A visit from Mum

What a fab five days I’ve just had!!!

My mum was over from England to stay with me in The Netherlands. I love having visitors – and a Mum visit is one of the best!

We’ve done so much in those five days: a canal trip through The Hague, meals out, a cinema trip, an IKEA visit (and yes we DID have meatballs), shopping in Leiden, shopping in The Hague and more meals…

The only problem with people coming to stay is that you have to say goodbye. Airport goodbyes are so sad!

Bye Mum! Come back soon.

My mum and me

Beautiful Bali: Where calm meets chaos.

When you arrive in Bali (at Denpasar airport) there is an immediate feeling that you have stepped back in time. The airport has a 1980s/1990s feel about it. Things just are not as modern here.

Once you have shown passports to security, who are seated by little wooden crates (bizarre I know), you collect your bags and head out. Next you are faced with a row of cubicles (all glassed in) with money exchange workers all frantically waving and smiling to get your attention. It feels as though you’re in a red-light district with ‘ladies-in-the-window’ and is somewhat unnerving. It’s difficult not to stare (or laugh) at the weirdness of it all and so you find yourself quickly dashing along. I managed to avoid being lured in to any of the stares. Phew!

Outside the airport there are streams of taxis everywhere. Luckily we had a pre-arranged minbus transfer arranged to take us from the airport to our villa, but it seemed easy enough for people to flag one down. The carpark is chaos and if that’s anything to judge Bali by…..it gets busier. The road from the airport to Seminyak (normally 20 minutes drive) was packed and the journey took over an hour.

Seminyak is one of Bali’s hotspots. Located on the south of the island, by Denpasar (the island’s capital), Seminyak boasts a huge number of private villas, restaurants and bars. It draws in tourists from all over the world, but in particular Australians (many of whom are enjoying their hen-weekends or stag-dos).

So many of Bali’s visitors stay in private villas. I can see why. Behind the doors, away from the chaos of traffic and tourists passing by is a tranquil and harmonius villa. Inside the villa, my eyes quickly did the dream-holiday-checklist. Pool. Open-space. Lounge. Kitchen (I don’t plan on using it, but still….). Bedroom one (huge). En-suite (love it). Bedroom two (also huge). Another en-suite. Decking around the pool. Water feature. My eyes at this stage are flashing from one place to another. I’m greedily taking it all in. Heaven.

Staying in a villa in Bali can be a dangerous move. It’s not life threatening. It’s culturally dangerous. You might become so relaxed and ‘chilled-out’ behind the closed doors that you end up spending your time there instead of exploring. Don’t be too chilled. You must explore.

The nightlife in Seminyak is mixed. It doesn’t have the feel of a stag-do and hen-do holiday destination. It’s not like Blackpool (UK) or Amsterdam (Holland)….. or anywhere else that you find pre-wedding groups drinking their last moments of freedom away. It all seems slightly more classy here in Bali. There are security guards EVERYWHERE. Do not panic. They stand at the road side by every villa, bar and restaurant. If anything you feel safe with them all around, but I did wonder whether they were security or hotel staff (the strict uniform can be quite deceiving). They all carry lightsabers which I found very amusing. Not quite up to the standard and length of Darth Vader, although they still light up red and look great fun at night.

A day trip is a must. Taking a taxi for the entire day is easy and innexpensive in Bali. The staff wherever you stay are more than likely to assist in the arrangement. Our three butlers were brilliant at helping to organise our days. The service is always at its best. The taxi ride is a mouth-opening, extreme sight-seeing and epic journey. The roads are crazy. Busy. Packed……

There are cars. Bicycles. Motorbikes. Mopeds…… For every car there are about 10 mopeds zooming beside you. Think mayhem. Controlled mayhem, although I wouldn’t dare get on a moped in Seminyak.

Next, you see what they are carrying. We’re talking full loads. Mopeds with 4 passengers (oh, plus the driver)…..and one of the passengers is carrying a adult-sized bike on the back. It’s crazy!

Along the road side there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of shops selling wooden carvings, stone work, mosaic bowls, kites and more….and more…..and more. The shops repeat and repeat and repeat themselves along the longest straightest road. My poor camera.

