#the great amazing thing about having two provinces next to each other with entirely different ecosystems

[allbeendonebefore]

dreams of going for a little walk after work crushed by the air quality health index increasing to 8 like where are the storms can we send them to bc or aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[gaming-grandma]

Skyrim and Breath of the Wild: My Two Favorite Open World Games

While botw doesn’t really qualify as an RPG, it still has many elements similar to one that I feel like this comparison is fair. Even though a large gap of time, graphical style, aesthetics, music, and story splits the two in feel and theme, I still feel like both games plucked the same heartstrings for myself, albeit in different ways. This is a long, long essay type post with no pictures. I wrote this instead of doing a reading assignment, so enjoy.

Both of these games came to me at opportune times in my life. Skyrim came to me right in the middle of my ‘golden-days’ of highschool, where I had the absolute most amount of free time and no responsibilities. I delved into the game and devoured it whole, and when my brother would take it to uni with him I would spend hours into the night until 2, 3 AM pouring over the guidebook and analyzing tactics and build ideas and roleplay elements I could incorporate into it the second I got my hands on it again. I almost convinced my dad to buy me the game so I could play it while my brother was away, but for my own good and those of my grades I failed. I would play Skyrim until sunrise, and then until sunset again, and I would go on to make probably actually hundreds of characters, each with different back stories and approaches and methods of play and skills. They would all feel unique and I would treat each one like an experience and go new places, or even go to places I knew well on purpose to see if I could put new spins on it. The world was so open and ready to manipulate and bend to your will that I, the moldable teenager I was, was utterly bent on feeling every square inch of this game hundreds of times, like a baby given a new toy they have to shove in their mouth for hours. I’m not proud of the amount of time I spent on Skyrim, but I am glad I got to, and I’m proud of some of my accomplishments. I invented this method of infinite Magicka regeneration as long as you were in a circle of a certain spell by making myself a vampire Breton with 100% magicka absorb (which involved using a glitch allowing you to use the same constellation stone twice) and casting a banishment spell on myself with the perk that makes restoration affect vampires. I spent days perfecting this until the final product: I could walk into a dungeon and cast a circle of light on the floor, walk into it, and unleash untamed power and destruction and anything I wanted anywhere until the circle wore off, and I’d cast it again. When my brother walked in on my working on this his jaw kinda dropped.

 Similarly, I would go on to invent all sorts of my own clever elements to the game as I mold it to my will, like one of those shake lights you have to break in a bunch of places to get it to light up. I would play the game dry over and over. Graduation came, and I slowed down. Other things came into my life and I had other games to play, new experiences to mull over. New worlds to bend. I would always go back to Skyrim for a few days, trying to pick it up again and feel the same awe and excitement and pure wonder I did when it first came upon me, but I would eventually realize “I’ve done this exact same thing too many times now” whether it be the character, route, skills, or style, I’d done it already. To this day, it’s the only game I’ll actually pull out and play sometimes when I’m truly lost or have nothing to do or feel depressed or broken. It’ll always remind me of my youth and make me have something to look forward to again. I’ve still already done it all, but that doesn’t really matter sometimes does it? Sometimes it’s just about remembering and being a totally different and older person sitting in front of the screen that gives you the same experience and joy no matter what you’ve been through.

I don’t trust Bethesda with TES6 anymore. I don’t think it’ll work for me, and I don’t think it’ll be a great game. I’m excited for it, as I’m naturally inclined to be and I won’t shut myself up over it, but it won’t be the next Skyrim for me. It won’t make me a wide-eyed 14 year old again, nothing can do that. That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it, I’m sure I will. But I don’t trust Bethesda’s methods as a company, and I don’t know if they’ll ever achieve what they did in my eyes when I was a kid. I’ll sit and listen to the music sometimes, and it’ll hit me in waves; the world, the awe, the excitement. The memories of coming home from big life events like finals or job interviews or trips and being able to relax and play it again. It almost sounds like an addiction at this point, and my brother would joke that I was, but it didn’t harm my social/professional life in any way, so I don’t think it was a true addiction.

Then I realize they don’t even have the same guy on music for TES6 as they did for morrowind/skyrim again and I remind myself it won’t be the one.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a gullible hope that TES6 will do all those things to me again, though. But when it comes down to it, Skyrim was the biggest and most influential game on my life as a teenager. It was just a great game. I loved it, everything about it. That’s all there is to it. It’s one of those games I wish I could erase my memory of and do all over again.

And you’re wondering why the hell this essay is titled with BOTW, and here’s the connection; the only other game I truly would like to erase my memory for and experience again is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But this is for a totally different reason.

BOTW came into my life at a similarly critical point of my life in young adulthood; I was at the end of my community college career, having only 2 classes for the entire semester. I had a job, but I hated it and was depressed over it. I felt like I was going nowhere fast, and BOTW came out with the switch and I decided to buy into the hype and see what it was like. BOTW is an untamed love letter to everything that made Skyrim amazing to me, and yet it was totally new and unseen and alien. It was huge in scope, the awe and wonder it hit me with was the same as when I first realized how huge the province of Skyrim truly was; this was even bigger. The immersion and aesthetics were beautiful and appealed to me in ways skyrim never did, but I still fell in love with it and played this game up and down and inside out. I just checked and it’s still my #1 most played game on the switch nearly 2 years later at 120 hours. That’s not even 1/10th of how long I played Skyrim, and yet it managed to have that insane appeal to it that drove my young eyes wide in pure thrilling excitement. The minimalist music accompanied by beautiful sounds of nature reminded me of the frozen tundra of the mountain sides watching sunrises in the Throat of the World, or exploring the sun glazed Rift. None of this was actively in my mind as I played it, but I knew that the same heartstrings that Skyrim tugged on were being tangled with by this amazing game. As a Zelda game it blew me out of the water, and if I devoured Skyrim whole, then Breath of the Wild ate ME whole, because I was not in control of this world; I was merely a spectator trying to survive and watch it for as long as I could.

My biggest gripe once I finished the game to pieces that fall was that there was “nothing to do”. “There’s nothing to do!” I whine as I sit on my 120 shrine, 600 korok seed save file that had a full inventory of every best weapon and nearly every side quest completed save file. The DLC would then come out but I never felt compelled to play it or finish it. I’m tempted to today and that’s why I’m writing this. I did everything the game had to offer, or at least I thought, as I would late learn of lots of different activities I never got to finish, but I enjoyed it and I wouldn’t trade that time for any skyrim experience.

BOTW struggles to stand up to Skyrim’s depth, but its scope is ambitious and accomplishes its own voice without relying on anything ever created besides the actual Zelda franchise characters and lore. Skyrim, on the other hand, is an achievement of a long struggle as a gaming studio, the ultimate pinnacle of what Bethesda has learned in creating open world games. BOTW is most certainly an easily accessible game, and is not nearly as dated as the launch graphics of Skyrim, but I still have to give Skyrim the title of my favorite open world game, not purely because of the nostalgia, but because of the depth and variety you could get out of multiple playthroughs. BOTW only has 1 link, and link only has so many skills. You can use them to screw with the environment and do some crazy cool stuff, but nothing will top the pure blank canvas that was a new Skyrim file in my eyes. BOTW doubtlessly takes a hard 2nd place.

[purplesurveys]

378

For a change. I love Internet people for never running out of survey ideas.

Just say what you think of (doesn't have to be one-word answers) when I mention these. Quick, simple, just for fun. Curtain: I remember a story JM told us of when he nearly burned his house down when he was younger - he was flying paper airplanes but not without lighting the tips on fire. One of the planes landed on the curtain and I think it burned that particular room pretty bad or something. Door: I have a door to my right at the moment. It’s brown and I know my dog is waiting outside because I can hear his paws. Shoe: We went shoe hunting yesterday for Joacky, because he wanted a pair of the Nike Cortez. It’s widely popular in the PH right now so even though we visited like 7 shoe stores yesterday, we weren’t able to find one in the color that he likes. Pants: I finally got a pair of mom jeans yesterday and I can’t wait to wear it for school. I’m tired of wearing the same bottoms. Wig: I attended a workshop a few months ago where the speaker disclosed that she has leukemia, and she took off the wig she had been wearing the whole time to show us her head. I also remember the RuPaul Stans part of Twitter because they say ‘wig’ all the time...

Makeup: Kate made me her subject last Thursday and she played with my face and put makeup on it. Ended up feeling really pretty because she did a pretty awesome job. Instagram: I snubbed Instagram for the longest time but thought that a ‘one-pic-for-every-day-of-the-year’ dump account wouldn’t hurt, so I made one of those for 2019. My photography skills are absolutely nowhere to be found, and my gallery is super haphazard, but I really want to make an effort to store memories this year. YouTube: Hmm first thing I thought of was PewDiePie. I subscribed to the dude when he had like 60,000 subscribers eight years ago and only had a couple of Amnesia montages up. I always feel like a proud momma/early bird whenever I remember how far and how big he’s gotten since. Life: Exhaustion, mainly. It’s gonna start snowballing by next year when I graduate. It’ll be nonstop from there - facing the prospect of coming out to my parents, graduating, getting a job, getting my first credit card, moving out, paying bills...it’s all very exhausting, exhilarating, exciting, and overwhelming to think about. Chili: Gabie and I had Japanese for early dinner last week, and I was a little weirded out by the restaurant because each seat had a red chili pepper on the placemat? I’m talking every damn seat in the place??? Idk if it’s some sort of good luck charm for the owners but it made things very slightly unsettling hahaha. Cherry: There was a WWE Diva named Cherry like ten years ago who had the gimmick of a 50′s chick, I think...I was never quite sure what her character was supposed to be, but she had roller-skates every time she went to the ring and would sometimes wear outfits with polka dots so I thought she was pretty cute.   Neil: Armstrong. Haha I was going through Reddit awhile ago when I saw a video of Buzz Aldrin punch a dude who went up to him and said that the moon landing was a hoax. Not exactly Neil Armstrong but still a good story. Drive: I like watching car chases. It’s almost...therapeutic when the suspect crashes or loses control of his car and finally gets caught. Murder: I never got into How To Get Away With Murder. It’s too fast-paced for my life. I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t understand legal concepts because so many people are able to catch up with this show even if Viola Davis speaks a thousand words a minute and they’re all really deep words??? Idk HAHAHA. I watched like two episodes and felt super dumb after. Ice cream: OMG I hate a la mode desserts. I’d eat anything, but I wouldn’t eat two separate things with different textures. Get your ice cream away from my brownie. Water: I can’t wait to go back to the beach. Hard: Hammer? It was the first image to pop up in my head. Anne: Harry Styles’ mom is named Anne hahaha the Directioner in me jumped out, sorry not sorry. Cow: There’s this video that went viral a few months ago of a girl who was playing the accordion; all of a sudden this adorable herd of like 15 cows come running up to her and just intently watch the kid. Wholesome af. Frog: Frog legs are served in some Philippine provinces. Tastes like chicken. Cheese: My lactose intolerant ass will grate half a block of cheese (exaggeration, but you get the point) for my spaghetti. That’s the only way to enjoy pasta. Bowl: Can’t really think of anything except that bowl cuts look so cute on babies hahaha. Television: Is something I never use nowadays unless I’m staying over at a hotel. Other than that, I cannot tell you the last time I held a TV remote control to change the channel or something. Skull: There’s an episode of Friends where Phoebe brings home a skull and nonchalantly sets it on the table where Monica, Rachel, and Chandler were hanging out. Chandler goes, “Pheebs...skull?” Phoebe says, “Yeah, it’s my mom’s,” and Rachel shrieks until Phoebe clarifies that her mom owned the skull, and that the skull wasn’t of her mom. Underrated segment. Rachel’s mini-meltdown was hilarious. Seasons: I had to watch Rent for film class several months ago. Terrible movie. Cemented my dislike for musicals. This is what I remembered because afaik this is the musical that has the minutes song. Language: I can speak two and can understand some archaic/modern Spanish because they conquered us for 300 years and subsequently ruined my country. Trump: McDonald’s. An international embarrassment. Chocolate: We found this AMAZING Chocnut spread at the mall yesterday. I had my initial doubts - I thought it was gonna taste like a cheap Nutella rip-off. But it tastes exactly like Chocnut, just in the most perfect spread-y form. I plan to finish the entire jar just with a spoon. Stove: I’m terribly afraid of using any and every kitchen equipment because I have a big fear of setting the house on fire. I only ever use the stove when I’m deathly hungry and I have to make something by myself. Toy: My family recently went to a kid’s birthday party that had giveaway bags with toys inside, but seeing as we’re all teenagers now who had no use for it, it was earning dust in the house. Now, the Philippines is abound with street children so when we went out yesterday, my mom gave the bag to a couple of kids who were knocking on our car. I know I’m not supposed to romanticize the situation, but they had the biggest smiles when they realized what they got and I saw them playing merrily at the side of the street and even invited some other kids to join in. Again, not glamorizing it - I’m just happy they were happy. Video: I could never run out of things to watch on YouTube. It’s one of my favorite websites, especially when bouts of depression have to happen. Kiss: It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, IT WAS ONLY A KISS. Glass: The glass section of department stores always creeped me out. One wrong move and you can knock a whole shelf down, and the ‘You break it you pay for it’ signs all over the area don’t help at all. Light: Light and queen come together in this survey and all I remember is Lightning McQueen. Queen: ^ Moon: Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Moon river, wider than a mile, I’m crossing you in style some day.  Blue: My organization’s color is blue, so I have a soft spot for blue. Cream: I like soups that are creamy. I say this because my sister had ramen yesterday and it was so oily and salty and fatty and creamy and ugh I loved it. Dead: The Misfits. They’re more horror than death, but still. Purple: My great-grandma loved the color purple and I remember when her house used to be peppered in purple stuff. All her dresses were purple. I’m fairly sure it was the reason why it was my favorite color as a kid. Lace: Underwear, hahaha. Cardboard: Gabie was munching on sunflower seeds when I picked her up last week. I’ve never tried those, so I asked for some and I said it tasted like cardboard. I’ve never eaten cardboard but I would imagine that that’s what it tastes like. Elephant: Majestic. Deserves to be saved and properly cared for. Harry: One of my fave members of the royal family. He’s so precious. Leather: Is bad. Paisley: Isn’t there a country singer with this name? Italy: Pasta and stuff. Joey Tribbiani. Immature: I saw the gun girl Kaitlin-something on Twitter because she got viral again for a dumb-ass tweet she made. She posted pics of herself in the snow and tweeted “Look at all this global warming,” like seriously America??? Wtf do they teach y’all in your schools?????? Crime: Raisins in cookies. Angel: I had a friend named Angel - talked about her a lot in old surveys. She migrated to Canada when we were 12 and I haven’t seen her since. We do follow each other on Twitter but all she tweets about is K-pop so I had to put her on mute. Great memories with her. Boil: When I read this tweet aloud in my head, what I did think of was Charles Boyle from B99. Key: Key lime pie. Never tried it, but I’m always down to try anything. Sacrifice: The Catholic schoolgirl in me remembers the crucifixion because textbooks and teachers would overuse the phrase, “Jesus sacrificed his life for our sins” or “God sacrificed his son to save the world,” and all those cheesy lines. It’s as though the Bible’s favorite word is ‘sacrifice.’ Larry: Punk and AJ’s dog is named Larry Talbot. Dog: ^ Psychology: I took one psych elective last semester, but the prof was average at best so it didn’t really win over the course as a whole to me. Psychology was one of my ‘what-if’ courses so at the start, I was excited about taking it - but the class that I had was just so boring and the prof gave tests that were way too hard for otherwise fairly easy topics, so I quickly ran out of enthusiasm for the class. Rag: I hate touching rags. Especially wet ones UGH. Sun: Hate it, unless I’m at the beach. Lips: My friends dragged me to the makeup section of the department store last week and there were rows upon rows of lipstick testers. As someone who’s never purposely browsed for makeup, I ended up swatching like 20 shades on my wrist and looked like a five year old who doodled all over her whole left arm. Cage: The UFC ring, because it looks like a cage. Alarm: I had/have several alarms set on my phone throughout today to tell me to start working on various deliverables. For example, I had an 8 AM alarm to work on my J 196 paper; then from 8:30 AM I had an alarm to compose letters that I needed to write as my org’s secretary; then at around 10 AM, my alarm was for finishing up my readings for Kas 154 (short for kasaysayan, which means history). Official: I have a batchmate from high school who just got engaged...she was honestly one of the weirder ones back then so as much as I didn’t want to judge, it was hard to take it seriously at first, but it’s whatevs. I have no business in her life and I’m happy she’s happy. King: I finished my history readings this morning and there were so many mentions of kings. Lost: That show. The general consensus is that they ended the show crappily, but other than that I know nothing about it. Dating: There was once a dude who joined a dating show. Ended up being a serial killer. I forgot his name though. Balm: I was at a Korean store yesterday and saw an array of lip balms and glosses. I was never much of a makeup girl but the collection they had was just so cute, it made me think if I should start investing in makeup as well hah. Tomato: Ketchup is my second least favorite condiment after mustard. Game: Hmmm I downloaded a bunch of new game apps on my phone because I recently realized that I’m so boring??? and I only have social media on my phone??? I got ten new apps to make my phone more alive haha. Lotion: Is slimy, but smells nice and makes my skin smooth and look better. I got two hand creams for Christmas last year and it was then that I knew I was getting older because I was genuinely excited to try them both out. Expensive: Everything is. Powder: Reminds me of babies. The smell calms me down so well. Cross: I was shopping for clip-on earrings yesterday and there were several designs with crosses on them, which just reminded me of Christianity and it kinda peeved me for like 3 minutes lol. History: My favorite subject. I’ve never been so excited to be dumped on with such a thick stack of readings until this semester. Sex: Haven’t had it in a bit, too busy. Rainbow: We watched a film called Rainbow’s Sunset, which was really promising because it told a story about two men, both very old, and are lovers. In a traditional, conservative, poisonously Catholic country such as the PH, it’s a very bold move to produce a feature film that tackled such a horrible, taboo, horrifying thing (please note the sarcasm/mockery). We didn’t escape the guffaws and the loud ew’s whenever the two leads would kiss, which was sad. 

