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winterfairyy · 5 years

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My mom won’t let me move MY skinny pig into my room for unknown reasons but also won’t let me get him a bigger cage.

He was in the kitchen temporarily because he was sick and needed to be fully quarantined from my other pigs. Now he’s not sick, but is immunocompromised and has weak lungs so he can be in the same room, just not the same cage.

Right now he’s living in a tiny basic “starter guinea pig” cage. It’s not enough space. At all. Guinea pigs should have a minimum of 8sq ft.

So I said I was getting him a larger cage. Probably not quite 8sq ft as he is stunted and very small (like the size of a 6week pig but he’s around 3-4 months) but pretty close. And my mom said I’m not allowed a bigger cage out here. (Even though there’s plenty of room) and so I said I’d move him back to my room and she won’t let me and won’t give me a reason. Like he’s my pig. I’m the one who spent $100 on him, I’m the one who spent $300+ in vet bills for him, I’m the one who stayed up multiple nights to watch him when he was really sick and set alarms to check in on him periodically throughout the night every night for 4 weeks while he was on antibiotics and gave them to him twice a day, im the one who took 4 buses and spent 2.5hrs each way to get to the only vet in the city who deals with skinny pigs multiple times.

And yet because she gives him some veggies once every second day (I give him some everyday already. And she gives him ones he’s not really allowed that much and won’t fucking listen to me.) she thinks she can claim him.

Like she doesn’t know shit about guinea pigs in general. She thinks this tiny cage is enough space. She believed that guinea pigs only need a handful of hay everyday and no more until I made the vet tell her otherwise. (They get unlimited hay 24/7) she believes they get massive amounts of veggies and fruit and that any frui and veggies are fine on a daily basis. She gives him as much veggies as my three other pigs get combined and he never finished it and it makes his cage all dirty.

Example, grapes. Grapes aren’t good for their kidneys so they aren’t supposed to have them everyday. also skinny pigs are more prone to kidney problems. So my rule was he gets a grape once every two weeks at most. Because he doesn’t really need them. There’s plenty of other fruit and veggies that he likes.

Another example, oranges. My mom was giving him an entire large orange every day. The oranges were literally the size of him. And he was getting sores around his mouth from the extensive amount of citrus. And it’s not like he desperately needed the vitamin c. He also gets spinach and vitamin c drops in his water. So I said only a slice of orange every second day. And I said no oranges or tomatoes for a week so his mouth sores would get better. And she didn’t listen and I almost had to take him to the vet cause it started to become open sores that I had to clean everyday.

Another example, really sugary fruits. She was giving him massive amounts of apples and apricots and peaches and all that. At the same time. So I said he gets one of those a day. Change it up everyday.

My rule was lettuce and carrot everyday, one type of fruit, orange every second day, tomato once a week, and grapes once every two weeks.

She called me stupid and overbearing and “it’s just a fucking guinea pig”.

He’s also allergic or sensitive to the bedding I got so I got him new stuff and it’s literally right beside his cage and I told my mom to use it only and I’d use the other stuff for my other pigs as they don’t have super sensitive skin. What does she do? Goes into my room and takes the old bedding and uses it to clean his cage the next day. Even though 1. It didn’t need to be cleaned and 2. The new bedding was beside his cage and I told her and pointed it out to her because she has a habit of cleaning his cage when I’m at work so I don’t get a say. And she just shrugged and said “I like the colour of the old bedding better”. Like I don’t give a flying FUCK about the colour. The blue bedding made his skin red and dry and cracking. The basic brown bedding doesn’t. So I told her to use the brown bedding or I’m taking him to the vet to get her opinion and she’s fucking paying for it. 😒

Precisely why I don’t trust him out here anymore. Because she can’t fucking listen and doesn’t give a shit about the welfare of animals.

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ayushwanders101-blog · 5 years

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Kodaikanal: The "Mist-ical" love affair

I was in Chennai while pursuing my Degree in Psychology. While being there I have explored most of the part of the city life and weekend getaways like Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram. Though these places were satisfactory, deep down I always had this urge to visit mountains again as I use to do back at my home town Delhi.

