This week’s Photo of the Week comes from Arbaminch, Ethiopia. It was very early in the morning when this shot was taken, the world seemed untouched, as the sun melted away the morning frost; the view before me simply gave me a feeling of peace.
By Greta for Life Out of a Suitcase. To read the rest, click here. Read more stories by 20 something woman expats and travelers at Life Out of a Suitcase.
This week’s Traveler Interview comes from Jessica Kulick from Of Revolt. This New Yorker left the clutches of the corporate world to be a digital nomad and experience all that Europe has to offer. You can also connect with Jessica on Twitter. Enjoy her insights into Aix-en-Provence, France.
A skirt or two; I’d forgotten how warm the weather is in the south of France (think Mediterranean temperatures), and the gorgeous sunshine had me wishing that I could frolic in a skirt rather than sweat it out in my jeans and cardigans.
Jewelry! I bought a silk jewelry roll for $12 in New York City’s Chinatown especially for this trip, thinking I would look ever-so-chic with my bangles and baubles. Instead, I wear the same stud earrings and my engagement ring. Every. Single. Day. So silly.
Aix-en-Provence is definitely less expensive than some of the larger cities in France (ahem, Paris). When going out at night, I would recommend skipping the beer and cocktails, which can cost about €5 for a pint and up to €11 (eek!) for a fancy cocktail. Go for wine instead, which is cheap and delicious in all its varieties here.
If you want to get truly Provençal, then buy a baguette (usually only €0.75) at any of the boulangeries, pick up a bottle of Vin de Pays (about €2.00) from a local Proxi, and make yourself a little picnic! Sit at one of the many fountains and engage in my favorite French sport: people-watching!
Read the rest here.
Written by Jessica for Life Out of a Suitcase. Read more stories by 20 something woman expats and travelers at Life Out of a Suitcase.
I must confess I have a small problem.
I’m slightly addicted… to checking budget airline web sites and booking flights on a whim. It was one of those days where I was doing my usual search and saw a destination pop up that I hadn’t seen before.
Corsica… an island belonging to France, slightly closer to the coast of Italy than it is to the coast of France; an island of rugged, wild beauty. It’s also an island with a strong separatist sentiment; Corsicans are very proud of their region and have their own culture, customs and language.
Booked. Non-refundable ticket.
Then I discovered that there aren’t really any budget hostels in Corsica, leaving me to wonder how I could manage to pull off this trip without exhausting my entire budget in one day. I started to read up a little more and found out that Corsica is heaven for campers.
I took my sleeping bag, loaded the rest in a backpack, and I was off.
I landed in Bastia, caught a bus to the fishing village turned resort port town of St. Florent and headed to a camping site. I was told I could pick whichever “lot” I preferred. I soon realized I was the only one without a tent and I was pretty much surrounded by groups of families with camper vans. You know, people who really know how to camp and have proper supplies and prepare for months in advance.
Read the rest here.
Written by Isabel for Life Out of a Suitcase. Read more stories by 20 something woman expats & travelers at Life Out of a Suitcase.
This photo of the week was taken from inside the Po Lin Monastery in the town of Ngong Ping on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. From the doorway you can see the Tian Tan Buddha or ‘Big Buddha’ in the distance.
A 25-minute journey via cable car took us over the mountains and sea to reach Ngong Ping. Although we only explored the area for an afternoon, we could have easily spent the entire day there, marveling at the different sights and hiking the nearby trails. I was amazed at the grandiosity of the Big Buddha and the colors and ornate details of the Po Lin monastery. Completely surrounded by the trees, mountains and sea, the area is breathtaking.
Read the rest here.
By Lauren for Life Out of a Suitcase. Read more stories by 20 something woman expats and travelers at Life Out of a Suitcase.
In the newest installment of the Life Out of a Suitcase Interview Series, Maria, originally from Madrid, Spain, talks about her trip to Marrakesh, Morocco. Visit her blog (in Spanish) and connect with her on Twitter.
Standard of life in Marrakesh is rather cheap, especially for a European or an American. A small lunch could cost as little as $3. A big lunch or dinner would almost never be more than $7.
I stayed right on the border of the Medina in a neighborhood called Gueliz. I liked that it was very close to where the action takes place (all the relevant touristy places are in the Medina or just around it), but it was sufficiently far away so that you could rest in a peaceful area. Also, Gueliz is the better side of town and therefore a different side of Marrakesh which was worth seeing.
It really depends on the time of year you travel. If you go around Easter, you should take light clothing for the day and something a little bit warmer for the evening and night. It is important to remember that Morocco is a Muslim country, so you should avoid dressing provocatively (Moroccans are pretty open-minded about western clothing, but if you want to avoid some male stares, dress appropriately).
Read the rest here.
Written by Maria for Life Out of a Suitcase. Read more stories by 20 something woman expats and travelers at Life Out of a Suitcase.
Prior to departing for my India trip, I had been in touch with a Canadian woman,Tania, and her mother who founded a non-profit organization called One! International, targeting street children and their families living in Mumbai. They work in the central Mumbai areas between Bandra and Andheri, where there are numerous pockets of slums, and run two schools for the children. As we had a baggage allowance of two checked bags of 50 pounds a piece each, my friend and I offered to take along an extra suitcase of supplies from the mother (who lives in Edmonton, Canada) to Tania in India.
On our fourth day in India, Tania came and met us at our hotel and kindly agreed to take my friend and I down to one of the slums to see first-hand the homes and lives of the children she works with in her schools. She picked us up in a rickshaw and when we arrived Lali, one of the boys from Tania’s school, greeted us. Lali had the highest grades in his class (they were on summer holidays), and was starting to learn some basic English. He introduced himself to us, and asked us our names. He also entertained us with a rendition of “ That’s Not My Name” (by the Ting Tings), which was taught to him by some volunteers from England, replacing the names in the song with those of his classmates, as well as parts of “Yellow Submarine” and “Jingle Bells”! Tania and Lali led us through the slums where many of her students live, and we had the chance to go into some of the homes of residents that were around that day. We met Lali’s mother, who was doing quite well compared to many of her neighbors; she buys bulk garlic and acts as sort of a wholesaler, splitting up the garlic into smaller batches to sell to others. We also met a lady named Parvati, who was not doing as well – her husband has two other wives and is not often around, and she did not have much of a roof, which will be a major problem when monsoon season starts. Portions of the slums completely flood during the monsoons, especially when they coincide with high tide, but many of the residents have no choice but to just wait it out in their homes. We stopped in to visit another student of Tania’s, a girl named Rani, who made us chai while we sat and chatted with her mother (with Tania acting as translator from Hindi to English).
Read the rest here.
Written by Kristan for Life Out of a Suitcase. Read more stories by 20 something woman expats and travelers at Life Out of a Suitcase.
The Photo of the Week comes from Rio de Janeiro. The Selàron Staircase is at the foot of the hilly Santa Teresa neighbourhood, near the lapa archs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Selàron, the artist, has been decorating these stairs with tiles from over 60 different countries since 1990.
View a full size version of the photo here.
You can read more about Andrea’s experience in Rio on her blog.
