#I might just book myself a morning ticket at the local family resort for some in bound laps or even dust off the xcountry skis

[aquiilegia]

I don’t feel like I’m a particularly conflict averse person, or that it’s something that really marks most of my interactions day to day, or interactions generally or what have you. I think my bold outlier around risk management is in the mountains. anyway, some friends are planning a snowshoe in an area that’s been at moderate-considerable risk all week, and just got downgraded to low-moderate BUT LIKE none of them have any type of safety training with avalanche risk or winter rescue. Two of them were “planning to do it this winter” which is good but doesn’t really make a difference about tomorrow ????

kinda sucks being the safety weenie, actually the whole conversation has really got me bent out of shape. like it will probably “be fine” but it just bothers me that until I brought up this weeks forecasting and bulletins no one from the group had even thought to pull up the avalanche canada website?? good god

Right now I feel like friends are either without any avvy awareness at all and unwilling to learn (deal breaker for me), or are friends who are super educated and experienced w rescue but are way way way too hardcore for me (I simply could not keep up and would need to be mentally carried by the group)

#I might just book myself a morning ticket at the local family resort for some in bound laps or even dust off the xcountry skis #I love and trust my friends with a lot of things but I am not flexible on avalanche risk at all

[patstraveltips]

My tips on Cascais

Having visited Cascais on four occasions, I would like to share my experiences and tips on this special place.

Accommodation

We stayed at Hotel Miragem twice and Villa Cascais once. We also took a peep at Casa da Pergola but did not stay. Accommodation at high season is expensive and tends to book early. Bargains may be had at low season or with last minute bookings.There are also several resort looking spots on the outskirts and these may be worth exploring.

Casa da Pergola is a very pretty, upmarket guesthouse, and the owner kindly showed us some rooms and they are beautifully furnished. It is small and books early.

We have stayed twice in Hotel Miragem...it’s a very large hotel, and may initially appear soul less... generally this kind of place does not appeal to me. On the positive however, it has a beautiful pool, fabulous breakfast buffet and a nice cocktail bar. The staff are friendly and courteous. We found ourselves in Cascais at short notice this year and managed to get a last minute booking and in fact on arrival an upgrade for no extra charge. So I’d recommend booking a standard room and hoping for an upgrade. We were very well looked after here... The hotel also has a fantastic gym, which might appeal to families/teens in particular.

Villa Cascais is a small boutique upmarket guesthouse and we really enjoyed this place. One negative is that it is small with no real ‘extras’. On a positive note, it has a cute bar with a lovely terrace overlooking a square...well worth a visit for a pre-dinner drink. The staff are lovely here. Facilities such as the pool can be used at the sister Hotel Albatroz nearby.

Eating in Cascais

Well, there are plenty of restaurants...some very reasonable and here follows some that we sampled....

Hifen [Prounounce Hyphen]...a tapas place...young trendy and seems popular as a venue for entertaining/ work events and is always busy so definitely book this one. It’s across a square from Villa Cascais, overlooking the public beach (to explain...public means no concessions such as paid beds/ parasols, and it was traditionally the fisherman’s beach as it was possible to enjoy it for free. There seems to be regular volleyball games on for teens in the evenings here...and nice for a swim too). So if you sit upstairs, in particular the window seats (as long as it is not too windy), you may enjoy gorgeous views and stunning sunsets. Food of course is excellent here and reasonable.

Masala...In beach area of town, opposite a wine bar (same owners!)...on our first visit (of many by the way!) I thought it was small, a bit down at heel in appearance...The food is Indian, excellent and very reasonable. Great friendly staff. We booked but they will always fit you in. I’d recommend this as a sociable venue, great for groups, families etc.

5 Sentidos (means 5 senses)...up the hill in a less touristy part of town, but plenty seem to find this place. Good and varied food to be had here, including (but sadly not always) the most delish warm chocolate pudding...worth the trip here for this alone! [Interestingly, an aside, this place is opposite a lovely little church, which on our last visit to the area was literally bursting at the seams with folk attending weekly mass...spilling out on to the street even. I was informed that the priest here is very popular so people travel to his mass!]

Mar do Inferno....Situated about 2km out of town towards Guincho. We walked home from here after dinner...a nice evening walk. You can hear the waves crashing through a cave underneath the restaurant as you eat. The area is called Boca do Inferno...a local scenic spot. This place is large, family run and a bit touristy to be honest. The menu seems very pricey at first glance as the fish (it’s all fish by the way) is priced by the kg. We luckily got a great waiter who helped us choose - this is important so you don’t over order. Not everyone seems to enjoy here but we ate very well!

Kech...a Moroccan place in the old town. We just had a lovely lunchtime salad here. Across the street is another popular spot, Melody, which also gets good reviews.

Mussels and Gin...also up the hill in the older part of town. We did not sample here, but it is always busy. It’s worth taking a stroll around this area...plenty of nice little tapas style bars and informal eateries to explore at a leisurely pace!

Cafe World of Wonders...I love this place...my husband less keen due to the lack of meat on the menu...It’s mostly a daytime spot...with mezze plates, amazing juices and a lovely rooftop eating area. It has quite the hippy vibe! Nearby there are some traditional more formal eating spots...mostly serving fish.

Santini...and finally for dessert...this is an ice cream parlour...part of a chain in Portugal but the first one opened in Cascais...so you can say this is part of your history of Cascais tour! So mostly (except for the chocolate pudding experience) I skipped dessert and instead walked in here on my way home for delicious ice cream. Definitely worth a visit!

Things to do and see in Cascais

Walk from Cascais to Estoril on the promenade. Its 3km each way so a perfect daily exercise. Running or cycling an option. Best early morning but good at any time of day. By the way, Estoril has a casino, apparently the one Ian Fleming visited and inspired him to write the James Bond books! Also this was an area for wealthy/Royal visitors and there are some beautiful old houses to be seen.

Walk or cycle to Guincho beach (opposite direction to the Estoril walk).This is windy in spots...the full walk a good 10km, so cycling might be a better option (free bikes available or better ones to hire). We walked as far as Gaia...on this road...it has a lovely restored mansion with some shops and nice places to eat...good for a lunch stop.

Guincho...a wild surf (not swim) beach with massive waves. The Bond film ‘Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ was filmed in part here!

Swim...at any of the small beach coves at Cascais...gorgeous, and clean safe sea. Try SUP...recommend this. A 30 min one to one session is €15...definitely worth it...tends to be an off shore wind so good to get a lesson to start...most enjoyable!

Day trip to Sintra...a hillside town, inland and seriously uphill so it is colder (bring a jacket). Can bus (cheap) or taxi (approx €20). In my opinion taxi is worth it....but get dropped off at exactly the first site you want to see, rather than being abandoned at the bottom of the hill on the outskirts of the town.There are 4 palaces/ big houses, some with stunning gardens to visit, all quite spaced out but with a shuttle bus going between them. Our favourite spot here was Quinta da Regullaria...a fascinating house with amazing history and magical mystical gardens. There’s a free tour daily at 2pm. This is a must see. Sintra may not be as busy off season but in Summer it is crawling with tourists, especially at weekends. On our visit, we got a taxi, went early, on a weekday, saw the Pena Palace, a fairytale place, (dropped there by taxi), then took shuttle bus to Quinta da Regullaria...and then took a taxi on to Guincho, walked the beach and took a taxi home. A busy day. We were advised not to eat in Sintra as too touristy.

Day in Lisbon...Lisbon is huge so to be honest worth a separate trip but it is a short cheap train ride from Cascais. If you go you will be dropped at Cais do Sodre train station and across the street is the Time Out Market, which has excellent food stalls/ eating places...worth a visit. If you go to Lisbon for just a day, pick one or two things to do as it is hilly and huge. Unlike Cascais it has a significant pick-pocketing problem, especially on the trams so care is needed! Look out for my tips on a weekend in Lisbon...coming soon!

