tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91695242581707552242024-02-01T22:10:42.255-08:00Dream big, live bigTrying to make the most of life as I tackle my bucket list one thing at a timeBlonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-80618485369854371242014-05-20T07:02:00.000-07:002014-05-20T07:02:51.970-07:00The Travel Blog: Luang Prabang<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A lot of people who haven't been to South East Asia haven't really heard of Laos:<span> a landlocked country bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east,
Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west. Those who have heard of it, probably have because of the infamous Vang Vieng tubing (or drinking in the river on a giant rubber ring). I only had time for one Laos destination - and I'm so glad I picked Luang Prabang! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>This was one of my favourite stops on the trip. There's a vibe about the place that's hard to describe. It's so chilled out that it feels like you've stepped back in time. Again it was stupidly hot when we arrived. I checked into <a href="http://www.sanctuaryluangprabang.com/index.php?id=2&yams_lang=en">The Sanctuary</a> hotel, my favourite hotel of the trip because it had so much character and made me feel like I was on some kind of spa retreat - money goes along way when it comes to accomodation in Laos. There was then some time to explore the banks of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. The country was under French rule for a while so the architecture is a blend of Asian and colonial with low wooden houses and bakeries on every corner. As dusk descended on the Mekong river, which offered some breathtaking views and photo opportunities, we stopped for dinner at the awesome <a href="http://www.tamarindlaos.com/">Tamarind Restaurant</a>. Lao cuisine is unheard of in Western Europe but so so good. Its less spicy than Thai food but full of flavour. We filled up on lemon and ginger shapes, nibbles, crispy seaweed. stuffed lemongrass and steamed fish in banana leaf. Such a great meal! The restaurant also had a cooking school which I would have loved to have tried if I'd have had the time. Then it was off to the nightmarket. This was by far the best nightmarket I encountered in Asia, so if you're going make sure you leave some space in your luggage for it. It's full of handmade wares so I stocked up on beautiful silk scarves, jewellery made from bullets, handpainted parchments, fans, woven handbags, harem pants and more. One of the things that struck me about this market was the politeness of the vendors. No pressure to buy, easy to haggle, and so lovely that twice when I got confused by the currency and overpaid by ten times the amount the vendors gave me back my money no questions asked when I returned an hour later. I almost felt bad haggling by my third night at the market because the people were so nice.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>The next day started with a temple tour ... they really are breathtaking in Laos filled with giant buddhas and populated by monks. It was so hot that one of the monks came out to give us some glasses of water to cool down. After some temple hopping we boarded a boat on the mekong for a relaxing ride down to the Pak Ou caves. Pulling in to a makeshift pier and climbing up some steps in the rock face reveals a small cave with over 2,000 buddhas of every shape and size. It was a really serene spot. Then we crossed the river and had lunch on the riverside - another great example of Lao cuisine with some minced pork with coriander and sticky rice. The view of the beaches, mountains, river and elephants was spectacular. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>Then it was our turn to ride elephants. We strolled through a small village and arrived at the elephant camp. I already posted about my <a href="http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/2014/05/south-east-asia-bucket-listers-paradise.html">elephant riding experience</a>. They are majestic animals who I loved petting and feeding and despite the scenic surroundings I preferred feeding them to riding them. After a bumpy ride back to the city I was exhausted so made a quick pitstop at the night market and grabbed a quick snack at Joma's bakery - a favourite with backpackers in the area. I wish we had a Joma's back home, their frozen lemon and mint shakes and peanut butter cookies are amazing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>The next day we took a bus to the Kuang Si waterfalls. One of the girls I met on the trip who had travelled substantially in Asia described these as 'the only waterfalls in Asia that live up to their expectations'. She was right .. wow!!! Even walking to the waterfalls among the vibrant flowers and with butterflies flying around you is scenic enough but then you turn a corner and pools of baby blues and aqua and green cascade before you and take your breath away. You can't bathe in most of the falls so its a great chance to soak in the view. There is a seperate bathing area towards the bottom of the falls, although you need to cover up to swim in it (most tourists ignore the signs but this was deemed very disrespectful by the locals). Given the heat on the day swimming was just what we needed and we swam around, getting our feet nibbled by the fish in the pools. On the way out we stopped by the bear sanctuary and watched some beautiful black bears getting fed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>Once back in the city I bought some Beer Lao and sat at one of the riverside bars watching the world go by .. I totally switched off in Luang Prabang. Then I checked out the ethnology museum where the local guide explained to me the courting rituals of the Lao hill tribes ... for example did you know that in some tribes if a man picks up a girl and carries her into his house she is bound to marry him so all the girls walk around in groups so that noone unsuitable can carry them off? It was genuinely interesting. It also showcased how the men that were the best pottery makers and basket weavers were the most sought after grooms and those who couldn't master the skill were often cast out of the village - the men of Europe would seriously struggle to survive there! After watching a video of a Lao wedding (including the gory cow slaughtering ritual) I got asked out by my very young looking Lao museum guide. I quickly made excuses to leave as wasn't really looking for a date when I went in there - plus its illegal for Lao nationals to hook up with locals even if I wanted to lol. At around 5pm it was time to go watch the sunset at the top of Phousy (comically pronounced Pussy) Hill. There were a lot of tourists and the day was foggy so it wasn't the clearest sunset I've ever seen but you get great views of the city from the top of the hill and we got to meet some local school kids who were trying to practice their English.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>The next day was one of my favourite days. We got up before 5am to go to an almsgiving ceremony with the monks. Basically every day the monks go out at sunrise and walk through the village with some big bowls and the locals offer them food for the day. It has to be cooked as monks are not allowed to cook, so it was mainly sticky rice and fruit - although it amused me that since some of the monks are only children alot of the offerings are biscuits, chocolates and oreos. Not quite traditional but welcome by the smaller monks. It was great to be a part of this. I handed my camera to someone else as I didn't want to be one of those annoying tourists that stands in the way of the monks and got stuck into the ceremony. It really was quite humbling and good for the soul. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>After a quick powernap I went exploring. It was fairly early so the only people around were the local fisherman wading in the river, the women going to market to buy food and the monks collecting their alms. Sometimes it's great to just immerse yourself in city life. People always ask me how I can travel on my own. One of the things I love about it is to be able to just 'be' somewhere. No distractions. No banter. Just being there and watching the world go by. I went to Peninsula Massages to get a Lao massage (it is highly recommended by most bloggers and reviewers and is located next to Vat Xieng temple). A Lao massage is definitely an experience I'd recommend. The small Asian woman lay me on a mat on the floor and then proceeded to crawl all over me, pulling at my joints and digging her knees and elbows into my rib cage. It was a very deep tissue massage and I winced at one point but for abour £4 for an hour long full body massage it was great value and I left feeling totally relaxed. Then I had lunch at a great restaurant on the riverside. I was the only person on the restaurant and loved having the time to absorb the views across the river whilst savouring my tamarind and coconut curry. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>If you're in South East Asia make sure you don't miss out on Luang Prabang! Its a definite must see for anyone looking to relax and absorb some culture.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Next stop: Hanoi!</span></b></span></span></div>
Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-81948607042285795302014-05-18T03:48:00.001-07:002014-05-18T03:48:44.025-07:00The Travel Blog: Chiang Mai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next stop on my South East Asia trip was Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. The flight from Bangkok got in pretty late (though I'm glad I flew and didn't take the train as I later heard that the train broke down that day and took almost a full day to reach Chiang Mai). It was a case of dumping bags in the room and setting off to explore the city without wasting any time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">South East Asia loves a good night market, and Chiang Mai is no exception. They have a massive tourist night market on every night, but if you're lucky enough to be there on a weekend (which I was) they have a 'local' market too which I preferred. I went straight to the local night market which was in a great location with plenty of live music and locals around. I did a tiny bit of shopping - purchasing my second of five pairs of harem pants - and then landed at the insect stand. Eating insects has always spurred an element of curiosity in me, with my inner foodie wondering what they'd taste like. On the advice of the locals I opted for fried grasshoppers, as apparently these were among the tastiests and the worms could ooze in your mouth which didn't sound particularly pleasant. The woman at the stall didn't let me take just one grasshopper - I had to buy a 100g bag with about 50 of the things. My Thai friend and I stopped at an awesome little chillout bar near the market playing live music and ordered a couple of glasses of wine - clearly wine is the natural accompaniment to fried bugs. The grasshoppers themselves weren't actually unpleasant. Pulling off the legs of something before you eat it is a bit odd but they actually tasted ok - I can't really think of anything to compare it to but they were savoury and a bit crunchy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day was one of my favourite days of the trip - packed full of activities. In the morning I booked on to a jungle ziplining adventure with <a href="http://www.jungleflightchiangmai.com/">Jungle Flight</a> - I highly recommend them. The safety standards were excellent (despite the limited English of some of the staff), the price was reasonable (including a great post ziplining lunch), you get a free tshirt, its in a great part of the rainforest with amazingly scenic views and is generally great fun. Jumping off a 40m platform was a bit daunting but the rest of it was exhilirating and, despite the intense heat that day, I loved it -and it also gave me the opportunity for some extreme selfies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got back to my hotel with 10 mins to spare and then jumped on to a mini bus to Doi Suthep mountain and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wat Phra That temple. This is pretty far out of town (about 15km) so its best to do on an organised tour rather than on your own (though the local buses to go there) and definitely worth doing. This temple is home to many stories - such as the Legend of the White Elephant and the story of the protective five headed Nagas. There are over 300 steps to reach the temple so I'm glad we went at dusk when it wasn't as hot. The inside of the temple was a spiritual experience. I learned a lot more about buddhism - the significance of the positions of the buddha, the traditions observed by people, how they prayed, and a lot about their beliefs. We then got to receive a blessing by a monk, who chanted and poured water over us and then tied a white string on our left wrist. It was really serene in the temple and quite a humbling experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From there it was straight to a typical khantoke dinner. There are a bunch of tourist trap ones in town where they cram dinner and a show in a packed room but I loved doing the off the beaten track version at a family's house. We drove into a residential part of the city and pulled up to a gorgeous two storey wooden house. The owner and his son came to the door to greet us with a garland of flowers and a welcome drink and then took us to perform a blessing before entering the house, offering small bouquets of flowers to the spirit guarding the house. He gave us a tour and introduced us to his family and showed us how the meal was being prepared. A khantoke is basically a bit like Spanish tapas. Lots of dishes are prepared and put on a tray in small bowls and then you pick a bit of everything and eat it with your hands along with some sticky rice. Before the meal they gave us some leaves and pointed us to a tray full of chopped up goodies. I piled all of them into my leaf, wrapped it up and popped it in my mouth. I didn't realise however that one of the goodies was chopped up hot chillies and my mouth was soon on fire despite my high spice tolerance. The family found this hilarious and rushed to my aid with a tray full of gorgeous coconut flans and cold cucumber which quickly restored my mouth back to normal. We sat on the floor with the family as there were only four of us which meant we could all eat together. The food was delicious!!! Steamed chicken amok in a banana leaf, fried chicken, stewed meats, a gorgeous tomato and chilli paste and many other treats accompanied by a chicken soup and a trio of desserts. Stuffed was an understatement. Before leaving, the grandparents of the family chanted over us and blessed us with another string tied to our wrist. Two blessings in one day! Then they gave us some gifts of a hand woven basket with some Thai plums that were yummy and we were off on our way. I was so stuffed that I fell asleep in the car on the way back in some sort of food coma.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day it was an early start to set off to Thai cooking lessons with <a href="http://www.thaiorchidcooking.com/">Thai Orchid</a> cooking school. Again I'd recommend them. We went to the market first and learnt about the ingredients we'd be using, as well as trying a few delicacies like the pungent Durian fruit (which isn't allowed in most hotels because the smell is that bad) and fermented eggs (which didn't really appeal so most of us didn't try these). On the menu were spring rolls, pad thai with prawns, a green chicken curry and some mango with sticky rice. We were given demos of each dish and then left to our own devices to cook. I love cooking so this was naturally one of my favourite activities. The food tasted great and the recipes were easy to follow. We got given a recipe book at the end and I bought one of the knives we used so I'll definitely be recreating these at home. Word of warning though, it was very hot and whilst we were doing the demos our chicken and eggs and prawns were sitting in the heat so we all had a bit of a runny tummy after the course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I contemplated the Chiang Mai zoo but one of the girls I met that day was a conservationist and put me off giving me horror stories about animals in captivity. I also contemplated Tiger Kingdom but the locals told me it wasn't safe and that every month tourists were injured, bitten or mauled by the tigers, which was also enough to put me off. So I took the next 24 hours to do some souvenir shopping, laze by the pool or wonder through the city exploring. After such a packed itinerary I needed that bit of downtime as travelling can get exhausting!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next stop ... Luang Prabang, Laos </span></b></span></div>
Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-30260373783818432232014-05-13T13:44:00.001-07:002014-05-13T13:44:19.311-07:00The Travel Blog: Bangkok<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So since I got back from my trip people keep asking me 'What's this place like? or What did you like best?' ... and one of the great things about travelling is that your experiences along the way turn you into a storyteller. This is technically a bucket list blog and not a travel blog, but maybe some of these posts will inspire people to add some things to their bucket list and if not it will at least record some of the awesome things I did in South East Asia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I explored each city I wrote little phrases and notes down on scraps of paper that were hastily shoved into my bag whilst I focused on enjoying the moment and capturing the beauty of what I was seeing with my camera. Now that I'm back home it means I get to relive those moments through piecing together my little notes and sharing some of time in Asia with my blog readers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>First stop ... Bangkok!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I only got to spend around 48 hours in Bangkok, but I reckon that was probably enough. After arriving on a late flight and going straight to bed I was up early and out before 7am, exploring the streets of Bangkok - basically just wandering aimlessly through the city which is one of my favourite things to do in a new place. It didn't take long before I stumbled across wat after wat after wat (thats a temple or monastery to you and me). Buddhist monks walked the streets and there were markets packed with food on every corner. One thing that doesn't come across in any of my photos is the heat or the smell of this city. It was mid April, with temperatures ranging from 35-45 and very humid. I was basically a sweaty mess as I walked down the smelly streets, attempting to take in and capture life in Bangkok - someone should develop the 'smellovision' concept!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At one point I wandered into a fairly boring part of town. I brought out my map to find somewhere more exciting to explore and got stopped by a man in his 50s. He started asking me where I was going and where I was from etc. I had a Taken moment (I'll refer to these alot - basically when you're a woman travelling alone and anyone stops to ask too many questions, and you've seen the movie <i>Taken</i>, then your brain automatically seems to jump to the unmistakeable conclusion that you're going to get kidnapped, drugged and sold to a prostitution ring against your will until Liam Neeson come and rescues you). I tried to make excuses and pretend that I was really interested in reading the history of a bridge I was standing close to untiil his phone rang and he walked off. I read that sign for a long time, until the man had disappeared from my line of sight. Then I carried on walking and bumped into him again. He was convinced that I was lost and that I shouldn't really be in the business district as there's nothing to see there. More questions were asked and he sat me down on a bench in the middle of the street and told me he'd show me where to go. Assumption #2 - I'm going to get ripped off. He sat down and explained to me (in fairly good English) why he loved Bangkok, asked me questions about where I was from and what I enjoyed doing. He then asked for my map, circled all the interesting places and wrote a list for me of what order I should see them in. Then he told me how he worked for the local newspaper and had done for several years, and warned me about tourist traps and taxi tricks. He then hailed me a tuk tuk, explained to him in Thai the itinerary we'd discussed and bargained the price of 40 bhat for an hour's ride in a tuk tuk (that's 80p or 1 euro to you and me). He put me in the tuk tuk, waved me off and told me to enjoy my trip. So both my assumptions were totally wrong. He was just a really nice guy. I discovered most people in South East Asia are super nice and genuinely appreciate tourism and people who take an interest in their culture - their sense of pride is astounding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I set off on my tuk tuk ride, with my guide who spoke no English other than 'up to you, up to me' and 'photo please thankyou' - thank god for the old man or I wouldn't have had a clue where I was going. As I mentioned in a previous post, tuk tuks are great fun to ride, and it was great to get some breeze after the morning heat. I saw a lot of gorgeous temples - the highlight being the Golden Mount, with its giant statues and great views of the city. I also passed a lot of barricades as the Thai Government is super corrupt and there were still anti-Government protests going on in the city. After trying to take me to a number of shops (they get free petrol credits if they take tourists to certain shops - but my driver understood when I said I wasn't interested in going) he dropped me off at MBK. A massive shopping centre. Floor after floor of increidbly cheap clothes, souvenirs and electronics. Some of the people I met went back three times to fill their suitcases. I however hate shopping (I know - weird right?!?). I was just glad for the air conditioning, so after I cooled down and bought one pair of trousers and a fan and I went in search of the food court (now eating I like!). There were only locals eating there and I grabbed a great pad thai and some fresh lemonade for 70 bhat (£1.40). I then took the sky train back to my hotel's district - probably the most efficient and clean metro system I've experienced ... def recommend when travelling in Bangkok as its cheap and really easy to use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was then knackered and had to spend an hour by the pool to recover from the heat. Closely followed by an amazing dinner treat of Musuman curry and Thai Green Curry. Thai food is much spicier in Thailand than it is at home but I loved it! There was a quick trip to the night market too, but I hate shopping and was jetlagged so I ignored the offers to go watch live ping pong shows and other similar entertainment and had an early night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">That was probably a good call as the next day was packed too. I got up early for a tour of the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha. Wow! That place is amazing .. so much gold and statues and gorgeous buildings. And a lot of history and tales of Buddha too - I'm glad we had a local guide explaining it all. Be warned though, you need to cover up to go see this. Ankles and shoulders can't be on display. I wore ankle length leggings with a baggy tshirt which got me past the first checkpoint but then I got sent back at the second one as my leggings were deemed too provocative and innapropriate and I had to go rent a long skirt to cover myself up with. In 40 degree heat this was far from comfortable. We also had to take our shoes off to approach the emerald buddha - and the floor in those temperatures is scalding hot so Im pretty sure I burnt a layer of skin off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next stop was a tour of the klongs - the canals that run through Bangkok. On the way to our boat we stopped to pick up some fresh coconuts to drink from, some freshly cut mango and pineapple and a takeaway lunch of barbecued pork and sticky rice - so so good! I ate mine and everyone's leftovers. We then boarded our boat and spent a couple of hours on the river. I loved this as it gives you an insight as to how people really live, as most locals houses back into the canal. It's also worrying to see how much of that area floods during rainy season as those houses were pretty close to the water level even in the dry season. We stopped to feed some fish with the monks and then steered past Wat Arun - the iconic symbol of Thailand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After that it was time to pack up and get ready for our flight to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. For those of you flying from Bangkok airport you should definitely check out their amazing airport food court - got some great spicy duck which beats plane food any day.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chiang Mai post to follow shortly ... </span></span></b></div>
Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-48038495163669855582014-05-10T03:01:00.000-07:002014-05-10T03:01:12.453-07:00South East Asia .... a bucket lister's paradise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Travelling continues to be one of my greatest passions. It's true what they say that its the one thing you can spend money on that makes you richer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just got back from just over three weeks in South East Asia: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and I fell in love with the people and the places. Its definitely an area I want to explore more ... and I'm already planning a trip back to Siem Reap to volunteer at a school that I visited as I want to truly immerse myself in the culture and give something back. Aside from being an incredible trip, it was also a great place to cross some things off <a href="http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/p/the-list.html">the list</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's a rundown of some of the things I crossed off and others which should have been there. This blog will also turn into a travel blog for a bit as each place I visited is worthy of its own post for anyone wishing to go there, but for now lets go back to the list.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#22 - Fly on a zipwire through the jungle</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had the opportunity to do this in Chiang Mai Thailand. It wasn't on the original trip itinerary but its always appealed to me and a local guide recommended using 'Jungle Flight', as some of the places really rip you off. Its something I've always wanted to do ... I love a bit of action and adventure, but don't really have the balls for bungee jumping so this will suffice for now. It was so much fun! There are about 30 platforms and you zip across from one to the other on zip wires ... feeling relatively safe which is more than I can say for most of the activities I tried out there. Loved the 300m zip line through the jungle with nothing but the trees below and scenic mountain landscapes all around. The scariest bit was actually the freefall/abseil required to get down from some of the 40m platforms, but after closing my eyes when my stomach came to my throat on the first jump I enjoyed those too. A great day out in the jungle (and an opportunity for some extreme selfies)!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 2/10 (All you need is a bit of time, some balls and around 2000 bhat)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 9/10 (flying through trees and then jumping off them was exhilirating)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 6/10 (lived up to my expectations, but not life changing)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 10/10 (one of the funnest things I did on my trip)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#34 - Ride an Elephant </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This something I've always seen photos of people doing on their Asia trips or seen on travel documentaries and thought would be fun so when we had the opportunity to do it in Luang Prabang, Laos I jumped at the chance. Just to set the scene a little, we were due to do this after our lunch by the Mekong River, travelling through the local village to the sandy banks of the river and then showering/bathing with the elephants. Sounded great, right? So we trooped up to the elephant centre and the majestic animals were beckoned from their lunch in the jungle for riding. If you've never been up close and personal with an elephant the sheer size of them will take you by surprise. They are massive!!! Huge!! Gigantic!!! (you get the idea) They eat between 300-350kg a day and have unsatiable appetities (I think I may have been an elephant in a previous life - genuinely relate to the constant hunger). It really struck me how small I felt next to these giant beasts. Then came mounting the elephant. We rode on a seat so had to climb up some stairs to mount it. The seat didnt feel safe or secure at all and I was worried about putting my feet on the poor elephant so wasn't the comfiest of rides as we swayed through the village atop the elephant, with no leash or stick or commands, accompanied by a 15 year old boy who seemed to be in no control of the elephant and was more focused on taking photos of the wild pigs and other village life for us on the cameras we'd handed to him. As I mentioned earlier the elephants were taken from feeding time for us to ride and therefore our elephant appeared to be starving, constantly stopping to eat a tree and even eyeing up a few chickens despite being vegetarian. It was also about 40 degrees so he was pretty flustered. So i spent most of the journey worried about the poor hot and hungry elephant and the rest trying not to fall out of my seat as it went down slopes and over hills. Once we got down to the beach by the river I started to enjoy it as the ride felt safer, the elephant was fed and therefore seemed happier and the location was amazingly scenic. When it got to the showering with them part I chickened out ... it had been a long day, the river's waters looked murky and i didnt fancy the hour long drive back to the city feeling wet and filthy. I did however enjoy feeding bananas to the elephants and petting them. Throughly more enjoyable for me than the initial ride through the village, and substantially more enjoyable for the elephants. Now that its crossed off the list I'm not in any hurry to repeat the experience but loved meeting the beautiful creatures. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty 6/10 (Provided you can find an elephant centre which is easy enough in Asia and dont freak out by the lack of safety its doable)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 5/10 (More scary at times than thrilling, largely due to the size of the elephants and lack of control from our guide)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 4/10 (i did it, elephants are beautiful creatures, but enjoyed the feeding more than the ride)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 5/10 (some people love the experience, i spent most of the time feeling sorry for the elephant or fearing it would stampede into the jungle or that i'd fall off and get trampled)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#70 - Ride a tuk tuk</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are many types of tuk tuk in South East Asia but the premise is largely the same - some kind of motorcycle attached to some kind of carriage. They are cheap and relatively comfortable and so they are the most popular mode of travel in most cities in that part of the world. I rode a ton of tuk tuks and actually miss them now I'm back. I had some great tuk tuk drivers, like the awesome Mr Smiley in Phnom Penh, and some less good ones like my driver in Bangkok who gave me a 90min tour of the city's sites for $2 but spoke no English other than 'photo' 'buddha' and 'up to me, up to you' ... still not exactly sure where he took me so might have to do some googling to label my photos from that day. Beware though, there are lots of tuk tuks who overcharge tourists or insist on taking you to shops and outlets where they get comission for taking customers. Agree on the destination and price before you ride them. Also avoid tuk tuks with red flags on the top in Thailand - apparently those are run by the mafia! A fact I didnt find out til my last day in Thailand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty 1/10
