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Day Trips from Dubrovnik

June 20, 2017 / kristinewanders

Back in April I spent 10 days in Croatia. A week of it was based in Dubrovnik as I previously told you about. The remainder of my time was spent further north in the city of Split. Dubrovnik made a great base from which to explore from. Two of the places we explored were a very easy half day trip from the Old Town. If you are planning a trip to Croatia be sure to include the towns of Cavtat and Kupari on your list. Both are to the south of Dubrovnik and both are accessible via public bus or if you’re lazy like me then Uber or local taxi. But Uber is by far cheaper.

Cavtat

The seaside town of Cavtat is about 30 min south by car. It is an idyllic town with hotels, shops and restaurants. There is a cute little harbour and the water is that prefect shade of turquoise blue. You can walk around the rugged coastline and scramble over the rocks along the shore. While I was there we had the good fortune of meeting up with a fellow travel blogger whose blog I have followed for years but never actually met in person. Gigi writes a blog called The Ramble and has been a long term traveler- she travels with her boyfriend Chad and super cute dog named Luna. The three of them met us and we spend a few hours wandering Cavtat, chatting about life and travel and eating one of the best meals we had during our time in Croatia at a restaurant called Bugenvila. They have a seasonal menu that changes monthly- the fresh oysters, pork belly and blood orange sorbet were fantastic. With full bellies we decided to take a local ferry back which offered great views of the Old Town of Dubrovnik. I would highly recommend doing that- especially if you fancy some great pictures.

Kupari

This was by far my most favourite thing I did in Croatia. I had previously seen photos of large abandoned hotels on other bloggers websites and Instagram. Gigi had also written a blog post about it a month or 2 before my trip so the images had stuck in my head. Kupari is a town on the Adriatic Sea about a 15min car ride from Old Town. It was a military resort for the Yugoslav Army and consisted of 5 hotel complexes. Most of the resort complex dates from the 1960’s except the opulent Grand Hotel which was built sometime in the 1920’s. The hotels surrounding the Grand Hotel were more of a Soviet era architecture and are strikingly different from the Grand Hotel. The resort complex was used until the early 1990’s when the Croatian- Bosnian War (otherwise known as the Homeland War) started. The Yugoslav Army then razed the entire complex. Everything was looted, and much of it was burned.

The resort complexes overlook the lovely Kupari beach which is used by locals. We jumped in a taxi and told him to drop us at the abandoned hotels. They are just off the main road and it’s a short walk towards the beach and you will see the eerie structures rising above the tress. The complexes are open. You can literally walk right into the abandoned hotels. There is no security guard, no security fence, no warning signs (at least when we visited.) But it goes without saying that entering these sites is not without risk. The windows have all been blown out and there is glass littering the floor. The stairs are in varying stages of decay. The elevator pits are open. There is exposed wire. Don’t let this deter you though. If you are a fan of urban photography then this is a place worth exploring. There were very few other people there although many local people were walking their dogs or strolling in the park area in between the hotels.

We chose to visit the large hotel on the right when walking towards the beach- it turned out that it was actually two different hotels with an attached walkway in between the two. There’s a sad little playground with a plastic slide on the side of the hotel. You enter through what would have been the main entrance but is just an opening on ground level and we climbed the debris riddled stairs 2 floors and did a little exploring. There is graffiti and abandoned bits of furniture and nothing especially remarkable in this first hotel. We then walked into the hotel that is connected to it and over looks the Adriatic Sea. This hotel was quite remarkable in that nature is literally reclaiming the hotel. Trees have grown in the courtyard winding themselves around bits of the remaining stairs and since the windows are missing the sea winds breeze through. You can explore the individual hotel rooms- but nothing much remains. There are bits of tile here and broken bits of furniture there. Anything of value was long ago looted.

From here we exited the way we came in and walked over to explore the Grand Hotel. And grand it is. It has a colonial air to it. Parts of the arched window frame and terracotta tiled roof remain. There’s the lingering remains of the tiled floor and bits of patterned wall paper lining the walls. What was once the grand staircase has been completely destroyed but still makes for a stunning picture. The roof is missing over part of the hotel but still it’s magnificent. Out front of the Grand Hotel is another large ruined hotel and the wall outside is adorned with some artistic forms of graffiti. We didn’t venture into that one but it reportedly has an abandoned in ground pool.

So if you’re heading to Dubrovnik and like odd places to take interesting pictures this is the place to go. That being said- I wouldn’t go alone, and I wouldn’t go at dark. Wear very sturdy shoes because as I mentioned there is glass and nails on the floor. The entire complex has been privatized and sometime soon a new 5 star resort will be built on the land, so go now while you can. During my research I did find mention that the Grand Hotel will remain though, as it’s a protected historical building. Time will tell……

Have you even explored abandoned places while traveling? If so where- I’d love to add them to my ever growing travel list!

Tribute to my Pops…..

June 16, 2017 / kristinewanders

Last month was Mother’s Day and I wrote a post for my Mom, so with Father’s Day this weekend it’s long overdue that I wrote a tribute to my Pops as well. My Dad responds to a variety of names, but mostly I call him Pops or Daddio, if he’s acting especially hip. In fact several of my friends refer to him as Pops as well. Pops and I have a unique bond- I would reckon we are tighter than your average father/daughter combos. I mean we did walk across a country together after all. We are close, and yet we are really quite different. Pops has a type A personality- he is a hard worker which means that he is an incredibly loyal employee and will work long hours to get the job done. He likes routine. He is financially responsible and careful with his money. He is the kind of guy who would cut his neighbours lawn when he knows they’ve injured their back, or visit someone in a nursing home even when the person will for sure not remember. He is reliable and hard working.

