Lingo in Transit

Day Trip To Bernal From Queretaro- Pueblos Magicos

September 12, 2020
This post is the next adventure on my Mexican trip. After having our day exploring Queretaro, the next day on our Mexico trip was a day trip to Bernal.
```
Other posts related to this trip:
Top 8 things to do in Mexico City
My first impression of Mexico
Day trip from Mexico City to Teotihuacan
```
We boarded our minibus to travel about 1 hour north east of Queretaro to a town called Bernal. Bernal is a small city with one of the largest monoliths in the whole world. Pena de Bernal, was formed in the Jurassic Period and is the major attraction of this town. Some say the monolith has a magical powers that can cure your ailments and this is evident in stores on your way to the entrance of the climb selling mineral rocks with what healing power they each have. If you need more love, luck, concentration or health- there is a mineral that can help with your woes.

We arrived at the base of Pena de Bernal. Here, was a winding upwards path leading to the entry of the hill of Pena de Bernal. Along the winding paths were stalls selling a variety of knick knacks with many selling different mineral rocks. Hiking was not an option for us today but I also decided to forego the walk up the hill of Pena de Bernal. Instead, I joined the others in our group at a nearby cafe enjoying the beautiful weather and a local mid morning alcoholic slushie (mid-morning, why not?). It was sunny but looking like it would be turn into a nice hot day.

Once our group had re-grouped, we made our way back to the bus and were then dropped off in the main city centre. It’s about a 1km walk into town but I guess our minibus needed to repark. Once in the city centre, we went to Centro Artesanal La Aurora in the main square. If you’re after hand crafted rugs, ponchos, jumpers or wall hangings, this is the place to be. We were fortunate enough to be able to head inside to the back where the workshops were to watch craftmens. I never feel like even looking at jumpers in summer so sadly did not have the heart to stick around to purchase anything though I would have loved to.
- Centro Artesanal La Aurora
- nopal relleno
We then had free time to explore the rest of the town. We had eyed these nopal relleno barbequing outside one of the restaurants which are a specialty in this region however they took a long to be served and we didn’t have enough free time! It is stuffed cactus paddles which would have been divine.

Instead, we wondered the streets snacking on food that we came across. We came across a small local artisan market, tiled buildings and a skeleton Frida Kahlo ready for pictures. Like the other towns in Mexico, Bernal was also filled with colour at every turn. There were many stores selling handicrafts, clothing and hats. We were also on the hunt for wafers that contained goat’s milk (leche de cabra) which are also a specialty in the Queretaro region.

We re-grouped at the end of our free time ready to head back to Queretaro. Next stop- San Miguel de Allende.
Taking A Nuclear Bunker Tour in Prague, Czech Republic

September 5, 2020
This post contains affiliate links where I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links and will not cost you anything extra.
- Thickness of the front door
If you’re looking for something peculier to do in Prague or something abit different on your next trip in Prague, then this might be right up your alley.

I had never seen a war bunker before. This all changed in Prague when I took a Communism and Nuclear War Bunker Tour after googling for odd tours and sites to see. Our starting point was the office- located in the Main Square to the left of the clock tower (if you’re looking at the clock). It’s located in one of the alleyways off the Main Square.

We were led through the streets of Prague learning about the Nazi Occupation and then life in the Iron Curtain. The Prague Spring occurring in 1968 leading to mass protests for the people’s freedoms. These protests continued for 8 months and also included the personal sacrifice of Jan Palach. Jan Palach, a student at the time, set himself alight in Wenceslas Square to protest the Soviet Union tanks rolling in to quash these protests. His memorial is in that Square today and this square is still popular for demonstrations as well as the Christmas Markets and New Year celebrations.

The period after these protests and subsequent “normalisation” lead to complete censorship of the media and formation of resistance groups. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Velvet Revolution began and the ruling Communist Party resigned. The first democratic elections were held in the following year and splitting of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.

We took the tram into one of the nearby suburbs and ended up in non impressive or descriptive parking lot where a 4 tonne front door was opened. Our guide told us that this bunker was turned into a bar but was then closed due to fire safety hazards. I was impressed at the attractive use of space albeit only for a short amount of time. I’ve always had a fond liking for basement bars.

