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2023

diciembre 2022 - septiembre 2023
Una aventura de 284 días de Jessica and Alex Leer más
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  • 92huellas
  • 32países
  • 284días
  • 743fotos
  • 2videos
  • 153kkilómetros
  • 121kkilómetros
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  • Viajero2023
    Día 31

    A (big) day in Singapore

    20 de enero de 2023, Singapur ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    After landing in Singapore after midnight, we headed straight to our hotel in China town.

    The next morning, we took a quick stroll around the local area, however, it quickly became clear that the true buzz of China Town sets in much later in the day. So we headed to Bayfront for a stroll around the Promenade and Marina Bay. The architecture of the city was phenomenal and after being lost in Marina Bay Sands shopping centre for ages, we strolled towards the famous Merlin statue.

    Next we visited Gardens by the Bay. We bought tickets to the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. The Cloud Forest was definitely the highlight of our time in Singapore. It’s a giant glass structure, housing a living cloud forest. It was interesting to see the tropical plants living in cold temperatures at higher altitudes and gave us some awesome inspiration for our own garden.

    After exploring the gardens, we hopped on the train and visited Kampong Glam, an area known for its Malaysian and Arab influences. We visited the Sultan Mosque, which was found at the end of a promenade lined with Turkish and Lebanese dishes. Here we enjoyed a quick snack of delicious pide and tzatziki. We also visited Haji Lane, which was bustling with trendy cafes, boutiques and bars. The area was clearly famous for its colourful street art, which attracted many selfie enthusiasts.

    After a quick rest at the accomodation to recharge the batteries (both human and
    phone), we headed back to China Town to find something to eat. As it was the celebration of the Lunar New Year, Chinatown was absolutely bustling! There were people everywhere. We headed through the markets, which we’re alive with stalls selling everything from Chinese New Year decorations, to fruit and lollies. We visited a number of restaurants trying to find a table and finally settled for one slightly out of the market area. After lining up for a short amount of time, we were hurried upstairs to quickly take our seat. We enjoyed a dinner of sweet and sour pork (of course), ginger beef and veggies. The whole experiences was both stressful and exciting!    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 33

    Penang, Malaysia

    22 de enero de 2023, Malasia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    We landed in Penang in the late afternoon and headed straight out to find something to eat. Very soon after beginning our walk, we found a large hawker centre with plenty of food options from all over the world. We settled on a Malaysian dish of hot noodle soup with prawns. After dinner we headed out to see China Town, which was glowing with lanterns and decoration for Chinese new year.

    The next morning, we headed out to do some sight seeing. Penang is made up of small villages, each with their own culture, foods and language. Mosques, temples and churches sat alongside each other on a single street. The most beautiful of the buildings all had welcome signs and appropriate clothes to borrow for visitors who wished to have a look inside. We were told that locals were extremely tolerant of each other and embraced each others food and culture. This resulting in delicious and unique food and experiences.

    First we headed over to the Clan Jetties. These jetties were originally used as homes for Chinese immigrant fisherman. Now, locals still live and operate out of the jetties but they are also a tourist destination, so full of cafes and souvenir shops. Next we walked through Little India - you could literally smell it before you could see it. It was truly ‘Little India’. The streets were lined with people cooking curries and nan and selling spices in an array of colours. The old town of Penang is full of old British and colonial architecture. Many of the buildings have been preserved including an old fire station. To end the day, we headed back through China Town to sample the food and look at the street art.

    Our final day was spent mostly planning our onward journey, but to end our Penang trip we joined a cooking class in the evening. We cooked three Malaysian dishes - the first was called Nasi Lemak which was basically coconut rice with sides. Next, we cooked a Malaysian stir fried noodle dish. Finally we made fried banana.

    Penang is not only a lesson in tolerance of difference but a celebration of culture, creativity and history.    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 36

    Ao Nang, Thailand

    25 de enero de 2023, Tailandia ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    After a 12 hour trip from Penang, involving two minibuses, two questionable immigration checkpoints, twice being pulled over by local police and an outdoor tuk tuk ride in the rain, we finally arrived at Ao Nang beach.

