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Wiesbaden - A Winter Wonderland

The next day we took an early train to Wiesbaden. As I was leaving the train station, I remember wondering if it was going to be worth the visit for it initially struck me as “just another city”. As we kept on walking towards the city center, we arrived at this beautiful allée –called Adolfsallee– framed by snowy trees and ornamented with frozen fountains – all the prior thoughts were forgotten.

We continued down this street and got to Luisenplatz. This square, which hosts the church of Saint Bonifatius, was so calm, peaceful and powdered in white. The best part: having it practically to ourselves (when I say practically it’s because we shared a lovely moment with a flock of pigeons) with that beautiful gothic church in the background, boasting its two tall and lean bell towers.

After our pigeon-related fun and walking through downtown Wiesbaden, we found ourselves at the Marktplatz, where we were surrounded by Renaissance revival and gothic styles: the Rathaus with its pink façade and beautifully patterned roof tiles and the magnificent red-brick Marktkirche. This architectural bonanza definitively made the Christmas market there much more enjoyable. Following our expedition, we reached Wilhelmstrasse which, to our surprise, was quite gusty but did not wear off our determination to discover what else the city had to offer. Walking up this street we got to this open space completely buried in snow, it didn’t matter to which corner you looked at: it was all white, white, white! Bowling Green is a park with two fountains (quite perilous, even for such a cautious traveler as myself – I’ll explain later), joining the Kurhausplatz, the Stadt Theater, the Wiesbaden Kurhaus and its Casino. The buildings surrounding the park display a neo-classical style with some elements of art nouveau and Belle Époque (I don’t know if you’ve noticed so far, but I’m an architecture enthusiast), and frame the park so exquisitely, particularly since everything was pristine white, this view was one of my favorites from this trip.

We learned this space hosts concerts when the weather is friendlier – I’m sure it would be great to experience one! Maybe it was all that snowy beauty, but I suddenly got in a very playful mood and decided to start throwing snow at my mom and sister (confession time: I’m the bully in the family), but one of the fountains would soon snap me back into my senses; I -smartly or stupidly- opted to step on its edge and… my foot slipped! I was oh so very close to falling into the frozen water I think my mother almost got a heart attack.

Getting back to a more serious mood, we went into the Kurhaus Casino and it was truly something: high ceilings, marble-covered walls, amazing chandeliers and a wonderful Christmas tree coated in red flowers decorating the middle of the main hall. This casino is notable for allowing one of the highest roulette bets in Germany and, it is said, this is where Dostoyevsky received inspiration for his novel, The Gambler.

After exiting the casino from its back door, we encountered the Kurpark, where we took a long, leisurely walk just absorbing its wintery peace, its beautiful green hues subdued by snow and the sound of the water shoot on the Salzbach stream. Following our lovely walk, we randomly walked to find ourselves on Wilhelmstrasse again and on our way back to the train station to close out our escapade in Germany.

For anyone interested in exploring Christmas markets, I would totally recommend this adventure for the holidays. There are many places and markets to see, a lot of food to try and beautiful settings awaiting. Our day trip approach felt very comfortable, as we avoided carrying our luggage around and allowed us to visit more places in less time, and having such an efficient train system as they do in Germany certainly simplifies things. Just do some research on the destinations you’re keen on seeing and lay out your transportation plans. I, for one, can’t wait to discover more Christmas markets! Perhaps in Eastern Europe next time?

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The German Christmas Experience

For our next blog series.... we are going to join Jaime, a Mexican with a creative spirit and laid back vibe, as he paves his way through the very special and festive Christmas markets of Germany. 

Dear Soraya readers, I am thrilled to be writing about my Christmas holiday travels for you!

After having spent a year abroad in Madrid, my family decided to visit and plan a trip for the week before Christmas. Choosing a destination proved a bit complicated. Firstly, all three of us (my mother, sister and I) share very different traveling interests. While I am a whatever-comes-my-way explorer, my sister is more into shopping and food, and my mother is all about comfort. Secondly, we all wanted to go somewhere new so this did not help simplify our selection process. Just to give you an idea, we discussed visiting the south of Spain, northern Italy, Austria, Croatia or even Scotland. Still, somehow, we were not all convinced with our options. It wasn’t until one fortunate day, since the holidays were just around the corner, that my mother thought of visiting Christmas markets – and what a brilliant idea! None of us had been to southwestern Germany so this is how we chose this as our destination. After some research on the area, several cities caught our attention so we thought it would be best to choose two of them as “bases” and just take little daytrips by train. Our final selection was: Frankfurt, Michelstadt, Wiesbaden, Bonn and Cologne. Finally, off we went!

Next week you will hear about my Christmas market adventures in Frankfurt. Let the lovely Christmas holiday traditions and festivities begin!

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Saigon’s Sultry Lively Streets

Change of profession! I became a snake charmer in Vietnam… or the snake was charming me? Either way, it was an adventure. But, don’t tell my mom because she has a huge fear of snakes!

Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City was once the capital of a French colony and of the independent republic of South Vietnam. As the largest city in Vietnam (with a population of over 8 million), I found the streets of this hot and humid city filled with street vendors, people, bicycles, cars and endless motorbikes. Some of the worn-out motorbikes would carry as many as 5 people on it – mother, father, two children and a baby! Impressive and shocking!

After settling into my hotel, the Nothern Hotel, I set out to explore the city and quickly noticed how much I stood out. I was one of the very few Westerners wandering the streets and I looked funny trying to dodge the motorbikes that would cruise along the sidewalks as if they were streets too. Speaking with the locals was certainly a challenge as English was not widely spoken, which made my exploration of the surroundings all that more interesting and challenging! 

Somehow, I found my way back to the hotel and made my first friend of the trip. It was an older guy who told me about the cooking class he signed up for. I was intrigued so I signed up too! Vietnamese food was one of my biggest draw to this exotic country. 

