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@outsidestaceyscomfortzone
Welcome to my new adventure - The Ineffable Itinerary! Bringing you travel tips, ideas, info and inspirational photos from my own world travels 🌏📷📝✈️ Visit my blog (it's a working progress, please bear with me!) - it's in the bio! S xx #theineffableitinerary #ineffable #travel #traveller #holiday #backpacking #backpacker #globetrotter #blog #travelblog #inspiration #travelinspo #traveltips #adventure #world
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Ex. Ex. Ex Hostel!
***So after scrolling through my adventures in 2014 I noticed that an ever so important issue was missing 😱 how did that even happen?!? Anyway after a mini freak out I rushed home from work to find that by some absolute miracle I still had the entry saved on my iPad - thank you God! So here it is, only 18 months late! It fits in after my "rest of Bulgaria...kinda" blog in August 2014. *** Disclaimer: this post contains much drinking and partying. If you don't wish to ruin the innocent and responsible perceptions you have of me, maybe skip this post ;) I arrived at X Hostel Varna hot, sweaty and keen for some friendly faces for 2 nights after my experience in Burgas. Lucky for me I was greeted with an Aussie "How ya going? I'm Chris". Oh thank god! Aussies! Chris was the cook and informed me that the manager, Also Chris (big bald American man) would check me in at 2pm and coz it was only 12 now I could either head to the beach or chill out here. I decided to sit at the bar for a minute to at least become less sweaty, and began chatting to the guy sitting next to me who also turned out to be an Aussie, Adam. Chris offered me a beer and after that it's as though Adam and I had made a secret pact to go drink for drink, egging each other on all afternoon. I was eventually able to check in but we continued to sit by the bar and chat to everyone who came by, including the other staff Norm, a Canadian, Hayden, a kiwi, and Bindi, another Aussie. By the time dinner time came around it was as if Adam and I had known each other for years. Dinner was make you're own pizza from scratch, rolling out the dough, topping it, then it was into the wood fired oven. Chris had a jar of Vegemite, so I came up with the bright idea for a vegemite pizza, which was a great hit with Aussies! Not so much for the other nationalities who thought we were all crazy... After a few more beers we all piled into taxis led by Bindi, who was on her last night at X Hostel, and headed into Golden Sans for possibly the biggest Pub Crawl I've ever been on! 400+ people (mostly German 18 year olds) rocked into Bonkers, the first bar with our free shirt and then it was on to the others. Lots of dancing, singing, and patriotic Germans (and a few other countries) with full size flags on poles being flown In between bars chanting their national anthem. The last bar was Viking, known famously for its pool, which Adam was quick to suggest we get in. Not wanting to get all our paper money wet, I wasn't keen. But giving into peer pressure as usual, I was quickly convinced and jumped in fully clothed. I spent the next hour ringing out my dress, while doing shots of what tasted like fisherman's friends mixed with vodka with Adam and Chris before heading home. Epic first night. Day two, Adam and I vowed to each other that we'd actually get out of the hostel today, as we hadn't succeeded with that yesterday. After a late and slightly slow start we headed to the local beach with a couple of English we nicknamed York and Shire coz we couldn't remember their names... The local beach was, funnily enough, full of locals. Naked children, topless woman, men with big beer bellies dressed only in budgie smugglers...yep we were definitely in Eastern Europe! The water was really choppy, waves crashing right where the water met the sand. It was full of seaweed and plastic bags but it was a good 35+ degrees so we were left with no option but to brave it and go in. Over the next half an hour or so I was dunked a good 20 times, mostly when trying to get OUT of the water, where the wave would know me over and then cover me in sand and attempt to pull off my bathers. After being knocked over rocks and grazing my leg I decided to get out, only to be dunked and washed up at Adams feet, who found it hysterically funny. I, however, did not enjoy the amount of sand that was now in places where sand should not be so I got out to find the shower. I did not go back in after that, but watched from the safety of my towel with some of the Canadians from the hostel. Eventually the others came and joined us, and as the Canadians decided to head home Adam and I decided it was beer o'clock and grabbed a beer at the beach bar. We headed back to the hostel after a couple and were greeted with a great smelling BBQ. A couple more beers as we were waiting for dinner, and who walks in? Annabel! We just seem to keep running into each other! Dinner was amazing, and we washed it down with something they call "Fruit of the vine" which is a mix of red wine, white wine, Raikia and grape soda...potent. And what do we do with potent drinks in a party hostel? We scull them of course :/ Needless to say the rest of the night was a bit of a blur. We made it into town, Adam had a little nap in the taxi but we arrived at foam party ready to get our suds on! The night involved a lot of tackling, diving, drowning in suds, only to be rescued by the two Austrian girls, Sabine and Petra. Jumps in the pool were frequent, to get un-soapy, then it was back into the foam. What I took home from foam party? Clean clothes, clean hair, bruised knees. What I didn't take home? My shoes and my dignity. Day 3 was suppose to be the day I left, but after I'd heard about Chris's incredible Sunday roast, I couldn't possibly miss it. So I said the famously said words "Just one more night". Adam had, in his intoxicated state the night before, agreed to work at the hostel til he had to leave in a week, so he was being trained up all day while I sat in the hammock reading, feeling slightly sorry for myself. That night Chris's roast did not disappoint....in fact it was probably the best roast lamb I have ever had in my life! (Sorry mum) It was enjoyed with some beers, and after deciding we weren't going to head out to beach party, we played some drinking games at the hostel, in which I can sadly say I did not do well at and I was in bed well before everyone else... Day 4. Monday. After deciding the day before that I'd head to Bucharest and Brasov for the week, then make it back for my birthday on Saturday, I had a hard time getting up for the 10:30am bus. So it was another "just one more night" with the promise to leave tomorrow so as to be able to get back for Saturday. I ventured to the city beach with a few others for the day where I read my book for a good 4hrs, before trying to navigate my way back using public transport. Walked around in circles, almost considering taking a taxi, until I finally found the right bus stop. Back at the hostel is was chicken soup night, followed by Pub Crawl which Adam was taking. I was conned into going by the two English guys who were downing some beers at the table and so I ended up being co-leader with Adam because I'd done it before and "knew where to go"...I wasn't sure about that, as my memories were pretty sketchy, but I agreed anyway. We were off to a good start. Firstly we tried to join the German pub crawl, then we ended up in the middle of a school group who we thought were waiting for the pub crawl...my bad. Finally Adam went ahead and found the club we were suppose to be at and so we headed there, via the supermarket for a quick sneaky beverage. Between the two of us we successfully navigated our group around the clubs without too many hiccups...only losing 2 frenchies! Not a bad effort by the A Team. Day 5 and I'd basically been talked out of heading to Bucharest and Brasov because it would take longer than 3 days to see everything, so instead of deciding to go elsewhere, I decided I may as well get comfortable (more than I already was) and stay on til the following Monday (coz I couldn't possibly miss the Sunday roast!). After lazing around most of the day I decided I should probably venture out so I agreed to hit the beach in the late arvo with the two Aussie girls, Mel and Amanda and the two English guys Hamish and Archie (aka Hamish and Andy!). We went to a beach halfway to Golden Sans and set up among the naked locals again. The water was better than the other day, but still plenty of seaweed. A few dips, finished my book and was ready to go home. We headed for the taxi rank, only to see the local bus come around the corner so instead of bargaining we made the sprint to get on, Hamish only just making it after putting his priories into buying cigarettes. We thought we'd done so well, jumping on the bus that would only cost us 1lev instead of the taxi which would have cost 2lev, only to be faced with a not