Over the years we have had several adventures. Many many moons ago I decided to move from Philadelphia to Phoenix Arizona. In December. So Pops flew out and we road tripped down the eastern coast of the U.S. and then across the south for a week in this ridiculous sports car that I used to own. We (me) drove long hours staying in motels along the way. Stopping off at Cracker Barrels to eat and rent audio books, and taking in the scenery. Two of my favourite memories from this trip where going to return my cable box the day before we were to leave and a couple girls jay-walking across the street. I probably could’ve stopped but I didn’t and one of them yelled “I’m gonna whoop yo ass.” Another time we stopped in Alabama or Louisiana and we asked a lady at a cashier somewhere how far the next state line was and she replied in a very southern accent “Golly. I never been that far before.” Both those lines we still quote to each other every now and then and laugh.

In 2009 I really wanted to visit Scotland so I invited Pops to come with me and he jumped on the opportunity to visit the place where our “people” immigrated from. I think we spent about 10 days traveling around the country. It was a great adventure and we even got to meet the Clan chief of our Scottish ancestors. We rented a car. Because I am a little (more often than not) scared driving with Pops it was agree (I made the executive decision) that I would be the sole driver. I told Pops that I couldn’t read a map in the car while it is moving (which is true because I get bad motion sickness) and he seemed cool with it. Plus I had already once mostly successfully (minus a few scratches) driven on the opposite side of the road, so clearly I was the most experienced choice out of the two of us. So after a couple days in Edinburgh we rented a car. Flash forward like 3 hours later and we are driving through the stunning Scottish Highlands. The scenery is gorgeous. We are having a nice time. We approach a narrow bridge. At the same time as we drive onto the bridge so does a rather large truck coming the other direction. In hind sight I could’ve stopped. But I’ve never had cat like reflexes at the best of times. So I moved over to the left as much as I could. Pops let out a heart stopping scream at about the same time as the passenger mirror collided with the bridge. I pulled over on the other side of the bridge and the mirror was literally holding on by a thread and Pops composed himself and pulled it off and we put it in the trunk where it stayed for the rest of the trip. We both just kinda looked at each other like “well that happened.” I know he was dying to say more but you can’t really scold an adult child can you? The rest of the trip Pops would reference things like “well I would be able to see that if I had a side mirror” and such and we would laugh. That trip was really quite fun. One night I booked us to stay in a room on top of a local pub. They had a band and Pops and I drank with the locals and Pops chatted up the band and we had a great time. We also visited a Scotch festival, saw sooo many castles and visited the actual homestead area where our people immigrated from. It was awesome.

As many of you know this past fall I invited Pops to walk the Camino de Santiago with me- something that had long been on my bucket list. He very quicky said yes and we started planning. Together we walked 700km across Spain over about 5 weeks. We shared a room every night for those 5 weeks. I like to think that I push Pops out of his comfort zone (which I purposely do because I want him to have new experiences.) The great thing is that he just goes along with things most of the time. It was wonderful to travel with him and see things through his eyes. To watch him interact with a vast variety of people, to see him forming friendships and having new experiences. I want those things for him. After all it’s stuff like that, that life’s made of. Also Pops is down to take selfies anytime. Sunrise selfie. Action shot selfie. Night selfie. He’s on board for all of them! I have a few really special memories from that trip. One was early on in the walk where we stayed in a small town. It was Pops first experience with staying in a mixed dorm room with bunk beds. We were in a room with probably 6-7 bunks and Pops and another fellow were the only men. Both Pops and I had bottom bunks and there was a young lady on the bunk above Pops. In the morning we woke early so we could get to the top of a ridge in time to see the sunrise. While packing up our things Pops tried to pack his sleep sheet into its bag but it wouldn’t quite fit. Turns out the gal above him had washed her panties and they had fallen onto Pops bunk and he had mistaken them for the bag. Sooooo funny the look on his face when he realized what happened. I still laugh about that one. Anther great memory was when Pops left his prescription sunglasses in a church but we didn’t realize it until we got to our hotel in the next town. I jumped into action and got us a taxi which took us back to the town only to find out that the church was closed and the priest didn’t live in that town and the church wouldn’t open until 10am the following morning well after we would already be on the road. The taxi driver didn’t speak English but I was able to convey via uber basic Spanish and sign language that Pops couldn’t see without his spectacles and the driver drove us to the convent where the Priest lived. Here’s the thing: I’m a huge believer that most people are good hearted and I like to see how a situation plays out. Anyways the Priest wasn’t home, but the taxi driver stopped a local guy on the sidewalk who had the Priest’s phone number and called him. Later that evening Pops was driven back to the town where the Priest had unlocked the church and the sunglasses were reunited! My other favourite memory was getting day drunk with Pops when we completed our Camino which happened to coincide with his birthday. You guys know I’m a fan of getting a buzz on while the sun is up. Turns out Pops is as well. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

So Pops here’s to you on Father’s Day. Thanks for the adventures of the past and I look forward to the new ones we will make. The offer still stands- I’d love to show you around the Middle East if you ever feel up to it!

The Croatian- Bosnian War

June 11, 2017 / kristinewanders

Back in April I spent 10 days in Croatia and I wanted to talk a little about the history of the region specifically, the Croatian-Bosnian War, before I tell you more about my time there. Just to preface this- you all know I’m relatively smart, but I’m definitely no history scholar, and even though I was a teenager when this war took place I don’t really remember much about it. I do think it’s a good idea though to have a bit of understanding of the history of a place before you visit it. So this is my 7th grade history summary of the events that took place in the early 1990’s.