There are lots of hot spots to visit. We choose to visit Ubud with the rice fields. If you have never visited places like this (like me) then all expectations are blown out of the water. The rice fields were great! I wasn’t expecting the slopes to be quite so steep. The driver let us wander and explore. We sat by the edge of the rice fields and had something local to eat. Yum.

The journey back was just as interesting – more shops and sights to see.

In Bali, aside from the wonderful Ubud and the shops we also ventured along the coast. The sandy beaches are beautiful. Palm trees line the coast and add to the holiday feel.

Bali. Simply brilliant.

Exploring Asia #1: Malaysia

“Bags packed. Tickets printed. Passports checked and double checked. Malaysia here we come”. (Well, that was a few weeks ago – and this is my review).

Flying with Emirates from Amsterdam to Dubai and then Dubai onto Kuala Lumpur is a real treat. From the moment you step on board the flight there is a welcoming atmosphere and a feeling of luxury. I knew I was going to enjoy the flight, even if it was to be hours and hours long. There is the uncomfortable moment, however, as you walk through the First Class section of the plane where you are given ‘looks’ from the rather smug looking passengers in their reclining seats. They sip on their complimentary champagne and give you the ‘you wish you were here in First too, don’t you’ look. Sheepishly, the Economy passengers, myself included proceed to our zone.

Seats with TV screens, or should I say ‘entertainment consoles’ are the highlight of the journey. Almost every passenger feels the need, even before take-off, to play with the remote control. There is so much choice that you cannot possibly decide how to be entertained first. Should you watch a film? Maybe a TV episode would be best? The music channels sound good too? But there’s also a relaxation channel…. Limitless.

Landing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city, you find yourself in a series of ‘capsule’ gates. These gates are connected by a monorail which speedily carries thousands of passengers from one terminal to another. There is immediately a sense of organisation and cleanliness. Once through the passport control (and receiving the ‘okay’ from Immigration) you collect bags and join the queue for taxis at a special taxi office. They have the system worked out to perfection here. You tell one person where you would like to go, pay a standard fee (no meters used for airport runs) and then you take your ticket to the taxi stand outside. It was simple and stress-free.

The airports in KL are quite a distance from the city. The views from the taxi are of endless tropical plants and trees. Malaysia has palm trees growing in every available spot. They make a great deal of money from the sale of palm oils.

The skyline of Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur nests amongst the hills and towers up from the ground. The skyline though is far from impressive with the exception of the Petronas Twin Towers. Standing proudly amongst some rather bland looking tower blocks, the Petronas Towers amaze by the day and simply stun you by night. With a skywalk linking the two and a huge shopping mall contained within the lower floors, it is a must-see in the city.

KL's Petronas Twin Towers (by night).

The number of shopping malls in KL is astounding. There are simply not enough shoppers to fill the shops themselves. You can easily find yourself wandering through a mall, then leaving and discovering one even bigger and more impressive five minutes away. If you like to shop then KL is definitely worth a visit.

Where KL boasts in its shopping choice it lacks in character and heart. It feels as though there is something missing when you travel through the city. There is no river or coast to give the city a focal point, something which can seem almost alien to the European traveller. In order to see the city there are a variety of choices available. You can attempt to explore on foot, but as I discovered KL is equipped with adequate pavements for pedestrians. The heat can be overpowering for anyone who wishes to tip-toe along the streets with unfinished streets. Taxis are everywhere and you never have to wait more than a couple of minutes to flag one down. There are city buses for tourists to take you to all the major sites, however it feels like an endless loop once you’re on board.

China Town and the old central market are really worth a visit once you’ve seen the Petronas Towers. KL can be explored in a day or two, but while you’re there you must enjoy a massage from one of the wonderful massage parlours (superb quality and great value). Manicures and pedicures along with any other form of relaxation treatment and pampering will make you feel wonderful (I know I did). Evenings are filled by enjoying cocktails and a wide selection of meals ranging from typical Malay, to Chinese, to Thai and more. The choice is endless. 

Away from KL there are other sights which must not be missed. We arranged for a taxi driver to look after us for 1 day for a set price, something which is common amongst tourists. About 2 hours away from KL is the Kuala Gandah Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary. At the edge of a tiny village you can explore the sanctuary and meet some young elephants. Many of the elephants have been rescued from a variety of situations. After a video documentary explaining the work done at the sanctuary there is the possibility to feed the elephants and ride them. Some visitors are even brave enough to bathe with them.