(Relatively comfortable. Wish we had them at home)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 5/10
(Some scary moments e.g. when facing the chaotic traffic in Vietnam or being thrown about in the carriage on a bumpy dirt path in Siem Reap but generally felt safe)</span></div>
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acheivement/fulfilment: 2/10 (not life changing, quite fun)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 8/10 (best way to travel in Asia)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#114 - Eat an insect</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Food closely follows travel as one of my greatest passions. I love trying the local delicacy in each place I visit. In a lot of places in Asia these can be weird and wonderful - insects included. I guess this item appeared on my list out of a childlike curiosity as to what bugs tasted like. There are all sorts of creepy crawlies readily available for tasting in most markets ... crickets, grasshoppers, silk worms, spiders, beetles etc. I opted for trying grasshoppers in Chiang Mai as apparently the worms squirt and ooze in your mouth (eugh). The woman at the stall wouldn't let me buy just one so I ended up with a 100g bag of around 30 grasshoppers and sat down in a bar armed with a glass of wine and my newly purchased snack. Its a bit weird at first as you need to pull of the legs before eating it (wouldn't wanna get grasshopper stuck in your teeth would you) but then, as they've been fried and marinated, its essentially just a crunchy, savoury snack. I actually ended up eating about 10. Probably wouldn't eat them if the novelty factor wasn't there but largely tolerable. I also tried some crickets in Phnom Penh which were similar in taste and texture and an assortment of weird fruits and vegetables and even some really tasty frogs. I drew the line at the worms, quali foetus and gross looking fermented eggs that were offered to me though .... those just made my stomach turn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty 7/10
(Once you get over the mental block that its a bug its fine)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 2/10
(Not exciting just satisfying the curiosity).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 5/10 (if you are a curious foodie like me its worth doing as i couldn't really compare the taste to anything else)</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Things that weren't on my list but should have been:</span></b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Travel solo</i>. So many people freak out when I say I went on my own but I loved it. You don't have to compromise as to what you want to do and you get to enjoy just 'being' somewhere. So many peaceful moments were enjoyed and I totally switched off. As long as you're not stupid its perfectly safe and you meet a ton of interesting people along the way.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Take cooking lessons. </i>I did cooking school sessions in Thailand and Cambodia and a cooking demo in Vietnam. My passion is food and learning about ingredients and techniques from the various countries was both fun and interesting. I've come back armed with knives, bowls, spices and recipes and can't wait to recreate the dishes at home. If cooking isn't your thing then try whatever else your passion is in a different country ... it adds a new perspective.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Visit Kuang Si falls, Halong Bay and Angkor Wat. </i>I took about 400 photos in each of these and they didn't do justice to the natural beauty of these places. A must see for any one travelling to South East Asia.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's so much other stuff too ... but those will be covered in my travel blog posts which are coming soon! Watch this space! </span></div>
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-78435548375612707812014-01-15T10:53:00.001-08:002014-05-10T06:26:31.976-07:00#15 - Eat at a Michelin starred restaurant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anyone who knows me even a little bit will know that I have two passions - travel and food! A lot of the time the two go very well together. In both cases there's the thrill of trying something new that you've never experienced before - whether its a new landscape, a new culture or a new flavour combination.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Let's back track a little. I was the world's PICKIEST eater growing up, surviving on a diet of chicken, meat and potatoes in their various forms and not much else ... I didn't like pizza, pasta, fish, seafood, vegetables and the list goes on. I'm surprised my parents put up with it as long as they did. Now I kick myself for all those years I missed out! Being a picky eater is stupid! All I did was make a conscious decision whilst at university one day that going to a restaurant and being limited to two choices as you didn't like anything else and neglecting entire food groups was beyond ridiculous, and that slowly I was going to like everything. That's all it took. It took me a while with some foods - had to eat smoked salmon, cucumber and broccoli a lot of times before I actually enjoyed them but now they feature in some of my favourite dishes. As a result I find it hard to tolerate adults who are picky ... especially those who refuse to try anything new. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now I consider myself to be an adventurous eater - always ordering the weirdest thing on the menu to see what it will be like and travelling to take my taste buds out of their comfort zone. </span>You can get so much enjoyment out of food when you open up your mind to new flavours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My passion for food grew after that point. I'd always been a keen cook but now there was a whole new range of ingredients to experiment with and I thoroughly enjoy the creative process that goes into creating a new dish. Now I regularly invite people over to dinner to try new inventions and even featured on a local TV cooking show, as the third place semi-finalist on RockChef... an experience which made me appreciate the effort that goes into creating amazing dishes, to order, in a high pressure kitchen environment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With my growing passion for food I also gained an appreciation for cooking skill and the highly technical and inventive dishes that transform food from a meal to an experience. That's why eating at a Michelin star restaurant was high on the bucket list. I've eaten a lot of good food at a lot of good places but eating at a place that was awarded such a high benchmark is the ultimate foodie experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A few months back, when work was pretty hectic, I decided to book a few days in London to visit one of my best friends and splurge on a Michelin dining experience for both of us with the hotel money I'd be saving. I did a search for Michelin recognised restaurants in London and decided to stay away from the celebrity chef-owned establishments and go for the one that promised the most interesting dining experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I ended up choosing <a href="http://texture-restaurant.co.uk/">Texture</a>, on Portman Street, as it was new and trendy and offered an awesome five course tasting menu. I booked a couple of months in advance as is normally required for fine dining and counted the days to the amazing meal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The menu featured:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">New season English beetroots, goat's cheese, snow and pistachios</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anjou pigeon with shallots, ox tongue, bacon popcorn, red wine essence</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Icelandic cod, poached, with wasabi sauce and sea vegetables </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">US grain fed prime rib eye beef, chargrilled with ox cheek, horseradish and olive oil bearnaise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Trio of coconut desserts</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The dining concept at Texture is exactly as it says on the tin. Each dish attempts to deliver different textures with every bite. So you get something hot, cold, spicy, sweet, crunchy, crispy, creamy etc on each plate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I highly recommend the place!!! The service was impecable (though a bit much for me as I'm not used to it). We had our own somelier who provided a 40 page wine list (again a bit much for me but to be fair the wine I picked at random was awesome) and a genius waiter who explained each dish to us. There was also a mini taster dish between each dish meaning that we had 10 plates!! So before anyone comments that the portions look tiny, with that intensity of flavour and after 10 of those plates we could barely move - and my appetite is massive. Each dish was better than the next! The beef dish (seriously best piece of meat I've ever tasted), wasabi cod and coconut dessert being the highlights .. but I couldn't fault any of them. There was so much thought in each dish ... from goats cheese and cauliflower 'snow' to a plant pot of dessert bites to finish off the meal. Even the beetroot dish was amazing with three different colours of beetroot, each cooked differently and surrounded by amazing accompaniments. Between dishes we were genuinely excited as to what surprise we'd get in the next dish ... food orgasms all round!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The meal wasn't cheap - including service, a bottle of wine and some sherry it came to £245 for two people ... but considering I regularly pay about £40-50 a head for far far inferior food and service it was worth every penny! Now I have the fine dining bug and am already trying to schedule my next Michelin star dining experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 4/10 (Not hard, you just need to love food enough to spend some money on it and book well in advance)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 8/10 (Excitement levels on par with a child in a candy shop. They pulled out all the stops)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (I can see why these stars are so hard to get now)</span></div>
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-62788939663654899822013-12-31T07:22:00.000-08:002013-12-31T07:53:02.910-08:00Do something amazing today! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ive had this blog for a while and haven't updated it as often as I would like to.... Things get in the way - work (been doing a lot of that lately), studying, seeing friends and family, travelling and other things. Spare time has been a little bit of a luxury lately... But at least I'm making use of it :) Its always better to be busy than bored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As the new year approaches I got thinking about new years resolutions. These sound cliché and I'm sure most resolutions don't make it past mid January, but is planning improvements to your life really such a bad idea?? Most lists end up with the same old things ... quit smoking (not an issue as I've never smoked nor do I intend to start), get fit and eat healthy (ok we could all do more of that), drink less (ditto), work hard. But what if we all set out to do something amazing? Something that either changed us, or our outlook on life or made an impact somewhere in the world. The world would definitely be a better place!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This post is partly inspired by <a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/13-09/facing-death-travel-to-embrace-life.html">Tristan Cano</a>, a man in his early thirties who tragically passed away this week after battling a brain tumour for a while but who's zest for life truly inspired anyone who knew him. He made it a point to travel the world and not put off anything that made him happy but which most of us put off till tomorrow. Something we can all learn from and which has given me alot to think about in the past 24 hours. A sad loss but he was a truly inspirational human being!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So back to the outlook for 2014 ... Well I still have a hundred or so things on that <a href="http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/p/the-list.html">list </a>of mine to tackle and things don't happen unless you make them happen! Life's too short to sit around. Turns out a <a href="http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/p/why-list.html">fluffy management course about visualising what you want </a>actually worked and inspired me to make the most of the somewhat limited time we have to make a mark on this place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Looking back at 2013, it's been a pretty amazing year what with 12 countries visited <a href="http:// http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/2013/10/78-drink-beer-at-oktoberfest.html?m=1">(Oktoberfest</a> and my Eastern Europe adventure were a highlight), charity treks completed, my Masters nearly done, a small stint as a TV cooking show contestant, a promotion to a role that has been challenging but I've loved, catching up with old friends and making tons of new ones, and some rewarding moments which I've truly treasured (most of these just one on one conversations and shared moments but those are the things that matter). There have been highs and lows and times when my life has been an emotional rollercoaster but I definitely can't complain and there's a lot to be said for getting off your backside! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So what's in store for 2014?</span></div>