Shopping. Our favourite area was the little street close to the beach...near Masala. In particular a lovely shop selling linen mainly (for women)...It’s very reasonable, and is opposite a nice little coffee shop (cannot remember the name)...serves lovely pastries coffee and fresh orange juice! You go down steps to it and take a ticket and you will be called to be served.

In the town itself, there’s a super but expensive place called Loja das Meias....(it is in Lisbon also)...worth a visit if the sale is on but still pricey. The menswear is worth a look. Max Mara and Boss are worth a peep (again, if there’s a sale on)!

Light lunch and a drink on the terrace overlooking the ocean, at Hotel Albatroz. It’s a gorgeous setting here, coming here is less about the food, I’d recommend just a salad and some nice white wine and enjoy a stunning view .

Finally, Cascais is a super friendly place...I’m reluctantly sharing my tips...part of me just wants to keep this place for myself. Coffee, wine (especially the reds) , and food are all top class. The people are so polite and friendly...The paths are tiled however and very slippy when wet, and the weather is less predictable than the Algarve so wear flat shoes. Enjoy!

#Cascais #Portugal #Traveltips #thingstodo #placestoeat

[mamasgonewalkabout-blog]

There & Back Again - A Tourist’s Tale

Townsville to Tanawha in Seven Days - The Adventure Continues

Well hello there (you good looking reader you). This week’s episode consists of our jaunt back down the coast of Queensland (after our grand Magnetic Island exploits). 

I believe we left off arriving in Townsville, which proved to be (unexpectedly) chalk full of good things. Our hotel’s oceanfront location proved to be a perfect base to explore “The Strand” It’s a beautiful esplanade boasting a multitude of parks, gardens, restaurants/pubs and shops (all along the water). And, the BEST Indian Food restaurant EVER. Delish!

Townsville also happens to be home to The Reef HQ - The Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. So, of course, we had to go check that out. I admit that having the glass between us allowed me to really  appreciate critters without being scared silly!

We checked out several very cool lectures in the theatre space (it was like being on a school field trip!) and managed to snag an invite to the Turtle Hospital, where we had the sincere honour of meeting some of the patients.

I gotta tell you, it was an experience I won’t soon forget. Seeing sea turtles up close, and learning about the horrible adversities these poor little guys face... Look, nature itself is hard enough on these guys, but man... Between ingesting our plastic crap (causing them to float and slowly starve) and our boat propeller’s cracking their shells (literally breaking their spines)... I felt guilty being a human being standing next to them! It was an eye opener for me. *Incidentally, Australia is banning the use of disposable plastic bags in grocery stores as of July.  We bought a water bottle and canvas bag from the Turtle Hospital too.  Perhaps the little steps will make a difference - here’s hoping!

So, that was our one day there. It was great. Finis. Then we started the looonnnnngg journey back down South - which we broke into 2 nights. First stop, Mackay.

 I gotta say, it didn’t knock my socks off (they barely lost their elasticity really). Now, in fairness, we arrived on a Sunday. And most of these towns hearken to the days gone by (Everything is CLOSED on Sundays) so it was a bit of an eerie ghost town. We wandered around for hours, waiting for a handful of restaurants to open for dinner. This turned into a bit of a fun game as we waltzed about all alone, like we owned the place, looking for anything interesting really! Seek and ye shall find!

Seriously, take a good look at some of those street view pics. Not another soul! CUE THE TUMBLEWEED! And then you look up and there’s a bazillion cameras..... For the crazy crowds??? (I hope they got my good side. Pretty sure if I have one, they caught it! lol)

We wound up hitting up the local theatre to watch the latest Avenger’s movie. And the answer to your questions are YES and YES. Yes, going to the movies is just as stupid expensive here as at home and Yes, they have a a whack of commercials prior to the movie too. It’s an epidemic! LOL

*Highly recommend the Avengers movie, btw. Plot is holier than Swiss Cheese but it’s an exciting, comedic and visually stunning ride.

So we said good bye Mackay and hit the road <Jack>. Next stop, the mining town of Gladstone. It had a cute little downtown core - BUT most everything was CLOSED... AGAIN <sigh>. Managed to find an open restaurant, ate a nice dinner & retired to the Motel (yes, I said MOTEL) Mmm hmmm, kickin it hardcore on a Monday night. All in all, it was fine. Hey, even the cockroach I discovered on the curtain in our room was friendly enough! 

 Good bye Gladstone!

Needless to say, we were ready to hit the road bright n’ squirrely for the final leg of our highway trip - Destination: Mount Coolum for a few days (please oh please, for the love of all things Holy, let it NOT be a ghost town!)

Okay now, remember how I mentioned that this highway was this long, desolate, life sucking thing that went on forever with nothing for 100′s of kilometers? Does that sound like a good place to run out of gas to you? Hmmm? 

This is where I so regret NOT taking a picture to punctuate the whole story. But, I just couldn’t do it! I felt taking a picture, while barely containing our laughter, would have been rude. I’ll try and keep this short (promise). In a nutshell:

- I didn’t get gas when I should of. Sue me!

- The dreaded ‘yellow’ you-got-no-more-gas-soon warning sign is now alight, causing John to lean over and look at it EVERY 5 SECONDS and remind me that we really need gas, and we probably should’ve filled up ‘back there’ (ya think????)

- We ask ‘the Google’ to find the nearest gas station and followed it’s direction down a road not fit for man nor beast (this is the part in the movie where someone dies... surely!) *I should mention that the next gas station shows as approx 70 kms away!

- As John is rattling off the merits of the town we’re about to come upon “It has a race track!”, we roll onto the main street. One. Dusty. Uninhabited. Street. Where any store that may have existed 1000 years ago is now something out of a museum exhibit. 

- The Google says we have now arrived at our destination. Imagine it. There’s a dilapidated HOUSE with a sun-faded sign on the side of it that looks like it may have said “GAS” at one time.. but now all you see is a faded “AS” (you have no idea how hard it is for me not to add that extra ‘S’!)

- So we keep going (there must be more down here, right?) and come to a dead end. That was it. We look at each other, say an expletive or two and turn around. “Might have to start knocking on doors and testing out that ‘Aussie Hospitality!”. Hmm... let’s take one more pass. Maybe we missed something?

- We take another pass, and bowl me over with a feather if there is not a single antique looking gas pump (on the frickin’ SIDEWALK!) in front of that old house (I cannot make this stuff up!) I don’t know how we missed it the first time?! So we park beside it. What have we got to lose, right????

- The price on the gas pump is $1.47/litre - today’s pricing... the door to the house is OPEN. What the what now?  Could it be true?? *If this is some sort of cruel joke by the locals looking for some fun - watching tourists try and get blood from a stone, I’m gonna be PISSED!

- I pick up the nozzle, it resets... ready to rock. EUREKA! We’re saved! I proceed into the ramshackle house, to pay, and am greeted by a friendly shopkeeper who runs the ‘store’. Oh yes, there’s one 2-litre jug of milk AND a single loaf of bread in the fridge for sale. AND there’s a cafe menu - fish n’ chips are on special, dontcha know! (OMG, I can’t even imagine how long that fish has been there!!!)

- I pay and we get set to leave. John and I just keep looking at each other like we may be sharing a hallucination. “The pump is on the sidewalk” John keeps mumbling. Should we have taken a picture? YES! Sorry. You’re just gonna have to trust me on this one... it was an experience!

Full of gas (of suspect age and origin) we eventually made it to Mt. Coolum - a beautiful National Park just minutes from the beach. The AirBnB space and our hosts were AMAZING!

Our hosts were so sweet, leaving us chalkboard notes every day:

We got to settle in and enjoy the best of all worlds again. The backyard of the house WAS the National Park and we were able to literally hike the mountain from there. It was a hell of a hike (think Grouse Grind) but well worth it!

Spent some time at Coolum Beach as well and did some body boarding. It was a great place to spend John’s birthday too :)

From Coolum we also drove the nearby town of Eumundi to check out their famous Market. It was huge! Must have taken up 6 square blocks and took us hours to navigate. *How much is a parking ticket in Eumundi? Oooh, I know this one! It’s $63 AUD. Yes it is :(

We had fun (despite the ticket) and found some cool items and lots of local artwork everywhere

And also went back to Noosa Heads (which is hard to photograph well - sorry!

