Category: Other Travels (Page 9 of 9)

Finland

May 15, 2015 / kristinewanders

After spending 3 nights in Sweden we crossed the border into Finland. We traveled by bus to Rovaniemi from the border city of Haparanda/Tornio. Rovaniemi is famous the world over for being the home of Santa Claus- in fact he lives just north of the town center on the Arctic Circle. (More on this later). The other reason we wanted to visit Finnish Lapland (apart from Santa) was that we wanted to spend a night in a glass igloo, and more importantly, I wanted to see the Northern Lights from the inside of a glass igloo!!

Originally, we had planned to travel to the very northern area in Finland to stay in these igloos. If you spend any time on Instagram or Pinterest then I’m sure you’ve seen the photos. Sadly, we were running out of time to make the trek there so we opted for a different igloo experience closer to Rovaniemi. We spent 1 night at the Arctic Snow Hotel which is about a 30 min taxi ride from the town center. The Snow Hotel was a bit of a let down after spending a night at the Ice Hotel in Sweden, but the glass igloos where super cool. The were all self sufficient with a domed glass ceiling with picturesque views of the sky. Ours had 2 super comfy twin beds, with a decent sized bathroom and shower. Insider tip: the beds are electronic, so they can be adjusted into chair positions which unfortunately we didn’t find out until the following morning, but would have been really cool to gaze at the northern lights in.

On site is the Snow Hotel (duh) which had that kinda yellow colouring of old snow. The bar and snow restaurant on the inside were pretty neat. There are a couple hot tubs, and saunas which you have to book in advance. There are also a few different dining options depending on whether you want to eat dinner in a cottage near the lake, or in the Snow Hotel. You can also borrow snowshoes, or try your hand at ice fishing while there. We were really, really lucky the night we spent there because we were able to see an amazing display of the Northern Lights. I also got to teach my winter-naive kiwi sidekick how to chill a bottle of wine in a snow bank in the middle of a Finnish winter without the availability of a fridge. It might have literally blown her mind!!

After our night of Northern Lights bliss we headed back to the town of Rovaniemi which was to be our base for another 3 nights. This was March 2nd and there was a very visible solar eclipse that I nearly went blind from taking photos of and was pretty cool to witness. Don’t worry Mom my eyesight is back to normal now! The first thing we did once we got back to Rovaniemi was go visit our boy Santa. Anyone who knows me knows I love Christmas. Like seriously love it. I was pumped to visit Santa’s workshop and wander in the Christmas Village. And then we got there. And surprise, surprise there were like a million tourists and tourist buses. And while Santa was great, the lines, and general kitchiness of the place was a major let down. But we did get our photo taken with Santa and asked him to bring us both husbands for Christmas. And we did get our photo taken straddling the Arctic Circle. And the coolest thing of all was that you can mail postcards that have the official Santa’s Village stamp. Well I thought it was cool……

Solar Eclipse

Santa Hall of Fame

We spent the rest of our time in Rovaniemi wandering the town. We spent an afternoon at Arktikum Museum which tells the story of the Arctic Circle and is also a science center. We spent a morning dog-sledding which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. We got to drive the sled with 5 mischievous dogs. It was freezing cold (about -10C) and we spent about an hour and a half outside. Thankfully, winter clothes were provided so it wasn’t super unpleasant. After dog sledding over snowy trails and frozen lakes, we got to visit the kennels and cuddle some baby huskies. They melted my nearly frozen heart. And I seriously had to resist the urge to steal a couple of them.

The Finnish Lapland is a magical place. I mean if it’s good enough for Santa it’s well worth the visit!! From here we flew to Copenhagen……..

Sweden

May 10, 2015 / kristinewanders

We took the train from Narvik Norway to Kiruna Sweden. It’s a reportedly scenic train ride, although this must be specific to the summer months. In the winter it’s a never ending sea of grey. Grey sky, grey water, white snow, bare trees. The train takes about 3hrs and it’s good to note the the train station has moved in Kiruna so it’s not really walking distance into town. Especially in the winter. FunFact: the city of Kiruna is in the process of moving 3km to the east as the current city center is built over an ore mine and is at risk of falling into the mine. We stayed one night in Kiruna. It’s a really cute and walkable town- as long as you have grippy shoes, as many of the walking paths are quite snowy and icy. We spent an afternoon checking out the local shops and eating some delicious food. There is quite a big Sami population in Kiruna. The Sami people are the indigenous people of Scandinavia and live in northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. They have a very interesting heritage, and colourful traditional dress. I expected the indigenous people to look similar to the Inuit population in Canada, but many of the Sami people we met looked exactly the same as other Norwegian or Swedish people we met. Traditionally they are known as being nomadic reindeer herders, and reindeer are a huge part of the local diet. We ate reindeer meat several times during our time in this region. Sorry Rudolph!! The guesthouse we stayed in had a Sami museum in the basement, which was very helpful to see how the Sami people lived and to read about their heritage.

