Going remote to get to Bilad Syat

I was surrounded by jagged canyon walls jutting up from the pools of water and shading me from the sun. I wondered if it could get any more beautiful than this – and my answer to that question came as I rounded the corner out of the canyon and stepped out into the sunlight. This is when I saw my first glimpse of Bilad Sayt – a fairy tale like village typical of the old Omani communal settlements of the past. I was stopped in my tracks, “wow” slowly and quietly rolled out of my mouth as my eyes scanned the area and took it all in. A little haze blanketed the village that was built up on a hill with closely clustered homes made of mud and stone. The perimeter of the village was surrounded by date palms making it look like a dessert oasis. Jagged brown mountains surrounded and loomed over Bilad Sait, dwarfing the whole village.

Getting to Bilad Sayt took a little work – but it’s worth it as it’s one of the unique places to see in Oman . It was literally off the beaten path as we had to get there by 4×4 and then by foot. After visiting nearby Nakhal Fort we sped along the lovely new highway snaking around the valley following a dry riverbed. The good news about Oman is that the infrastructure is great – however it’s not all finished yet – so it didn’t take long for our newly paved highway to come to an end and deposit us on dirt roads. We started climbing the mountains in our 4 WD vehicles and the fun began – it was like riding a roller coaster with the most spectacular views in the world. Some of the inclines were so steep that I found myself trying to sit up to see over the hood of the truck to see what descent coming next leaving my stomach full of butterflies.

After an hour of offroading, we parked the cars and then went on foot through the wadi scrambling through water, clinging to rocks, and eventually finding the mountain oasis of Bilad Sayt, the home of one of our Exodus guide, Zahir.

Zahir, walked us around the village explaining the date farming and the complex maze of falaj (irrigation canals) systems. Water gently trickled throughout the whole village via the falaj system giving it a feeling of tranquility on top of the picture perfect setting. Zahir welcomed us into his family home, introduced us to his grandfather and younger brother who served us Arabic coffee spiced with cardamom and various sticky sweet dates from his family’s trees.

Oman is quickly growing, but it was lovely to be able to find mountain villages like Bilad Sayt still existed. Sometimes it just takes a little work to get to them – but getting off the beaten track is the real adventure.

The mosque in the village of Bilad Sayt surrounded by mountains.

Bilad Syat – surrounded by beauty

Date palm’s surround the village.

Trek through the canyon to arrive in the village

Byad Sayt perched up on a hill for protection

Sharing dates in Zahir’s home

Trekking on the filaj irrigation system around the village.

Water crossing in the canyon.

A steep climb into the canyon.

See all Bilad Syat Photography:

How to get there: (instructions from www.nizwa.net)

Bilad Sayt is within easy reach of Al Rostaq town. From the town centre, drive towards Al Awabi, and turn right in the direction of Wadi Bani Auf. Drive for about 25km through this wadi until you come to an intersection that will take you to Bilad Sayt. The 15km route to the mountain hamlet traverses very rugged terrain and in one place skirts the precipitous edge of the wadi that meanders past Bilad Sayt. The final approach to the village involves a steep climb and an equally dizzying descent before the mountain oasis comes into view. If you are coming from Barka, drive towards Nakhl and Al Awabi beyond. A few kilometres from Al Awabi, an intersection appears on your left taking you to Wadi Bani Auf. The rest of the route is as described above.

Disclosure:  While in Oman I was a guest of Exodus Travels  on their Oman Hiking Tour.  However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

The post Off the Beaten Path in Oman appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

The shiny marble of the Grand Mosque in Muscat

I stood staring upwards at the chandelier in the dome of the Saltan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat Oman admiring its soft glow. I was slightly surprised that it gets the dubious title of 2nd largest chandelier in the world. It didn’t seem that large to me, but as our guide Rob was pumping out the impressive numbers it dawned on me that it didn’t appear that large since the whole prayer hall structure it was housed in was massive. Proportions can be deceiving in a mosque that is littered with superlatives – the largest, biggest, most, prettiest are commen words you hear when researching the mosque which was completed in 2001.

The mosque’s total capacity is 20,000 visitors/worshipers – larger in size than many of the cities in Oman. The dome rises 164 feet above the floor and the chandelier illuminates a space of 46,000 square feet below. No wonder I’m having trouble deciphering the sizes – everything is huge.

I visited the Grand Mosque in Muscat as part of my Exodus Hiking Trip in Oman. Walking into the main prayer hall is breathtaking thanks to the chandelier made of Swarovski crystals with a diameter of 26 feet. But the hall is also graced by the worlds 2nd largest handmade Persian rug. The delicate rug took 4 years to produce and weighs in at 21 tons. 600 dedicated women tied 1,700 million knots to create this masterpiece. One of my favorite parts about the rug was the graduated color that it used to mimic the light reflection outward.

After visiting the main prayer hall we also walked through the north and south riwaqs which had a lovely display of tilework. Each niche represented specific themes and styles from the Arab Islamic eras and countries from Spain to Central Asia. I loved walking through this area and trying to guess where the tilework was from since I had visited many of the countries in my past travels.

North and South riwaq’s tilework

If you are visiting the mosque complex, be sure to stop by the Islamic center and share some Arabic coffee and dates with the women there. They welcome everyone into comfortable rooms for a refreshing snack and conversation about Oman, Islam, Women’s roles in Islam, and Arabic culture in general. This is your chance to ask anything you’d like about Islam and the Qur’an. I really enjoyed my time talking to the women there as talking in person to people and educating yourself beyond what you see in the news is always the first step to understanding another culture.

A Shade pattern falls on one of the rawiqs

A visitor takes a photo of the record breaking chandelier

The prayer hall of the Grand Mosque

Qur’an on display in the Islam Center

The area around the main prayer hall is a maze of halls

Shoes storage – shoes must be removed while visiting the prayer hall

The hand made Persian carpet – notice how the color changes as it goes outward.

The women of the Islam Center welcome you with dates and coffee

A gate around the mosque grounds

The 2nd largest chandelier looks deceivingly small thanks to the proportion of the building.

View all of my Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque photography here

More Info:
Website: Grand Mosque
Non-Muslims are allowed to visit the mosque every day, except Friday, from 8:30 until 11:00 am. Visitors are asked to dress modestly and in a way befitting places of worship. Women are also required to cover their hair.

Disclosure:  While in Oman I was a guest of Exodus Travels  on their Oman Hiking Tour.  However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

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A rare tree leaves little shade while hiking in Oman

I laid out my new sleeping bag on the thick mat under the stars. It was muggy outside but I still got into the down sleeping bag else I felt too exposed. I turned off my head lamp and said goodnight to my fellow travelers going through the same ritual nearby. As I lay there, I was still wondering if my decision to sleep outside of the tent was a sound one, but I tried to calm my worries of scorpions and other creepy, crawly things by instead focusing on the stars above me. An almost unreal twinkle of stars in various galaxies was laid out in front of me in spectacular fashion. What Oman lacks in trees, it makes up for in stargazing.

A day ago, when I arrived in Oman in the wee morning hours I watched the sun come up and light up the capital city of Muscat, showing me my first glimpse of the color palette that would grace my vision for the next 9 days – white, tan, cream & brown. It was as if the other colors were forbidden from Oman – the color red was most certainly turned away at the border. Even the cars zipping around the modern capital city of Muscat followed the color pattern.

My first day in Oman was packed with new experiences – meeting my new travel partners and my Exodus group leaders Rob, Khalfan, and Zahir was only the beginning. Rob briefed us on the hiking itinerary and any cultural rules we needed to know as we toured around Muscat the first morning. After a few key tourist stops, we dove right into the rough stuff – we started hiking.  Rob led us on a short hike as Rob called it through a wadi (valley) in Muscat. It was challenging for my body and mind to adjust to the heat and the terrain. The wadi hike was short but challenging with lots of ups and downs and rock scramble type hiking. The sun beat down me and I looked around for shady shelter – there was none.  This was the beginning of my hiking holiday without trees.

This was my first trip with Exodus, a small group travel company based in the UK specializing in adventure holidays. And this was also my first trip to Oman – a country that I knew very little about when I arrived. Even though most people travel through Oman experiencing the luxurious side of travel in the Middle East, we were going to be roughing it for the next 9 days. Camping, hiking, and driving were the main things on our itinerary.

Sleeping outdoors under the stars

As I lay there under the stars at our first campsite I finally drifted off to sleep, but was woken up at 3AM when it started to rain. The idea of sleeping outside under the stars all of a sudden seemed like a really bad idea. My outdoor sleeping mates and I groggily got up and started to put up our emergency tent that we originally thought there was a 1% chance of having to use it.

I can now add setting up a tent in the middle of the night with a headlamp in the rain to my list of “strange things I never thought I would do”.

Even though I was off to a rough start to the camping and hiking – like most things with travel, it’s just a matter of getting used to your new environment and getting your body and mind in a rhythm – the Oman rhythm. The next morning we were up early with the sun, ate our simple camp breakfast, tore down the campsite, and off we went towards the mountains. The camping and hiking rhythm had begun and my body soon adjusted to sleeping in a tent, doing it’s ‘business’ outside in nature, scrambling up rocks, being dirty for days, going to bed at 9PM and getting up at 6AM with the sun – all the simplicities and joys of a camping/hiking trip.

Hiking

Peering over a canyon during our Balcony Hike in Jebel Shams

Making our way through wet wadi’s

Trekking through the Jebel Akhdar

Coastal hiking required a lot of scrambling up & down wadi’s

Hiking in Oman was the star of the show – the headliner – the diva; and it deserves all of the attention. (I will be writing about it in detail over the next two weeks.) We did a hike every day for an average of 4 hrs a day of hiking – some days longer, some shorter. Even though the treeless, brown landscape felt like it lacked variety at times – there were definite differences among the mountain hiking and coastal hiking we did. The mountains kept us cool at higher altitudes and graced us with bottomless canyons, while the coast brought humidity, rugged coastline, intense sun, and sea air.

The hiking was definitely a medium to hard rating for me – it was challenging since most of the trails we went on were not marked. These unmarked trails can be fun as you are really blazing your own path, but they are not as maintained and it’s easy to get a bit lost if you lose sight of the group. This also meant that you were left doing some challenging scrambles up and down the wadis picking your own path.

Even though I did all of my hiking in trail shoes – I would have liked a bit more ankle and sole support – I would recommend proper hiking boots for a serious Oman hiking holiday like this one. Often we were scrambling over boulders and rocks – there was seldom even ground in Oman! Some of the wadi/canyon hikes took us through water up past our knees which was refreshing – but also a bit nerve-wracking if you aren’t used to that type of hiking. There were also a few narrow sections that challenged my fear of heights each day – however the canyon views were worth it!

Camping

Our campsite on Jebel Akhdar

Beach camping – perched on a sandbar with a view

My beach campsite – close to the waves

We were provided with tents, a thick sleeping mat, and I had to bring my own sleeping bag. Even though I was melting in the sun most of the days while hiking, at night when the sun went down in the mountains so would the temperatures. They hovered around freezing most nights on Jebel Shams and Jebel Akhdar! My gloves and down coat definitely came in handy. There was no access to a shower for 5 days, so wet wipes were a lifesaver. This was really what I would call ‘wild camping’ – we were roughing it and there was nothing glamorous about it. But once I got in the groove of it – I really loved it. I think the best thing you can do for yourself and your vacation time is to simplify – and camping is simplicity at it’s best.

After setting up camp and our tents we would gather wood for a camp fire and then sit around the fire and relax a bit while Rob, Khalfan, and Zahir cooked up massive feasts for us to eat. I loved our campfire conversations and star gazing lessons from Rob. We even found marshmallows to toast around the campfire!  This campfire time was also the time that Rob would brief us for the next day’s itinerary.

Our campsites were remote and scenic – some better than others. In fact the only visitors we saw around our campsite in the mountains were goats – we never even saw another person.  On the days we did coastal hiking, all of our camping gear was delivered by boat “James Bond style”. The beach spots were lovely – there’s nothing better then having the waves lull you to sleep in your tent. Plus – it was a nice to have the option to take a dip in the water after sweaty day of treeless hiking.

Driving

Driving through the mountain roads in Oman was an adventure

Mountain roads in Oman

This 9 day itinerary was full of hiking, but it was also full of driving. We did spend a decent amount of time in the cars in order to get from place to place some days. A typical day would take us hiking in the morning and then driving in the afternoon to get to our next spot. This was a great way to see a wide variety of the country as well as the different hiking opportunities.  In addition, this meant that we never had to carry our camping gear – it was always transported by car.

Plus – many times the drives were absolutely stunning as we wound through the wadis and then would go on some intense hairpin climbs and descents up the mountains on little gravel pathways without any guard rails. A 4 wheel drive and nerves of steel was necessary everywhere we went!

Food

Getting ready for our fish fry on the beach

Enjoying breakfast at the campsite

Green mango and chili pepper – a surprising and tasty combination

Since we really were camping 8 of the 9 days – the food was good, fresh, but simple. Typical camping food of stews, pastas, and rice were the norm. Fruit, coffee, and tea were always in big supply. I personally was thrilled to have cereal (the true American breakfast!) for one of our breakfast options, along with yogurt and bread. Our lunches were normally on the go – a simple spread of pita bread, tuna, hummus, corn, cucumbers, and salad. It was actually quite perfect to eat light during our hiking and then have a bigger camp dinner for energy for the next day.

We also made our share of gas station stops for snacks, soda, cookies and chocolate emergencies! The beauty of a hiking holiday is that you get to eat all the ‘good’ stuff! I was definitely sweating off the calories I took in.

The last night of camping we went out with a bang – we had a huge fish BBQ on the beach after our longest and hardest day of hiking. Khalfan, who was from a small fishing village, was responsible for preparing and cooking up the two huge fish we bought at the market. He stuffed the fish with veggies and spices, wrapped them tinfoil, and threw the packet over the hot coals for 30 minutes.   We had an Omani style feast eating with our hands all picking off the fish in the middle around the campfire on the beach.

People

Zahir, Khalfan, and Rob – our Exodus guides

Rob enjoying the view during our coastal hike

The guides are the main people you interact with and depend upon on a trip like this and we were lucky enough to have 3 of them at our disposal. Our Exodus guides were superb at guiding us and providing a helping hand. They allowed us all to go our own paces yet still were able to keep the group together. They offered to carry my day pack when I was struggling with some of the climbs and the water crossings. One of the most memorable moments is when we had finally finished our grueling 8 ½ hour coastal hike and ended up on the beach, the guides had arranged for cold cans of coca-cola to be delivered along with our camping gear by boat. Seriously – Coke never tasted so good! Of course there were a few times where I was frustrated with not have expectations properly set when it came to time/difficulty of the hikes – but I can appreciate the complexity of managing a group of 9 diverse people in physical situations. Overall the guys were thoughtful, helpful, strong, and they knew the territory well – they really made the trip for me.

My hiking mates were a lovely, diverse mix of people from the UK mainly. There was only 1 male out of the 9 of us and he quickly became the fire master – what is it about men and fire? We all varied in age and fitness, but our common thread was our love of hiking – and that’s all that mattered. Five of us were solo travelers and had come to Oman on our own. The group was super at all helping out. The campsites definitely required participation and everyone chipped in.

Since we were hiking most days we didn’t really come into contact with many locals – however our guides certainly provided answers to any cultural questions I had and helped us understand the history and culture of the country and the people.

Is Roughing it in Oman For You?

From my perspective this is a great trip for the right person – someone who really loves the outdoors, hiking, and doesn’t mind really roughing it. If you are going to go – avoid the hottest time of the year and head there any time from October to April.  The best part about this hiking trip in Oman was that it’s still a destination that is off the beaten path. The hiking and views were spectacular especially since we had the landscape to ourselves and no trees to get in the way of seeing for miles.

Me hiking along the coast on our last day.

Disclosure: I was a guest of Exodus Travels on this Oman trekking holiday. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

If you are interested in Exodus Group Travel – check out their trekking holidays
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The home of tulips – the Netherlands

When I lived in NYC and San Francisco I used to treat myself to a bouquet of flowers weekly to spruce up my apartment and my attitude.  Seriously – how can you be stressed or angry with a colorful bouquet of flowers in your home?  I made a decision to enjoy flowers every day as opposed to just special occasions or worse yet – to wait for people to bring them to me.  Even though I travel full time – I realized that I can still make fresh flowers a part of my life by incorporating flower travel into my itineraries.

I was recently invited to the Netherlands to experience the spring flowers – something that I’ve always wanted to see – the famous Netherlands tulip fields.  I quickly found out that there was much more to the Netherlands flower culture than just tulip fields – see for yourself!

Tulips planted along the canal.