To be honest, in the beginning, I was sceptical about mountain ranges in South India because I already was in love to the ranges of the Himalayas in North, I was a big-time advocate of those beautiful hills in Uttarakhand and Himachal region.

So… here is my story from Just A Hill Away,

NOTE: The following travel journal was planned on “A low budget” due to traveller’s personal choice, hence minimal luxury but un-compromised safety were essential elements of this trip.

The Expense of my trip will be mentioned at the end of this blog...

Prior Arrangements:

1. Pre-booked train tickets in a General compartment (As I was going towards the mountains AC was not required). Travel time was almost 9hrs.

2. Pre-booked a verified hotel (3-star) through a third-party booking website. I prefer sharing rooms as it saves expenses.

3. Minimal luggage (depending upon the weather)

Day 1: The beginning

Started my journey around the evening to the central railway station via the public transportation service of the city to catch the Palakkad express. I prefer night travel mostly as sleep-time allows me to skip some monotony of train route without getting tired.

Day 2: The arrival

Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India

I reached Palani station (destination) by morning 7am, from the station I choose to walk around 2kms to reach the bus depot to board a direct local-bus to Kodaikanal (bus service is good but has designated time slots) there is a counter to pre-book bus seat (sometimes there can be overcrowding). The bus departed at 9am (till then I spent time listening to the music and roaming around munching snacks) and there started the beautiful scenic journey to the "Princess Hill"

(Bus Ride to Kodaikanal with Palani Temple View from the front seat)

After breaking for light snacks, it took around 2.5hrs. of scenic bus journey to reach Kodaikanal bus depot.

Time: 12.15pm

Finally, It was the time to inhale the cold mountain air and exhale all the worries. I swear mountain air has some sort of magic to dissolve all the tiredness and stress.

I headed to the hotel which I have already booked and checked-in. The hotel was beautiful with a pretty natural ambience around. I got into my room and took a hot shower first and headed for lunch in the nearby market. The market has a wide variety of pocket-friendly cafes and eateries serving most of the common India cuisine, you can also find outlets like Domino's Pizza. I like to eat local foods while travelling because of 1. its "LOCAL" 2. its budget-friendly.

Places I visited on DAY 2:

The Union Church

Lutheran Church (1932); A Gothic styled architecture

lake side shops

Evening by the Kodai lake

DAY 3: The Hike

Places I visited on DAY 3:

The Suicide Point

- This is one of the most magical views in Kodaikanal though it's boundaries are covered with large grills for safety purpose. You can try bread-omelette here and light snacks from the local shops.

The Pillar Rock

- There's a ticket for the entry and a separate ticket for carrying a camera.

The Guna Caves

- It's a beautiful place to experience a "mist shower" on the face if you go in the right season, although the caves have been restricted now to enter.

- There is an entry ticket for the venue

The Moir Point

- Requires an entry ticket

- Here you can also buy a tourist bus ticket if you are interested in going further in Kodaikanal hills.

The Pine Forest

- The forest is amazing in itself, full of pine trees; makes a good photo backdrop, will remind you of "harry potter".

- You can also enjoy horse riding here

The Fairy Falls

- Located on an isolated inner village area

- Offers a good solitude and a rich calming experience

The Liril Falls ( Liril Soap advt. was filmed here)

- This is a natural "movie studio"

- You can stop here to buy natural soaps, oils and other organic products from local shops

Upper Lake viewpoint

- Experience the whole Kodai in a snapshot from here.

The whole hiking experience was overall great but also requires a moderate level of endurance and stamina, the walk offers magical views with birds chirping sounds, small waterfalls, dogs, birds, the aroma of Eucalyptus oil etc.

Most of the spots I mentioned here had local snack points to keep you fill but they all open only after 10am.

I hiked from Kodaikanal to Moir Point, it took around 3hrs. to reach. While returning back I hitch-hiked half-way back, the roads up-hill is very decent and is well maintained, though early mornings these roads are quite empty and vacant, so one needs to also take care of one's safety, on some stretch you may even find it difficult to spot a single person. Although it appeared safe to my experience.