Carved Sami knife

Traditional Sami belt

Our second night in Sweden was spent staying at the Ice Hotel. This was is fact, the entire reason we staying in Kiruna. I really wanted to stay at the Ice Hotel and see the Northern Lights while I was there. The Ice Hotel offers rooms in the Ice Hotel (made of ice hence the name) or cabins on the Ice Hotel property. We decided to stay in a 2 bedroom cabin instead of the ice rooms as that seemed more comfortable. The Ice Hotel originally opened in 1990 and is located along the banks of the Torne River. Every year in March ice blocks are taken from the river and stored with snow in freezing temperatures until November when the hotel is built. It’s open to guests from December to April when it melts. We took a tour and the guide said that the hotel is built on a slight slant so that as the hotel melts the water returns to the river from which it came. I liked that a lot. Every year artists from around the world arrive and design the reception area, the art suites, chapel and the Ice Bar. So every year the rooms are different. It’s utterly beautiful inside the hotel. The hotel also provides complete winter gear for guests as well as a buffet breakfast.

We splurged and had a very fancy dinner at the restaurant on site. 4 of the courses were served on blocks of ice from the Torne River. It included bleak roe, arctic char, smoked reindeer tartar, and fillet of moose to name a few of the courses, all expertly paired with wine. Part way through dinner there was a big commotion as everyone rushed outside to view the Northern Lights. It wasn’t the best display as it was hard to make them out with the naked eye. They looked more like a greyish haze in the sky, until you took a photo and then they appeared bright green. We finished our dinner and bundled up to walk down to the shores of the river to watch the Northern Lights. From here they were much more visible, and we braved the cold temperatures until our cameras froze and decided they were done taking photos. We then visited the Ice Bar for a cocktail served in……you guessed it…..an ice glass. It was a really great day.

The following day we had a long day of travel heading for the Swedish/Finnish border. We took the train from Kiruna to Lulea and then caught a bus to the border town of Haparanda/Tornio. This is a very interesting place because there isn’t really a border separating the 2 countries, and yet there is a time change of an hour. This made things very confusing the following morning as we woke up an hour earlier than we needed to when our bodies were on Swedish time but our bus was on Finnish time. I still can’t wrap my head around it! Onwards to Finland……..

The Right Place at the Right Time

May 5, 2015 / kristinewanders

While staying in Narvik Norway, my kiwi mate and I decided to walk to the ski hill the overlooks the city to ride the cable car to the top of the hill to take in the supposed amazing views of the city and surrounding area. Apparently on a clear day you can see the Lofoten Islands from the top. We asked directions from the front desk of the hotel we stayed at and were told that it was about a 20 min walk to the base of the ski hill. The receptionist did not mention that it was straight up hill and unless you had boots that had amazing grip to climb a steep hill of ice it would be far smarter to take a taxi. This would’ve been helpful to know.

So we set off. My kiwi friend is sensible and wearing snow boots. I, however; was not as bright and had on a pair of hiking shoes. Shoes meant for hiking, not ice climbing. So we start up this hill, and its slick, but not yet that steep and people are coming down the same path and they seem to be having no problem so I figure it’s ok going up. Later we would realize that all the locals had these traction devices that fit over their shoes making it easy and safe to walk on ice. So the road is getting steeper and I’m slipping every couple steps and starting to really get freaked out. Because if it is this hard going up, how the eff am I going to get down? Back in 2008 I had a bad bike accident that left me broken and bruised and had it not been for wearing a helmet I would seriously have sustained a brain injury. Ever since I’m very nervous about any chance of hitting my head on a hard surface. Climbing this hill of ice completely un-nerved me. But, we were literally trapped. I didn’t want to go on, but was too scared to turn around so we attempted to unsuccessfully call a taxi. No luck. So the next safest option was to walk in the street because at least the street was bare in most parts.

So we’re coming around a corner and a Somali woman is coming down with a toddler and a baby in a stroller. She’s coming down the hill that’s a complete ice rink. And the toddler slips, and pulls the lady down with him. As she falls her hands lose grip on the stroller and the stroller starts sliding down the ice into the road. To the exact spot I was walking up. It literally rolled into my out stretched hands. The woman is looking panicked, the toddler is crying and he’s bitten his lip so he’s bleeding. And it’s so icy that they can hardly get up. And we can’t get to them to help as it’s so damn icy. So, eventually she is able to get up and helps the toddler up, and we help them across the street all the while I’m pushing the stroller and this super cute chubby baby is staring at me like “who are you lady, and what’s happening?”

We get them to a safe area, and then we say our goodbyes. And I’m immediately thankful we didn’t turn around. Because if I hadn’t continued on and been walking in the street at that exact moment who knows what would’ve happened to that baby. The stroller would’ve for sure ran into the street, and quite likely into oncoming traffic, if it didn’t tip over when it went off the sidewalk. So sometimes, you end up being in the exact right place at the right time, even though seconds before that was literally the last place I wanted to be. I’m not overly religious, but I think it’s a hell of a coincidence that we found ourselves in that exact spot.