I went on a canal cruise in Amsterdam during my stay and it was a special commentary about the history or tulips and how a Turkish flower came to be known as a Dutch flower.  It also covered the famous “Tulip Mania” – a period where tulips were effectively used as currency in Europe and were sold/traded for enormously absurd prices.

Inside the Artis Zoo and Gardens at the Forest House

Mixing botany and animals – the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam includes impressive gardens in addition to animals.  My favorite area was the Forest  House where you basically walked into a live environment with the animals roaming freely instead of in cages.  In fact – essentially you entered their cage.

De Hortus Botanical Garden Palm House in Amsterdam

Prickly tree at De Hortus Botanical Garden – some natural self defense

Spring was just starting to come out at the small but beautifully designed  and diverse De Hortus Botanical Garden in Amsterdam.  They have a outdoor gardens and old and new green houses.  My favorite area was the Palm House – a beautiful old building that was the star of the park.

A float from the Bulb Flower Parade

It’s like the Rose Bowl Parade but better – it’s the Bulb Flower Parade and it travels 40 km from Noordwijk to Haarlem highlighting aprox. 50 floats and decorated cars.  I was able to visit the building where all of the floats were being created.  The moment you stepped in the building you were overwhelmed with flower aroma.  It was a bustle of activity as people were putting the finishing touches on the floats to be highlighted in the next day’s parade.

Flower fields filled with Hyacinths

If you drive from Amsterdam to Keukenhof Gardens – you will of course come across the famous colorful flower fields.  Many of the fields during my visit were filled with Hyacinths.

Watch the largest flower auction in the world at Flora Holland in Aalsmeer

It’s like the Wall Street of Flowers.  I’ve actually visited Flora Holland - a huge flower auction sight and distribution center on a previous visit – but it’s so vast that you learn something every time you go.

Keukenhof Gardens – the stop on every flower lover’s list in the Holland

Take a canal ride from Keukenhof Gardens to view the colorful fields

So many varieties of tulips at Kekenhof Gardens!

Tulips on display in the greenhouses at Keukenhof Gardens

Of course if you are visiting Holland to see the flowers then you must make a stop at Keukenhof Gardens – a spring garden that is only open for 2 months of the year and then dug up and redesigned every year. 7 million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths all in bloom create a spectacular pallet of color not to mention aroma.  This is landscaping and gardening at it’s very best.

Interested in other flower travel – then check out my Wanderlist I made on AFAR.com that highlights some of the best flower viewing in the world!

Floral Travel

Where are some of your favorite places to do Flower Travel?

Disclosure:  I was a guest of IAmsterdam for this tour of flowers through the Netherlands.  However – all opinions expressed here are my own.

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An open air exhibition in the most unusual of places

I felt as if the whole city of Copenhagen was under construction. All of the beautiful squares and plazas were not only torn up, but they were dusty, and loud. The sounds of equipment was in the air as I tried to visit many of the famous buildings and squares around town.

The city is expanding their subway system and adding a new circle line around the center of the city. This is a huge project that will take years to complete. In the end they will be better off or course – but currently Copenhagen has a few growing pains to get through.

However I love it when people can turn a negative into a positive – and Copenhagen has done just that. Even though the construction is ugly, loud, and never ending – they have decided to use the walls that surround the construction sites as open air galleries called “Cool Construction”. The project was launched by Metroselskabet in an attempt to make construction site fences a positive part of urban life through temporary projects designed for their local environment.

“The fences we use for art and other good stuff to make a better city while we are building,” says a sign in flashy red written on the green construction wall.

As I walked through the city tourist spots, I was mesmerized by some of the construction art exhibits on display.

I thought is was a fabulous urban planning idea to use the space for arts instead of letting it get plastered with flyers and advertisements.

And of course I took a few photos of my favorites.

A wind exhibit – thousands of little metallic circles blowing in the wind

The wind exhibit up close

A bike is parked in front of a brightly painted construction wall – part of the open air exhibit.

I adored this specific photography project that intertwined two cultures titled A Scarf is a Scarf is a Scarf.

How did the hijab become such a symbol of Denmark, that it sometimes even keeps us from communicating with each other? The photos explore the cultural and historical relationship of head scarfs from the Danish island of Fanoe and Indonesian Island of Java. From the tiny island of Fanoe in Denmark, sailors went to the other side of the world and brought back scarfs (hijabs) as gifts for the women of Fanoe. These scarfs, from a much different culture, became a staple in the daily wear, and the exotic scarfs became an integrated part of Danish culture.

What happens if we take a scarf that carries both cultures in it and we switch? The constructions walls display photography of Indonesian women wear ing the Fanoe head scarf with different patterns and Danish women wearing traditional hijab styles.

Love.

A Scarf is a Scarf exhibition next to Copenhagen City Hall

Bikers and pedestrians pass by the exhibit daily in this high traffic area in Copenhagen.

Where else have you seen construction art in the world?

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Lisa and I during our month in Berlin

“What – you’ve never heard someone make trumpet sounds out of the side of their mouth before?” She said with an accusing tone.
“Um…no” I answered – and then smiled and went back to working on my writing.

However at this point I was distracted with thoughts of the silly Lisa Lubin and her trumpet sounds at midnight. We both sat in our Berlin apartment working on our laptops into the wee hours of the night – but for once – I wasn’t alone. I had Lisa – and her trumpet noises.

Recently I’ve thought a lot about how 6 years of travel and nomadic living has changed me. One of the things that sticks out to me is that when I’m on the move I live more than ever inside my head and often don’t have many opportunities to really talk to people. Sure – I talk to people every day – but it’s the general niceties that are always exchanged when you travel with a group or meet someone traveling. It just scratches the surface – but it’s nothing that meaningful. It doesn’t challenge me necessarily, give me a real outlet, nor does it teach me things about myself – it’s just the basics. I do really miss having close friends to talk to and have meaningful exchanges and laughs – the kind where you really feel like you can say and do anything and you will be accepted because of your long-standing friendship. Often if I do get to experience the joy of spending time with friends – but it’s short lived – and we barely have time to really connect again beyond the basics before I race off somewhere else.

My Go with Oh Living la Vida Local experiment was fun on many levels. It was nice to stay put in one place for a month, it was fun to have a kitchen and a place to call ‘home’, it was fun to learn the transportation system and the idiosyncrasies of German grocery stores and the weird hours they keep – but most of all it was fun to live and travel with a girlfriend for an entire month.

Lisa and I biking around Berlin.

I met Lisa 4 years ago when I heard her interviewed on the Amateur Traveler Podcast – and after hearing her story which was scarily similar to mine – I knew I had to meet her. I asked Chris Christensen for her contact info and reached out via email. We became fast friends with lots in common. In fact Lisa was probably one of my first friends in this travel writing/media industry along with Chris Christensen and Craig Martin of Indie Travel Podcast. Over the last 4 years we have worked on many projects together with Meet Plan Go, Navigate Media Group, she introduced me to couchsurfing, and I even went to visit her in her home base in Chicago on a wintery weekend.

Even though we already knew each other and knew have lots of things in common – we both used the time to re-connect, learn from each other, and just simply have fun. Just having her around made me more likely to explore on days where I felt exhausted or lazy. She’s always looking for the unique food finds and interesting neighborhoods – so I would often be inspired by her and tag along to see what new things she could show me.

Lisa cooking dinner. Note to self – always choose girlfriends who can cook!

She was also the person who made me eat well – she cooked dinner on a number of occasions and I took my standard role of playing sous chef and cleaning up. We even held 2 different dinner parties (as part of our Go with Oh Experiment), had movie nights, and went out together to explore our neighborhood, local restaurants, and markets.

I had forgotten what it was like to have a girlfriend around and from a personal standpoint it helped me become somewhat normal again – forcing me out of my own solo world, which I’m entrenched in when I travel. We discussed relationships, and watched girlie movies, and spent hours watching silly Youtube videos. It was also great to have someone around who understands this weird digital business we are in. I think our most common conversation always started with one of us yelling at each other from other room with “Do you know how to….” We both learned much from each other!

Checking out our local beer and hamburger restaurant in Friedrichshain

But mainly I learned how to be a girlfriend again and consider someone else’s needs and desires before I always dive head first into my own – something I haven’t had to do for a while. Lisa reminded me that being silly was ok – and necessary. So as much as this project was about travel and exploring Berlin for me – it was also about learning to get along and form a friendship again. Six years on the road primarily solo has taken it’s toll on me and sometimes I forget how much until someone else comes into my life for a while.

 During my stay in Berlin I was a guest of Go with Oh who furnished my apartment in Friedrichshain.  However all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

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Beelitz stairway – history crumbling

The trees limbs were heavy with freshly fallen snow providing a peaceful backdrop on this entirely eerie place. I had made my way outside of Berlin to the little community of Beelitz on this snowy Easter weekend to photograph Beelitz Heilstätten, a sanatorium for tuberculosis treatment methods in the early 20th century.

In 1898 Beelitz Heilstätten opened with 600 beds to treat the ill. The sanatorium was strictly divided along gender lines: women were accommodated to the west of the main road, men to the east. As it grew over the next few years more buildings were added and it turned into a ‘city for the ill’ with a post office, restaurant, stables, water tower, power plant, butcher shop, and even a beer garden. As time and history marched on around Berlin the sanatorium also served at a wartime hospital, and a GDR hospital, in addition to continuing to serve TB patients with ‘advanced technology’.

The extensive sanatorium ‘campus’ has been abandoned since 1994 and now is in the familiar limbo of many historic, unused buildings in/around the Berlin area. While the government and owners decide what the fate of the Beelitz campus is, companies like Go2know have been granted special permission to run photography tours through the crumbling buildings. The site is so extensive that they have separate photo tours for the men’s and women’s section.

I took the photo tour to the women’s section of the sanatorium and we were able to walk around the snowy grounds and inside 3 main buildings and photograph to our heart’s content. I love these tours since they are a great setting to practice with lighting and composition.  I didn’t take a tripod with me – so that makes it even more challenging in these low light situations.  The tour information was only provided in German – but there were enough people there to translate for me and honestly I was there to do photography – so I didn’t need much guidance.  And quite frankly – the ‘leader’ simply gives an overview of the history, buildings, and things to be careful of or special things to see, he hands you a blueprint layout of the buildings, and then you are own your own for 4 to 5 hours to explore!  The ultimate photography tour if you ask me!

Dental work anyone?

Most of the site had very little graffiti – it must be protected quite well.

Hallway in the medical building

Iron work railing of the dilapidated stairway

Room in the hospital ward

One of the Women’s medical buildings on a snowy day

A back stairway

Room in the women’s clinic

Broken windows were common among the abandoned facilities

Room 11

A crumbling wall

An old cafeteria

Remnants of a once beautiful building

A perfect photo tour to really practice with lighting situations.

Looking through a wall in the clinic

A beautiful old circular window

View all of the Beelitz photography from my tour here

See other Berlin photo tours I’ve taken with Go2know.com
Paper Mill
Meat Factory

Other Berlin Photo tours:
Spreepark – Graveyard of Fun

More Info:
Beelitz History
Photo Tour Information specializing in Abandoned Berlin

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The Ubahn runs over the Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin

I walk down the stairs and hear the familiar sound of the Berlin Ubahn arriving on the tracks below – I instinctively pick up my pace and start to race down the stairs, around the corner, down a final set of stairs and slip into the Ubahn before the doors slide shut! It’s days like today that I feel like a local in Berlin. Getting comfortable with the transportation system is always a first step to really learning about a city for me.

I take a seat and catch my breath and realize that there’s one thing that made this Berlin Ubahn dash possible – the ticket ‘honor system’. There was no gate to pass through as I ran down the stairs and onto the train – no one or no system to check a ticket at the station.  However, I’m safe as I know that I have a validated ticket in my pocket. The entire Berlin transportation system runs on the idea that people are being truthful – that they have a ticket. The only checks and balances of this system are the occasional Ubahn agents who roam the trains asking to see your ticket. Of course if you don’t have one then you are faced with a hefty fine. But I wonder how many of the Berliners have validated tickets who are riding this train? Does the honor system actually work in Germany?

Me riding my local M10 Tram.  Do you think all of these people had tickets?

Could this system work in the United States? (please leave your opinions in the comments below) What if the NYC the subway was run on the ‘honor system’ would people actually pay – or would they try to gamble with the system? I took some time to ask locals if they gamble with the system in Berlin and on average the majority were truthful – in fact it didn’t really even dawn on them to not have a ticket since it’s operated this way forever. Yet if I ask the majority of Americans – I’m willing to bet that they would gamble on the system.  If we can find a way around something – we normally do it.

Ubahn performers – what is this instrument?

The honor system is only one of the reasons I adore the public transit system in Berlin. The complete system is one of the most extensive systems in any city I’ve been in. You never have to walk far if you don’t want to once you’ve mastered the Ubahns, Sbahns , buses, and trams. Between the 4 systems – you are always close to some sort of public transportation. It’s so extensive I don’t even know if there is one public transport map with all of the various lines on it. I normally had to use two – the Ubahn/SBahn map and the tram map. I never really learned the buses…that’s the transportation big leagues – I was still in the minors.  The whole system is technically advanced as all of the stops have boards that tell you when the next transport will arrive. Only once in the month did that system fail me – pretty impressive.

Berlin Ubahn

Ubahn stops are color coded – making it easy to know when to get off!

The Ubahn was the first thing that I mastered. It’s is the subway system that occasionally runs above ground in some neighborhoods. It’s old – but easy to use. There are 9 lines, with 151 km of track and 170 stations.  However during the weekdays, they don’t run all night – they generally shut down around 1am and yes – I’ve been caught without a public transit way home before.

One thing I love about the Ubahn is that each stop is color coded. I quickly learned that Alexanderplatz (which I affectionately refer to as Times Square thanks to the many connections there) was an aqua colored tile. While other stops were yellow or red, or blue. So even if you were coming to a stop and didn’t see the name on a sign anywhere – you sort of knew if you were in the right place based on the color. I used this knowledge more than once!  In fact – I recently came across this great Ubahn photo documentary of all of the stations here.

Berlin Sbahn

The SBahn running outside on a cold March day!

The Sbahn circles the city as well as cuts through the center. They always run above ground and are great for getting from one end of the city to the other in a quick fashion. There are 15 lines and they integrate with the Ubahn and the ticket system there.  If you take the S5, S75 or the S7 lines that cut through the middle of the city – you can see the visible change in architecture from East to West Berlin that still exists today lingering from the Cold War.

Berlin Trams

My local tram arrives at my stop.

Now it starts to get a little more challenging – the trams run in old East Berlin mainly. They wind around the neighborhoods like a pretzel. The trams serve 789 stops, which means one stop every 459 metres.  So you can see that I had a much harder time figuring out where these all went – but I did take the time to learn the main lines that were directly around me and pretty much stuck to those. If I had been there longer I would have got on them randomly to see where they went – that’s probably the best way to learn!

Berlin Buses

Then there’s the buses – I only rode those with a local or with a local’s help. They are easy to use – but figuring out their routes and stops are more time consuming.

Validate your ticket!

Berlin transportation ticket prices are pretty reasonable at 2.40 € for a single ride – but they offer daily, weekly, and monthly tickets that are a much better value.  And all of this on the honor system – there are no machines to check your tickets or gates to pass through. But if you do decide to do the right thing and pay for a ticket (which I suggest that you do!) don’t forget to validate your ticket at the little yellow boxes on the platforms or on the buses/trams – else you your ticket means nothing.

 During my stay in Berlin I was a guest of Go with Oh who furnished my apartment in Friedrichshain.  However all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

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A blanket of snow covers Tempelhof Airport

A blanket of snow covered the vast, flat runway – there would be no planes taking off today. Actually – there will be no planes taking off from Tempelhof airport ever again. The famous airport that was used during world wars and the cold war was shut down in 2008 – but it’s legacy lives on in various ways.

The uber traveler in me has always been intrigued by the thought of an abandoned airport. I had heard so many things about Tempelhof park in Berlin that I was quite excited to finally see it. I envisioned me running around the open, flat, empty runway – a unique experience any intrepid traveler would dream about. However when I woke up, looked out my window and saw Berlin blanketed in snow yet again – my visions of running down the runway were dashed. Maybe a snowman on the runway instead?

Looking forward – not backward.

You can easily learn about all of the fascinating history of Tempelhof - from its beginnings to WWII, to Cold War airlift, to commercial airport. However, instead of looking back I want to look forward into what the future holds for this vast structure and park. City development and infrastructure fascinate me – especially in Berlin – a city with so many abandoned and run down structures. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people about Berlin’s gentrification and development issues during my month in Berlin. However I find Tempelhof to be the place with the most exciting potential in Berlin – and that’s why I want to look forward.