Inside, we went down this stairwell which then had arms going off in different directions. I was completely fascinated by it all having not been in any structure like this before nor grown up in a country that protests for their basic freedom. The feeling that this was a real reality back only just over 30 years ago was just a stark reminder how world politics can change quickly and suddenly.

One of the arms was clearly converted for the tourists. The corridors were filled with old missiles, bullets and clothes. They were relics from another time. Protective equipment lined the walls in a horror film sort of feel. We were given a booklet that contained pictures of the modern history that we were explained as well as a pamphlet of how to put on personal protective equipment in the event of a nuclear event. I still have these today- it’s not something you come across let alone get given these days.

Apparently there are still bunkers that are maintained within the city. I’m not sure how accurate this statement is but it’s a reminder that history may repeat itself in the future.

Have you ever been inside a nuclear bunker?

Click here to book your bunker tour today.
How I Started On My Sustainability Journey: True Cost Of Fashion

September 4, 2020

I’ve had somewhat of a writers block in the past week. I have some thirty travel related blog posts in draft but no motivation to complete them at this time. I have other topics that I want to write about so I’ve started a new category in my blog. They don’t fit into the theme of travel so why not make some room for them?

I’ve had a long term interest in purposeful consumption and sustainable consumption particularly in fashion. It started when one of the garment factories- Rana Plaza in Bangladesh collapsed in 2013 leading to the deaths of over 1000 workers. The fault was a mix of structural failures, bosses ignoring the structural faults and ordering its workers to continue working in unsafe conditions. I was still a university student at this time and did not change my entire wardrobe every season (no money for that!) but I did like to browse and add to my wardrobe more than I do today. I was annoyed at the lack of accountability in the fashion chain. I thought that part of doing good business was still to ensure your suppliers upheld some values of your brand image. Apparently not. This led me to start to reject the ‘fast fashion’ culture. Being even a little trendy, was no longer appealing anymore when people had to sacrifice so much and for what? Vanity in the developed world?

I’m a huge advocate of creation and I think the haute couture world is actually really interesting and really are works of art. These pieces are expensive for a reason being hand made and labourous to create. Ethical fashion is rather for the fashion world that are influenced by these fashion houses and are mass produced for the rest of us mere mortals.

Some years later, I found out about a local premiere screening of the documentary The True Cost in Sydney. I jumped at the chance after having been quite affected by the inequalities of the fashion world. Finally, a catalyst to bring about change.

It was a very eye opening and informative documentary. I hadn’t known much or read much about all the terrible costs of our consumptive societies so was so grateful to be able to learn more about this.

The information surrounding ethical fashion has exploded since and there is now no shortage of information. Certainly a lot more since 2015. There was also more pressure on companies to change and to be held more accountable for their supply chain. There are now rankings of global companies on how ethical they are. How “ethical” companies are, are really multi faceted. It’s about how safe the garment workers are and their working conditions, it’s about how ethical the material production is down to how they are grown or manufactured. It’s about fair pay and environmental impact.

Do you have an interest in ethical fashion? What brought about this interest?

I’m going to write more about this topic so stay tuned.

Other related posts:
– The Palm Oil Conundrum
– Reusing old clothes
– Taking a break
What Is It Like Staying In A Capsule Hotel?- UZ Hostel Taipei

August 22, 2020

This post contains affiliate links where I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links and will not cost you anything extra.

I’d seen so many pictures of the capsule hotels from Japan and had always thought to myself that if I ever had the chance somewhere around the world, I would book in for a night. I needed a place to stay for my last night in Taipei on a trip a few years ago and thought it was going to be the perfect opportunity to try one out (a hostel in this case).

The first capsule hotel in Japan opened in 1979 with the main purpose of providing a bed for the night. Practical and space effective, it seems like a unique experience to have if given the chance and if not claustrophobic.

The rooms at UZ Hostel are seperated into male and females dorms. There is the option to book a double bed capsule so I suspect that these have their own dorm. I booked into a superior capsule which was still a bargain at $30 aud a night. I do like to spoil myself from time to time.