All in all, our three nights in Coolum were lovely. Great food, beach, people, hiking... and it was such a nice surprise to find a little gift bag, on the hood of our car, upon our departure. How nice is this?

 Then it was off to Tanawha (again). We had stayed at a beautiful rainforest B&B at the beginning of our journey (which seems like a lifetime ago!) and both John and I had been sad to leave so soon. We’d really ‘clicked’ with our hosts Liz & Steve and frankly, it’s like a 5 star resort. It’s true!. I can hear that guy from Jurassic Park saying, “We spared no expense”. So we booked an encore with them for the next 4 nights to relax and explore the Hinterlands more.  (We’ve heard the drive/scenery is to die for). Upon our arrival in Tanawha, we were greeted with MORE GIFTS!

I don’t know if I can fit those paper flowers in my suitcase :( 

So, we’re now in the rain forest enjoying our hosts and getting ready to do MORE exploring of this beautiful country. I have actually unpacked (for the 1st time this whole trip! LOL) and am planning to milk these last few days to the last drop. It sounds like a fairytale, I know. So, I’ll admit, it’s not always this amazing feeling. There have been mornings when I really didn’t want to do anything. I’m in (what I consider paradise) and I feel BLEH. It’s happened. On more than one occasion. I miss my family. My friends. My cats. But I then remind myself that I better take advantage of opportunities (actually, I say ‘Pull your head out of your ass, it’s not a hat!’) and life goes on. Ces’t la vie :)

So, we’re in the final stretch!! Hope you’re still enjoying coming along for the ride! Hope to have more to share soon. Cheers!

[holidayinhongkong]

I don’t have a bucket list, but  I have family goals

When I started working abroad, I promised myself to take my daughter to places I’ve never been. Apparently, travelling with my family has become my favorite thing to do as well as trying some things we’ve never done before at least once a year. With that being said, let me share with you our 5D/4N trip to Hong Kong and Macau in 2018.

I heard there are many good reasons to visit Hong Kong - from learning their culture, mouth-watering street food, night market, neon lights, Disneyland experience and many more! Thank God for making our dream trips to reality because of cheap fares! I rarely talk about figures on blogs cause I’m pretty bad at keeping track of our expenses but trust me - I’m trying. Since I don’t normally delete my flight tickets on email, I’m happy to share some of the costs for this itinerary.

Manila to Hong Kong: Php 5,747

Hong Kong to Macau via TurboJet Ferry: Php 3,483

I might have deleted our Macau to Manila flight tickets (told you, I’m bad at these things) but if I remember correctly, we’ve paid around Php 6,300

The rates I’ve mentioned are for 3 pax without baggage allowance. We always choose to pack light and tight cause we’re always on the go and of course, we try to avoid the chaos of travel - high cost of checked-in luggage, waiting at the baggage carousel and the inconvenience of having to carry heavy bags whilst navigating a new place.

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 0600. One thing I know I’m doing right is to arrive at the airport at the earliest possible time to avoid the Manila traffic jam and long queue (I hate lines!) Rational fears aside, we had plenty enough time to have breakfast whilst talking about Disneyland cause the little girl was too excited!

Most of you know that Hong Kong International Airport won multiple airport awards - World’s Best Airport Dining and World’s Best Airport Immigration Service in 2019.

We arrived safely and on time (yes, without delays thanks Cebu Pacific!) As soon as we passed the immigration counter around 0800, we saw immigration officers on the side doing random security checks. I’m not sure what the red flags are but I remember a friend of mine who travelled solo in Hong Kong years back and told me she was stopped by an officer and went through everything in her carry on luggage! She was also asked hundreds of questions and it scared the hell of her thinking someone might have inserted drugs in her luggage but she stayed calm the whole time and answered the questions promptly. I think it’s their way of stepping up the series of measures to avoid entry of prohibited items (drugs mainly) in their country. So guys, if at all they stop you at the airport, don’t panic. You may be asked more questions based on your answers so it’s important to be prompt and direct when talking and be ready to show proof! If you know you have nothing to hide, you’re good.

We took F21 Bus from Airport Terminal 1 going to our hostel. We were aware of the unpredictable weather in Hong Kong so we planned ahead. It was drizzling on our way but it stopped by the time we arrived at our destination.

Days Hotel - Chungking Mansion Building, 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

I booked via booking.com and paid Php 7,800 for 4 nights excluding breakfast. Price was reasonable considering we’re a family of three. The room was clean and location was close to the metro stations and shopping areas. It’s most likely an old hostel with busy people (mainly Indians) selling food and stuff down the building. Our room attendant was a fellow Filipino who seemed very nice and helpful. We’re mostly outside exploring the city - so I can say it’s a good place after all.

If you plan to stay in Hong Kong for a few days, I would suggest that you buy an octopus card which can be used at public transport, fast food shops, convenience stores, vending machines and many more. It also comes with a refundable HK$ 50 deposit (we claimed our refund before heading to Macau) Their transport system is very well maintained so you won’t have a problem getting around by MTR and buses. 

A glimpse inside the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) with the little one

Day 1: 

When I watched Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, I realised that exploring cultures is also a great way of making travel more meaningful. In this journey, we visited one of the most famous temples closest to our hostel - Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple. It claims to be a place of worship for people seeking to have their fortunes told whenever they have health and business issues.

Many people are praying and burning incense. We’re one of them

I planned to end the day by enjoying the spectacular view of Hong Kong Island at the Avenue of Stars along the Victoria Harbour waterfront but unfortunately, it was under renovation when we visited so we decided to go for a walk along Tsim Sha Tsui to look for a place to eat. My cousin’s ex girlfriend told me to try one of Jackie Chan’s Restaurants near the hotel. We didn’t have internet access outside and we found it extremely difficult to converse with locals cause majority of them don’t speak English so we spent hours of searching! Since my husband has a very bad habit of being grumpy when he’s hungry, he went back to the hostel instead. I tried my very best to go out of the way not to argue with my very hangry pouting husband knowing we’re on vacation. The next day was supposed to be our Disneyland trip so imagine the agony I went through. Haha! I bought food from Jollibee for our daughter and went straight to our room.

Day 2:

Our Disneyland trip was cancelled from last night’s dilemma. On this day we went to Sneakers Street to hunt the latest shoe trends located at Fa Yuen St., Mong Kok. Before heading to the Metro Station, we decided to have brunch near the hostel. You know they say ‘when you stop searching for something, that’s when you finally find what you’re looking for’ hell right we found that freakin resto just right beside our building! Grr! We went there to have brunch and I can tell you that food was bland at all and therefore not worth the fight. Lol

 And just like that, everything went back to normal

Street Food

If you’re on a diet, Mong Kok is the worst place for you! Hong Kong street food made our trip more memorable! We didn’t make a list cause it’s going to be long plus we had limited time but here are some of the most popular food we’ve tried

Fish balls

Cheung fun (Rice noodle rolls)

Egg tart

Stinky tofu with chili sauce

Fried pig intestines & Steamed dumplings

Beef brisket noodle soup

Wonton noodle soup

Eggettes

More eggettes

Mochi (Blueberry)

More mochi (Chocolate)

Japanese cake

Chocolate croissant

Vanilla ice cream

The original Taiwan cake

How can we not love Hong Kong street food? Life sure is a combination of travel and good food!

Day 3

It didn’t rain, but wasn’t sunny either - we call it a perfect weather to be at the happiest place on earth - Disneyland Resort

Tickets booked and purchased via Klook: Php 9,730 1 day for 3 pax 

Let the photos do the talking (;

The Disneyland Resort Line

At the entrance gate

Main Street U.S.A.

Adventureland

Fantasyland

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Toy Story Land

Mystic Point

Wakanda forever!