I was led around the airport by Martin, one of the PR people from Tempelhof Projekt – a company the Berlin parliament founded in 2010 to manage the urban development project. The Tempelhof Projekt has a big task ahead of them – repurposing the Tempelhof buildings and area for Berlin while trying to keep the public happy. As we all know, this is about impossible – but I was impressed with their plans and progress up to this point.

Standing under the famous apron at Tempelhof.

Tempelhof main hall (arrivals and departures). Stuck in a time warp of design.

The Plan

The overall plan focuses on social, cultural and economic diversity in the development. Currently there are really two sections to this project – the Airport buildings and the Airport park/runways/green space. There are over 9,000 rooms in the various airport buildings as well as some large open spaces that are truly unique such as the Apron, the plane hangars, a basketball court , bowling alley, and the main hall. The buildings are already kept up and used for business trade shows, concerts, conventions, and fashion shows. This unique space is perfect for earning revenue and having some truly huge events.

Tempelhof Projekt has further plans to do new development around the edges of the runways/park adding some housing, business offices, a library, as well as a café on the roof which bring it back to the roof’s original purpose – a viewing area for the public. This work of course needs to be approved by the city and is still a few years from getting off the ground (no pun intended!) – it’s projected for 2016.

Tempelhof building – an imposing structure

Aircraft Hanger – used as an event space now

A view of Tempelhof from the roof.  A nice place for a cafe?

The runway/park area is another story – it includes 360 hectares of land – a big space and a very flat, treeless space currently. The old runways are a focal point and no changes are intended to take away the airport feel – but instead enhance around the edges. They want to add aprox. 1,500 trees to the perimeter areas and add a few more walking paths that work with the current runways and open space. They are also planning to add a water basin that will collect the gallons of rainwater runoff and funnel it into the landscape. Some of these park projects have been approved to begin as soon as this year with some of the tree plantings and water basin.

I’m most excited about what they are planning with the park – as I looked over the snowy field – I tried to imagine such a vast space all green and filled with kite boarders, runners, walkers, families, and pets. Even on this snowy day there were a couple of kite surfers and walkers – I can only imagine the summer months!

The Opposition

Tempelhof covered in snow

Of course not everyone thinks this plan for Tempelhof is a good one. Some Berliners are worried that the park will be overdeveloped and will drive the prices up around the area making it unaffordable to the long time residents of this community. Classic gentrification concerns. I too would hate to see any of that happen – however I do think that the some progress and change is necessary for the space to really thrive and make it a real community gathering place that honors the original structure and purpose of the land.

The proposed changes are going through the proper political hoops now so we’ll see where all of this urban planning really ends up in the next few years.

The Future

As I walked around in this massive empty structures – I felt like I was on a film set. I kept on imagining Borne Identity being filmed here, or Leo DiCaprio filming Catch Me If You Can. There’s something intriguing about big empty buildings – they make you realize how important people are to bring things to life.

Walking around the grounds and the buildings with Martin made me think about the success of the New York City High-Line and the years of indecision around it. Now many of the people in NYC embrace it as a wonderful green space and tourist landmark. These types of community projects that preserve the history are a win/win for everyone normally. I can’t wait to come back in a few years and see what type of progress happens at Tempelhof.

Main Hall – check in counters…no lines at this airport any longer!

Outdoor gates for arrivals and boarding

Air traffic control – no one is in control any longer!

Tempelhof building – a massive structure

And if you want to see what an empty airport looks like – then check out the daily tours that are run through the buildings here:

Public tours – www.tempelhoferfreiheit.de/en/visit/tours/building-tours/public-tours/

Development tours - www.tempelhoferfreiheit.de/en/visit/tours/building-tours/special-tours/

General Information – www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Tempelhof_Airport

Do you have any examples of old structures/land repurposed for public good in your part of the world? Please share in the comments.

During my stay in Berlin I was a guest of Go with Oh who furnished my apartment in Friedrichshain.  I was also a guest of Tempelhof Projekt Projekt for this Tempelhof tour.  However all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

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A listening station during the Cold War

The simple 3 letter word – spy – always conjures up adventurous stories. imagination, and occasionally a martini and a bikini.  While in Berlin, I was able to turn my imagination into reality when I went to go visit the famous spy station Teufelsberg at one of the highest points in Berlin.  The high point is actually man made – and the name translates into Devil’s Mountain and the mountain is created from landfill and trash.  But it doesn’t matter how it got there – the important thing is that it served a purpose…and that purpose was spying on Berlin Cold War enemies.

Teufelsberg was occupied by the US and the British  during the Cold War and served as a listening station.  Consider this hill and these abandoned structures one giant hearing aid.  It was used for listening to Soviet, East German, and other Warsaw Pact nations’ military traffic.

Now of course you can get a tour of the abandoned windowless structures on the weekends for a cost of $20USD and hear all of the spy stories.  Hopefully you’ll go there on a day that isn’t blustery cold like we did!  When it’s nice out – it’s provides one of the nicest views of Berlin and the surrounding lakes.

The bright sun shines through the listening station on a very cold day in Berlin.

The abandoned listening station

Where there is no one – there is always graffiti in Berlin. Loved this image.

Ripped listening station structure from the inside

To get to the abandoned station – you get to walk through some lovely wooded areas.

Huge wall murals grace the abandoned station

A view of Berlin

More Information:

Website:  www.berlinsightout.de/englisch.htm
Tours are possible every Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 pm.  If there aren’t enough English guests,the guide speaks German, but may answer your questions in English between the stops.

During my stay in Berlin I was a guest of Go with Oh who furnished my apartment in Friedrichshain.  I was also a guest of Berlin Sight Out of this Teufelsberg tour.  However all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

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Sometimes you have to wait for the best…sauerbraten takes patience.

One of the best things about Berlin is the vast amount of ethnic food choices you have in the city. However – what about the German food – where is it hiding? I’m happy to tell you that I found it – Sauerbraten and spätzle! I was so happy I felt like polka dancing – in my lederhosen! After being in Berlin for 2 weeks and eating Indian, Mexican, Ethiopian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Russian – finally – I was going to eat German food. And I wasn’t just going to eat it – I was going to learn how to make it.

Karina, my friend and Berlin expert, had suggested that I try out this cooking class in Kreuzberg in order to learn about some classic German dishes. Since she was also a closet sauerbraten lover – she invited herself long. Smart lady.

Together we entered Coledampf’s and Companies store/classroom. As I entered and started looking around the shop, my eyes focused in on the details – the space was industrial, metallic, and beautifully designed. This wasn’t just a cooking classroom – it was more of a creative space for food lovers and chefs. The cleverly designed store section sold high quality pots/pans and cooking accessories to restaurants and uber foodies. However the space also included a lunch café, a coffee bar, and a cooking ‘classroom’. Somehow this all fit together seamlessly as a shrine to food.

Sauerbraten History

As I oohed and ahhhhed about the tables made out of doors and saw horses, the chairs, and the store design, Chef Ralf ensured we all had some coffee and instructed us to site down for a little sauerbraten history before we started the hands on work.

Coledampf’s creative space for food – with creative interior design!

Sauerbraten has been around for over 1000 years and was originally a way to preserve food without refrigeration. It became a popular way to keep meat and Ralf told us that originally it was made with horsemeat. It is of utmost importance that the marinade ingredients be of high quality and that you provide ample marinade time – 48 hours minimum. The sauerbraten we’d be cooking today had been marinating for 4 days!

He pointed to a little chalk board full of diagrams and loads of German words – yes – this class was in German – so I was at a slight disadvantage. But my secret weapon was Karina who tried her best to translate for me – so forgive the lack of detail in this post – I will let the photos do most of the talking for me. Karina did say that the quality of questions being asked had her a little intimidated – the people in this class were pretty serious about cooking! This was definitely not a little tourist class – the class was full of locals who were part of a longer cooking series that Coledampf’s offered. However individuals like Karina and I can join any single class at any time too.

Chef Ralf and co-owner/win expert explaining the history of sauerbraten.

A sauerbraten diagram…in German – luckily I had Karina to translate!

Germany’s Next Top Chef

Chef Ralf handed us an apron and we entered the metallic kitchen. I felt as if I had walked onto the set of Germany’s Next Top Chef! We didn’t really get recipes and it wasn’t a step by step type of class – instead we all served as sous chefs helping out Ralf and his real Sous Chef did pieces of the meal. We were making not one, but FOUR type of sauerbraten – one of which Chef Ralf himself had never made before – fish sauerbraten. We also had rabbit sauerbraten, lamb sauerbraten and the traditional beef sauerbraten being marinated. I was happy I had a very light breakfast – this was going to be a day of eating.

The chefs all decided upon the side dishes on the spot and started us chopping up squash, cutting onion, and creating the spätzle dough. I have a little confession – I love spätzle – LOVE it. I had never seen it made from scratch – so I was pretty excited about this process. However – after seeing the effort that it took to make it from scratch – I promptly decided that ordering it at a restaurant was much more enjoyable! The spätzle dough is a very hands on process – it literally has to be slapped around with your hands for about 30 minutes until it gets to the right consistency. Luckily I was not the one ‘hand-picked’ for this effort as I hid behind the my camera as Chef Ralf took volunteers. However I did get picked to form the dough into noodles – a complex process to master as I quickly found out!

Making spatzle like your German grandmother would do it.

Taste testing…no recipes needed!

Chef Ralf explaining the sauerbraten cooking instructions.

Nothing was measured – The chefs cooked to taste – this was the cooking big leagues. Slightly intimidating for me who typically cooks with a recipe and measuring cups! We all helped prepare the dishes and as each dish was ready we plated it up nicely and then all sat down at a communal table and ate it. Each sauerbraten had a side dish – so basically I ate 4 main dishes that afternoon – yes – I was sauerbraten stuffed…and very happy. For each course one of the other owners picked a beautiful wine to go with the course – so it really was a complete food experience.

I Know Who Made My Shoes

I sat and talked with one of the owners to learn more about this innovative concept for a creative cooking studio. He said that the store was based off the saying “I know who made my shoes.” Meaning it was a community based business and they wanted a ‘face’ to the product. They wanted to create a relaxed atmosphere – even down to the silverware – you pick your own flatware out of the middle of the table – they want an inviting feel – not pretentious.

Help yourself to utensils!

Order up!

The 3 partners started the store/space/café 1 ½ years ago in this lesser known Kreuzberg neighborhood. They went into this neighborhood because it wasn’t pretentious – it had more of a hard edge and they wanted to bring community to it. They are integrating into the area by working with the other businesses surrounding them and providing an inviting atmosphere.

They of course use local food sources. As I talked to him I was impressed that everything has a personal, local connection in a way. Whether it be the partners who run it together or the people they work with – it feels like a close knit group of people who enjoy what they do – it gives off a great vibe of energy and familiarity.

The Finished Product

Five hours, a bottle of wine, and 1000’s of calories later we had finished our class. It was a fabulous day of cooking and meeting new people with innovative ideas. Plus – even though I was the only tourist in the class – everyone knew how to speak English and I was able to converse with the other students learning more about them, Berlin and Coledampfs & Company.

Sauerbraten 4 ways! Going clockwise – Fish, Lamb, Rabbit, Beef

A new spiced liquor we were able to taste – yum!

More Info:
Coledampf & Company - www.coledampfs-and-companies.de/home.html
Serve breakfast, lunch. Lunch is 6 to 16 Euro – try to make great food accessible.
Coffee bar and snacks open until 8PM
Culinary Friday – the restaurant has special themes and the feel is simple
Also includes a wine shop.
They also run events with their kitchen crew or you can bring in your own.
Cooking School – www.coledampfs-and-companies.de/Kochschule.html

Me – trying my hand at spatzle! I did it!

Disclosure:  The Living la Vida Local experiment is sponsored by Go with Oh.  However all opinions expressed are my own.

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Thank you!

There are days where it sweeps over me like the fog that rolls over the hills in San Francisco slowly devouring the landscape. Gratitude. It should be a positive feeling – but at times for me it’s a heavy feeling. It’s so heavy that it pushes my shoulders down planting my feet firmer on the ground feeling as if I can’t move. My brain glosses over, my throat seems to tighten and swell and I swallow hard hoping to swallow away the tears. The feeling of gratitude sweeps over me often – and most times I feel like it has no where to go – it just sits in my body and mind making it a lump – a lump who is unable to express out the feelings that are rushing through it and ultimately leaving me strangely dissatisfied.

As I stood at the bus stop this morning in Berlin with my backpacksweighing down on me – I felt even heavier as gratitude took over my body. Strangely I’m sad – sad because I wonder if I can ever be able to give back to all of those who I have immense gratitude for. It’s these times when my life feels extremely uneven – it’s these times where I feel like I take, take, take all of the goodness people have to offer me – and I have no way to give back – that’s why the gratitude feels like a weight to me at times.

The only way I know to give the heaviness of gratitude a way out of my body is to write.  Expressing gratitude in words at this keyboard is all I can really do.

I have so many friends and family who have supported me and this lifestyle through the years and even though I may not say it – I’m thinking it – I appreciate every little tiny meal, drink, bed, bandwidth, dollop of laundry soap, and assistance that is given to me as I wander the world.

When I lived in San Francisco and New York City I used to have visitors all the time…ALL THE TIME. And there were times when I sort of felt like I was giving, giving, giving – but I always knew there would be a time when the tables would turn. That time came in 2009 when I came back from living in Vietnam with my nomadic life in full swing and I had to start depending on everyone else for assistance and places to sleep. However it’s now 2013 – I think that after 4 years my good karma I built up in NYC and San Francisco has all been used. Yet I keep moving and relying on people. I have learned that I have to let go of trying to think about how I can pay people back and just accept the kindness. But there are times like now – waiting at the bus stop – where I feel like it gets really out of balance.

This particular trip has been full of past friends, and relatively new ones who have put me up, helped me, and fed me – and gratitude is flowing inside of me more than ever. It started in Brussels with my friends Andrew and Alison – their immense kindness always stuns me – even going as far as picking me up from the airport at an ungodly hour. I then moved to Frankfurt where I met my Camino friend, Michael, who took the day off of work to show off his adorable town of Bad Neuheim, take me to dinner, and graciously give up his bed for me.

Alison, me, and Andrew in Brussels

Michael and I reconnecting a year after we finished the Camino together.

Next there was Angela – my girlfriend who I developed a bond with just this year when we both lived in Buenos Aires in January. She had just got back from 3 months of travel in Argentina and she welcomed me into her Berlin apartment with open arms. She cooked incredible meals for me, shared bottles of wine, threw a dinner party, helped me mail packages, let me leave bags at her apartment as I went off to Oman, and even lent me hiking poles.

Angela cooking up a feast

And even in obscure places like Oman I am blessed with friends who open their homes and lives to me. Raymond and Federico drove me around, fed me, helped me do laundry, and showed off their town of Muscat all in the short time span of 2 days. Raymond even drove me to the airport in the middle of the night.

Raymond and I at the beach in Muscat

And as I continue my travels in Europe for the next few weeks I’m continuing to rely upon friends – it never really stops. Each of these people were so giving and amazing hosts that I really have no words for them except Thank you.

But it’s not just the people while I travel – it’s my family and friends in the US who are constantly accepting me in their homes and lives. My family allows me to show up on their doorstep for weeks at a time – and even though they are family – I still feel as if I owe them.

Then there are my friends who treat me like family – are even more amazing to me. Charlie in NYC not only provides me a bed but she cooks feasts for me. Miles continues to be my administrative savior as he accepts packages for me and deals with my mail and other admin loose ends. There’s Ron who is acting as my actual administrative assistant virtually from Hawaii helping me with travel planning, running my websites, and providing me amazing pep talks. Then there’s David and his boyfriend Jason.  David has been a long time friend who has provided support to me in so many ways I can’t even begin to list them. He not only provides me an air mattress, food, wine, and wifi use – he’s my shoulder to cry on, my person to call when I need a smile, or the person to remind me to laugh when the serious brooding side of me takes over. (Happy Birthday to David today – here’s the best present I could get you – wish I could’ve been there to help you celebrate.)

Charlie creating yet another amazing meal for me!

Me and Ron in Hawaii taking a break from working and hiking instead!

Me, Miles, David ,and Jason…my ‘man team’ back in NYC!

I have nothing I can give back to any of these special people – and I have to learn how to just let that be – but I find it very challenging to not always feel in debt to them. Sometimes it’s so challenging to deal with the out of balance feeling that I think about stopping this crazy nomadic motion when the gratitude gets too heavy like today.

Gratitude can be a funny thing – it’s a beautiful feeling – but learning to just accept it and not feel like a leech is the real challenge. It’s a challenge I have yet to master.

The post Lean On…Others appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

As the 4 of us walked through the neighborhood streets of Prenzlauerberg and Mitte in Berlin chatting excitedly about restaurants, dating, and life in Berlin I felt a little Sex in the City nostalgia coming on. It had been a while since I had this feeling in my travels – it was comfortable – I felt as if I were out with 4 girlfriends gossiping and enjoying the hip life for a bit. I don’t even think we noticed the cold, but instead just enjoyed each other’s company over drinks, food and walking between restaurants in Berlin.