I reached back from the hike at around 2pm and realized it was a Sunday, which in a way is something special for Kodaikanal, there is a weekly market which sets up on the street of Kodaikanal where the merchants sell a range of things from Mobile phone to pickles and spices to "magic mushrooms" ahhmm yes!! you will be approached by the sellers, don't worry.!! but CAUTION!!

Day 4

So this was my last day in Kodai, woke up as early as I could and I had already covered most of the places, hence I decided to move on a bit slower pace and enjoy the true essence of the place as if a localite from this place. But first things first, so I confirmed by return bus timings from the Kodaikanal bus depot (it was early evening). Roamed around the whole day with my camera, documenting the life in this small town. And yes I had enough time to explore a few places which were in the vicinity.

Places I visited:

A morning walk in The Bryant Park in the cold mountain breeze

A walk-way with the breathtaking valley by your side

Boating at Kodai Lake

God bless the People who keep benches at such heavenly places

Highlights of the day:

- Bought some Home-made Chocolates and wine

- Bought organic soaps and eucalyptus oil

Snapshots from the eateries during my visit:

Andd..we seize the day with Chai

DAY 5: The Return

Reached Chennai early morning and guess what I attended the college same day :)

The total expenditure of my trip to Kodaikanal came nearly INR.3200/- for 5 days including everything.

#travelminimal #kodaikanal #budgettraveller #southindia #justahillaway #india

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ayngelface · 5 years

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Sony H.ear On 3 Review | Are they better than the Sony WH1000X-M3?

Listen, hear real quick. Today I’m comparing the new Sony WH-910N H.ear On 3 headphones to the Sony WH1000X-M3. I’m going to break it down into 4 sections. Design, usability, sound quality and at the end awesome features. Are you ready…let’s go.

SONY wh-h910n h.ear on 3 - current price

Design

So when I first unboxed the new WH-H910N Hear On 3 headphones I thought they looked smaller and felt lighter than the 1000X M3. After further inspection, I discovered the truth. Which is there’s not that much difference in size & weight. I put both sets headphones on a scale and there both around 220 grams. The XM3 maybe a couple of points over. But anyway… Let’s get the obvious differences out of the way first.

The 1000X M3 are available in two colours matt black & a gold tan & the Hear on 3 come in 5 different colours with each one having different patterns on the padding. Some style points for the Hear on 3’s Also, the finish on the Hear on 3 is this kind of textured matt, where the 1000XM3 is kind of smooth & much more prone to fingerprints.

The way the fold down the same making them compact, However you get a much more premium hard case with the XM3’s and just a canvas draw bag with the H.ear on 3. Something I like about the Sony Hear on 3 is the provided analog cable which matches colour of the headset. That’s not to say the XM3s don’t…but just colour…nice.

Button and port placements are almost identical, with the only difference being the location of the USB C port. The H.ear on 3 has it all in 1 place and the XM3s are on the opposite side. The Sony Branding locations are also different but quite subtle on both. Of course, the flagship 1000X M3 having a little more bling with the rose gold trim and branding on the band.

The outer NC mics are in the same spot on the backs of the ear-cups. But the forward and back NC mics are slightly closer together on the Hear on 3’s just behind the hanger. The location of the voice call might appears to be in a better spot on the Hear on 3…a little be closer than the XM3. We’ll test that out un a min.

The Hinges and the Headband with reinforced plastic are pretty much the same. However, there is a big difference. it’s the drivers. The Hear on 3 has 25mm drivers and the 1000X M3 has 40mm. This will of course impact the sound quality and sound stage performance. I’ll get into that in the sound quality section of the video.

Although the Hear on 3 drivers is smaller. Sony has made some tweaks here to help improve the sound delivered by the 25mm drivers. If you look closely at the inside of the WH1000X M3 ear-cups, there’s a bit of soft foam padding around the driver. Whereas on the Hear On 3 there’s just a fine netting & the drivers will sit much closer to your ear. Sony says the WH-H910n Hear On 3 headphones can achieve the same sound pressure as conventional 40mm drivers. We shall see. (In the sound quality section) Another difference here is the size of padding on the ear-cups. The Hear On 3 has significantly more…which could arguably make them more comfortable for some people.