Grizzly Gulch

Tomorrowland

Disney Parade

It’s a Small World

Disney’s Paint the Night

I didn’t upload all the photos cause it’s gonna be long so I just shared the highlights for you. It’s quite sad cause the Disney Castle was under renovation and there were no fireworks when we visited. We also didn’t get the chance to take photos with Mickey cause I didn’t want to waste our time to wait in a queue. Everything inside was expensive - from meals to souvenirs. I bought meal coupons in advance via Klook as well cause I thought I’d save more but the difference wasn’t that much. 

A magical place indeed! We enjoyed every moment and it’s absolutely true that Disneyland is not only for kids but for everyone! This experience is something we won’t forget for the rest of our lives. 

Day 4

We were supposed to see the Noonday Gun at Causeway bay and experience the ‘Ding Ding Tram Ride’ but we got lost trying to find the way so we went back to Mong Kok for more street food and a little shopping at the street market instead. If I knew that this was going to be a boring day for us we would’ve just gone to Ocean Park. 

This was also our last night in Hong Kong. We packed our stuff as soon as we got back to our room cause we had to check out early morning to catch the Turbojet Ferry going to Macau (our Macau experience will be on a separate blog by the way) 

I can only say that Hong Kong really is something - and will always have a place in our hearts.

xx

#familygoals #hongkong #disneyland

[suitairbus3-blog]

Cassie.net

Based on numerous requests from you (my loyal followers!) I’ve put together a recap of my 2 weeks in Maui. This is basically a (super thorough!) review of everything: from where I stayed and what I did, to places I ate, what I liked, didn’t like...and more.

Before we head to the island:

This trip was unique and special to me for a few reasons. I booked this trip just 5 days before I left because I hit a wall. So, you’ll notice that this quickly-planned excursion runs the full gamut of Hawaiian experiences—for example, I stayed in both a hostel and a high-end resort while I was there. It’s all about balance, right?

Quick backstory on WHY I booked this trip: I was completely burned out, I’d never been to Hawaii and always wanted to go, and I had a decade’s worth of credit card points to use before they expired (that would cover this trip in its entirety).

Quick backstory on HOW I booked this trip: When I was in Utah the prior weekend, I made a new friend named Beth. She and her family were going to be in Maui, and my friend Jeff chimed into our conversation saying that he’d be there the weekend after. It made sense to bookend my trip with the plan to meet up with each of them, and fill in the time in between. That’s why I stayed in Lahaina (to coincide with Beth’s trip) and Wailea (at the same resort as Jeff). Also, the original plan was to do this trip solo, but to my (joyful!) surprise, my friend Maddy decided to join me for 4 nights, which was a blast, and we packed a lot of adventures into those 4 nights, which I’ll share with you.

The BEST resource throughout my trip was Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook. My friend Roger gifted me with this gem and it made all the difference! Highly recommend it.

Lastly, this is not a sponsored post. No one has paid me to mention or review any product or locations. I simply wanted to give my honest review to help you plan your amazing (and healthy!) trip to Maui, whenever the mood strikes YOU!

Okay, onto the fun stuff!

Where I stayed (The Lodging):

Over my 14-night vacation, I bounced around 5 different hotels, hostels, and resorts. Phew! That was a lot (too much) unpacking, repacking, and repeat. But the good news is that you get the inside scoop about multiple lodging options instead of just one!

1) Hakuna Matata Hostel: I realize the hostel life isn’t for everyone, but if it’s your thing, then I highly recommend this place! They have everything you need from free parking to excellent wifi to breakfast. I also love that they have a beautiful backyard with hammocks and free rentals of bikes and I think even surfboards.

I stayed here my first couple of nights in hopes of making some friends at the beginning of my solo trip. It’s a nice community feel... and only a block from the ocean!

I remember crashing at hostels the month I backpacked across Europe back in 2011. Even though I really enjoyed my stay here, I realized that I might just be “over” the hostel experience. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the fact that I’m older and highly value my personal space (2 bathrooms for 24 people is ...well, an experience), but I doubt I’d stay here again. If you’re in your twenties or just love rocking out the close community feel, then this is your joint!

2) Puunoa Beach Estates: From the hostel I landed here. Talk about a night and day comparison!  The condo is incredible. I even felt a little guilty about how much space I had! I stayed here 4 nights and had the entire place all to myself— with a full kitchen, outdoor patios, separate wing with extra bedroom and bathroom (which didn’t even get used). I think this place is perfect for families. This was at the beginning of my trip, so I was still taking work calls on the patio near the beach (however, the wifi was a bit spotty.) If you’re looking for more of a secluded experience, then you might consider this place. It has a beautiful beachfront property and a lovely hot tub that I almost always had to myself. Just be warned that there is a lot of coral at this beach. While I was jumping waves and swimming in the ocean here, I got into a battle with some coral reef, and hurt my leg. A week later I almost went into urgent care since it was still throbbing and didn’t look to be healing very well, but that same day I was introduced to 2 wound nurses staying at the same hotel. Love how life works!

3) Royal Lahaina Resort: I am a sucker for the ocean, and while I enjoyed Baby Beach at the Puunoa Beach estates (until the coral got me), I’m glad I stayed there first, because once going to Kaanapali, it’d be tough to go back! It’s crazy how this beach—located in technically the same city as the other 2 places I stayed—felt completely different and so much nicer.

By this time, my friend Maddy had joined me. The one night we stayed here we took advantage of everything, including a great dinner (food was good, service was better), yummy drinks, beach time, hot tub time, and a jog around the golf course on the path. The ocean was cleaner, bluer… I witnessed dolphins come out of nowhere and start swimming with people on the beach! I watched whales jumping from the comfort of the hot tub which overlooked the ocean. The only downfall is that the bungalow room was super tiny—the smallest room of all of the places I stayed, and the hot tub was small too. That said, the grounds were incredible, and I wish I’d had more than a night here!

4) Kohea Kai Resort Maui: I don’t really have too much to say about this hotel, other than it was very average. Perhaps I was spoiled after staying at the Royal Lahaina Resort, but I think even with an unbiased set of eyes, I wasn’t impressed. It wasn’t nearly as nice as I thought it’d be, and for the price (credit card points), it felt like a pretty big letdown. I did appreciate that they had a hot breakfast in the morning. I’d get scrambled eggs and also grab some hard boiled ones for snacks later, fruit, peanut butter and they even had gluten free bread. This resort is just across the street from the ocean, but the beach wasn’t nearly as nice as the previous and next resort. There also weren’t as many people around, but maybe for some people that would be a positive. The hot tub was small, but there was never anyone else around, so that was nice.

5) Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui: Hands down my favorite place to stay—by far. The service was exceptional, room was enormous (all rooms are suites), had a balcony (I think all rooms do), they have a nice hot tub and several pools. The grounds are gorgeous and the ocean views and sunsets are to-die for. I think a lot of people come to the island, check in and never leave the resort- which is totally cool if that’s your type of vacay. Part of me can see why that’s so appealing, because after checking in here, it was hard to leave. I had many activities planned over the time I was there, and would have loved to just chill and have a couple legit “beach days” there with the sole purpose of reading and relaxing. That’s my one regret: not being able to enjoy this resort more! But I’m so glad I ended my my Hawaiian vacation here. The perfect grand finale. I’d start my day with yoga near the beach, and end it watching the sunset from somewhere on the beautiful grounds —or one night I ended it with the (free) lavender body mud mask in their spa! While paradise is a word that could be used to describe the whole island, this resort fully embraced it in every way.

What I did (The Adventures):

Nearly every activity I did was based on a verbal recommendation, a suggestion from an Instagram follower (thanks for all those!), or something I read about in the Maui Revealed Guidebook.

Surfing: One of the main highlights of my trip! I’d never surfed, and honestly never really had a huge interest in it, but after the first minute or two, I pretty much considered myself hooked.

I love the ocean, I love being active and I love a challenge. This was an epic combo of all of these things. I especially love how present and mindful you need to be when surfing, and I learned a really important lesson that I shared in this short post.