The Gastro Rallye East Food Tour was a way to get introduced to a neighborhood and the hip restaurants of the area. I was really curious to see how this tour delivered the ‘off the tourist track’ elements it promised. The tour description states:

“We have introduced a new kind of experience for sophisticated world travelers, international companies and individuals interested in food and urban lifestyle. All our tours grant our guests a look behind the scenes of each destination and offer a great deal of surprises and secrets, both on and off the cliched, well-beaten tourist track.”

What did it Include?

Since I was supposed to be a ‘sophisticated world traveler’ – I put on my best unwrinkled hip clothes out of my backpack and Lisa, Karina, and me went to meet Lollie to have a night out on the town eating at the local hot spots. The tour promised 4 stops at restaurants each lasting about an hour each – this was a full evening commitment! At each restaurant we would have another course – similar to progressive dinner parties I used to throw with friends in the past – but I liked the idea of having a progressive restaurant reservation! Each course also included a glass of wine or other beverage.

Lollie, our guide, was fun and social – we all bonded quickly. Lollie was an expat in Berlin for 10 years – after 10 years in a place a person can wear the ‘local patch’ in my opinion. Lollie was also a writer and freelancer so we had lively conversations about freelancing, art, living in Berlin and of course girl talk.  In addition to leading us to the restaurants and keeping us on time for our reservations, Lollie also showed us a few secret bars in the area we started our progressive dinner.

A beautiful lineup of tequila from a secret bar Lollie showed us

W Der Imbiss – Starter of Nan Pizza
Vino e Libri – Seafood Salads  - salmon tatar with strawberries and an fried sea wolf filet and prawn
Mani Hotel & Restaurant – Main Dishes of Beet Root, Yellow fin tuna in pistachio cream, falafel, and various other Lebanese and turkish inspired dishes.
Rutz Wine Bar – Dessert  of cheesecake with berry foam and syrups and of course amazing wine offered up by their sommelier.

Did it deliver a local feel?

Yes – I felt like it did provide a bit of an inside local scoop. Each restaurant we went to was not filled up with tourists – but instead it was locals that filled the seats and conversations filled the air. I suppose the odd exception to that was Mani – where there were more tourists there since it was a hotel restaurant. These are not places I probably would have found on my own especially since they ranged in prices and types of food from the W Der Imbiss casual café to Rutz Wine bar for the person with a love of wine and a overflowing pocket book. Overall even though it was a tour – it felt more like a night out on the town with friends – I felt a part of the experience and not like someone who was a visitor.

The food was very filling and it was actually nice to walk between the restaurants between courses since it did provide a little exercise. I loved the Lebanese inspired dishes at Mani the most. And the Reisling wine at Rutz for dessert was a perfect way to end the evening.

Lollie was a great host telling us stories of the neighborhood and pointing out favorite places as we hurriedly passed by on the snowy cold evening. By the end we were all toasty warm with wine and full bellies! We actually even stayed in touch with Lollie after the tour hoping to meet up with her again – we had bonded beyond the typical guide/client relationship in this intimate evening setting.

At 190€ per person – the tour is a bit pricey – but do consider that you are eating eating and drinking for four hours in very nice restaurants in Berlin – this is not street food!

The kitchen at our first stop – W Der Imbiss

Nan Pizza from W Der Imbiss

Our Salmon Tar Tar with Strawberries at Vino e Libri

Wine at Mani Restaurant

Yellowfin Tuna in Pistachio C ream from Mani restaurant

Cheesecake from Rutz Wine bar

More Info:

Website:  www.berlinagenten.com/#tourshop
Inclusions: a 4-course menu (4 restaurants), 1 beverage per location (wine, beer or soft drink), water, coffee with dessert, a private guide and lots of insider tips.
Start: 6.00 or 7.00 pm (every day)
Duration: approx. 4.5 hours

For those looking for even more local experiences – you might want to also check out another unique local based tour they run:
Urban Living tour
This living culture tour is unique because you’ll actually be visiting homes spread right across the city of three very different, interesting Berliners that make up the city’s diverse social fabric. Our hosts will not only invite you inside to showcase their distinctive homes and décor, they will also give you a unique perspective on the city that they love.

Disclosure:  The Living la Vida Local experiment is sponsored by Go with Oh.  However all opinions expressed are my own.

The post Finding the Hip Local Restaurants in Berlin appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

The Experiment

The man looks at me shyly, and then looks away. I smile politely and go on talking to Lisa while holding on to one of the handles in the Ubahn (Berlin’s subway system) as the subway car jerks around I sway with the movement. Soon the young man stands up and says ‘Excuse me’ with a foreign accent – I smile, he was clearly a visitor to Berlin like myself. He proceeded to ask me directions about which subway stop he needed to get off at. I thought about it and then rattled off the answer as if I were a local. As he got off the subway he once again thanked me and we exchanged polite good-byes.

Inside I beamed with pride – the fact that a tourist had asked me for directions in a city I was also considered a tourist in meant one thing to me – I was fitting in. And after a month in Berlin trying to understand what ‘living local’ meant to me I realized that fitting in was the root of what I desired when I throw around the term ‘traveling local’. Granted, I’m sure he knew that I wasn’t a local Berliner, but apparently I looked at ease and confidant enough to ask about directions. I must have looked like I knew my way around – and quite frankly – I did. We were riding ‘my’ subway line – the U5 – the one I took practically every day from my apartment in Friedrichshain. Maybe , just maybe, my Living La Vida Local experiment was working.

The Experiment

After living and breathing the travel industry for the last 6 years I come across the term ‘local’ more and more. It’s the new trendy travel word that everyone is throwing around. When Lisa Lubin, Go with Oh Holiday Apartments, and I decided to team up and look into this concept further I honestly had no idea what I would find. I always knew that local experiences were very important to me as I traveled – but I had never really thought about why they were important or how I go about finding them. So we put on our labcoats and the experiment began – we would have one month in Berlin, to understand and find local experiences. We set up a base in a Go with Oh apartment in Friedrichshain, threw a few dinner parties, got a local transportation pass, and set out to observe, ask questions, and simply live and explore like I would normally. We did daily journals on our experiments that you can see here on the Go With Oh Lab page – and of course I’ll be writing more extensively about these experiences over the next few weeks.

Our apartment in Friedrichshain – so much fun to be able to have friends over and hang out like locals.

I quickly learned that I needed to reel myself in on this topic and put some boundaries to it – this experiment for me was not about how to be an expat or how to live in a place – that’s a whole different ball game. Instead, I wanted to think about this in the sense of a traveler – a visitor for some period to the city. My visits to cities may be 4 days or 4 weeks – it doesn’t matter. But as a visitor is it ever really possible to have true local experiences, and more importantly – why exactly do I want to have local experiences – what am I after?

I tried to examine my thoughts on the subject by answering a few questions throughout the month:

What does it mean, practically, to have local travel experiences?

For me it means that I fit into a culture and don’t stand out like a tourist. I want to explore a city and go unnoticed, fitting into its natural ebb and flow. The most horrific thing for me to view is big tour groups following around a guide holding a paddle with a number on it – and them with their matching number stickers on their shirts – there is nothing natural about that.

I want to be a part of a culture – yet I know that without the language skills I will never likely really fit in – but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still experience the culture in a more local way. I want to connect – get a feel for a place beyond its tourist sites and historical stories. I actually love to travel in the present – and spend more time learning about how people operate now rather than the past.

I look for a unique experience in a location. Deep in my core I’m always looking for something new and I think that’s probably the root of my quest – I don’t want to do what all of the other tourists are doing and seeing. It’s easy to skim the surface of a country as a tourist, but it’s more challenging to dig into a country or location – I’m after the challenge I guess.

Others I talked to said that for them it’s about meeting other locals, or being able to converse with locals in their language. These are also things I enjoy – but after thinking about this for a month I realize the core of what local means to me has to do with fitting in.

Where and how do you find local experiences?

Riding local transport and shopping at grocery stores are two of the easiest and quickest ways to fit in for me. I was once told that the less money you spend, the closer to the ground you travel and I have to agree 100%. Taking cabs and going out to eat every day is easy – and costly. But having to figure out your way around a city via local transport (bike, subway, buses, trams, by foot) and shopping for your own groceries is a real adventure – and you will definitely meet and observe locals along the way!

My local Ubahn station stop

I did successfully master the transportation system in Berlin, I had a month pass and could get anywhere – however my biking experience was a big fail thanks to the weather. Even though I had a bike in Berlin via Fat Tire Bikes, it snowed most of the month making it about impossible to ever really use it. I only used the bike 3 times the whole month – and it was cold! However I can safely say that there weren’t many other tourists out riding bikes around Berlin this March – so I definitely felt more local – albeit freezing.

Picking up my bike from Fat Tire Bikes

Weather issues kept me a off the bike unfortunately!

I think one of the best ways to have/find local experiences is to actually meet locals who will show you around. I was lucky enough to have a few friends in Berlin to do that for me. By meeting with locals outside of a tour situation but instead as more of a social situation is a great way to learn about fitting in. My friend Sam not only showed me around a few neighborhoods by foot. As we caught up on each other’s lives he peppered in a little history and trivia about the area. It was casual, relaxed, and I felt as if I fit in like a local as I walked around with Sam. I also took any opportunities I could to make new local friends like Anthony and Thomas who I met at a travel conference the first week I was in Berlin.

Sam showing me around Potsdamer Platz on a cold, snowy day.

Reading local (English) magazines and newspapers as well as attending local events is also a great way to get more immersed.  However do be aware that when you try to go off the tourist track to find more meaty experiences then you also run the risk of more disappointment and struggle. I experienced this at the Long Night at the Museums event in Berlin. I picked up a brochure about the event and how it worked and went by myself. I knew what I was getting myself into – I wanted the challenge – but after 3 strikes , the cold weather, getting lost, not being able to read the brochure/decipher it, and frustration of the challenge of communication – I just gave up half way through and went home instead.

Having local travel experiences doesn’t mean that you can’t be a tourist and go on tours and see sites. I did plenty of sight seeing during my month in Berlin. However many of the tours I took were lesser known and more about the current culture or a specific neighborhood. I went on a great evening neighborhood tour of Prenzlauerberg’s restaurant scene with Gastro Rallye . For an evening a guide led us around the neighborhood stopping at restaurants and learning more about the local restaurant and bar scene while eating and sampling the food. I also went on an excellent and extensive Vive Berlin tour of Kreuzberg with a local Berliner/historian who focused on helping me understand the unique culture of the neighborhood before and after the wall, the gentrification concerns, and the current East Side Gallery controversy.

As an attempt to find more local experiences, I went on a lot of German based tours which is an interesting and effective way to meet other locals or other Germans. Since I didn’t speak the language I normally took a German speaking friend along with me to help translate, or many times the guide or other guests spoke enough English to get me by. By doing more German based tours, I actually met more locals and learned more about the city

However on the other hand there are many tours out there that are just that – regular tours packed full of tourists teaching you the history of a city like the Berliner Unterwelten tour I took. There’s nothing wrong with these – but they probably didn’t get me any closer to being local – even if the marketing material did tout that the tour was led by a ‘local guide’. I still enjoyed them and learned more about the city that way.

Do people actually want realistic, local travel experiences?

For me one of my biggest joys of traveling and staying somewhere is doing the mundane things – but I’m not like most travelers. Figuring out the grocery store, learning how to get around, finding a jewelry repair store, understanding how garbage pickup works – most people don’t want to deal with this stuff when they are on vacation. Therefore I personally think that vacationers aren’t necessary looking to LIVE local – but they want to MEET locals. Whereas travelers do have more of a desire to live like a local.

Enjoying Beer and some football at Hops & Barley – a local bar in our neighborhood

Enjoying Currywurst with old & new local friends in my neighborhood

The definition of ‘local’ is different for everyone. There is a trend towards using the term ‘local’ in much of the travel marketing today as that’s what the industry thinks people want. And quite frankly marketing campaigns are great at making you think you want something. Thanks to this, the local trend will continue to grow in my opinion. In addition, as more and more people travel the world and tick sights off their lists, they too will start to look for something different out of their travels.

Does staying in a rental apartment make it easier or more difficult to achieve?

I firmly believe this answer to be “easier” – staying in a rental apartment it is one of the better ways to have more local experiences. From shopping to learning about the local recycling processes and schedule – you can’t help but learn more about the day to day lives of Berliners. And typically by staying in a holiday apartment you establish a routine which instantly makes you feel more local.

However – I also think that staying with locals is a great way to get more immersed in a culture – and that can be achieved by services like Airbnb.com and Couchsurfing.org too.

Motels and Hostels just don’t offer as much exposure to the locals as apartments and these other local lodging options. You have to work harder at finding local experiences if you are staying in traditional accommodation.

After a month in Berlin – what’s the conclusion – was I more local?

Will I ever be a local in Berlin – no. Will I ever fit in and have local experiences in Berlin – yes. This is exactly what my month in Berlin was about – fitting into the local environment and finding some unique experiences.

Lisa and I enjoying beer at a local restaurant in our neighborhood.

I was successful in some areas such as transportation, understanding various neighborhoods, meeting locals, and learning the ins/outs of grocery shopping in Berlin. However I failed in others such as learning the language (not even a little) and establishing a routine.

Overall – The experiment was fun and a success! I think I did learn more about the Berliner culture, and I definitely felt like I fit in more after spending a month in the apartment and had a number of local travel experiences. But in order to really be living like a local – you need more time than a month in my opinion.

I’d love your opinion on these questions – feel free to answer in the comments below:

1. What does it mean, practically, to have local travel experiences?
2. Where and how do you find local experiences?
3. Do people actually want realistic, local travel experiences?
4. Does staying in a rental apartment make it easier or more difficult to achieve?

Want to see what my roommate, Lisa Lubin, concluded – then check out her wrap up post here

This topic isn’t finished – over the next two weeks you’ll be getting a lot more details about some of my attempts at local experiences so stay tuned!

Disclosure: The Living la Vida Local experiment is sponsored by Go with Oh. However all opinions expressed are my own.

The post Living La Vida Local – The Results appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

River Spree from a new perspective

It should have been simple – I plugged the address into Google maps on my phone and the Strudel Factory was immediately identified. I zoomed in and realized that it was close by so I grabbed my camera, packed my backpack and went out to get some strudel and hopefully sit and enjoy the ambiance. Oh yes one other important piece of information – I was starving. A starving Sherry turns a normal outing into an emotional roller coaster adventure fueled by low blood sugar. But really – it was on Google maps, it was 6 blocks away from my apartment, I could walk fast, I would be eating warm, homemade strudel in no time – how difficult could it be?

The Wiener Strudel Manufaktur (or the Strudel Factory for German language inept like me) is more of a wholesaler to other outlets than it is selling to the public – but according to their website – on Thursday and Friday they open doors and sell from their factory for limited hours. I was hoping to get there early while old women dressed in simple dresses and scarves on their heads were making batches of strudel so that I could have the perfect photo op. I envisioned being led inside by my nose following a visible little trail of apple aroma like in the cartoons. My hunger had fueled quite a vivid imagination.

Instead, I walked down the snowy streets of Friedrichshain and paced back and forth by the address that Google maps directed me to. I looked at the old building filled with graffiti and questioned if I was in the right place. I checked the map again. I checked my GPS. I heard my stomach rumble, and I winced in hunger pain. I checked the map again wishing that it would tell me something different this time. Nope – I was in the right spot.

My hunger makes me irrational at times, ok…all the time. I dug in my emotional heels, determined to find the place, circling around the abandoned looking building trying to discover any sign of strudel – but there wasn’t even a smell of baking strudel in the air.

Mildly frustrated, I went further down the rabbit hole of hunger and continued to walk through the whole run down area around the train tracks. I had heard about this area of Friedrichshain called RAW – formerly the Reichsbahn (former German national railway) repair workshop. Today the area is populated with associations in the field of culture, music, theatre and more. But it’s mainly known for it’s nightlife, it’s a hot spot when the sun goes down. The name RAW is appropriate since the area is pretty gritty – filled with graffiti covered buildings, bars, warehouses and factories.

RAW area in Friedrichshain – an unlikely place to find strudel!

Tai Kwan Do School in the RAW area – I don’t think they make strudel in there.

That’s definitely not big enough to make strudel in!

Pho – satiating my hunger pains!

Completely frustrated, cold, and so hungry that food barely even sounded good to me any longer – I gave up. I saw a beckoning neon sign – sputtering iPho – and decided to go eat some pho and regroup. It wasn’t strudel, but Pho was a pretty good substitute.