The next day, I showed up at the cutest cooking school, called Grain, ready to whip it up.

The teacher, David, made me look way better than I’m used to in the kitchen: we prepared delectable pumpkin flowers filled with prawns,

a refreshing chicken salad paired with a glass of white wine,

and steamed seabass in a banana leaf.

A self-proclaimed dessert fiend, the next step was crucial - dessert consisted of a delicious coconut flan and coffee sweetened up with condensed milk. (Fun fact: Vietnam is the 2nd largest exporter of coffee world-wide). Looking back, David’s cooking class at Grain was by far my favorite activity in Ho Chi Minh. Even if you do not squeeze a cooking class into your schedule, don’t hesitate to hit up one of the food markets or one the city’s many fine restaurants where you take in the delicious fresh scents of mint, cilantro, lemongrass, bird’s eye chili, ginger, lime, and basil. 

After the fun Grain cooking class, the next portion of my Vietnam trip consisted of a very serious history lesson, especially for an American. On separate days, I visited the War Remnants Museum and the haunting Cu Chi Tunnels used by the Viet-Cong in the 1960’s. If you’re a history buff, make these part of your itinerary.  

During my visit of the War Remnants Museum, there were 2 images that struck a chord and left a lasting impression on me. First, is the photograph below where you see a smiling young girl holding her father’s hand through a cage-like enclosure. During the war, this 21-year-old girl was contaminated by Agent Orange, condemning her to a life behind these bars; the devastating consequences of Agent Orange caused a deformity, which makes her chew and swallow anything within her grasp. This was just one of many shattering images displayed along the museum’s walls.

As a big believer of the motto “make love not war,” it is always hard for me to imagine what could possibly land countries in a situation with such unnecessary losses of sacred lives. From the simple chart below, I quickly learned how drastic the effects of the Vietnam War was on this small country; compared to the Korean War for example, the Vietnam War ended with almost double the amount of deaths, 3 times the amount of wounded people, and expended over 5 times the amount of bombs and artillery shells. 

After taking in the damaging aspects of Vietnam’s recent war history, I headed to Can Tho (the 2nd largest city in South Vietnam) to drift through the city’s floating markets. There, I found, mud-colored rivers decorated with shabby wooden boats that were full of tasty local fruits and vegetables.

Happy to partake in a lighter activity than the day before, I enjoyed observing the hard-working Vietnamese ladies and men, in their adorable triangle straw hats, as they whisked by us tourists in hopes of making a big sale.

To wrap up… although I found it challenging to get around the country because of the transportation difficulties (as Vietnam’s infrastructure still has a long way to go), to meet locals (due to the language barrier) and the 2 cities I chose to visit aren’t particularly known for being pretty to look at, I applaud Vietnam’s fresh cuisine and am now an even bigger fan of their food. When I get the chance to return, I will take the opportunity to explore the country’s more traditional beautiful cities and areas, such as Hanoi, Hoi An and Ha Long Bay.

Next week, I take you over to the unforgettable land of temples... 

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Decorated with our Smiles

To visit Cambodia and forget that trip seems impossible to me. This country was one of the biggest surprises of all my travels to date. I could not believe the incredible structures that were hidden in this rather small and ignored country of Asia. When I selected Cambodia for this trip, my thought process was that it was close to Vietnam and I knew it was supposed to have some cool temples so… why not stop by? Turns out that Cambodia was the highlight of this Southeast Asia trip. It’s no surprise that the London guy I met here had 2 friends who fell in love with the country and ended up moving there.

The Cambodian adventure begins: on this colorful and elaborately decorated purple bus, I crossed over to Phnom Penh (the capital and most populous city of Cambodia) while gaining a sense of the vibrant country I was entering,

then checked into the Angkor Paradise Hotel where I relished in gorgeous sunrise views from the hotel’s chic pool lounge rooftop,

then quickly jet off to start my next journey. Since it was conveniently located close to my hotel, I started my day off by visiting the country’s Royal Palace where the kings of Cambodia have resided since the 1860’s (except during the Khmer Regime time frame). At the Royal Palace, I enjoyed pristine and freshly manicured gardens that surrounded a complex of temple-like buildings with ornate gold yellow peaks on top.  

As a visitor at the Royal Palace, we are allowed entry into the Silver Pagoda and the central compound, which houses the Throne Hall and Chan Chhaya Pavilion; the remaining half of the palace consists of the King’s living area and is closed off for privacy.

After staring at the sun kissed gold towering spires and mural paintings at the Royal Palace, I embarked on yet another sad history lesson (see my Vietnam post last week for the first sad history lesson of this trip). Although history was never my favorite subject in school… as a visitor to their beautiful country, I wanted to learn more about Cambodia’s recent history. This way, I could understand the country better.

Led by the infamous Pol Pot, the Khmer regime of 1975-1978 was an extremely dark era of Cambodian history, wherein a mass genocide took the lives of many ethnic minority groups. Recognized as one of the worst mass killings in the 20th century, this genocide claimed the lives of approximately 2 million people. This means that about one third of Cambodia’s population (at the time) was eliminated.

To further comprehend this tragic history, I visited the Genocide Museum and then the Killing Fields, where over 10,000 people were executed by the Khmer regime. Pol Pot and his followers did not only attack (and kill) millions of people in Cambodia, they also destroyed its cultural artifacts, including over 90% of Cambodia’s Buddhist temples. 

As a positive, Cambodia’s resurgence nowadays is a testament to how resilient people are when they come together. Despite the Khmer regime’s destruction of numerous temples, Cambodia still boasts over 4,000 monastery temples (Buddhism being the country’s main and official religion). Plus, the country is currently receiving over five million tourists a year. Next week I will show you how stunning the temples of Cambodia are and why they are attracting the attention of millions of tourists each year.