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Well I haven't finished making that list yet. Midnight at new years doesn't need to be a deadline. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here's a preview though :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm trying to decide between trips to: Morocco, New York, Scandinavia, Turkey, Australia, Central America, South East Asia or South Africa. Unfortunately I only have 5 weeks of annual leave to play with but the world is a beautiful place and deciding is taking longer than I thought. Front runners are currently South East Asia and Turkey. Thanks for all the recommendations guys!<br />
I also think there's a lot to be said for giving something back. I'm trying to incorporate a bit of volunteering into my trips as it always makes them just that little bit more special. Also gonna try and pick a new charity each month to support and mix it up a bit. <br />
Then there's all the stuff on my list ... I want to continue to explore my passion for food, try some extreme sports, explore a business start up idea with a friend, graduate from my masters... maybe even jump out of a plane - why not? Who knew making new years plans could be so exciting!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And with a shamelessley stolen and incredibly cheesy copyright internet photo I'm gonna end this post with a challenge. Are you gonna settle for an ordinary life? Or are you gonna plan to do something amazing today, like Tristan urged us all to do .... because if you don't make things happen then you're the one missing out! People always find excuses like they don't have time, money, energy ... but if you set out looking for excuses you'll find them and if you really want something then there's always a way to get it. So stop worrying about stressful jobs, failed relationships, bills, the bickering and bitching and the mundaneness of daily life and get excited about doing something amazing, however big or small. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For all of you who shared 2013 with me thanks for making it what it was! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Happy 2014 people. Let's hope it's a good one filled with plenty of adventures! Xxx</span></div>
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-43104703926633957342013-10-14T11:47:00.000-07:002013-10-14T11:49:58.213-07:00#78 - Drink beer at Oktoberfest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok this is a bit of a weird one to have on the list as I'm not really much of a beer fan. Actually I can just about drink a Corona on a hot day at home and although refreshing I can never bring myself to have that second one as I feel super bloated and it tastes bitter after a while. However Oktoberfest has always appealed to me. Getting immersed in Bavarian culture whilst having one big party with millions of people from around the world - whats not to like (apart from the copious amounts of beer you're required to drink to get truly involved).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although this has always been something I wanted to do there are SOOOOOOOO many destinations on my travel list that Germany really wasn't ranking very highly in comparison to the likes of Central America and South East Asia. But then I went on a Busabout tour of Eastern Europe and a few people on our bus had been and kept raving about how amazing it was and Busabout happened to have an Oktoberfest offer going at the time so it was literally get home from Croatia, request annual leave and book Oktoberfest!! I'm really impulsive when it comes to booking travel! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was so excited about the trip but it amazed me how many people hadn't heard of Oktoberfest!! Its something that I've always known about and thought this was the norm. The basic history behind it (in a nutshell) is that a royal couple in Germany in the 1800s decided to get their country on board by celebrating their wedding in Munich and hosting a big festival and event with beer, horse races etc so that everyone felt part of the celebrations. The people loved it so much that they begged to celebrate the anniversary every year and although the horse races and other stuff got lost along the way its still celebrated today and is one of the biggest festivals on the planet and a tribute to all things Bavarian. Thankyou King Ludwig I and Therese for throwing such an awesome party! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So after an amazing summer I set off to meet my friend in Munich for some German beer-drinking shenanigans. Due to flight connections I got to our (freezing cold!) campsite the night before she did and had only been there a few minutes before I was told to grab a beer. They have beer vending machines in Germany!! No jokes!! Who needs Pepsi when you can have a giant can of Lowenbrau I guess! Anyway I took it easy the first night and just had two, which was probably a good call as its not easy to sleep in a tent in a campsite full of drunk people when its freezing cold. Once my friend arrived the next day we went to explore Munich city centre, which included shopping for Lederhosen and Dirndls and having dinner (sausages of course) and drinks (litres of beer) at a traditional beergarden. We tried on about 6 dirndls ... loved most of them (seriously these things are so flattering, they look good on anyone) and ended up spending 80 euros on a traditional Bavarian outfit which I don't think I'll ever pull off other than being a German beer maid at the next few fancy dress parties I'm invited to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day we were up at 7 and queuing outside the beer halls before the doors opened at 9am. By 9.15 I was sitting at a table with a bunch of new friends, all kitted out in the finest Bavarian wear, with a giant 1 litre stein of beer in front of me. For breakfast. Normally the thought of that would make me sick but the atmosphere was so amazing that the time of day didn't matter (although you can spot the bags under our eyes in all the photos). The outfits were a good call ... all over Munich everyone was sporting them and you would have looked out of place in a beer hall without one. These tents are massive with between two and eight thousand people seated in each tent at any given time and everyone is all dressed up. Germany efficiency is brilliant too ... the toilets remain clean, anyone being a drunken idiot gets kicked out and if you don't have a seat you don't get service. If anything the only disappointing thing was that I expected to see a buxon blonde with massive boobs and braided hair serving my beer in order to live up to the stereotype but most of the woman were practically Amazonian and in their 40s and amazingly strong to be able to carry 10 steins of beer at any given time through a rowdy crowd. After the first one I needed two hands just to hold up one!! We had an awesome first day. The bands add to the atmosphere and everyone dances on the tables and clinks their steins together, whilst drunk people attempt to learn the lyrics to german beer drinking songs and nursery rhymes (the song repetoire is rather limited!). There's also plenty of food on offer which is great cos about 3 standard beers fit in each of those steins and the alcohol percentage is much higher than in the rest of Europe so after two you're already buzzing. Easily solved by eating ridiculous amounts of sausages, schnitzel, roast chickens, pork knuckles and pretzels ... german cuisine really isn't friendly to waistlines. There's also a massive theme park surrounding the tents in case you get bored of beer and dancing (not likely!) and feel you can resist the urge to spew on the rollercoasters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best thing about the festival is the atmosphere. Someone I know calls it the happiest place on earth and that sums it up pretty well. Its like Disneyworld for adults but with more alcohol. On the second day we went beer tent hopping. It was later in the day and the tents were largely full so we had to gatecrash tables to get served because of the table service rule. This meant we met a ton of Germans, Austrians, Romanians, Italians etc ... all of whom welcomed us onto their table, clinked their glasses and shared laughs, dances and stories with us. There was one couple who even told us how they'd met at Oktoberfest 7 years ago, got married the following year and go back every year for their anniversary. Cute! All this whilst dancing in dirndls to german folk music on benches drinking beer in the middle of the day. So awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So basically if you can do it go!!!! I'd love to go again some day. And don't worry if you don't like beer ... German beer tastes different to the stuff on tap at home. Less gassy and much more flavoursome. Loved the Augustiner brewers and the Paulaner Weissbier was immense!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The trip was also an eye opener. Germany is an amazing holiday destination. Munich and Bavaria were gorgeous with its castles and culture and I decided to extend my stay for an extra week and explore Berlin, which I fell in love with. I went on my own (which everyone should try at least once) and met some amazing people in the city and consumed even more beer and sausages. The city is steeped with history and culture - I went to 4 museums in one day and wasn't remotely bored ... A royal castle, a museum on Nazi occupation, world war II history ... all amazingly interesting. Then there's the beautiful buildings and the bohemian atmosphere of East Berlin with its street beggars asking for weed money and graffiti on every corner. Not to mention the nightlife ... we went to a ping pong bar (not the Thai type - one where drunk people play competitive ping pong), a gothic metal bar, a hippy bar, an underground drum n bass club and a commercial house club in the same night - on a Thursday. Its now one of my favourite European cities right up there with Budapest, Barcelona, Krakow and Hvar. What can I say Germany ... I am now a fan!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#78 - ACHIEVED</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 3/10 (Flights are expensive and if you'd rather do hotels than camp then prepare to fork out some cash)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 7/10 (Was so excited the entire time and I didn't even try any of the rollercoasters)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (lived up to my expectations 100%)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 10/10 (If I could go every year I would)</span></div>
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-20635124671343094782013-07-16T14:02:00.004-07:002013-10-14T11:50:47.454-07:00#66 - Go to a music festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ok so this one should have been ticked off a long time ago. I love live music!! Whether its supporting local bands at a tiny club or going to a massive megaconcert I love the atmosphere and the passion that goes into the music. Over the years I've been to several massive concerts from Foo Fighters to Bon Jovi to Biffy Clyro to Backstreet Boys to Chambao to David Bisbal as well as a few dance and electronic music festivals - my music tastes are quite diverse to say the least! I've also been to small one day festivals with great lineups but running from 2pm til midnight or similar. However I always wanted to go to a massive 3 day festival on the lines of Glastonbury or Download. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This year when the Optimus Alive lineup in Portugal was announced and featured Stereophonics, Greenday, Kings of Leon and Biffy Clyro I jumped at the chance as I actually had enough annual leave to take time off work (a rare commodity these days!) and it had the added bonus of being driving distance from Gibraltar and likely to be decent weather.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I bought my tickets and then almost couldn't go as my friend had to pull out cos of work commitments but thankfully at almost the last minute we got together a group of 8 people, some of whom I didn't know very well, and we took the 7 hour road trip to Lisbon. (Lisbon is a good city to visit btw - its a bit dirty and unkept but still beautiful). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Optimus Alive was one of the best organised music events I've ever been to. Everything was seamless and hassle free from wristband exchanges, to shuttles to the venue, to decent toilets and no beer/wine queues .... and even more surprisingly all the bands started on time. I definitely recommend attending it and will be going again!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One of the best things about festivals with such a massive lineup (running from 5pm til 5am across 3 stages) is that you get the occasional surprise act that you love. My favourite live act were Two Door Cinema Club, who I was familiar with but didn't think I'd love so much, though by the same token I was suprised that GreenDay were disappointing live considering how much I loved them as a teenager. Kings of Leon and Biffy Clyro were awesome, Of Monsters and Men and Vampire Weekend were brilliant and should have had a spot on the main stage and I had the most fun dancing to Jurassic 5's set with my 'team wine' dance buddy Jo. There was also an amazing Mozambique band which we discovered in a tiny stage covered in gold tinsel on the way to the portaloos. It was an exhausting three days but so much fun and was great to party with new friends til the early hours of the morning to the sounds of some amazing bands. There's also the awesome conversations you have with random people from around the world whilst waiting for Two Many DJs to start their set, or queuing in the food court for some Bifanas and Pasteis (love Portuguese food!) which add to the festival experience. Met Kiwis, Germans, Portuguese, Spaniards, Aussies, South Africans, Brits and more. The fact that the festival was in a city that I'd never been to was also an added bonus as we got to do some sightseeing during the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The only negative thing about the weekend was going to work the next day after getting home from Portugal at midnight with no voice and a body abused by excess wine, cider and festival food. The rest was amazing and I can't wait til the next one!! Beats any concert/festival I've been to hands down. In the meantime some great memories were made, as well as some great friends too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#66 - ACHIEVED</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 2/10 (Nothing difficult other than requiring a bit of stamina)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 7/10 (Great feelng when your favourite band plays your fave hit)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (music is so much better live)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 10/10 (if you haven't been to a festival yet - Go!!!)</span></div>