Sometimes even when you have all of the information you need things still don’t work out in foreign cities. This was one of those times. When you decide to forgo the typical tourist tours and sites and wander a bit off that path – you run into road blocks. As a visitor who doesn’t speak the language – things take longer, you get lost, and you misunderstand information. But hopefully you end up finding a unique experience in the end – making it all work it.

After warming up with a bowl of pho I decided to continue to walk to the Oberbaum Bridge – a historical landmark in Berlin separating East and West Berlin – Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. As I walked towards the brick bridge the sun started to show itself for the first time in 3 days. Excited by the new ray of sunlight in my life, and a full stomach, I ended up going to the river Spree and taking photos of the bridge from further vantage points. I walked along the river and all of my frustration about my strudel hunt disappeared as I started to discover a new area along the river bank. There is no quicker way to happiness for me than calories and the delight of discovering new things.

Along the river I was amazed at the modern architecture, the building patterns, as well as the street art. It was a fascinating mix of design, art, and business.

Modern Architecture along the River Spree

Colorful patterns along the river.

Oberbaum Bridge – a division line for East and West Berlin

Even though I missed out on strudel – I did luck out by finding the river walk and seeing yet another side of Friedrichshain. I finished my strudel-less afternoon by a walk along the East Side Gallery. The Gallery is the home to controversy lately, so I was happy to get to see it as it’s unclear what its fate will be.

East Side Gallery shines in the winter sunlight

When you go off the tourist track you end up spinning your wheels and not always accomplishing what you set out to do. And sometimes, it’s worth it to be a little lost.

 During my stay in Berlin I was a guest of Go with Oh who furnished my apartment in Friedrichshain.  However all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

The post The Beauty in Being Lost appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

Crossing from East to West Berlin.  The line and memory of the wall is highlighted throughout the city.

From the moment I arrived in Berlin the Wall was a hot topic.  There was a public protest at the East Side Gallery – a section of the wall that is preserved along the Spree River for street artists around the world leave their mark for peace.  The East Side Gallery is considered an international memorial for freedom but is in threat of being torn down for development.  I’m not going to get into the details of the feuding groups in this post – it’s quite political and convoluted like most disagreements – but you should know that it’s a very hot topic in Berlin .  So much so that David Hasselhoff (aka the Hoff), even showed up to a protest the new development.  Epic German (pop) culture.

I still remember the first thing that struck me when I visited Berlin a year ago – I was impressed by how well they preserved the wall and memorialized it as well as other important areas/sites of the city.  The Wall is a structure that has a reason to be hated deeply, yet the city has done a great job of putting together a public space to learn about it’s history and remember the past lives and stories.  I was absolutely entranced by the Berlin Wall Memorial along Bernauer Strasse.  It was so cleverly done incorporating the land in which the wall stood and even the buildings around it – an open air exhibition.  It told a story – and that’s what a good memorial does.

Overall memorials are important tools for educating the general public. These areas in Berlin combine art, architecture, physical urban space and the power of memory – an effective combination.  Do you agree?

What are some of the best memorials you have seen around the world?

Tourists have their photo taken near the death strip at the Berlin Wall memorial

A memorial plaque of those who lost their lives trying to escape to West Berlin

A famous picture of East Berliners fleeing as the wall was being erected. The image is depicted along one of the buildings on Bernauer Strasse.

A guard tower remains at the memorial

Plaques outline an old escape tunnel along Bernauer Strasse.

A view of the memorial along Bernauer Strasse from the Visitor Center. It’s only a few blocks long but filled with great artistic displays and information.

A section of the wall along Bernauer Strasse depicted by rebar. I love the creativeness of this memorial!

A small section of the East Side Gallery’s remaning Death Strip on a cold winter day.

The most famous painting on the East Side Gallery – kissing communist leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker.

The images are marked by plaques along the East Side Gallery.

A door in the wall along the East Side Gallery

More Information:

Berlin Wall Memorial  Bernauer Strasse Website

Hours

Open-Air Exhibition and Memorial Grounds
All year round Monday – Sunday 8:00am – 10:00pm

Visitor Center and Documentation Center
April – October
Tuesday – Sunday 9:30am – 7:00pm
November – March
Tuesday – Sunday 9:30am – 6:00pm

Location:
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
Bernauer Straße 111/119
13355 Berlin

The post Memorializing The Wall appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

Expired products still sit in the cafeteria at the abandoned Meat Factory.

The glass crunches underneath my shoes with every step I take, the stairway is dimly lit by diffused daylight on this wintery day. A cold blast of air blows through the broken window sending a thin layer of snow swirling on the stairs as I continue to walk to the top level.  The paint on the walls and ceiling is peeled and cracking. There is a faint smell of smoked meat that still oozes out of the building and I’m nervously aware that I’m the only one here. I cautiously enter the doorway to the top floor and round the corner into the hallway. I look down the hall and let out an audible gasp and mutter to myself “shit”. This is not a place that I should be – wandering around an old abandoned meat factory in East Berlin – but at the same time I’m unexplainably drawn to it.

Every door in the hallway is open and this is about the time that some maniacal murderer in a hockey mask should be jumping out at me brandishing his pointy claws or bloody saw. I stop for a moment and then proceed cautiously peering around each door wondering if I will find anyone lurking in the shadows. Ghosts of old communist meat packing workers, old meat carcasses, or Jason…all seem equally scary to me – the girl who is scared of everything.

Situated in old East Berlin, the Alte Fleischfabrik (Old Meat Factory) was owned by the Konsumgenossenschaft (KGB), a consumer association, and was established in 1899. The KGB office buildings, meat factory, bakery, and power plant were built in 1909. These hearty brick buildings survived two world wars, but it appears that after the wall fell, so did the KGB. The buildings were abandoned, sold to private investors, and today remnants and odors of the old KGB business remains as if it were hit by a nuclear war.

The Meat Factory on a snowy, cold, dark day – fitting.

As I peer around each door I find no one and I let out a sigh of relief. All I do find is more destroyed rooms littered with broken glass, dirt, dry wall, 30 year old sugar packets, and graffiti. One of the rooms I walk into even has a large hole in the wall. I can only imagine how someone broke through that wall. Was it the Incredible Hulk, was it a homeless person, was it a maniac with a sledge hammer, or was it a graffiti artists who wanted to somehow frame his work? As I stand looking through the hole in the wall, I opt for the latter as a beautiful, colorful heart stares back at me. I feel as if it’s beating, keeping this old expired factory alive.

Graffiti framed by destruction.

For 4 hours I click away taking photo after photo of the abandoned meat packing plant, power plant and old bakery building complex as it snowed outside. It was hard to stay warm, but the fear inside of me kept my adrenaline pumping. However in reality I really didn’t have anything to be fearful of – besides my own imagination. I had permission to be wandering around this old destroyed factory – I was here on a Go2Know photo tour.

When I decided to come back to Berlin one of the first things I did was get in contact with the Go2Know people again. My visit to an old abandoned paper factory last year with them was a highlight of my time in Germany and I could hardly wait to do more of their tours. A Go2Know guide will lead you initially through the 3 main buildings, provide maps, and show you the most interesting photo opportunities. After that initial introduction you are free to roam on your own.

For an afternoon I roamed around old smoking ovens, cafeterias, locker rooms, offices, furnaces, boilers, and even a bowling alley hidden away in a dark corner basement. Each room left in disarray but also used as an urban street gallery. Go2Know offers a truly unique experience for photographers visiting Berlin.

More information:

• If you go, be sure to bring a headlamp or flashlight – many of the areas are very dark.
• Don’t wear sandals – there is glass and nails everywhere – sturdy footwear is a must.
• Go2Know mainly gives their tours/assistance in German only. However they guides there normally know enough English to get by – and I have found that the other people on the tour can also assist with translating. Bottom line – don’t let the German stop you, you really don’t need to communicate much – you are there to wander and take photos.

Go2Know Website – (you’ll need it translated!)

Meat Factory Tour

The corner office never looked so good.

Hallway of the Meat Factory

Random chairs and other office material is strewn about

A broken window in the old bakery.

Graffiti mural lights up the old power building. The colorful glass cube windows in this building were haunting.

If I turn it what will happen? Old Meat Factory machinery

Hallway leading to offices.

Shower stalls in the locker room at the bakery building

Dead plants still sit in the office window sills dusted with snow.

Doors to the smoking ovens swing open leaving the whole building still smelling of smoke.

Meat racks strewn across the rooms intermix with mother nature.

See all of my Meat Factory Photography here

Disclosure: Thanks to Go with Oh Holiday Apartment Rental and Go2Know for hosting me on this great tour.  However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

The post This Meat Has Expired appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

Museum of Fakes in Vienna

Sometimes I feel like I’m one of those people living in the US for 20+ years and they still don’t speak English – yet they somehow get by. I used to look at them and wonder how that was possible. How can the old woman in China Town get through each day without really knowing what’s going on around her once she wanders out of China Town? They are somehow successfully faking it – they don’t really understand what is being said around them and to them yet they can function day to day.

I’m not judging these people – after all, I don’t know any other language and am often in their shoes in a short term way when I travel. It’s more that I’m in awe of them and their ability to function long term in a world where they don’t know the language.

However during a recent dinner in El Calafate in Argentina, I realized that this idea of ‘faking it’ isn’t as hard as I had once thought. After being in Spanish speaking countries for the last 2 months – I had picked up some words – mainly niceties such as please, thank you, hello, goodbye, excuse me, and some menu words.

I ordered a hamburger and draft beer by pointing and sounding out the words on the menu – however the pointing was really all that was necessary. The waitress took my order and asked me something in Spanish without really looking up from her notepad. I realize that in that sentence I heard the word frita which basically sounds like the word “fries” and in the context of the situation in which I ordered a hamburger I put it all together and quickly realize that she’s asking if I want fries with my burger. I answer “si” without really skipping a beat in the ‘conversation’. She scribbles on the pad and walks away.

About 15 minutes later she brings the food and says something again. I assume that she’s asking me if I want anything else with the meal because that’s the typical way a conversation like this would go. I answer “no” and smile. She walks away once again.

She comes back a few minutes later and rattles another Spanish sentence off and looks at me for a response. I assume that in the world of restaurant interactions and communication that she is asking me how everything is. I reply “bueno”  – one of the few words I know in Spanish.

She seems pleased. I have answered correctly!

Then she says something else quickly, looks quickly at the packets of condiments on the table and looks at me for a response. For a millisecond I panic, but then I realize that I’m holding a French fry in my hand and I do a conversation gamble and guess that she is asking if I need more packets of ketchup. I respond “si” and soon she returns with a few more packets of ketchup. I gambled and it paid off.

Spanish sign – pretty self-explanatory!

I eat as much as I can of the big hamburger and decide to give the international signal that I’m finished and put my silverware on top of my plate and place my napkin on my plate. She comes over and asks me a question and looks at me for my response. I assume she’s confirming that I’m finished so I respond “si, fin”.   She nods and removes the plate. As she picks it up she asks me another question. I assume she’s asking me if I want anything else such as coffee or dessert. I respond “no, gracias.”

I finally motion for the check (one of the universal non-verbal communications), I pay and leave. I have somehow made it through a complete dinner without knowing any Spanish and have faked my way through the whole dinner-server-patron conversation. It wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought.

In fact – I realize that after traveling around the world you really do hone your communication skills and you also realize that there are a number of ‘standard’ conversations you encounter daily at the grocery store, restaurants, and on transportation. You simply need to remain calm, think about the context of the conversation and watch the speakers non-verbals – and you can figure out more than you initially thought possible. Where I used to panic when foreign words came out of someone’s mouth now I consider it like a puzzle. Can I piece it together with the contextual clues and conversational assumptions? The answer is yes – you normally can with a little patience and observation – faking it is easier than it initially looks!

The post Faking It appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

East Side Gallery

It’s official, my smart phone has replaced my point and shoot camera for good.  On days where I don’t feel like carrying around my big DSLR and lenses it’s a treat to simply carry one device and have everything at my fingertips so that I can quickly do updates in social media on my real time travels.  My favorite go-to app is Instagram.  I take more casual photos via Instagram as I’m out walking about and after a month in Berlin I have amassed quite a few Berlin Instagram photos.  Berlin is such a diverse city – sometimes gritty, sometimes artistic, sometimes sophisticated – it’s fun to try to capture all of it’s sides. Sit back and enjoy a little showing of Berlinstagram – a collection of some of my favorite street pics from the last month in Berlin.

Friedrichshain on Karl Marx Allee – yes – snow again.

I’m watching you….at the old abandoned spy station – Teufelsberg

Radio Tower – the symbol of Berlin at Alexanderplatz

Crumbling staircase at abandoned hospital – Beelitz

Our dinner party chef, Ofir, cooking delicious food in our kitchen! Yum!

Oberbaum bridge at sunset along the River Spree

Window shopping the new spring fashions – while snow falls in Berlin…again.

Messages are found all over Berlin.

Dog on the Ubahn/subway

East Berlin – a look all it’s own.

East Side Gallery – a hot topic while I was in Berlin

Berlin train station – what a structure!

You can follow me on Instagram at Ottsworld

For a fun parody about Instagram – this video had me doubled over!  Look at this Instagram

The post Berlinstagram appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

America is blurry…

I rub my eyes, and try to refocus but everything still seems blurry and unfamiliar. I feel like I’m removed from the scene in front of me observing as if it’s a television sitcom. I just got off an 11 hour flight from Buenos Aires and I’m still in that long haul flight fog. I look around the crowded train of commuters and my senses are on high alert. I’m agitated and anxious – like the border collie sheep herder dogs I just left in Patagonia when they are around a flock and observing their every move.

I’m on the train, heading from Newark into NYC and I’m following the commuter’s every move around me – observing, thinking, judging. Signs are everywhere. Exit signs, what you do in case of emergency, special needs seating signs, legal signs stating the train workers rights, rules about who you must listen to, and what numbers to call in case you see something suspicious. Signs seem to take up every inch of train wall space. I wonder if the commuters even notice the signs. Probably not. When you are ‘in’ it you never see it.

The commuters around me bundle up in their winter coats and have headphones in their ears blocking out all of the noise around them. But I can’t block out the noise because the first day I arrive back in the US after being gone for months I’m bombarded by my own culture. And the crazy thing it’s that I love this feeling. It’s like being on ecstasy where your senses are all heightened and all you want to do is watch, smell, feel, and hear.

I arrive in Penn station and fixate on all of the eating places. So many places to choose from. Each one with bright lights and big colorful signs trying to outdo each other and grab the attention of the desensitized commuters. The commuters keep walking as if they are on autopilot – they have a routine to follow. But right now I have no routine so the signs grab my attention and for a moment I feel like I’m in Vegas being assaulted with glitz. Somehow I make it to the subway without gambling my money away on a Krispie Kreme and coffee – but don’t think I’m not tempted.

I hear everything. It started as soon as I got off the plane as if someone just turned up the volume in my brain. In fact I feel like I have super human hearing able to pick up and understand conversations far away from where I am sitting on the subway. Maybe I am superwoman – or maybe I just desperately need sleep. I hear them because for the first time in 2 1/2 months I understand them. My white noise of Spanish is gone. I’m in the world of English again – amazed at the personal things that people discuss in public.

But I myself am not ready to talk. I’m still in observation mode voraciously reading every English sign around me just because I can. When I have to exchange niceties with the commuters the words “si” and “gracious” come out instinctively. Argentina soaked into me more than I thought.

I wonder if anyone in this subway car has been to Chile or Argentina. I think about the mountains that I saw yesterday. Or was it today? It is at this moment I am struck by the strangeness of my life – my nomadic life. There are moments I think I miss routine and stability and commuting, but when confronted with it back on the NYC subway I realize that indeed I don’t.

I exit the subway car and things are becoming clearer, the signs are fading from my vision, the noise is dying down a bit, and the concept of familiar strikes me. The joyous re-entry high is disappearing – I can feel it slip away as I walk up the stairs out of the subway in Washington Heights. I wonder how I can get another fix. But I know that it’s not that easy – it means getting on another plane and leaving for months again. It’s early in NYC, but in my jetlag world it’s mid morning and my brain is now engaging again. I walk up the street dodging people who are in the middle of their routine. And then I see it – another sign.

Wait a minute…

But this one is in Spanish and it sends my mind spinning down a rabbit hole…where am I again?

Have you ever been away from your home culture for months?  Do you like the ‘high’ of re-entry?

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San Telmo’s cafe scene – an enchanting environment

It’s 11:30PM, you are drinking Malbec and socializing with friends across a long table.  The noise is deafening – but it’s the noise of joy, fun, and laughter that only friends can share.  Your waitress brings out a big plate of sizzling meat and sets it in the middle of the table with a cloud of smoke following her  - you are at the core of the Buenos Aires food scene.

