for long periods of time there's no need to have much of a plan but with only being here for 2 weeks we do need to get a plan on. After a little bit of deliberation we decided to chill by the pool this morning and this afternoon we've had a taxi to take us to the fire show at the temple on the sea. After a bit of bartering we manage to arrange a driver called narko. Narco picks us up at 3 and I think that I am a crazy driver but this takes the biscuit even though ullawato it's only 18 km away it takes us over an hour to reach there. We arrived just after 4:00 and take a walk around the temple. The monkeys here are relentless and within seconds of being in the main area someone has already lost their glasses. As we walk up to the north end of the temple wall a girl is taking a photograph of one of the monkeys and from nowhere another monkey grabs her iPhone 13. He is literally sitting on the wall trying to eat it but luckily one of the old guys who works at the temple comes over and throws the monkey some food and he abruptly drops the phone the guy picks it up to hand it back and I advise the girl that she needs to tip him. When she asks him how much he says 100,000 the equivalent to £5 and she pulls a face but I advise her that she's paid a lot more for her iPhone than £5 and she hands 100,000 rupiah over. After walking the temple for nearly an hour we rejoin narco who has kindly stood in the line for that hour to buy our tickets. Tickets in hand we make our way to the arena and sit there to wait for the show to start. I have seen the show before but it is still brilliant. The portrays and Indonesian story of How a king lures away a beautiful woman by using his magic and sending the golden deer to tempt her away. The show ends with a fire scene and at the end the fire is kicked all over the arena narrowly missing people sat in the front row. We leave slightly early at narcos request as the traffic getting out of there is really crazy. On the route back home we stop at Jimbaran beach where we order red snapper for dinner. 0ut here at the moment there are a lot of people from Java on a huge convention and they are all sat I must have tables outside of the restaurant it starts to rain and rather than moving side they all put their umbrellas up and sit outside in pouring rain finishing their dinner which makes me and Marlene chuckle. On the way back we've book norco to take us on a day trip tomorrow. But for now a well needed sleep is in order.Read more

  • Day 3,015

    Sunset beers

    February 29 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We wake early as Marlene has forgotten to take her alarm off but to be honest I haven't slept that well and I'm quite excited to get back out and about in Bali. We take a stroll along Jimbaran beach Which sadly to say is not one of the nicest beaches here due to plastic pollution but the statue itself at the end of the ocean God is magnificent. We still managed to take a little dip in the sea and on our way back stopped off for a massage. It's such a relief to release the tension from my shoulders and start to relax into bali life I'm with a little bit of lingo have a chuckle with the two ladies. Kuta is the main town nearest the airport and most people will generally only stay here for a couple of days for transit although at the moment it's very busy with lots of tourists and lots of street vendors with the secret being don't give them eye contact and definitely don't talk to them. As hard as I try to resist we eventually end up in Starbucks and a caramel macchiato on ice is just what I needed. In the evening we had down to legion beach to watch the sunset and meet again with Debbie and Graham sharing a few beers or three in Ellie's bar a little wooden shack with plastic chairs and tables but the beer is cold. It's a little bit cloudy for a good sunset but we watch the instagrammers still trying to get their photos in the midst a dog decides to take a s*** on the beach and have to finishing barks to show his proudness of having centre spotlight. Debbie and Graham take us to a little restaurant they know called the coffee pot and it's like a secret garden with amazing food. Graham and Debbie are staying in legion area so we decide to get a blue bird taxi home even though it's only a 20-minute walk it's well worth it.Read more

  • Day 3,012

    The long journey

    February 26 in England ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    So after far too long, I'm eventually back on a plane. We're flying out of London Heathrow and luckily John eased my travelling pain by dropping me all the way from Liverpool. We board the plane on time and pretty much spend the whole day travelling. The first flight is to Hong Kong and is a 12 hour stint. We take a sleeping tablet each and within minutes Marlene is snoring, but as usual I still can't sleep. We have a 3 hour stopover but by the time we get of the plane and find the smoking lounge. A couple of cigarettes later and we boarding the plane to continue our 5hour journey onwards to Bali. It's really nice because by the time we've eaten and watched a film we are touching down. With being here a year ago I'm aware that getting you visa online is a must as there are 2 queues when we arrive and we only have to wait for immigration so fly through. Outside it's pandemonium hundreds of name boards but I don't see our names. We walk towards the exit and I suggest we have a cigarette before I leave Marlene with the suitcases and walk back to find our lift. Second time lucky I find our driver and we are on our way to the hotel. It's a big change for me as I'm used to staying in hostels but this time it's luxury all the way. The hotel is beautiful and after dropping our bags out bags and a shower we head out to meet my friends who've been in Bali for a month. We enjoy dinner in a local restaurant and after a couple of hours and beers head back to the hotel exhausted.Read more