In the rooms, there were 16 pods. As above, the pods were staked in a bunk bed way of sorts. In the middle of the room were lockers for your bags although they were not very big so suitcases were also being stored in the middle. A communal bathroom was situated down the hallway which had more than enough cubicles for your bathroom needs.

I had a top capsule but there are steps which you can climb up with. Interestingly the bottom capsule was quite close to the ground. Probably not so good for the taller bunch amongst us.

Inside the pod, it was like a scene from a Star Wars movie. It was very futuristic and contained a tv at the foot of the bed. There was a control panel under the mirror that let you control the lights and air flow. Power sockets to charge your electronics and even a safe.

There was also both blue and white lights. I’m not sure whether they were for aesthetics or whether the blue light was just a softer light to have on once awake. Perhaps both.

It was large enough on the inside to sit upright and gives you that bit more room to feel like you aren’t just in the pod to be in a horizontal position. The door to the capsule was a sliding door that was just as thick as the rest of the capsule. You can still hear people in your room though if they are talking. What I did find really weird was that once you closed your sliding door, it would automatically lock even if you were inside. I did think to myself how I would even let reception know if the electronics failed and I wasn’t able to unlock myself from the inside. Maybe a whole lot of door banging and screaming so that everyone else in the room could go and get help.

So how was my nights sleep?

Surprising well. It didn’t feel that claustrophobic due to how much space I knew I had above my head although I would have liked to have more air inside. There was one of those nozzles (like in plane bathrooms) inside the capsule as that was all the air as far as I could tell.

From my experience of that one night- I barely saw anyone else in my room but did hear them. I think you would book into a capsule hotel/hostel if you didn’t want to mingle so much. It offers you more privacy than your standard hostel which I think it what makes it so attractive to certain travellers.

Have you ever stayed in a capsule hotel/hostel? I’d love to hear what it was like. If you haven’t, would you ever stay in one?

Ready to book your stay at a capsule hotel? I found UZ hostel through Bookings.com.

Related Posts:
Pros and Cons of staying in an Airbnb
The Tales Of Travel Souvenirs

August 15, 2020
Souvenirs are such a personal matter. Some travelers don’t buy anything at all, others are drawn to build their collection of a certain item and others are just looking out for things that catch their eye or perhaps personalised items.
```
Frida Kahlo magnet from the Frida Kahlo Museum. 
One of the Top 8 places to see in Mexico City.
```
What makes the perfect souvenir is hard to answer.

Is it bought to symbolise a collection of countries that have been ticked off the bucket list? Or is it something tied to a particular town, street, store or person?

Do you associate a travel souvenir with 1 or 2 memories or do you associate it with all the memories from the country as a whole? Maybe it is all the above.

Does it remind you of a specific place that you really liked or that really left an impression on you? Or is it tied to a time of overcoming a personal struggle or a trip mishap? Does it evoke a certain emotion or emotions?

Souvenirs come in many forms. Items that you used or hung on the walls. Maybe it’s already been eaten or drunk. Items that are on display or left in the back of closets waiting to be rediscovered. Items that are meticulously stored away. Perhaps, it’s postcards, ticket stubs or photos. Maybe even postcards you send yourself to collect local stamps.
```
Reminders of my time in Helsinki
First Time in Helsinki- Snow Filled City
```
For me, it is an item that will transport me back to a particular moment of my trip. By either looking at it, wearing it or using it. It will remind me of great museums that I truly enjoyed. Small towns that I would go back to. A memory that just makes me smile. I don’t collect any particular item.

Sometimes I return home without a souvenir. As the years have gone on, I’ve become more focused on only buying items that I really love and not buying for the sake of buying. I went through the buying for the sake of buying phase as a teen but have come to realise that they can often end up as just clutter and I can’t take everything with my when I move. Call it intentional purchasing.

I haven’t bought the same item from 2 different countries. I look for something different.

Something that I don’t see or can’t get back home. A design perhaps that is pleasing to the eye. My eyes. Even better if it has been designed locally by a craftsman or craftswomen. For many, this is the skill where they make their living from. The art of creation is getting lost and I really appreciate the time and workmanship that goes into creating.
```
Hand made Obsidian Turtle from Mexico
```
What do you look for in a travel souvenir? Do you have a favourite souvenir?
Must See Highlights of Seville- Andalusia

August 8, 2020

This post contains affiliate links where I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links and will not cost you anything extra.