Usability

So the number one and most notable difference here is the 35Hr battery life delivered by the Hear On 3. That’s 5 Hrs more than the 1000X M3. It’s also worth noting the 1000X M3 can deliver up to 38Hrs with ANC off and the Hear on 3 just 45Hrs. So that’s an interesting fact. This is something you should factor that in when making your purchase decision.

Touch controls are present on both. Swipe right or left to skip tracks. Up and down for volume. Tap to play pause, double-tap to answer calls and long push to wake your assistant. Lets not forget that placing your palm over the right ear-cup will activate the outer mics and mute your music so you can here what’s going on around you.

Sony have improved the placement of the voice call mic. It now sits bit closer to where your mouth would be when wearing them.

To see if the Mic quality has improved on the new Sony H.ear on 3 headphones watch the review video for audio samples.

When it comes to noise canceling. I’ve gotta say its virtually identical in my opinion. They both use Sonys class-leading QN1 chip and the same amount of NC mics. Honestly they so close. Both are amazing when it comes to ANC. Of course, the app functionality is the same. One cool thing you can do is customize the C button on the Hear on 3 within the app to wake Alexa, Siri or Google assistant & if your wondering yes you can do the same thing with the 1000XM3 by recapping NC/ambient button.

Comfort you’d probably think this would be a win for the Hear On 3 headphones just off if the amount of padding. But for me the clamping pressure is a little stronger…maybe that’s because they’re newer than my XM3’s…but if you asked me I say the XM3 are just a bit more comfortable.

If you have quite a small head you might find the headband too large…If you look at them side by side you can see the headband is quite a bit taller. for example, for me I use them. I wear them without extending the headband at all. Both headphones fair with for prolonged usage. Yes, your ears may heat up a little in warm environments.. but neither one considerably more than the other.

Sound Quality

So 4 tracks, five different genres. Let’s go. Watch the Sony H.ear On Sound Test video to see exactly what tracks I used in this review.

Hip Hop - So when it comes to the overall volume. They are very both very close to max volume. The difference I can hear now listening to the H.ear on 3 is there seems to be an emphasis on clarity. In the mids and Hi’s. The bass is certainly more powerful on the XM3.

Electronic - Again both amazing clarity. For this type of music, the H.ear on 3 performs well. Deep enough bass but not too much it’s overpowering the rest of the music. However, I gotta say I feel the soundstage is significantly wider on the XM3’s. The bass is more powerful and maybe a bit too powerful…but of course you can tweak that in the Sony Headphones app.

Rock - This has to be the closest category so far. Again the soundstage goes to the XM3. However, the H.ear on 3 delivers awesome clarity here. This is a well-suited genre for these.

Classical - So this category is all about the clarity of the vocals and soundstage performance of the orchestra. The XM3 wins on a soundstage but the Hear On 3 is impressive here with its fantastic clarity…but overall the XM3 edges out the victory.

Awesome Features

Hear on 3 • awesome colour range & build quality • Above average bass levels despite the smaller drivers. • 10mins 2.5hrs

The next 3 apply to both XM3 & Hear on 3 • crazy amount of customisation via the app • 360 reality audio support • Support Hi-Res Audio & LDAC • DSEE HX Audio Up-scaler • class-leading adaptive ANC

WH1000X-M3 • Adaptive noise canceling (XM3 barometer) • Immense Bass levels & wider soundstage • current price cheaper than the Hear on 3

SUMMARY

So ultimately it comes down to you… do you want a more striking colourful look. Plus 5Hrs more power when using ANC. If so the Sony H.ear on 3 are perfect pairs for you. Or is 30Hrs battery enough for you & you don’t care about the new striking colour and patterns on the ear-cups and care more about the overall sound quality… Then you should go for the 1000 XM3.