Remember that country that used to be call Yugoslavia– or more accurately the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia? Well it was made up of the present day countries of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia. This socialist state was formed after World War II and was ruled by Josip Bronz Tito until his death in 1980. Following his death things started to heat up in terms of ethnic pride in the region and economic challenges. The late 1980’s saw increasing Serbian pride (Serbians are the largest ethnic group in the area) and increasing popularity of a Serbian communist named Slobodan Milosevic. 1990 saw increasing violence especially in Croatia between Serbian Croats and Croatians. Neighbouring Slovenia voted for independence and Croatia followed in its steps- both countries declaring independence on June 25, 1991. The following day the Yugoslav army mobilized troops and moved towards Slovenia. Slovenia gained its independence over a period of 10 days with minimal casualties and damage. Croatia did not fare the same.

August and September 1991 saw increasing sieges and massacres in Croatian towns by Serbian forces of the Yugoslav People’s Army. The Battle of Vukovar for instance saw complete destruction of the city with territory being seeded to Serbia and ethnic cleansing of the non-Serbian population with hundreds of civilians killed and some 20,000 people forced to relocate. Then in October 1991 the Yugoslav Army started advancing towards Dubrovnik from Montenegro capturing the territory surrounding it. Full scale war broke out across Croatia. The Dubrovnik attack lasted nearly 8 months and resulted in a Croatian victory but more than 50% of the buildings in the Old Town were damaged and some 80 civilians were killed. By the time the war ended in 1995 some 20,000 people had been killed as a result and half a million people were displaced.

1992 saw Macedonia and then Bosnia and Herzegovina declare their independence. In April the Bosnian War started and the siege of Sarajevo began. This conflict was between the Yugoslav Army forces made up of Serbs against Bosniaks (mostly Muslim) and Croat forces. It lasted nearly 4 years and resulted in massive civilian death and displacement. 100,000 people were killed and 2.2 million were displaced. The Bosnian war used ethnic cleansing, genocide and rape which later resulted in war crime charges. The Croatian-Bosnian War is the most devastating conflict in Europe since WWII.

This is obviously just a brief summary of the events that took place- the history of conflict in this region is complex. The effects of the war are still evident, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina where bullet holes are still visible on the sides of buildings. The buildings like the people carry the scars of this war. Dubrovnik itself was rebuilt and from an outward appearance the signs of the conflict are hidden. Shiny new roofs adorn buildings that sustained damage and if you weren’t aware you might wander its old cobble stone streets none the wiser. You could spend hours and hours reading the history of the conflict pertaining to the different countries, and like all wars each side has their own story. While in Croatia I visited Bosnia and Herzegovina and also spend a day in Montenegro which was largely unaffected by the conflict. The guides spoke of the history of the region but cautioned against speaking to locals about it as the wounds are fresh and the loved ones they lost not so long ago buried.

In the next few weeks I’ll tell you more of my time in Croatia. I’m heading on vacation tonight on a solo trip to Azerbaijan and Georgia for some R&R which I’m very much looking forward to. I’ve been laying low the last few months from a foot issue I likely developed as a result of walking the Camino de Santiago this past fall but yesterday I had a steroid injection so inshallah I’ll be back to my normal activity level in the next few weeks….fingerscrossed!

Ramadan

June 1, 2017 / kristinewanders

Last weekend while I was away in Switzerland, marked the beginning of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. So Ramadan Mubarak (a Blessed Ramadan) to my Muslim readers and fellow ex-pats in the Middle East. I know people back home have some basic understanding about what Ramadan is, but I thought I’d take a little bit of time and tell you more about it, and what it’s like to live in a Muslim country as a non-Muslim during Ramadan.

First off, Ramadan takes place during the 9th month of the Islamic Hijri calendar. This calendar is about 10-11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar so Ramadan shifts forward by nearly half a month from the preceding year. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with believing in only one God, praying 5 times a day, giving to charity and making pilgrimage to Mecca. This year Ramadan started on May 27th and will likely end on June 24th or 25th depending on how visible the moon is. For the entire month Muslims will fast from the morning prayer (dawn) until sunset. Here in Saudi this is from around 4am until 6:30ish pm. Children, the elderly, those traveling, people who are sick and in the hospital, diabetics, and women who are pregnant, or breastfeeding or menstrating are exempt from having to fast. In addition to fasting Muslims are also to abstain from gossiping, smoking, daytime intimacy and sex, and really anything that would make their fasting efforts less noble. Fasting basically means no food, drink (including water) or chewing gum or candies.

So what’s it like during Ramadan for non-Muslims? Well it’s a whole lot quieter during the daytime that’s for sure. Grocery stores are open in the day but restaurants are all closed. No lunch time McDonald’s drive-thru or delivery. Starbucks is closed. Most things open after sunset and stay open until late into the night. At sunset Muslims break their fast with dates and Arabic coffee. This breaking of the fast is called Iftar and throughout the Middle East there are Iftar buffets which is basically like a dinner buffet. Here in Riyadh Iftar buffets are often very lavish and often on the pricey side between 200-400 riyals ($50-100 U.S.) Next week I’m going to the Iftar at the Ritz Carlton with a group of friends which I imagine will be well worth the splurge.

For non-Muslims it’s advised to not drink or eat in public or chew gum. If you’re going to eat and drink than just be sneaky about it. The hospital I work at has a cafeteria and restaurant that are open for us to eat at, but the main public coffee shops and restaurants are closed during the day. I’m working night shift for the entire month so for me this isn’t a problem. Muslim hospital staff are not required to work the full amount of hours as they would during the rest of the year. They can chose between working 6 hour shifts, or chose to work night shift instead. Clinics and such are open but on shorter hours so usually 9am-3:30pm or so. Saudi culture (especially during the summer) tends to stay up late into the night and sleep during the day because of the heat. This is especially so during Ramadan. Working night shift is actually like working day shift as the patients are awake the entire night often going to sleep around 5-6am and sleeping most of the day. Medications often have to be re-timed around this sleep schedule especially if they are food related and the patient is fasting. Sometimes patients who are in the hospital will want to fast and will decline things like IV fluids which would interfere with their fast- I have found that to be pretty rare though.