Kuala Gandah (small village by the elephant sanctuary).

One of the young elephant orphans.

An amazing, yet uncomfortable ride on a 37 year old elephant.

Batu Caves is a surreal tourist ‘hot-spot’. A  42.7 metre (140.09 ft) high, the world’s tallest statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity, stands at the base of the steps. The 272 steps lead up into the limestone cave where Hindu shrines can be found. The steps and caves are full of monkeys which are far from shy. They leap from post to post and surprise many of the tourists (myself included).

The huge golden statue stands proudly at the Batu Caves entrance.

 

My Malaysia Highlights:

• Elephant sanctuary
• Massages
• Shopping at the Petronas Towers
• Batu Caves
• Cocktails at the skybar in the Traders Hotel (with great views of the Petronas Towers)
• Restaurant choice

Great Guidebooks: Don’t travel without one.

 

The start of my collection…

I’m not a fan of bulky travel guides. They may be suitable for travelling by car, but when there are flights involved then it’s far better to have something light and easy that pops in your pocket.

I’m also not a big fan of large fold-out maps – who thought that they would be a great idea. Once unfolded they become a wind trap, they rip easily and are practically impossible to fold back together. I’m no origami expert!

That said, I was chuffed pleased thilled to discover the Everyman May Guides. A guidebook and a map all rolled into one perfect, pocket-sized friend. I love them! I’ve used them on a couple of trips and they pass the tourist test of mine.

Happy traveller here! (Recent trips to Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin, Barcelona and Munich).

One of the fold out district maps (Amsterdam).

Each city is divided into districts. Each double page inside looks at one district and lists restaurants, pubs, bars, music venues and shops that are worth a visit. The page then folds out to reveal a small map with that section of the city. Perfect! It folds out – It folds away. The next double page had more of the same. Handy information for the part of the city that you’re actually in.

The guide also contains an overview map (showing the districts – all colour coded) and transport information. It’s all in the book! Everything you need it one little book.

Surely travel is meant to be simple. Sometimes it is better to spend time on trips and holidays enjoying the sights rather than reading through a bulky 700 page guide.

Happy travels everyone!

 You may also like to read some of my travel posts:

My travel map so far (as of Nov ’10)

Booking disaster!

A flight to remember.

Preparation and organisation tips.

Prague: Czech it out and check the John Lennon Wall out too.

Prague: Czech it out.

Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic is a stunner! A weekend trip there just is not enough. (My visit was #2 on my list of things for 2011). I checked my camera today and saw that I had taken 194 photographs in two days! I really couldn’t capture it enough. My camera is attached to my hand at all times.

Here is a snap-shot of picturesque Prague.

(Click on the picture to enlarge).

The amazing Gothic towers (260-ft high).

Church of Our Lady of Tyn

Old Town Square

The clock on Old Town Hall

Charles Bridge (Karluv Most)

The crowds queuing to rub the plaque.

Rubbing the brass plaque on the Charles Bridge. A tradition.

Prague’s skyline.

I just happened to walk past. I loved this scene.

I couldn’t resist a snap shot of this poster.

Looking at across the Vltava river.

Picture perfection.

Ornate decoration all over this great city.

Now THIS is a lampost.

The popular Jewish area with tourists.

One of the shop signs.

Just one of the amazing puppet shops.

I stayed very close to the centre. Literally 5 minutes from our apartment and we were at the central Old Town Square. Prague is conveniently close to the airport. The transfer taxis are great value! It was also quite strange visiting a European country without the Euro (and that’s coming from a Brit).

I loved the Charles Bridge (in one of the photos). I came home and wanted to do a little research as to why people were touching the plaques. I found out that:

One statue receives a great deal of attention from both Czechs and foreigners; this is the statue of Jan Nepomucky (John of Nepomuk), who was thrown from the bridge in chains. The base of this statue has two bronze plaques, each well-polished by thousands of hands touching it. The belief is that touching the plaque portraying the martyrdom of John of Nepomuk is lucky, and that the person touching it will return to Prague. Many people make wishes when they touch the plaque. (Thanks to BlogKingWencelas for the info).

Now I wish that I’d touched it too – instead of taking so many pictures. Hey ho – who needs luck?

More to come about Prague. I had many more discoveries in that great city! I think I may need to revisit this summer.