I did a group lesson through Maui Surfer girls, which was a great experience. They ended up rescheduling my lesson twice (once because they didn’t have enough people signed up, and once due to windy conditions). But thankfully I was able to still make it work. There were 4 of us in my group lesson, and the instructor was great. They had a portrait package option with the lesson, which was totally worth it to get footage of my first time surfing.

After my lesson, I felt comfortable going out by myself, so I spent a couple more days surfing, and am seriously considering moving near the ocean to get to make this part of my lifestyle.

Whale Watching: My hairdresser in Minneapolis recommended I do this, and do it through the Pacific Whale Foundation. It’s a non-profit, so the proceeds go back to the whales. He said to make sure to do the raft—not the big boat. I’m so glad I followed his advice! This was INCREDIBLE. Like, WAY cooler than I’d ever imagined! Obviously your experience would be different if you didn’t see any whales, but I did! In 2 hours, we must have seen 40 whales, several which came almost too close to our raft for my comfort! The guides leading the excursion were super knowledgeable and passionate. I learned a lot. I highly recommend doing this.

The Grand Luau at Honua'ula: I was told that in Hawaii, the one thing I MUST do is attend a Luau! After chatting with both locals and visitors and doing my own research online, the consensus is that the top 2 luaus on the island are Old Lahaina Inn and The Grand Luau at Honua'ula. Both are booked quite far in advance due to high demand, but thankfully The Grand Luau at Honua'ula had tickets available, and happened to be within walking distance of the Fairmont. It was a great outing to do as a group—me, Maddy, my friend Jeff and our new friend Jason all went together. And while I’m glad we went, I don’t feel the need to do it again. It was entertaining and a neat experience, but $108 for so-so food and drinks, I’d probably pass and go for a nice dinner. Also, I’ve been asked on social media if it was family friendly: absolutely.

Nakalele Blowhole: This was recommended by a young couple I met, and I’m sooooo glad we took the time to do this. The Blowhole was spectacular, and the drive up to the north end of Maui to get there was crazy. I’ve never been standing in a windier place in my entire life. As I attempted to take photos and videos, my phone practically blew out of my hand! I’m glad I waited for Maddy to do this, because I wouldn’t have hiked down as far without someone else with me. It’s a bit of a sketchy hike to get very close to blowhole, but I recommend it if you can. Protip: be sure to not wear flip flops!

So, what is the blowhole? “A blowhole is a hole in the ground that connects to an underground, partially submerged ocean cave. The cave and opening are shaped in such a way that when the ocean rises or waves crash into it, a jet of water and air is violently forced out through the hole,” according to MauiGuidebook.com. The guys from Maui Revealed Guidebook said once they were there when it wasn’t blowing a thing, and four hours later they returned and found it viciously shooting 70 feet into the air every few seconds. There are signs all over saying that you are risking death if you get too close… and while we were the most adventurous out of anyone else that was there at the same time as us, we kept our distance. The wind was so crazy that it made it hard to communicate (and even hard to think)! After about a half hour of hiking down, hanging out, attempting to get some pics and videos, I was definitely ready to head out! So the other nice thing about this excursion is that this does not require a lot of time (just depends on how far you need to drive). We saw one couple get out of their car, take a peek, have her dress blown up to her neck, and leave...hehe.

Haleakala National Park Sunrise Tour + Cycle Downhill:

The sunrise was majestic... but it ended up being my least favorite excursion. Allow me to explain... 

The sunrise at Halekala, the 10,023 foot summit, is the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen… You’re watching the sun rise above the clouds from the rim of the crater, and you can feel the temperature warm up as the sun rises. Incredible. But you have to work for it. First of all, it’s VERY cold and windy up there. And even with my Minnesota blood, I didn’t bring enough warm clothes to make this comfortable—even with hats and gloves! We froze. Secondly, in order to get all the way up the mountain in time to see the sunset, you need to get up EARLY (or just don’t ever go to bed… like we did…). Commit to leaving extra early because we saw cars pull up just after the sun had risen. That would be such a bummer to have not been there in time!

The tour we booked drove us up there in a bus. On the way back, they dropped us off part way down the volcano, where there were bikes and motorcycle helmets (you read that right!) waiting for us on the side of the road. We then cycled 23 miles down the mountain. As cool as this sounds (you know I love to bike!!), I did not enjoy it. The road is one single lane and it wraps around the mountain, which is not the safest to begin with. Plus, you’re biking down as cars try to pass you. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a workout in any way, this isn’t it; you have to pump your brakes the entire way down! My experience was staring at the biker in front of me and trying to gracefully brake without hitting them or braking too hard and flying off my bike… for 23 miles. I was going very cautiously at first, until the tour guide told us we had to speed up—it’s too dangerous to go too slow. I did not like trying to go down this mountain in the first place, and with speed—no thanks! The bikes were already old and rickety, and to me, it was more dangerous and tedious than it was worth… and that’s coming from someone who loves to skydive, cliff jump, rock climb and do plenty of other risky things. Plus, it was cold.

Overall, this excursion was talked up more than it was worth, and also waaaay longer than we anticipated: by the time all was said and done, we were dropped off at our hotel 10 ½ hours after we were picked up. This whole sunrise/bike tour lasted that long! There was waaaaay too much downtime and waiting before, after and between the activities. Okay, this Negative Nancy is done.

Crossfit: Exercise is a priority for me—even on vacation. I enjoy moving my body. I never feel like I “have to” workout. It makes me feel good. Beach runs along the shoreline were amazing. Also, one of my favorite parts of traveling is trying new gyms and meeting new people. During my time in Hawaii, the Crossfit open was happening. It’s an annual worldwide competition that practically everyone in the crossfit community participates in. There are 5 workouts to be done over the course of 5 weeks. You have to do them in a certain time frame and be scored by a qualified judge to submit your score. So, I attended 2 different gyms based on the location of where I was staying, and had awesome experiences at both! It was such a great way to connect with other active people with similar interests—many of which were local. And from my experience, Crossfit gyms always cultivate a warm, welcoming community (more on that in this post). I enjoyed visiting Lahaina Crossfit and Makena Crossfit in Kihei.

Photoshoots: I regularly do photoshoots for our brand, and the look and feel we aim to achieve with our photography is freedom, confidence and beauty...and what better place to accomplish this than the island of Hawaii!? The very first thing I did after booking my plane ticket was start researching photographers on the island (and there are a LOT). I also had to decide what type of photoshoot I wanted. An amazing thing about photography on the island is the endless range of scenery available. Sunrise shoot on the beach? Sunset photos in the rainforest? Lava rocks? Sea turtles? Waterfalls? Black sand? Red sand? How to decide!?

I narrowed it down to doing a sunrise shoot, and a jungle shoot, and I couldn’t decide between 2 different photographers, so I decided to book one shoot with each. I’m so glad I did because the experiences ended up being so different—in both style and scenery!

Both of these shoots were absolute highlights of my trip. Both photographers took me to places off the beaten path that I would have never known about or experienced on my own, and helped me see Hawaii through their unique lens (pun intended!)—as transplants who moved to the island and are now residents.

Love + Water Sunrise Shoot: Rated one of the top wedding photographers on the island, I knew I couldn't go wrong. They lived up to the hype! Adam made a 6:15am land + sea photoshoot not just tolerable, but actually super fun! He made me laugh, came up with really creative pose ideas, and we just had a great time. He also took me to a secluded location with lava rocks that I wouldn't have known about, had me splashing and swimming in the water, and the photos turned out gorgeous.

Amy Jayne Photography Jungle shoot: Amy was amazing—not only did she offer to drive to the location for this jungle shoot, but she even went out of her way to show me some other spots in the area after we were done with the shoot. This shoot was much more strenuous than the other one: I climbed rocks and trekked through mud, swam through streams, splashed through waterfalls and really got the full jungle experience. We hiked back so far through the mud into the jungle that there wasn’t another soul to be seen. It was a really spiritual experience. Amy was so patient with me as I changed my outfits behind bamboo stalks, and took my time carefully climbing to the boulders she wanted me to pose on. It was a hardcore workout, which got pretty intense, even on the edge of dangerous at times—between the slippery rocks, rain and mud—which is right up my alley, but I will warn you: this type of photoshoot is not for the light hearted. I love adventure so I was all for it!