very happy ticket lady who charged us 2.20lev. It's a good thing she couldn't understand English, as a few words were said! That night was BBQ and fruit of the vine again...then UV Party. Everyone was heading out, and even though I really couldn't be bothered I decided to go too. The beginning was good, as Norm won the best painted competition no thanks to our girls and the rest of the group cheering loud. Free drinks were flowing and then it was on to the next bar, where my enthusiasm diminished and so Sabine and I decided to bail home early where we made solid plans for me to come to Austria to go snowboarding in winter! So keen. We arrived home to Hayden playing drinking games with some new American guys, Charlie and Mac. So we joined in for a while while the others trickled home. When I got the chance though, I snuck off to bed. Day 6. Wednesday. Hayden stole my phone for music while he was cleaning because somehow his got drowned the night before (not that he knew how or why). So we spent the morning watching The Loosest Ausie Bloke on YouTube with Norm, even though they were suppose to be working. Hayden was drunk by lunchtime, which was fine according to him, seems it was his last day of "real" work as him and Norm were finishing up on Friday, and tomorrow would be training the new Canadian staff arriving tonight. I spent the arvo watching Hamish and Andy in the hammock. When Adam came to join, he lasted about 10mins before snoring so loud I could barely hear my iPad...No matter how much I nudged him he wouldn't wake up so the boys thought it'd be a great idea to pour beer on him...which covered mostly me. Lentils for dinner, I grabbed a couple of 2.5L bottles of beer from the supermarket and we decided instead of heading to beach party that we'd stay in again and play some drinking games. Kings turned nasty for me, being the only girl in the hostel. Things got rowdy quickly, especially when Adam, who was on reception, and Hayden had been drinking most of the afternoon. Things escalated again when the 3 Canadians which were arriving to take over as staff, walked in. Just think champagne showers....literally. After that things went down hill. Chris and I smashed the pants off the Canadians in beer pong, and then again in flip cup. Double flip cup became a thing and we danced like crazy to The Fratellis. We went upstairs to where Hayden had been passed out for a few hours. Despite our efforts he didn't wake up, So we decided to have a little guitar singalong. Eventually Hayden woke up and we all ended up in a pile up on the staff mattress on the floor. Sometime soon after that I made it to bed, but the others kept going all night and into the morning....and it seems they made quite the racket. Day 7. I woke up to the angry voice of Chris the manager. Apparently not only had we had noise complaints and the police called, one of the Canadians had climbed onto the roof (4 stories high) and had been caught by our old Bulgarian resident living in the back end of the hostel - and boy was he not happy! The boys all got grilled. To say Chris was shitty was an understatement.... I stayed out of the way for the day, chilling in the hammock reading. The boys got massively day drunk and by 3pm I had Adam AND Hayden jump in the hammock with me, beers in hand. I wasn't 100% sure it would hold, but it proved me wrong....especially later on when they got 4 of the boys in it! Hayden and Adam provided a couple of hours entertainment, making up stories and reminiscing on our last week together. Thursday night was all you can eat mussels with all you can drink champagne....which to be honest, the boys definitely didn't need! I, however, was quite excited for it. And Chrisso didn't disappoint! Two lots of different flavoured mussels came out, with homemade chips and godddddd were they goooooood. Champagne boat races happened and before long we were all in a happy place. Norm took out his last group to Playboy party, but the rest of us stayed in and played drinking games. I put Adam to bed at 8:30pm with the promise of waking him in an hour....but I let the poor bugger sleep - he needed it! After a few too many round of kings and fuck the bus I bailed to bed too. Day 8. Decided I needed to venture out of the hostel and see a bit more Varna after my week of only seeing the hostel and the beach, so I went to the mall to go shopping! That's counted as seeing he town right? Justified it as an early birthday present to myself, so bought two new pairs of shorts and 3 singlets. Norm and Hayden were leaving in the arvo so I made sure I was back before they left. It was rather depressing seeing them walk out the gate, there was only me, Adam and Chris left from our original team! I spent the late arvo helping Chris prep for Pizza night - just call me pro salami pull-apart-er and mushroom chopper...just don't let me near the cheese grater (learnt that the hard way after grating my thumb - twice). More vegemite pizza was created and surprising it was a hit with the Canadians! Adam and I helped Canadian Adam run the pub crawl that night. At midnight the boys, Adam, Canadian Adam, Chris Fitz (another longtime resident), and the English boys from Valencia Nick and Alex, thought it'd be a great idea to buy me birthday shots and after that my memories aren't too clear...was a great night though and I'm so grateful I got to spend the first few hours of my birthday with such an awesome crew! Day 9. Feeling rough after the night before, I was greeted with some not so flattering photos. Cheers Ads! Birthday hugs all round from everyone then I headed into the city with the others for the day. Chris had had some friends from London turn up the night before and so they joined us. Turns out two of the girls went to Corryong Secondary College and knew people I knew....the world just keeps getting smaller.... At the beach I enjoyed some birthday cocktails and tanning before we headed back to the hostel for BBQ! Said a sad farewell to my partner in crime Adam who was flying out that night, then it was off to my second foam party - what better way to spend your 24th birthday? Chris Fitz had brought his Go Pro so we got some awesome footage and hilarious photos. Cheers for an awesome birthday! Day 10. Kim, one of Chris's mates ordered breakfast beers, so I knew it was going to be a big day... We all headed to the beach again where between 6 of us we bought a bottle of vodka with not enough juice...I would rather have drank shots of Raikia! So feral. But we enjoyed a day on the beach chatting about the life in London and planning our Oktoberfest adventures, as me Kim and Shae were all doing the same tour! Yay, friends :) We made it back to the hostel in time for Chris's famous Sunday Lamb Roast - so much deliciousness. Kim and Chris's other friends convinced me to go to my first Beach Party where we danced up a storm under the full moon! After saying we'd do it all week, Chris Fitz and I finally made the call to get our X Tattoos...let's be honest, after 10 days at the hostel, it had to happen! Sorry mum... Number 198! I'm now part of then x brotherhood :) Day 11. It had been a long time coming. But it had to happen, otherwise I was never going to get to Romania. Chris Fitz and I both decided to head up to Bucharest but couldn't get on the same bus (after I accidentally booked the last seat - Soz mate!) so he grabbed a night train and I made the ridiculous mission to the bus station out of town (which included a 500m walk down the side of a motorway!) to catch a bus at 4pm. The goodbyes at X were thankfully quick, but it still didn't seem right to be leaving! It had become my home and I was devo to be going...BUT I did leave! I got clapped out of the gate and made it to Romania :) Thanks to everyone from X and everyone I met in my 10 days - you all made my birthday incredible and I'm so thankful to have met you all! Look forward to our reunions in London, Austria, Oktoberfest or wherever else we may run into each other! LETS FUCKING HAVE IT! Ex. Ex. Ex Hostel
Walk like an Egyptian - Part Two
Our second week in Egypt was the complete opposite to our first - slow paced, no real plans, just relax and soak up the atmosphere of the cool little town of Dahab on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba! We left Cairo early, with our new guide Fatih, so we could make the most of the afternoon in Dahab. Our group was now down to a cozy 8, having left the rest in Cairo to fly back to cold, dreary London (suckerrrsssss). 4 of us were staying in Dahab for the week while the other 4 were staying for two nights then heading on to Jordan. The landscape changed as we arrived into the South Sinai region - mountainous and rocky. Nothing like the mountains at home though - little to no vegetation and dusty brown colour that made them barely visible in the distance through the dusty clouds. The sea was the only break in colour from the brown dusty mountains, roads and houses; turquoise blue and crystal clear, edged with palm trees.