If you guys liked this review I’d appreciate a thumbs up. And if you’re shopping around you might want to take a look at the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 they’re a strong competitor to both of these headphones…thumbnails on the screen right now. Go check that out. If you just subscribed, you’re now one of the finest subscribers known to man. See ya in the next one…don’t be late.

h.ear on 3 - Current pice

SONY WH-H910N - H.Ear On 3 Headphones Unboxing Video

MORE WHATGEAR HEADPHONE VIDEOS

The new Bowers and Wilkins PX7's are here. Here is an Honest Review with an in depth look at design, usability, sound quality & awesome features. Is there a new ANC king in the headphone market? Watch this and you tell me.If you're trying to decide between the Libratone Track Air Plus Vs Sony WF1000xm3 this video is for you! In this video we look at the design, usability, quality & most importantly the awesome features!A lot of reviewers talk very highly about the Lypertek Tevi earbuds. So I took it upon myself to find out the truth for you guys. Watch this in depth review on the #Lypertek #Tevi headphones to find out if they are the best earbuds under $99.OK so there's a lot of people throwing Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones under the bus in their reviews. I wanted to find out for myself. So check this out... my beats studio 3 wireless review & 5 reasons why you STILL should consider Beats by Dre as a serious contender.So the New Airpods Pro are here but are the Huawei Freebuds 3 better? Well I made this video to help you guys decide. If you interested in checking out the prices here they are : Huawei #Freebuds3 [EU] : https://amzn.to/2owZrUN Huawei Freebuds 3 [US] : https://amzn.to/2C0Li56 Apple #AirpodsPro [EU] : https://amzn.to/2q2DLAn Airpods Pro [US] : https://amzn.to/2N226iC 🧨💥 SUBSCRIBE TO WHATGEAR!So you got no Headphone Jack? No Problem - Qualcomm AptX Adaptive codec is here! Check out what this awesome new codec can do in this #WhatGear #Qualcomm #AptXAdaptive video. Website link coming soon! SUBSCRIBE TO WHATGEAR! source https://www.whatgear.net/technology//sony-hear-on-3-review

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bulgarianmermaid · 5 years

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There are places you know you will miss from the first moment you set your eyes on them. Those places feel like home without you even having thought of visiting them let alone living there before. Deep into the Caucasus Mountains, where Georgia ends and Russia begins, at the top of Cross Pass outside Gudauri, you can still find high mountain peaks, desolate roads, rugged landscape, and unexplored wilderness that make my heart sing. High up there, where >5000m peaks kiss the bright blue sky and most people lose their breath, that is where I get found. The wilderness speaks directly to my soul, it calls my wild heart, it urges me to explore. It calms me down, I sleep without a single worry, nothing matters and all our “modern” concerns seem like “first world problems”.

The real Georgia in winter is cold and snowy, rough around the edges, wild and untamable, high in altitude and strong in liquor content. Just how I like my destinations (and my men) ❤ A few places in the American West had such a profound effect on me, an effect so strong I didn’t want to leave, let alone go back to the city. The Caucasus Mountains remind me of the San Juans in Southwest Colorado high up Red Mountain Pass from Ouray to Silverton – a place where I camped without a tent at 12000ft elevation and that experience was the best birthday present I could have ever asked for ❤

Gudauri is the largest ski resort in Georgia hidden deep in the Caucasus Mountains on Georgia Military Road almost all the way to the Russian border. Gudauri Ski Resort‘s base is at >2000m, its highest chair lift reaches 3200m, so with a vertical drop top to bottom on a ski run 1200m, it will surely make your legs shake 🙂 All 75km of groomed ski runs in Gudauri sit above tree line facing the sun and grant you the view of a lifetime every single chair ride. In terms of snow conditions, terrain quality, lift services and variety of ski runs, Gudauri can rival any ski resort in the Alps and the Rockies. Gudauri just added 4 new chair lifts this season and opened a whole new valley on the back side (Kobi) to off piste skiing and riding. Yet you can still have the whole resort to yourself and ski right behind the snow cat on empty slopes during the week.

Since I was in Gudauri for 2 weeks with IntotheWild.bg, we could choose what to do each day depending on the conditions and we rode off piste every time we got a foot of new snow. On the days when Ullr didn’t deliver overnight freshies, we basked in the sun and rode soft groomers. Because when you go to the Caucasus Mountains you get equally spoiled by fresh snow and freshly groomed slopes! Gudauri Ski Resort offers 3 valleys with lift serviced terrain for off piste skiing/riding. In addition, there are multiple backcountry and ski touring routes if you are willing to take a hike for an hour or two and earn your turns.