So we eventually made it to the base of the ski hill. Only to find out that the last trip up the cable car was 5 min before we got there. And that the ski hill was closed the following day. So we had an employee call us a taxi because there was absolutely no way I was walking back down that hill of ice. And we never did get to find out it the view was as amazing as we had read. The End.

Norway

May 1, 2015 / kristinewanders

Those of you who know me well know that I am not a winter lover. In fact, for many years I dodged the dreaded Canadian winters by taking contracts in the southern parts of the US. A winter spent in Arizona and another one in Southern California were very good for my soul. I’m much happier wearing flip-flops than snow boots. And yet, in the middle of March I spent 2 weeks traveling thru Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark with my kiwi sidekick. For the last few years the Lofoten Islands have been a place I’ve been drawn to. A big part of the draw was how picturesque they are, but equally so is their isolation. Especially, in the winter.

The Lofoten Islands are a chain of islands off the northern Norwegian coast located in the Arctic Circle. To get there we flew from Riyadh to Munich, to Copenhagen, to Oslo, to Bodo where we spent a night. Bodo is the main transport hub for tourists heading to the Lofotens. The recommended route to get to the Lofoten Islands is to take an express ferry from Bodo which takes about 4hrs. The ferry, however; runs at odd times, and doesn’t get into Svolvear until after dark so we decided to take the bus. There are a couple different bus options. We switched buses in Sortland, and it took us most of the day to get to Svolvear. The buses in Norway are clean, and efficient. To get to Svolvear you end up taking a couple ferries while on the bus, and it’s a very beautiful journey. One of my favourite things about traveling is being in motion. I love to take the world in from a window of a bus or train as opposed to flying. This was a lovely bus trip. The scenery outside is a combination of utter beauty and the harshness of desolation. The grey winter sky contrasts against the snowy jagged cliffs as you pass lakes and the coastline of the Norwegian Sea.

Svolvear is one of the main towns in the Lofoten Island archipelago. We decided to stay here 4 nights as the town looked very quaint. You can see most things within the town in a day. There are several cute shops, and a bunch of galleries with photography exhibits and more traditional style paintings. There are many food options. There is a large bridge with amazing views that crosses over to the small town of Svinoya. This is a great place to take photos of the massive fish drying racks which are a major contributor to the areas economy. We took a day trip to the opposite end of the island to a place called Henningsvaer which you can easily walk around in a couple of hours. The buses don’t run often so you really have to plan your trips out well in advance. The best option (but also the most expensive) would be to have a rental car, but we were trying to stay within our budget, so the bus it was. Another easy day trip is to take the bus to the next island south to visit the Lofotr Viking Museum in Borg. The museum tells the Viking history of the area and is build on an archeological site. There is a reconstructed Chieftain house where you can try on armoured clothing and see what it would have been like to live during Viking times. During the summer months you can go on board a Viking ship- this area was closed while we visited as the lake was frozen. There are many other activities to do while in the Lofotens. You can go on a whale expeditions, go deep sea fishing, or surf the Arctic Circle. There is limited day light hours thru the winter months but in the summer you can take in the “midnight sun” with extended hours of daylight.

From the Lofoten Islands we traveled to Narvik, again by bus which took about 4 1/2 hours. Narvik is a great transportation hub for those tourists traveling onwards to Sweden. There is a ski hill over looking the city, and many shops and restaurants to explore. We spent one night here before taking the train to Kiruna Sweden. Norway wasn’t the easiest place to travel in as several times we ate at restaurants that didn’t have English menus or staff that didn’t speak English. I often thought how difficult it would be if English wasn’t your first language seeing as we had a lot of communication difficulties. That being said, Norwegians themselves are very friendly. Especially the elderly ones. We often had elderly people come up to us and start chatting in Norwegian only to have us smile and shrug our shoulders to communicate that we didn’t understand. It’s also good to know that in a lot of pubs or simple restaurants you go up to the counter to order and pay prior to getting your food. Tipping is not expected at restaurants like this. The buses are easy, but can be a little frustrating as you don’t get tickets ahead of time, which means it takes several minutes at every stop for people to board and pay for however far they are going. The Lofoten Islands are as beautiful as I imagined. I would happily go back!

A Lesson In Kindness

April 17, 2015 / kristinewanders

For me, travel is a never ending lesson in kindness. I truly believe that most people are good, and this belief is never more apparent then when I’m traveling. From India, to Bangladesh, to the corners of the Middle East, for the most part I’ve met kind, kind people.

Back in February I took a trip to Cyprus. My kiwi travel mate and I rented a car in the southern part of Cyprus where we toured around for the better part of a week. Our last few days in Cyprus were spend in the border city of Nicosia where the Green Line dissects the city into the southern Greek part and what they refer to as the “Turkish occupied” area to the North. We had been warned many times by people on the southern side that the people of the north couldn’t be trusted. That they were dishonest. That it was unsafe. And that we would be scammed. Naturally, I wanted to check out this place, full well knowing that this was likely very untrue.