We arrived at our hotel Dahab Paradise - a little oasis on the outskirts of town. So quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of Cairo, with very little traffic and only the sound of the waves to listen to. After dropping our things off and some delicious lunch (falafel wraps all round!) at the hotel restaurant we headed into town to do Quad biking up through the mountains to a local Bedouin (local people of the Sinai region) village. So. Much. Dust. Luckily we'd been wrapped up like mummies in our scarfs so the dust was only accumulating in our eyes, despite sunglasses (not ideal whist trying to control a Quad bike off road in the mountains!), but at least we could still breathe!
We stopped for photo stops and then for a glass of local Bedouin tea made from plants in the mountains. Delicious! We also got to play with a pet iguana I named Buddy - I nearly put him in my pocket and took him home he was so cute! Don't think customs would have liked that though...
Back on our bikes we headed down to the Lagoon to watch the sunset over the mountains and then it was back to the depot, not before a good 70km/hr along the straight road! I think our health insurance covers quads? Oh well too late now...
That evening we went to dinner at a local fish restaurant where we chose our fish from the chest fridge - red snapper, barracuda, calamari just to name a few. Once we'd each chosen a fish we wandered across the road to the alcohol shop to grab some beers then back to the restaurant to await our fishy friends (now cooked). Mussels for entree as well as salad, rice and a MASSIVE plate of tahini each, I was starting to wonder if I even needed the fish? But glad I did! Amazing! And all this only came to 50 Egyptian pounds....not even £5. Can I live here forever?!
After dinner we headed into the city to grab some money and went to Fatih's favourite cafe with the best Cheesecake in town. I wasn't sure of the claim, as cheesecake definitely isn't what I would think the Egyptians would be famous for! But I was willing to give it a go and make my own judgement. And by god were they right! The cheesecake was some of the best I've ever tasted (sorry mum!). And for only 20 Egyptian Pound - less than £2! It took a lot of will power not to order another slice then and there. The local cats obviously knew how good it was too because they hung around waiting to be left a scrap - not likely kitties!
Day two in paradise - literally- we got to lie in til 9am before a breakfast of omelettes, pancakes, falafel and a range of other deliciousness. After breakfast we headed next door to get our snorkel gear then it was a taxi out to the Blue Hole - one of only 3 in the world! Oh, did I mention the taxis here in Dahab are utes? So you sit in the tray amongst a pile of blankets as the utes fly down the dusty roads and attempt to avoid the millions of potholes (Not sure that's covered by travel insurance either - sorry mum!)
At the Blue Hole we were briefed of where we'd get in and the specific place we have to get out at so as not to damage the coral (which can take 100years to grow one centimetre). Then we chucked our booties on and walked up the beach about 250m to jump in. The water was fresh! But after the initial shock it was ok, a nice 22degrees apparently. We spent about 20minutes floating with the current along the reef wall - so many colourful fish and different coloured coral. Absolutely amazing scenery! The best snorkelling I've ever done (sorry guys, forgot my waterproof camera so no photos!). Puffer fish, barracuda, clown fish and a million others. Amazing. After 20minutes I was well and truly freezing so I got out and enjoyed the sun waiting for the others to finish. We spent another hour around the area, snorkelling and soaking up the sun.
Then it was back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch we grabbed our snorkelling gear again and headed to The Island, another coral garden and a popular dive site. Even more colourful coral and lots of fish! Then it was time to relax on the beach at the Lagoon with some beats and beers. We stayed til sunset, after which we were all pretty merry! Back to the hotel to shower then we headed into town back to Everyday Cafe, the place with the cheesecake, and had dinner on the roof. There was a consensus of too much sun and too many beers that arvo and so we called it a night at about 10pm.
Our 3rd morning it was time to say good bye to the 4 who were going on to Jordan, then Isaac Dan and myself headed into town to do some Scuba diving! Chris had attempted to Equalise the day before but couldn't do it so had decided to pass on the diving and instead spent the morning chilling out at the hotel. Dan and I had signed up for the Introductory dive, simply because we didn't have enough time to complete our Open Water Padi course (or the funds to be fair!). So after squeezing into the wetsuit and grabbing our gear we jumped in the ute and headed to The Lighthouse, a coral garden great for beginners at only around 12m in depth, but still plenty to see. My instructor Omar was great, went over the basics in hand signals and how to clear water from my mask and mouth piece then down we went. We saw plenty of different coral, and millions of fish. School of barracuda about 2 foot long, clown fish, and even a big Lion Fish hiding in the coral! We were down there about 40mins, half of which Omar obviously decided I didn't need hands on supervision and so I was left to explore on my own (well kind of, Omar stayed only a metre or two away at all times and assisted me with my flotation). 40mins of silent bliss observing a completely different world - I can see why people love the diving lifestyle! Back on the surface Omar told me I shouldn't waste any more money on introductory dives and should get my Open water. I'll add it to the ever-growing bucket list!
That afternoon after lunch at the hotel Dan, Chris and I walked along the coast into town, passing by all the local kids playing in the water or on the sand, locals hanging out in the shade of the palms, and the many Russians that either live in or visit Dahab.
The beach in the middle of town is lined with restaurants, hotels, cafés and dive shops, most of which are now derelict or unfixed buildings. The revolution of Egypt has hit this area just as hard, if not worse than the rest of Egypt. According to Fateh, it used to be a bustling tourist destination mostly for Russians and British holiday makers wanting a break from reality. The restaurants and cafés were always full, bars and clubs pumping and the dive business blooming. But now many have had to close their doors, those restaurants and cafés still open would be lucky to see 5 customers a day and struggle to make ends meet. Even the dive business, some of the best known in the world, would only see a couple of divers a day, many instructors having to give up their passion to find a more reliable source of income to survive. Driving through the town there are unfinished houses and hotels, without the funds or needs to finish them, standing ghostly among the few maintained buildings. So sad to see and makes it hard to believe what the bustling town would have been like in its prime.
After our wander along the coast we taxied back to the hotel and relaxed until we met for dinner. Tonight's dinner was up in the mountains, a local Bedouin BBQ. By the time we got there the sun had gone down and it was dark, the only light came from candles in 5litre water containers around a fire pit surrounded by carpets and cushions. And of course from the moon. Dinner was incredible; rice, veggies, salad, Tahini (a huge bowl that I, myself probably ate half of), fresh made Bedouin bread, grilled chicken and the best Kofta I have ever had! After stuffing as much as we could into our stomachs we sipped beers, listened to Tame Impala (introducing Fatih to some Australian music!) while watching the stars move across the sky - doesn't get much better than that! Seriously, do we ever have to leave this place?
The next morning Chris was feeling a bit average and so decided to hang out with the toilet for the day while Isaac went for another dive and Dan and I headed to the Lighthouse for some serious sunbaking time. The water was still as glass, with no wind, so the sun was hot and the water was a welcome relief at frequent intervals. Isaac joined us late morning after his dive and we ventured up the beach to another restaurant for lunch followed by more swimming and sun baking.