Eating in Buenos Aires is fun – it’s an experience – and it goes into the wee hours of the night.  For most people, this is a pretty foreign eating experience.  However I was determined to learn more about this meat heavy diet and the strange hours in which the locals ate, so I signed up to do a food walking tour of one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires – San Telmo.

Our guide, David, met us on the cobblestone streets of San Telmo in front of one of the old covered markets.  David told us about the neighborhood history as we walked through the market, which sadly seemed to be underutilized for such a pretty building.  San Telmo is the oldest neighborhood in the city.  It was heavily populated at one time until it was hit with an outbreak of Yellow Fever and people started to move further out into the now popular areas of Palermo.  The architecture in this area has a real European feel with lots of iron work and balconies.

The iron work was beautiful in the old market

After making our way through the covered market we made our first stop for a classic snack food – empanadas.  Up to this point I had been ordering and eating this cheap snack food daily without knowing much about it!  Empanadas are like a small calzone with various fillings – carne (beef), ham & cheese, spinach, and sometimes fish.  David explained that each province in Argentina had a different empanada ‘specialty’.  Buenos Aires’ empanada was made with beef, egg, cumin, and green onion typically.  He said that you can typically determine the ‘flavor’ of empanada by the shape.  For example the ham & cheese is more round and the carne is typically more crescent shaped.  Some places even put a little branding on them with letters so you know what they are.  We sat in an old café with wooden chairs and old water/seltzer bottles and ate the delicious carne empanadas  served up by a waitress who looked like she had been working their her entire life. The windows were wide open and the slight breeze blew in.   I loved the vibe of the place – it had a distinct old authentic character about it.  It’s the type of place that people try to replicate in modern times, but it’s impossible to really duplicate the aura.

Empanadas – my favorite cheap meal in Buenos Aires

I loved the atmosphere in this cafe

After a few empanadas we moved on to   – yes you guessed – more meat.  Our next stop was at a Parrilla.  Parrilla means a steak house or grill.  More than half of the restaurants in Buenos Aires are parrilla’s.  I was surprised to see so many people in the restaurant for lunch.  I had started to think of the people of Buenos Aires as vampires – who only came out at the wee hours of the night.  David told us that the typical eating times in Argentina was to have a small breakfast of break and coffee , lunch at 1 or 2 pm, Merienda (tea time/snack) at 6PM, and dinner anywhere from 10 to 12pm.

A parrilla has a large grill and the man who cooks the meet is called an asador.  The grill is normally situated so that the wood is stacked and burned only on one side and then the coals are distributed under the grill spread thinly.  This is what makes an Argentinian steak so unique – the meat is grilled over a very thin layer of coals at a low temp for a longer time.  They don’t like a smoky flavor so the grill is designed in such a way that the dripping won’t drop over the coals and cause much smoke.  Most of the beef is grass fed and the only spice they use is a coarse salt.

Here we were once again treated to a sit down meal.  We started with choripan sandwiches.  Delicious chorizo sausage grilled to perfection and put in a bun – simple and good.  We were also served provoleta – a grilled cheese which is typical at Parrillas.  The cheese is grilled quickly on each side and then dusted with olive oil and oregano and served hot.

Argentinian Steak! Simple and delicious.

Our main course was of course a small juicy steak, a salad, and the 3 of us split a bottle of Malbec wine.  Steaks are served plain and sometimes accompanied with chimichui sauce (oregano, parsley, red pepper, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar).  After such a big meal I was ready for the part of the tour that showed us how to nap.  It really was more food than I was expecting!  The volume in the room seemed to turn up as everyone, including our table, was becoming more social with every sip of wine and bite of steak.

Fighting off the urge to nap, we moved on to our final stop, an ice cream shop.  Ice cream was brought over from Italy and is generally very high quality due to the great dairy products in Argentina.  It’s the most popular dessert in Argentina and that should explain why you see ice cream shops all over the city.  Most shops make their own flavors on the premises and they even deliver quarts and gallons right to your home!  We walked into the shop and were immediately overwhelmed with the variety of flavors on offer.  There must have been about 35 flavors – and they even had a cervesa-flavored ice cream.  They allow you to taste anything you want before you choose you scoop so of course I had to at least try the cervesa ice cream.  It started with a slightly citrus taste but then finished with a beer taste – which felt just wrong if you ask me.  I instead went with the flan dulce de leche flavor, which my taste buds were quite happy about.

With so many choices of ice cream – it’s hard to pick one! But steer clear of the cervesa flavor!

Our 2 hours of stuffing our face seemed to go quickly!  We had visited 3 restaurants for a complete and very filling meal all within about a 5 block area.  But before we all left David provided us with a really useful restaurant guide as well  a handout of Spanish food terms and how to pronounce them such as “medium rare”.  It also included a complete list of the types of meat you can order.

We were now all armed to go out and explore the restaurants in Buenos Aires and order like a local.  Dave also provided us each a small gift before departing to explore the neighborhood more on our own.  This was a great way to get quickly up to speed on the foodie scene in the city.  I suggest you do it your first day and then try out the restaurants on David’s list for the remainder of your stay.  The only way you’ll go hungry in Buenos Aires is if you are a vegetarian!

More Information:

Parrilla Food Tours – run in San Telmo and Palermo on different days.  I took this San Telmo Food Tour through Viator

Parrilla Food Tours website – www.parrillatour.com

 For this tour I was a guest of Viator Tours.  However all opinions here expressed are my own.

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Perito Moreno Glacier – This huge advancing glacier is more than 3 miles wide at its front and over 20 stories high.

Earlier this week I wrote all about the two famous glacier treks you can do in Argentina/Patagonia.  One of my favorite things about trekking Perito Moreno and Viedma glaciers were the views and perspective you had on the ice.  You can’t really appreciate the sheer size and power of a glacier until you walk on it and hear it moan and crack.  At that time you realize that you are standing on a force of nature.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from my glacier trekking in Patagonia.  I invite all of you to put on a pair of crampons and explore one of them for yourself!

Hiking up the ice on Viedma Glacier

Standing in an ice valley of Perito Moreno Glacier – this gives you an idea of it’s size!

The bluer the ice – the more dense and old it is. This was from a recently calved piece of Viedma Glacier

Perito Moreno Glacier – look up in the distance and you can see a group trekking – they look like ants.

Viedma Lake is a brilliant blue from the glacier. Here we are hiking back to the boat from the glacier – beautiful colors all around!

Glacier calving at Perito Moreno. They make a thundering sound when these big pieces fall!

Viedma Glacier trekking into a valley

I can barely fit it all in with my wide angel lens. This is shot from the viewing area in front of Perito Moreno.

Climbing High on Perito Moreno!

And if you are having trouble choosing which one you’d rather do – then this comparison of Viedma and Perito Moreno Glaciers article may help!

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

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Drinking mate has many traditions to be aware of

The Cebador hands me the cuia, I pause for a moment and think about everything I have learned. I slowly extend my right hand looking him in the eyes and giving him a slight nod. I take the first drink from the bombilla careful not to move it around but instead let it sit stiffly in the packed herbal mixture. I drink it all in a short amount of time – trying to suck and slurp the last bit of liquid from the herbs.  Once I’ve finished I hand it back to the cebador with the bombilla pointing towards him and don’t say a word.

Now I’m one step closer to fitting into Patagonia culture – I can officially call myself a mate drinker.

You can’t miss the mate culture in Patagonia (pronounced maa-tay)– the cuia’s (gourds that the mate is drank out of) are sold everywhere in the markets. You’ll also notice huge displays of metal straws that are used in the mate. And finally – if you look closely, you’ll probably see people of all ages walking around towns with a thermos of warm water. All of these things are key to mate – the official drink of Patagonia.

Mate is basically a traditional herbal mixture served with hot water. I always found it slightly bitter tasting, however I did learn that in some areas it’s served sweet. What makes mate so unique is that it’s complicated – and yes, complicated things are cool in my opinion.  There are a number of rules and traditions associated with drinking mate – which makes it slightly intimidating at first. My best advice is to find a local to teach you how to fit into the mate drinking culture. I had my EcoCamp guides , Nico and Claudio, explain it all to me.

Before we get to the rules, we better go over the basic vocabulary:

Cuia – a hollow and treated calabash gord that the mate is traditionally served in.  It’s normally small – slightly larger than a baseball.
Bombilla – a metal straw that can be elaborately decorated acts as both a straw and a sieve. The submerged end is flared, with small holes or slots that allow the liquid in, but block the herbal sludge that makes up much of the mixture.
Cebador – the man or woman who is making the mate. The one who adds water to the herbal mixture and basically controls the drinking process. The cebador drinks the first serving of mate completely to ensure that it is free of particulate matter and of good quality.

The cuia filled to the top with packed mate herbs.

Now since you have the basic vocabulary – it’s time to learn the etiquette.  I think you could write a whole Miss Manners book on drinking mate in South America – but this should get you by for now.

Mate Drinking Etiquette

The cebador has the thermos of water and ensures that it stays at the right temperature (which is quite specific at 70–80 °C [160–180 °F], never boiling).  They prepare the gord with mate and then drinks the first container completely.  The cebador then refill the gord with warm water and hands it counter clockwise to the next person. You must pass the gord with the straw facing the person you are passing it to and the person accepting it must take it with their right hand. This person is obliged to drink the whole thing complete with straw sucking noises. As my grandmother would say – you shouldn’t ‘dilly dally around’ when you drink it – this is not a sipping drink.  When finished, you pass the mate gord back to the cebador to refill and pass along further to others. If you don’t say anything when you hand back the mate, then that means that you’d like more. However if you say “Thank you” then that signals the cebador that you don’t want any more.  That was the hardest rule for me to learn as “thank you” comes out naturally to me – and I found myself trying to correct myself a lot!

I was told that if you are a tourist and a local offers you to drink mate you should feel quite proud – being included in mate drinking is a sign of trust.

Claudio sitting at a lake in Patagonia with his thermos ready to pour mate

I love cultural rituals – so immediately I was intrigued with the mate culture. Nico explained all of the rules and then invited me to drink with him and Claudio – of course I accepted. I watched as Claudio, our cebador, poured luke warm water from his thermos over the herbal mixture and started this elaborate process.

Soon I was asked to participate in mate drinking with my roomates, with ship captains, with my kayaking friends, hotel owners, gauchos, and tour guides – and of course I jumped at the chance to fit in to this cultural tradition.  When in Patagonia (Argentina or Chile), don’t be afraid to accept the chance to have mate with locals – it’s a complement – and it’s a tradition in Patagonia!

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

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Crampons for hiking Perito Moreno Glacier in the background

In this corner – we have the world champion Perito Moreno Glacier known through out the world for it’s heavyweight size and knock-out calving punch. In the other corner we the Viedma Glacier – a scrappy new opponent offering a powerful one-two punch of adventure and crevasses. Lets get ready to rumble!

Two Glaciers, both in Los Glaciares National Park, both offer ice trekking, both marketed to adventure travelers – but which one should you choose? I was lucky enough to set foot on both Viedma Glacier and the Perito Moreno Glacier – but not everyone is that fortunate. I decided to compare my experiences based on some criteria that I deem relevant for adventure travel seekers. You can go through this and determine what’s important to you and choose for yourself. And if you have the chance to go to both…do it!

Boat Trip

A boat awaits to pick us up on Viedma Lake

Viedma – The boat was new and well maintained. You could ride on the top and get some great photos of the approach. The boat ride took about 45 minutes to get across the lake and to the glacier. The boat swung around and took us rather close along the base of the glacier

Perito Moreno – The boat was a bit older – but nice. The ride was much shorter – only about 20 minutes. There was also a top viewing area, but the boat took you straight to the drop off point and didn’t spend much time taking you past base of the glacier.

Approach

Viedma Glacier boat landing – a technical hike to get to the glacier

Walking to Perito Moreno glacier – an easy path to the base of the ice.

Viedma – once you got off the boat you still had to get to the ice. The Viedma landing was rocky. Clearly the adventure started the moment you stepped off the boat. You were deposited onto some harsh terrain – orange colored large rocks that you had to scramble across. Our English-speaking guide team met us and then led us over the rocks towards the ice. The rock scramble wasn’t easy – it was steep in areas, however the guides were like gazelles – they knew every hard part and ran out in front to offer a hand just when you needed it. Once near the ice we sat on the rocks and the guides helped us get outfitted in crampons. We then were able to step on to the ice. There were no bathroom facilities once you got off the boat.

Perito Moreno – The boat landing area was very nice with a dock and an easy disembarkation. They had a number of buildings located there where you could sit and eat lunch and look at views of the glacier and there were bathroom facilities. After a short talk we followed our English speaking guides along an easy walk which skirted the water’s edge. It was a well worn trail which deposited us in front of another little hut with benches. There was a team of workers there to outfit you in crampons. Everyone sat on a little bench and had their crampons put on then they followed the guides onto an easy entry onto the glacier. There was no scrambling required on this entry – extremely straightforward and easy.

Equipment/Guides

Crampons used on Viedma Glacier. Notice the front ice picks at the toe which make it possible to climb steeper ice.

The Viedma team served up Bailey’s with a bit of glacier ice…now this is happy hour!

Viedma – The crampons were good quality and they had toe picks which allowed you to go up steeper walls. They also furnished gloves for those who didn’t have their own. We had 3 English speaking guides for our group and they were the energetic, upbeat, and always there when you needed a hand. In fact they moved so fast on the ice that they snuck up on me many times! They encouraged you to try things slightly out of your comfort zone and would give you extra support if you looked nervous. They also took a lot of time to explain the history and geology of the glacier which I found fascinating. I was really impressed with how nimble and adventurous the group of them was. About ¾ of the way through the trek the guides surprised us with a bottle of Baily’s that they poured over glacial ice for a little celebration – a real treat!

Perito Moreno – the crampons were a step down from Viedma – there were no toe picks which pretty much immediately signaled to me that we wouldn’t be doing any real challenging hiking/climbing. The crampons were good quality, but more restrictive. We had two English speaking guides who were very nice and helpful. They also had some explanation of the glacier and the Southern Ice Field, calving, etc – but I didn’t find it as thorough. However I might not have been as attentive since this was my 2nd glacier trek. As expected from the crampons – the guides did not take us to very many adventurous areas. We stuck to a fairly well worn path and didn’t do any intimidating climbs or descents. They were there to lend a hand generally – or more often than not to tell you not to do something or get to close to things. Also at the end of the trek the guide took you to a little ‘bar area’ where they chipped off ice from the glacier and then poured people whiskeys over ice. A nice way to stay warm.

Restrictions

Viedma – My Adventure Life hiking group was older - we had people in our group over the age of 65. However there were no upper limit age restrictions for the Viedma trekking so everyone was able to go (minimum age 12). This is where the guides came in though – they were extremely attentive to our group and made sure everyone was comfortable and watched over well.  Everyone in our group did the trek just fine!

Perito Moreno – the age restriction for the Mini Trekking was 10 to 65. This meant that half the people in our group were unable to even go on the Perito Moreno Glacier no matter how fit they were. I found it really ironic that one of the men in our group was 67 years old and restricted from being on Perito Moreno even though he was the most experienced climber in our whole group. After all – he actually climbed Everest when he was 65. But there were no exceptions to the restrictions – not even Everest experience.

Trekking Difficulty

Climbing up Viedma Glacier – nothing felt off limits to us!

Posing for the camera…they gave us the ice picks for the shots – but we didn’t do anything like this during the mini trekking. I believe it’s included in other trekking packaged though.

Viedma – the trekking was challenging – and it was really fun. The guides explained how to use the crampons well and we were off. I was really surprised at the things they were taking us through and on. We did some steep climbs and descents that I wouldn’t have sought out on my own! But they were there lending a helping hand and were generally confident in our ability which was nice. They would occasionally make some steps for us with their ice picks in a really steep area, but mainly they just taught us how to utilize the crampons in these more challenging situations. By the end I was exhausted and we still had to scramble back over the rocks to get to the boat at the end. It was challenging, risky, and well supported.

Perito Moreno – This was a well-traveled tourist path and because of that the whole trek was watered down. There were no steep climbs or descents and in fact I got reprimanded a few times for trying to go my own way (which I do greatly appreciate their concern with safety). The people who were on this trek were much more timid and out of shape too – so I understand that the guides had to account for that too. The guides would lead us to some crevasses and holes and let us walk up and peer over one by one with support – but that was about as daring as it got. We even had a photo session where everyone posed for a photo that made us look way more adventurous than what they were! There are more difficult treks you can do on Perito Moreno – but they cost much more money and aren’t as comparable with the Viedma prices any longer.

Views/Landscape

Perito Moreno glacier – you can’t beat the views!