I also discovered that Cambodia’s other gem is its kind people… people that welcome you with their smiles despite their meager circumstances. And to illustrate this, I leave you with a beautiful quote that was written on the wall of a shack restaurant that I randomly stopped at for lunch… the food was pretty good, but it was the smile that made all the difference.  

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Solo Travel Adventures & Why You Should Do It

Eager to explore new places, I am always contemplating my next trip. 

Dear Soraya readers, after hearing from several of our lovely guest writers, I am baaack… and now I’m going to share with you one of my very special adventures. For those people that know me well, they know that I can be quite impatient, especially when I’m passionate and determined to do something. So… when I’m itching to travel or explore somewhere new, I tell my family and friends; if no one is available when I’m fired up to go, I’m prepared to go at it alone.

Traveling solo is an adventure in itself. It’s uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time. It’s limiting and freeing. It’s lonely yet also full of opportunities. And it’s always exhilarating. Are you ready??

This time, I wanted to head somewhere new and different… and I was going to do it solo. Based on these next photos, can you guess where I ended up?

The temple filled land of Cambodia!

For a long time, I have been a big lover of Asian cuisine, everything from Japanese to Thai to Indonesian to Vietnamese. Speaking of Vietnamese food… I looove Pho soup! And the country seemed so exotic; I didn’t know much about it and I didn’t know many people who had been there. So why not check out what it had to offer? This is how easily my obsession with visiting Vietnam began. But, I wasn’t going to fly all the way over to Southeast Asia to only visit Vietnam. It had to be a package deal; hence, I threw in its fascinating neighbor, Cambodia, and a relaxing finale at a hippie eco-resort in Indonesia.

There I was… all mapped out and ready for an exotic solo adventure!!

Excited for the challenges that traveling solo brings and already a big fan of my alone time, the general thought was that traveling solo would give me more alone time. Wrong! It doesn’t necessarily. If you’re out and about seeing things, then you’re constantly amongst people and it’s easy to meet people if you want to.

Trust me, I’m perfectly comfortable with sitting alone in a restaurant eating a meal or reading a book outdoors… see photo below showing exactly both of those things while I was overlooking the rice paddy fields in Indonesia (note: the adorable cat standing next to my book).

But at the same time, I am a social butterfly when in my groove. Yes, I just said the word “groove.” So, whenever it feels right, I enjoy sparking up conversations with random people.

Lucky for me, it would usually turn into an awesome, memorable conversation. For example, I once struck a short, but sweet conversation with a random guy that I asked to take my photo while visiting a temple. He told me he was from London and was visiting 2 of his old college roommates. It turns out his college friend came to Cambodia the year before, fell in love with the country, went back to London to pack up his stuff and moved to Cambodia! Wait. The story doesn’t end there. Then, their other friend, another young London lawyer from their Three Musketeers’ group (ok, I just made that up… they didn’t actually call themselves that), went to visit this dude in Cambodia, also fell in love with the country and moved out to Cambodia as well!

While I did not move to Cambodia at the end of this trip, I must say that it’s beautiful to hear how much a trip can transform people’s lives. This is why you should travel solo at least once in your life – you get to go with the flow and allow the unexpected to happen, get taken outside of your comfort zone, learn new life lessons, and even hold random conversations with amazing people along the way.

So, here I go, at the start of my Vietnam journey where I encountered one of my biggest struggles of traveling solo… taking my own photos! Seriously… exactly what was I hoping to capture here?!?

It was clear that I had not mastered the selfie skills yet. Maybe it gets better as my trip goes on. I hope you agree…. See you next week as I take you through my memorable Vietnam adventures.

and more importantly, the country’s delicious fresh food :) 

[sorayaadventures-blog]

Cooking & Community in Langa

Day 3:  District 6 and Langa Township 

For me, outside of the safari, our visit to Langa Township is one of the most magical moments of our entire trip. 

During apartheid, townships were segregated urban areas reserved for non-whites and remain underdeveloped even today. It was important to me that we see this part of South Africa, but I wanted to ensure that those we were visiting weren’t being exploited.

Our guide, Pam has a long relationship with Eziko Cooking School. Eziko is Xhosa for “hearth” and there we were warmly greeted by my “spirit animal”, Mama Lindy, and her son Victor, who opened the school in 1996.  

Eziko Cooking School’s mission is to provide unemployed people with life and career-orientated skills in cooking and catering, and empower them to find employment that will enable them to provide for themselves and their families and thereby take a practical route out of poverty. This sung to my hospitality school graduate heart.

The petite, powerful, and spirited Mama Lindy had us all pegged from the moment we walked in, getting us to fall in line and cheekily scolding those of us who were more distractible. Soon she had us dancing and singing as we chopped and stirred. Pam commented that usually Mama Lindy is the loudest in the kitchen, but not that day.

While our traditional African dishes baked and bubbled, Victor took us outside to participate in several traditional Xhosa rituals including drinking from a communal gourd and eating meat from the head of a sheep, appropriately called The Smiley.

Once we had been “initiated” into the Xhosa tribe, Victor took us to the classroom, where their students were wrapping up their wine class for the day.

After introducing ourselves, we sat with the students and talked about what their goals were. I was in HEAVEN talking hospitality with these bright, passionate future restaurateurs. We took tons of selfies with them and connected on Facebook.

We finally sat down to our meal and enjoyed hearing Mama Lindy and Victor tell us tales of their lives in Langa, why they started the school, and sharing jokes. I was sad to leave such a warm, welcoming community.

TL;DR

Don’t Miss: African Cooking Classes at Eziko Cooking School

See: Langa Township

Skip: Breakfast. Mama Lindy will make sure you leave her cooking class with full bellies

Eat: Traditional African dishes including pap, samp with beans, and Smiley

Pro Tip: If you aren’t dancing and chanting with Mama Lindy, did you even go?

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Jump on a Plane & Head to...