  • Day 2,769

    The show must go on

    June 28, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Early morning Tim arrives back and takes me to the local market. It's very similar from something we'd have at home but the food stalls really intrigue me. I love to sample things and they have lots of little tasters as we walk around but I feel particularly hungover today. After drinking a coffee Tim and I make our way back to the house. While Tim catches up with household chores I chill on the balcony.Read more

  • Day 2,768

    Back to Gent

    June 27, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    I join Joke and Tim for a quick coffee before they head for work and after a quick shower I head out myself. It's funny that when I use Google maps for my journey it's shows my first part of the journey with a bike and that's because everyone here has a bike. Stood on the platform I start to panic when a high pitched siren starts ringing but soon realise it's to warn that a train is coming but to be honest it wouldn't give you enough time to get off the track in an emergency. The train is delayed and by the time I get to the other platform the train is leaving so I'm glad there is another one in 15 minutes. It takes just over an hour but when I get off I'm nowhere near the centre. I ask a lady and she tells me I need to catch the number one tram but I can't see one so as the tram pulls up a nice gentleman tells me I can get the number 2 and then the number 4. The city once again is an architectures dream. Beautiful buildings filled with modern day shops. The exterior has to be kept in the same style but the insides are modernised to accommodate our shopping demand. I stroll around and Bobby messages to say he will meet me in the centre. I try a honey coffee which definitely ticks my sweet tooth and before long Bobby arrives. He takes me to a shop where I have frites with horse meat and beer gravy and I'm sorry to say it was the tastiest gravy I've ever had. We wander the little streets and cross multiple bridge's before arriving at Dulle Griet. This is a bar that serves something called a kwak. It's where the beer is served in a glass that is so expensive to replace and multiple people stealing them, they take one shoe as a deposit after more strolling we share our last beer which this time I opt for the cherry beer which is delicious. We say our goodbyes on the platform and I arrive back a little later. As I arrive I run to catch my train on the platform opposite and even though the doors are open the lady is shouting at me not to board,. The frustrating thing is they're isn't another train for an hour and I only ride one stop. Eventually I arrive back and as I sit outside on the balcony I get chatting to the young people next door. After an hour of chatting I ask if they want to go to the local bar and share a beer, there is method in my madness as I've spotted a pool table in here I cause a bit of a stir when I go in and beat one of the locals twice, but the beer is so strong here and by the time I get back to Tim's house it's starting to rain so I try to bring the patio cushions in and end up nearly putting myself down the stairs. At this point it's time to put myself to bed.Read more

  • Day 2,767

    Reunited

    June 26, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    I'm excited this morning as I will be reunited with people I met on my Asia trip. It's a wonderful thing when you travel as in a very short space of time you make connections that are so special with people who are very like minded in many ways. Bobby won't arrive till lunch so I head out to explore the city some more. I arrive to the museum of the Madonna and child early but the house of Lodewijk van Gruuthuse, is closed so I just enter the church. I'm surprised at how many things are closed at the moment but another must in Bruge is a boat trip along the river but after trying two different boat companies who are both fully booked I manage to use my charm with one of the captains who tells me to go to the next bridge and he will let them know. I gladly manage to board and I'm pleasantly surprised at how different the city looks from the water. Belgium is all about the beer and as I get off the boat the famous beer wall is adjacent. There are 1250 different types of beer and they're relevant glasses in 30m of cabinets. If a beer is served in the wrong glass here a Belgium person would send it back as glasses are a certain shape to give the beer it's best taste . I meander back to the hostel and Bobby messages to say he's here. It's been nearly a year since we saw each other and when we start talking it's like we've never been apart. I've pretty much done most of the site seeing so we sit on a restaurant terrace and eat moules de frit, mussels and chips to me and you. We wander the streets and walk through parks. We are both catching the same train and board it just after 6. Bobby gets off after 1/2 an hour and continue on to Antwerp. It's a little bit mad on the train as each city has north south and central stations but I manage to get off at the right one and joke is there to meet me. She takes me to an old fort which has been transformed into an outside bar and eating area. Tim joins us shortly after and we sit sharing pizza and nacho over a couple of gin and tonics. When we come to leave I honestly don't know how they find there bikes because there are so many but we manage before walking back to Tim's house. The houses here are tall with terraces that have skylight window to let more light in. We sit on the terrace for a few hours catching up on each others lives before heading to bed.Read more

  • Day 2,766

    Beautiful Bruge

    June 25, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    At breakfast I meet Jasmine who is traveling solo so we agree to join each other on a walking tour, when you are doing a short trip to places they are the best because they will take you to the places of interest but then you have the opportunity to go back to anything you find of interest later. Bruge is also a very walkable city and in my opinion is far nicer than Brussels. I often find the Capital cities disappointing but surrounding cities are a lot more relaxed. Our guide for the day is actually a historian called Eric and his knowledge and information about the city is immense. It's really hot today so as he takes us through the beautiful cobbled streets he keeps us in the shade. There is so much to see but as we stand In the market Square we are surrounded by multiple buildings all very different and with a huge neogothic influence. The white bear is the symbol of Bruge and according to history is from when the count of Flanders killed a white bear that was stopping people leaving the city. Between the hours of 12 and 1 the carillon keyboard of the Belfry plays the bells of songs ranging from queen to old classics and 366 steps up gives a full panoramic view of the city. The church of our lady is the church housing Michael Angelos Madonna and child. The house adjoining was owned by a wealthy man called Lodewijk van Gruuthuse, and rather than leave the house to go to church he had an entrance built and a private worship are where the priest would climb a hidden stairwell to give them communion. Gruut was also a beer that was made using herbs and in some areas in Belgium it's still sold.Read more