Ramadan ends with the sighting of the new moon in Mecca, or after 30 full days of fasting if the new moon isn’t visible because of clouds. The new month is kicked off with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr in which the fasting is broken. I will be away for about 10 days later this month as I’ll be traveling solo to Azerbaijan and Georgia. Azerbaijan is a Muslim country but everything I’ve read says restaurants and coffee shops will be open for non-Muslims and Georgia is a mix of Muslim and Orthodox Christians so traveling during Ramadan shouldn’t be an issue.

So to those of you who are celebrating Ramadan I wish you all a Blessed Ramadan and may your prayers be answered!

An Australian travel guide through Jeddah

May 22, 2017 / kristinewanders

I’m so happy to feature my blog’s second guest writer Emma!! I visited Jeddah way back in 2010- it was actually my first trip out of Riyadh my first time here and I’ve been wanting to go back so this blog has some great tips about what to see if Jeddah is on your Saudi travel list. Emma Lawson is a passionate writer, online article editor and a health enthusiast. In her spare time, she likes to do research, and write articles to create awareness regarding healthy lifestyles. You can catch her on Twitter @EmmahLawson

For an Australian traveler, Jeddah is a small goldmine of cultural and historical heritage, culinary surprises, and numerous sites of natural beauty. Home to around 4.3 million people, Jeddah sits on the sea-bound frontier of Saudi Arabia and it’s one of the most captivating cities in the region that is still largely unblemished by mass tourism. Ready to pack your bags and head to the Red Sea pearl for a fair share of holiday fun, thrills, and shopping sprees? You’d better arm yourself with Jeddah travel essentials, just to stay on the safe and well-entertained side of your Saudi adventure.

Visa Requirements

Getting a visa for Saudi Arabia isn’t easy, but the red tape and the waiting are definitely worth it. As a western tourist, you’ll need a letter of invitation from a Saudi Arabia national, and it’s also advisable to travel with a travel agency or with a group of at least four other people. You can file for a visa at the closest Saudi Arabian embassy in your country of origin, but be sure to submit the application well in advance, just to stay on the safe side of the travel itinerary. Tourist visas are available only to selected groups on a limited basis.

Due to the strict requirements of Saudi Arabia, women entering the Kingdom alone must be met by a sponsor (and have a letter of invitation) or male relative and have confirmed accommodation for the duration of their stay. Additionally, entry may be refused to any visitor judged as behaving indecently, according to Saudi Arabia law and tradition.

How to get there

The best way to get to Jeddah is by plane. Jeddah international airport is situated close to the city center, and Saudi Arabian Airways offers favorable deals for tourists arriving from Europe. A fun fact: tourists aren’t allowed to drink alcohol once the plane crosses over into Saudi Arabian airspace.

Upon landing in Jeddah, you should rent a car as there’s no official public transport in the city. If you can’t drive, your transport options will be limited to private vans, taxis, and your own two feet. Do not cycle or ride a motorbike in Jeddah: streets over here are dangerous and local laws don’t exactly favor two-wheeled transport on city streets.

Jeddah Attractions

Although foreigners are advised to keep a level head and stay out of locals’ hair, there are many fun things a western tourist can do in Jeddah.

• King Fahd’s Fountain

Known as the world’s tallest fountain, King Fahd’s Fountain was built back in 1985 with the help of funds donated by the King. The Jeddah fountain releases sprays of water as tall as 850 feet, which means there are as many as 16 tons of H2O up in the air at any point when the fountain is running. Located in the vicinity of Falastin Street, the fountain goes on at sundown and runs all through the night.

• Ta’if

If you can set aside the time and cash for a daytrip outside Jeddah, head to Ta’if. Situated on the slopes of the Sarawat Mountains, Ta’if is the center of the regional agricultural area known for pomegranate, grape, fig, rose and honey production. It’s home to Al Rudaf Natural Park, Shubra Palace museum, remains of a Turkish fort, rock-carving site, Al Hada nature reserve, and a small zoo where tourists can see baboons up close.

• Obhur

A snaking islet of the Red Sea in the northern part of Jeddah, Obhur penetrates inland for about 12 kilometers and is home to fancy houses, hotels, dive shops, and compounds. If you’re up for a jet-ski ride or just want to spend the afternoon sunbathing and sipping mocktails on the beach, Obhur is the place to go.

• Aquatic fun

If you’re into scuba diving, Jeddah will definitely win a spot in your heart. The Red Sea coast is brimming with amazing dive sites, complete with breath-taking coral reefs, warm turquoise sea water, schools of parrotfish and surgeonfish, and an odd dolphin.

• Al-Balad

Situated in the heart of old Jeddah, Al-Balad is home to picturesque buildings made out of coral reefs brought over from the Red Sea. Here you’ll find the fish market and many traditional souks where you can get local merchandise and souvenirs at a decent price. The neighborhood is no longer in perfect shape, but it’s still well-worth visiting, especially if you’re into old buildings and first-hand encounters with the locals.

• Shopping malls

If you’re short on ideas what to do in Jeddah, head to a local restaurant or a shopping mall. For a delectable local treat, try Shawarma Shakir or Albaik, or indulge your palate by a refreshing drink over at Juice World. As for shopping, you’ll find it hard to grow bored with local offer of jewelry and clothes, and you can also find designer brands for a real bargain.

Special considerations

Last but not the least, there are certain lifestyle and cultural rules you’ll need to obey during your visit to Jeddah. If you’re a woman, you’ll have to keep your hair and clothes covered so that your skin doesn’t show in public. You’re not required to cover your face, though, but you’ll have to stay away from the steering wheel during your stay in the city – and much of Saudi Arabia, for that matter. There is no official law that bans women from driving, but religious beliefs prohibit it, with Saudi clerics arguing that female drivers “undermine social values”. On top of that, ladies under 30 must be accompanied by their husband, brother, or father out in public. Islam is the only religion and while you’re not required to take part in daily prayer, you should abandon all hope of finding a religious facility other than a mosque. It may also be a good idea to stay away from alcohol during your visit to Jeddah as spirits are illegal and can’t be purchased in stores and consumed at hotels, on boats, or in vehicles.