For the next 2 weeks, Soraya Adventures will follow our friendly, warm hearted and free spirited guest blogger, Iria (a Spanish Londoner), as she embarks on her unplanned and impromptu travels. 

Meet Iria! 

Sometimes you meet people in life who become your extended family, you go 10 years without seeing them, and when they tell you they're in Europe from China for 4 days... you say "F*** IT!", jump on a plane, rent a car and let a new adventure unfold. Isn't this how every road trip album starts?

This was our first time in Switzerland and we arrived in Lausanne to this madness. What was this Game of Thrones marching band?!? Turns out we landed straight into Carnival preparations and were experiencing the phenomenon of Guggenmusik. Amazing.

After a quick lunch and a stroll around town, we started the drive through the beautiful region of Interlaken to the epic ski village of Wengen, where the annual Lauberhorn Ski World Cup was taking place. 

While visiting Wengen, another dear friend I hadn't seen in years, offered us to stay with her family at their gorgeous chalet. Human connection is priceless <3  

Here's the gang outside the house:

We almost missed one of my favourite places of the whole trip. There I was, focusing on getting through the winding mountain roads without causing a Swiss pile-up, and Gengen shouts "There's a mother****ing castle in the middle of a mother****ing lake!" so off we veered. We found this beautiful village, Iseltwald, with wooden houses and the most incredible lake that reflected the Alps on one side and was home to the setting sun on the other. Bliss. I could have stayed there forever. 

Incidentally, we couldn't figure out how to get to the castle, but mother nature trumps man-made feats anytime.

Here, we enjoyed those special moments of stillness and serenity... 

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A Stopover in Bonn

Upon arrival at Bonn’s main station, our first objective was to leave our luggage in a locker and commence our day. Our welcome to Bonn was marked by a stairwell gallantly covered by some street art and graffiti. One that really caught my attention was that of a skull wearing a wizard´s hat and the legend “Vanitas”; I really appreciated the satire on today’s views on beauty and material possessions. 

After a short walk on Poststrasse, we found Bonn’s Christmas market in Münsterplatz, one of Bonn’s largest squares, which hosts the former post office, a monument to Beethoven and several department stores such as the Galeria Kaufhof. The offerings of the Christmas market were quite like those of Frankfurt except here we found a tall wooden tower riddled with hand-made wooden figurines with some large blades on top, a beacon of Christmas spirit.

Within the market, I again found what had already become a personal favorite: romantic cookies! Since, at this point, it was close to lunchtime, I ventured to find something savory to get warmed up. I found an old favorite I had known years before in Budapest: goulasch. They served the stew inside some onion bread and it had a home-cooked meal feel to it; the perfect combination for that grey and cold day. Of course, this meal was followed by some more caramelized nuts because, you know, a sweet tooth never dies.

A walk along Remigiusstrasse led us to Bonn’s Markplatz, where we found the Rathaus, fashioning a gorgeous Rococo façade, with a beautiful staircase ornamented with a black balustrade, with hints of gold, leading to its door. In that same square, we saw some stands selling fresh produce: from broccoli to pineapples, and to carrots to bananas. It was an interesting contrast (at least for me, coming from a warm country like Mexico) for they reminded me of produce markets back home, except you would never find someone selling those kinds of products outdoors at such low temperatures.

A bit off the Marktplatz, a street caught my attention; it was decorated with hanging, lit stars across the way and, to my later surprise, we had arrived at Sternstrasse (the road of stars)! This quaint little pedestrian street was full of shops and a busy social spot, too.

One of our must-sees in the city, inspired by classical music, was just a sharp left away: the birth house of Beethoven. The composer’s former abode is located on Bonngasse street, it’s a small house, featuring a baroque front, and hosts the museum, which houses the largest Beethoven collection in the world. The collection includes portraits, manuscripts, music sheets and instruments, giving great insight into the artist’s life and work. It’s a rather short tour, but I was amazed by the beautiful XVIII century pianos, violins and other instruments… just to think that Beethoven himself had roamed those halls!

After our classical-music inspired stop, we headed to Bonn’s Cathedral. I was quite excited to see it, but sadly, it was under renovations so a big portion of it was covered up and we couldn’t go inside. However, we did visit its cluster and it had such a mysterious air around it… I couldn’t put my finger on it or perhaps it’s just me – I have a thing for gothic clusters and corridors. This marked the end of our day. All in all, I really enjoyed my short stay in Bonn: beautiful architecture and very polite people!

[sorayaadventures-blog]

Christmas in Cologne

We finally made it to Cologne. As we were stepping outside the train station, I was talking to my sister about the logistics on getting to our hotel, when she suddenly stopped me and made me turn around… I went mute. There she was, the Kölner Dom or Cologne’s Cathedral. It took my breath for nearly a minute. Spectacularly gothic and tall (a modest height of 157m). It could give the cathedrals in Paris, Reims or Milan a good run for their money. Simply magnificent!

We stayed at a quaint little boutique hotel near St. Kunibert’s Church so that was our first stop the next day. This is one of the twelve Romanesque churches built in Cologne, dating from the XIII century; it holds a very sober interior ornamented with statues, some stone carvings and an astounding stained glass behind the altar. Right after visiting the church, we marched on to the Hohenzollern Bridge, elongating over the Rhein, is the most heavily used bridge in Germany and house to the wall of “Love Padlocks”: thousands of locks (according to some quick research, there are over 40 thousand!) affixed to the bridge, each representing a couple honoring their love. These idyllic promises on top of a very enigmatic and gloomy day definitely set quite a romantic setting. Sure, makes you want to be there with that special someone, eh?