PC: @intothewild.bg

PC: Veselin Dochev

On our days off from skiing (2 in total for two weeks), we checked the Russian baths in Gudauri (Tsar Bani) for an authentic experience at the highest steam baths in the world and took a shuttle to the village of Kazbegi to visit Rooms Hotel for its signature view which overlooks Mt Kazbeg and Gergeti Trinity Church from the balcony. Only later did I find that Mt Kazbeg (>5000m = >16000ft) is a dormant volcano, no wonder I fell in love with it at first sight!

In Gudauri I recommend staying at Quadrum Hotel (under $100 for a double room, breakfast with a view included). Brand new and built only with natural materials in simple and modern Scandinavian style, it offers a spa and swimming pool, as well as daily yoga classes to meet all your post-skiing / hiking needs and soothe your sore muscles. There is a bar and restaurant on site as well where you can grab dinner as you’ll be exhausted after a day of skiing and unwilling to look for a place to eat down the road in town at night.

In Kazbegi Rooms Hotel (over $100 for double room, breakfast with a view included) gets my vote for fantastic design, superb amenities, fusion cuisine and incredible service. You’ll notice there are many cheaper options in Georgia but as with every developing country, you get what you pay for, so be careful how excited you get about a budget room, especially if your budget can accommodate a comfier experience 🙂 Remember to book both hotels well in advance as they usually sell out during the main season.

Considering my obsession with high mountain passes, Georgia Military Road deserves its own blogpost but I’ll try to give it enough attention here before I return to explore it further in summer. Georgia Military Road is one of ONLY 2 passes that connect Georgia with Russia over the Caucasus Mountains. Being a major road artery, the pass is usually well cleaned after a snow storm (or completely closed during one) and is quite busy with semi truck traffic. The highest point is Cross pass (Jvari Pass) right outside Gudauri Ski Resort at 2379m (7815ft). In winter the road works only in one direction in 2 hr intervals as the “tunnels” (actually avalanche barriers) are too narrow for two trucks to pass at the same time. There is a separate lane for summer that allows two way traffic but it is closed in winter as it is too dangerous to drive on that sliver of asphalt on the cliffside with no barriers and vertical drops at most places.

The never ending “tunnels” between Gudauri and Kazbegi are probably the most freakish roads I have ever passed (and to think I was considering hitchhiking there…) There is no light inside, no road markings or directions, the tunnels curve and are very narrow (remember…one way traffic). If I told you there would be light at the end of the tunnel (literally), would you follow me high up in the Caucasus Mountains in the middle of a snow storm, on windy one-lane roads through pitch-black avalanche barriers? And if you did the reward would be one of the greatest views of Mt Kazbeg you’ve ever seen (and a cocktail in the swanky bar at the posh Rooms Hotel Kazbegi)

Georgia may seem far and off the beaten path to the weekend traveler, yet there are multiple flights daily from Europe to Tbilisi and Kutaishi. We opted for budget travel and I’m SO glad we did! The bus-shuttle-plane-taxi experience gave our trip such a good and authentic start. Since we were coming from Bulgaria, we took the bus to Turkey (6hrs overnight from Plovdiv to Istambul in the coldest night of the year), schlepped our luggage from the bus station to the airport with a shuttle (which took another 1.5hrs), then jumped on a flight to Tbilisi (2.5hrs of crammed leg space) and finished our trip with a taxi to Gudauri (add 2 more hours where we were so exhausted the taxi driver could have taken us anywhere and I wouldn’t have cared as long as he let me sleep 🙂

The travel was very oriental and interesting, safe, cheap, and by no means difficult. Culture shock abound for my Western friends every step of the way – squat toilets with no paper at the Bulgarian-Turkish border (yes, we had to cross the border on foot at night in the middle of a rainstorm), perfumed alcohol in the bus to disinfect your hands, having to haggle for your bottled water (because you have to haggle for everything in the Middle East), et all. Since we were coming from a place with no snow and going thru a place with no snow, everyone was really interested in us and where we are going with all this snowboarding gear. Some people had never seen snow, most couldn’t even perceive the idea that we were taking a bus to a shuttle to a plane to a taxi to a winter resort in Georgia almost on the border with Russia.