Sevilla was the first Spanish city that I had visit. It introduced me to this carefree feeling of life. “Stop being so stressed all the time” is what I imagine Sevilla would say if cities could speak.

I’ve since been back and still love the feel of this city. The Moorish Architecture, how the city comes alive at night, the bustle of tourists and the Alcazar. It balances the bustle of tourists with long laid back days. It’s green, there are many winding streets to explore and courtyards to peep into and is not short of cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating.

Plaza de Espana

Plaza de Espana: Have you even been to Sevilla if you haven’t visit the Plaza de Espana? Walking here from the city centre past the University of Seville and entering through the Parque de la Maria Luisa, the Plaza de Espana is a semi-circle structure built in 1928. If you walk along the Plaza, you will see each of the Spanish province with beautiful tile work. It is now a Government building but was formally an exhibition centre. This building was also featured in Star Wars films. I wouldn’t say it’s as nice as some of the other sites in Sevilla but it’s worth a visit.

The beautiful interior courtyard of the Alcazar

Alcazar of Sevilla: This is such a beautiful palace which started to be built in 913 by the first Caliph of Andalusia. As centuries came and went, renovations were carried out through time adding elements of Islamic design and extensions of the Palace. This Palace is said to be one of the best examples of Mudejar architecture. When the Christian Era started, it became the residence of the monarch and still continues to be today. Parts of it are open to the public and there are day and night tours. The gardens are beautifully kept and offer a nice romantic walk or just for some peace and quiet. From just looking at my pictures again, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to have another tour. Book your tickets in advance here to skip the lines.

The gardens of the Alcazar

Giralda: The Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral although was originally built to be a minaret during Muslim rule. Construction started in 1184 and there are ramps all the way up so that horses could take a muezzin to the top for a call to prayer over the city. As you near the top, you will get sweeping views of the cathedral roof architecture and at the top, sweeping views over Sevilla.

View of the Cathedral roof during the climb in the Giralda

View of Sevilla from the Giralda

Flamenco: The birthplace of flamenco, no trip to Sevilla would be complete without a night at a Flamenco show. Flamenco is story telling passed from generation to generation through dance, music and singing. The location of this birthplace is said to be in Triana which is across the Canal de Alfonso XIII. If you have time, wonder the streets of Triana and if you’re lucky, will be treated to a local guitarist playing and singing Flamenco.

Or maybe take a Flamenco class? I did one with Eva and really enjoyed it.
In April every year, there is the Feria de Abril de Sevilla which now celebrates many aspects of the Andalusian life- flamenco, bull fighting, local wines and liquors. It still remains on my bucket list and would be an awesome cultural event to see.

Las Setas: Or Metropol Parasol, is the largest wooden structure in the world built to revitalise the old part of town. It’s served as a viewing platform so you can see over the city during the day or night.

Have you been to Sevilla? What did you like most about it or what do you want to see most?

Looking for a day trip from Sevilla? Why not visit Ronda! I wrote about my day trip here.
Trying Foreign Food When You Travel: Don’t Say Yuck

August 1, 2020

Warning: This post may contain images that viewers might find disturbing.

One of best things about traveling is getting to try food and drinks that you’ve never had before. Whether it be a fruit, vegetable or protein that you’ve never seen in your home country before, combination of flavors or dishes you’ve never tried- there is something for every adventurous level.

I love trying everything at least once because curiosity really did kill the cat.

Escamoles (ant larvae) in Mexico

Food is another path to explore another country which is so intricately intertwined into every day life in every country. Ingredients that thrive in the country’s climate tell a story of cultural influences or cross cultural influences and taste of cuisine. Dishes that are considered delicacies often can be linked to cultural or religious beliefs and sometimes, tell a story about the country’s historical or economic past.

Chicken stuffed sticky rice in Taiwan

Cuy (guinea pig) in Peru

I have been around other travelers when trying these foods and drinks who have proclaimed their disgust of their new food. Out loud. In front of the host who has explained to us what it was and offered it to try. Some may find it funny and maybe the hosts were looking for this reaction knowing it wasn’t to everyone’s taste but I think it’s actually offensive. While everyone is completely entitled to their opinion, I just think that it’s rude to be overly crass about your opinion if something is not quite to your taste.