Viedma – the ice was gorgeous – however it was the overall setting that made it stunning. The bright orange rocks and blue glacial lake water were an beautiful against the ice glacier. I found the overall scenery to be stunning and colorful. It was also barren as there were no trees. Once you climbed up to a ridge you could see for a ways and take in the whole glacier. The glacier is a bit more remote so the only way you can get a good frontal view from the water is on the boat.

Perito Moreno – absolutely spectacular – it’s 3 miles wide at its front and over 20 stories high. The size is overwhelming – both while you are on the glacier and also while you are viewing it. Once you got to the top of a ridge on the glacier you could see for miles and miles. You could start to understand what being a part of the Southern Ice Field meant. The cliffs and valleys seemed larger than Viedma and overall you just felt small on Perito Moreno. In addition, you could view the whole glacier from an elaborate set of viewing platforms in front of the glacier. I easily spend 45 minutes walking around the platforms watching ice calving and trying to get a full picture of the glacier, which was about impossible even with my wide-angle lens. The viewing platforms and facilities were top notch.

Crowds/Price

The path was well-worn and easy to follow on Perito Moreno

Our much larger group on the Perito Moreno glacier hike.

Viedma – Aprox. $100 US (half day).  There were very few people on the glacier and since there only way to really get there and see it was by boat – it really did feel remote. There were two trekking groups when we went – only about 25 people overall. Once we got on the ice we never even saw the other group of people once. The two groups went their separate ways.
Perito Moreno – Aprox. $140 US (all day includes the viewpoint & park fee of $20 is separate).   There was a constant flow of people on and off the glacier with much larger group sizes. Since the glacier is also viewable from the park on the viewing platforms – there were just more people in the park in general. More tour companies operated tours around the glacier so there was just more activity in general. It was never a real hindrance – but the experience didn’t feel as unique to me.

Overall

Our guide peers at a small ‘baby’ crack in Perito Moreno. One day soon it will grow into a big crevasse.

Viedma – I loved the remoteness, the difficulty, and the organization of this trek the best. It felt more unique and the challenge was definitely greater which then left me with the real feeling of accomplishment when it was over. I also loved the fact that we had better crampons for doing more difficult climbing. Plus – for whatever reason – I connected with the guides more on this trek.
Perito Moreno – the trek was ok – but I was a bit turned off by the fact that I was a part of this big tourist dance and didn’t feel nearly as unique or special. However the experience was safe, and well run without a doubt. In addition – I did really love the fact that the view area was included in the days activities. From a photography standpoint – Perito Moreno offered much more.

Recommendation

If you have to choose just one – then I recommend the Viedma trek for it’s uniqueness and more adventurous trekking. Then I would recommend simply driving out to Perito Moreno and checking out the viewing area and setting your eyes on this large piece of moving ice – it’s a humbling experience to simply see it’s enormity.

More information:

Complete tour including hiking and both glaciers 

Self Drive tour of the glaciers

Glacier only Options:
Viedma Glacier Patagonia Adventure
Perito Moreno Mini Trekking

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

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Hiking to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado

I looked around the table and wondered – how did this happen? How is it that at 43 I’m the youngest one on this hiking trip AND I’ve got the dullest stories? For the first time in my travels, my travel and adventure experiences are overshadowed by the people around me. I eagerly ask them questions, hang on their every word and wonder if I would ever have the ability or guts to accomplish what they have done.

The tables have been turned.

I was expecting my 7 day Argentina hiking and glacier trekking itinerary from Adventure Life to be full of excitement and challenge. After all my itinerary included 4 days of hiking in the mountains, 2 nights of camping, hiking on glaciers, boat rides, and estancias. But I didn’t expect one of the highlights to be the people I was traveling with. I love traveling solo, but I’m not a fan of hiking solo – so I was excited to be a part of a small group for hiking – however you never really know what you are going to get with groups like this. The great thing about trekking adventure groups is that it normally attracts some pretty hard-core people, and I hit the jackpot with this group! We started as strangers not more than a few days ago – and now were friends after hiking for miles and miles, camping, and long discussions over beers.

The whole gang on the Viedma Glacier

My companions had achieved such things as skiing across the Greenland icecap for 5 weeks, living in remote Africa, daring canoe trips, ice climbing, and one of the men had even climbed Everest…yes Everest. Every story that came out of their mouths I was glued to – and every one of them was older than me – by at least a decade. They were grandmothers and parents – they were all retired and having the time of their lives. They were hearty, fearless, and they were excellent role models for me.

As expected the hikes around El Chalten were wonderful, scenic, and definitely challenging. We hiked the area for 4 days camping for two nights in a semi permanent campground, staying for one night at Hosteria El Pillar, and staying one night in El Chalten. The 4 days provided an amazing landscape of photography for me which took my mind off of my sore muscles! Not only did I love the scenery and the photographic opportunities, I loved the company I was with – and that’s what makes a trip memorable.

Where have you met cool people during your travels that you looked up to?

Hiking Trail to Fitz Roy

Laguna de Los Tres

Trail towards Fitz Roy parallel to the Rio Blanco

Climbers descending down the ice after climbing Fitz Roy – they look so small!

Hiking around a dense southern beech forest towards camp.

Campsite on Lake Capri with Fitz Roy in the distance

Hiking up the moraine to the Fitz Roy viewing point

A great place to contemplate life.

Leaving the mountains behind and heading to El Chalten.

A desolate stretch on our way to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado

I can never get enough of Fitz Roy. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to actually climb it!

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

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A snowy spring in Berlin

It’s the first day of Spring – and it snowed here in Berlin this week. Yes – snow. This is just one of the many reasons why I’m really excited about my next stop on my travels in April – it will be warm! Last week I posted a question on my Facebook page having people guess where I was going next from a list of four trips:

Which Exodus Travels trip do you think I chose for my next Adventure after Berlin and why?
Costa Rica Biking
Galapagos Wildlife
Oman Hiking
Bhutan Discovery

23 People put in their guesses and people seemed to be split between Bhutan and Oman – and some just wanted to join me regardless!

I’m happy to announce that I’m going to a place where snow is NOT in the vocabulary – however sand is. No – it’s not a beach.

It’s Oman!

I will wait while some of you check your globe or fire up google maps.

There…did you find it now? Pretty darn exciting huh?

What Will I Be Doing in Oman?

Thanks to Exodus Travel I am going from Northern European winter to the Spring in the Middle East. This should be a good climate change! The warmer weather should be nice, but I’m most excited about exploring this new country’s landscapes, culture, and people. The Middle East and the Arabic culture is one that captured my heart 2 years ago in Jordan and Lebanon and I’ve been wanting to get back to it ever since.

Exodus is a small group tour company specializing in exploring a country and it’s cultures. So I won’t be alone, and most of the time I will be on foot. Here’s a look at what I’ll be doing.

What do you think – will I survive the itinerary? I’m starting to wonder that myself!.

Map of Oman Itineray

However – even though I’ll be well supported by the Exodus team I’m still pretty nervous about what lies ahead of me. The hiking is going to be challenging, and the detailed Itinerary that I was sent it has us hiking about 5 to 7 hours a day every day. Our group will be hiking on cliff sides and steep technical descents while camping for the entire week so that means some cold nights, no showers and roughing it. All of these things equally intimidate me and excite me – the sign that I am going to have an amazing time.

Plus – more than anything I’m excited about capturing this seldom-visited country in photographs. I’ve heard that the landscape is some of the most stunning in the Middle East and experiencing sunrise and sunset while camping in the wilderness is sure to bring great photography!

But what about Bhutan, Costa Rica, and the Galapagos?

For all of you that were hoping I went to Bhutan – don’t worry – I’m sure I will get there one day as it’s high on my list. However while I’m in Oman this April, 3 of my good friends will be hitting all of those other amazing destinations so be sure to follow along on their trips which occur throughout April.

• Michael Hodson will be biking through Costa Rica
• Ayngelina Brogan will be cruising through the Galapagos
• Lisa Lubin will be discovering the exotic country of Bhutan
(You can see each of their itineraries by clicking on the country links)

It will be a fun month of wildlife, cycling, trekking, and discovering with Exodus in 4 very different environments!

Not just one, but TWO things for you…

1) Exodus has given me a 10% discount code for my readers. Just quote `BLOG` when you book a trip and you’ll save a fast 10%. Go ahead and take a second to click through and just check out what sort of tours they have to offer — there are tons of impressive options.
2) If 10% off is not enough, there is a way to get a trip for free. Exodus has a contest running called Feel More Alive. Moments from travel are often some of the most exciting in our lives and Exodus is trying to assemble the biggest collection of these moments by asking people to submit videos and photos that share a moment that made them feel more alive. Feel More Alive is a monthly contest, which means you have multiple chances to win. You just upload a video to the site and every month the panel from Exodus Tours chooses one winner that inspires them, celebrates adventure and represents the value of “feeling more alive through travel.” You can check out the contest details here.

What’s stopping you? January’s winner is going to Machu Picchu. February’s winner is going to Rwanda. March through December are up for the taking.

Disclosure: I will be a guest of Exodus as a part of a Navigate Media Group project. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

The post April Adventures appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

El Pilar’s view of Fitz Roy

I’m walking towards the door, I remember reaching my hand to grab the handle and turn and then my vision went black. I feel arms around me as my legs go limp and I feel like one of those toy giraffes who’s limbs were held attached by elastic string. When you hit the button on the bottom, the string would loosen and all of their joints crumble and they end up in a little pile. As a kid I used to make those toys do an awkward ‘dance’ pushing the button up and down and now it appears that I was the one that was doing the awkward dancing. I was still slightly aware of what was going on – but every movement was disjointed, weak, and uncontrolled. And I was hot – so very hot.

But there were these arms around me, and a man talking to me telling me to breathe. He propped me up, put my arm around his shoulder, assumed my dead weight and somehow got me upstairs, unlocked the door to my room, and laid me in my bed. He quickly opened up the window for fresh cool air as I felt as if I were self imploding – the heat came pouring out of me. I just lay there and breathed.

90 Minutes Earlier:
I was sitting in the lobby of the adorable little Hosteria El Pilar, situated on the river bank far away from civilization, drinking a cold beer and working on writing. This was the perfect place in this mountain region of Patagonia to relax and unwind. It was designed beautifully with fireplaces peppered throughout common areas, plenty of comfy seating, and lots of windows to let the sun pour through. It felt like a home. This little cottage came complete with a white picket fence, an amazing view of Fitz Roy Peak, and two of the best most welcoming hosts I’ve ever met – Cristina and Guillermo.

The welcoming lobby of El Pilar.

15 Minutes Earlier:
I had just sat down for dinner with the rest of my trekking group and everyone was chatting excitedly and getting to know each other. I felt a little off, my stomach sort of ached, and strangely food or drink didn’t sound very appealing to me. But I continued to socialize the best I could.

5 Minutes Earlier:
I knew something was wrong. I was getting hot – really hot – starting to sweat. I felt uncomfortable. I took 2 bites of my onion soup and I knew I needed to leave right now and lay down as heat radiated out of me. That’s when I excused my self from the table and starting walking to the door for my room. That’s when I crumbled. That’s when Guillermo caught me luckily before I hit the floor with a thud.

I spent the rest of the evening in bed with hot flashes, cold spells, and episodes of diarrhea (yes – I know – this is getting personal – but it’s a fact of travel). Cristina and Guillermo checked on me every 30 minutes. They brought me tea, made me eat some soup, and gave me a little bell to ring in case things deteriorated further. They called the doctor in town located about 20 km away to get some instructions on what to do with me. And I laid there dumbfounded about what had happened, feeling thankful that I had such wonderful people to take care of me.  But my brain was preoccupied with my future wondering if there was any way I would be able to do my big hiking trip to Fitz Roy the next day let along the entire Patagonia trekking that I had planned for the next 4 days.  The Fitz Roy view point was one of the highlights of Patagonia and I was supposed to hike 18 km the next day to the viewpoint which included some challenging switchbacks on steep terrain.  I couldn’t even imagine getting out of bed let alone switchbacks.

And I slept.

The next morning I felt normal – myself again. I had a cautious appetite. Cristina came and checked on me in the morning and had me come down to eat some breakfast. I heard about the wonderful dinner I missed the night before which didn’t surprise me as everything that the people at El Pilar did seemed to be wonderful – even caring for a sick traveler.

I didn’t want to leave this little oasis of hospitality, care-giving, and beautiful tranquil views – but I had to make a decision to move on and try to do the hike. Cristina packed me a lunch, and assured me that there were a number of points on the trail where I could decide to simply go back into town or get help. She gave me a big hug and waved goodbye. I was strangely sad to leave. I was just at El Pilar for one night – but it was a memorable one!

I never did figure out what was wrong with me, but I was fine, albeit tired and weak, for the rest of the hiking days. It’s horrible to be sick on the road, but I think about how lucky I was to have people around to help – a luxury for a solo traveler.

A little cottage among beautiful views

El Pilar’s sitting area – one of many in the hosteria.

El Pilar is a great place to start your El Chalten hiking from – but make sure you plan a few days there to really enjoy the atmosphere and view.  They have bikes to utilize for getting into town or exploring the areas, and many other outdoor activities.  You can do a number of hikes from the Hosteria and back allowing you to have a bit of pampering and a comfortable bed at night. In retrospect – that’s probably how I would have organized my trip instead of doing the camping. You can easily hike to the Fitz Roy lookout from El Pilar and back in a day. It provides you a more atmospheric and secluded alternative from the lovely but touristic town of El Chalten. Plus you get to meet Cristina and Guillermo – two of the nicest people I met in all of Argentina.

You can find more information on El Pilar here.

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

The post Coming to My Rescue appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

Experience Patagonia estancia culture

They were lurking in the landscapes – I knew they were there – but you seldom see them. Occasionally – among the flat golden grasses you’d see one, on his horse, with his signature gaucho beret hat, quiet aura, and chiseled features. He had an eye on the cattle or sheep with the help of his working sheep dog on the ground closely controlling the situation. The gauchos of Patagonia are in the shadows of the towering mountains, but they are a rich fabric of this landscape.

On a drive from Peurto Natales to Punta Arenas we came across gauchos leading a herd of cattle across the road. We stopped and watched them slowly do their work. It reminded me of Mongolia and the nomadic families and herders. The history around the gaucho’s way of life is similar – the word gaucho is said to be derived from the Mapuche cauchu (“vagabond”) or from the Quechua huachu (“orphan”) – maybe this is why I was so fascinated by them – we sort of have something in common.

Near the end of my Patagonia travels I came down from the mountains and got a small taste of the Patagonia estancia (ranch land) and gaucho culture outside the town of El Calafate at the hosteria El Galpon del Glaciar. As we pulled up to the estancia the sun was going down, and the red roofed buildings had a soft, welcoming glow. I was excited to arrive in this ‘farmland’ of Patagonia – I have a love of wide open spaces that stems from my Midwestern upbringing. The estancia was surrounded by a vibrant blue glacial lake, Lago Argentino, on one side and skirted by the Cordillera de Los Andes on the other. A picture perfect setting on the way to Perito Moreno Galcier.

There were a number of ranch buildings including a small hotel and restaurant which provided guests a place to get away from the typical tourist activities around the area and simply relax and slow down in the openness of the estancia. This was just what I needed after hiking for days in El Chalten.

El Galpon translates into “the barn” or “sheering shed” – so it came as no surprise that the main inhabitant of this estancia were sheep. The estancia was no longer a working ranch – but more of a restored relic of the old gaucho culture and wool trade. There were a number of activities in which guests can learn about the history of the area and see how the ranches operated and survived. Sheep roam around the ranch and gauchos provide demonstrations on herding and shearing.

My favorite part of my stay at El Galpon del Glacier was the ‘Flock Gathering’ demonstrations that highlighted just how talented the Kelpie Dogs and Border Collies were. As a side note – one of my favorite all time movies is Babe – hence my fascination with sheep herding. The dogs moved the flock of sheep across bridges and around fences while the gaucho provided a few directions with subtle gestures – a beautiful, intimate communication. I even found time to go on a horse ride the last day topping off a wonderful peaceful stay at the estancia.

A sheep dog shows us how to ‘persuade’ the sheep!

A guacho from El Galpon de Glaciar

Sheep getting ready for a big ‘haircut’

Exposed! A sheep gets used to his ‘new skin’ after his annual shearing.

El Galpon de Glaciar Estancia

The gaucho tending to his sheep

Horses are prepared for a ride around the estancia

A bunch of daisies grace the farmland in Patagonia

A hearty, colorful flower stands out among the ranchland

A gaucho gives the ultimate haircut

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

The post Where Sheep Roam – Patagonia appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

The beast is awake…

Why is it that when I meet someone – that’s when I feel most alone? The brain is a funny thing. I don’t really think about what I don’t have until it’s put in front of me and I can get a taste of it again. Then the desire to have it is all of a sudden present again. Sure, I’m talking about relationships specifically in this instance, however it pretty much applies to everything in my life.