Ready to pack your bags and head to Jeddah? Follow the guidelines above and you’re bound to have the time of your life. Bon voyage!

Tribute to My Mom…..

May 12, 2017 / kristinewanders

In honour of Mother’s Day being this weekend I thought I’d write a tribute to my mom and write about a few of the things I’ve learned from her over the years. Since I was young I’ve had more of a friendship with my mom than the typical parent child relationship. My friends would often comment how they wished they could be so open with their own mothers. She instilled in me an openness and an honesty to a point where I never felt like I had to hide things or couldn’t be open with my thoughts and feelings. This hugely spilled over into my relationships with others also. Those of you who know me know that I tend to be an open book- I’ve never really put much worry into whether people might judge my decisions or not. So I’ve always chosen to be open because I long ago stopped trying to live for other peoples expectations.

My mom taught me that nothing was out of my reach. And reach I have. Across the globe I’ve stretched my legs and opened my heart to a world of opportunities I could not have dreamed up as a child. And she has faithfully supported every one of them, even when they might not have been her first choice for me. She has been my cheerleader. Always in my corner. Always ready to take my side against whomever perpetrated a wrong against me.

She taught me to have an artistic eye. She is an artist, a trait I sadly did not inherit. But I did inherit an eye and appreciation for the arts. My only artistic outlet is a love of photography. Playing with lights, shadows and reflections in my pictures. I’ve always loved how the world looks through the lens of a camera.

My mom taught me to be bold. Not just with decisions but with colours and accessories. She herself sports a hair colour that is a fiery orange hue and I’m surprised that she has yet to colour it purple after her most favourite colour. I too have a love of bold colours. Hot pink and emerald green would be my two top contenders and I’ve got a pretty distinct assortment of funky rings and earrings and bracelets that I’ve collected from my travels to jazz up an otherwise mainstream sense of style.

She taught me to have empathy for humanity. That the world was wide and vast, as are the people in it. She always had pictures of adopted children she was supporting clipped up on our fridge long before I knew exactly where Cambodia or Bangladesh were on a map. She taught me that people are interconnected regardless of the distance between them. She taught me to view the world in a global view and not just in terms of those who look like me.

So mom here’s to you for instilling in me so many lessons that allowed me to spread my wings and truly see the world and for standing behind every crazy decision I’ve ever made. And for continuing to support those same crazy decisions of the future……..Love you mama xxx

Dubrovnik Croatia

May 8, 2017 / kristinewanders

If you watch that popular TV show called Game of Thrones then you probably know that part of it is filmed on location in the medieval city of Dubrovnik Croatia. I’ve never seen it, but the city is chalk full of Game of Thrones tours if that happens to be your thing. Last week I returned from a trip to Croatia spending my time in Dubrovnik and Split. Originally I had wanted to visit Luxor Egypt as this has been on my travel bucket list for a long time, but the security situation isn’t ideal right now so the next place I really wanted to go was Croatia. For the first week of this trip I had a travel partner from back home, a guy I met about a month before I returned to Saudi this last time. He hasn’t traveled much but was keen to travel so when I left I told him if he ever wanted to tag along on an adventure with me he was more than welcome. We ended up being great travel partners. He’s low key and went along easily with my shenanigans, so we had a lot of fun. Also he follows directions really well and never let on that he was getting annoyed or tired of being directed to take photos for me (of me.) Don’t get too excited though Mom and start buying wedding gifts- we’re just really good friends.

We met up in Frankfurt and flew into Dubrovnik together. As I’ve mentioned the only way I’m comfortable traveling is medicated, buzzed or exhausted. If I’m sleeping on a flight then I’m not focused on dying which makes it pleasant for myself and whoever I’m traveling with. The previous day I worked a 12 hour shift, came home, showered and took a red eye flight to Frankfurt. I had a 4hour layover so we hit the Lufthansa lounge and got me some wine. Wine + severe lack of sleep were a perfect combo as I didn’t really wake up until we were approaching the airport. Dubrovnik airport is small. Like it makes the tiny airport of my home town look impressive. I had booked us into an Airbnb in the Old Town and the owner sent her husband to come collect us which was super helpful. Dubrovnik is made up of the Old Town and then newer modern bits. The Old Town is built along the water and is basically a walled city, and the newer sections span up and outwards to the hill above it. The first view of the Old Town driving from the airport leaves a lasting impression. It looks medieval and magical and you can hardly wait to start exploring.

Dubrovnik is a photographers dream come true. Pretty much every way you turn your head is a postcard worthy picture. The best views of the entire city are by walking the old walls, from Fort Lovrijenac, or viewed from the hill overlooking the city by way of the cable car. The terracotta roofs offer a perfect contrast to the deep blue of the Adriatic Sea. I took a ton of photos from these locations. Walking the walls of the Old Town requires good walking shoes as it’s steep in sections and bring a hat and water for hot days as there’s little in the way of shade. Dubrovnik is a tourist destination the year round. We were there in the shoulder season when only a few cruise ships were docking and it was still extremely crowded in the Old Town some afternoons. I read that during peak season 10,000 tourists are dropped in Old Town although they are looking at decreasing it to 8000. Personally, I hate traveling during peak months because I find other tourists annoying so I’m willing to risk maybe no so great weather in exchange for me not having a full fledged melt down when someone runs over my toes with a baby stroller for the tenth time that day, or when a large tour group cuts the line.