    Ao Nang is a beachside town close to the city of Krabi in southwest Thailand. It caters for all types of tourists from raging backpacker accomodation all the way through to beachside resorts. We stayed in a nice hotel with a pool, close by the beach and markets.

    On day one, we ventured out and did the monkey walk, which took us from Ao Nang across a headland and onto another, smaller beach. We followed the steep and rickety path up the headland and saw lots of little monkeys on the way. Once we were there, we had a walk and swim on the beach. The water was lovely albeit not as clear as I had hoped. After, we headed back and had PadThai on the beach. For dinner, we visited the Au Nang night markets. A large marketplace full of international and local cuisine at low prices attracts hundreds of tourists. After finishing our pinacoladas on the beach, we indulged in sushi, spring rolls and bbq kebabs. To end the evening, we tried thai pancakes, which were essentially fried pancakes with Nutella and banana (delish!).

    The next day we did the 5 island tour. We visited a couple of islands in the morning (whose names escape me), where the water was beautiful and clear. You could follow a sandbar to cross between the different islands. In the afternoon we stopped by Railay beach, which is a beach not so far from AoNang but only accessible by boat. The whole bay is enclaved by huge limestone cliffs, which create beautiful caves and attract daring rock climbers.

    On our second last day in Thailand we had to venture into the town of Krabi to get a PCR test for India. After returning from the international hospital, we joined a cooking class where we learnt to cook plenty of Thai dishes. It’s interesting to learn that many Thai dishes are not Thai but in fact influenced by Malaysia, China and India. I cooked papaya salad (sooo good), green curry, Pad Thai and mango sticky rice. Alex cooked the same but also spring rolls and Massaman curry. All our meals were very tasty but super ingredient heavy and probably difficult to reproduce at home.

    On our final day, we headed back down to the beach and hired a kayak. We explored the huge cliff faces and caves. We were out for a couple of hours and paddled back around to Railay beach, stopping at a small secluded beach close by. The area is full of reef and semi-submerged rocks so we had to manoeuvre the kayak around while also avoiding the speeding longboats. On the way we spotted a group of wild monkeys (or possibly lemurs) playing in the tree.
    We absolutely loved our time in Thailand and only wished we had more time to explore other areas and islands. We will be back!    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 42

    Delhi and Pushka, India

    31 de enero de 2023, India

    We arrived pretty late on the 31st and immigration seemed to take some time to check our visas (who knows why!). I had organised airport transfers but I think the man who picked us up had the most bashed up car in Delhi - and that’s saying something!
    After finally arriving at the hotel, we settled for dinner up the road and explored the Karol Bagh markets. They were an absolute whirlwind of excitement, involving yelling, pushing, car horns and dodging Tuk tuks. There was plenty of clothes and food for sale at extremely low prices.

    The next day we joined our tour and visited India gate which was a monument to commemorate soldiers of war. After, we headed out for dinner together before heading to bed early in preparation for an early rising.

    We left our hotel at 5am to board a 6am train to Pushka. The train was relatively comfortable and they served snacks and breakfast onboard. Once we reached Pushka, we walked through a colourful market on the way to Brahama temple. I had to restrain from purchasing the beautiful bright pants and dresses - think Tiger Lilly at a fraction of the cost! Brahma is the Hindu god of creation. And the significance of this temple is that it’s the only of its kind in the world. After visiting the temple, we went for a long camel ride out to the desert. It was loads of fun but quite scary as the camels were unexpectedly tall. In the desert, we all sat around a fire and watched traditional dances. We ate a meal of Dahl and potato curry with Indian bread and dessert. It was delicious!!

    The following morning, we had another early wake up. We climbed to the hilltop Savitri temple and watched the sunrise over the desert mountains. The climb was relatively tough but worth it for the beautiful view. After, our guide took us back to the markets to a small stall which sold homemade muesli with fruit for breakfast.