Back at the hotel that night we devoured some dinner before heading in to have a nap prior to our departure to St Katherine at 10:30pm, to climb Mount Sinai - where Moses saw the burning bush and was given the 10 commandments by God. Chris had gained some confidence in leaving the hotel (with thanks to some Imodium) and joined us for the hike. It was a speedy trip to St Katherine (literally, the driver was going about 120km the whole way) and we were met by our guide Rajab at 12:30am to start our climb of Mt Sinai. We followed the camel track up, visibility coming completely from phone torches and a flimsy 10 Egyptian pound torch Dan had bargained off a guy at the start of the track. The track was gravel mostly, with scattered with big rocks and camel poo, and had a steady incline which made for a mostly leisurely hike. We caught up to camels many times, smelling them before we saw them, and then as we rested at the coffee shops they overtook us and the long process of trying to overtake them began again. We reached the last coffee shop before the summit at around 2:20am, and it had started to sprinkle with rain. While hiking it had not been too cold, but once stopped the cooling sweat and wind went right through you and despite the added layers I put on and the camel-smelling blanket we hired, I was still freezing. We attempted to sleep for 3 or so hours, not helped by the group of 26 Canadian Christians (I know how many because they numbered off loudly at around 4am to make sure they had all got up the mountain) who decided to sing Amazing Grace on repeat and pray loudly for about an hour - cheers guys! Rajab woke us about 5:30am and we climbed the last 5minutes to the top. The sky was already light, showing a large cloud along the horizon threatening to block the much anticipated sunrise.
With the daylight came the amazing views of the surrounding mountains and valleys and it was possible to see just how far we had climbed in the dark - 7km to be exact! The view was breathtaking. We set ourselves up on a stone wall, legs dangling over the shear drop, blankets wrapped around our shoulders, surrounds by the hundreds of others who'd made the climb (or lazily jumped on a camel) that morning. The clouds obstructed the initial sunrise, and the beams of sunlight were visible above them before the golden sun was.
But about 20minutes later the golden ball of light peeped over the clouds to a round of cheers and applause from the Canadians. Not quite the sunrise I'd hoped for but an amazing experience none the less.
After a few snaps of the scenery, and some selfie action (the boys all got asked for selfies with Arabian women!) we began the hike back down, collecting Rajab at the coffee shop and continuing this time down the stairs instead of the camel track. 10minutes into the hike down the rolled ankle count was at 2, and I was silently thanking Rajab for not making us hike up the stairs earlier that morning - I don't think my 3-week-absence-from-the-gym legs would have coped with such a work out - they were GIANT steps! We finally reached the bottom, in only 1hour and 3 rolled ankles (on my part anyway). We waited around for our driver to findih his seemingly never ending cup of tea then it was back to Dahab to sleep for a few hours.
That afternoon after only managing a couple of hours nap, Dan, Chris and I headed back down to the Lighthouse to relax in the sun with a beer, while poor old Isaac soldiered on through two dives. We headed back to the hotel late arvo and then headed out for our last dinner in Dahab at a cheap pizza and pasta place. After a big bowl of pasta and a beer I was struggling to keep my eyes open but we decided to head down the beachfront for a few games of pool at a bar. It was shaped like a boat out the front and inside the club music was pumping and disco lights shining, but the place was dead, with nearly more dogs than people roaming the dance floor. Another sign of the times and goes to show what Dahab used to be. The boys managed one more beer before deciding they too couldn't keep their eyes open and it was back to the hotel for the best 10hr sleep ever!
Our last day in Dahab was spent back at the lighthouse in the morning for one last sun bake and coffee at our local, Time cafe. At lunchtime we walked around the Coast to where the local Friday Market was setting up and waited for the stall owners, mostly foreigners now living in Dahab selling cakes, and their local cuisine (lots of Russian food!) as well as local kids selling cakes and local women selling Egyptian street food. Fatih had told us about the famous honey cake that he and all his mates love so much, and so we waited anxiously - aware of the time as we had to leave the hotel at 1:30 - hoping the honey cake lady would turn up. Whilst waiting, we wandered he rest of the small market and got some stuff for lunch and to take in the bus for later. Last falafel wrap! Fatih had found and purchased us some honey cake, the boys had stocked up on cakes, pizza breads and Russian delicacy to keep the hunger at bay on the 7hr drive back to Cairo, then it was one last back-of-the-ute taxi ride to the hotel to pack and jump in the van back to Cairo.
Our 5 nights in Dahab were amazing and I can honestly say that I will be returning to London relaxed from a holiday for the first time! The atmosphere and vibe of Dahab is incredible and despite its lack of tourism in recent years, it's beauty still shines on and offers great potential for its future. If you have a passion for diving, this is one place you MUST check out. And if you need a place to chill out for a few days, weeks or months I would recommend Dahab and it's beautiful hospitality in a heart beat. So long Dahab, you will forever have a piece of my heart and hope that one day I will be able to dive - with my Open Water ticket! - in your beautiful seas again. Mesh. Shokran. ma’a as-salama.
Walk like an Egyptian - Part One
What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Egypt? Pyramids? Terrorists? Desert? ISIS? Camels? AK47’s? The first thing I thought of was the episode of Madeline when she and her mate Pepito went to Egypt and saw the pyramids, and got locked in the Museum. Egypt is one of those places you know exists in our world but always seemed so much of a far away place to believe you’d ever see it. So when Chris and I went to a Travel Talk expo at the Elk, one of the local cheap bars in London (helloooo £3 mojitos!), it was a bit of a novelty to think of booking a trip to Egypt. But none the less, inspired by their 50% off sale and their promotion of turning your £10 deposit into drink vouchers, we thought “why the hell not?” And booked ourselves on a 15day Felucca Sailtrek to explore the the banks of the Nile all the way from Cairo to Abu Simbal and all the way back, then to duck across to Dahab on the Red Sea to catch some sun in the hope of making our UK winter pastey skin a little less pastey. Whilst enjoying our £50 bar tab (which equals 16 mojitos, FYI) after having also booked Morocco for us and a friend, we met up with a few other friends who were simply there to enjoy a few Sunday drinks. Never-the-less, on Monday morning we woke with sore heads (note to self, 8 mojitos is 7 too many) but had another 2 friends roped in to visit Egypt.
8 months later, 3 of us (one having pulled out earlier, probably realising booking a 15day trip while drunk is not the best way to impress your employer) headed to Heathrow at 4:30am to catch the first of two planes to Egypt. A quick stop in Rome and we were soon flying over the ENORMOUS city of Cairo, having difficulty distinguishing between houses and sand as everything was a sandy shade of yellow. 20 million people live in Cairo. Two Zero. That’s nearly the whole of Australia’s population in one city! First impression - sandy. Hazy, whether from pollution or sand I’m not sure. But as we got off the plane and onto the Tarmac i could certainly smell Africa (comparing to our Moroccan experience late in December last year). The process of gaining a visa became easier when we spotted a man with a Travel Talk clip board who promptly took from us £20 each and came back with a sticker to put into our passport - quickest Visa process I’ve ever experienced! Through passport control, baggage collection, a quick loo stop where I nearly walked over a lady praying in the bathroom, and we were being whisked out of the airport and into a minivan waiting to drive us to the hotel. 20 million people in population, there must be a car/van/truck for at least half of them as the roads were insane! No lane rules, just a free for all and lots of honking. Like, a lot. I’m still hearing the honking of horns in my sleep… 1hr of vowing to never complain about traffic in London again, we arrived at the hotel. It’s incredible to see how big the hotel was, wondering how it ever was a full operational business. We soon learned that Tourism, Egypt’s biggest income, is down to 10% of what it used to be only 5-6 years ago. Ten percent! So sad to think that things can change so quickly in our world, and to think what it has done to the people here. It was obvious even in the first few hours of being there, that Egyptian people are some of the friendliest I’ve come across - going out of their way to make our stay perfect and comfortable, and nothing was too big or small an effort. They were so grateful to have us visiting their beautiful country and we were welcomed by no less than 5 people on our arrival to the hotel. On our first night we had a group meeting where we met the other 15 on our tour and our local Guide Sam, before we headed out for a buffet dinner cruise along the Nile. The Real River Nile. We shared the boat with a huge group of Chinese and Indian Tourists who proved more entertaining than the belly dancers and Egyptian band! The food was good and we had our first taste of Egyptian beer (which is better out of a bottle, rather than a can by the way), and soon enough we’d mixed with a few of the others on tour and began the challenge of remembering names.