We used Dubrovnik as a base for us to travel from. We spent only a couple days actually exploring it and then did a couple morning trips to the south of Dubrovnik and fit in two day trips to neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to Montenegro, all of which I will fill you in on upcoming blogs. I will also tell you a 7th grade explanation of the Croatian War of which I’m no expert but you should have a basic understanding of prior to visiting the region. Over half of the building in Dubrovnik were damaged in the conflict of the early 1990’s, many in the Old Town. You can assess the damage when you walk the old city walls- the buildings that were damaged all have shiny new roofs. This is one of those places where history and war are intertwined and this war happened not so very long ago.

We spend an entire day just exploring the Old Town. Wandering the streets and alleyways to see where they led. Stopping into churches and Old Buildings and grabbing an afternoon glass of wine. I had no idea prior to going to Croatia that it had such a huge wine culture. Trust me- Croatia has many good wines. I drank enough of them to be sure of that much. And really good oysters and seafood. And you know what pairs well with oysters and seafood. Yep chilled Croatian wine of course. There are two bars on the cliffs overlooking the sea just outside of the city walls- I would highly recommend getting a table at one of them and watching the sunset. You won’t be disappointed. The morning of our last day after my travel partner had left to catch his early morning flight I got up around sunrise and wandered the Old Town taking photos. The streets were pretty much empty save for street cleaners, early morning delivery men, locals walking their dogs, and the odd traveler who had the same idea as me. It was a really nice way to end my time in Dubrovnik- outside, alone with my thoughts and my camera watching the sun peak through the buildings in the Old Town.

If you’re pressed for time you could probably explore the Old Town of Dubrovnik in a day. I’ve long ago given up on traveling fast and furious and trying to pack as much in as possible though. For me, spending a week there and allowing for day trips, and afternoons naps, and time to write and sip wine suited me just perfectly. June, July and August are peak tourist time so plan your trip to Croatia accordingly!

As for me I’ve got a bunch of blog posts in the works. I’m looking forward to telling you about the rest of my time in Croatia and then planning on writing a series of posts about Pops and my time on the Camino de Santiago this past fall. I’m going to Geneva Switzerland for a long weekend near the end of the month and then I’ve got some vacation time in June that I haven’t quite narrowed down where I’m wanting to go. Georgia (the country) is high on the list as is Ethiopia so I’ll keep you posted. I’ve been mostly laying low since I got back from Croatia. My social life had been pretty hectic the last couple months so I’m a little emotionally burnt out and am being more selective about what I’m getting up to. I’ve also been getting a lot of emails from nurses who are interested in working in Saudi so I’m the process of writing a post to answer some of the most common questions I get asked. So that’s all for me. Hope ya’ll are well and thanks for stopping by.

Edge of the World

April 29, 2017 / kristinewanders

As I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve always got a Saudi bucket list an arms length long. It’s really the only reason I keep coming back. Oh, and likely the money and the ridiculous amount of vacation time I get. That definitely helps. One of the things that time after time has remained on that list was to visit a place called the Edge of the World. Sounds cool as hell right?! Who wouldn’t want to go there? This magical place is about 180km north east of Riyadh in a place called the Acacia Valley. Given that it’s unbearably hot most of the year here it’s really best to go in the winter months. There’s like zero shade there, and since I nearly get heat stroke every time I’m outside when it’s hotter than 30C I knew I needed to go soon. As in should’ve probably done it a few months ago.

So a few weeks back myself and my new kiwi sidekick and an American I’ve grown very fond of joined up with Haya tours to go. We did a tour for 2 reasons- it’s far out and unless you go as a caravan with other people it can be a little dangerous in the event of a breakdown, kidnapping, or no cell phone coverage. The second reason was that I’ve been nursing a foot injury and this tour basically drove you to 2 different canyons and you didn’t have to walk much which suited me just fine. Last year before Pops and I walked 700km across Spain I had my first flare up of plantar fasciitis. Basically this meant that I had heel pain to my left foot quite bad in the morning. Ice, ibuprofen and stretching quickly resolved it and amazingly it didn’t bother me when I walked the Camino. That was good because on the Camino I had other things to deal with like blisters, healed blisters, new blisters, and the general aches and pains that go with walking that distance. After the Camino I continued to walk quite a bit as I visited Paris, Amsterdam, Seattle and spend time in Canada. Then in January I started going to the gym and was working out a lot. And around the beginning of February I started getting really bad heel pain. It was different than the plantar fasciitis though, and the longer it went on the more worried I was that I had a stress fracture. Since I’m a nurse I just gritted my teeth and tolerated it for as long as I could. I bought insoles. Then crazy old lady supportive walking shoes. I took ibuprofen around the clock and finally I went to the doctor who x-ray’d it and found a heel spur. So since then I’m having to limit my walking. I can’t stand for long periods of time. I’m grumpy because I’m restricted in what I can do. I’m going to physio to get shock wave therapy and I’ve now got professional orthotics. And it’s not really getting much better. Which is frustrating as hell. So long story short that’s why we took this tour.

We had my driver Joe drop us at the meeting point. There were maybe 10 other people on the tour split between 3 cars. By cars I mean 2 fancy SUV’s and us three with a french lady packed into a Toyota truck that looks like it normally transported camels and not people. The meeting location was conveniently located in a mall that had Tim Horton’s which made me pretty jazzed until we started driving and I promptly spilled my coffee all over the floor. Between our unfiltered language and my coffee fiasco I’m sure that french lady was questioning her mode of transport that day! So off we drove. We made it to the edge of Riyadh and then things started looking weird. There were paved walkways and tons of children’s playgrounds and no houses. There were decorative cement or stone designs along the road or at the center of the roundabouts but there really wasn’t much else around. We were confused. No kids at the play ground. No one walking the paved paths. On we drove.