St. Patrick’s Day

Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Ireland always celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style. Even outside of Ireland, the Irish will have decked out bars and pubs with green and orange to celebrate their special day. But, what is it all about?

Here are some facts about St. Patrick’s Day:

St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.

Many cities have a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, has a huge St. Patrick’s Day festival from March 15-19, that features a parade, family carnivals, treasure hunt, dance, theatre and more. In North American, parades are often held on the Sunday before March 17. Some paint the yellow street lines green for the day! In Chicago, the Chicago River is dyed green with a special dye that only lasts a few hours. There has been a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston, Massachusetts since 1737. Montreal is home to Canada’s longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade, which began in 1824.

 

But oh, the best facts are saved for last.  The real St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish. He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves. At 16, Patrick’s world turned: He was kidnapped and sent overseas to tend sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland for seven years.

…..and finally.

75 year old Jimmy Ford, who arrived on stage dressed as a Leprechaun.

The joys of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’…. The word ‘talent’ is used very loosely. I think I need a Guinness now.

A very well travelled bear.

Wesley Bear

This is Wesley Bear. He is possibly one of the most well travelled bears in the world. For the last 11 years he has been part of my class. When I started training to be a teacher I bought adopted Wesley (He was already named).

Helping in the kitchen

When I got my first class (4 year olds) - We called it ‘Reception class’ then - I introduced Wesley Bear to the class bear. Each and every weekend he would (and still does) go home with one of the children. (A great reward for good behaviour).

Wesley goes sailing (One of the mums made a lifejacket for him)

The children in the class, and in all the classes that I have taught, have fallen in love with Wesley Bear. They cannot wait to have their turn to look after him.

He’s been taken on some wonderful trips around the world. There are times that I wish I could swap places with my teddy so that I could travel in his place. (I wish). The idea is for the children to look after him and to show him wonderful sights around the world. They take photographs, send postcards back to the school and add a little stamp to his passport. He’s been on more that 100 trips abroad!

Wesley in San Marino

After 11 years of travelling around the world with the children in my classes, with family and friends and with colleagues, I have quite a collection of photos. The children love to look at them and it provides a wonderful tool for exploring holidays and travel in class.

Just a couple of Wesley's holiday snaps!

He’s met dolphins in Israel, camels in the Canary Islands, lizards and seals in the Galapagus Islands and enjoyed Champagne in France! Oh what a life for a bear!

This shows where Wesley Bear has been taken since March 6th 2000.

This beats my map of world travel.

One of the best parts is listening to the children when they bring Wesley Bear back to school. They are alive with enthusiasm and are eager to tell stories of what he’s been up to. Some of the children tell me that Wesley has been naughty, he’s made their bedrooms a mess or that he’s had a holiday romance. Oh yes, I’ve heard a lot.

My favourite picture.

French Adventures: The little paddle down the river that went wrong.

Dordogne River in Périgord

I don’t regard myself as a ‘outdoorsy person’, but from time to time I like to explore nature, go camping, trek and play ‘try’  different sports. That said I am a very good skier. That will be a story for another day.

When I first met Bas (my far-more-outdoorsy-partner) we went on holiday to France. OK, I must point out that we’d been together for less than 3 months and so I was agreeing to all wonderful ideas of adventures and exploration of the outdoor world. France was lovely.  So, here we were in France in the Dordogne. A stunning region that I’d never heard of before.

We stayed with some of Bas’ friends in a their converted farm. The house and outbuildings were amazing – There was even an outdoor swimming  pool. Holiday heaven! In the surrounding areas there were lots of quaint little towns and villages. We’d hired a car and went out daily exploring castles, ruins and French country roads. The weather was perfect! It really was fab!

Prior to our “canoe adventure” I thought:

• It would be simple,
• Paddling would be easy,
• The river would be calm,
• The French would be understanding.

We were proved very wrong!

We rented a canoe and specifically explained that we didn’t want to do a whole afternoon trip – but just some paddling about to ‘have-a-go’ and see if we liked it. Our French wasn’t good. Her English was not great either and Dutch and German wasn’t going to get us anywhere (Bas spoke both). After lots of hand gestures and swapping of money we had a canoe and life jackets. Good one!