The only reason that I was able to downsize and sell all of my stuff is that I had been away from it for 16 months – I had forgotten about it and my desire to have it any longer had disappeared. On another note, I don’t miss hangers until all of a sudden I get to hang up my clothes – then I think they are the best invention ever.

And so it goes with my love life.

I’m absolutely fine being on my own and really seldom ever feel lonely. I’m pretty good at making friends, entertaining myself, and using my keyboard to really sort out any deep thoughts and conversations with myself. I’m not saying this is necessarily healthy – but I’ve been getting by like this for a long, long time.

But then he comes into my life – for a brief moment. All of a sudden I’m painfully aware of what I am missing. Going through life alone can be challenging at times – and exhausting quite frankly. Yet until this moment, I rarely think about everything I have to do on my own or the lack of compassion in my life as I’ve been surviving this way for so long.

But now those thoughts are awake in my brain.

I try to avoid him at first, as I know that even though his smile seems inviting and comforting pain will ensue. I’ve spent my whole 30’s avoiding pain pretty successfully – I know the warning signs. And here it is – right in front of me – joy and pain – all wrapped up in his smile staring at me. Tempting me yet again.

He delves in with personal questions different from the standard questions of what I do, how I live, and how I survive. He digs deeper into things that people generally don’t ask and every answer I put forth I feel like I’m sinking – deeper into a hole that I don’t want to be in – leaving me vulnerable.

I start to really listen to my answers and evaluate them from an outsider view and think – this is really fucked up – traveling around the world aimlessly for 6 years – even I start to wonder what I’m running from. But instead of being appalled, he’s interested and I get a little glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe my girlfriend is right – maybe people who do crazy things and follow their dreams escaping convention are sexy and intriguing.

I try to overlook the potential heartache and jump in – somewhat cautiously at first – but the sweet nectar of companionship soon envelops me and I start to let my guard down. It’s lovely to be held, to let go – just for a moment and share responsibility with someone – even if it is only for a few days.

I don’t even know if it’s him that I yearn for or I’m simply yearning for the closeness and the ability to share half of the load for a bit. It’s hard to decipher in these fleeting moments.

I feel exposed, I feel needy, and I feel like the dormant emotional side of me is waking up after a very long hibernation. I try to tell it to go back to sleep – but it’s too late. It’s there – awake – staring at me with a look of anger for letting it sleep so long. To ease it’s anger I remind it just how hard it is to get back to sleep after it’s awake. It nods in agreement, fully alert now.

Before I know it he is gone satisfied with the thought of waking this monster inside of me and then falling out of my life as quickly as he came into it.

This is the life of a nomadic solo traveler. Constantly moving, homeless, emotionless, loveless. But I know in a few weeks this will be just yet another painful memory and I’ll go back into hibernation – my independent side will once again put on the armor and keep moving on – solo.

The post Awaking a Sleeping Beast appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

It’s my turn to listen to you…

I must apologize – I’ve displayed very poor manners.  I have been blogging on Ottsworld now for over 6 years and never once have I asked you what YOU think!  I push you travel and  photo information 3 times a week, and I even have a category called Inside My Head where I dish out my thoughts on life, but have never asked you what’s going on inside YOUR head.  Now is your chance  – just fill out the quick survey below and tell me what you think!

In all honesty – I’m asking you to take the time to fill this short survey out so that I can hopefully better inspire and inform you.  Your answers will be seen by me so that I can understand the types of information you are looking for out of Ottsworld and then provide it.  That’s all…it’s that simple.

Click on the survey link below to share your thoughts.  There are only 10 questions and I hope that you will take the short time (aprox. 5 minutes) to answer them all.

Take the Ottsworld Survey:

Click here to take survey

Survey is closed on March 31, 2013

Bonus:

I understand that in today’s world we are all busier than ever – so I’ve managed to throw in a little bit of incentive for you and your time it takes to answer my 10 questions.  For people who have a US mailing address, I’m giving away a year subscription to AFAR Magazine if you complete the survey.  More info on how to enter for the giveaway is provided at the end of the survey.

I have been working with AFAR for about 4 months as one of their Ambassadors providing them Wanderlists and  Highlights based on my travel.  Not only do they have loads of advice about how to find cool and different things to eat, drink, shop, stay and do for your next trip, but they also have an AFAR phone app you can use for your travel planning.   I’m actually using it now to get some unique local ideas for Berlin!

The post Inside YOUR Head appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

A perfect panoramic reflection of Torres del Paine

Patagonia is a part of the world that is meant to seen in a super wide perspective.  I spent a month in Patagonia and not a day went by where I didn’t stop, look around me and think “This is perfect”.  I felt like the sky and clouds could swallow me – I felt small.  I felt pure.  I felt remote.  It was a pleasure each day to experience this unplugged environment.  Whether it was raining, blowing, or snowing – it still was beautiful to me. I was able to experience all of this moody weather in Torres Del Paine, El Chalten, Glacier National Park, Cape Horn, and in the Fjords of Chile.

Being able to climb around on Mother Nature’s jungle gym with my camera at the bottom of the earth was a treat.  If you are looking for a little inspiration to get you to take the leap into this picture perfect region of mountains, ice, and sky – then hopefully these panoramic images will help.

A cottage sits perched along the W Trek in Torres Del Paine

The gigantic Pertio Moreno Glacier in Argentina

Hiking on the giant Perito Moreno Glacier Patagonia

Los Torres (towers) in Torres del Paine

Viedma Glacier Landscape

Hiking around El Chalten – so many trails, so many mountains…

The colorful Viedma Glacier near El Chalten

A colorful glacial lake near Mount Fitz Roy

Hiking up the moraine to Fitz Roy

The lush French Valley in Torres Del Paine – a tough climb but worth the view!

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

The post Panoramic Patagonia appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

Via Australis anchored in Patagonia

It was 7AM, we all waiting in the lounge with our orange life jackets on, bundled in our warmest clothing listening for the announcement from the captain. The ship swayed back and forth as each of us looked around the room anxiously. It was a nervous excitement – after all early this morning we were supposed to land on Cape Horn – the famous island which had caused sailors a history of trouble.

Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage; for many years sailing ships rounded it as they carried goods around the world. The trade route changed once the Panama Canal was opened. Referred to as the ‘Sailors Graveyard’, the waters around the Cape are historically hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, and strong currents. In fact many sailors got hopelessly lost, delayed and perished in these waters. A memorial was erected in 1992, including a large sculpture made by Chilean sculptor José Balcells featuring the silhouette of an albatross, in honor of the sailors who died while attempting to “round the Horn”.

A fateful journey around the Horn…not the most direct route!

Cape Horn is in Chilean waters and the Navy maintains a station on the island where one family lives year around. There are few buildings – only a main station for the family, a chapel, and a lighthouse. For my entire Patagonia Cruise  I had been looking forward to landing on Cape Horn and meeting the family who lived there to learn more about their unique and isolated life on this infamous island.  After all – I had missed Cape Horn already as I was seasick in my cabin when arriving back from Antarctica.  There was no way I was going to miss it this time!

Suddenly a noise comes over the speaker, the Captain greets us and delivers the news – “Due to the wind, there will be no landing allowed today. However you are encouraged to go above deck and view the Horn this morning before breakfast.” There was a collective sigh, the room felt heavy as everyone started to undo their life vests. Even in modern times the Horn continues to be a landmark of rejection and disappointment.

Cape Horn…from a distance

It was not guaranteed that we would land on Cape Horn. Landings take place only if the winds are below 30 knots and the ocean swell is mild enough for a surf landing in zodiacs. This morning on the Via Australis ship we were informed that the winds had increased throughout the morning as we anchored and were now at 45 knots therefore forcing us to remain on board and view the Cape and monument from a distance. We had been told that 30% of the time the conditions do not permit passengers to land, and unfortunately the odds were not in our favor today.

Even though this was a blow to me, it was also fitting, mother nature is in charge down here, and nothing is guaranteed. Plus – I had already spent 3 days on the cruise experiencing Patagonia from the Magellan Straight and Beagle Channel – a really unique way to see Patagonia. But even though we were protected in the straights it still didn’t guarantee ‘smooth sailing’. The first night we took off from Punta Arenas I ended up seasick in my room as the wind and waves jostled our cruise ship full of 80 passengers around like a play toy.

Young penguins losing their baby fur!

Hiking along Pia Glacier

However during my time on the ship we were lucky to get some great weather for cruising through Glacier Alley as well as hiking in Ainsworth Bay. We stopped at Tuckers Islet to view baby penguins and nesting seabirds along the rocky cliffs and we also had a chance to stop and do a mild hike up to Pia Glacier on a blustery day.

As I stood on the deck shielding myself from the wind staring at the Cape Horn monument, I reminisced about everything I had seen over the last 4 days. Thanks to my Australis cruise, I was able to see the glaciers, penguins, cormorants, and natural beauty up close – a beautiful way to experience this rugged, hard to reach region. However today I would have to be satisfied with viewing this historical landmark from a distance.

Photos from the Patagonia cruise:

More Information:

Cruceros Australis Cruises through Patagonia 4 day cruise from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia

The cruise lasted 3 days and the ship was lovely with ample space for lounging and viewing the landscapes. Even though we didn’t get to do the Cape Horn Landing I still did enjoy it. However I found it to be a challenging environment for a solo traveler who may not be willing to be extroverted and proactive at meeting people. I felt like it was meant more for couples of groups. In addition, the excursions were moderate and not very active for my taste. However – having said that – I was lucky enough to bond with one of the only other solo travelers on the cruise and we became friends.  To top it off, I recently went out to dinner with him in Berlin! The world is small – and you can indeed make friends in any situation! It’s all what you make of it.

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

The post Illusive Cape Horn appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

A commissioned wall of street art for an upscale restaurant in Palermo Soho

“A commissioned piece of graffiti on your home can actually raise the value of your home in Buenos Aires.” she says in a factual manner. As my brain catches up with my ears, I interrupt our guide and say, “What, can you repeat that last part about increasing the value of your home?”

Clearly I have a lot to learn about Street Art as even as our guide explained it to me I had a hard time believing it. Most of the time I have a hard time understanding street art, so I hoped this walking tour around the graffiti hot spots of Buenos Aires would provide me a better understanding.  Granted – as I stared at the piece of brightly colored wall in front of me created by the street artist Gaulicho – I did find it pleasing. It was bright orange and yellow with his signature psychedelic trademarks of hands and eyes. It appeared playful, and I felt like somewhere in all of those images and jagged lines there was a story. I thought to myself – maybe I am learning to appreciate this type of art after all.

Gualicho’s commissioned wall design

Graphic Artists and Illustrators first works in 2001.

The small group Graffiti Art Tour In Buenos Aires turned out to be a great way to see and understand the often confusing street art around the city.  But more importantly it was a great way to learn about the history and appreciate the stories behind these unusual artists and creations in their ‘open air galleries’. Our guide started in the Palermo neighborhood in front a piece of street art where this movement really began. She covered the history of how graffiti art began in Buenos Aires and how it has grown into a ‘culture’ in the city. What we normally consider vandalism, Buenos Aires considers highly regarded works of art mainly because it never really had the negative, vandalism connotation as it does in many parts of the world.

The key to understanding street art in Buenos Aires is to learn about how it started. Even though typical ‘tagging’ started in the 90’s out of the hip hop movement, the artistic side that we see around Buenos Aires today really started in 2001. When Argentina had it’s economic crash in 2001, life in Buenos Aires was pretty grim. However, a few talented graphic designers and illustrators wanted to bring some ‘fun’ back in the city and they chose characters to paint on walls to cheer people up. The movement from tags to street art was started.

At each stop she explained the changes in style and the features of various artists. By the middle of the tour I could start to identify works by specific artists around town. And I also had chosen my favorites such as the artist, Mart, who started painting on the streets at the age of 8 and had refined his skills into painting beautiful edgy murals.

A corner with old style tagging on the left and Mart’s new style of murals on the right

I also loved some of the special ‘one-off’ works by visiting street artists which the local artists invited into their projects and provided them with a wall canvas to do their style of work. The haunting eyes on the wall of the power plant by an artist who normally does charcoal drawings was one of my favorites. And then there was the artist who doesn’t like to paint eyes at all – Ever (yes – that’s his name) – who painted a vivid picture of Chairman Mau that I loved.

All eyes on the power plant – one of my favorites!

Ever’s take on Chairman Mao

The tour include transportation to various neighborhoods to view specific commissioned works, open air galleries, and it even included a visit to one the studio owned by a few of the more well known Buenos Aires artists – Jaz and Ever. We were able to go into their studio and see their current projects as they do more than simply street art these days.

Visiting Jaz and Ever’s studio

The tools of the trade

We even stopped in the posh neighborhood of Palermo Soho to see commissioned works done for businesses and popular high end restaurants. Apparently these works of street art did increase the value of a home or business.

The tour was more thorough than I had originally anticipated and it easily exceeded my expectations. We finished the 4 hour tour at a gallery/bar that specialized in street art. It was a perfect place to sit, have a drink, and admire art. I was happy to see how it all came full circle into the world of traditional art – in it’s own non-traditional way.

Playground graffiti

Facebook has even made it into street art. This one translates into “I see what you are doing”

More Information:

Viator Street Art Tour 

Graffitimundo workshops –  Buenos Aires

 For this tour I was a guest of Viator Tours.  However all opinions here expressed are my own.

The post How to Understand the Street Art in Buenos Aires appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

A man looks out his balcony during the Sunday San Telmo market

The San Telmo neighborhood in tourist guides is best known for their Sunday market.  The old cobblestone streets are lined with blocks and blocks of tables with music, clothing, art, toys, and antiques.  You’ll also smell the aroma of grilled meet wafting through the streets which will entice you to stop your shopping for a moment and snack on a choripan (chorizo sausage sandwich).  However if you wander off the main market street you’ll be delighted with other sites of a simple old neighborhood and old tango schools and milongas.  San Telmo is the oldest neighborhood in Buenos Aires so many of the buildings and architecture is beautiful to see.  It is also home to many of the contemporary art galleries and museums which are a super place to hide from the heat!

However if you come on any other day of the week – it’s a pretty quiet neighborhood.  These photos represent a few different sides of San Telmo as I went to the neighborhood a few times during my stay in Buenos Aires and each time it felt different!

Colored pencils for sale at the market

An old covered market shows off it’s iron roof work

Kids play a game on the streets of San Telmo

An iron gate entry in front of a neighborhood church

Colorful glass bottles at the antique market

Cobblestone streets San Telmo

wooden shoes hang in the market

A street band entertains the market shoppers

Fruit crates at the market

Old bottles at the antique market

a basketball game amidst graffiti

Colorful and ornate glass dishes at the market

Empanada restaurant – San Pedro

The post San Telmo Sunday Market appeared first on Ottsworld UniqueTravel Experiences.

A new kind of traveller is emerging. They’re leaving their safe and settled lifestyles, to travel the world – indefinitely.

And yes – I am one of them.  However quite frankly I don’t feel too ‘new’ – I’ve been living like this moving around now from place to place nomadically for 6 years.

When Travel and Escape, Canada’s television channel dedicated to travel and adventure, approached me to be a part of the web series, I was a bit skeptical.  I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to be in a video series – I’m not really the television type.  And quite frankly I was in the middle of putting on the Meet Plan Go! career break events so I didn’t really think I had to time to participate.  But the director was more than willing to come to New York to film so I decided I would try to squeeze it in.  Then I found out that many of my peers were involved – Barbara, Charlie, Dave & Deb, Anil, Christine, Stephanie and Michael – and I decided I was in good company.

The nomadic lifestyle is something that I’ve always been interested in.  It is in fact why I love Mongolia so much.  But I also find that extended travel, location independent living, and virtual offices have become more popular and accepted over the past years. And I believe this younger generation will continue to push this change and more nomadic style living into the mainstream.

It really was fun to be a part of the show.  I traveled all over NYC filming with the crew for the afternoon and as you can see in the video we even took a trip to my storage unit – the only ‘home base’ I really have.  So go on, grab a cup of coffee, and take 5 minutes to learn about why I’m considered a ‘New Nomad’.   Let me know what you think about the episode!  Would you like to be a New Nomad?

The New Nomads Web Series:

This generation of travellers is shaping a whole new way of life. Featuring some of the world’s most avid travellers, this series uncovers the behind-the-scenes lives of real people who dared leave everything behind to travel the world nomadically, each for their own reasons, each in their own way. How do they do it? Watch the full 9-episode series to find out what it really takes to travel the world, untethered and unleashed. 

Want to watch more new nomads?  Check out all of my nomadic friends!

Watch all of the New Nomad Episodes on Travel and Escape!

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