To get from Tbilisi to the mountains you have to experience the famous Georgian driving on steep and windy mountain roads. My recommendation is to hold on tight and not look at what the driver is doing…prayer also helps 🙂 You thought Istambul driving was crazy, wait till you see Georgia. If you don’t abide to above rules, you’ll die of heart attack WAY before you actually crash. Locals drive these roads every day, your shuttle driver is well aware of what he is doing, save him your backseat driver speech 🙂

The capital of Georgia – Tbilisi (aka ТиБилЛиСи in Bulgarian) is also called Tiflis in Turkey where I almost missed my flight not being able to find Tbilisi on the dashboard. And while the US has Facebook and Russia has V Kontakte, Tbilisi has Balcony.ge. People observe and share everything from their balconies 🙂 There is balcony architecture, balcony culture, balcony parties, basically “Welcome to the Land of Balconies!”

Having covered skiing and travel in Georgia, now onto food and wine! What should you try from the famous Georgian cuisine? Basically everything…more than once – Kachapuri (homemade cheese and egg “pastry”), Khinkali (meat or veggie dumplings), Shashlik (meat skewers), breads, yogurt, cheeses, jams, jellies, soups, pickled veggies, spices!!! Based on the cuisines I had tasted before, I found Georgian dishes to resemble a mix of Armenian, Turkish, Russian, and Eastern European flavors but maybe those countries borrowed their spices and intricate preparations from Georgia, who knows…

Georgia produces both red and white wines grown in a special viticultural region. The red is served hot and spiced on the slopes – a must for this apres-ski loving gal! Two other beverages to try are cognac and chacha. Georgia produces some of the best cognac in the world, I recommend the 5 or 8 yrs old aged varieties. And don’t forget to buy some as gifts for home! Chacha is the local name for homemade vodka / raki / moonshine. It is made from different fermented fruits. Drinking chacha is a Georgian tradition – don’t you dare refuse a toast – and resembles tequila tasting in Mexico. You will get drunk, for sure!!! The supermarket varieties go up to 55 proof while home-made chacha can be all the way up to 85 proof. I was super lucky to try a 65 proof persimmon homemade chacha aged in oak barrels on the slopes. You bet I brought some home 🙂

Last but definitely not least, I couldn’t get over was how sweet, kind, and hospitable the locals were, everywhere! Georgia is still very real, rural in places and rough around the edges at times, but that just adds to its local charm. Go visit while it is an up and coming destination, affordable and a developing tourist market and not yet full of foreigners and skiers. There is just SO MUCH to see and explore in Georgia, I only went to Gudauri and the Kazbegi Region but I will definitely be back in summer to hike the Caucasus Mountains, visit the wine region and experience the famous Tbilisi nightlife!

Svaneti in Summer – PC: @zermatterhorn

Gudauri Ski Resort, Georgia – A Gem Hidden Deep in the Caucasus Mountains There are places you know you will miss from the first moment you set your eyes on them.

#Adventure #caucasus #driving #georgia #hot springs #mountain #mountain pass #mountains #ski #ski resorts #skiing #snow #snow bunny #snowboard #snowboarding #snowstorm #Travel

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iridescentwanders · 7 years

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The Baltic States

Literally only came home for one day after Lofoten and set off to the Baltic region again. HAHA when I talk about plans I have for the upcoming weekends, people here always have the same kind of response: “how many trips do you have?!”. Kinda think its just a Singaporean thing to love travel though. The Baltic region is not a common tourist destination but it is one of the regions that I have been wanting to go!

I did a solo trip here, which as you guys know I love, so I was very excited. I landed in Estonia, but decided to head to Latvia for two days before checking the place out. Honestly, they are pretty similar but Latvia was prettier! think this place is something that you will like if you are into fine architecture or medieval shit. *cues dionne*. What surprised me was how almost everyone could speak English fluently and how safe it was??