Anyway that’s not my point and what I really want to say is that the film was ultimately terrible, it was terribly-executed and it portrayed gay men in such a cheesy manner which in the long run, probably contributes to the continuing negative image of LGBT people in the Philippines. Gab, the bigger film buff between the two of us, felt so offended by how bad the movie turned out to be lol. Bay: Bayley, from WWE. She was a huge star like 3 years ago, but I think the bookers ultimately fucked her character up and now she’s stale. I feel so bad. Seth: Seth Rollins, also from WWE. Also very attractive. Pepper: I had okonomiyaki for lunch yesterday and there was like a thicker chunk of pepper that made it to my plate. Didn’t particularly enjoy that bite. Necrophile: Katie Vick. Google it to believe it. Wrestling is fucking dumb. Gravel: Funnily enough I do have a memory for gravel. Akeelah and the Bee was one of my favorite movies growing up; I watched it so many times that I had chunks of dialogue memorized at one point. One of the first scenes had Akeelah joining her school’s spelling bee, and one of the kids spelled grovel as g-r-a-v-e-l. He couldn’t understand why he got it wrong so the judge had to tell him that the word ‘grovel’ actually exists and what it means. Deep: I had a mental picture of the ocean when I read this word, so there’s that. Stephen: Hawking. Bucket: Chum Bucket. Hahaha Spongebob forever. England: Rugby? Grown: I always use the term ‘grown-ass’ haha. Spell: Spelling was one of my favorite activities in grade school and I would always score the highest in spelling exams. Kind of led me to my favorite job of proofreading/copyediting, really. Bark: My dog barked at nothing for five whole minutes a couple of days ago and it was hilarious. I shot two minutes of it. Long: Trees? Fan: Pamaypay, or hand fans in English.

Australia: First things that came to mind were the Sydney Opera House and Vegemite. Iron: Gabie’s nose bled last week. It wouldn’t stop flowing out of her nostrils and it smelled like rust for a good 15 minutes while she was trying to wash all the blood off, so it didn’t exactly help my case as someone who’s squeamish to death at the sight of blood. Melt: Chocolate. Beanie: Too warm for this country’s climate. Wax: Candles. Vigils. Burning your finger. Staying up all night to pray. Catholic school. Disease: Zombies. Resident Evil. Cannibal: The band Cannibal Corpse. Tried to get into them because Punk listened to them but it was too heavy for me. Flight: Airplanes, flights, vacations, away from everyone, nothing to worry about, good food, fighting with my siblings for the window seats. Porn: People be having weird fetishes sometimes. The thumbnails I see on websites...some of y’all crazy. Pot: I thought about how college life is so crazy. People would sell brownies or cookies with weed in them IN SCHOOL, meanwhile I still don’t even know if weed and pot are the same or if they’re two different things ohmygod HAHAHAHA I’m so sheltered wow I’m hopeless?????? Style: Taylor Swift and that subtle shade to Harry. People were shookened five years ago. Floss: Pork floss is really good. Star: There was a local celebrity who recently tweeted a pic, supposedly of a tiny tiny star that was beside the moon at like 5 AM, and she was asking what it was. Someone replied that it was Venus and explained what she just saw for her. Super cool. Nate: I don’t know anyone named Nate. I DID, however, remember the Naked Brothers Band. The older brother is named Nat, so it’s close enough. Soft: Pillows are soft. Orange: Hayley Williams’ hair 11 years ago. Witch: Philippine superstitions and how crazy and obsessive Filipinos can get. My mom, one of the most rational, no-nonsense people I know, scolds me every time I mock witchcraft or what we call ‘kulam’ cos she believes something will happen to me if I do. I’m all for honoring our mythology and traditions but sheesh, not to the obsessive extent. Mound: Ants. Root: Gabie used to watch this show where she shipped two girls named Root and Shaw. Oil: Massages. Hot: Deserts. Disc: Childhood, blowing on it to make it work, double-sided discs for longer movies, if a disc had scratches expect it to die soon. Soil: Plants. Planting trees. Muddy. Ugly: That scene in Spongebo where Patrick tells the story of the ugly barnacle. “Once there was an ugly barnacle. He was so ugly that everyone died. The end,” which didn’t help Spongebob who at the time was feeling super ugly hahahahaha. Sugar: Maroon 5. Also, my grandma used one particular jar for sugar throughout my entire childhood. It’s plastic, it’s clear, and it came with a red-orange lid. I’d often eat sugar on its own so I saw that jar quite a bit and it gives me a sense of nostalgia. I’m not so sure if that’s still the jar being used in the old house. Bone: Ribs :( Been craving for some. Sigh: Air??? I don’t know. Throne: Game of Thrones. I had to watch a 26-minute documentary of a GoT production for my broadcast management class. It’s insanely hard. So much respect to everyone involved in its prod. Calendar: I’m secretary for my org, which means that I always have to update everyone about our calendar of events. Carpet: Fancy. Flesh: The Walking Dead. Cement: Dangerous. Vow: The movie with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. One of my guiltier pleasures. Sweet: Desserts. And now I’m hungry.

[lenasbiceps]

Success to Investing in Real Estate

Most real estate experts fail inside the initial couple of long periods of endeavoring to make a business venture out of real estate contributing. The trap starts with a valuable advertising plan and afterward rehearsing a taught exertion to the promoting plan on an even premise. There is significantly more required to succeed, and you will experience more tips, traps and novel real estate showcasing strategies in this article.

Is there anybody in your town that doesn't perceive that you purchase homes or that you are a real estate proficient? Provided that this is true, you aren't executing also at showcasing or rendering real estate contributing data about your real estate contributing business endeavor too you could be. I discover real estate financial specialists telling all the time that they aren't getting vender telephone calls and in this way aren't accepting the leads they have to locate the real estate business bargains they require to gain a living. I say increment the showcasing and the venders will Call. That as well as in the event that you are campaigning the world (or if nothing else your zone) that you purchase issue real estate property, in the long run you will be recognized for what you do and dealers will phone you entirely on your notoriety. this is what is called financially savvy showcasing.

One real estate proficient was in a home, garden and handyman shop a couple of schedule weeks prior and went past a few folks in a walkway. A discussion was heard while he strolled by, I caught one express, "That is the real estate man". Presently I had never known both of those men and have no clue their identity however that encounter gives me a chance to recognize that I should do my business at letting the world to perceive my business is purchasing real estate here. There are numerous approaches to tell the territory that you are in the real estate contributing calling and getting data out there that enables individuals to realize you purchase dispossessions, troubled real estate, do real estate short deals and have a great deal of real estate data and experience to flip properties. A few strategies are shabby and some are more costly. You will need to endeavor numerous things and secure a vibe for what achieves for you the best outcomes in your district to get the calls you require to execute real estate bargains. I have attempted numerous types of showcasing strategies for real estate business ventures all things considered and have returned to a not many that reliably make enough leads for me to buy the 2 or 3 real estate possessions and houses I need to buy each and every timetable month. They are as per the following:

Grouped Ads

The grouped notice in the most conspicuous daily paper in the district is by a wide margin the heaviest maker of leads for neighborhood real estate financial specialists that I have decided. I comprehend it is exorbitant and I comprehend there are cases it doesn't create telephone calls however on the off chance that you will persevere in the real estate putting business division simply put it in there and abandon it. Become accustomed to it making up some portion of the toll of playing out the real estate business. You may use about $350.00 a logbook month for my 4 line promotion and that is the business run. I'd consider running it 365 days a year to always signal everybody that you are a real estate expert and you buy real estate in their district.

In the course of the last few or so years I have viewed many "real estate speculator" advertisements go back and forth. Most people placed them in for a numerous or even only a few timetable weeks and after that expel them or attempt simply setting them in on the week closes. Real Estate Marketing just does not work along these lines. Put your real estate promotion in the paper and abandon it in there. It will more than compensate at the cost, trust me, and you will see after you complete your first arrangement. In the event that you are bothered on the grounds that there are real estate financial specialists advertisements from numerous different speculators in there, don't be. They are there in light of the fact that they are getting reactions. Simply make certain to and really answer your mobile phone and keep it on all the time else you'll be wasting cash.

At the point when a new promotion for real estate speculator data appears in my daily paper, I will dependably approach the commercial. multiple times out of 10 I get a message gadget or voice-mail. This is a critical kill to someone who needs a goals to their real estate inconvenience now. They need to address a man who can calm their nervousness over their current issues with their home and disclose to them everything will be alright. Your noting gadget won't do that, they require a person. With respect to what to put in the publicizing, you should deal with this one. I have attempted different thought and the one I have now hast not changed for more than 4 years. I haven't exchanged it since I get reactions. My advertisement is:

We Pay CASH FOR HOMES In 24 Hours! Any region, cost or condition Call xxx-xxx-xxxx

Presently I have had other real estate experts maneuver for place and exchange their promotion duplicate to lead of mine in the segment yet it has not had at all effect, at any rate the extent that I can observe. Try not to stress over those things, simply get the promoting out there and abandon it. It could require a touch of investment, maybe half a month to go ahead however venders will phone. When you have your ordered publicizing running, at that point you should begin dealing with your other promoting strategies immediately. On the off chance that you just experience one thought seven days, inside half a month or two or three months you will have a fundamentally amazing real estate obtaining process.

Promotions in the "Complimentary gift" Papers

You may likewise run commercials in the complimentary gift papers in your neighborhood district or the area you need to lead real estate venture bargains. These are the "Thrifty Nickel", or whatever they are named in your district. We run both a segment advertisement and a presentation in this daily paper and consume about $175.00 or so a logbook month for these promotions. They pull in dealer leads sensibly well and have dependably legitimized the expenses. Keep in mind that these folks are generally open to talking terms on your rates and you will likely show signs of improvement rate in the event that you focus on a more extended promoting understanding.