We wanted to explore the Turkish side, but it was a bit of a paper-work nightmare to drive our rental car across. Even with the proper paperwork the end result was that we would likely still void the rental agreement we had with the car rental place in the south. So that seemed like not a great option. We inquired at our hotel in the southern part of Nicosia about booking a taxi for the day to take us around. At first the reception guy referenced the many reasons why we shouldn’t go to the north. They are bad, they treat their women bad, they will treat you bad. We then informed him where we live. He replied that we would find the north especially shocking then. He was dead serious. We laughed till our eyes watered. He then quoted us 350euros to book a taxi for the day. Again, I thought he was joking and started to laugh. Turns out he was not. So we told him we would walk across the border and negotiate a taxi ourselves. He was horrified at our blatant disregard for his safety warnings.

So cross the border we did. And we found a taxi stand and tried to negotiate with a couple drivers, but the lowest price we could get them down to was 120euros which still seemed rather steep. So, we wandered the market and found a small shawarma place called the Orange Cafe and Restaurant. We sat down and ordered a bite to eat and a couple beers to discuss our options. It then dawned on me that maybe we could just rent a car in the north for the day. So I asked the very nice Pakistani guy who was our server if there were any car rental places close by. He replied no, but then uttered the words “maybe my boss knows.” And off he went to get his boss.

Samie, as we would soon learn was the boss’s name strolled over a couple minutes later. He was in his late 40’s, wearing blue jeans, a leather jacket, and a hat with a maple leaf on the front. In Canada we call these hats a touque and the fact that his had a maple leaf on it made me like him immediately. So we told him our sad story of how we wanted to tour the north, but didn’t want to pay very much to do it. As it turned out Samie also owned a taxi company and told us he could get us a driver for the day for 100euros. Again we said it was too much, so then Samie said he had a BMW that he would lend us for 50euros the following day. He said he also had a Hummer, but that the it was too expensive in gas. Now granted, it did sound a little sketchy, but I’m one for seeing how a situation plays out. And 50euros to drive ourselves was exactly what we wanted. So we made arrangements to meet at 9am the following morning.

So the following morning we head back across the border to the north. It’s pouring rain, and by the time we arrive at the Orange Cafe we are drenched. Samie is there, and his “brother” is there, and no one really speaks great English. So we are invited to sit down for tea, and Samie brings us an olive loaf that his mother made. And it’s delicious. Samie makes a phone call that we eventually make out has to do with insurance for the car, and then a guy arrives with papers, and then things got a little confusing. Samie hands my kiwi mate the keys and we walk over to the BMW but the guy who delivered the papers is still there. So we’re thinking maybe we’ve totally misunderstood and this guy is taking us for the day? So Samie says basically “bring the car back whenever” and walks away. Now I’m in the backseat and my Kiwi friend is in the passenger seat, and this paper-delivery guy is now driving us through the winding narrow streets of Northern Nicosia. After a couple minutes he stops, gets out, and gets into another vehicle, and signals for us to follow him out of the old city walls.

And then just like that we’re on our own in a strangers car (that we’ve yet to pay the 50euros) and we’re driving further into the north, and we’re laughing at the absurdness of it all. That Samie trusted us enough upon initial impression to hand over the keys to his car. At the complete kindness and trust of a stranger. So we spent the day touring and getting lost in the north of Cyprus as I’ve previously told you. We got hopelessly lost trying to get back to the cafe. The winding narrow streets of the walled section of north Nicosia is disorienting and confusing. By complete fluke we ended up pulling over about to ask for directions and who was standing across the street? The original guy who delivered the insurance papers. So he jumped in and drove us back to the Orange Cafe and to the car’s rightful owner, Samie. We ordered some beer and some food and sat with Samie and his “brother” for a couple hours discussing politics and life in the north in broken English.

The following day (our last day in Cyprus) we stopped back at the Orange Cafe. By now we felt like they were our good friends. We had some apple tea, and said our goodbyes. So what did Samie teach me? He taught me that it’s ok to take a chance on a stranger, that people can do something kind, just for the reason of being kind and helpful. He taught me that each of us should make more of an effort to help tourists in our own country. Because even though I have had so many kind interactions with strangers while traveling, I could make more of an effort when I’m on my home soil. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we should all immediately hand over our car keys to the next tourist you see, but that it’s ok to go out of your way to help a stranger. That kindness towards a stranger benefits not just the giver but also the receiver. Try it and I guarantee your heart will feel a little lighter.

I think I’m going to make a Lesson in Kindness a regular part of my blog. I’ve got so many wonderful stories of chance encounters with kind strangers that have been so humbling, I would love to share more of them. Those chance encounters where you walk away with the feeling that the world is a good place, and that compassion and kindness are the keys to the betterment of humanity. For as the Dalai Lama once said “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”
I agree wholeheartedly.

Doha Qatar

April 7, 2015 / kristinewanders

In February on the way back to Saudi from Cyprus, I had a stop over in Qatar. One of my goals while living in the Middle East is that I would eventually like to visit every Middle Eastern country. Yemen for obvious reasons is out, and I was lucky enough to visit Syria back in 2010 before the war. The only countries I had yet to see where Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Iran, and Iraq. For obvious reasons, Iraq is also a no-go, and if I visited Israel I’d have a heck of a time explaining that stamp in my passport on my return to Saudi, so Qatar was a safe bet! The only land border Qatar shares is with Saudi Arabia to the southwest, and is otherwise surrounded by the Persian gulf. It is geographically very close to Bahrain and is the world’s richest country. Yes, the richest. Richer than the UAE and Saudi Arabia combined.