Colie Lennox: For hair and makeup, I can’t recommend this sweet human more! I would hire her again and again. She did both my hair and makeup for both shoots, she came to ME where I was staying (in 2 different cities both times), both at the crack of dawn (4:30 & 5am!), and was much more reasonable than anyone else I’d contacted. Plus, she was such a joy to work with. Not only is her work great, but so is her personality. I’ve stayed in touch with her since leaving, and would seriously come back to the island even just to work with her again! (I can actually say that about not just Colie, but both photographers, too: I’d come back to Hawaii just to work with all of them again!)

Where I ate (The Food):

I love food, but I love food more when it’s with good company. So, the first leg of my trip (when I was by myself the most), I didn’t eat out much (I bought groceries since I had a full kitchen in the condo). I did experience some restaurants, so I’ll share my feedback on these with you. Despite what I’d heard and the expectations I had, I found it to be rather easy to eat healthy. There are so many options!

Choice Health Bar: This was a recommendation from someone on Instagram, and it was a great one! I had lunch here once—a delicious “plate meal”— I can’t even remember what all it contained, but it was all delicious, along with a really yummy iced coffee. Everything looked fresh and healthy, there were SO many options, and I only wish I’d found out about it sooner.

Kimo’s Maui: I met up with Beth for a delicious fish dinner at Kimo’s. We loved the food, and the environment (outdoor seating is always my fave!). Afterwards, we stopped at Dirty Monkey with the intention of having a drink and doing a little dancing, but we ended up not staying very long. The vibe felt a little… dark(?) for our liking, and we just weren’t feeling it.

Cool Cat Cafe: This rooftop cafe is on Front Street In Lahaina, and the atmosphere was fun! It had a diner vibe and was a little noisy, but it was a fun place to go after surfing, and my hunger was satisfied with some fish tacos.

Coconuts Kitchen: This place was recommended by Colie, who said the food was amazing and the owner, Brian, is super nice. Maddy and I both had the fish tacos, which were tasty, but after having a taste of Jason’s macadamia-nut crusted mahi mahi, I swore I’d be back. (I didn’t make it here a second time on this trip, but perhaps later this year. :)) We also had the pleasure of meeting Brian, who was just as friendly as expected, and I love supporting places run by good people!

Mama’s Fish House: “If you only eat at one restaurant, eat here” was the advice I was given by many! I called to make a reservation and in my entire two weeks on the island, they had one available for two people on a Friday for lunch, so that made the itinerary! It was an awesome experience—from walking the beautiful grounds to a few surprise tastings and special touches. Overall, the food was decent, but nothing I’d rave about… although I would go back for the experience.

Paia Fish Market: This place was on our to-do list because of the raving reviews, and it lived up to the hype. Fish tacos seemed to be my thing on the island, and they were as yummy as I’d hoped. It was also quick and reasonable. There are a couple locations, and the one I went to and liked is in Ono/Kihei.

MonkeyPod: This place was highly recommended, and it was only okay. I wouldn’t go back unless it was for Happy Hour (we weren’t there for this, but that may have been the main reason it was recommended), but I will say the outdoor seating is lovely.

Four Seasons Spago: My nicest dinner on the island was here, at Chef Wolfgang Puck's Hawaiian restaurant, with the company of my friend, Jeff (thanks, Jeff!). We ordered the Chef’s Tasting menu, a 1989 bottle of wine, all accompanied by sunset views. We got to try everything from sushi to risotto to 4 different kinds of desserts. It was an amazing experience, and I’d definitely go back.

Food trucks: There were a few food trucks that I had a bite at, and while I can’t remember which ones, they were all great. I’m still surprised at how some of the best food seemed to be from the food trucks, and was excited to enjoy a couple great meals from ones that popped up when I was hungry.

Coffee:

You know I love my cup o’joe, and just like my love for checking out new gyms when I travel, I love checking out new coffee shops—especially on foot! So, coffee gets its own section.

To my surprise, cute yummy coffee shops are something this island is absolutely lacking. Thankfully, I did find a couple awesome spots, but not until the end of my trip.

Now, full disclosure is that I’m a little picky when it comes to coffee: they need to have either heavy cream (first choice), coconut milk (second choice), or oat milk or hemp milk (or I won’t order).

I tried several different coffee spots, and instead of reviewing them all, I’ll just tell you my top three picks! My favorite coffee drink ended up being at the cafe at the Fairmont (which was convenient and unexpected)! The other place I found and visited a couple of times was Hawaiian Moons Natural food, a pretty awesome health foods store. This was also a great spot to pick up some groceries: they have an awesome salad bar, all sorts of fun snacks, and kombucha on tap (love!) And when I was in Lahaina, my favorite spot was Cafe Cafe Maui, which was the best place to hang out—either outside or inside, and use wi-fi and chat with the baristas. I ordered breakfast here a few times, too—options are limited, but it was nice that they had eggs, smoothies and a few other items.

On my list for next time (things I didn't get to do):

There’s so much I didn’t get to do that my next trip could be a completely different experience! From snorkeling to ziplining to the Road to Hana.. I can’t wait to go back!

Here are 3 things for sure making the list for my next Maui trip:

Snorkel at Seafire Charters-Molokini: I was told that this is like swimming in an aquarium, and that I’ll love snorkeling after this! (I am a bit afraid of the whole breathing while underwater thing)

Road to Hana (maybe): I know people say you HAVE to do this when you’re in Maui… and maybe I did miss out, but I feel like I got a good taste of the drive from my trip to the Blowhole, and the jungle from my photoshoot with Amy. And, while I loved the adventures I had and exploring I did on this trip, I was content with just one day of that road and the jungle, and spending the rest of my time near the beaches, in the ocean and under the sun.

Sunset Dinner Cruise: I really wanted to do one of these, but we just didn’t have enough evenings! You can find some really good deals on these, especially if you’re willing to listen to a little pitch—like you would a timeshare (I think).

A few Personal Takeaways:

1) I’ll be back! I will most definitely be back… perhaps even later this year. I knew Hawaii would be amazing, but it was even better than I’d imagined. From the scenery to the vibes to the good energy and friendly people.. I loved it all.

2) Length of this trip: Everyone said I needed at least 10 days in Hawaii, and they were spot-on right. Two weeks felt waaaaay too long to me at first, especially since I’m not used to taking vacations. But, I realized I needed a solid 5-7 days to get into “vacation mode.” I know it’s a luxury to be able to take a 2-week vacation, but a week wouldn’t have sufficed.

3) Next time: more relaxing. I wish I’d hunkered down a bit more… maybe had 1 or 2 actual beach days. Between all of the excursions we booked and the photo shoots (which took a lot of prep, and half to full days on the actual days), it didn’t leave a whole lot of downtime. I don’t regret doing anything, but next time I’d make sure to tack on a couple days to just chill.

4) I vow to love myself more. Like, *really* love myself to the point of booking a 2 week vacation on an island by myself or even with a friend (or both) to take some time to breathe and reconnect with my inner child and play and laugh and journal and pray and be grateful and learn something new and meet new people and relax and be inspired and refreshed and play some more and pray some more and fall in LOVE with myself.

Sometimes we need to hit the RESET button. I say this when we do our 10-Day Reset program every 4 months. But, it’s not just your body, nutrition and hormones that we need to reset! I’ve come to believe that we need to do this with our pace of life, too —> for our mental, emotional, spiritual, and even physical health. It’s all connected! I was practically 100% burned out in every possible way before arriving in Maui. And to tell the truth… I shouldn’t have let it get that far. I wish I’d allowed myself to hit the reset button earlier, and more often in my daily life. And now, after 2 weeks of hitting that reset button HARD, I’m rejuvenated, refreshed and back into creative mode!!!