To shake that post-bridge nostalgic feeling, we set way towards some modern art at the Museum Ludwig. Being an art enthusiast myself, I was thrilled to discover a collection of such standards; works of pop art, abstract, expressionism… I relished the large selection of paintings by Picasso, Warhol and Liechtenstein, but my personal favorites were the works of German artists, Dix and Beckmann. During my visit, I learned this museum holds one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe; a museum up to the standards of the MOMA in New York or the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

It was time to take a closer look at the Kölner Dom, at last! I never suspected its interior would surprise me as much as its exterior, but it did. I was truly blown away by the gorgeous gothic columns reaching to incredible heights, exquisite altarpieces bathed in gold and stained glass strutting all around. I went speechless. Unfortunately, hordes of other tourists were flooding the floor, but that certainly did not deter me from carrying on with my exploration. It had been a while since something had wowed me as much as Cologne’s cathedral. For architecture lovers, it’s worth the visit if only to get a glimpse of this beauty.

Close to the Dom we found the Christmas market at Alter Markt and, it was hands down the best one of all! The overall offering exceeded the one from our previous experiences and was quite larger and busier, too. After a couple of days of indulging in the gastronomic variety, I now focused on artisan products and was very amazed at the mastery of materials such as wood, fur and ceramics: loads of lovely souvenirs were to be found.

On top of that, the decorations proved superior: lit wreathes suspended from stand to stand, hanging stars, loads of Christmas trees and, more specially, a huge net of Christmas lights floating on top of the center of the market creating a blanket of stars above our heads. Gorgeous.

Our point of entry into the city center would be the Hohenzollern bridge and we came across this modern and metallic building with an ample esplanade and the cathedral completing the frame in the background. As we attempted to walk through this open space, what seemed to be a security guard, swiftly approached me and asked us not to set foot in it… At this point I wasn’t quite sure as to what had been my wrong-doing; it was seconds later that we discovered that Cologne’s philharmonic was right beneath our feet! In order not to disturb the performance in course, these ushers ask people to go around the esplanade.

Funnily enough, a few meters away, right outside the Römisch-Germanisches Museum, we found a little concert of our own! This amazing accordion quartet was playing some classical pieces out in the open, bringing quite a crowd together.

Our last hours in Cologne were upon us, the night got gloomier and, as we were heading back to our hotel, we got a last glimpse of the Kölner Dom half covered by fog. Pure magnificence fading into the sky. The perfect farewell.

[sorayaadventures-blog]

A Daytrip to Rural Germany

After a delightful first day in Germany, it was time to delve deeper into the country. We parted from Frankfurt on to our next stop: Michelstadt. This is a small town near Heidelberg with a population of around 16 thousand; this destination was chosen by my sister, who wanted to get a glimpse of rural Germany and step a bit away from city life. After having my mandatory latte and a slice of Frankfurter Kranz –we were on holidays, after all–, we got on a train for our first daytrip.

On a side note: when buying the tickets, we all thought they were a bit pricy for a regional train but we thought we didn’t have much of an option, right? It was only halfway to Michelstadt that this very kind lady who was validating the tickets pointed out how naïve we had been… Apparently, we could have gotten a group tariff and paid only a third of what we had paid originally! Talk about language barriers and early mornings… such a rookie mistake!

Past the whole train ticket fiasco, I was amazed by this train we were on. Even though it was a regional train connecting small urbanizations in southern Hesse, it was still a very hectic travel: loads of people coming on and off and continuous stops. After such a busy commute, we finally arrived at Michelstadt! During my first footsteps on the town nothing really caught my eye and, on top of that, we encountered ghastly weather, it was a very cold, grey and rainy day … So, the one thought going through my mind was “what on earth am I doing here?”, but as we went in deeper, we discovered quaint streets with beautiful German architecture, it was so picturesque and so quiet – it was as if no one lived there, a tiny ghost town.

After a couple of minutes walking, we made a turn and boom! The entire town was out on their little Christmas market without any regard for the light rain falling on our heads. Once again, the market did not disappoint, flaunting very pretty Christmas decorations; we came across lovely regional products such as cold cuts, fur, wooden figurines, ceramics and message cookies! Again. (Sort of proving my point about romanticism during the holidays). 

In contrast with Frankfurt, not many people spoke English and my German is beyond basic, so communicating with locals sure was fun. Finding a place to eat proved a bit challenging, after roaming around for a bit we found a charming bistro and decided to check it out. To continue with the language barrier fun, no one in the restaurant spoke English –or any other language besides German– and, of course, the menu was only in German… it was an interesting Google translate exercise. I opted for a pork in mushroom sauce which was remarkable!

After quenching our hunger, we aimed for our final stroll around the market and, in the very last corner, we ran into one of the best surprises from this trip: Slippery Mike. Slippery Mike is a one-man band playing the banjo, a trumpet, bells, a harmonica… The entire square was being entertained by the cool, country stylings of Mike. It reminded me a lot of the cartoons I watched as a kid – a moment I definitely won’t forget. After a very relaxed day, we headed back to Frankfurt for the night, we had another big day ahead of us but, this time, towards Wiesbaden.

[sorayaadventures-blog]

A Wandering Spirit’s Paradise

Bali… is a mixture of surfers, yogi’s, chic bohemians, health and wellness experts, and burnt out professionals seeking a more relaxing lifestyle; it’s a mecca of wandering spirits alongside the local Balinese. In the touristic areas of Indonesia’s most popular island, Bali, you will find an expansive international ensemble ranging from Australians, Chinese, Japanese, Europeans, Americans, Malaysians, Koreans and so on. All that diversity makes this place even more exciting and dynamic! You’ll never know who you’ll meet next.

But, most importantly, look at the picture above. Yes, look at it again. Relaxing, isn’t it? This is what we vacationers view Bali to be. And it can be exactly that. All that and more.