Qatari fashion is similar to Saudi fashion in many ways, except that the Abaya is not mandatory. As with any Middle Eastern country it’s respectful to dress conservatively, but western clothes are perfectly acceptable and you aren’t required to cover your hair. Many Qatari women did wear an Abaya, or had their hair covered. Many Qatari men also wore traditional dress which consists of a thobe (the white garment worn by many men throughout the Middle East) and either the white or red checkered head scarf, or a white “skull cap” which I’m unable to Google the proper name of. Being a Muslim country, alcohol is not readily available, but can be purchased in restaurants in the major hotels, or via permit for ex-pats living there.

We flew into Doha, and I was surprised that the city was quite a bit smaller than I had expected it to be. Riyadh has a population of around 4 million people, by comparison Doha has around 800,000 people living there. The main downtown area is full of tall brightly lit buildings clustered around the coast. There is a corniche that hugs the Doha Bay with a walking and cycling path. We drove past it and it was full of people exercising and enjoying the warm evening breeze. Temperatures in Doha are similar to that of Riyadh except that they there is the humidity factor of being on the coast, which makes it feel a great deal warmer in the summer.

We visited The Pearl which is a residential/commercial project involving a man-made island so named because it was build on the site of a major pearl diving site. We were in search of a movie theatre, which I’m sure sounds absurd to those of you living outside of Saudi. There are no movie theatres in Saudi Arabia, where it would be considered illegal to have men and women mixing in the darkness of a movie theatre. I love, love, love going to the movies, so whenever I’m traveling outside of Saudi I always try to fit in a movie. Our movie mission was very successful after we eventually found the theatre. The Pearl is a huge development and getting from one end to the other is quite a distance.

The following day we ventured out to Souq Waqif which has a very “traditional Arabia” feel to it. It’s full of restaurants, and curving alleyways that open into shops. We ate breakfast outdoors at one of the many cafes. I was pretty jazzed to order my favourite Arabic breakfast dish called shakshouka consisting of eggs, tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions served with Arabic bread. Yumm.

Qatari Police

Souq Waqif

After this we headed to the Islamic Arts Museum, which was the real highlight of Doha for me. First off, the building is very aesthetically pleasing. It’s on the Doha Bay with great views of the Doha skyline. Second, I love Islamic Art. I love the patterns, and the textures, and Arabic is a really beautiful written language. The museum has an amazing flow to it. I am often very overwhelmed in museums that don’t flow well, I sort of wander around aimlessly, and often times don’t really take too much in as the feeling of being overwhelmed often turns to being anxious. Not here. The museum is spacious, and well lit, and has a very calming atmosphere about it. Oh, and it’s free to get in. Yes. Free. I especially like free. There is art from neighbouring Middle Eastern countries spanning the 7th to 19th century. Exhibits include ceramics, textiles, and metal and wood work. When you’re done touring the museum there is a fantastic gift shop and a cafe with floor to ceiling views of the skyline. It’s well worth a visit.

Men traditionally dressed

At the Islamic Arts Museum

So, for those of you in Saudi Arabia, looking for a quick weekend getaway, Doha Qatar is a good option when you need to get out of the sandbox! I intend to return as we really only scratched the surface and there’s much more to see and do. And when I go back I’ll likely return to the Islamic Arts Museum. That’s how much I liked it!!

Nicosia Cyprus

March 20, 2015 / kristinewanders

After our time in the coastal city of Paphos we headed inland to the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia. As I previously mentioned, Nicosia is a city literally split in two. The southern part is the Greek portion of the city and the northern section is the Turkish part. We spent 3 nights wandering the city and crossing back and forth between the 2 borders. Pedestrians can cross the border at the Ledra Street crossing, which is a really cool and happening area lined with shops, restaurants and loads of cafes. This was a short 10 min walk from our hotel. We were really keen to explore the northern part of the country, as both myself and my kiwi travel mate have been to Turkey, and I especially loved it. We had rented a rental car in the south, but it is somewhat difficult to drive your rental car across the border. Well not exactly difficult per say, but rather that you would inadvertently void your rental contract. We did not want to risk that and instead concocted a rather genius plan with the help of a kind stranger who was able to help us out with wheels (more on this is a separate post.)

So we drove into the north, and there is so much to see over there. So much so, that we just scratched the surface really. After our GPS directing us into a military occupied zone we eventually arrived at Bellapais Abbey an extraordinary Abbey dating from the 13th century. Shocker of all shockers, it was raining that day, but it still made for beautiful photos. The inside of the church had beautiful lighting, that I didn’t want to stop taking photos in, except that a bus load of loud German tourists entered making it difficult to navigate the now crowded room. The archways on the outside were in varying state of decay and only added to the place’s photogenic appeal. Well worth a visit!!