The next day we were up early to slam down some breakfast - omelette man at a buffet is possibly the best thing ever I’ve decided - before we headed out to see the Pyramids. Number one on the bucket list for Egypt on Day 1?! Hashtag winning! Jumping on the bus we had our first encounter with the Egyptian police - our own personal police man accompanying us on the bus. AK47 and all. Well, at least we could assume we were safe! We headed to the step pyramid first - the oldest, still-standing, building in the world! Over 4000 years old and still standing at 62m high. Though it was covered in scaffolding (made from Palm trees) and was being refurbished by a lot of Egyptian men.
2nd stop was the Pyramids of Giza, including the Great Pyramid standing at a lazy 132m tall(originally 140m). Made of over 2.3 million limestone blocks. The biggest limestone blocks weighing 16 tonnes and the smallest weighing 1tonne, the whole pyramid weighing 6million tonnes! Insane. We were able to climb a small part of the pyramid which made us feel like ants in its enormous shadow. How the hell did these Egyptians build such a monstrous structure?!? The jury is still out on that one apparently…
We checked out the pyramid right next door, Slightly smaller but more intact than the first. We were happy to climb back on the bus after much hassling from young local Egyptian boys to take photos with us (it’s as if they’ve never seen a white girl with blonde hair before) and not to mention the men trying to get us to ride their horses/donkeys/camels. Maybe later? Maybe never mate… We were driven up to a look out where you got a grand view of all three pyramids and the city of Cairo in the back ground. We managed to get some token tourist pictures in before the Sandstorm whipped through ensuring I would definitely have to wash my hair and may indeed be bringing a significant amount of the Sahara back to London.
Chris and I passed on the camel ride, after having had enough camel riding in Morocco to easily last a life time (my bum is still not the same). So we checked out the third pyramid while we waited for the group to come back. We chatted to a local trying to sell us some souvenirs, only to have him offer Chris 5000 camels for his wife (aka me). I thought 5000 was a pretty good offer but Chris wasn’t budging unless he got 10,000. Poor bloke obviously didn’t have that many as he walked away sadly. Shame, I’m sure there’s good money in camels… We headed to the sphinx next, only a short drive from the pyramids of Giza. The sand storm was getting worse by this point so with scarves wrapped around our faces we walked up to see the sphinx whose missing nose still remains a mystery. I was glad to get into the restaurant for lunch to escape the sand and dreaded the time I had to brush the tangles out of my hair…it was going to take a lot of conditioner!
Lunch was a set menu of Egyptian food which was definitely up there with some of my favourites - especially when it involves lots of Tahini and Falafel! Kofta, chicken, rice and whole wheat pita as well and you’ve got yourself a pretty damn tasty - and healthy - lunch. After lunch it was back on the bus to the hotel where we picked up our luggage and then settled in for a casual 8hour drive south to Luxor through the barren desert. Supposedly arriving at midnight, though we didn’t get in til nearly 1am thanks to our police convoy slowing us down. Blue flashing lights and all!
The next morning we got a sleep in til 6:30 instead of 6 because of our late arrival the night before - what luxury! We were soon on our way to the Valley of the Kings, the site of the Tombs of he Kings from the New Kingdom period, including the famous Tutumkarmun. We were able to see inside 3 tombs on the day, buried deep in the mountains in an attempt to fool Tomb raiders who commonly stole from tombs buried under pyramids, by using the mountain as their pyramid. Though unfortunately it didn’t work so well for them. The tombs however were in incredibly good condition to think they are over 2000 years old! The colours of the paint still clearly visible, most of the inscriptions still clear and the stories they read still able to be deciphered by the appropriate people (not me guys, though our tour guide Sam gave us a great explanation of what some of the paintings meant). Lots of gods, kings and beliefs that the everything lives like the sun - Dies and is reborn again, like the sunset then sunrise. The tombs were deep (like,“man I am way too unfit for these stairs” deep), and some unfinished because the tombs were made as long as the king reined. They only stopped building them when they died, in which they then had 70 days (the period of mummification) to finish off a tomb before the king was put in and the tomb was closed forever…or until some tomb raider found it and stole all the treasures.
We next went to the Hapshetsut temple - the funeral temple of the first female pharaoh. She was depicted as a male with a beard and female facial features in the inscriptions due to it being illegal for a female to rule Egypt, so she was made to marry her half brother in order to make him royal (the incest in ancient Egypt was horrific! Brothers marrying sisters, fathers marrying daughters…). Long complicated story that I can’t really remember but the temple was alright, Mostly reconstructed due to being in ruins until recent years. You can even see some trunks of trees that have been preserved in the sand since the time of the temple. 2000 years old!
After lunch we headed on to Aswan where we had a few hours to relax (with actual working wifi! Praise the gods!) before we headed up the Nile on a little boat to the Nubian Village for a traditional dinner with a local family. Beers were downed, Food was devoured, Henna was done and we all got to hold Jeff - a 3 year old croc hanging out in a cage in the middle of the lounge. No mouth ties for crocs in Egypt! Sure that would be a great travel insurance claim story…lucky I, and everyone else kept their fingers and Jeff lived to eat another chicken.
Day 4 was a casual 3am start for the bus ride to Abu Simbel - these amazing temples carved into a granite mountain. The bus travelled in a convoy with police escort through the desert for 3 hours while we silently froze our butts off trying get some extra sleep. At least we know the aircon in the bus works well… There are two temples of Abu Simbel. A bigger one for the King Ramsis II and a smaller one dedicated to his wife. The 4 statues outside the main temple - the king depicted at different stages of life; baby, teenager, middle aged and old aged - stand 22metres high and are amazingly impressive! Especially to think the entire thing was carved out of one rock - too bad if you made a mistake! But the planning that went into the construction was beyond incredible - to the point where the sun rises twice a year (oct 21 - the kings birthday, and feb 21- the kings coronation) to perfectly shine through the entrance and through the temple to illuminate three statues in the sanctuary (sacred room at the back of a temple). No room for error!
The temple was built into the rocks of the bank of the Nile, so In the 60’s after they decided to build a dam in the Nile and the water level was to rise, they decided to move the temple - back 60m and up 20m. They cut the temple into pieces and numbers the pieces then put it all back together exactly the same. An impressive feat for such a massive structure! It took 4 years. The sun now reaches through the temple a day later because of the move, and we’d missed it by a day - which was apparently the first time it had been overcast and no one actually saw it because there was no sun - felt sorry for the tourists who travelled all that way (the convoy leaves at midnight instead of 4am!) and the sun said “stuff ya’s”. We had some time to explore the 2 temples then it was back on bus, into the convoy, and another 3 hours back to Aswan. Not before a quick snack of a Falafel sandwich which was possibly the best 5 Egyptian Pounds we spent (about 50p).
On return to Aswan we visited Philae temple - a temple on an island dedicated to the goddess Isis and her connection with Osiris (her sister) and Horus (her brother, and also her husband). It was built in the Greek Ptolemaic period, when Egypt was ruled by the Greeks. This temple had also been moved after being underwater for 60-65 years during the flood season and so used to be visited by tourists in boats. You could see the mud marks high on the walls of the temple. Sam used some creative live acting with some not-so-willing actors from the group to explain the greatest story of the Egyptian history - how 4 children (Isis, Horus, Osisis and Seth) were born to the gods of sky and earth then married each other and one brother killed the other and then…the story gets complicated and I can not explain it in writing - you’ll just have to come on Sams tour and get him to reenact it for you. Or google it, whatever.