Criminal Signs or Road Signs.

Criminal signs are extraordinary. They are probably the best lead delivering apparatuses around. I presently can't seem to put out a group and not be besieged with calls directly after I organized my promoting. I simply don't position them out that regularly. I may put out a couple to about six or so a date-book month and the ones that proceed and don't get brought down keep on pulling in telephone calls. At a normal cost of under $4.00 per sign, they are one of the best real estate promoting and publicizing esteems accessible. Check the net for sign makers for rebate signage costs. I utilize 18 x 24 signs and set them at high movement intersections around the town I wish to buy houses in.

I additionally position a sign in the front yard promptly subsequent to buying any house. I have bought a few homes in indistinguishable areas from an aftereffect of showcasing along these lines.

You can either utilize wood stakes or the wire stakes with your signs. I like the wood stakes since they don't twist like the wire ones, also, they are all the more affordable and you can discover pretty much any sensibly measured stick of wood or stake at your neighborhood handyman shop for a really decent esteem. Simply get long lengths and trim down to fit. At that point simply nail the sign to it with the material nails with the orange or green plastic tops or you can utilize screws. There are numerous variations on what the wording on the sign can state. Remember that movement will move so you need to keep your message short and basic so it might be perused. Besides your phone number must be enormous, expansive and simple to peruse.

In the event that you look through the sign notice content, you will find that it is same likeness my paper promotion. I get a kick out of the chance to mark my publicizing since I trust that assists with recognizable proof that is presumably why the two folks seen me as a Real Estate Professional..You need to have differentiate, so a white sign with dim blue letters more often than not is the best draw. A few people swear by dark on yellow or dark on orange. Once more, I say it's not what or how you say it rather essentially that you're out there showcasing and putting out signs that matters. You'll fabricate a 'mark picture after some time on the off chance that you remain intelligent with your real estate promoting attempts. When managing desperado signs, make certain that your neighborhood code authorization laws know about them. In a few zones or provinces they can remiss on them however a couple of miles not far off in another area or city, they can be super strict and will ticket you in a moment, pull the signs down and open searching for your next notices to follow you once more. Some retail dealers in high expense regions can't put out any A board signage without having them estimated and afterward fined.

Flyers and Bulletin Board Postings

Flyers and related security are another shabby method to get the word out that you are a real estate financial specialist purchase property, dispossessions or bothered properties. Simply make a flyer with any of the free on-line flyer programming web destinations telling individuals that your are a real estate financial specialist and how to connect with you. Make duplicates for couple of pennies each and you have some really reasonable real estate promoting and publicizing. It really is that basic. At that point put these flyers on each announcement load up in your Town or locale you might want to purchase your property, abandonment or bothered home.. I likewise suggest that you put some of them in those plastic sheet shielders so the rain won't destroy them and put them up on telephone posts around neighborhoods I get a kick out of the chance to purchase property in.. While not as conspicuous as the crook signs, on shafts very the area regardless they draw in telephone calls.

[wesfike]

Owen Sound hair salon owner excited to get chopping

Prior to COVID-19, hair salon owner Megan Gillespie didn’t realize how essential the service she provides is, but she certainly knows now.

Since the province announced Monday that it was moving ahead with its Stage 2 reopening beginning on Friday, Gillespie’s phone at Creative Hairstyling in downtown Owen Sound has been ringing almost non-stop.

“I have always loved to do hair and makeup and everything else, but I didn’t realize how important it was to so many people,” Gillespie said Tuesday morning at her shop as the phone continued to ring. “I know that I make people feel good by doing their hair, but I know the next couple of weeks, maybe month, until we get everybody in, it is going to mean transformations to people.”

By Wednesday morning, Gillespie had already completely booked the shop until June 24, which will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week upon reopening.

Gillespie said she plans on getting through everyone because she knows how important it is for them after going months without getting their hair cut, styled or coloured.

“I have missed my clients,” said Gillespie. “It is a social job and I have missed seeing everybody, I have missed talking to everybody and I have missed being a part of this family, because that’s what it is. It is a big family.”

The province is moving to a phased re-opening with Monday’s Stage 2 announcement, with the Grey Bruce Health Unit one of 24 across the province that have been given the green light to move forward. A total of 10 health units in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas, as well as around Windsor and Sarnia, will remain in Stage 1 until it is deemed safe to move to Stage 2.

There is a long list of businesses and services that have been given the OK to resume operations with the second stage, after some retail businesses with street entrances reopened a couple of weeks ago.

Personal care services, including barber shops, hair salons, tanning salons and tattoo studios are among those getting the green light this time.

Other businesses and services that are allowed to open include personal services such as house sitting and wedding planners, shopping malls, tour and guide services, and water recreation such as pools and splash pads.

Restaurants are now able to open outdoor dining areas such as patios to go along with takeout and/or delivery, though indoor dining continues to be prohibited.

Museums, galleries and other attractions and heritage institutions can open again as well.

Campgrounds can begin to accept all campers again, while community centres can reopen with limited or modified programs, though indoor recreational activities are not permitted.

Places of worship such as churches and mosques are permitted to open with physical distancing and attendance of no more than 30 per cent of capacity.

Outdoor team sports can resume for training purposes only and with no scrimmages or games.

Groups of 10 people, outside of members of immediate families, will be permitted, up from the current five.

Businesses and services are expected to take a number of public health and safety precautions such as ensuring physical distancing, wearing personal protective equipment, limiting numbers and cleaning areas and surfaces. Full details on the Stage 2 reopening can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/page/reopening-ontario-whats-each-stage#section-2

The Ontario government also announced on Tuesday that all child-care centres can reopen on Friday with restrictions place.

Gillespie said Tuesday she was surprised at how quickly the announcement came down from the province that she could reopen her hair salon business, but she is certainly excited to get going again.

“It has been a long couple of months, but it will be nice to get back to work,” she said. “I know a lot of clients are looking forward to coming back in. I have never had so many people so happy to talk to me.”

Gillespie’s shop will look different when those clients do start arriving on Saturday. Each of the stations in the salon, including the reception area, have been framed in and encased with clear plastic, while signage has been put up and floor decals have been added directing clients where to go and instructing them where to wait. Magazines, toys and other items that clients used to bide time while waiting have been removed, while hand sanitizer has been placed throughout the shop. Clients have been staggered so nobody is coming and going at the same time, while each station will be thoroughly cleaned after each appointment. Staff will be wearing masks, while masks will also be available for clients should they request them. For now, Saturday afternoons will be family time where entire families from the same households can come and get cleaned up.

Along with the changes that needed to be made due to COVID-19, while she was closed Gillespie has also managed to complete other little things that needed to be done.

“Every week that we have been closed I have been here at least two, three days a week,” Gillespie said. “Because the salon is quite busy most of the time I was actually able to take time to do the little things that just kept not getting done.”

Gillespie said her staff have remained strong and continued to communicate despite the uncertainty since the salon abruptly closed with most everything else in mid-March, but they too look forward to getting back to work.

Gillespie is confident and feels she is ready to welcome clients back.

She admits it is going to be taxing and frustrating to start because everything is changing so much and each stylist will only be able to deal with one client at a time. But she feels once they settle in it will feel natural.

“It is going to be a long start,” said Gillespie.

“My goal through the entire thing was the safety of my staff and my clients. That is all I am concerned about.”

Gillespie said the support from everyone has been great, including staff and clients, and especially her partner Anthony and her parents for all the work they have done to get the shop ready.

“Everyone has been amazing,” she said.

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[memorylang]

Evacuation | #27 | February 2020

The night of Wednesday, Feb. 26, I received an email all Peace Corps Volunteers were evacuating Mongolia. I could hardly process it. 

I took notes and resolved I’d revisit these moments. Now, through these next tales, I take you through the horror, sadness and wonder of indefinitely leaving that nation I thought I’d call home 27 months. I was there just nine. 

Profoundly, when I first committed last June to starting this Peace Corps Mongolia blog, I expected to write 27 stories—one for every month I’d serve in Mongolia. Well, here's my 27th story.

Amid those frantic days nonetheless came a comforting thought—My path through murky woods lost fright when I remembered, follow light.

Tsagaan Sar's Ash Wednesday: The Endless Night

After reading our email command to leave Mongolia, I reaffirmed to my supervisor sitting beside me, I meant what I said, that I wanted to keep in touch and help, no matter where I am. She seemed OK. My supervisor dropped me off in front of my apartment building. I thanked her for inviting me to my last Tsagaan Sar Lunar New Year’s dinner. I hoped we’d see each other again. 

I escaped the cold, ascending my building’s inside stairwell. I got another call. This one came from my kind sitemate, concerned how I felt about our evacuation email. I just laughed hysterically. 

Laughing’s how I cope. I thought both, “This is really happening. Is this really happening?” 

I assured I’d help her. She and our sitemate who called me earlier were still stranded another province over. They couldn’t even see their homes again before leaving Mongolia. I promised I’d hand off the spare key she left me to her colleague and help any way I could. 

Here’s what’s crazy. My city’s under a day’s drive from the capital. Our email listed Peace Corps would drive out to collect Volunteers as early as the next day. So, I could have to leave my city in under 24 hours, ready or not. I got a carry-on and one checked bag. Donate the rest, or pack it for Peace Corps to ship. 

I kept climbing the staircase. Our sitemate who called me at dinner messaged me. I wrote back I read the email. I’d be in my apartment soon. They were right—This was a lot to process. I wasn’t sure I’d be ready to video call that night, for what they needed. But I’d help all the way. A checklist would help me. 

I was almost to my floor. I knew this evacuation would feel more real with every place I went, chat I had and person I saw. 

But—bizarrely—I felt prepared. 

I knew this stress. I had to pack like this before.

That Great Stress: The Endlessness

Finally at my floor, I got back to my apartment. 

I kept feeling how that morning three years ago, how I felt when I learned my mother was dead, prepared me for these very hours. 

When I got that call Mom was killed, Dad told me I needed to—during my uni’s finals week—cut my semester, pack everything, leave my community, board a plane the next day, and fly home. Then I knew, I’d fly straight for China after reuniting with Mother at her funeral. Sobbing at 19 in my dorm, thinking Mom ripped from me was disconcerting enough, I felt overwhelmed. 

To fly from my college town to home and then abroad, I needed to pack anything I thought I’d need for both home and my life on our Pacific’s other side. 

This time—comparable—felt different. 

I’m 22, leaving a country. But I committed this Lent, which began this very day, Ash Wednesday, to call on God's help for the strength He provides. 

When Mom died, I alerted my clubs and orgs I had to go. This time, I alerted community groups. But I didn’t want to juggle messages. So I revealed it first to a select few. Three years ago, I walked down the hill to my church and saw our pastor there. This time, I wrote first to those local American friends. 

I sought prayers. I let them know Peace Corps Mongolia was officially evacuating back to the U.S. For that reason, I’d be packing. My driver could arrive as early as the next evening to get me. But our managers would call each of us the next day with specifics.

To anyone I couldn't see before I left, I reaffirmed I felt so glad I could meet them. They touched my heart, strengthened my faith, and taught me why my favorite country during high school is truly among Earth’s most amazing.

I closed in stating this was a trying time for us all, but I'm so glad God let me celebrate my entire Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia. I invited people to tell others I'm leaving, and I’d learn later whether I can return. 

I know God has the power to make anything possible. Whatever His wish, may His will be done.

My community offered their prayers and hoped to see me again. I felt glad. 

I felt, even as this chapter of my service ends, more certainly than ever, my life with Mongolia has only begun.

Assessing My Situation: The Endless Night

After sending my dramatic messages to my community, I brewed tea. I gazed over my rooms. I had a long night before me. 

The month before, my friend from Peace Corps China shared with me his cohort’s traumatic evacuation back to the States. Now I get mine. He joined Peace Corps Mongolia, too. Now this. 

I considered calling my Catholic Peace Corps Volunteer friend. He’s a Health Volunteer, after all. 

Then that friend called me. 

My friend described his peace about our circumstances. He actually foresaw us getting evacuated, once our Peace Corps emergency phases to stay alert and restrict travel began. He studied pandemics in his past life and recognized COVID-19 would get graver before it gets better. Plus, when he emailed staff about wanting to take time abroad, they suggested he hold off till an announcement. So, when that announcement came, he didn’t feel so surprised. 

I appreciated my friend’s call. He reminded me I’m a good guy, too. I need to focus on my packing. Let the rest fall into place. God gave me strength and a calming friend in this one. We committed to keeping in touch. 

Packing the Endless Night

The rest of that Ash Wednesday night’s largely lost to my recollection. I brewed plenty more tea to get me through. I prayed for peace and fortitude and felt waves of gratitude at various hours. Beyond these, below are some few moments I recall. 

I felt glad knowing fellow Peace Corps Volunteers around our country stayed awake. I wasn’t alone. Whether stress or fellow early pick-up fears kicked in, we suffered together. 

Pleasantly, I realized, Wednesday was my final 'normal' day in Mongolia. And that day, I reaffirmed to locals not once but three times why I came to Mongolia, that I love Mongolia, and why I love Mongolia. I felt glad.

As I packed up a Thanksgiving gift, I noticed some of my students complimented feeling thankful I'm "loyal." At that time, I felt surprised they felt that way, considering they knew me only three months. Maybe they saw in me something I didn’t see so clearly. Maybe God had a point. 

Packing for Another: The Endless Night’s Day

Rumor had it I packed for another Peace Corps Volunteer, which was correct. This was for my sitemate stranded away. I missed them. 

Originally I feared having to pack their apartment Wednesday night, but a thought came to me to request coming in the morning, instead. 

My greatest fear was potential drunkards wandering around from Tsagaan Sar's final night. There was also a cop allegedly staring at my apartment building because two Mongolians who flew in Coronavirus-afflicted Korea live here. I didn’t want any situation when I’d need to explain in broken Mongolian why I wasn’t inside quarantining. 