Because it is such a touristic destination, hotel options are endless. And since I have a hippie spirit, I knew I wanted to stay at an eco-conscious resort. You know… one of those that grows its own food produce on site, carefully sources its local furnishings, hires local people, promotes a community spirit, and even donates some of the money from your stay to community projects. And I found all of this at the Desa Seni Village Resort. [photo of my bungalow and the resort’s garden below]

It was nice to know that my dollars were going to an accommodation that was conscientious of the environment and made deliberate efforts towards sustainability. The hotel was certainly not cheap, but it was worth every penny. It was a truly magical, tropical destination…

and one of my favorite things about my Bali trip. I know that sounds bad because Bali of course has a lot of things to offer other than awesome resorts. But, the whole point of my trip to Bali was to relax…

unwind in my adorable and spacious wooden bungalow, read on my front porch, lounge by the tropical pool, go to the wellness spa (and do exotic treatments like the Balinese boreh massage, acupuncture, a leaf body wrap, and a Balinese cleansing ceremony), take up some interesting yoga/meditation activities, eat delicious Indonesian food, cruise around the island, lay on the beach, and grab drinks at swanky beach bars.

And that’s exactly what I did. No strenuous activities were allowed. Just relaxation…

If this is what you are looking for on your next trip, I recommend checking out one of Bali’s many resorts so that you can also create your own version of a relaxing oasis getaway. But, there’s more to Bali. Next week, I’ll tell you about some of my other Bali highlights.

[sorayaadventures-blog]

A Wine Lovers Tour of S.A.

Today my friends, we honor Bacchus (or Dionysus – if you prefer his Greek alter ego) with a pilgrimage to the Cape Winelands in search of South Africa’s famed Pinotage varietal. I would love to tell you that we are impeccably behaved ladies, but as you know this is the Rowdy Guide, so it gets a little messy.

There are three main towns in the Cape Winelands: Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. While a day trip is perfectly acceptable, if I were to do it all again, I would definitely spend the night. These towns are absolutely darling and the accommodations in the Winelands are some of the plushest, most opulent around. Sadly, all we had time for on this visit was a drive-by and I would’ve loved to wander around a bit.

Our first stop was the Delaire Graff Estate. Set on the slopes of the Botmaskop Mountain, this venue brought the DRAMA.  From the gorgeous vistas, high ceilings and dramatic art, this place oozed luxury. If that isn’t enough, you can always grab a few diamonds at the on-site jeweler.

Our first tasting of the day didn’t bring any Pinotage, but this fabulous rosé more than made up for it. Several bottles may have made it back Stateside.

After taking at least 1,000 photos of the view, Leslie ushered us back to the van for our next tasting at Tokara. Tokara has a more bohemian, artsy vibe and the art takes center stage with interesting modern pieces around every corner.

Tokara’s tasting room has a lively atmosphere and the wall-length windows provide an unparalleled view of their vineyards and olive groves.  In addition to sampling their portfolio of wines, be sure to try their olive oils as well.  

We encountered our first Pinotage at Tokara, but the star of their offerings was the Director’s Reserve Red.

Leslie reminds us that once again we are running behind and we need to haul ass if we are going to make our lunch reservations at Babylonstoren.

We arrive, barely on time, for our reservation at Babel, the main restaurant at Babylonstoren – one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms. Their fruit, vegetable, and medicinal herb gardens are as storied as their wines. Once you step foot on the grounds you instantly have a sense of wellbeing. I highly recommend making a reservation at Babel as soon as you book your trip to S.A. For a more casual dining experience, the Greenhouse on site offers lighter fare in a stunning environment.

Be sure to reserve ample time for your lunch. It is a culinary journey starting with bread service that is so fancy - they put slices of dried candy cane beets on top of the butter pats. The appetizers called “Red,” “Yellow,” and “Green” encourage you to eat your colors as you taste the farms bounty.

You’re feeling pretty good at this point (or at least we were) – two wineries in and a brand new bottle arrived to complement our lovely lunch.  Giggles are becoming abundant and ridiculousness is starting to seep in.

Take a quick pause to indulge in their tea ritual – a pot of tea you customize from a bouquet of medicinal herbs from their Healing Garden. Your server will guide you to the right herbs to help cure what ails you have or to steel yourself against a hangover.  It also doubles as a gorgeous centerpiece for the table.

The main courses are equally impressive and fresh. Helpings are generous and the glass-enclosed restaurant lets light stream in and fill the restaurant with a glow. I am pretty sure this is how angels dine.

After such a marvelous repast, be sure to take a turn about the grounds. There is so much to explore and revel in. Besides, you need to walk off some of the day before you get to your final stop. And if you are us, this means an impromptu photo shoot and some rabble-rousing. Continue to be grateful that your awesome tour guide, Leslie, has the patience of Job and even participates in our shenanigans. We are definitely his favorites.

The last stop is at Warwick Winery. Warwick has a cozy outdoor patio from which to watch the gorgeous sunset. At this point you are basically on Cloud Nine, so it’s probably best to just sit a spell and take the tasting real slow. You’ll want to avoid any accidents, especially if you are wearing white pants.  Take a big sip of their wine called The Three Cape Ladies and wonder if they have room for 8 more. And don’t forget to say hey to Mr. Mandela.

TL;DR

Don’t Miss: A full day traipsing about the Winelands

See: The gorgeous sunset at Warwick

Skip: Wearing white pants. It’s a dangerous proposition on a daylong Bacchanalia

Eat: Lunch at Babel restaurant at Babylonstoren. Much of the food is grown on-site and just see what magic they bring you when you ask for a pot of tea.

Pro Tip: Make your lunch reservation at Babel the day you book your flight to S.A. It’s a hot ticket and you won’t want to miss it.

[sorayaadventures-blog]

Natural Wonders of Cape Town

South Africa is not short on breathtaking nature. Around every corner you’ll find sweeping vistas, bright azure waters, impossibly beautiful flowers and sculptural trees. Today we are exploring some of these natural wonders. Oh, and did I mention there will be penguins?