There was a quick trip back to the hotel to repack our day packs for the felucca and to get some last minute wifi before we jumped on board our floating home for the next 2 nights. The felucca was nothing more than a flat decked sailing boat with the whole deck covered in mattresses (fitted with Disney sheets!). One giant floating bed, sailing down the Nile! Amazing right? Well maybe…if it had a toilet…
The next 2 days consisted of food, sun, beers, snacks, toilet stops, food, sunburn, fire, food, beers, music, food and sand. So much food. Too much sun. Not enough beers. (Say what?!) We drank the boat dry by 7pm the 2nd night which obviously inhibited our party plans for the bonfire. But don’t worry, we (or more so the boys) made up for it the next night in Luxor! (Coming up: The Stella Challenge) After a relaxing day on the felucca we came back to reality (and the civilised world of showers and toilets) by first visiting Edfu temple, dedicated to Horace the falcon head god, then on to the hotel in Luxor. Arriving at lunch time we had the whole afternoon to relax by the pool and attempt to wash the kilos of sand from our hair. The feeling was AH-mazing.
That night Sam took us across the road to the Irish Pub (is there any country the Irish don’t have a pub?!?) for dinner and drinks - no Guinness though! Just the Egyptian local beer Stella. After a couple of hours we’d drunk them out of Stella, and the boys decided this was not acceptable. So after fixing the bill (and some how managing to get a few beers free) we moved next door to the Kings Head Old English Pub - stocked full of Stella and for a whole 2 Egyptian pound cheaper! You little ripper. The boys took to the challenge of trying to drink this bar dry of Stella too (aka Stella Challenge) and were well on their way when I left at 11pm. Apparently they didn’t manage to finish them all but when Chris crawled into bed at 4:15am I could tell they’d definitely given it a red hot go! At Breakfast the next morning you could see the aftermath of the Stella challenge, many of the boys still drunk. After our morning visit to Karnak Temple - the worlds largest temple - there were a lot of strugglers not dealing too well with the sudden heat wave (28 degrees at 10am).
We stopped briefly at the Papyrus gallery to see how the ancient Egyptians invented paper - making it from the papyrus plant - slicing it long ways, soaking it in water then drying and pressing it all together - before a much needed Maccas lunch stop. Curing hangovers since 2000 BD (give or take a few centuries…) 8 hrs of bus sleeping later we were back in Cairo. Room service for dinner and an early night well deserved.
Our last day on the 9 day tour started at reasonable time for once! 9am we headed into the city of Cairo and visited the Egyptian Museum. Sam guided us around through the different dynasties showing us statues made out of wood, perfectly preserved by being entombed for thousands of years. On the second level we got to see all of Tutumkarmun’s treasures that were discovered in his Tomb back in 1922. Chariots, clothing, furniture, LOTS of gold and jewellery - for only an 8 year rein this guy certainly had a fortune! After being given free time we got to enter the room where his golden mask was kept - a surreal moment seeing the famous 11kg pure gold mask only centimetres away. His coffin cases were just as beautiful, laced with gold and amazing designs. We explored a few other rooms with treasures from other kings tombs, then took a look around the rest of the museum - finding mummies of both humans and animals - there was even a giant mummified fish! The Egyptians used to mummify sacred animals or beloved pets such as rams, dogs, cats, even a pet baboon! We weren’t going to pay to go into the royal mummies room, as we were running low on cash. But as a last minute realisation that we probably wouldn’t be back to Egypt any time soon we decided to suck it up and pay to see them (£7.50 each - breaking the bank!). The mummies were so well preserved - eyelashes and hair still intact, and Fingernails were well manicured, showing that royals were well cared for. We spent a good 15mins catching up with King Ramses II (and the rest of the Ramses), Queen Hapshetsut, Tutumkarmun’s dad Akhenaten and a bunch of other ancient Egyptians. The small talk was rather average…for someone so old they didn’t have much to say so we said see ya later to our balmed buddies and made a mad dash out of the museum. We were the last ones out, 5minutes late - whoops - then it was on to the hanging church - a Coptic Orthodox church built between the towers of an old temple, therefore “hanging” (see the 15m drop below the floor in photo below!). Compared to the other things we’ve seen in Egypt, the church was very much like any other church I’ve seen in Europe. Though we did learn that Pope Francis is not the only Pope in the world! Egypt has their own - which actually came before the Vatican Pope - the Pope of Alexandria. We didn’t get to say hey to him though, he was busy at some other church in Cairo, doing what ever Popes do.
After the church we headed up the road to the Largest Mosque in Egypt , Mosque of Ibn Tulun, which holds about 10000 people inside. The girls had to wear green hooded robes to get in (very attractive) then we sat on the prayer carpets while Sam explained the prayer rituals of Muslims to us. 5 times a day they pray, Dedication.
Lunch was a much anticipated next stop, at a buffet restaurant, then it was on to the markets for the ultimate hassle sesh! We even got a police man with a gun to take us around, though Sam said it was more to give him something to do than for our safety. He assured us It was completely safe, and it felt it. Apart from being harassed by shop owners (nothing unlike Morocco or Asia) never once did I feel unsafe. And that goes for the entire trip! Police presence was in abundance, check points of police with AK47s were common, and we often had a policeman riding in our bus between cities. But not once did I feel like we were in any kind of jeopardy. Every Egyptian person we met were friendly, helpful and just grateful for us to be visiting their country. It’s horrible to think how their lives must have been turned upside down in the last 5 years with the massive drop in tourism. It’s so sad.
It was back to the hotel after a mint and lime juice at Sams favourite cafe and time for a last beer with Sam on the roof of the hotel watching the sunset behind the pyramids - not a bad way to finish an amazing week touring Egypt! Such a great bunch of people in an amazing country that so desperately needs our help to get back on their feet. The media has ruined their reputation and I can’t stress enough how wrong the impression they give is. If you have any desire to visit Egypt, now is the time! No Crowds, beautiful warm weather, grateful locals who will go above and beyond to make sure you have the time of your life, and it is SAFE not to mention super cheap! So do yourself a favour, book yourself a Travel Talk tour and explore some of the most amazing human creations on this planet! One of my favourite adventures so far. Next stop Dahab - the Red Sea - beach, sun, diving and chillaxing! Bring on the Tan!
668 days abroad
It’s been 1 year, 9 months and 28 days since I packed up my life into a 60L backpack and said good bye to my family and friends in Australia - not knowing when I would see them again - and took my first step towards my new life on the other side of the world. That’s 668 days. 668 days since I saw my parents in the flesh. 668 days since I stood on Aussie Soil. 668 days since I put my past behind me and started a-fresh. 668 days since I became a new, better version of myself. 668 days since I made the best life decision I’ve ever made.
668 days later, here I am living in London, United Kingdom. My job is boring. I spend too much money on public transport and rent. The weather is terrible. And I’m broke almost all of the time. But I LOVE it.
My job is boring and most of the time i spend looking up my next holiday or buying things i don't really need off Amazon Prime (Australia, you really need to get on this), but it pays well and I still get to use my nursing skills every so often. I have fun with old people, making them do exercises and seeing their condition improve after every session. Talk about rewarding!
The public transport in London may be expensive, but by god is it efficient (if you don’t include the Tube strikes, when London basically shuts down)! You never wait more than a few minutes for a train, buses to all the important places (favourite Aussie bar and the Supermarket) stop right outside my house and run 24hrs a day! Melbourne you have a lot of catching up to do…I’d be willing to pay good money (Maybe not AU$65 a week though…) for a decent transport system in Australia.