The inside of Bellapais Abbey

Such beautiful lighting

Arches, arches, and more arches

The outer decaying walls

From this point our GPS decided it didn’t want to cooperate with us at all. We weren’t sure if the weather, or the fact that we had crossed into the northern area were to blame, but for the rest of that day we flew by the seat of our pants. We headed towards the coastal city of Kyrenia, and after driving thru the super-cute harbour area we arrived at the Kyrenia Castle. The castle is very large, with several museum type rooms. Had the weather been better there would have been beautiful views from the top. I’m sure you’re surprised to learn it was still in fact raining. We got utterly lost leaving Kyrenia, but eventually made our way to St Hilarion Castle which is perched high up a cliff overlooking another military zone. This castle is said to have been the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Snow White. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived it was closing time, but we were still able to get some photos. We then headed back to Nicosia- getting lost several more times, and almost driving our borrowed car into the south. Lucky for us there was a turn around area, as I would’ve hated explaining this to the kind man who’s car it was.

A ghost?? Or just a guy in a hoodie?

Inside Kyrenia Castle

Military zones everywhere

St Hilarion Castle

The rest of our time in Nicosia was spent wandering, and eating. We visited the Shacolas Tower (on the southern side) which has great views overlooking the city, but sadly none into the Green Line or DMZ that separates the south from the north. As Nicosia was a walled city there are many gates scattered throughout the city. On the northern side you can visit Selimiye Mosque from the 12th century which originally was a Gothic church and still pretty much looks like a Gothic church. It’s very similar to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, but on a much smaller and less grand scale. There is a municipal market near by that sells many Turkish treats. We also spent some time wandering next to the Green Line on the southern side. It’s creepy and cool and the same time, as much of the in between space is purposely blocked from view, and many of the building snext to the Green Line have been abandoned.

The Northern side

Local men

A man praying inside Selimiye Mosque

Still looks like a Gothic church to me

Abandoned buildings near the Green Line

The Venetian Walls

So that wraps up my 10 days in Cyprus. We flew back to Riyadh via Doha and we spent a night in Doha which I will give you my thoughts on later!

Paphos Cyprus

March 14, 2015 / kristinewanders

On our 6th day in Cyprus we left the comfort of the lovely flat we rented in Limassol and headed towards the town of Lemona. The day was cool, dark, and rainy, but we wanted to visit a winery we had read about. Tsangarides winery is just off the main road at Limona. We called ahead to make sure they were open as February is considered the off-season in Cyprus and some things are closed. Thankfully, this winery was!! Back home my family lives in a major wine region in Canada, and this winery reminded me of being home. It’s a smaller winery, but the tasting room is beautifully crafted with the tables and chairs designed out of wine barrels. We sampled quite a few (well rather I did as my Kiwi travel partner was in charge of the driving.) We bought a bottle of the Red and the Rose for our consumption later. From here we stopped off at an abandoned village not far from Lemona. As we pulled up it started to rain really hard, which only added to the eeriness. The village became abandoned after an earthquake in 1969. There are several toppled homes in the area, some roaming goats, and an abandoned church which appears unscathed from the outside.

Abandoned village thru the rain

After getting completely drenched and trying to not ruin my camera while taking photos of the ghost town we stopped off at Chrysorroyiatissa Monastery which had a sign out front warning of not entering if scantily dressed. We found it a little too hilarious as we basically looked like soaked cats in our rain gear and couldn’t have been further from being scantily dressed. The monastery itself is pretty plain as compared to Kykkos monastery. With no sign of the rain letting up, we headed in search of food. We read about a restaurant called Maria’s Place in Fyti in my Lonely Planet guidebook, and it was on our way to Paphos. Maria’s place is in the center of the village and we found it full of locals looking to stay dry in the rain and 3 ex-pat olderish Brits looking to spend the afternoon getting drunk (and they were well on their way!) Maria was nowhere to be found but someone called her and she arrived and served us delicious pork roast and hot tea. She was lovely, and her home cooking skills are legit.

We then drove onwards towards Paphos. Paphos is about 50km west of Limassol. It’s a coastal town with a beautiful harbour, a castle, and several archeological ruins. In fact, the entire city of Paphos is classified as a UNESCO site. We checked into a middle range hotel that primarily serves as a long term hotel for British and Russian tourists. We were very young compared to the 50 shades of grey hair on the other hotel guests, and as an added bonus our mattresses had plastic covers that crinkled every time one of us turned over. These “incontinence pads” as we called them provided endless jokes for our time in Paphos and led to much speculation between me and my kiwi mate over breakfast as to which hotel guests they had saved the night for. I never claimed to be very mature..

One of the really cool things you should see in Paphos is the Tombs of the Kings. It’s a large site with underground tombs dating from the 4th century BC. I loved it, and the coastal views are beautiful. As I’ve already mentioned the weather never really cooperated with us most of the time we were in Cyprus, but this day the rain was kept at bay even though the sky looked really dark and stormy which made for very dramatic photos. Have I mentioned yet how much photography is a huge part of travel for me? It’s my only real artistic form of expression and I love the way the world looks thru the lens of a camera. The Tombs of Kings is a photographers dream site.