Table Mountain. The gorgeous flat-topped peak is visible from just about every part of Cape Town. There are two ways to summit it. The first is by cable car. The second is to hike up. Our group was divided, with half deciding last minute to leave before dawn for a sunrise hike. The wiser set slept in and went back to Truth for some more coffee before gliding up the side of the mountain.

The trouble with the seemingly innocuous hike up Table Mountain is that no one will tell you that there is some “light” bouldering involved. So when we arrived 3 hours after Troop Beverly Hills had left for their hike, our sweet guide, Leslie, immediately set out to find them at the summit. When after about 30 minutes he still hadn’t seen hide nor hair of them. He began to get a little antsy. “Surely, we will hear them before we see them” Lesile posed as he called down into the canyon without a response. Should your friends make the foolish choice to climb up the mountain with pretty much no provisions, it’s advised to bring a book.

Leslie deposited us at the top near the trail’s end and bounded down into the canyon in search of the rest of our group. Seriously, he is a gazelle. 5 minutes later he called up to us that they had been found. It would be another 30 minutes before our little lost girls made it to the top. In the meantime, make friends with these cute dassies. The closet relative to the elephant. Families are weird.

Finally, we are reunited and can take just a few photos before we head back down and start our road trip along Chapman’s peak. If you are into sending postcards, you can send one from the top of Table Mountain. There is a special post box that is just adorable.

The drive around Chapman’s Peak around Hout Bay down to Boulder’s Beach and then the Cape of Good Hope is one of the most stunning cruises you can take. You’ll have to resist the urge to pull over every 3 feet to take in the view.

If you’re lucky, you will have a patient guide, like Leslie, who will not only ensure you stop at all the best lookouts but also fully dive into any photo requests. If you are really lucky, you can have a full on photo shoot with some other friendly tourists you meet along the way.

By now you are ravenous, so be sure to stop in at Imhoff Farms. A cute, unassuming homestead that opens up to a gorgeous outdoor restaurant complete with stunning views of the mountains and live music. Luxuriate a moment in a long, languid lunch under the umbrellas. Every moment spent here will feel like something out of a Wes Anderson movie. Quirky, vibrant, and other-worldly.

Leslie has now gotten better at rounding us up and keeping us moving on our adventure. The time has come. We are going to meet penguins. I couldn’t have been more excited to see this tuxedoed flightless birds waddling around the beach and diving into the waves. Once you arrive at Boulder’s beach you will walk down a path through a market and gorgeous private homes before you finally make it to the winding boardwalk for your close encounter of the avian kind. Y’all! There were SO MANY FLUFFY BABY PENGUINS. It was adorable and I may have tried to abscond with one or four.

But our travels were not over yet and we were chasing daylight. Leslie scurried us along to the Cape Peninsula National Park to explore the Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. There are so many gorgeous views including a lovely hike up to the lighthouse at Cape Point and steep overlooks of craggy rock cliffs and crashing waves.

The park closes at sundown, but if you are a rebel, you will push that limit. Be sure to climb out on the rocks amongst the sea spray and watch the sun sink below from the Cape of Good Hope. Then speed through the park to exit just seconds under the wire, narrowly avoiding a fine.

We were strangely energized when we returned to Cape Town proper, so we made our way over to Long Street for dinner at Mama Africa. Dine over traditional African dishes, including a wide variety of game meat (yes even Zebra), then dance off the calories to the vivacious live music. As always, the best meals have animated conversation amongst friends old and new. With the day’s worth of adventures to recount, you there will be no shortage of laughter. If you feel ready to go all night, then crawl from establishment to establishment on Long Street until the wee hours of the morning.

TL; DR

Don’t Miss: Imhoff Farms! Leslie surprised us with this little detour and we could’ve stayed all afternoon

See: The African Penguins at Boulder Beach

Skip: The hike up Table Mountain. Take the cable car instead for 360 views and more time to explore the peak

Eat: Wild Game at Mama Africa

Stay: For the sunset at the Cape of Good Hope, but rush to beat the park closing or face a fine

Pro-Tip: Snag a hotel towel to take with you if you want to watch the sunset from the rocks. The crashing waves send the sea spray farther than you think. If you are extra smart, you’ll grab a bottle of wine from Imhoff Farms to enjoy at sunset as well.

[sorayaadventures-blog]

Finding Truth in South Africa

Coffee, cheetahs, culture and cocktails!   

I am not gonna lie to you guys. This day ran the gambit, so we are splitting it up into 2 posts. In day 3, we said farewell to Leslie (don’t worry, he’s back with us again soon) and spent the day with our new guide for the day, Pam McOnie of Cape Fusion Tours. Pam is an expert at crafting really special intimate experiences for her guests. I knew I couldn’t go to South Africa without learning more about apartheid and seeing a township; but, was very concerned with exploitative tourism. Given my hospitality background, Pam’s African Cooking Class (at a cooking school for those living in the Langa township) along with a District 6 tour, fit the bill.

And, because someone on our trip decided cheetahs are her “spirit animal,” Pam even included a pit stop at a Cheetah Sanctuary. [We aren’t going in the exact order of the day, but since this is my story, I can do what I want and have fun with the storytelling. I encourage you to chart your own course on your adventures too.]

Fortunately for us (and unfortunately for those around us), we started our visit to District 6 with a hefty caffeine boost. 

Pam took us to Truth Coffee Roasting - the number 1 coffee shop in the world! It was legit. First of all, it is Steampunk-themed... to the point that coffee is even weighed and measured with some contraption full of pulleys and levers. I do love a good show.

Just don’t ask for sugar. They have a paddle that says No Sugar Required (their sugar packets also say No Sugar Required to drive home the shame of adding it to their coffee). We had a behind the scenes look at the roaster and it’s a very mad scientist/apothecary setting before settling into a cozy leather booth for coffee. Here, Pam attempted to bestow us with a history lesson on District 6. Bless Pam and her patience and dedication to ensuring these rowdy, easily-distracted folks learned us some history during this trip.