I cared about them and I could relate to feeling concerned. But I needed to make sure my mind and body were secure, too, when I visit. 

Waiting till morning afforded me more time to get my things in order, so I'd feel calmer getting my sitemate’s things the next morning. Plus, I got sunlight to walk over, especially with new ice and snow. 

Serious Scavenger Hunt: The Endless Night’s Day

At 8 a.m. daybreak after my night of less than an hour’s rest, I walked down a few apartment buildings to my sitemate’s. 

When anyone seemed surprised I packed for another, I replied it's what sitemates are for. It’s what I could do, staying when others left. It's what we Volunteers do—help each other. 

I spent an hour on video call with my sitemate, on what felt a critical hunt. Despite stress, I felt somewhat honored, entrusted to find their belongings and secure them. I liked getting to remotely make their things work. 

After our call, I photographed rooms and progress. They gave me tips how to pack things well. I’d never worked with much of that stuff before... 

I stuffed a colossal hiking backpack, filled a camera bag, crammed a duffel and took care of important books and decorations. They said, leave the rest. Before my phone died, ending our communication, I made sure to grab Mongolian cultural things I figured they’d miss. (They felt relieved.) 

Also. While I made sense of the kitchen, they mentioned I could take whatever food. I figured this wouldn’t help me much, since I needed to get rid of my food, too. But I pocketed some granola/trail mix and clipped onto that super backpack frozen raspberry and strawberry bags. My sitemate’s bag straps and clips made lugging it all possible. I trekked back to my apartment. 

The moment I got in, I realized I must have dehydrated a little at my friend’s. Once I opened the raspberry bag, I ate its entire contents in one standing. I felt amazed. 

The rest of that Thursday morning, packing amid stress, I awaited Peace Corps’ call. At last, midday, a manager rung. I’d depart Sunday, March 1 at dawn. I felt shocked. 

Had time, I could tell people—felt relieved. 

Then I fell asleep. 

Packing Without Closure

I woke up Thursday afternoon. I packed through evening, rested, then began again Friday. 

With the packing, I didn’t have much time to focus on what was going on. But objects caught my eye such that they triggered realizations. 

It happened while I was taking my cork board off my entry wall. I was pulling out from last October my little lime-green Mongolian Teachers' Day card envelope, from below last January’s farewell card pilgrims gifted me at our Panamanian pilgrimage’s end. 

That's when I felt struck—I'm actually leaving, leaving Mongolia. 

I glanced to my phone and noticed community members messaged me how grateful they felt that I came and how they hope I can return. I noticed, beside the little card I pulled out rested my Peace Corps Mongolia pledge from Swear-In. 

How do six months in my city go so fast? God knows... 

I hope, my time away will only strengthen ties before the faithful day I return. Maybe I'll be maturer, wiser then, too. After all, I weathered my first Mongolian winter. I could take another. 

Having finished and returned Brian's memoir, “There’s a Sheep in My Bathtub,” the day before, I considered too my feelings of frustration that the world kept turning at its normal rate. Meanwhile, my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and I in Mongolia suffered from packing to evacuate the communities we called home for months and years. But such was life. 

Seeing as well my letter, "Congratulations on your site placement...!" and traditional clothing I wore with my host family this summer, I felt something special. I wasn't just leaving the country where I lived and taught—I was leaving the country where I learned and grew, too. 

Friday for Farewells

By the time people offered packing help, as a big change, I actually felt more inclined to decline. 

That's different. Packing used to be among the activities I always sought help for. Especially when Mom passed away, college suitemates helped and even moved my things. This time, through that constant effort Thursday and Friday, I’d needed left only to distribute my food and pack my carry-on. I was nearly done. Zipping a duffel, I wondered if Dad felt this dutiful packing during his U.S. Army National Guard deployments overseas...

By Friday midday, I took to new tasks.

Around my apartment, I found gifts I meant to deliver. So, taking a pause, I quickly bundled these up, prepared simple notes and readied them to pass on. 

I wished especially I could have seen the children of the orphanage one last time before leaving. I hoped they had a great Lunar New Year's. 

With three ‘Thank You’ cards remaining that Peace Corps gave me during fall, I addressed them to my three local communities—my school, my church, and my support. I'd, providentially perhaps, three photos leftover from my arrival in Mongolia. I paired each with a ‘Thank You’ card. With one separate photo, I attached it as part of the gift I prepared for the orphanage's children and teachers.

Midday Friday, my supervisor returned. She’d drive me downtown for my deliveries. I’d under 48 hours remaining. Still, I yearned to see any Mongolian willing to say goodbye amid this COVID-19 terror. I couldn’t know whether I’d have another chance. 

My Peace Corps Mongolia evacuation stories continue.

You can read more from me here at DanielLang.me~

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/things-to-do-in-phuket-thailand/

20 Amazing Things To Do In Phuket, Thailand - The 2019 Video Guide

Looking for things to do in Phuket? This video guide will put you in the picture.

Smiled at the Thought of Visiting Phuket in The Land of Smiles? ​You ought to. Phuket in Thailand is so beautiful that you cannot help but smile. Here we share 20 things to do in Phuket.

Phuket, one of the provinces in the southern part of Thailand, is an archipelago that consists of the country’s largest island, Phuket, along with 32 smaller islands off coast.

The province of Phuket is a little less than Singapore in terms of size, with an area of 576 square kilometers. It is the second largest province in the entire country, and is situated in one of the major trading and business routes between China and India.

There are 30 stunning beaches within the area, so Phuket is the dream summer travel destination for people who love tropical climate and warm vacations. Aside from sun, sand, and lots of water, the central town is packed with nightclubs, bars, and discos. This province is also one of the most open when it comes to gender diversity, so men, women, and gay folks can enjoy their time in Phuket without discrimination based on their sexual preferences.

Where is Phuket?

Phuket is located off coast on the western part of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. It is attached by the Sarasin Bridge to Phang Nga Province in the north. The nearest province to Phuket is Krabi, to the east across Phang Nga Bay.

What's the Weather and Climate like in Phuket?

Like most countries in Asia, the climate in Phuket is characterized by tropical monsoons. Because Thailand is near the equator, there is not much difference in the variation of its temperatures the whole year long. Phuket only has 2 seasons: the dry season that goes from December through March, and the wet season that covers the remaining months.

How Do You Say 'Phuket'?​

Phuket only has two syllables, but it is relentlessly mispronounced by tourists. The way most people say it sounds like a phrase you shouldn’t say in front of children. Yes, like “Fuket” or “Fukc it”. It does sound like a profanity, which—I think—makes perfect sense, since in the English language, the letters "p" and "h" next to each other make an "f" sound. Thais, though, say words beginning with “Ph” with a stressed “P” sound, so Phuket is actually pronounced “Poo-ket” or “Poo-get”.

Pronounce Phuket correctly video

Breathtaking Things to See and Do in Phuket, Thailand

1. Phang Nga Bay​

One of the features that made Phang Nga Bay a cut above the rest of its kind are the fascinating limestone karts that protrude vertically out of the clear, emerald-green waters. Its waters remain calm all year long, since the bay is protected from monsoons, which also adds another layer of appeal to its impressive backdrop and  abundant  wildlife.

Two of the more popular spots in the Pha Nga Bay are James Bond Island and Koh Panyee. The best way to enjoy the bay and its spectacular landscape, with minimal encounters with the other tourists and the crowd, is by taking one of the relaxing boat trips that start from the Northern end of Phuket.

A regular day trip cruising would take you through the striking limestone islands, seldom stopping to appreciate the quiet and serene beaches. This cruise is by far more rewarding than the usual standard bus-boat tours.

Bucket List Things to Do in Phuket, Thailand

2. Phi Phi Island

Phi Phi Island is one of the many reasons why Phuket is a coveted tourist destination. It has starred in a handful of movies and is usually the talk of the town among Thailand travelers. It is hyped, yes, but it does not disappoint and lives up to the excitement attached to it.

Phi Phi’s magnificence is what mostly drives the allure. From a boat, the islands seem to rise from the waters like an ancient fortress. Rocky cliffs loom overhead, and then give way to a jungle with a mesmerizing waterfront.

The islands seem to rise from the waters like an ancient fortress. Rocky cliffs loom overhead, and then give way to a jungle with a mesmerizing waterfront.

Another inviting factor of this island is its laid-back vibe. You don’t need to rush or hurry when visiting Phi Phi Island, since there wouldn’t be a crowd to bustling tourists there.

Iconic Things to See in Phuket, Thailand

3. Visit The Big Buddha

The Big Buddha is an iconic representation of the orange-robed monks that distinguishes Thailand from other Asian countries. This iconic attraction in Phuket is one of the most significant and respected landmarks in the whole of Thailand. The enormous figure sits atop the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata.

Since the Big Buddha is at 45 meters tall, it can be clearly seen from spots as far flung as Karon Beach and Phuket Town. The highest site provides an exhilarating 360-degree vista of the island, with full views of Kata, Chalong Bay, Phuket Town, Karon, and more.

This tourist spot is also a religious site, so some locals and even tourists might find it disrespectful to wear beach clothes, shorts skirts, and tank tops in the area. If you think you have dressed a little too daringly, you could ask for a sarong as a cover-up.

Reaching the Big Buddha is easy, via a winding 6-kilometer route leading from Phuket’s main road.

More On The Big Bhudda

Fun Things to Do in Phuket, Thailand

4. Shopping at Night Markets

The province of Phuket also has a pulsating night clubs and bars for the party people, but its streets are also alive with bustling markets and small kiosks, where you could get great deals and bargains for a bunch of souvenirs and keepsakes.

These markets are also open during the day, but why stroll under the scorching heat of the sun and waste a perfectly good beach day? You can wander at night and enjoy the gentle Thai breeze while scouring through affordable items.

Phuket Night Markets also hold special festivals with entertaining street performers and good food. Food stalls also abound even at night, so this is the perfect time  to grab some  grub and experience authentic Thai street food while shopping in cool comfort.

Exciting Things to See and Do in Phuket, Thailand

5. Island Hopping

The province of Phuket consists of 33 islands in total: the large island Phuket plus 32 smaller islands scattered around it. From tiny lumps of rocks that protrude from the waters to large pieces of land jutting up from the waters of the Andaman Sea, Phuket has them all.

These islands bring a sense of relaxation, tranquility, freedom, and exoticism, and those are what made this archipelago so alluring.

Unfortunately, the main island Phuket has lost some of its idyllic atmosphere due to industrialization and the demand to upgrade to further promote tourism. Nevertheless, a number of smaller islands around it still offer a secluded sanctuary for those who want to escape their stresses.

Best Things to See with Kids in Phuket, Thailand

6. Phuket Fantasea Show

If you are tagging kids along, this is one of the Phuket attractions that they will truly enjoy. The structures in this attraction are rather quirky, with entertainers in over-the-top colorful costumes, and elephants walking around. Phuket Fantasea has been built to impress while embodying the principal essences of Thai culture, so much so that it deems itself as “The Ultimate Cultural Theme Park.”

The main lure of Fantasea is the stage show, but there are also other rides and offerings that also adds to the overall appeal of this attraction. There is a village with an array of shopping options, carnival games, elephant rides, and food stalls and restaurants. In Phuket FantaSea Show, everything is bright, elaborate, and absolutely impressive.

They also offer superb customer service; the management of the show ensures that you are transported in comfort, fed well, and generally happier and more entertained when you leave the place. They have plenty of staff around to assist you with your concerns and help you head in the right direction.

Cultural Things to See and Do in Phuket, Thailand

7. Wat Chalong and Phuket Temples

Buddhist temples or Wats are one of the significant Thai symbols because majority of the population are Buddhists. Also, these temples are so enchanting in their own right. In Phuket province alone, there are almost 30 Buddhist temples around the islands. Wat Chalong has been one of the oldest temples and up until now, it is still extending its warm welcome to visitors and tourists.

Thai locals visit the temples to pray, while Westerners come to learn more about their religion. These temples are open from 7 am to 5 pm daily.

Things To Do In Phuket At Night

8. Old Phuket Town

The old Phuket Town is an attraction that’s a bit far from the usual tropical favorites. What makes this are so inviting is its history that is still very much evident in its structures and establishments. In this area, you will see Chinese and Buddhist temples, shrines, rich and ornately preserved shop houses, charming cafes, small printing shops, and museums. The old Phuket Town was built on resources garnered from the province’s tin boom during the last century.

You would also see extravagant Sino-colonial mansions once owned by tin barons around a hundred years prior. This town is small enough to be explored on foot and it is best to stroll around early in the morning or a few hours before dusk.

Free Things to See and Do in Phuket, Thailand

9. Similan Island

Similan Islands may not have the attractive limestone of Pha Nga Bay, but it has verdant and dense forests that nature and hiking enthusiasts would swoon over. Gum trees and Ironwood trees abound in the area, but there are also rattan, bamboo, and jackfruit trees that serve as habitat to the variety of wildlife that thrive in the area. Similan Island is home to a plethora of crab-eating monkeys, bats, squirrels, lizards, and several species of birds.

Another eye-catching feature of this island is the boulders that seem to stack on top of each other.

Nevertheless, the best sights that this island offers can be found underneath the waves. Similan Island is also a popular dive spot and it boasts of spectacular coral growth and colorful marine life.

Best Things to See and Do with Kids in Phuket, Thailand

10. Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Elephants are revered animals in Thailand, so much so that these docile creatures are also an icon that identifies the country. Unfortunately, though, a lot of elephants are maltreated for the sake of entertainment.

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is not like other animal parks that exploit and even hurt the animals to coerce them to perform. More than an attraction, it serves as a retirement home for elephants that were rescued from abusive and cruel animal show managers.

Tours conducted here are not mainly for entertainment, but to raise funds for the food, care, and medicines of a handful of elephants in the institution. This is not a petting zoo and you are not allowed to ride elephants, but you could walk with them, feed them, and watch them in their natural environment

Gastronomic Things to Do in Phuket, Thailand

11. Try the Pad Thai Shop

Thailand’s National food, Pad Thai, isn’t actually that complicated nor complex to make, but its taste has been so distinct that it is rather easy to tell a good Pad Thai from a “I’ll pass on that” Pad Thai. When a restaurant is well-known for a specific dish, you can be sure that their prized dish would be one  of the best you would  taste in your lifetime.