I hope you were able to take something from my experience—whether it’s taking note of places you want to visit, getting the epic guidebook, or even just the inspiration to put some self-care on your calendar, whether that’s a 2-week adventure to Maui, a weekend staycation, or a 30-minute massage.

Let’s remember to take time for ourselves, and prioritize rest (and play!), even (*especially!) in the midst of our hectic, fast-paced world. Mahalo!

Source: https://www.cassie.net/feed/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

[travelinglight10-blog]

Bali, Indonesia | June 3rd-June 17th

Where do I start? I was in Bali for two weeks, the longest vacation I’ve had since moving to Thailand. And yes, I live in Thailand, so you might be thinking, “Erin, your life is a vacation…” but I do work Monday through Friday and my vacations usually include a lot of traveling to spend a short amount of time at my destination. In no way am I complaining about this, but having two weeks off was a welcomed change of pace. I didn’t feel rushed, rather, I felt I really had time to enjoy myself without worrying about being at work a few days later. Since this was quite a long trip, I’m going to try my best not to go into too many details and give you some of the highlights.

When my friends and I were booking flights, we decided to take a 6 a.m. flight to Bali and a 12 p.m. flight back to Thailand two weeks later. We had been searching various flights, hostels, and things to do in Bali, and somehow in the midst of that, I booked the wrong flight there. I realized this a week later when I was looking over my itinerary, and saw that I had purchased a ticket for the 12 p.m. flight both ways. I lost a few extra hours in Bali, but gained a few extra hours of sleep and all was well! After a 4-hour flight, I arrived in at Denpasar International Airport around 5 p.m. Saturday night (Bali is one hour ahead of Thailand) and went in search of a taxi to Seminyak. That night, we all went out to the bars and ended up at a club called La Favela. We drank and danced all night then hit up the 24-hour grocery store across the street for snacks (genius placement for a 24-hour grocery store). I bought a bar of Balinese chocolate. The following day, we woke up and headed to Potato Head Beach Club for the day, where you could grab drinks at the swim up bar and relax poolside with an incredible view of the massive waves crashing onto the shore. There were some wonderful vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Seminyak, including a place called Divine Earth, which had a huge selection of delicious, raw vegan dishes. Most of my time in Seminyak included lounging by pools and eating delicious food.

We made a day trip from Seminyak to Canggu, a town crawling with surfers, and spent the day on the beach there. We also got breakfast at a beach bar called Old Man’s, where I got a huge bowl of oatmeal. After a day of roasting in the sun, we grabbed lunch and headed back to Seminyak to grab our things from the hostel before going to Ubud for the next five days.

Because we were traveling in a group of 5, we were able to afford a family sized room at a nice resort in Ubud. It was one of the nicest places I’ve stayed while traveling in SE Asia and it felt good to have more than a bed in a hostel to come back to after the day. The resort had three beautiful pools, one of which over looked over the jungle. We spent 5 days in Ubud. One day was spent visiting the rice fields, where we had a nice Indonesian lunch overlooking the rice fields, before driving to see a waterfall. We also took a yoga class at Yoga Barn, walked around the city center, ate, shopped, and went to bars. At one of the bars, a man started playing guitar and singing at the table next to me so I joined in and started harmonizing with him. We ended up jamming to a few songs together and another girl at the bar harmonized with me on a few songs. It was awesome! Later that same night, we were at a different bar and were trying to catch a ride home. It was raining and the taxis were trying to rip us off. Side note: In Indonesia, they have what the locals call a “taxi mafia” who will beat up Uber and Grab drivers if they see them. Sketchy, I know. Anyway, we were looking for a taxi when a car rolls up and drops someone off, so we run up to it thinking it’s a taxi. It ended up being the guy who I was singing with in the previous bar and he recognized us. We asked him for a ride home and learned that he was actually the owner of the first bar! He drove us home and we gave him some money and thanked him.

One night we went to a Kecak Fire Dance performance, which consisted of a large group of shirtless male performers sitting around a fire chanting to accompany the story being acted out by other performers in elaborate costumes. I was impressed by the vocal control and stamina of the performers.  During the performance, I honestly had no idea what was going on and the chanting almost put me into some sort of trance. I later looked into the origins of this type of performance and discovered that Kecak originates from a trance inducing dance…. and that the drama being portrayed was a battle from the Ramayana, an ancient Indian poem about the battle between a prince and an evil king. It was quite the experience.

We celebrated Darian’s 25th birthday with a 2.5 hour hike up an active volcano. To do the hike, we woke up at 2 a.m. and hopped in a taxi for an hour from Ubud to get to the volcano. Once we were there, we met our guide, a 23-year old Indonesian man who made a living as a guide to help support his wife and 3 children. I can only imagine what his sleep schedule is like. When we were researching this hike, we read it would be cold at the top of the volcano, but the warmest thing I brought with me was a light cardigan and a pair of leggings. Luckily, you could pay to rent used jackets (that smelled like B.O.) to wear on the hike. When we got to the top of the mountain, I was very thankful for that smelly orange thing, even though I had worked up a little sweat on the way up, it was cold at the top. We hiked up the volcano with the light of the full moon shining down on us. There were at least one hundred people doing the hike, separated in small groups with their own guides, and you could see the light of their flashlights on the path, behind and in front of us. When we had reached the top, we sat down to wait for the sun to rise. There was a small shack selling food and beverages and people ate while they waited for the sun to come up. As the sun began to rise, the monkeys started to creep out in search of food. I was thankful I didn’t have any food, because if you’ve read any of my other posts, I am not a fan of monkeys. They were running around snatching sandwiches, opening water bottles and drinking out of them, and taking any other form of food they could get their hands on. I prayed they would stay away from me. They’re super cute from afar, but that’s it. They are creepy, small human-like creatures, with no moral compass, that stare at you with knowing eyes and steal your belongings. I was able to keep my person away from the monkeys and waited for the sun to fully rise. It was very foggy at the top of the volcano, so the sunrise wasn’t the best, but once it was up and shining through the clouds, the view was breathtaking. The view, coupled with the feeling of accomplishment from hiking to the top, made for an unforgettable experience. After hiking/half running down because of the steep path, we climbed back into a taxi and asked to be dropped off at a restaurant in the center of Ubud, where I downed some coconut banana pancakes before heading back to the resort to shower and pass out for the next 5 hours. When I woke up it was time for dinner, Yay!

After spending five days in Ubud, we took a taxi to Uluwatu and from there, Gili Air, one of three smaller islands off the coast of Bali. We spent two nights in Uluwatu, another surfer destination, where I ran into a childhood friend, who was there to catch the huge waves the area is known for, and discovered we were staying at the same hostel. Talk about a small world! The first night everyone went out to the bars, but after week of traveling and being out, I was in need of some “me time” and went back to the hostel after dinner to lay down and listen to my audio-book. The next night, we grabbed dinner then headed back to the hostel to hang out for the night, where I ended up jamming with some Brazilian guys who had a guitar. The next morning, we woke up early to make the drive to the pier where we were taking the ferry from to get to Gili.

When we got off the ferry and stepped onto the island, I noticed a bunch of horse-drawn carriages. The only means of transportation on the island were horses and bicycles. So, we walked about 20 minutes almost to the other side of the island to get to our hostel. Out of all the places we stayed on our trip, Gili A was my favorite. We had been staying in nice hostels and a fancy resort for most of the trip. At the hostel on Gili A however, I slept on a mattress, outside on a platform, next to a bunch of other mattresses, each with their own mosquito net. I loved it. Being there felt like having an island almost to myself. It was so quiet, peaceful and serene. There were even organic vegan restaurants! More than one, on this tiny little island. I didn’t want to leave. I’ve added it to the list of my favorite places on earth.  Overall, I loved Bali and the Gili islands and hope I will be back soon!

I tried to make this short… I’m going to list some of my favorite restaurants, bars and places we stayed while in Indonesia. I talk about food so much, so I feel I should give recommendations of the magical places I go to eat, just in case any of you take a trip to Bali anytime soon!