Hear me: This. Coffee. Is. Not. To. Be. Missed. It was probably one of the most perfect cups I have ever had (and I went back twice during the trip). Even my friend, Lore, who loves her diabetes coffee didn’t add sugar. I will give you the paddle myself if you don’t go.  

Truth Coffee Roasting is conveniently located across the street from the District 6 Museum, which is housed in a 170-year old church.  Here, we learned more deeply about apartheid, it’s effects and the beauty of a community coming together to build something wonderful from pain and tragedy. Originally a mixed community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, laborers, and immigrants, over 60,000 inhabitants were forcibly removed from the area during apartheid. Once apartheid ended, they collected street signs and other artifacts to build the museum dedicated to the memory of their home. 

IRL, we next headed to Langa Township for our cooking class which admittedly has a better flow in story-telling. But instead I will tell you about our Cheetah Outreach encounter and evening activities.

As soon as we began to head to the sanctuary, the skies opened up for a heavy downpour. But we are nothing if not determined, so we forged on with our date to spend time with a cheetah. The cheetah sanctuary had many different animals that had been rescued and rehabilitated, including tons of other wild cats. The staff was super attentive to the cheetahs’ needs so be prepared to wait until the cheetah is ready for its next visitor. They were truly beautiful creatures and much softer than you would think!

While we were snuggling up to the fastest runners on the savannah, Pam made reservations for dinner at Bouchon Bistro, where we couldn’t get our forks into the delicious tapas fast enough. And the extensive, curated wine list is sure to please even the pickiest oenophile.

We closed our delightful evening at Headquarters (around the corner from the restaurant) for a night cap, craft cocktails and live music... arguably against our better judgement, given our early flight to the safari the next day.

TL;DR

Don’t Miss: The District 6 Museum for a beautiful story on community after sorrow

See: Cheetahs and other wild cats at the Cheetah Outreach

Skip: The sugar in your coffee at Truth Coffee Roasting. But, don’t miss getting a cup from here! It’s life changing.

Eat: Dinner at Bouchon Bistro with a night cap at Headquarters just around the corner

Pro Tip: Snag a photo with the Steampunk Doorman outside of Truth Coffee Roasting

[sorayaadventures-blog]

You Can Look, But Don’t Touch

Ok Shark Week Fans, this post is for you. Day 2 for us consisted of up close encounters with Jaws. That’s right folks. Great White Sharks. Live. In color. With all the teeth.

We were picked up from our hotel in Cape Town by our intrepid guide, Leslie, early in the morning to make the two hour drive down to Gansbaai for our Shark Cage Diving excursion. [Leslie would be our guide for most our time in Cape Town and he couldn’t have been a more perfect match for our lively group.]

I was pretty adamant that our shark diving experience have an environmental focus, so we selected Marine Dynamics for our dive company. Every dive with Marine Dynamics has a Marine Biologist on board so you can learn a lot about sharks, the environment around shark alley, and the conservation efforts.

We went out on a fairly calm day and the swells were still large and rolling with pretty significant drops. All is well and good while the boat moves, but for those who get seasick when that anchor drops in the middle of Shark Alley, you will wish you had Dramamine, sea bands and a magic trident.

Putting on our wetsuits proved to be quite the work out. The suits are significantly thicker than the ones used for surfing and they were men’s suits, which meant there was some additional compression in key breathing areas.  I am sure our fits of laughter from all the tugging and pulling didn’t make it any easier, but I take comfort in knowing everyone aboard the ship that day needed an assist from the crew.

Once your suit is on, you are quickly shuffled into the cage before you can even decide if you actually want to see the inside of a great white’s mouth that close. As the cage door shuts, you are highly aware of the fact that the distance between the outer bars and inner bars of the cage isn’t very big and your fingers could quickly become a snack. Suddenly, there are calls from the boat trying to direct you to where the shark is. Down! Down! Down right! Down left! Down front! It’s irrelevant because in a few seconds that shark is going to bump into your cage and you will know EXACTLY where it is. 

Truthfully, while thrilling, it wasn’t terrifying at all. The sharks didn’t charge at our cage. The bump was merely a passing casualty of trying to get to the lure that was well away from us.  Before you know it, you are back in the boat- desperate to be out of the suit and breathe again- on to the next portion of the excursion.

As any shark week lover can tell you, the reason South Africa has a “shark alley” is due to the adorable little Cape fur seals that live on Dyer Island and Geyser Rock. The Great Whites come to prey on these playful creatures as they move to and from the islands to hunt in the sea. Luckily, we didn’t have an Animal Planet moment with a shark and seal. Instead, we were able to enjoy the seals’ antics and acrobatics before heading back to shore.

Even though we were already a bit delayed on our timeline, Leslie (our guide) decided we couldn’t got back to Cape Town without a stop in Hermanus; this seaside town is know for the population of Southern Right Whales that make their way into the bay every year during their migration. It’s one of the few places in the world you can whale watch from shore. For us, it was a few weeks too early to see any whales, but the views are still worth a stop any time of year. Leslie let us loose to explore the area, but wasn’t prepared to see 8 women go off in 8 completely different directions. After a little wandering and selfie taking, Leslie was able to collect us at a local restaurant for dinner. Don’t miss a chance to try bobotie! It’s a popular Cape Malay dish that’s basically a bowl of comfort. A perfect end to an exhausting day.

TL;DR

Don’t Miss: Post shark dive relaxing in Hermanus

See: The Cape fur seals at Dyer Rock

Skip: The “meal” the dive company gives you prior to embarking

Eat: Bobotie – a yummy, comforting Cape Malay dish somewhere between moussaka and shepherd’s pie

Pro Tip: Make sure the Dramamine your friend gives you isn’t expired and get an amazing guide like Leslie Edgar at Cape Elite Tours.