Whilst happily paddling along the river, chatting away and taking in the scenery, we  were having a lovely time! It was very relaxing. My first canoe trip – I felt like an expert. OK, the initial paddling had taken some getting used to. Synchronisation is more tricky than you’d first think. After about 50 minutes we saw a guy in a canoe anchored in the middle of the river. He was taking photographs of canoeists passing by. We smiled – looking like professionals (of course) and then we moored? docked? (I really don’t know the canoeing words) to a shallow bank where we discovered a little wooden hut. Inside the hut, fitted with internet, a computer and a friendly lady, we purchased the photo that had just been taken. The wonders of modern technology. It was great to have a photo of us both in the canoe.

Here we are. Canoe experts!

Next came the big shock. We got into the canoe and planned on returning the way we had come. The water seemed calm. We’d given ourselves more than enough time to get back to our starting point. The current however was not gentle at all. While paddling against the current at full speed we kept our eyes on a tree on the river bank. It stayed put. We were paddling as hard as we could and going nowhere.

No matter how hard or how fast we tried to paddle there was absolutely no way we could make it back upstream. Ooops!

We had no choice but to go further down the river and find a place to stop. We found a road, some shops and civilisation. We got out of the canoe, pulled it ashore and thought of a plan. Bas called the friends that we were staying with. We had no way of contacting the canoe company (we didn’t have their number and we didn’t speak French). Our friends arranged with the canoe company to have someone come and pick us up. The whole story had been relayed. Oh the shame!

At this point I was laughing hysterically. I thought it was just the funniest thing. Bas however, had not given up smoking by this stage and was currently having sense-of-humour-failure!

A Frenchman arrived in a minibus. He didn’t look impressed. He was even less impressed when he realised that he was to take us and the canoe back. His mood just fuelled my giggled. So, here we sat - Bas and I on the front seat of the minibus. One angry French driver. One giggling Jamie (me) and one Bas poking me in the rips trying to get me to stop.

I love that day!

It’s one of my best memories ever!

Preparation and organisation for trips and holidays: Good tips.

If you travel frequently you have most likely experienced a trip or holiday where something vital has been left at home.  I know that it has happened to me on numerous occasions. If however, you are not an experienced traveller then you may worry about what to pack. There is nothing worse than unpacking in your hotel and discovering that you’ve left the mobile phone charger, underwear or belt at home. It can be the little things that wind you up the most.

Knowing what to take on a trip, holiday or ‘world tour’ (you never know) is a tricky business especially when there are such strict rules about your luggage (when it comes to air travel). From my experience of travelling and enjoying holidays over the last couple of years I would recommend that you compile a list to use for each and every time you travel. Here are some simple tips:

• Make a list of the things that you need on your typical trips. It takes some forward thinking. The best time to prepare your list is not before you next travel, but when you return from your next trip or holiday. When you arrive home you are more likely to make the correct judgment on exactly what you needed (people often over-pack and later regret it). You can check what was used and discard what was not. Once you have your list though, it is ready for all future trips.
• Organise your list into categories. I decided on these for my checklist: essential travel documents, hygiene, clothes, first aid and miscellaneous.
• Create separate lists for different types of trip away. Perhaps you’d have the following (it all depends on your hobbies and lifestyle): city-trip, summer break, winter break, action/adventure/camping.

I surprised myself when I came back from a 2 week holiday. I looked in my bag and realised that there were so many things which I’d thought were essential and in actual fact had not been any use at all. This spurred me on to make a list. This summer I went on a 4 week travel around Europe. The list for my camping trip was a life-saver. Not only did we prepare everything before going, but we managed to keep track and ensure that we brought everything back with us too.

If you have any other travel tips and advice then it would be great to hear.

Festive Blogging Needs To Be Done – But How?

It’s such a busy time of the year. How can I find time to blog while I have so many other things to do? I am trying to juggle many things at once and have decided that blogging is more fun than Facebook. There are only so many times that you can find pleasure in poking people (so they say). The battle between blogging and Facebook has taken hold though. Who will become triumphant over Christmas and New Year? I’ll be heading off to England for Christmas soon. A few weeks of being looked after by Mum. Now THAT sounds like a great Christmas. Don’t panic though bloggers, bloggees….. (just what do I call you, my happy little readers)?? Well, I plan (and it’s a great plan), to write entertaining blogs that will appear in my absence. Clever? Well not really, but as this is all relatively new to me, I will claim that it’s something super.