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-73352782453925438402013-07-10T11:34:00.002-07:002013-10-14T11:51:21.276-07:00#131 - Visit Auschwitz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I mentioned in my last post I just got back from a trip to Eastern Europe ... one of my favourite parts of the world. One of the things that sold us when choosing the itinerary was that, rather uniquely for a tour company aimed at 20-35 year olds, it included a trip to the concentration camps at Auschwitz. I'd always wanted to visit Poland and, with it being such a large part of Europe's recent history, visiting Auschwitz was something I'd always wanted to experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So we got on our bus and drove from Olomouc (Czech Republic) to Auschwitz (Poland). Our bus broke down along the way and we had to hang around at a service station for a couple of hours whilst we waited for a replacement but despite that thanks to our very organised Busabout crew we got to Auschwitz on schedule. Word of advice: I don't recommend you listen to upbeat dance tunes as you drive towards the camp (or phat beats as they were known on the bus). It means that arriving at such a sombre place is a bit of a shock to the system. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Auschwitz is very humbling but be warned its a fairly depressing place from the word go ... at the end of the day its a Nazi death camp and the horror stories of the stuff that went on there send shivers down your spine. But its in our recent history, it happened and its not something that should be forgotten easily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We had a guided tour and spent an afternoon there. First we went to Auschwitz I, the entrance of which was surrounded by watch towers, halt signs and barbed wire. We then proceeded to walk around the buildings in the camp, most of which have been turned into museums. Now its hard to explain this, but most of the group felt like Auschwitz wasn't what they expected at this point. I don't know if its because it was around 33 degrees and the trees were in full bloom and it was full of tour groups but in my head I imagined it to be bleak and grey and not red brick buildings surrounded by grass and trees. Once inside the museum buildings it was a different story though and the bleakness came through by the bucketload. Some of the most impacting things that almost brought tears to my eye were the room full of hair that women had to have cut off by Nazi soldiers, room after room of luggage, shoes, combs and other personal possessions, photos of some of the prisoners at the camp with dates of how long they were at the camp before they died, the execution wall, the cramped stable-like beds the prisoners slept in, and most of all the standing cells - a one metre squared prison cell were 3-5 prisoners were locked into standing up and where ultimately most of them died of suffocation or starvation. We then went on to see the gas chambers and moved on to Auschwitz II - the Birkenau camp. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Birkenau was more what we expected - the camp that appears in all the films and history books with the train platforms and wooden shelters. It was scorching hot as I mentioned before so at this point between the emotional impact of what we had seen/heard and being physically drained by the heat the mood was quiet and sombre and we were all struggling. We got to the Holocaust memorial and all reflected on how something this horrible could have happened in our grandparents' lifetime. Our tour guide was very knowlegable and gave us a lot of history and insight into life (if you could call it that) in Auschwitz. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was a humbling experience that puts life into perspective and makes you realise how lucky you are to live in a country that isn't gripped by war and where something this horrible would never be allowed. I can't even begin to imagine the fear the prisoners had when they were living in these conditions, ripped away from their families and possessions, and for many millions of them ultimately died under the Nazi regime. It really is quite shocking stuff and visiting the camps only gives you a small insight into what it would have been like - that alone is a difficult experience and although I didn't cry I was close to it a few times. It really is an emotional experience and worth going to to see for yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There was a particular plaque in one of the museum walls that really summarised the experience for me. <b> “The one who does not remember history is
bound to live through it again.” </b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- George Santayana</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#131 - ACHEIVED</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 4/10 (Not for the senstive soul - its a really emotional day)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 1/10 (Really quite sobering experience)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (experiencing history first hand)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 7/10 (very sad, not quite what I expected, but we should never forget it happened)</span></div>
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-34430489458416022372013-07-08T13:00:00.004-07:002013-10-14T11:52:16.795-07:00Some things that should have been on the list but weren't ...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So I just got back from an amazing trip around Eastern Europe with <a href="http://www.busabout.com/">Busabout</a> ... 12 days, 5 countries and some amazing people! It was a jam packed trip with everything from pub crawls in Prague to visiting Auschwitz to tobogganing in the Alps and pretty much everything you can imagine in between. Eastern Europe is grossly underrated and I try to go at least once each year (so far been to Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland and Slovakia and can't wait to explore more).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So here's some things from my trip that probably should have been on my Bucket List but I didn't know how amazing they would be til I actually did them!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">#1 - Go on a bus tour!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've always been against cruises, despite their popularity, because you never seem to spend long enough in each port to really experience the place. Bus tours on the other hand mean you stay overnight in the place so can experience the nightlife and atmosphere and get up early and see the sights the next day. The Busabout Classic Rhapsody Trek itinerary was great - we had culture, history, nature, partying, food, adventure all in the 10 day trip (we added a few days either side and made it a longer holiday). On top of it you get to make lasting friendships with over thirty like-minded people from across the globe who I can't wait to see again soon! Already looking into other tours such as the Ottoman or Baltic tours they run or even ones in Scotland. Def need to repeat that experience as with all my travelling it ranks in my top 3 holidays ever. Busabout are a great company too! Our guide Stu was awesome and he's helping us to arrange our next Busabout trip to Munich in September for Oktoberfest (that's #78 on <a href="http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/p/the-list.html">the list</a> soon to be completed!) which some of our other Eastern European trekkers will be joining us on ... Cannot wait :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 1/10 (Tour companies such as Busabout make it hassle free)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 7/10 (Was so excited throughout as the trip was amazing)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (saw so much of Eastern Europe)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 10/10 (one of my best holidays ever)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">#2 - Ride a tank</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've never actually thought about this long enough to put it on a bucket list but when I saw it as an optional extra on the trip itinerary I jumped at the chance. A bargain at €15 and worth every penny. TANKS ARE AWESOME! I got a bit carried away and as we pitstopped in a service station in Slovakia, I ran into a charity shop and got a camouflage print t-shirt for a bargain price of €2,50 which I tore into a makeshift commando costume much to the amusement of the locals and my trip buddies. We then pulled up on the side of the road in the Slovakian countryside to be met by a crazy ex-army Slovakian guy who had bought a tank and kept it in a field to drive the occasional group of tourists around it. The guy was certifiably mental and drove us through mountains, trees and rivers at full speed whilst we held on for dear life (no harnesses, safety equipments, straps etc ... Eastern European health & safety laws are obviously more lax than the rest of the EU and the UK where I'm sure no insurance policy would cover such craziness). I had no voice at this point of the trip from too many pub crawls but still managed to scream my lungs out, which only made him go faster and amusingly turn around to smile at the passengers - which meant he was driving a tank without looking where he was going. One of the funnest things I did this trip and I recommend you do it if you ever have the chance!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 6/10 (its probably quite hard to find a place with a tank you can ride, and be prepared to hold on for dear life)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 9/10 (absolute craziness but exhilirating)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 3/10 (not lifechanging but awesome nonetheless)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 8/10 (random but so much fun!)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">#3 - Visit Plitvice National Park</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As with most people (including myself before last year) you may not have heard of Plitvice, but these national parks are a UNESCO site and consists of acres of amazing lakes and forest. What is really astounding is that each lake is a different colour from vibrant teal to bright aqua to a calming brown to a striking emerald green. Complete with waterfalls, wooden footpaths, a lake you can hire a boat and row across and generally jawdroppingly beautiful scenery its one of the most gorgeous places I've ever had the chance to visit and a must-see for anyone visiting Croatia. We spent the night before at a campsite a couple of kilometres away in small bungalows and spent a good 5 hours at the lakes but would have easily spent days there wondering through the park's natural beauty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> - Difficulty: 1/10 (just get yourself to Croatia)</span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 3/10 (not so thrilling but get ready to say 'Oh Wow' alot)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 3/10 (worth it for the natural beauty)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 9/10 (one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">#4 - Polish vodka tasting</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Did you know Vodka is actually Polish and not Russian? The word was first recorded in Poland in 1405 and historians have found that even though it was widely consumed and brewed in Russia in the 9th century, it happened even earlier in Poland in the 8th century (random alcohol history lesson for you there). Polish vodka isn't for the faint hearted at over 40% proof in most cases but they have a wide variety of flavours. In Krakow we tried original vodka as well as bison grass flavour, citrus, cranberry, hazelnut and others. We did vodka tasting before dinner (which preceeded a pub crawl) so not sure how we made it to the end of the night and still felt fine at 8am the next morning for our walking tour. Our theory was that the vodka was purer and better quality resulting in hangover free mornings. My favourite was definitely the hazelnut vodka which, in a shot with a dash of milk, tastes almost exactly like Nutella. Definitely something to try if you're ever in Poland! Incidentally a night out in Krakow is one of the best nights out you'll have in Europe (possibly due to the quality of the vodka haha). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 6/10 (if you can hold your drink you'll be fine)</span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 6/10 (our prequel to Krakow nightlife which is immense)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 1/10 (basically just drinking)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 7/10 (vodka actually tastes nice in Poland!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">#5 - Visit a church decorated with human bones</span></b></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok this sounds creepy, eerie, disgusting ... you name it. But ever since my friend Kate went travelling before university and mentioned it to me I've always wanted to go to the bone church in Kutna Hora. Kutna Hora is a few hours from Prague so you can day trip or just do it en route to some of the awesome Moravian cities in the area like we did. The church looks like a standard church from the outside. There are a lot of these in Europe (Eastern Europe especially) so they all start to look the same. Once you're inside however its a totally different story! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Sedlec Ossuary (commonly known as the Bone Church) is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, whose bones havebeen artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the
chapel including a stunning chandelier. Basically a half-blind monk in the 16th century was tasked with exhuming and stacking the bones after a massive war and in the 19th century a woodcarver was tasked with arranging them and he got a bit carried away (another history lesson for you). The outcome is a rather morbid collection of skull alters and coats of arms and chandeliers. Creepy but has to be seen. As one of my fellow travellers put it "you wouldn't wanna get married there, but its cool".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 1/10 (worth a day trip if you're ever in Prague)</span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 5/10 (it takes balls to hang around inside such a creepy place)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 1/10 (more eerie than fulfilling)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 7/10 (so creepy its hard to describe unless you visit yourself)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So there you have it ... five of the top things I recommend you do from my latest Eastern Europe trip, although I'd happily recommend everything we did! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy travelling!</span></div>