We turned off the highway onto a dirt path. Driving past a police check point that was really more like a shack than a station. In the distance we could see cliffs and hills. We arrived at the first cliff which is probably the place most people go. The cars park at the bottom of a hill and there’s an area that’s like a rock window with cliffs to both sides. Make sure to wear good walking shoes (and your orthotics if you’re an old lady like me.) The terrain is rocky and it’s super easy to slip. There are no guard rails or any safety features so don’t act like a jack ass up there as it’s a long way to the bottom. We spend maybe 10 minutes walking up pausing for selfie breaks. My kiwi sidekick is a professional duckface maker- her selfies are the bomb. You can walk out to the farthest part and the coolest part of the cliff but we decided not to. Mostly on account of laziness and that I’m a real klutz. If someone was going to slip and fall high chances it was going to be me. So we took more selfies and we chatted about recent heartbreaks and dating and a bunch of other things that I’m sure our Yankee sidekick could’ve done without. Men are mildly entertained by girl talk until they are not. We climbed back into the Toyota tow truck and carried on to the next cliff.

The next stop was at another cliff maybe 10 minutes away. This cliff overlooked the ravine below. There are apparently fossils found there as this area was covered by water forever ago. While the rest of the group went on a fossil expedition we did what we do best- took selfies and chatted. After the rest of the group ohhh’d and ahhh’d over these fossils we got back in the truck and made our way towards the main road. We stopped off in spot with a bunch of trees and had a picnic in the shade. It would’ve been nice had it not been 37C and like a hundred flies buzzing around. It was nice in the shade but the flies were mega annoying. On the way back we passed a caravan of camels and stopped to take pictures.

Once we got to the main road we passed a town on the outskirts of the city. Friday prayer had just ended and the streets were filled with men- not a woman in sight. We passed a bunch of local vegetable markets that I would’ve loved to have stopped at to take pictures but I’m sure we would’ve cause quite the spectacle had we stopped. So back to Riyadh we went- past the empty walkways and apocalyptic play grounds back to civilization.

If you live in Riyadh and haven’t been to the Edge of the World you really, really should. It’s hella cool and makes a great day trip. But go soon or wait until like October when the temperatures start to trend back down. Bring the usual things- sunscreen, hat, gallons and gallons of water and good shoes. Keep any kiddos on a short leash to be safe. Also fun fact: camels come when you roll down the window and make kissing noise. Or at least this guy above did to me. I think he thought he might be getting lucky the way he trotted over. You’re welcome.

Goodbyes

April 21, 2017 / kristinewanders

One would think that if there is anything I would be an expert in at this point in my life it should be saying goodbyes and packing. And yet I’m total shit at both. I spend my 20’s bouncing between the states of North Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Arizona, California and Washington. My car loaded to the brim as I would drive cross country to whichever city held my next adventure. Many of these states I yo-yo’d in between, setting up a life in San Francisco and San Diego a couple times, and in Seattle several more times. Since I first left Canada in 2002 I’ve moved at least 26 times. I’m saying at least because my memory isn’t super sharp, and I’m sure there’s one or two moves I may have forgotten. So much packing and unpacking. This is of course spread between Canada, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Each assignment brought with it a new set of friends and a new set of adventures. And a new set of goodbyes.

The expat world is similarly as transient as the world of travel nursing. People come into your life and you form intense bonds over a short period of time and then either you leave, or they leave, or both. It’s the nature of the life style, because especially in Saudi, no one stays forever. Some goodbyes are easy because the world is sprinkled with assholes. Some are gut wrenchingly hard. Sometimes these goodbyes take a long time to get over. The void that’s left takes a while to fill. It’s a blessing and a curse. To allow people to deeply touch you in ways you don’t initially realize, and then have to part ways with them. That the world can feel both so small and enormous at the same time. But such is life. And if I’ve learned one thing it’s that love is infinite. It goes beyond goodbyes. It lives in the spaces in between those goodbyes.

So here’s to those of you who have deeply touched my life. I do so hope that our paths cross again. See you someplace down the road……

“The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected. Maybe they always have been and will be.

Maybe we’ve lived a thousand lives before this one and in each if them we’ve found each other.

And maybe each time, we’ve been forced apart by the same reasons.

That means that this goodbye is both a goodbye for the past ten thousand years

and a prelude for what will come”

From the book The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

King Abdulaziz Camel Festival

April 13, 2017 / kristinewanders

So this past week I went on a real Saudi style adventure with my new kiwi sidekick, and we visited the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival about 140km outside of Riyadh. It’s kinda like Saudi’s version of America’s next top model, except the models are camels. The only real thing I had heard about the festival was that there was a camel beauty pageant and I was like hells yeah I’m in. Over the past few years festivals and local events are often advertised in some form of English although the information isn’t always correct regarding schedule and timings. We took our chances and booked my driver and headed out.

It took us about 90min to reach the location of the festival and let me tell you it was lovely leaving the traffic and congestion of populated Riyadh behind. The first hour we drove mostly through the desert, its colour changing from a sandy brown to a brightening shade of red. We passed Bedouin tents and much of the desert along the roadside was dotted with camels and goats. It was great. The closer we got to the festival location the landscape changed. It became green and you could see rock canyons in the distance. We came across a large herd of camels being led alongside the road. The camel caravan wound behind a rock wall and we had Joseph my driver stop at the base so we could take some pictures. We scurried up the rock hill making sure not to trip on our abayas and popped over the wall in full view of the approaching caravan. I’m pretty sure two western women were about the last thing they expected to have pop up!! We took videos and photos of them, and they of us, as the camels shuffled past. Many waves and Assalamu Alaykum’s were exchanged. There were maybe 50 camels in the herd and several baby camels. We made our way back to the car, mud wedged into the soles of our shoes and carried on towards the festival grounds.

