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Rural Senegal in 9 Squares

 

Senegal
The bottom row of 3 photos is my home in the Baobab tree and view from the room.

 

It was early morning and still dark when I stepped off an overnight flight from Washington, DC onto the tarmac of the small Dakar airport. The airplane had stopped for an hour to refuel and drop off and pick up passengers before continuing to Johannesburg, South Africa. I disembarked to visit a friend and her family for the next six days, and though I was tired, I couldn’t wait to explore Senegal.

A few hours after arriving we were on our way to Palmarin and the Sine Saloum Delta in rural Senegal. A well-paved highway takes you out of the city and further onto a two-way road through towns and villages. As the sight of Dakar faded in the distance, I looked
ahead to the open road and couldn’t believe I was in Africa.

Scenes of meat and fruit stands by the roadside, unfinished buildings and crumbling sidewalks, women in colorful attire, roaming goats, salt flats and baobab trees, donkey carts and horse carts and women carrying water or pounding maize played out in front of me.

After Joal, we found ourselves on the worst road I’ve ever traveled. I thought we were going to lose a tire to the large potholes that filled the road. As we came out on the other side of that bumpy red earthy road with tires intact, I smiled.

I was on an adventure of a lifetime and on my way to spend my first night ever on the continent of Africa in a majestic Baobab tree at Collines de Niassam Lodge.

Cherry Beach is my favourite beach in Toronto, Ontario

Lifeguard station at Cherry Beach in Toronto, Canada.

Cherry Beach in Toronto, Ontario is my go-to beach for it’s laid back atmosphere. It’s my favourite place to sit by the lake and take some time out. It is much less crowded
than the other Toronto beaches.

There are toilet facilities, a food truck and an off-leash dog park. You’ll often see kite boarders, kayakers, stand up paddle boarders and wind surfers. There are barbeque facilities as well, just bring the charcoal.

Prague in 9 Squares

Continuing with a new series on the wanderingiPhone blog ‘in 9 squares’. 

In March 2012, I went on a solo trip to Europe. One of the cities I visited was Prague. In my research, I came across comments that suggested that Prague may not be safe. I took Prague off my itinerary but then put it back on as it was a city I wanted to visit. I am glad I did and am happy to report that I felt completely safe and my visit was without incident.

I, unfortunately, had only a short time in Prague and felt like I only scratched the surface of this beautiful city. I made the most of my time there but with its architecture, bridges, churches and overall charm, I’d love to go back and explore more and travel deeper. My favourite time of day was just as the sun was beginning to set and as the lights on the buildings started to shine. The only word I can think of to describe it, magical.

Here are my favourite 9 Instagram photos from that trip. Click on the 9 squares below to see a larger version.

Prague Czech Republic in 9 squares
Charles Bridge, Tyn Church, St. Nicolas Church, Estates Theatre, Prague.

 

  • Walking through the cobblestone streets with a hot Sva?ak (mulled wine) in hand as you make your way to Charles Bridge.
  • Standing on the infamous Bridge overlooking the Vltava River with several other bridges in the distance.
  • Watching a Mozart opera in the same building that Mozart debuted Don Giovanni over 200 years earlier in 1787.

 

These are the memories that play over in my mind and I hope to return with my family and learn more about the culture and history as I recently learned that a maternal great grandmother is from the Czech Republic.

March is a great time of year to visit Prague. It’s off season and there are deals to be found. I stayed at the 5-star Hilton in Old Town for only $70USD per night thanks to a winning bid on Priceline’s ‘name your own price’.

To see the photos on Instagram along with their detailed captions, visit wanderingiphone on Instagram. 

California in 9 squares

This week I’m starting a new series on the wanderingiPhone blog ‘in 9 squares’ with a focus on a destination I have travelled to and my favourite 9 Instagrams.

The weekend of April 22, 2016 I went to California with my father to meet relatives I had never met and up until about a 2 years ago didn’t know existed. After some research and DNA Ancestry, we connected. I’ll save that story for a later post.

Between family dinners, lunches and discovering Burmese restaurants in Palo Alto and Berkeley, we saw a bit of San Francisco and Palo Alto and drove the infamous Pacific Coast Highway from San Luis Obispo to Monterrey, California after driving down to Santa Barbara to meet more relatives. Here are my favourite 9 Instagram photos from that trip. Click on the 9 squares below to see a larger version.

To see the photos on Instagram along with their detailed captions, visit wanderingiphone on Instagram. 

California
Stanford Memorial Church, Pacific Coast Highway, Elephant Seals, Stanford University Quad, McWay Falls, Golden Gate Bridge

 

If you’re looking for a Burmese restaurant in the San Francisco area, check out Burma Ruby. It’s been my mission to find Htamin Lethoke (rice salad) like the way my grandma, grandaunt and I make it. I have to say Burma Ruby is the closest I’ve come to that taste. So good.

Incase you’re wondering, my father, grandmother, some great and great great grandparents come from Burma or what is known as Myanmar and I still have over 100 relatives there. Read about my travels to Myanmar in The long road to Mandalay and my Myanmar travel tips in 6 things to know about travelling to Myanmar in 2016. I’m a first generation Canadian and have a very ethnically diverse family who moved around a lot. I swear I come by a ‘travel gene’ honestly 😀

The gateway to the Mergui Archipelago in South Myanmar

Sunset in Kawthaung, the gateway to the Mergui Archipelago is in the Andaman Sea in south Myanmar and is about 30 minutes by long tail boat from Ranong, Thailand. In November 2015, I spent 3 nights & 4 days exploring this region of over 800 mostly uninhabited islands.

I travelled by liveaboard boat, snorkelled the clear blue waters, found Nemo, walked on powdery-soft sandy white beaches and hung out in places with no one else in sight.

Only 2612 tourists explored these islands in 2015, I am grateful to be one of them.

Road trip from Bagan to Inle Lake, Myanmar

Somewhere in the lush rolling hills of Shan state in Myanmar between Bagan and Inle Lake. We travelled by private vehicle for about 12 hours past colourful fields and remote hill villages where Shan people still dress in traditional clothing.
It was one of the most scenic drives I’ve embarked on but it’s not for the faint of heart. The roads are very windy with narrow 2-lane roads and tight turns.

In Myanmar, they drive on the right side of the road like in the North America but most of the vehicles are from Japan and the driver is also seated on the right. Not a good position to be in when trying to overtake a large truck or bus on a curve in the road. Somehow they manage, unfazed. Many of the truck and bus drivers give the “okay to pass” sign by flashing their left-hand turn signal. Fascinating. I handled it well, the rest of my family not so much. There were a few nail-biting moments but I tried to live in a state of bliss and not pay attention to the road and the driving.