    Then it was time to say bye to Pushka and board a two hour train to Jaipur.    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 45

    Jaipur, India

    3 de febrero de 2023, India ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    We arrived at the train station about midday and took some Tuktuks to our accomodation in Jaipur. Our guide, Jai, had bought us some street food to try. We had samosa and Chulia, they were both types of curry vegetables in pastry.
    After lunch, we headed out to the old town of Jaipur. After a British documentary named Jaipur as India’s ‘pink city’, it has become a popular tourist destination along the golden triangle route. To avoid the crowds and inflated prices, our guide took us to a local market in the old town of Jaipur. The merchants in these stalls sold everything from giant sacks of spices and tea to brightly coloured, hand printed fabric and gold jewellery. We spent an hour battling through the crowds and taking in the senses.

    Next, we went to a Bollywood film at Raj Mandir theatre. This theatre was named one of the top ten most beautiful theatres in the world and I would say, sat around 1000 people! We watched a movie called Pathaan, which was much like Missions Impossible except the characters would occasionally break out in song. This movie experience was unlike anything we would experience in the western world. People would call out, whistle and I heard that sometimes they even stand up and dance. Jai told us that people save up for a special occasion to visit the theatre, so everyone was very excited to be there. It was a great experience.

    After the movie, we visited a rooftop bar for dinner and drinks. The views over Jaipur were beautiful and there were lots of fireworks as well.

    Day 2:
    After breakfast at the hotel, we visited the Amber Fort. This huge monument was built by both Hindu and Mogul rulers. The fort what both innovative and creative in design and function. We learnt about the life of the king and more interestingly the queen, who, after being married, was no longer able to leave the walls of the palace. Many of the rooms were built just for her, including a sauna room, artificial rain and the most beautiful hand painted and sculptured walls. Although I have visited this fort before, it was great to return to learn more about this areas interesting history.

    After visiting the fort, we popped into a jewellery store. Jaipur is famous for its precious and semi-precious jewels as well as hand-printed fabrics. The jewellery store had so much gemstone jewellery at very reasonable prices. Although I was tempted with the sapphire rings, I decided against a purchase but really enjoyed browsing the store. Then, we visited a hand printing shop, where we watched a demonstration and did our own hand printing.

    To end the day, we did a Indian cooking class. I would call this more of a demonstration as it was less interactive that the classes we have previously done. Nonetheless, we enjoyed learning about the techniques and ingredients in traditional cooking and really enjoyed the meal that was cooked.    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 47

    Agra, India

    5 de febrero de 2023, India ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Taj Mahal day!

    We woke up early and walked to the Taj to be there for sunrise. We were briefed on the history of the monument before we had time to explore independently.
    The Taj Mahal was built by the emperor as a testament of his love to his wife after she died during child birth. The only part of the structure which is asymmetrical is the emperor’s grave which was placed beside his wife’s.

    We watched the sun rise of the marble roofs. We saw the inside of the monument which was decorated with hand carved precious and semi-precious gemstones.

    After some time in the hotel to rest, we went back out to watch some carpet making, which is what Agra is famous for. After we went to a marble workshop and learnt how the artisans create the designs for furniture and ornaments.

    Later in the evening we boarded the overnight train to Varanasi. Well, that was an experience! Unlike what I had pictured in my head (think Hogwarts express), the carriages were crammed full of three tier bunk beds, crying babies and people watching movies on full volume. Alex and I both slept on the very top bunk beds. I popped in some earplugs and my eye mask and slept quite soundly. Definitely not luxury but an easy way to travel.    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 47

    Varanassi, India

    5 de febrero de 2023, India ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Day 1
    After the long train ride, we finally arrived at our hotel in Varanasi. In the evening we caught cycle rickshaws down to the river bank of the Ganges. Down at the river, we hopped on a small boat and sailed down to see the prayer and flower ceremonies. There were flowers with candles floating all down the river and the constant drone of chanting which echoed along the water. We floated down toward the cremation ceremonies. Here, giant fires were alight along the banks set against a backdrop of sandstone buildings. Families waited with the body of their loved one, for their turn. Hindu people believe that death is a time to celebrate life. These ceremonies are surprisingly welcoming to visitors.