Rent in London is ridiculously priced for what you get, but having awesome flat mates makes up for it! Living 5 mins to the station and between two Offys (Off licence for those of you not familiar with the famous London corner shops, providing you with everything from bread and milk to cheap wine and chocolate, open 24HOURS A DAY) certainly makes life a hell of a lot easier #minmalwalkingrequired
The weather in London is actually not as bad as everyone makes out. Yes, it is dull and gloomy most of the winter. Drizzling rain and wind that turns your face numb, and makes you wish you bought that weekly bus pass so you didn’t have to walk the 5km to work frozen and wet. But we do get sun! And when the sun shines, everyone is HAPPY (hard to imagine of London people). Summer in London is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had. Every person flocks to the parks for picnics and drinks, kicking around the football (soccerball), sunbaking til the sun goes down at 9:30pm. This happens Every. Single. Day. There is no such thing as a school night in Summer, every night is Friday night. Gigs galore, movies under the stars, ALL YOU CAN EAT BEN AND JERRYS. That’s my kind of summer! Just needs to be a liiiiiiitttleeee bit warmer thanks!
As for the being broke part…that’s never fun. But, if anything its made me more resourceful – shopping exclusively at fresh farmers markets and wholesale butchers to save £££. Walking the 5km to work instead of catching the bus. Having nights in with friends, rather than hitting the town. Visiting all the free attractions in London – which surprisingly there are LOADS! All in a bid to save money for travel. As soon as my bank account starts to look good, I know its time to book another trip so I can tick yet another country off my list. I don’t mind living broke, because when on earth am I going to have the opportunity to hop over to another country for the weekend?! NZ does not count!
Anyway, its been 668 days and so my time in the UK is numbered. 75days to be exact. On April 27th my work VISA runs out and if i haven't left the country by then, i may be banned for a couple of years! Which no one wants, because who knows when i might win lotto and come back for a long holiday? Nope, i must leave the UK before the 27th.
I threw around some ideas of applying for a VISA in another european country, in order to stay longer and continue to live in this Dream life where I go to a new country every month, meet new people all the time and live from pay check to pay check because of previously mentioned DREAM life. Mate, i even had a job lined up in Amsterdam ready to go!
But you know what? Sometimes you have to come back to reality and stop living in the dream world. As much as we don't want to listen, there is always a “grown up” (person with more life experience) telling you what you already know. And sometimes you just have to listen and decide for yourself that yes, this is actually the smarter idea in the long run and as much as i don't want to, i have to. (Cheers for the life advice in the middle of the night mum and dad!)
And so on May 19th 2016*, after what will be a total of 765 days abroad, I will be boarding a big jet plane (an A380 to be exact!) with my 60L backpack ( and maybe a little more...) and heading back home to Australia to work and save some money for my next adventure (Canada I'm coming for ya 2017!).
Get your party hats on Aussie friends. Ima coming home! xoxo
*leaving the UK on April 24, so as not to overstay my VISA, to go tick off a few more countries before returning to London to fly out! Hellloooo Begg sibling adventures through Portugal!
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain (via
nighthawksflight
)
My life motto - even got it tattooed on my ribs!
Take me back to Santorini and it's incredible sunsets! Not to mention its beaches, sun, wine and seafood...☀️🐙🐠🍹🌅 On that note, let the 3 week countdown til my summer holiday begin! #santorini #greekislands #summer #sunset #beautiful #takemeback #3weekstiltherealsummerbegins #spainfranceitaly #sunsandseafood
This world continues to amaze me with its beauty 😍. We scored the most amazing day to explore Inis Mór by bike and experience views like this...life can't get much better ❤️☀️🍀 #inismór #ireland #exploredreamdiscover #beautiful #theworldisanamzingplace #travel
The picture says it all ☀️🍀🌊 #inismor #breathtaking #cliffs #livingontheedge #ireland #perfectweather (at Dún Aonghasa)
Living on the edge #inismor #cliffs #fort #ireland #livingontheedge #amazing (at Dún Aonghasa)
Happy St Paddys Day! 🍀🍻🍀🍻 #stpatricksday #guinness #drinkingonaschoolnight #tiamariamakesguinnesstastegood #irishatheart @donnawhinney (at The Alexandra | Clapham Common)
A little perspective on life
So I have a new job. Title: Respiratory Assistant. Role: Still not completely sure...
Well thats a bit of lie, I have a much better idea now than i did for the first 3 weeks when my line manager decided to take a month off on sick leave and no one else really knew what i was suppose to be doing... but lets skip the boring part where i emptied the shredder and made phone calls for a day....
Basically, I help run two different Pulmonary Rehab (PR) exercise classes for patients with Respiratory conditions (COPD mostly) to help them improve their exercise tolerance and coping with their breathlessness. I work along side a Physio who assesses their ability to participate then customises the exercises to suit the patients abilities and goals. Sounds pretty cool huh? It is! But that only fills 2hrs, 4 times a week....the rest of the time? Admin. Do you know what Ive realised this past month? I hate Admin. A lot.
Its a well known fact I'm not the biggest fan of making phone calls to strangers. Just ask my dad, who still calls banks, insurance companies etc on my behalf because if he doesn't do it, it won't happen. Id much rather drive 30mins to a branch where i can talk face to face with someone than spend 5mins on the phone with them. Why? i have absolutely no idea and there is no logical reason behind it except the fact i just don't like it. So when I was told my main role in this job would be to make phone calls to patients? Yeaaaahh i wasn't too excited. In fact on the Thursday of week one I had already planned not to come back in on the Monday. I was going to call the agency and I ask for more Phlebotomy work, something i knew how to do and enjoyed. I was done.
But on that Thursday morning I had my second class of the St Mary's PR group, with my fellow Aussie Physio, Dan. I was in a bit of a low mood, not at all loving the job - id just spent the day before emptying a shredder and sitting, staring at a computer for 8hrs. NOT what i thought id be using my nursing degree for. But as the patients started arriving they all greeted me by name, having met me in Mondays class. We chatted, about the weather, about their breathing, about the class. And it was like i was in a completely different job.
My role in the PR classes is to help the patients (some as old as 90!) to do their exercises, record it, and prompt them to increase their intensity depending on their subjective level of breathlessness. Certain patients need more assistance than others and so I wander the class helping them out. I chat to them, about their families, they ask me about Australia...we make jokes and have a great laugh. I never thought Id enjoy it so much! Getting to know the patients is one reward, but seeing them progress and increase their strength and confidence is another. Knowing you are actually making a difference to these peoples daily lives - to their ability to walk to the shops or even just get out of bed - is truly an amazing feeling.
At the end of each session we hold a half an hour education talk on different topics related to chronic lung conditions and breathlessness where each patient is encouraged to share their experiences. Hearing where these people have come from, what they've been through, what they deal with everyday - every time i hear a new story it makes me realise just how short life is and how we should all make the most of what we've got while we have it - our health and fitness especially! Most people would take walking to the shops for granted, or climbing a set of stairs at the train station, or running 50m to catch that bus you're just about to miss. Some of these people can barely walk 100m without being so out of breath they have to stop and sit down. Some don't leave the house out of fear of becoming breathless. Some cannot even put their socks on without feeling as though they are suffocating. Its at this point they are refered to us and we do our best to teach them techniques to better cope with their breathlessness and to increase their exercise tolerance so they can gain the confidence to do those things they used to do, without the fear.