These are some attractions but the streets and every building in the Old Towns are lined with super detailed and nice architecture. I went into this traditional bar restaurant based on the local’s recommendation called Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs, and it was SO GOOD?? The bar looks like a place that came out of a movie set in another century, with live traditional music, and most importantly super good food. I tried this dessert called “beer fritters” and IT WAS JIZZZZ. Also tried some Latvian beer and I wish I could have more but I was too full.

Also this random Latvian girl came up to me and told me that my sweater was super cute and asked where i bought it! I was secretly quite happy about it hahahahah.

I popped into this cafe and they had some very sarcastic murals (HAHA LAV IT) but these were my fav:

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DAY 4: ESTONIA

Headed to an open air museum first and it showed different estonian farms in the early centuries. There was this super cute ancient-looking candy shop! I just HAD TO buy something there haha. Almost got lost cos it was so quiet and we kept walking in circles afterwards though.

I think I generally loved it there because I like medieval shit. I casually mentioned this and was recommended to go to this medieval-themed restaurant and it was such an interesting experience omg!

It was too dark inside (it was only lit with candles on each table like how it really used to be in medieval times or the kind you see in Game of Thrones) so I couldn’t really capture it. But literally everything was designed that way, the interior, the dressing of the waiters and waitresses, and how the food was served (look at the wooden fork and knife hahah). OK even the toilet sink was like in a pot of water like that!

Also i did a lucky draw and won a medieval hand-made cup that was worth 5Euros (which is alot given that one meal here costs less than 5euros)! :D

I did a city walking tour and met this Indian guy that I really hit it off with. I don’t know how it is that I can click with a middle-aged Indian man but ok HAHAHHA. We ended up having lunch together for 2.5hrs (much wowz) and we even wanted to make plans together the next day (but I bailed)! It was actually very nice and you learn so much just meeting new people from all walks of life. He had a business in India which he sold, moved to Amsterdam and have been travelling around Europe for almost two years. The other day in Latvia I also had dinner and drinks with this canadian girl who quit her job and sold her home and has been travelling around for a year or so. And she just plans to keep travelling until she run out of money and then decide where to work. Damn YOLO, I really wish one day I can save up enough money and muster the courage to just do this as well.

Cheryl hung out with me sometimes, and we went to catch Phantom of the Opera! It’s kinda my first musical and it was good, but she didnt like the plot and kept saying how stupid the main characters are HAHAHAH. But listening to their singing kinda makes me wana go back and listen to symphonic metal again #teenagedays

Also apparently you’re supposed to dress up when you attend a musical? we went there in our sweater and jeans when everyone else was dressed like it was prom with suits and fancy dresses OMG LOL.

I dont have any photos but I want to mention about the Bastion Passages. It was a secret underground tunnel used since the 1700s by locals for various reasons, up all the way till the 1990s and it was turned into a museum only in recent years. Alot of its original condition is still there and we could walk through the entire tunnel with a guide that explained the timeline and some exhibits. We also saw alot of huge carved stones and it was pretty cool! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLACE TO GO IF YOU EVER VISIT ESTONIA.

(in certain parts of the tunnel I actually felt some very bad vibes though, I was a little scared, but i would still say its a must-go)

ok the story of this photo above is damn funny. so this random dude was walking past and I kinda told Cheryl out loud to take the photo only after he has walked past. BUT HE SUDDENLY STARTED WALKING TOWARDS ME AND I WAS SCARED FOR A MOMENT LIKE OMG WTF WHAT DOES THIS DUDE WANT. But he just stopped beside me and did a hipster pose. Apparently he overheard me saying it to her LOLOL so i figured and then copied his pose and we took a photo together anyway HAHHAHA RANDOM AF.

Just gonna end the post with this photo because I like it, and also this is the cute sweater as mentioned, and also we waited more than an hour to try this famous estonian pancake HAHA. It was quite nice but damn gelat after a while.

Thanks for hosting and it was a lovely weekend!! :)

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