Breathtaking coastline

Me at the Tombs of the Kings

Paphos also has a great harbour area with a promenade with cafes and shops lined up. There is also a castle on one end of the harbour with great rooftop views of the stormy sea. We spend an afternoon drinking wine and later coffee watching the choppiness of the sea. Later in the evening we visited the recommended Kiniras Garden restaurant. They serve traditional Cypriotic food and the owner Georgios was our server that night. We ordered based off his recommendations and the food and wine were very food. Well worth a visit. From Paphos we traveled to Nicosia.

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Limassol Cyprus

March 8, 2015 / kristinewanders

In mid-February I flew from Riyadh via Doha, Qatar to Larnaca in Cyprus. Thankfully, I was heavily medicated and the flight was uneventful!! My Kiwi travel mate and I had booked a rental car, so after a short shuttle to a nearby parking lot we were on our way. Limassol bound. I love the way the name of this city rolls off my tongue. I never tire of saying it. It sounds like a flavour of gelato or an exotic dance move. Anyways, it takes about an hour to drive from Larnaca to Limassol. The roads are good, but they do drive on the left hand side so I left the driving to my Kiwi sidekick. The last time I drove on the left hand side was in Scotland and my pops has very vivid memories of me removing the passenger side mirror by rubbing up against a narrow bridge. In my defense, a large truck crossed the center line so moving over was my only option. Pops thinks I should’ve stopped on the bridge and waited. We still have a difference of opinions on this matter. Regardless, I wasn’t feeling up to testing my luck on Cyprus roads.

Limassol is larger than I had envisioned and the old town is chaotic to drive in, with all the one way and blocked off streets. We stayed 5 nights at an Airbnb rental that was perfect. The owner Pandora was lovely. Such a kind sweet lady. It was just a couple blocks from the castle and had parking out front. Not to mention that the place was beautifully restored. On the first night we were there we walked down to the main square and found 110 euros on the street. This made me especially love Limassol. That entire night we joked that “our benefactor” was picking up the tab!

Our lovely flat

The streets of Limassol

Most of the main tourist things in Limassol can be seen in a day. There’s the Limassol Castle which has a pretty cool museum and great views from the top. There’s a Grand Mosque although it was pretty small and not very ornate compared to mosques in the Middle East. My Kiwi sidekick was required to wear a cloak to cover her arms and seeing her looking like a Harry Potter character was well worth the visit. There are a couple oldish churches, and a central market that was less impressive than I was imagining. Then there is the beach area and the harbour.

Inside Limassol Castle

A tiny tucked away church

Limassol makes a great base to day trip from. There are many monasteries close by and wineries to tour. We were there off-season so not all the wineries were open. I was unaware that Cyprus was know for its wine, but it makes a sweet desert wine called Commandaria which is well worth trying. Cyprus wines are also great if you don’t know much about wines. You can literally order wines by saying you want “a medium sweet white, or a medium dry red” and you’ll get a bottle with that exact label.

The mountain area of Troodos also makes a good day trip, if the weather cooperates. We were there in what is still considered winter and the roads are considered high mountain roads and are very windy. This area apparently has a ski hill although we never saw it, or any skiers for that matter either. Fortunately, we encountered loads of rain but it never snowed which would’ve made this area difficult to see. There are wineries in this area also, and ten Byzantine churches that are classified as UNESCO heritage sites. They are quite a distance apart so it would be very difficult to fit them all into a day. We managed to see 3 of them and they really are quite incredible. Since it was off season many of the churches are locked, so in order to see the inside you have to find the “key-holder” or as in our case with the first church the “key-holder” found us. Outside of the first church an old man came walking down the lane gangling a ring of keys moments after we walked up. We were super excited as we figured that getting the church unlocked would pose more of a problem. So we’re inside this amazing church and we’re looking at the beautiful paintings on the walls and ceilings and this old man is getting a little close. At first I think he’s just being helpful, pointing out this and that, and next thing you know he’s got his arm around me and he’s rubbing my back and working his way down to my ass. And he wreaks of alcohol. So I step away. And now he tries to make a go at it with my Kiwi pal. Needless to say we were out of there lickity-split because Grandpa tried to get to first base. The other 2 churches we saw were also very cool, and thankfully no one tried to molest us. One of the them had an interesting painted image of Mary breastfeeding Jesus, and the other one had an image in which Mary appeared pregnant. Kykkos monastery is well worth a visit also, if only to take in its opulence. It is still a functioning monastery so you might see some Orthodox monks whilst there.