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-52399657293975571532013-03-25T08:03:00.001-07:002013-03-25T08:03:10.368-07:00Signs of life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of my friends have been posting some really awesome blog posts lately and its made me realise that while I started out with the best of intentions and was getting over 1,000 views I haven't actually posted anything in over 2 months :/</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry!!!! I didn't mean to abandon my blog but to say that I've been busy recently is a <span style="color: purple;"><b>MASSIVE</b></span> understatement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, the good thing about being busy is that a lot of the things on this list are progressing nicely :) No point making a list and just glancing at it from time to time thinking 'I really want to do that' and just waiting for it to happen. If you want things to happen you have to <u><b><span style="color: #351c75;">MAKE</span></b></u> them happen (although sometimes chance also has a part to play). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So just at a glance (<a href="http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/p/the-list.html">click here for the full list if you can't find it!</a>):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#14</b> - Plenty more exotic meats eaten :) ... really impressed by both goat and blesbok (a South African antelope), as well as ox heart, all of which I tried on a recent trip to London. I swear they get tastier each time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#16</b> - Haven't quite gotten round to attending culinary school yet but I did get to test out my chef skills by participating in RockChef (where the prize was a week at culinary school). A blog post will follow on that soon but the show hasn't aired yet and I'm sworn to secrecy by my contract! That it was an amazing experience is all I can say for now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#19</b> - I've sort of half written my blog post on my incredible Cancer Research charity trek through Peru. This one should follow shortly hopefully!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#25</b> - Part of the reason why I've been so busy is because I've been flooded with Masters degree deadlines. I need to submit my dissertation proposal in the next week or so ... so althought its tough I should be graduating in February 2014! Fingers crossed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#28 </b>- OK so I don't have over 100 subscribed followers on my blog, but I'm amazed by the number of blog views I've been getting ... especially from the US! Hi to any stateside readers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#48</b> - I did organise a massive charity event for about 3000 people ... but again I still haven't got round to writing up this post!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#66</b> - Already enjoying the planning stages of our trip to Portugal to go to the Alive festival - Greenday and Kings of Leon ... yes please!! Also planning to go to some summer dance festivals too ... yep my music taste is just a tad eclectic, but I like it that way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#77</b> - I will be adding some more European capitals to the list this year :) .. Prague, Bratislava, Torshavn and Copenhagen. Can't wait for my Busabout Eastern European adventure (I am aware that Denmark and the Faroe Islands are not in Eastern Europe, those are with work so I'm slightly less excited about those)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#131</b> - I'll be visiting Auschwitz on 16th June ... I think I'm gonna be a sobbing emotional wreck but somewhere I've always wanted to go. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#142</b> - Currently looking into a volunteering project for 2 weeks in Uganda for this winter. I sponsor a child there so always wanted to see what life for her is like. Really hoping it happens!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sooooo basically, though I haven't had time to write anything up for a while .. stuff has been happening. And I'm sure this list will continue to grow as I think of more amazing experiences to add. There are still sooo many things that I need to make a start on if I'm ever gonna get all this stuff done ... unfortunately stuff like annual leave and bank balances gets in the way of some of them - but hey nothing is impossible!</span><br />
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-56245357147348715502013-01-02T07:22:00.000-08:002013-10-14T11:52:55.548-07:00#12 - Volunteer in a developing country<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a bit believer that we're put on this earth to make a difference and that what you get out of life is simply a result of what you put into it. As such I've been associated with a myriad of charities since as long as I remember. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Indifference annoys me ... if I see that there's a problem or something going on that upsets me I want to find out more and do something about it rather than just ignore it or moan about it. There's a lot of things in life that aren't fair. The fact that we live in a life of gluttony, excess and abundance when some people have nothing at all is the most unfair. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have few regrets, but one of them is not saving up to take a gap year before/after uni and going to do some volunteer work and travelling. I was skint at the time and decided I needed to go straight to work and that I could do a gap year further down the line. At the time it was the right decision but then I got a job I like and a mortgage and going away for that amount of time became close on impossible (unless there's a lottery win in the near future!). The good thing is that I've prioritised travelling and volunteering so any money that's left over after house payments, bills, eating out and parties goes on some pretty amazing trips. I've taken 28 flights this year and had some amazing experiences so can't really complain at all :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sooo back to list item #12 ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been an ActionAid supporter for some time. I sponsor an awesome little girl in Uganda and support some of their other projects too. When you support ActionAid you get sent newsletters and magazines from time to time. It was there that I spotted an opportunity for a First Hand Experience ... they were looking for volunteers to go an build a school in Kenya and experience some of their work in the country first hand. Despite my families reservations and conviction that I would definitely die out there I signed up and started fundraising. You have to raise a minimum of £3000 per person before you go. My friend heard I was going and decided to sign up shortly after so that soon became a £6000 fundraising goal for an 8 month deadline. It was tough. Here's the part where I thank my awesome friends, families and community for attending the numerous pub quizzes, food festivals, charity gigs and raffles that we held to raise the money but we did it. This part and the millions (ok I exaggerate - maybe about 12) of injections that we needed to have was the fairly painful - but we knew it would be worth it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So flights were booked, equipment was purchased, kit lists were made, visas were obtained ... and then ... a bout of terrorism strikes Kenya the week before we were due to leave. Literally days before our departure date there were shootings and kidnappings on the Kenyan coast, followed by a few suicide bombs, and the country was on high alert. As nervous travellers we were awaiting the results of an ActionAid risk assessment which initially said we were ok to go (sending my family members into a panic) and then as things escalated said the trip was cancelled. Gutted!!! All that planning and excitement for nothing (though timing wise the trip being cancelled was a bit of a God send as I had alot going on in my personal life at the time).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ActionAid offered us a refund or a transfer onto a similar project in Nepal a year later. So we waited a year and off we went! It was my first time in Asia so I was really excited as we met the other volunteers at Heathrow airport. 23 of us in total of different ages (ranging from 25 to 82!) and different backgrounds. After a long trip to Nepal (Gib-London-Delhi-Kathmandu) we arrived in the very dusty capital for some sightseeing and food and the next day we took a Buddha Airways flight to Nepalgunj and a three hour incredibly bumpy bus ride (so bumpy that on the return journey someone hit their head on the roof of the bus and required medical attention) we arrived at Dang to work on our project. We were helping Kamaiya people (people who were born into bonded labour and forced to work in slave conditions for landlords to pay their families debts) to build houses in a small village - 25 houses in all. After a crash course in cement mixing, foundation laying and brick work we were good to go, working alongside local masons and communicating in our limited Nepalese, their limited English and a whole lot of pointing. By the end of our time there we managed to sort the foundations and damp proof course on all the houses :) ... A real acheivement saving the community months of work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 10 day trip was brilliant!! The work was hard, as carrying sacks of rocks and mixing cement in that heat does take its toll but I've never met such grateful and welcoming people as the villagers there. These people literally have nothing - 10 of them sleep in a room smaller than my living room, they rely on two wells for cleaning, eating and showering, there is no infrastructure. Yet they greeted us with chains of marigolds, laid carpets down for us and fed us nuts, bahjis, rice wine, cakes or whatever they could afford. It was brilliant and so so humbling. Little kids would run after us gesticulating for us to take photos and show them on our digital cameras as they had never had their photo taken or had access to a mirror - they got so excited when I said I'd post their photos over. We had the chance to visit some other village projects and a school and these kids, who have no idea what the iPad generation, is would spend hours entertained with a simple song, blowing some bubbles, or a made up game with a pile of rocks. Give a kid a pencil at home and they'd throw it in your face but there you became their friend for life. It was emotional leaving camp but I'll definitely be doing another community project or build again ... maybe in Uganda where my sponsored child lives as I still feel like I missed out on the opportunity to go to Africa! </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#12 - ACHEIVED</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Difficulty - 8/10 (fundraising that amount of money is hard and the work was quite physical)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Thrill factor - 6/10 (Nepal is an amazing country and trying not to get runover in the street is a bit of an adventure)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Sense of acheivement/fulfilment - 10/10 (most rewarding thing I've ever done)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Recommend to a friend - 10/10 (it really puts things into perspective)</span><br />
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-30272019484217789612012-10-31T09:56:00.002-07:002013-10-14T11:53:31.087-07:00#14 - Try exotic meats<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Growing up I used to be a very picky eater. Extremely picky to the point where I don't know how my parents put up with me!! I remember once throwing a birthday party in Pizza Hut when I was about 14 and only eating garlic bread because I didn't like pizza or pasta and pretty much used to survive on chicken and potatoes and bread in various formats.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alot has changed since then!! I was picky pretty much til I was 19/20 years old. Then thanks to living on my own at uni and sharing cooking with housemates and a realisation that being a picky eater wasn't compatible with having a social life (I used to find it it so hard to eat out) or being healthy (as I didn't eat fish or veg). I basically forced myself to keep trying new foods even if I was convinced I wouldn't like them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I eat everything!!! I can't think of a single food item I don't like and will try anything. In fact food is my passion ... whether its cooking it or eating. Travelling is another passion of mine and holidays and gastronomy tend to go hand in hand. I hate it when people visit a new country and end up eating food they could easily eat at home. So my palette has now become increasingly adventurous. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year I went on a mission to try out some weird and wonderful food. I've already eaten stuff like pork kidneys, stewed rabbit, snow crabs and suckling pig but thought since I was doing quite a bit of travelling this year I'd see how far I could take my food exploration. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First up for 2012 was Monaco. The land of haut cuisine. Here I had some fairly odd combinations such as smoked duck wrapped in smoked salmon and various ways of serving foie gras ... but no new animals. All the food was amazing though from the fish, to the steak to the pastries ... and the attention to detail was amazing! Expensive, but a great place for a foodie to visit for gourmet cooking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then it was Marrakech. Morroccan food never dissapoints, and I ate so much this trip that by the end the receptionist at the hotel thought I was pregnant lol. Amazing flavours with tagines and couscous and pastries and soups. However here I was a bit more adventurous and ordered a pigeon pastella from one of the stalls in the main square. I managed to ignore the fact that a pigeon is essentially just a flying rat ... partly because the pastella was exquisite! Will definitely be having that again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then off to Peru. During most of the pre-arranged trip our meals were provided so although the food was great, healthy and delicious we didn't really have much choice of what to eat. Luckily I had booked the extension and could then decide on my own food options. First on my list was alpaca. We had been trekking amongst the alpacas for days and they are the cutest things but I'd heard good reiews about alpaca steak so had to try it. Although the texture was a little tough the taste was great ... a really rich, smoky flavour. Then, much to my friend's horror, I went for a roasted guinea pig. They have it as the typical celebratory meal dish there so on the last night of the trip I thought it was appropriate. When it arrived I was a little bit horrified. It basically looks like roadkill (see picture below) ... like someone run the poor thing over, shoved it on a bbq and put it on my plate complete with feet, teeth and all. My friend Kathryn almost vommed! The actual eating of it was a mission too! You have to tear up the thick outer layer of fat so I felt like a cavewoman and there isn't much meat on the animal itself. It tasted like a chicken drumstick, but was too much hassle to eat so doubt I'll be doing that again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then we went to Seville for a weekend and happened upon an international food festival with stalls from loads of countries. I tried a shark empandilla from the Venezuela stall and ostrich and kangaroo from the Australia stall (amongst other culinary delights). The verdict: shark wasn't tough as I expected it to be - it was just a tasty white fish; kangaroo is tasty but ostrich was even better and has now topped my list of favourite meats. I am dying to try it again!!!! Shame so few places stock it. I've since found out that this food festival is an annual event so it's already in the calendar for next year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I still want to try gazelle and crocodile but haven't found any restaurants that have them on the menu. If anyone knows of any please let me know :) </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#14 - ALMOST ACHEIVED</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(still need to find some gazelle and crocodile)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Difficulty - 6/10 (some of them require bravery and others are just hard to find)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thrill factor - 7/10 (only cos I find new tastes and general food-related things thrilling)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sense of acheivement/fulfilment - 4/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recommend to a friend - 8/10 (rating downgraded a bit as the guinea pig wasn't really that pleasant.)</span><br />