  • Day 2,765

    A Day In Brussels

    June 24, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After a terrible night's sleep I head out early to try and avoid the crowds. It's the weekend so there are loads of tourists to the point my hotel was only available for 1 night , so I've bitten the bullet and booked a late bus to Bruge. I dropped my bags off last night and experienced a couple of hours in the square and crazily ordered Thai food at Fanny Thai. It's confirmed Belgium Thai is nowhere like the real thing.
    My first stop this morning is at the flea market. The oddments here of trinkets and antiques and junk is immense. It's held in Jeu de Balle square. After leaving here I walk up to the petit Sablon square which is surrounded by 48 bronze statuettes depicting ancient Brussels professions,a really pretty place to just sit down and take the weight of your feet. Directly opposite is the 15th-century Église Notre-Dame. The viewpoint of the City takes me to Mont de arts a garden overlooking the city. One of the things Belgium is famous for is the mannekin de pi's , which depicts a young boy weeing into a fountain. Everyday they dress him in a different outfit and with over 2000 outfits he even has his own museum It's become that popular they have followed suit with a dog. I always like to experience local food and here in Belgium it's frites and waffles. The famous place here is fritland where they offer multiple sauces to go with your chips. I continue ambling about the streets for another hour or so before collecting my suitcase and heading to the station. It's so hot that I get an Uber and the city is really walkable except with a pull along suitcase on the cobbled streets. I arrive at the station well in time but when I ask someone I am in the wrong place and have to walk ten minutes to get to the pick up point. There is very little directly around the station so I just sit it out till the bus arrives. It's only 90 minutes but as soon as we leave the guy next to me falls asleep and keeps slouching on me. After a few gentle nudges he gets the message. It's a short walk to the hostel and I'm pleasantly surprised, it's a beautiful old house which has been sectioned off into dorms. I've opted for the 4 berth girl dorm and with only the option of the top bunk I drop my bags and climb up to lay my head. Even though it's still quite noisy I drift off to sleep.
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  • Day 2,704

    Valencia bound

    April 24, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Awake this morning with a heavy heart once again it's time to say goodbye. I feel my time here is gone in the blink of an eye but have made some really amazing memories once again. Healmi takes me to the main bus station where as he tries to lead me from the car park he nearly gets me killed by the electronic barrier. Healmi is a plant lover so as a little farewell gift I buy two little lavender plants to put in his balcony area Spring is definitely on the way. We share a coffee and Starbucks before saying the sad farewell. The journey to Haan takes about 1 and 1/2 hours but the bus is pretty full and even though we're meant to make a stop we don't and I arrive with nearly 4 hours till my flight. There is literally nothing at the airport apart from a couple of food places so I spend the time just smoking and drinking coffee.Read more

  • Day 2,703

    Papaboo's

    April 23, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    It's a pretty slow start to the day which is nice. I walked so far in Paris that I'm exhausted. We get up and take breakfast before heading out in the car. Hilmi has a friend who owns a pizzeria in another town so we're taking a drive here. As we drive on the Motorway I'm astonished at how fast cars are driving and I can't believe it when Hilmi tells me there is no speed limit. Literally no limits? He also finds it amazing that ours is 70mph. There motorways have also been set up for hgvs to be replaced by electric hybrid transporter to cut down on the carbon emission, I think this is a great idea although along both journeys I don't see one. They also have a law here that if the traffic slows down the traffic drives to the far left and right of the carriageway to allow the room for an emergency vehicle. As we're driving along the road I say omg there's flamingos in the field which Hilmi finds hilarious and explains they are only stork's. En route we stop at glauberg celtic museum a small museum focusing on Celtic history, set in a beautiful landscape but the highlight for me was the cherry crumble cake. We finally arrive in the town of Worms where after a short walk around we discover there is a wine festival, but it's quite common for people to pay a deposit on a glass and walk around with the filled vessel. Papabu's is not open till 5 so we join the crowd and indulge in ice-cream. A speciality here is ice cream spaghetti where they make vanilla ice cream with a strawberry sauce and grated coconut to represent the parmesan cheese. Just before 5pm papabu's opens and we receive the warmest of greetings. I order the gorgonzola Parma ham and pear which is absolutely delicious and although I can't eat it all I take the rest home for supper.Read more