It’s offensive because in some parts of the world, what you have just proclaimed your disgust to, is sometimes all they have or part of their everyday life. Just because it’s not familiar to you and your taste buds, doesn’t mean it’s not well accustomed to elsewhere.

It might be something that has meaning culturally and personally. There are a lot of festivals and celebrations around the world where certain dishes are associated with them for generations.

It might be something they never saw as gross or sometimes costly, time consuming to prepare or very seasonal.

Food is part of a bigger picture.

Deep fried tarantula in Cambodia

Take for example, the tarantula. Deep fried tarantula is eaten in Cambodia and is a good source of protein. During the Khmer Rouge Regime, food was scarce and tarantulas along with other insects became an essential food source for the people for survival.

The next time you are able to try local dishes that you never have before, or remember a past experience of your adventurous dish choices- I urge you remember food as part of a bigger story.

Lotus Root in the back of a Tuk Tuk in Cambodia

How comfortable are you with trying new food? What are your thoughts on bad reactions to foreign food?
Outside My Plane Window

July 25, 2020

I use to fly regularly on domestic trips for work. Red eye flights. I was one of those people who would be asleep even before the plane took off in the early hours of the morning.

Despite having to fly often, I never tire of being on planes. I love being in the clouds and the views that you get to see. A different perspective of the world. It is truly one of the joys of flying.

Flying over northern NSW in Australia

Somewhere over Europe

I’ve come to accumulate a collection of plane window pictures. On long haul flights, I prefer the aisle so I can get up and walk and make bathroom trips without having to climb over others. On shorter flights, I will book a window seat. Two flights I’ve taken have been quite memorable to me and I always think back to these when I think about flying.

Flying out of Rovaniemi, Finland at night
I didn’t have a window seat and am still to this day annoyed at myself for not leaning over the person next to me to take a picture. I was told that if I was to fly in or out of Rovaniemi at night, to look outside when flying over the city centre as the street lights are in the shape of a reindeer. I was skeptical, it all depends on which direction the plane is taking off or landing from. Something that I definitely do not research in my spare time. Would I even look out the window at the right time?
As we were ascending, I decided to look out the window. Just incase. And there was a reindeer made out of street lights looking back up at me.

Flying over Santiago

Flying from Santiago to Sydney
This trip home was particularly long. Having started my return flight to Sydney from Lima, Peru, I arrived in Santiago a day after the 2019 protests and curfew had been announced. I spent hours in the Santiago International Airport waiting for airline staff to arrive and to get tickets for my next flight- if there would even be a flight. Many flights had been cancelled with lack of planes and crew and I was preparing myself for the news that there would be no flight and I would be sleeping in the airport.

I was so relieved to get onto the plane for our 15 hour flight. That was a first. We took off as scheduled and it was seamless. During one of my walking breaks on the flight, I noticed that some people were looking out the window and I also came in for a look. I had the pleasure of having such a view of ice sheets below us! From the flight route map, we were flying quite close to Antarctica.

It was a beautiful sight- to see just ice sheets for a while. It was somewhat an optical illusion. It looked like we were at a height that a helicopter would be at but I’m sure we were much much higher. It reminded me of why I like being on planes so much and how much of a privilege it is to be able to be.

What are some of your favourite views from the plane window? Are you a window or aisle seat person?

Flying over the Norwegian Fjords

Posts You Might Be Interested In:
First time visiting Helsinki
Finding Peace in The Fjords of Norway
Taking A Day Trip To Valparaiso from Santiago
A Moment Of Peace In The Fjords Of Norway

July 18, 2020

A few things move me to tears of happiness and one of them is being in a place where you are overcome with awe of natural beauty.

I had the opportunity to visit Norway after my time in Helsinki. High on my list was to see the well known Norwegian Fjords.
Wanting to visit the Fjords as a solo traveler, I had organised a trip with Norway in a Nutshell which takes you through the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord. The options for available tours are significantly reduced in winter but there were less people. The trip runs in both directions between Oslo and Bergen and offers some of the most marvelous scenery I have ever seen. You get all your tickets prior to departure and make your own way to each train/ferry. As it’s a popular route, there were announcements and staff at each platform/ferry terminal so it was easy to navigate.