The Pad Thai Shop has mastered the beautiful art of preparing excellent Pad Thai and the serve over a hundred servings a day. You love Pad Thai? You’d be surprised to know that you could fall deeper in love with it when served here.

When a restaurant is well-known for a specific dish, you can be sure that their prized dish would be one of the best you would taste in your lifetime. The Pad Thai Shop has mastered the beautiful art of preparing excellent Pad Thai and the serve over a hundred servings a day. You love Pad Thai? You’d be surprised to know that you could fall deeper in love with it when served here.

Educational Things to See and Do in Phuket, Thailand

12. Phuket Aquarium

Phuket Aquarium offers guests and tourists an opportunity to see both the wonderful as well as the weird creatures that live in Thailand’s rivers, lakes, and seas, and learn a lot about their life systems too.

You will also get the chance to see and experience a simulation of their natural habitats, namely mountains, mangroves, streams, coral reefs, and the deep ocean in general. Phuket Aquarium is not that big, but it makes up  for its area size with vibrant aquatic displays and interactive exhibits.

Historical Things to Do in Phuket, Thailand

13. Phuket Mining Museum

Located in Kathu, between British International School and Loch Palm Club, is Phuket Mining Museum. It is one of Phuket’s  most interesting museums, since it displays tin mine models and recreated opium den scene, among many others.

The museum opened in August 2009 as an informative historical and cultural attraction. The structure of the building was Sino-Portuguese inspired, like many of the mansions and other structures all around the province. Most of the mansions were owned by Chinese families in the Old Phuket Town district.

Entrance to the museum used to be free to locals and tourists alike, but now there is a fixed fee: For local Thais, it is about 50 baht for adults and 20 per child; for foreigners, though, a ticket costs 100 baht per adult and 50 per child.

Luxurious Things to Do in Phuket, Thailand

14. Blue Elephant

Blue Elephant has long established itself as an authority in authentic Thai cuisine. If you are in Phuket, give them a try and you will understand why. The restaurant location is a posh and huge mansion, where they serve beautifully dishes that match the grandiose of the building.

Its wooden interior with traditional Thai decorations adds another layer of Thai culture to the experience.  Blue Elephant has courteous and English-speaking staff to assist you and make your dining experience even more enjoyable.

Fun Things to Do with Kids in Phuket

15. Phuket Trickeye Museum

If you are bringing kids along your trip to Phuket, you can bring them to Phuket Trickeye Museum for a couple of hours of fun. From the name of this attraction, “Trickeye”, their concept is presenting giant 3D paintings that look like optical illusions, for photo sessions. It is similar to the #D museums in Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok. Phuket Trickeye Museum isn’t affiliated to any of those three museums, though.

The museum building in Phuket used to be the popularly weird Pearl Cinema, then the Fantasia Entertainment Club. Now, the museum houses over a hundred different optical illusion 3D paintings showing a variety of scenes for the guests to be silly with.

Things to Do in Phuket - Places To Eat

16. Red Duck Restaurant

Red Duck Restaurant is only a fairly small restaurant, but their food is anything but small. Authentic Thai dishes are cooked to perfection and are served creatively and with style. The food they serve are definitely as good as they look and they live up to the hype. The charming chef and owner is always present to make sure that him and his staff provide you with world-class quality service.

Historical Things to See and Do in Phuket, Thailand

17. Phuket Thai Hua Museum

Thai Hua Museum, one of Phuket’s most prized architectural wonders, is located on Krabi Road. It is one of the most charming and most well-maintained Sino-Portuguese structures in the province of Phuket. The building, which was recently renovated, was once a Chinese-language school. It also features a lovely garden where  heavy tools and machines from the industrial era were displayed.

What’s it about, though? As the previous purpose of the building implies, this museum exhibits how the Chinese figures in Phuket strived and struggled to become successful in their trades. Somehow, it also shows the history and culture of Phuket,, as seen from Thai-Chinese business trade standpoint.

In 2008, Thai Hua museum was awarded in the field of constitutional and public buildings, by the Siam Architect Association under the King’s support in the museum’s exemplary role in architectural arts.

Things to Do in Phuket For Free

18. Promthep Cape

The much coveted Promthep Cape is located at the southernmost part of Phuket. It is the rocky cliff that juts out into the sea, providing a panoramic view of the island, especially at sunset. Aside from the fantastic view, there is also an elephant shrine and a charming lighthouse displaying several historical maritime relics for the history buffs who are interested in the area’s history.

The balcony of the lighthouse also has its treat: a marvelous view of the nearby islands. On a fine day, visitors can see the distinctive shapes of Koh Racha Noi, Koh Phi Phi, and Koh Racha Yai.

Fun Things to Do with Kids in Phuket, Thailand

19. A-Maze Garden Tours

Who said Thailand is just about beaches and ancient temples? Here at A-Maze Garden in Phuket, the visitors’ brain cells will be challenged as they try to wander and find their way out of a thousand square meter labyrinth. They can race or take their sweet time exploring this one-of-a-kind attraction.

This is a fun activity to do whether you are with friends or kids, you will have a grand time practicing and utilizing your directional skills. A-Maze Garden has been a popular destination for family fun and this is one of the spots to spend an afternoon at—heck, why not an entire day?

Fun Things to See in Phuket

20. Visit The Upside Down House

The Upside Down House in Phuket is one of the quirkiest things you will see in this country. This literally upside down house  offers a one-of-a-kind chance to somehow walk on the ceiling. Visitors to this quirky attraction enter from the attic of the inverted house and they  are free to explore the fascinating rooms, including the kitchen, bathroom, living room, including a garage with a life-size tuk tuk in it. Once visitors have adapted to the awkward feeling of seeing the floor above and the ceiling below, the place is actually good for taking social media worthy selfies and groupies as well.

Phuket, Thailand is a province blessed with lush and verdant landscapes, turquoise waters, and breathtaking beaches. Moreover, wildlife and marine species abound, which add up to the archipelago's inviting appeal. 

Much  like anywhere in the world, Phuket may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there are a lot of things to do there for everyone. 

Phuket boasts of its natural wonders, and it also has amazing man-made architectural gems to balance things out. Furthermore, the rich cultural and historical background of the province is definitely something to be fascinated about. 

The best part of it, I believe, is that you don't have to spend a lot to enjoy the islands. 

Phuket in Thailand is absolutely one of the places you should not miss in Asia. 

[curiouskarenscapers2017]

Volume Three – October 2004

The 1st of October, no ways!!!! It’s nearly my birthday!!! All gifts can be sent to Sesame Street School, No 2-1 Chung Yang Rd, Changhua. Thanx!

Anyway, miss everybody and will think of you as I party it up in Taiwan…..hey, I never had a birthday in the East before!!! Coooollll!!! I think I’ll buy a few fire crackers and set them off on the roof!! Payday is only the 10th….Go figure! I’ll have to party after then.

So my birthday came and went silently. Got little gifts from two Chinese teachers and then had a bottle of wine with the girls after work at our place, and everybody was so tired that we all crashed by 11pm. Plenty of time to party this weekend!

On Sunday they had their National Day celebrations and once again the crackers tore through the night air on Saturday. A massive procession was heard coming up the road on the side of the complex. The next minute at an intersection I saw the dancers in uniform pass with flags flying, the next two dragons of two people long. The next minute a huge float (which is just a truck exquisitely covered in a pattern of lights) the lights were actually quite blinding until I saw the second truck, I needed my shades!!! Beautiful. Followed by boxes of those flying crackers! Hectic but stunning and you could hear the music and crackers for miles to come! Wish I was closer to take pictures.

After a while we went to the girl’s place (Neps and Kim’s) I’ve never been there and it is quite impressive. Gardens, small pools and little wooden decks between the plants. They stay on the 10th floor….surprise! Stunning setting. Very upmarket. So naturally we braaied on the stoep!! Someone did stick their heads out to see what all the smoke was that came from apartment 10J but we smiled and cheersed them with our plastic cup wine glasses and had an excellent braai! The braais here are quite interesting and extremely cheap. I think people don’t have place to keep a braai so they literally have disposable braais. So when you go to the supermarket you buy your meat, bread and ‘n braai….every time. They cost less than R20 for a tin foil looking braai. It works!!! That’s what counts. We walked back at about 12pm and got home in about 10min.

I decided today was the day to bath Draco. Come here kitty, I won’t hurt you….really!! It was great fun though, he went all rigid but I’m sure after the clawing and crying he actually enjoyed it! I spent the rest of Sunday sleeping and felt a cold slowly get hold of me! Monday was payday! So we got up and went. Tuesday we hit Carrefour, to buy the monthly groceries and a few things. What a pleasure to shop on a Tuesday, the aisles are yours!!!!!!! Carrefour is yours!!!!!! Stunning! We got hold of our taxi driver and dubbed him Eddie!! He was very impressed with his new name and kept pretending to talk on a cellphone saying “Eddie, Long chia tsue” meaning Eddie pick us up at Long Chia Tsue…our building’s name. Ok then!! We’ll call him again to take us to Taichung on Saturday for our party….did I mention we’re having a party on Saturday evening?? Really?? Strange……. Anyway, we’re having my birthday party on Saturday at about 7pm……can’t wait!

And then it happened! The earth shook and my ears rang! My first earthquake! This is a phenomenon we are TOTALLY not prepared for if you’re from SA. Maybe once or twice in your entire life you feel a slight shudder in Jo’burg and then you don’t really know whether you did or not!

Myself and Abby were on the 2nd floor in kindergarten marking our kid’s books on Friday, chatting away when I suddenly felt a weird sensation and it felt like somebody jumping up and down next to you at first, or when you stop on a bridge and the trucks go by, a slight up and down movement. We looked at each other and Abby said “Did you feel that?” as I agreed the shaking got slightly worse and it actually pulsed. We were sitting there bobbing up and down for over a minute. I remember looking down the hall at one of the Chinese teachers talking to someone and when she noticed it she put her arms out and told the children to stay put. I remember wondering what I would do now if the roof started flaking and things started falling on the floor all around us…like in the movies you know. The weirdest part of this is that until you feel it you never really experience the fear that goes with it when you see it on TV or in the movies…you know!!! Suddenly that realization sets in that the earth and its movements don’t have a conscious. You are the proverbial ant making your way to your destination while the earthmover/bulldozer clears a field. No ones fault or no one doing anything on purpose. You are at the total mercy of what ever happens next. Totally out of control. The shaking continued a bit and then slowly subsided between bouts of starting up again.

We then heard on the news it was a 7 on the Richter Scale, 109km of the east coast of Taiwan, next to the county of Ilan. They felt it as a 5 and we got it as a 2, Taipei experienced it as a 4. I watched the news and it looked worse there with things literally falling to the ground off the shelves in shops etc.

After that, as we saw people, we asked, where were you when the earthquake happened? Poor Melissa, my roommate, was in our flat on the 10th floor. Quite the swaying she got! But we survived and will live to tell the tale…….this time! They said we should expect another within 4 weeks…great!!! Something to look forward to! There hasn’t been one for a long time and people were expecting it. Apparently it releases the tension in the plates if it moves every few months, it hasn’t happened for over 5 months, so it was due. Stunning!!

Anyway, at least we were going to a party soon. So Saturday came and dragged by after our meeting about Halloween and Xmas activities. Halloween is big here, we will be dressing up and getting the kids to do the same, they have to chant songs and do decorations. Quite the vibe here! So the evening came and we all got dressed up! In our party gear that is….not Halloween outfits. We were all in our flat chatting with a friend of Kim’s that arrived from the Tainan province. Her name was Alicia and she has been there for 5 months now. The only foreign teacher with one other Chinese teacher in her school. Very rural!! Jane, my Chinese friend and Celine who is one of the ladies from the school were also there to drop off my birthday presents. Jane gave me a stunning Chinese material purse. Light blue and silver with dragons on and Celine got me a stunning emerald green top with, you guessed it, dragons on. Too beautiful!!!

I had my new black and white slightly glittery top on with the usual black pants and high platformish shoes. I was the party girl after all you know!!!! Anyway, we got hold of Eddie and he brought another driver and off we went. Eddie even had the party music going in the car. Myself, Melissa and Ryno were in our car and Kim, Neps and Alicia was in the other. We got to Taichung and it looked like Vegas, so many lights and flashing billboards. We passed a massive department store called SOGO, apparently, Ryno told us, it has 12 floors….so we will obviously go checking that one out for sure!!!!! So we arrived at FM bar, a quaint little hidden in a side street kinda bar with lots of foreign people at the tables.

Very nicely set out and the waiter’s English is remarkable! We had drinks and I tried their Long Island Ice Tea (as usual actually). Quite potent, they are not shy on the tot servings here! Anyway, the menu looked exceptionally good and there was even “Boerevoers” on the menu….no ways!!! We were going to suggest a spelling change but thought it added to the Taiwanese look and feel of it! Melissa and I had a lasagna to die for, we’ll have to come back to try some of the other dishes! They looked very good, nobody complained and the food was well priced. Our lasagna was NT$270 which is R54 for a good portion! So the people added to our party and we were 12 people! We called different taxis and via scooter a Taxi and someone’s car we all went to Pig Pen…the London pub club. We got there at about 11pm and started partying immediately! There were so many foreign people there compared to the previous time I was there….oh wait yes my first night in Taiwan!!! Nothings changed, except for some groups of people that were obviously there as a company or on business etc. And we spotted a group of Nigerians as well….wonder what contract they are here on……..yeaah right!!! Anyway, the one was very interested in Neps and Melissa and we had to step in a few times and rescue them from deep conversations…….shame! The night carried into the morning and we had a blast. The local stage act…same as the night I was there before…were strutting their stuff on the stage. They also have a pole on the stage and every guy in the club at one stage or another according to how many drinks they had, climbs it!!!!! Amazing! Great fun to watch!