    By the time we had returned to the dock, there would have been easily twenty thousand people lining the banks of the river. There was also hundreds of boats pulled into the bank, full of further people. These Hindu people visit the banks of the Ganges to pray and bathe in the river, hoping to cleanse them from their sins. I was surprised to learn that this ceremony has happened every single night for over four thousand years!

    The place was an absolute buzz. Imagine the sound of chanting, clapping and music, the smoke from the candles and incense, fires burning in the distance and thousands upon thousands of people dressed in colour. We were lucky enough to have a full moon glowing red in the background. It certainly had an energy not experienced anywhere else!

    Day 2
    Another early wake up meant we watched the sunrise over the Ganges. The area was still buzzing from the night before and we could see Hindus bathing in the river. Most had travelled long distances to bath as an important ritual of their religion.

    We walked back over to the area of the cremations, where we witnessed a cremation up close. The family circled the body and chanted. Next, they lit the fire using flames from the eternal flame, which sat above the banks. The family members then stood and watched and chatted. This takes around 3 hours. We stood beside the family and observed. They didn’t mind having us there.

    After a rest at the hotel, we headed back out to see the silk village. This was an area of around 2km, full of tiny alleys. As we walked around, you could here the constant galloping by of mechanical silk weaving machines coming from almost every house. We watched a demonstration and browsed the available items.

    After dinner we headed straight to bed. Yet another early morning tomorrow for our trip to Nepal!    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 50

    Lumbini, Nepal

    8 de febrero de 2023, Nepal ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Day 1
    Today we woke up early and caught a train to Jai’s village. There, his wife and daughters had made us a delicious lunch. After lunch, we were picked up by a private van and taken over the border to Nepal. The border crossing was dodgy. We paid 100 rupiah each to avoid covid testing and passed through about 4 immigration points before finally getting into Nepal.
    We then travelled to Lumbini for the evening. The next day we visited the birthplace of Buddha. It was a large park with a humble monument which they believe was the exact birthplace of Buddha.    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 51

    Chitwan, Nepal

    9 de febrero de 2023, Nepal ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    After another long day of travel, we arrived at a home stay just outside Chitwan National park. The home stay was located on a small farm, with lots of ducks, chickens, goats and cows. We then took a bike tour through the village. The village was made up of simple yet colourful homes, usually growing their own crop (mostly mustard). We visited a huge lake to enjoy Chai Masala as the sun set.

    Day 2

    The next day, Alex and I wandered through the village. Everyone was very welcoming as we strolled around. Next, we hopped on the top of a truck for a safari around Chitwan National Park. We were in search of rhinos and the elusive tigers. Unfortunately we’re couldn’t find a tiger but we did spot a rhino, crocodiles, a python and plenty of birds, monkeys and deers.    Leer más

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  • Viajero2023
    Día 54

    Pokhara, Nepal

    12 de febrero de 2023, Nepal ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Pokhara is a tourist area, located at the foothills of the Himalayas. It’s main feature is Fewa Lake, which lies in between beautiful walkways, restaurants and shops. Looking up, you can see the mountains which surround it. Unfortunately for our time here, it was incredibly cloudy, so we could only really see the foothills, which were not snow capped.
    The morning after we arrived, we woke up early to see the sunrise over the mountains. Disappointingly, we couldn’t see a thing due to fog.
    At lunch we visited the Sisterhood of the Survivors Project. This organisation is set up to support and educate the victims of human trafficking in Pokhara and Kathmandu. They also visit schools and rural villages to educate young women and their families on the dangers of human trafficking. Women who join the program are trained as paralegals in order to join the police and help other women report trafficking. During our visit we learnt about the program, made momos and enjoyed a Nepalese style lunch.    Leer más

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