As the train departed from Oslo and snaked its way towards Myrdal, I had my face stuck to the window. Untouched wilderness as far as the eye can see and red cottages dotted here and there. We rolled around and through mountains picking up skiiers. At Myrdal, I swapped trains for the one towards Flam which had more tourists and is one of the leading tourist attractions in Norway. We stopped at the trackside Flamsbana waterfall along the way and were able to get off the train to take pictures. While I had visited towards the end of winter, it wasn’t very green but can just imagine how lush the area would be in the spring and summer months. There was a bit of time between arriving into Flam and waiting for the ferry so I had a little wonder to the Flam Railway Museum and then sat along the water’s edge admiring being surrounded by the mountains.

As we our ferry set off, the wind chill set in. This was towards the end of the Norwegian winter with the temperature still lurking around the 0 degree mark. I don’t think we past any other boat during this cruise nor heard any wildlife. Snow capped mountains surrounded us.

We were so lucky with the weather this day which gave us clear blue skies. As the ride continues, we went through Nærøyfjord which is famous for being the narrowest at only 250m wide leaving you completely surrounded. Not a sound of modernisation is heard (except that of your boat) as you past lone residences.

Our ferry was quite empty so there was plenty of space for pictures from the rear of the ferry which offered the best vantage spot. There were plenty of outdoor seating which was lovely once we got the sun. I spoke to an Austrian man sitting nearby. We shared the mutual appreciation for what was around us. We sat there in silence, in awe of the sights as Mother Nature immersed us in peace.

I’m not sure whether my eyes tearing up out of complete happiness to be in one of the marvels of mother nature. Or the blistering cold. Perhaps both.

Once we arrived in Gudvangen, I boarded a train onwards to Bergen.

Other Posts you might like:
Visiting Fjaderholmarna in Stockholm
Chasing the Nobel Prize in Stockholm and Oslo
Visiting Helsinki, Finland in Winter
6 Month Blogging Reflection

July 15, 2020

It’s been 6 months since I started writing regularly again. I’ve had a post written almost every week and I actually can’t believe I have thought about enough topics to write about.

I started off initially wanting to write only about travel. But, as you all know what happend this year- I don’t think it’s sustainable for me in the long run. I don’t live a nomadic life on the road. Perhaps it would be easier if I were a committed full-time travel blogger or flight attendant. But I am neither. Nor am I living in a foreign country or city where I would feel the need to be exploring every day or weekend.

Travel or travel?

It’s led me to drill into the definition of travel. Usually used to define a trip to someplace else, the actual definition refers to making a journey or to move. I thought to myself that writing about life is a journey in itself so am hoping to incorporate more thoughtful blog posts in the future.

Over the past 6 months, with being active on Twitter and even Instagram (forever tiring) and being in contact with so many other travelers and bloggers- I have felt the pressure to conform and to write posts on guides to cities and the top 5 things to do. I’ve definitely thought about writing these types of posts and have certainly written my Top 8 Things To Do in Mexico City (which are definitely Top 8 things). But then talked myself out of it because the whole reason I wanted to start this blog again was for creativity and thoughts on places and to dive in further into history and give the town or country some more context.

I find Twitter to be my favourite social media platform. I love connecting with others as I do on this blog. I also like finding out breaking information as it happens. But there is a lot constant information and I’m scrolling for ages. An unhealthy amount probably.

Instagram is a different story. I’ve hopped onto this bandwagon really late and am still not sure how to really use it. I love the stories function and have tried experimenting with a few things there. But I find the ‘lifespan’ of Instagram much shorter. I’m spending less and less time on it and therefore less time engaging with other people’s posts and stories. It’s all very time consuming and doesn’t offer as much reward compared to twitter.

I’m interested to see what else I will write about in the next 6 months!

Top Blog Posts from Jan-Jun 2020:
1. My first post in French
2. My First Impression of Mexico
3. Exploring Berlin
4. The Art of Armchair Travel
5. Spending A Day in Queretaro, Mexico