The site of the church groping

Agios Nikolaos tis Stegi Church

Kykkos Monastery

Colourful stained glass

Another easy day trip from Limassol is to drive towards Pafos and stop off at Aphrodite’s Rock named after the mythical goddess’s supposed birthplace. It is utterly beautiful. From there you can head back towards Limassol and stop off at Old Kourion an ancient city from the Byzantine period. Much of the site is in varying states of decay with some of it being an actual archaeological site. The coastal views from here are amazing. Then you can head to Kolossi Castle which reminded me of an old Scottish castle. It was built in the 12 century and you can climb the winding staircase to the roof for panoramic views. For some strange reason I got a really creeped out vibe at this castle and found the narrow spiral staircase really claustrophobic. Not the usual reaction I have to visiting ancient sites, but I honestly couldn’t get out of the main castle fast enough and out into the fresh outside air. Odd.

Aphrodite’s Rock

The beautiful Cyprus coastline

Ancient Kourion

Creepy Kolossi Castle

We spent a lot of time eating and drinking wine during our stay in Limassol. Sadly, we never really got onto the locals eating schedule of having dinner at 10pm. We ate early, and they always thought we were having our lunch when in fact it was our dinner. It was hard to stay motivated to stay up late while consuming a couple bottles of wine over a drawn out dinner. One of the favourite places we ate at was Il Castello. It has both indoor and outdoor seating in an open plaza facing the Castle in Limassol. We ate here a few times and the staff were super friendly. On our last morning there the kind owner gave us free coffees and tiny bottles of Commandaria wine. It’s well worth a visit. The other place we loved (mostly because of the darling elderly waiter) was Megaro restaurant- also located in Old Town. One night we ate here and tried Cyprus meze. I had the seafood meze and it was phenomenal. There were easily 20+ small plates including Greek salad, toasted bread, hummus, seafood spread, olives, calamari, beet salad, fires, fried fish, pasta, ink fish, mussels, prawns, a rice dish and a few other small plates that have escaped my memory. Meze is a must when in Cyprus, just make sure you come hungry, because the food will pile up in front of you. From Limassol we headed west towards Pafos. More on that soon…..

Our favourite Limassol waiter

The beginning of Cyprus meze

Cyprus

February 26, 2015 / kristinewanders

Not the best photo, but you get the idea.

So 2 weeks ago I spent 9 days in Cyprus. It was a place I had wanted to visit when I was in Saudi Arabia last time, but never had the chance. Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea that neighbours Turkey, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt and Greece. Even though it is geographically close to these conflict areas, the island itself is actually quite safe. Petty crime and such are said to be on the rise related to recent economy issues. Its economy (at least in the southern part) is largely tied to Greece.

Cyprus has a sorted past. In the early 1900s it was a crown colony with ties to Britain. In 1960 it became the Republic of Cyprus and the government at that time needed to allocate a certain percentage of its seats to Turkish Cypriots. This led to internal strife between the Greek Cypriot majority and the Turkish Cypriot minority, so in 1964 UN peacekeepers were brought in. They are still in place. As a side note, we actually met a group of them out at a pub while we were in Nicosia. In 1974 Turkish forces invaded the northern part of the island, resulting in the displacement of huge numbers of Cypriots. It’s understandably been a point of contention ever since. Well, at least for the Greeks. Most of the Turkish we spoke to had no bad feelings towards the Greeks, and the word “peace” was mentioned several times. We met several people on both sides who’s families were greatly affected by the 1974 invasion. Our Airbnb host in Limassol’s family lived in North Nicosia, but was originally from Greece and so her family lost the home they owned and essentially had to start over. Same goes for a cafe owner we met in North Nicosia. His family was Turkish but had owned property in the south which they lost and had to start over on the Turkish side. Even though these events happened 40 years ago, for many people it is like it was yesterday. Spending time here made me reflect on how hard it is to imagine what it would be like to lose your house, possessions, neighbours, your whole life really, overnight. What it would be like to be striped of all your worldly possessions and having to start over.

After the 1974 Turkish invasion a UN Buffer Zone was established and monitored by UN peacekeepers. This basically entailed the formation of the Green Line which stretches 180km across the northern part of the island. It dissects through the capital city Nicosia. The border remained closed until 2003 when Greek Cypriots were allowed to cross into the north. I really loved the city of Nicosia, and we crossed into the north via the Ledra Street crossing several times during our stay there. This was an interesting experience as you walked through the DMZ (demilitarized zone or Green Line) to get back and forth. We were given a map of Nicosia at our hotel in the southern part of the city and it was very intriguing as it was basically blank on the map once you crossed into the north. All that was noted was that it was Turkish occupied territory since 1974. No street names. It reminded me of how I once bought a world map in Saudi Arabia and the country of Israel wasn’t identified. It was just left blank, almost as though it also didn’t exist.

So that’s my basic uneducated version of the history of Cyprus. Over the next couple weeks I’ll blog more specifically about what we saw and did while in Cyprus, as well as tell you a fabulous tale of that time a stranger lent us his BMW for 50euros so we could tour around the northern part of the island. It’s a really good story, and one that I’m really looking forward to sharing with you. On the 10th of March I’m heading to Copenhagen and spending 2 weeks hunting down the northern lights in Norway, Sweden and Finland. This has been a long standing dream of mine, as I’ve never seen the northern lights. I’m really, really excited to photograph them! More to come……