One of our talks last week was about dying. The talk was called "Getting your house in order". It literally talked about making wills, the process of funeral planning - how much input you can have into your own funeral, where you can die, end of life care and the actual process of dying. Dan had said before the session that this is one of the best talks that they give in the classes, and i wondered how a talk about death could be so good. I sat in, listening to one of the other Physio's give the talk and soon enough there were quite a few stories and experiences coming out. I guess being at an age where life is just beginning, you don't have a lot of thoughts of dying. You might wonder where you'll go on your next holiday, who will win this season of Masterchef, what career you might want to go into. You might wonder when "Mr Right" is going to come into your life or if you're going to be single your entire life and turn into the crazy cat lady! But to hear the thoughts of a 75year old severe COPD sufferer was a right kick in the gut and made me rethink my priorities.
One gentleman shared his story of how he very nearly died. He had many co-morbidities, everything was giving up on him and eventually he got so sick he had accepted the fact he was dying...only to wake a few days later, alive, but with more complications than he had before. He went on to share the fact that he was glad to be alive, but in some ways wished he hadn't lived. He now had to deal with new health issues that came from his near death experience, and had to make the long road to recovery. But what he said was the worst, was knowing what it was like to die and knowing he'd have to go through it again. He wished he had died the first time because now he knows what to expect, it makes him even more terrified of death. Imagine that? Wishing you'd died because you're too afraid to go through the process of "dying" again. I couldn't even comprehend it.
As well as feeling absolutely terrible for these people with lung conditions, It made me think about other people their age who must have the same thoughts. More specifically, my family members. Many of the patients shared stories of children and grandchildren being their pride and joy. It really made me feel like a terrible human being for not being in contact with my Grandparents as much as I should, or with any of my family for that matter. Its not that i don't think about them - i do all the time! And i always think to myself that i should send them an email, tell them what I've been up to, see what they've been up too...but life gets in the way and as you've been thinking these things and planning to do them, your train is delayed or your computer crashes or your friend calls you to come have drinks...and you forget. "I'll do it tomorrow" or "I'll call them next week" is always the answer...but one day its going to be too late. And that scares the hell out of me.
So anyway, what i was trying to get out of this post - sorry its been a bit all over the shop as i really didn't know how to get it out - is:
a) my job may have a large amount of shitty admin, but the reward of helping these people enjoy the rest of their lives to the best of their ability makes it all worth while, and its something I'm looking into career wise for when i get back to Aus.
b) don't take your health or fitness for granted because in just a few years (or tomorrow!) it could all be taken away from you. And you never know if you'll get it back to the same level.
c) I want to apologise to Rommy, and Pop and Gran for not making more of an effort to keep in touch. But want you, and ALL of my family members, to know that i think about you often and love you all very much, even if I'm a terrible person and don't say it often enough! I would be no where without my family and I appreciate your never-ending support, no matter how far away you are or how often we talk. Life may get in the way, but always make time for family
xox
Morning walks along the Thames 😱👌👣 #londonlife #londonwinter #morningwalks #thamesriverwalk #cardioplaylistbringingoutbrittney (at River Thames Path)
The London life has been far from easy, and there's been many times when I've been close to giving up...but I kept telling myself if I hung in, that eventually things would work out and it'd all be worth it. And after 3 months of sleeping on couches, working for peanuts and stressing over a future, things are FINALLY falling into place! New flat, back to the gym, and today - a new job offer! A real, 8-5, Mon-fri job. In something I know and love. Everything happens for a reason peeps! And the end result is worth it :) #keepgoing #everythingwillfallintoplaceeventually #newjob #londonlife #everythinghappensforareason
New Year. New Adventures.
We're over a week into 2015 and I'm still struggling to comprehend 2014 is over. What a year. From quitting my job, selling all my possessions (giving away those things people wouldn't pay money for) and packing my life into a 60L backpack with a one way ticket to Amsterdam.... To travelling solo through Europe for 5months, seeing some of the most incredible places the earth has to offer and meeting people who I will forever call friends... To the struggle that is moving to London - finding a flat, finding a job, finding a life.
2014 was quite the year.
But we're now in 2015. A new year. A new start. A new life. A new adventure.
I have a flat - i have my own space! Im no longer living out of a backpack! And i have awesome flatmates! #jansenfamilyforthewin
I have a job - infact I have 2 jobs now! I will hopefully start working as a Health Care Assistant in the next week or so. Yay for actually using some of my nursing skills rather than pouring pints 40hrs a week for next to nothing.
I have a life - the number of friends i have in London are forever on the increase and I actually fill my days off work with coffee and dinner dates to the point I don't have time for much else. Except the gym. Which I am now a frequenter of. Getting back my fitness is by far my most important mission for the year ahead - 5 months of eating and drinking your way around Europe does nothing for the waste line and the 2 months of "Christmas season" did nothing to aid in shrinking it either. Time to get my game face on and get those guns and abs back! Before the next European Summer adventure starts and I actually have to show skin...and shave my legs.
Speaking of Summer Adventures, in-between the gym and coffee dates I've found my new favourite pass time. Holiday planning. An ever on-going addiction to googling the best places to see in Europe, and ticking off the (few) cities and countries I am yet to see. New years sales by the major tour companies are not helping my situation (Busabout I'm looking at you) and just 9 days into the new year i already have 3 tours booked for the summer. Bring it on!
So, Running of the Bulls and Italy for 3 weeks in July. And Turkey Sail in September to kick off a 6 week adventure with my little brother through Europe. Can. Not. Wait.
Its not all about ticking off boxes for the first time either, with Oktoberfest and Croatia Sail lined up for round 2. Why not!
People wonder where i come up with the money for these things, and sometimes so do I. But honestly, if its something you really want and you're willing to work for it, its possible. Im not a "things person". I don't go shopping for clothes. I only have 3 pairs of shoes. My shelves are empty (apart from Jim, my pink piggy bank). I don't buy souvenirs. So what do i have to show for my 8months overseas? Approximately 7000 photos, 150 new Facebook friends and 8months worth of amazing memories (well, maybe 7months if you take into account a lot of those nights i don't remember...) I have life experience and new skills.
Ive learnt to say "thank you" in close to 30 languages. Ive successfully used public transport in non-english speaking countries without getting (too) lost. Ive become extremely good at picking up Aussie and Kiwi accents in a 100m radius, in a packed train station or airport. Ive become proficient and efficient at explaining where I've been the last 8 months in under a minute. I've mastered the art of hunting down wifi. I learnt the art of "sink washing". Ive mastered improvising with hand gestures. Ive learnt the value of good walking shoes. Ive also learnt not to care how i look (jeans and jogger are an OK combo!). Ive learnt to appreciate culture and history of a city, and judge the beauty of said city depending on its level of culture and history, not its physical state. Ive learned more about the World Wars than I ever learnt in my 13years at school, and know more about the ancient European colonies than i thought i ever would. Ive learnt to appreciate the little things, and now realise the things i thought were "big" before, really don't matter. Ive learnt so many things about the world, but also about myself - the biggest realisation is that I'm addicted to travel and I have no idea how I could ever go back to the life i had in Australia.
But for now, i don't have to worry about it. My Visa still has 16months left, which means 16 months left of travel adventures. And my brain is already working on a plan to extend my time overseas...sorry family.
2015 is going to be filled with new places, new friends, new experiences, new skills. Including a plan to learn German...hopefully.
So i say BRING ON 2015! I can't wait to see what you you can show me, and i promise that I'll try my best to keep you all updated on the adventures of the Global Begg :)
Happy New Year to all! May 2015 be your year of adventure and provide you with some amazing memories xxx
Had a real White Christmas with it snowing as we woke up this morning, only for the day to turn around to a beautiful blue bird! I may not have been with my real family, but I've had an amazing day with my busabout family doing one of my favourite things. Merry Christmas all 🎅❄️⛄️❤️#merrychristmas #zakopane #poland #snowboarding #whitechristmas (at Zakopane, Poland)