So at about 4am we left and waited for our taxi until about 5am. We slept all the way home although Eddie prided himself in getting us there in 10min! Same price though…..hmmmmm! Got to bed at about 5:30 and slept until about 10, woke up and cleaned our flat. We phoned Jane at about 4:30 and she took us to Rose records, which is a CD shop. Had a ball in there!! New CD’s are priced at about NT$ 350 = R70. So obviously I got a few. They sound stunning on my HI FI!!! We got pizza’s at Napoli’s on the way. And all met up again in our living room and had a quieter chat this time…the girls still had babalaas from the night before and started partying again during the day…easier than to deal with the headache!! Everybody went to bed early….we are definitely getting older!!! My neck was sooooo sore from the head banging!!!! This time I only did it for a few seconds…..!!! I’m getting old!!! Stiff neck for about two days already.

Kim is a dancer and said she’ll start a Salsa class next week. Obviously I agreed to join so Wednesday at 11am in the Kindergarten exercise room we gathered. Myself, Stacy, Monica and Winnie were here first students. Great to do something different and I’ve always wanted to take dancing classes. Going to get bored in the mornings I don’t have Kindergarten. Monday’s and Thursday’s I’m going to start swimming at the splash pool place. They have calmed down on the hours a bit. But the problem with that is that my money goes with it!!! So I need a happy medium where I can, do my own thing but also have enough money to make it worth my while here. We’ll see what happens.

Lukang is next on our list for this weekend. It is an ancient city and has over 150 temples. And then we were off. We phoned Eddie and got transported to Lukang. NT$300 later we decided to go back by bus…besides we haven’t done that before.

We were dropped off at the cultural art museum and found we didn’t want to go in, you had to pay anyway…….So we started walking around and exploring Lukang. I was a tad disappointed. I was expecting the open rice paddies and a few houses and shops and lots of temples, instead we got another suburb of Taichung with normal buildings and shops and in between hidden beneath the usual scurry of a town lay the hidden world of Lukang. We discovered tourist friendly signs all over the city, directing us to temples and walkways.

An interesting looking plaque said Nine Turns alley and we went down that road…..suddenly it was like being in an ancient little village, you are not aware of the noise of the cars down the road or the shining glass window shops down the main street. A small winding cobble stone road took us through a section that used to be a residential area, with a “wall of jars”. The wall was literally put together out of old, seems to be wine jars, made out of a terracotta. Only the top of the wall was left in tact as the rest was probably pillaged a bit by tourists or passing traffic those days.

The walkway was cool and peaceful with high walls keeping you on the path. The width was about that of a small car. Every say about 10 paces you had a small doorway indenting the wall. The doors were either made of old wood, painted a pale flaking blue or a bleached green. Here and there modern art made its presence felt in a metal door with the usual decorations etched on it but mostly it was wooden and small and hidden.

We came across a small temple in a dead end and explored it.

We made our way through the maze of turns and alleys and came upon an old original hand water pump, and it was in working order! Stunning. We explored, got lost and eventually ended back on the main road. Our search was actually to find the Holy Grail ….it seemed, we were looking for the Arts and Craft market and ended up coming full circle to the place we were dropped off. We asked the guard at the gate to the museum where the arts and crafts centre was and he quite casually informed us that it no longer exists. This is about 4 hours after we started on our quest! Anyway, all worth it in the exploring sense for sure! We also came across a lantern maker’s shop where they paint the lanterns to your request and the famous shoe shop. I obviously had to visit that as they made the shoes while you wait. Really?? You might ask flabbergasted, yes. They have the base of the shoes in sizes and you just add the material you want to. So here goes, all the shoes are solid wood of different wood colours and styles. So you pick the sole, then you pick the materials they keep in drawers, all stunning Chinese designs and colours. You then take these two pieces of shoe and give them to the man at the table where he then subsequently puts the two together. You try one on for size and then he adjusts it accordingly or then carries on with the next shoe. They are only slip-ons so it works well for them and the tourist, just waiting patiently for your own design shoe. I got a dark wood with a silver and dark blue dragon design material together…beautiful! And they had my size…kinda!

On our exploration we stepped into a small painting shop. I wanted to get some things for my mother, to get her doing some Chinese painting…..have you tried that yet????? We walked around and they had brushes everywhere and stunning Chinese writing hangings. The two gentlemen came over and introduced themselves as the owner and a 2nd gentlemen who looked older. He could speak English and it turned into a photo session within minutes. I looked around for some gift sets, although it wasn’t the kind of shop that would keep gift sets etc. More of an artists shop, with canvas and paper and ink and brushes. I saw a small brush box and asked him how much, and he wiped it off carefully and smiled at me and said it’s a gift! I was dumbfounded! I couldn’t believe people were still like this in the world. We thanked them profusely and left the store with me grinning from ear to ear!!!

We entered a huge red and gold coloured store and it turned out to be a famous shop in Taiwan that serves traditional pastries. Called “Nayoshupie”. A circular flat bread looking pastry, but made out of flaky pastry. The size of a saucer. The centre section of it was a sweet taste while the rest of the bread falls apart as you eat it….my favourite pastry here. The most amazing sweet taste. Difficult to explain, not quite a jam taste, but just slightly sweetened dough for 90% of the circle. This is a very traditional pastry and Lukang is famous for getting it at this shop! People come from all over the world, when traveling Taiwan, to buy this at that shop. We finally entered a walkway, with a huge Lukang sign arch across it.

This was like a flea market with many food stalls on both sides of the cobble road. Jade, stone, paintings, food smells, cheap gadgets, expensive red gargoyle looking tigers laughing at you as you pass an ancient antique shop. This is like in the movies. We walked into an antique looking shop, the musty smell and old paintings confirmed that, stunning boxes, with woodcarvings and inlaid mother of pearl designs, adorned the small crevices. Black jet figurines of ancient god and deities peered at you from between other small boxes and trinkets. Silver chalices and weird designs complemented the dark wood of the walls. Scrolls lay loosely in a large terracotta jar tied with a velvet ribbon. We opened them reverently and saw the old paintings of country sides and peacocks in green fields. Mountains with a temple nestled in it. How much? Only about NT$15 000 / R3 000 and those were the cheaper ones. We left quietly!

What a town! The festive feeling and the streets lined with shops of all sizes and crafts and things! We entered into a small square with vendors on either side surrounding the entrance to a huge temple. By this time it was getting dark and the half moon glowed above the dark ornate temple roof. People were buying fake Chinese money to burn in the temple as an offering and incense to pray with. Exciting and beautiful!

We made our way to the bus station and figured out how the system works. We could either go to an electronic board and guess the symbol for Changhua press the button and get a ticket or ask the bus conductor behind the bars at the station and be sure we’re going home! So we did the later and got our tickets waited 5 minutes and got on our first bus ride in Taiwan. We waved goodbye to Lukang with a promise to return soon. Cool!! Their buses are definitely not our low budget set ups, even for local transport between towns or suburbs. With soft leather seats and even a TV in the bus, although it wasn’t on. The bus ride was only about 20min back to Changhua. The bus stopped a few meters away and we walked wearily home. What a day!

The following week went passed so quickly and the weekend dawned on us again. This time with a bit of a twist, it’s Halloween!! The school has been gearing up for Halloween for about two weeks before. We got the kids in our different classes to memorise a song for a competition and they had to make decorations, like either cats, witches, pumpkins or spiders. The kids love it! So the school slowly changed into a ghoulish environment and we got into the Halloween mood. We as South Africans are not used to Halloween and all the things and excitement that goes with it. The costumes, the candy, the trick or treating, the Halloween songs….cool!!!! The kindergarten kids dressed up on the Friday evening…what a sight…what money the parents spent to make their kid look the best!!!

We had a hoard of Spidermen…definitely the thing these days, we had fairies, dracula’s, spiderwebbed people, scary movie masked people, traditional wear etc. etc. Then we were bundled into the kombi’s and went trick or treating with the kindergarten at about 7:30 with designated restaurants and places. The list included three stores, King Stone restaurant, Mac Donalds and Le’ Enfants (baby clothing). The kids arrived and the managers dished out candies into their little handbags and pumpkin bags…too cute!!

The teachers were dressed as well in our full witches regalia and Abby went as a pig!! The restaurant clients were offering the teachers, wine instead of candy!!!! We finished off at about 9pm, the kids were tired and half asleep in the back seat of the kombi. As I turned around to check on them from the front seat, I had the most Anne Geddes Halloween picture presented to me. A small pumpkin lying on Spiderman’s shoulder with a lion holding on to his candy! Too cute for words!!! Well, Halloween was definitely a highlight for me this year.

On the Saturday we were to go to Taichung for training again and supper on the school at the Taichung Steak House! That should be a good experience! We were all craving steak! The training went by and I bought a book at there bookstore, the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. We got discount ok! And we arrived at the steak house…..or rather it didn’t look like a steak house, it looked more like a fast food outlet all though it was huge with different counters in the centre for the different foods you wanted. All the South Africans and Canadians went straight to the steak/meat counter. You had to take a wooden tray, the type they put under your iron steak plate at the Spur, and place it in front of the grill. You could then leave and go get other food if you wanted to. I immediately felt some apprehension as to the quality of the steak, when do they ask me how would you like it????? What steak do you want? Sirloin, fillet or even beef or lamb??? Then we got the steak…….anyway, next on the food list was stir fry, good selection and they had two chef’s doing your bowl of stir fry you accumulated from the rows of metal dishes. Very effective and efficient. There was Sushi, seafood etc etc etc. Eat as much as you want for about R70. Then we found the oysters, and we ate our R70 worth!! They were huge! Probably double the size of the larges at home or in Cape Western Fisheries!!!! The evening was good and we went home, watched movies and went to bed. The following week we managed to book a massage….finally!!!! So Sunday 11/7 is our day for being pampered! The dates are all being written the American way, you get used to it, eventually!!!! 7 Nov. for the people back home! Will tell you all about that!!

So , miss you all!

Taiwan Times vol 3 Volume Three – October 2004 The 1st of October, no ways!!!! It’s nearly my birthday!!! All gifts can be sent to Sesame Street School, No 2-1 Chung Yang Rd, Changhua.

[topfygad]

11 Tips for backpacking in Oman on a budget

Oman, a country with absolutely great outdoors and fascinating people, should be a real paradise for adventurous, budget backpackers but, unfortunately, it is a surprisingly expensive destination. 

Like all Gulf Monarchies, the Government has primarily focused on promoting luxury tourism, which means that budget hotels are practically non-existent and you won’t find any backpacker hostels, not even in Muscat. 

On top of this, the public transportation system in Oman sucks, plus the cities are not walking friendly at all, so, during your journey, you will have to rely on either renting a car or taking a lot of cabs. 

However, spending little money in Oman is very possible.

I actually backpacked in Oman for over a month, traveling from north to south and visiting everything in between, and I swear that I spent less money than in other backpacking destinations, such as Kyrgyzstan or Georgia. 

In this post, I will tell you several tips for backpacking in Oman on a super low budget.

    Index:

11 Tips for successful budget backpacking in Oman How much does it cost backpacking in Oman on a budget? More useful tips

Remember to have proper travel insurance for both Israel and Jordan. For this, I recommend you read: How to find the best travel insurance

  11 Tips for successful budget backpacking in Oman

My 11 best tips:

Public transportation sucks but hitchhiking is very doable

In one entire month, I only took two taxis within Muscat (2.50OR-6.50USD each) and the 12-hour bus from Muscat to Salalah (7OR – 18USD). 

Then, I hitchhiked back to Muscat through the coastal road and visited pretty much any spot in between. 

I calculated it and, in total, I hitchhiked over 1,400km.

Seriously, hitchhiking in Oman is super easy and, during all that time, I think the maximum I waited for a lift was 20-25 minutes, and that was because I was standing on a road with very little traffic on a Friday, so most of the few cars that passed by were families and, if there are women inside and you are a man, they are unlikely to pick you up. 

From trucks driven by Indians to wealthy Omanis driving extravagant 4×4, Western tourists and even Bedouins with their pickups, except for families, everybody in Oman is willing, and happy, to pick up a random foreigner. 

Sometimes you have to hitchhike in roads like this one but trust me, someone will eventually pass by

  And pretty often, Omanis are willing to make big detours, so they can drop you as close as possible

Something you need to know about Omani people is that, on the one hand, they are really nice, kind and hospitable to foreigners and, on the other, many of them don’t work, or just work a few hours a day, so they have a lot of free time.

It happened to me several times – really, several times – that I was going in a completely different direction, yet, the Omani insisted in taking me to my actual destination, even if that involved him driving 60-80 additional kilometers, no kidding. Omanis are awesome. 

I had similar experiences when I was backpacking in Pakistan. 

Read: How to visit Saudi Arabia – Tips & tricks

  If you are hitchhiking, don’t rush and don’t plan much

Omanis are extremely hospitable so, when hitchhiking, expect Omanis to invite you to their house before you continue with your journey. 

Telling them ”no” would not be polite, so always say ”yes”, but this also means that when backpacking in Oman, your plans will be constantly changed, thanks to the Omani hospitality. 

You may experience this all around the country but it particularly happened to me when I was hitchhiking in Central Oman, the least visited part of the country and a land of Bedouins. That inhospitable part of Oman is composed of a road several hundred kilometers long with absolutely nothing but desert and occasional tiny villages inhabited by Bedouins. 

Well, there wasn’t almost a single Bedouin who didn’t want me to hang out at his place after dropping me off, which led to me having a very high heart-rate due to the 20 cups of qahwa (local cardamom coffee) I had to swallow in one single day. 

That delayed my trip significantly but, if you want to enjoy the country to the fullest, go with the flow and don’t rush.