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-34079049560821396352012-10-27T03:37:00.001-07:002013-10-14T11:54:21.502-07:00#127 - Ride a helicopter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wouldn't say I'm scared of heights - I mean I can go up to the top of skyscrapers and be fine ... as long as I'm not too close to the edge. Its more a fear of falling than anything else. This made this particular list item pretty scary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Helicopters are awesome. I've always looked at them and thought it would be fun to go up in one ... but they've always scared me a little. They just don't look very safe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we booked a trip to New York a couple of years ago, we did some research on things to do and a helicopter tour kept popping up. I had to think about it a few times before agreeing to go ahead and book it but decided it was as good a time as any to brave it and that the views of the NY skyline would be worth it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now here's the scary bit .... in the run up to our trip a helicopter crashed in the Hudson river. No jokes. Just to put our mind at ease a little further. Initially this freaked me out ... but in the end I thought if its just happened the safety checks are likely to be stepped up as a result so not really much of a chance that it would happen again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So helicopter tour day arrived and we were given a standard safety briefing about how to put on life vests etc. Bit like a plane safety demonstration. We were told that there was a bit of wind so the flight might be a bit choppy but that we'd be fine. Then they walked us out to the airfield.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My dad had decided that he wanted to sit at the front with the pilot and I was cool with that as the pilot cockpit area was made entirely of glass so you could look down, which I wasn't particularly keen on. However the pilot had different ideas. Apparently you need to distribute the weight of passengers in helicopters, so as the lightest I had to sit at the front like a co-pilot!!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They gave me some headphones and a mic and I felt like I was in a scene in Top Gun (one of my all time fave films!), talking to the pilot and air traffic control on the mic. I obviously looked nervous because the pilot kept asking me if I was OK haha. But he also told me 'don't touch this' 'don't put your feet there' 'mind that lever' etc so I was concentrating all my efforts on not touching something that would result in me accidentally crashing the helicopter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ride itself was pretty incredible. Take offs and landings are so smooth in a helicopter and although we got a bit of turbulence where the helicopter dipped a bit I generally felt quite safe. I'd say its probably the best way to see New York. We flew over Central Park, Yankee Stadium and past the Statue of Liberty and I got some great photos. I just kept going 'Oh Wow' every 5 minutes .. it really was breathtaking. The skyline from that height leaves you a little bit awestruck and I had to buy some prints of it which are still hanging in my house :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will definitely be trying a helicopter trip again at some point as the whole experience left me wanting more. Also after recalling the experience I have a sudden urge to watch Top Gun* so that's my Saturday afternoon sorted!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: purple;">#127 - ACHEIVED</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Difficulty - 2/10 (you don't really have to do anything other than not push buttons that make the helicopter crash)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thrill factor - 7/10</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sense of acheivement/fulfilment - 3/10</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recommend to a friend - 9/10 </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>* I am aware that Top Gun is about fighter jet pilots and not helicopters before anyone says anything but the whole get-up that I had to wear (in the pic) just reminds me of that film</i></span></span><br />
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-6635611166877841532012-10-26T06:22:00.003-07:002013-10-14T11:54:54.615-07:00#37 - Experience New Year's Eve in Times Square<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think all of us have seen in a TV show, film or romcom that epic moment where the clock is counting down to midnight, the ball is dropping in Times Square and thousands of people are celebrating, kissing, dancing and yelling 'Happy New Year' in excitement. I've seen this scene a million times and always thought it would be great to experience that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of years ago my dad decided he wanted to take my brother and I on a family trip as it had been a while since we'd been on one and we decided on New York, leaving on boxing day and spending 10 days there ... which meant NYE in NYC :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was a lot of planning in the months leading up to the trip but New Year's Eve was amongst the highlights in our itinerary. We picked a hotel in Times Square and I read every Tripadvisor, blog and review in sight. Some people had said it was overrated and crowded but I still had high hopes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We booked some 'Times Square All Access Passes' to allow us to get through the barricades and into the square with access to a number of parties in the area. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After month's of waiting we finally boarded our flight to NYC. It was amazing!! I definitely recommend New York as a holiday destination ... so much to see and do, hustle and bustle and great culture everywhere. With one caveat though ... <b>DO NOT GO IN DECEMBER - JANUARY</b>!!!! It is cold. Very cold. Freezing. Painfully so. Not exaggerating ... it was -10 at most but lower with the wind chill factor so got to about -20 at some points. I live in the Med ... I'm not meant to be that cold ever!!! At some points we had to think twice about leaving the hotel room even in such an incredible city. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the 31st December arrived and we collected our passes, did some sightseeing, went back to the hotel. got changed, ordered some room service and chilled out in our 42nd floor hotel room whilst we laughed at the millions of people that had been queueing since about 2pm at the barricades. Jennifer Lopez and a few other celebrities were performing and Ryan Seacrest was hosting and there were people everywhere. We decided to go to a club after dinner for some drinks (our tickets were open bar) and then at about 11 use our passes to get through the barricades to see the countdown in one of the bars in the square near the ball drop. We queued for about 90 mins outside the club ... in heels and a dress (and a coat but still freezing) and it seemed like an eternity. The club was OK but I wasn't feeling amazingly upbeat as I was trying to recover from the mild hypothermia I was sure I was suffering from after the queue! When we decided to try and get through the barricades to go to the ball drop area it was impossible! We couldn't get anywhere close to the barricades because there were so many people pushing everywhere. The police we were supposed to flash our passes too were too busy controlling the crowds to pay attention to us. We just about managed to get into our Times Square hotel but even that was a mission. At this point it was about 11:40 so we had to make a snap decision to watch the ball drop from our hotel out of the cold and away from the crowds. It was fun but nothing like the moments in the movies where people rush into Times Square to find a loved one or go to amazing parties overlooking the ball drop. The rest of the trip was amazing but New Year's Eve in NYC was a long, cold, uncomfortable, expensive (tickets cost an arm and a leg), crowded, frustrating experience that I won't be repeating. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>#37 - ACHEIVED </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 2/10 (as long as you can afford it anyone can book it)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 6/10 (the run up was good, the night was a bit of a let down)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 2/10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 1/10 (though a 10/10 for NYC itself)</span></div>
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Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-38246785067704023332012-10-25T13:39:00.000-07:002013-10-14T11:55:26.604-07:00#7 - Ride a Segway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm not sure if all of you know what a segway is ... but basically its a little platform with two big wheels and a long handle. You stand on it and it takes you around, sort of like an electronic scooter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I hadn't heard of a segway til a couple of years ago but I travel around Eastern Europe alot where apparently these things are pretty popular. I was first introduced to the concept by Jess, an awesome girl from New Jersey who I met whilst backpacking around Romania. She was on placement in Italy and visiting different European cities whenever she had the chance. We met in Bucharest and instantly clicked (she actually came to visit me in Gibraltar and I plan to visit her in NYC!) and she told me how her next trip involved a segway tour (think it was in Belgium). She explained what it was and I was extremely confused as to how they would actually work without you instantly toppling over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />Those of you who know me will know that although I have many skills and strengths, ability, balance and coordination don't feature on that list. I've fallen upstairs, downstairs, wearing slippers and am the worst sportswoman known to man. I am also a terrible driver and have fallen off my motorbike, driven my car into a wall and am a danger on a bicycle. As you can see I was pretty doubtful of my ability to successfully ride anything that required balancing on two wheels without a catastrophic result.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Earlier this year my friend and I booked a trip to Budapest (an awesome city to visit by the way!). I was researching tours to book and came across a segway tour .... and thought I've gotta try this. I'd just got back from trekking in Peru and attempting to surf in Portugal so was feeling pretty adventurous. My friend was up for it too so we booked it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We got to Budapest which is idyllic ... but also full of cobblestones, crossroads and pavements - a hazard for any two-wheeled vehicle. Our tour was a 2 hour guided segway tour of the Pest side of Budapest, visiting monuments such as the opera house, chain bridge and Andrassy avenue (Budapest's answer to the Champs Elysee). We had a 10 minute training session before the tour and were given helmets to wear. We were a small group of 4 people, and I decided to go last for training as my confidence wasn't great. I was far from a natural!! I wobbled!! A lot!!! And almost fell .... but didn't :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Going up and down steps without falling over and taking curves without crashing into the wall was a challenge but I eventually got the hang of it!! It was fun!!!!! I lost my balance a few times and by the end of it my legs and feet ached, and I was wobbling all over the place - think I was too tense so was shattered by the end. I wasn't brave enough to take off the speed restrictors in the main square to play at going fast like the others did as I was too wobbly by that point but I still would recommend trying it. People give you odd looks as you speed past them on the pavement and lots of Chinese tourists take photos of you from every angle lol.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">#7 ACHIEVED</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thought I'd make the post interesting by rating each list item on a number of categories:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- Difficulty: 7/10 (for most people this would be a 4 or 5 but I have no balance or co-ordination so was a struggle)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- Thrill factor: 7/10 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 3/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- Recommend to a friend: 8/10 </span></div>
Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-23980894607291897802012-10-25T00:06:00.003-07:002012-10-25T00:06:39.934-07:00Some housekeeping stuff ...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for all the feedback so far guys ... keep it coming!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been asked by a few people how do they check progress on the list (i.e. which are done or nearly there).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you click on the tab at the top called '<a href="http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/p/the-list.html">The List</a>' it takes you to a summary page where you can keep up to date on where my adventures have taken me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Posts on the ones already acheived to follow shortly ....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope the list inspires you to do something awesome today :)</span></div>
Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-65429505644031147802012-10-24T14:10:00.000-07:002012-10-25T00:02:22.952-07:00So here's the list!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEv0sJFRa3W89pbs8nh5NtdHJYYS5kz1RIwmxUTQ-FtXDvwki6lwHIJ589FEBmkir3yxjuFjiryCvz4wqJMLOaxPc8XM8Pzssr7dKsDp0ozm9DvnRwd1N3B7gUO2D8SrC0KVY8rE9rsA/s1600/bucketlist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEv0sJFRa3W89pbs8nh5NtdHJYYS5kz1RIwmxUTQ-FtXDvwki6lwHIJ589FEBmkir3yxjuFjiryCvz4wqJMLOaxPc8XM8Pzssr7dKsDp0ozm9DvnRwd1N3B7gUO2D8SrC0KVY8rE9rsA/s400/bucketlist.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ok so here's the list. This isn't an exhaustive list or in any particular order. I may do other amazing things which aren't on the list, or even on occasion add a couple more, but for the moment it's a list of all the things I want to acheive in this lifetime. I'll add this to a <a href="http://dream-big-live-big.blogspot.com/p/the-list.html">tab on my page </a>and as I complete the list entries they will become bold to make it easier to keep track of progress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Go snowshoeing in the Antarctic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Visit every continent</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Climb Mount Kilamanjara</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Climb to Everest base camp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">5. Climb a volcano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">6. Canoe/kayak through the Amazon river</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">7. Ride a Segway</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">8. Ride a buggy through the Sahara Dessert</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">9. Sleep under the stars</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">10. Drive from the East Coast to the West Coast of the United States</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">11. Learn to surf <i>(standing up!)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">12. Volunteer in a developing country</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">13. Build a well in Africa</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">14. Try guinea pig, ostrich, llama, alpaca, frog, rabbit, shark, crocodile, kangaroo and gazelle meat <i>(and any other strange meat!)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">15. Eat at a Michelin star restaurant</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">16. Go to culinary school</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">17. Teach a course</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">18. Help someone reach their goal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">19. Do a charity trek</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">20. Speak 5 languages</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">21. Visit the Seven Wonders of the New World<i> (Macchu Picchu in Peru, Collisseum in Rome, Petra in Jordan, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, Great Wall of China, Chichin Itza in Mexico and the Taj Mahal in India)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">22. Go on a zip wire through the jungle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">23. Jump out of a plane</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">24. Get a degree</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">25. Get a Masters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">26. Get a Doctorate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">27. Write a book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">28. Get over 100 followers on my blog</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">29. Enter politics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">30. Start a charity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">31. Run a marathon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">32. Start up my own business</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">33. Kiss someone at the foot of the Eiffel Tower</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">34. Ride an Elephant</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">35. Go to the home of the Dalai Lama in Tibet</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">36. Go to a full moon party in Asia</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">37. Experience New Year's in Time Square</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">38. Ride a horse and carriage through Central Park</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">39. Go on a gondola in Venice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">40. Be someone's mentor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">41. Go sailing on open water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">42. Represent Gibraltar abroad</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">43. Be quoted in an international publication</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">44. Own a Mini Cooper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">45. Earn a six figure income</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">46. Take a photography course</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">47. Make my own item of clothing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">48. Organise an event for over 1000 people</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">49. Run a seminar on ethical leadership</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">50. Become a manager in an organisation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">51. Marry my soulmate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">52. Have children</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">53. Buy a house with a big garden</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">54. Have a toned stomach <i>(a six pack may be a bit ambitious but as close to that as possible)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">55. Get my teeth straightened and whitened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">56. Be someone's Maid of Honour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">57. Go to Carnival in Brazil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">58. Restore a piece of furniture</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">59. Enter an art competition</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">60. Read and play music</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">61. Read the complete works of Shakespeare</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">62. Take a helicopter ride through the Grand Canyon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">63. Play roulette in a Las Vegas Casino</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">64. Meet a Hollywood star</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">65. Meet a music legend</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">66. Go to a music festival</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">67. Have a romantic meal on a private beach</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">68. Go on holiday to a private island</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">69. Fly first class</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">70. Ride a tuk-tuk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">71. Go on a skiing holiday</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">72. Go salsa dancing in Cuba</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">73. Watch the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">74. Ride a Hot Air Balloon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">75. Swim in the Dead Sea</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">76. Go on safari</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">77. Visit every capital city in Europe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">78. Drink beer at Oktoberfest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">79. Go waterfall jumping</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">80. Go to a premiership football match, NBA game, tennis Grand Slam, NFL game, baseball game, F1 race and MotoGP race</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">81. Go backpacking around a continent</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">82. Sit in the audience of a TV show</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">83. Watch a musical in the west end and on broadway</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">84. Watch stand-up comedy live</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">85. Go to a movie premiere</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">86. Go to a drive-in movie theatre</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">87. Ride in a limousine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">88. Have a pet</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">89. Adopt or foster a child</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">90. Save a life</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">91. Dance in the rain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">92. Be part of a flash mob</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">93. Participate in a world record attempt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">94. Go on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">95. Donate blood</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">96. Swim with dolphins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">97. Grow my own vegetables</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">98. Attend the Olympic games</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">99. Eat steak in Argentina</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">100. Go to the Opera and to the Ballet</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">101. Witness a meteor shower </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">102. Visit all the Disney theme parks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">103. Win a poker game</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">104. Go to a vineyard and make my own wine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">105. Buy something from Tiffany's</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">106. Meet a head of state (president or prime minister)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">107. Act in a play</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">108. Participate in an impromptu snowball fight</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">109. Be vegetarian for one month</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">110. Take part in a demonstration for a good cause</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">111. Go on a cruise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">112. Be able to do 50 push-ups (not on knees) and 100 crunches</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">113. Go to bootcamp for a week</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">114. Eat an insect</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">115. Help a stranger in distress</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">116. Watch a space shuttle launch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">117. Milk a cow</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">118. Stand in the crown of the Statue of Liberty</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">119. Go snorkelling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">120. Stay in a bungalow on the beach</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">121. Go couch surfing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">122. Leave a big tip for excellent service (over 50% of the bill)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">123. Be a movie extra</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">124. Tour the White House</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">125. Learn CPR</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">126. Celebrate St Patrick's Day in Ireland</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">127. Ride a Helicopter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">128. Ride a submarine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">129. Attend a traditional Christmas market</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">130. Attend a Cirque du Soleil show</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">131. Visit Auschwitz</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">132. Toast marshmallows on a bonfire at the beach</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">133. Visit Niagara Falls</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">134. Go swimming in a lake</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">135. Go to a classical music concert</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">136. Play 'Come Dine with Me' with friends</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">137. Watch the sun rise over a mountain top</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">138. Try a new team sport</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">139. Be someone's godmother</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">140. Climb Mediterranean Steps in under 20 minutes </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169524258170755224.post-28306189670658427942012-10-24T12:52:00.000-07:002012-10-24T12:52:01.159-07:00Why the list??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWfJXT2bgtPDBnufpUxARQRAFHN4d1OU5aXo7T3fm6kHlMqWk3EN-nD0nXQbsjmpJNPpa4vpANr8L21mDNA3pbi407VtQTzcfj4301jiL61S5USeaXB4WRRxrJwXXaXXgRwufdZzO9A0/s1600/blog+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWfJXT2bgtPDBnufpUxARQRAFHN4d1OU5aXo7T3fm6kHlMqWk3EN-nD0nXQbsjmpJNPpa4vpANr8L21mDNA3pbi407VtQTzcfj4301jiL61S5USeaXB4WRRxrJwXXaXXgRwufdZzO9A0/s1600/blog+life.jpg" /></a>So I just got back from a leadership course and the last thing we did was some vision and goal setting. You know the type, what do you want to acheive in 5 years etc etc. The majority of the course was standard management/leadership silly icebreakers to demonstrate skills and attributes but I've been to too many of these kinds of courses to take anything out of these anymore and am a bit cynical. However the vision setting thing got me a bit excited. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've always considered myself a driven and ambitious person and regularly set goals for myself (and more often than not achieve them). This normally means I ends up with random lists at home or at work or on notebooks or scraps of papers or plane tickets. I like to plan things and get excited about them. I've even used a Vision Board a few times (I am a big fan of Rhonda Byrne's books and the Secret, the Power and the Magic permanently reside on my bedside table). The bad thing about writing things on a million pieces of paper is that, whilst in my planning, life, work etc I am fairly organised, when it comes to paper and clutter I tend to live in organised chaos.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So anyway ... back to this course. I got a bit excited goal setting and my 20 goals that I was supposed to set soon became 20, 30, 40 etc. I could no longer fit them on my little course workbook. I decided now was as good a time as any to combine all my lists and come up with a bucket list - a list of things I want to acheive in this life in order to say at my deathbed 'That was one hell of a ride' and look back with no regrets, the fondest of memories and a mental scrapbook of amazing experiences.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There are lot of items on my list. Some big, some small, some stupid, some enormous. Some I've already done, some I am planning to do, some will probably take a while to acheive, but all of them will make my life a little bit more awesome than it already is. Everytime I complete one or get closer to achieving one I'll post it on the blog. Hopefully it will inspire some people to dream big and realise that life is what you make of it and it can incredible if you let it!</span></span></div>
Blonde Ambitionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759234899685858820noreply@blogger.com0