On arrival the festival looked exactly like a fair back home. It’s a huge enclosed area with parking areas surrounding the site. There was a main road leading to the main entrance that was blocked off by barriers and security at several points leading up to the main gate. At every check point the security guards would motion for Joseph to pull off and park, but as soon as the windows in the back went down and they saw me and my kiwi sidekick they would yell “VIP” and we would wave and say “hello” and they would move the barricade out of the way and let us drive on to the next one and the same scenario would happen until we were at the main entrance and Joseph was exclaiming “Unbelievable!!” We just giggled with delight. Sometimes blond hair is a curse, sometimes it provides VIP treatment.

We left Joseph and walked towards what looked like a massive arena with stadium style seating. There were very, very few ladies and no other westerners around. There was a lot of staring, but also a lot of “Hellos” and “Welcomes” being yelled at us. We decided to go have a seat with the many other visitors and headed towards the seating area. Oopsie. We tried to sit in the men’s sections. We really should know better and were politely pointed towards a further set of seats of which no one was sitting in. The men’s area was packed. Not a lady in the ladies area. Hmmm? So we walked over and were directed towards some seats. I pointed towards my wrist to ask the security guard what time the show started. He shook his head and said “mafi.” Which means none or no. I pointed towards the packed male seating area with some confusion as to how there wasn’t a camel parade today yet all these men were waiting. At this point a tour bus of Saudi women pulled up so we asked them to translate what was going on. One lady told us that there was no camel parade or contest today but that the next one was tomorrow. I had her ask the guard what all the men were sitting in the stands then waiting for then?! He replied that no one had told them that there wasn’t one today. The Saudi lady and I looked over at the maybe 200 men sitting there and then back at each other and laughed. Then they wanted to take some selfies. So we did. And they asked where we were from, assuming as it is always assumed that we are American. We politely told them we were not. Several of them spoke perfect English so I asked where they worked and they said that they were all teachers. After a few more pictures we then parted ways.

We decided to explore the rest of the festival site. There was the normal Saudi style security to get in. Men on one side and women on the other. The women’s side was wide open and they searched our bags and wanded us down. Before they used that metal detector wand thingy on us a girl asked if I was pregnant. I winked at her and said “Inshallah” and they all three of these Saudi girls started giggling. We were killing it on making friends at the camel festival. There were literally pretty much zero other ladies around and we walked past a food area into a main courtyard area with traditional Arabic music playing and surrounded by statues of camels. Many male attendees wanted to stop us to chat. One young guy asked where we were from and when I said Canada he replied that his uncle lived in Canada and was searching for a second wife for him. Mind you this guy was maybe 20 years old and was looking for a second wife, and I’m 38 and can’t even keep a full-time boyfriend. Oh the irony. I replied that Canadian women love to be second wives, but I don’t think he caught on to the sarcasm. We then ran into a group of four boys who all saluted us and we exchanged photos. One of the funny things about living in Saudi Arabia as a western women is that men of literally all ages will likely find you attractive. Back home 20 year old boys would never ask for my picture, or want their picture taken with me, or try and sneakily take a picture of me. But at this camel festival it was like a full on photo shoot. At one point some kid was taking video footage of us and I told my kiwi mate that I was quite certain we were having a documentary made. Naturally, we took a bunch of photos as well. It does warrant being said that at no point did we feel unsafe. Other than feeling a bit like celebrities, everyone we encountered was very friendly and generally excited that we would want to visit a cultural festival.

It was starting to get hot so we ducked into a tent that was like a mini indoor market selling spices, and local handicrafts. We did a little shopping and took advantage of the huge AC unit to cool down. We then headed towards the Planetarium. On the way there we passed 2 large walls with pictures of fallen soldiers on it. I think it’s easy to forget that every country has lost service people, and that there are heroes in every culture. Inside the planetarium was a roof mural basically of the constellations and a couple exhibits. The men inside were very educated and happy to explain things to us. By this point we’d been at the Camel festival for like an hour and yet to see an actual camel so we set out to find some. On the outskirts of the festival we ran into a a guy outside the media building. He didn’t speak much English but we asked him “Mafi Camels?” so basically “No Camels?” He then took us on a tour. First stop outside a Bedouin tent where four teenage boys were tending to one camel. They asked if we wanted to ride it and we both declined. I rode a camel in Oman and it was a terrifying experience and I’m not a huge fan of riding animals. Horses, donkeys, elephants, camels. All are terrifying to me. So we took some photos and then were escorted by our new tour guide over to some tents off in the distance all the while being trailed by our new squad of these four teenage boys. Over near this new set of tents were another 15 or so camels spread out with decorative drapes and saddles. We took a bunch more photos and the teenage boys got bored with us and walked away. By now it was almost noon and the sun was directly overhead and it was quite hot. Our unofficial tour guide signaled a golf cart over and we were instructed to climb in and then were driven in a couple circles while a guy with perfect English explained to us about the festival. Almost everyday there is a camel parade. Two weeks of the festival are dedicated to the white camels and two weeks to the black ones. They are judged not as single camels but as a group, in groups of 25, 50 and 100. The cash prizes are very high, I can’t remember the specifics off hand. We were then driven around the festival site and dropped at the main exhibition hall which was closed, but this helpful guy had the security guard open the door and we were left to roam on our own.

The main exhibit hall had information about camels. Did you know that the country that has the most camels in the world is Somalia? Or that there are 17 million camels spread around the Middle Eastern countries? This exhibit also had a National Geographic Photography section and some camel related art that I would’ve loved to have bought, but sadly wasn’t for purchase. Once we were finished there it was time to start the drive back to Riyadh, and we returned the same way we arrived. On the drive back we passed a small lake that had formed from the recent rains. There was a tree in the lake and kids were swimming at the base of the tree. We made Joseph turn around so we could go back to take a picture, as I knew I would be disappointed not to capture the carefree nature of these local kids escaping the heat. We walked to the edge of the water and the kids waved and yelled at us “come in!!” Such a great way to end a really special day!