Read: A guide to visit Musandam in Oman

With a family of Bedouins, somewhere in Central Oman

  You will also need to hitchhike within cities, even in villages

From Muscat to Salalah, the different towns and villages in Oman are some of the least-pedestrian-friendly places you may ever encounter. 

They are always so spread out that you will regret not having a car, even in the smallest village. 

Fortunately, Omanis are aware of that, so hitching a ride in a city is as easy as when you are standing on a highway. I hitchhiked in Muscat, Salalah, Sur and all villages in between without any problem, always. 

Looking for a ride in Muscat

  If you are 2 or more people, look for apartment hotels. Otherwise, check Airbnb

As I said before, in Oman there are no hostels and, for a hotel, you will pay a minimum of 25€ for a private room, usually a single one. 

You may find some cheaper deals on Airbnb but it won’t be much cheaper. By the way, if you create an Airbnb account through my link, you will get 35€ of FREE credit on your next booking. 

Otherwise, apartment hotels are a very big deal in Oman and, if you are 2 or more people, they are great value-for-money. 

During my 30-day journey, I did a few Airbnb and stayed in a few random hotels and always paid around 20-25€. However, I have to admit that all the places I stayed in were excellent. 

Read: What to do in Saudi Arabia in 2 weeks

This Bengali man was extremely amazed by me traveling with such a big backpack and didn’t believe it had a tripod, a sleeping bag, a tent, a mattress, besides all my clothes

  Alternatively, Couchsurfing is great

Some of my greatest Couchsurfing experiences ever have been Oman. 

In Oman, Couchsurfing is a big deal and you can find active profiles in pretty much any city and, if you send requests well in advance, you may also find couches in smaller towns and villages. 

I did Couchsurfing in Muscat, Salalah, Sadeh, Sur, Bidiyah and Nizwa.

Moreover, since Omanis are really hospitable and treat all guests as honorable guests, if they accept you, most of the time they will be completely free, as they really want you to have the best experience, so they will show you around and, if you are staying with a family, the mother will cook some delicious local food. 

My best experience was with Musab, a kind-hearted Omani from Sadeh. I visited him during a national holiday, so we spent 4 days together with his friends visiting all around Dhofar province. From driving to the Yemeni border to visit his friend’s camel farm and loads of traditional food, every day, we had so much fun and today, I am glad to say that I have a brother in Sadeh. 

Thank you, Musab!

Read: How to visit Dubai on a backpacking budget

Somewhere in Dhofar province, with Musab and his friends

  Sign up for Couchsurfing events and join their weekend escapes

Muscat is where the big Couchsurfing community is and, every weekend, they organize different outdoor activities, which usually involve going to the desert or camping at the many wadis (valleys). 

Those events are a great way to meet open-minded Omanis and explore Oman on a budget. 

  Bring a tent and take advantage of the outdoors

Oman is a huge country only inhabited by 4.6 million people, which means that most of the country remains pretty wild. 

From great wadis to loads of natural pools, outstanding mountains and 1,700km of coastline, Oman is known for its great outdoors activities and, since the country doesn’t really have a proper, nice nightlife, plus Omanis aren’t party people either, going camping on the weekend is a big thing here, and a great way to cut costs when backpacking around Oman. 

Places like Jabel Akhdar, Jebel Shams and most wadis are easily reached by hitchhiking, no problem. 

So yeah, do bring a tent. 

Read: How to visit Dubai in 1 week

Somewhere in Jebel Shams

  Camping in the middle of a city is also good

I have to admit that I was not always able to find a Couchsurfing host, so when I didn’t feel like paying for an expensive hotel, I didn’t mind pitching my tent in one of the comfy palm gardens that abound in most cities. 

Technically, I heard that camping in Omani cities is not allowed but nobody ever cared about my tent and trust me that I camped in quite a few places, including in the palm garden next to Nizwa Fort. 

Read: Everything you need to know to visit Iran

The palm plantation next to Nizwa Fort

  Always eat in Indian or Bengali-run restaurants

Controversially, in Oman, you can eat for cheaply, like very cheaply actually.

Nearly two-thirds of the population in Oman are from the Indian Sub-Continent (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), so restaurants serving food from their respective countries are plentiful and, actually, in villages they tend to be the only option. 

From daal to chicken curries, for just a few dollars, you can easily fill your belly with Indian food. 

Moreover, restaurants serving purely Omani food, which usually consists of rice with chicken, meat or fish, are also inexpensive, usually 1-3USD more expensive than Indian food. 

On the other hand, in Muscat and other big cities, the restaurants serving international food will charge you like a restaurant in Dubai or Western Europe. 

Grilled meat plus a huge amount of rice. This massive Omani meal cost around 7-8USD and it could feed 3 people

  If you are planning to backpack in Oman on a budget, don’t come in summer unless you want to die

Oman is one of the hottest countries on Earth, with summer temperatures averaging 45ºC , and the bad news is that summers last forever. 

From May to October, day temperatures are nearly unbearable, so if you are planning to hitchhike, camping in cities and stuff like that, you should avoid backpacking around Oman during these dates. 

Even when I came in mid-November, some days were disgustingly hot, especially in Salalah and Central Oman. 

Read: What to do in Iran in 1 month

  Conclusion – How much does it cost backpacking around Oman on a budget?

Like I said in the introduction, in Oman I spent less money than backpacking in Kyrgyzstan for example. How can that be?

Well, in Kyrgyzstan, accommodation is cheap, like 10USD per night, and you can go by public transportation everywhere. However, despite being cheap, I still had to pay for it and, in Oman, since I was always hitchhiking and mostly camping or Couchsurfing, I didn’t have to pay for any of those things. 

Oman budget travel – Typical costs

One-month visa – 20OR (52USD)

Welcome package SIM + Data – 3OR (7.80USD) but then you pay 3OR for 1GB

Budget Hotel – 10-12OR (26-31USD)

A plate of daal – 500bias (1.30USD)

A biryani – 1.5OR (3.90USD)

A big bottle of water – 200 bias (50¢)

A beer – 4OR (10USD) – Only available in hotels, avoid it

Short taxi rides within Muscat – 2.50OR (6.50USD)

Bus from Muscat to Salalah – 7OR (18USD)

If you are a serious budget backpacker, so you will basically Couchsurf and hitchhike, besides the cost of the visa and the SIM Card, you will only have to pay for food and, for that, you can easily survive on 15USD a day

Half Omani Rial, the most curious note

  More useful tips for backpacking in Oman and around the region

Here you can find all my articles and guides to Oman

Traveling to Saudi Arabia? Here you can find all my articles and guides to Saudi Arabia

Are you traveling to Dubai and have little money? Read how to travel in Dubai on a budget

Iran is so close to Oman, are you going there? Remember to check then my tips for visiting Iran

And here all my content to the Middle East

    source http://cheaprtravels.com/11-tips-for-backpacking-in-oman-on-a-budget/

[docayin-blog]

9 Affordable Waterfowl Hunts

There is nothing better than a good guided hunting trip and few things more frustrating than a bad one. Do some research prior to handing money over to an outfitter by speaking to individuals who have hunted with them about their experiences.

You will know if something sounds fishy, and it's a red flag if an outfitter won't produce contacts. For these trips, check out Getducks.com and Ramsey Russell.

Manitoba Sandhill Cranes

Manitoba is a waterfowler's dream. Everybody knows about the great duck and goose hunting this province offers, but what many hunters from the States don't know is how great the hunting for Sandhill cranes is here. The province offers some amazing opportunities to hunt what is arguably, one of the tastiest birds out there so good, in fact, that many have nicknamed these birds the "ribeye in the sky."

Sandhills decoy well and there are a number of outfitters in the province offering hunts. So, whether you want to extend your duck- or goose-hunting adventure to Manitoba or want to go there just try your hand at these birds alone, check out the amazing opportunities for Sandhills just over the border in Canada.

North Carolina: Swans & Ducks

You may not feel like a complete waterfowler if you haven't at least dreamed of going after a tundra swan, and the go-to place to do it is North Carolina, where some outfits run success rates close to 100 percent. The Mattamuskeet Refuge area is the hub of hunting North America's largest legal waterfowl.

It's a simple outing and affordable for this ultimate trophy. An average duck hunt run's $550 to $600 with lodging per day for up to three guys, so you and a few buddies can have a three-day package and that's about all each of you will pay in the end.

"My kid out there mowing grass this summer could afford this hunt. Go for two or three days, so you can pick a nice mature bird and enjoy it," Ramsey Russell of Getducks.com says.

"Instead of seeing a few you will see hundreds if not thousands, and when you get your swans you can chase pintails, scooters, long-tails and all kinds of fun stuff." Experience boat blinds for decoying ducks in the shallow flats, true traditional East Coast tidal hunting.

It's the place to go to get your hand on a beautiful plumed out swan for taxidermy in January.

Delaware Sea Duck Combo

Historic Chesapeake gets all the hype, and Delaware Bay is not on the radar of many waterfowl hunts, but it should be. One of the biggest bodies of water on the East Coast is home to massive ledges where deeper waters come right up to oyster shoals and the hunting is terrific for white-winged, surf and common scoters.

Experience classic layout boat hunts, with plenty of cool options if the weather gets too rough for sea ducks. Chase mallards, geese, black ducks or brant, or score that trophy long-tail in a place that also has plenty of Eastern Shore-style Canada goose hunting.

"We quit booking Maine because weather can screw you up so quick and there's not much you can do when you can't chase sea ducks," says Russell.

It's a good trip to bring spouses along, because it is surrounded by civilization, yet it has fantastic hunting and is off the beaten path, without the pressure of the famed bay to the south. An affordable hunt at $250 to $300 per day, and it's not too expensive to get to, because any major airline flies to Baltimore or Washington D.C.

Pacific Northwest Greenheads

When guys say "greenheads" the Northwest is not the first place that comes to mind yet. Editor Skip Knowles cut his teeth on mallards in the Columbia Basin, with absolutely no idea how good he had it. With a seven greenhead limit and tornadoes of pintail, wigeon and Canada geese flocking through eastern Washington, this is one of the most consistent bets in the country.

Russell's waterfowl hunts run $350 a day and for $1,500 you can get lodging meals and everything for a three-day duck hunt. There are many reputable outfitters at all levels hunting Washington on both public and private lands.

Thousands of acres of impoundments and standing flooded corn are routine on private lands, and you can bring your boat and hit the Columbia, McNary and other spots scattered around the big river's many refuges. Southern Idaho is often a short stopper of greenhead flocks and can be excellent, too.

Mississippi Dela Ducks

Public opportunities in the Deep South are getting tougher, but private land waterfowl hunts with outfitters are becoming more affordable, and this is a place you just have to experience.

Duck country down here is so different from the rest of the U.S., with some of the best dirt in the nation in regions with the lowest, wettest spots imaginable, places where rivers come together and the flooding creates some of the best habitat in the world. Cypress breaks, ag fields and flooded impoundments host mallards, gaddies, teal, wigeon and just about everything else.

For $350 a day in Tallahatchie County you can stay in an antebellum plantation home and enjoy top-notch meals and drinks on the delta, where in spots so many mallards trade back-and-forth at eyeball level around the refuge you won't believe it. Mississippi is simply full of great guided duck hunts at all levels.

North Dakota Ducks & Geese

Come pay homage to the duck motherland, a place that produces birds, stages birds, and funnels millions of spring snows when they come back through. If the snows get stalled due to weather, you're in for the waterfowl hunt of a lifetime.

Russell doesn't book North Dakota trips but does make referrals and that Devil's Lake region is something special, he says. Where else but NoDak can you legally hammer 15 Canada geese in the month of August?  For $350 a day, you can have British Columbia-style bag limits.

Nobody is shooting 15 Canadas per man per day (the birds are just too tough to dial that efficiently) but some of the guys have killed 10 or so apiece.

"Six of us shot 65 big resident birds one day, so it happens," Russell says. Great mallard hunting is a given in central ND, and the state's laws are set up so outfitters have to play by many of the same rules as regular hunters.

"It's a mighty damned big state," Russell says. "I know guys going out there for 15 years who still get off the beaten path far enough to avoid competition."

Texas Panhandle Cranes

One of the best kept secrets for years, a sandhill crane hunt on the Texas Panhandle is at the top of our list. Thousands of tiny glacial lakes left after the Ice Age are scattered across terrain now surrounded by countless acres of beef country full of wheat corn, milo and soybeans.

The result: a vast and beautiful habitat. Some lakes have ducks, others geese, still others cranes. Most lakes offer a mixed bag of teal, wigeon and mallards right at daybreak and then geese are the late arrivals doing their thing along with the cranes.

"A guy can go out and shoot ducks, geese and score a bonus crane on any day," Russell says.  "Texas has always been the place to go to shoot cranes and it hasn't slowed a bit." Affordable, from $250 a day and up.

Kansas Ducks & Geese

For duck and goose hunters, this is a paradise, and it's no longer a secret. Kansas duck hunts have been getting lots of attention because the central area is simply unbelievable, and guided hunts are reasonable at $300 to $350 a day with lodging for skies with mallards, teal and wigeon.

Goose hunts can get legendary in a hurry when flocks group up en masse, and the limits are relaxed by U.S. standards. There is good public hunting at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira (among others) for those willing to do their homework, and some of the country's best gunning for wild upland birds if you like to chase prairie chickens, pheasants and quail for afternoon fun.

The state has a wonderful cooperative private land farming (WIHA is a program fro public-private hunting) that can turn up some gems, too. Kansas is now definitely on the list of places you need to visit for your next duck hunt.

Arkansas Mallard Mecca

Stuttgart? Sure, you gotta do it. But there is so much more to Arkansas. Example: One of Russell's favorite duck hunts is just over the border heading north out of Monroe, Louisiana, where a wide spot in the road called Wilmont, Arkansas, just may be near heaven for the duck man.

It hardly has a place to eat, but one of his outfitters has 300 acres located in the middle of a 6,000-acre federal sanctuary, a few hundred yards from where 100,000 mallards sit all day long. With a 10-man blind, they limit nearly every day.