As always, thanks for reading! Peace and love <3

Restaurants

Seminyak: Zula’s (middle eastern, veg/vegan/gf), Divine Earth (raw vegan/gf), Nalu Bowls (smoothie bowls)

Potato Head (beach club), La Favela (bar/nightclub)

Canggu: Old Mans (beach bar/restaurant)

Ubud: Atman Kafe (veg/vegan/gf), The Elephant (veg/vegan/gf), Tukie’s (amazing coconut ice cream)

Happy Buddha (bar, live music)

Gili Air: Pachamama (veg/vegan/gf), Green Earth (veg/vegan/gf)

Accommodations

Seminyak: Kosta Hostel

Ubud: Beiji Resort

Gili Air: Begadang Backpackers

[cincinnatiburn]

accepted - mason mccarthy

there was only one applicant for mason mccarthy but it was the perfect applicant. so julie, please head over to the checklist for the next steps. excited to have you!!!

out of character information

I’m Julie, I’m from the Middle of the Midwest and reside in CST, I’m 23 and I’ll gladly fork over my Skpe over IM since that’s where I live 90% of the time. Mason’s my first and most-loved Glee muse, with most of the other newest-bies (and the rare Kitty Wilde) also filling my time in my past two-and-some years in the GRPC. I’m excited to see how this plays out! general statistics BASIC NAME: Mason Ichabod McCarthy NICKNAMES: Mase, MaseFace, Mc-C, Em-Squared, Numba-Five, Five of Nine. His twin sister calls him Ich, which is rude and uncalled for, so he calls her Hairy in return. AGE: 26 BIRTHDAY: 12-02-1990 GENDER: Cismale. PRONOUNS: He/Him/His. ZODIAC SIGN: Sagittarius. MOTHER: Lauren “Lola” Theresa McCarthy, nee O’Brien FATHER: Richard Irving McCarthy PARENTS: Rich and Lola. Typical Irish-Catholics from Boston; loving, loud and too much personality for too little space. His father is a professor of 19th-century literature at Harvard, and his mother is a personal secretary for a legal firm. FAMILY: His paternal grandparents, Theodore and Jane, died before Mason was born, but the whole McCarthy cohort still treks down to visit their graves a halfdozen times a year - their birthdays, deathdays, Christmas and Easter. His maternal grandparents, Stuart and Catherine, live in Florida, and he didn’t see them nearly as frequently growing up. Both his parents also come from big families - he has more aunts and uncles and cousins than he can keep track of, most days. SIBLINGS: In order from oldest to youngest: John Darcy, lawyer, 37; Peter Nathaniel and Andrew Hawthorne, a biographical writer and a veterinarian, identical twins, 33; Madison Harriet, wedding planner, and himself, 27; Elizabeth May and Catherine Emily, high school chemistry teacher and graduate student for Student Affairs, identical twins, 24; Thomas Samuel, 21, unemployed/parental monitor/professional slacker; Joan Sydney, high school student, 17. LIFESTYLE BORN: Boston, Massachusetts. RAISED: Boston, Massachusetts. VEHICLE: 2012 Honda CR-V, which older brother Andrew passed down to him when he traded up. PETS: A Dalmation named Lucky. Mason really liked 101 Dalmations growing up… POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Apathetically liberal. Don’t be a dick. RELIGION: Raised Irish-Catholic, semi-practicing, semi-agnostic, semi-probably-going-to-Hell. BELIEFS: Mason believes that MLK Jr. had it right when he said the arc of the universe trends toward justice. There’s so much bad crap in the world, and he mostly just tries not to add to it. Aside from that, he believes in good music, good people, good books, in that order. Because he can’t not, he believes in God, but in the more vague way - he doesn’t think there’s a right or a wrong way to worship, as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else; God, Buddha, Allah…whatever makes the universe line up, Mason can get behind. MISDEMEANORS: Mason’s got more charm than he knows what to do with, so of all the stupid, minorly illegal things he’s done, all but three incidents never officially made it to his record. Once, when he was 18 and some creepy 45-year-old tried to grab at Madison, which in turn caused Mason to bust out those self-defense moves and dislocate his shoulder; once, for public intoxication during his freshman year and once for vandalism. He’s still mad they painted over his graffiti. FELONIES: None. TICKETS AND/OR VIOLATIONS: Mason has the worst luck in the world when it comes to parking meters running out of time. DRUGS: Okay, listen. Mason did the whole party scene, the whole recreational drug scene, the whole waking-up-in-the-hospital-with-eight-siblings-ready-to-kill-him-as-soon-as-they’re-sure-he’s-alive scene. No more, no thank you, not ever. SMOKES: We get it, he vapes. ALCOHOL: Frequently. DIET: Mason still pretty much eats the same way he did when he was 17 - that is, like someone else is gonna beat him to the punch. Given that he’s trying to make ends meet, Mason resorts to cheap and easy over healthy, but he gets enough exercise and has an active enough lifestyle that it doesn’t really show. Life’s too short for bad food or bad sex. interview section “ we know that when you were a young and fresh faced kid, you were the party monster of the scene so tell us what you are like now ” Man, I’m never gonna live that down, am I? I’m older, I’m smarter, I’m now found behind the DJ booth instead of wasted in the bathroom with someone I’m never gonna see again. It’s not a crime to have fun, and I refuse to be buried before I’m dead, but I look back at some of the choices I made back then and just…cringe. I still know what’s happening and I’m not about to buy a sweatervest and move to the suburbs, but that sorta lifestyle isn’t maintainable. At least not without being like, a gazillionaire with no friends. “ we’ve asked everyone and now it’s your turn, sex or romance? ” What kinda question is that? Is this a “which do you want right now” question or a “which would you prefer if you had to only have one for the rest of your life” question? Jeeze, I dunno. I’m great in bed, and I really appreciate people who are the same, but lately…I mean, I dunno. I don’t necessarily believe in soulmates or ‘true love’ or anything like that, but…sometimes it might not be so bad, having someone to come home to, y’know? It might not be so bad, having someone to wine and dine. I dunno. I guess if the right person came along, I’d have both, right? “ rumor has it that you plan to be the biggest dj in cincinnati but in the meantime what are you doing to support yourself? ” Hey, get it right. I plan to be the biggest DJ in the world, but yes, Cinci is the first step, and I’m supporting myself with my art–playing local gigs and mixing tapes for people, getting the name out there, showing people a good time. I do some part-time, fast-cash stuff…oh, wait, that sounds awful. I’m not a hooker. I’m a waiter sometimes, sometimes I go do those like sleep studies at the University, sometimes I do some freelance writing, sometimes I grab my crappy electric keyboard and play streetcorners. We all gotta get by. “ it can’t all be good music and good times, so what’s the hardest part about being an openly gay man for you? ” The hordes of beautiful women who want to date me. …I’m kidding, ish. The hardest part is worrying about discrimination - and, like, the actual discrimination and stereotypes that follow you around when you’re gay and okay about it. So many people want to know about your “coming out trauma” and it’s like, dude, first of all, back off, second off, why do people think being gay automatically equates to something terrible having to have happened to you?? This is just who I am and I love who I love and people want to make such a big deal out of it. “ in order to become the next great dj, what’s the road map for the future looking like for you? ” It’s looking…well, I’d love to say it’s looking easy like Sunday morning, but I wasn’t raised to be a liar, so it’s looking challenging, at best, and like a fool’s dream at worst, but…well, a liar I’m not, and whether or not I’m a fool is still kinda up in the air. The game-plan is to get my name out locally as much as possible, get good social media coverage, get some devoted fans, score a big gig or two…someday I’d like to maybe get some of my own music out there, but I’ll fight anybody who tells me being a DJ isn’t ‘real’ work or isn’t being a ‘real’ artist, because until they’ve sat in the booth, they don’t know a dang thing. Is it bad that aside from having fun and helping other people have fun, my biggest goal is just, like, being self-sustaining? Talk about setting the bar low, I guess, but you gotta start somewhere, right?

#accepted