"I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to waterfowl hunt with nine other guys, but I looked out and my whole peripheral vision was full of moving flocks of mallards," Russell said.

"There are little X's in this world and this boy has it. Ten people with limits by 10 a.m.," he says, "and they did that all but one day of the entire season." Pony up $600 for this dream hunt, with lodging and meals.

[its-a-wongderfullife]

Urbana, day 2

The second day felt like a continuation of the first night -- following a feeling of the crumbling of all my preconceived notions of Jesus & Revelation & my purpose at Urbana, God began weaving together His plan & image for what Urbana would speak into me. 

BIBLE STUDY

That morning at Bible study was arguably the most interactive I’ve felt with a manuscript study, possibly ever. It’s odd because I’ve been on both sides of one, in leading and in participating. But something felt different, I felt overly engaged with the passage (Revelation 2:8-17), and *everything* was popping out at me. The differences in God’s approach & introductions for Smyrna and Pergamum, what hidden manna was, the concept of one who is victorious.. all of it! 

MORNING SESSION

The morning session was amazing. It was René as the exhibitor, again. This time, though, he’s already set the stage for the book of Revelation & God’s scrolls to the seven churches in the province of Asia. In the morning, we covered Smyrna and Pergamum. Now, we were approaching the church of Laodicea. It’s interesting because it’s not a letter that I’m wholly unfamiliar with. I’d even go so far as to say that among the seven scrolls, it’d be on the I was the *most* familiar with. There’s a very popular chunk of this letter in particular that speaks into the sin of being lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold with Jesus, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16) God’s letter to Laodicea was one that spoke of their sin of being self-sufficient. They were a rich city, abundant in natural resources, a trading post for many other cities of the region, and a mass producer of goods. Because of that, they found themselves becoming entirely self-reliant and thereby straying away from any need of God’s provision. They were also a city that was planted far from two sources of water, one being a hot spring that provided warming, rejuvenating water and the other being a cold spring that allowed for crisp, refreshing water. Both served a purpose. However, by the time the water was brought to the city, it was merely.. lukewarm.. almost disgusting to the mouth & often resulted in vomiting & nausea. René spoke into the parallel of our lives, especially to the audience, the majority of which were well-off students and young adults who could afford to come all the way out to this conference. We’ve migrated into a state of our lives in which Jesus is no longer our cornerstone, our foundation, our rock. But rather, He is an add-on to our lives, a God that we come to for *wanting* more, rather than *wanting* Him. This hit home for me.

SEMINAR & FREE TIME

Phil talked about this particular seminar, “Designing Your Life: Following the Spirit’s Lead”, lead by Dave Evans, a prominent speaker & previous high-level employee at big-brand tech companies in the Silicon Valley. He spoke on what design thinking would look like in the perspective of future thinking, in looking forward & openly at what Jesus’ plan for our futures. We were each given a worksheet, with three swimlanes, each referencing a different 5-year life plan. The idea of the activity was that we often idealize and focus on a particular life plan, without really putting much thought into other possibilities, which inadvertently gives our own plans precedence over Jesus’. For the first two swimlanes, Dave had us jot down generic plans / possible futures, branching out slightly for the second. The third was where it got a little crazier, he had us consider what a future would look like in a “wild card” situation -- in which finances, social outlook, and time were not of the essence. In that scenario, what we want to pursue? What would bring us joy? I played with the idea of full-time ministry, in the context of staffing for InterVarsity or living abroad missionally or starting a tech startup devoted to spreading the gospel. He then had us look down and identify what we felt the most drawn to: I looked at full-time staffing with InterVarsity and working in the tech setting (my current, world-centric plan). It felt like I was at a crossroads.

I came out of that seminar with no concrete plans for what to see next, it felt as though there was way too much to do, and way too little time to do it all (see: Supermarket Effect). I opted to visit the Asian American / Canadian Lounge, recognizing that in Urbana ‘15, I had placed a huge priority on ingesting all of the information that I could, with little focus on actually socializing and meeting others. It wasn’t too long of sitting around until one of the staff working the lounge, Tami, came up and started making conversation as I sat there. We exchanged brief introductions & I got to hear a little bit about her experiences in staffing. It was really eye-opening to learn that she and I were the same year and that she was finding great joy in responding to God’s calling in her life towards ministry & planting a chapter at Santa Ana College. It was incredible, I couldn’t help by feel as though God was speaking truth into my life, that my fears of uncertainty and discomfort were minimal relative to the joy that His calling brings. 

EVENING SESSION

This session was jam-packed. The worship was good - as per Urbana standards - but there was a song in particular that pulled on all of my heart strings. It was “Lead Us Back” by Sojourn, lead by a man in a red & black plaid shirt, who absolutely worked the song to its full potential. There was one part that resounded strongly with me, 

“Lord we fall upon our knees

We have shunned the weak and poor Worshipped beauty, courted kings And the things their gold affords”. 

These particular lines sat with me because just a couple of weeks before Urbana, I found out that I was delegated to lead the passages of Daniel 1-2, which wrote of King Nebuchadnezzar and his encounter with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah - God-fearing Israelites of Jerusalem who were brought before the Babylonian king to be trained and brought into his service. The four men were commanded to eat of the king’s food, that they would be fattened & trained. However, they refused to court the king and instead fasted with just vegetables and water. By the end of the bout, they were the healthiest and smartest of all the other men brought before the king. They showed great faith in not allowing the world to consume them but instead, relying on Jesus’ provision - an act of faith that I failed to recognize in myself.

The entire day leading up to this point was filled with crippling realizations that whatever assumption I had made about my good standing with God, was all wrong. I felt lost. 

Danielle Strickland came up to speak rather than René, whom I was growing fond of. Her demeanor & approach towards exhibiting was polarizingly different. Rather than breaking down the passage line by line, verse by verse in illustrating a picture of Jesus, she opted to focus on a small section of the passage (Revelation 4:1-11), in which the living creatures and elders of heaven bow before God, praising Him and saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). She gave three anecdotes that stood out to me and stuck with me:

The first of her experience in skiing with her friend. She had gone to the mountain and saw a moon that looked *absolutely* spectacular, unlike any moon she’d ever seen before. When mentioning this to her friend, her friend would simply respond with confusion and shrug it off. This interaction happened three times when going up the ski lift in the direction towards the moon, until the last occurrence, when her friend did a triple take to realize that Danielle was viewing the moon with rose-tinted goggles, letting her see the moon as more glorious than regular perception.

The second of her friend, an ex-criminal who had found Jesus in prison, and was actively pursuing and looking into scripture. He came to her with an eye-opening realization that he understood the passage of Revelation clearly. The beings of heaven weren’t saying “holy” as mere praise, but as an innate reaction towards the glory of God, similarly to how her experience with the moon.

The third, and final of her holding a wedding for two missionaries in the same place where they had met, an area of town that could only be recognized as the “slums”. The ceremony consisted of a flower girl walking down needle and garbage ridden streets, with random locals being openly invited to the ceremony and reception afterward. The ceremony was held in an alley, with a large dumpster behind Danielle as she officiated the wedding. She illustrated a scene in which a homeless man had peeked his head out of the dumpster to see a mass of people attending the ceremony, only to apologize and retreat back inside. As the ceremony ended and everyone began heading to the reception, she came back for the man in the dumpster and openly invited him as well to the reception, saying “it wouldn’t be complete without you”. 

Danielle painted a beautiful picture of Jesus, His glory, and His love for us. He is a God who even heavenly beings can only natural respond to with “HOLY” (see: “holy smokes”), yet is still a God who invites all of us, the most broken, barren, and unworthy, to His divine wedding & grace. I felt redeemed.

[unesortiearaincouver-blog]

Day 3

Tuesday, March 13th, 2018.

In Hispanic and Greek culture, a Tuesday the 13th is considered a day of bad luck just like Friday the 13th is for many, many others. If you like to randomly Google search things like I do, I suggest that on your next one, you just simply type “Tuesday the 13th”.  The results will show how, too, in other countries like Spain and Argentina, this date is also considered a misfortunate one.

I am not really a superstitious person so when I saw the date right before hitting the alarm’s snooze option once again, I really did not even make the connection that the day’s date meant bad luck.

I continued to sleep until Joha came out of the bathroom and I realized I had practically no time to get ready in a peaceful manner, like every woman likes to (or so I want to believe). For a moment, I finally made the connection of why the date seemed so oddly controversial and I just hoped it was far from being true. With my heart skipping a beat every now and then, I managed to shower and get ready, breaking a new personal timing record.

My amazing roommate had left already to get us breakfast and the group was already on its way to our first appointment of the day, the offices of Tourism Vancouver. I quickly pulled a power walk to catch up with everyone, as I visualized the streets of Vancouver in my head trying to figure out the best shortcut, and always keeping an eye on the extensive group of people dressed in a business attire making their way downtown. I kept hoping that all the pedestrian lights would turn green every time I reached a corner, and every time they would.  

After walking faster enough to make my legs sore already, I caught up with the group on West Cordova St., right on time. After all, it seemed that luck was on my side and it just had been a rough wakening. Got to blame it on the Four Seasons bed, am I right?

Tourism Vancouver

9:00 a.m.

Suite 210 – 200 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC

The Tourism Vancouver presentation, mainly in charge of the Client Manager, Susan Graham, gave us an insight and a better understanding of how unionizing sales efforts and marketing strategies, assuage both Tourism Vancouver and the hospitality industry of the city to help each other to attract hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue when they get all types of markets to visit Vancouver. It was interesting to listen at how Tourism Vancouver also serves as an intermediator that canalizes and sends information where needed to create the perfect business relationship: match the right customer with the right provider at the right time.

While on the meeting, I had accidentally dropped my sugar package on the latte that Joha had kindly gotten me but I did not consider that to be bad luck as it had been pure clumsiness from my end. It actually felt as if I had luck on my side as I had managed to make it on time after a crazy, hectic morning. That being said, I wanted to be able to confirm or not whether the so-infamous reputation of the day was true, so I initiated a little game to test it out. So far, the initial scoreboard’s points looked like this:

Erika 1 – 0 Bad Luck

Vancouver Convention Center

10:00 a.m.

1055 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

The Vancouver Convention Center is an award-winning facility known as one of the leading convention centers worldwide. The facility has two main buildings, the East Building and the West Building, and combined, it creates 466,500 square feet of meeting, exhibition, function, ballroom, and theatre space. It was designed to simultaneously cater many events, which makes it a venue with the facility of attracting over 500 events and hosts hundreds of thousands of attendees a year.

It was inaugurated in 1987 and it has been generating huge amounts of economic profits for the Province ever since, by promoting Vancouver as a hot destination for memorable and sustainable experiences.

The venue was awarded the world’s first double LEED Platinum Certified Convention Centre. Many of their constant efforts to be sustainable include:

- The roof is actually a living one that is home to beehives that help pollinate the plants on it

- A black water treatment plant recycles grey and black water from washrooms that is used for rooftop irrigation

- Natural light and ventilation are top priorities that are maximized throughout the entire venue

- They take advantage of the seawater for the cooling and heating of the facility

I probably could not give Rod MacLean, our site tour host, enough credit for the amazing job he did at explaining all about this place.

Fly over Canada

11:15 a.m.

201 – 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

A fun ride. Short, but fun.

With the use of state-of-the-art technology, the ride features 8 minutes of a journey across Canada. The flying experience included wind, mist, and different smells that added to the natural and urban landscapes of this great country.

Tip: always look to the front. You do not want to spoil this flying experience by looking to the side and realizing you can watch your dangling feet’s reflection through the projectors’ screens. Whoops, I guess I just spoiled it for you.

After a safe landing, we had time to go grab lunch on our own. And as we were off schedule once again, Joha and I decided to grab pizza by the slice nearby. We made a quick stop at a Starbucks to use the bathroom – and get some iced chai tea latte, and then we carried on with our quest of feeding ourselves and not having to suffer from hunger like the previous day.

But maybe the 13ths that happen to land on a Tuesday actually do mean bad news. As we were coming back from the pizza place to attend the next appointment on schedule, we felt pretty confident on our knowledge of the city and decided to proceed without the use of any GPS. Very similar to “Marshall vs. the Machines”, if you are familiar to the show How I Met Your Mother. To our surprise, we discover that in our specific case, the machines were much more powerful than our own human knowledge. We got lost. And by the time we figured out where the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel was, we were about 30 minutes late already.

Tip No. 2: always rely on Google Maps, the human mind is treacherous.

Oh, and the scoreboard?

Erika & Joha 1 – 1 Bad Luck

Site Tour Fairmont Waterfront Hotel

1:00 p.m. (or 1:30 p.m., if you will)

1038 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel was astounding and very neat. With outstanding West Coast panoramic views, the hotel had a completely different feel from Fairmont Hotel Vancouver even if both possessed the Fairmont’s signature friendly attitude of service.

The hotel’s guestrooms are categorized in the Fairmont Room, Fairmont Terrace Room, Deluxe Partial Harbor View Room, Signature Harbor View Room, and Signature Harbor View Corner Room; but I am sure that if you were to stay at the property it would not matter which guestroom, you would still enjoy of some outstanding views and world-class luxury and comfort. The suites include the West Coast Suite, Vista Suite, Garden Suite, Royal Suite, and Harbor View One- bedroom and Two-bedroom Suites.

The property features a heated outdoor pool with a view, a herb garden that is also home to beehives, a health club, as well as Guest and Business Services. Yes, it is essential to mention that this hotel is also pet friendly! Hooray!

The dining options include the on-site ARC Restaurant that features urban artisan food, the ARC Bar with live music every night of the week, and In-Room dining.

As for function spaces, the hotel is well-known for catering events like weddings and meetings to perfection. The property has function rooms in 4 levels: the lobby, level 3, level 2, and the concourse level with a total of 12 rooms which are a combination of foyers, ballrooms, boardrooms, suites, and function rooms. The Waterfront Ballroom is the biggest meeting space of the property by being able to host 788 guests.

The hotel was a little louder in comparison to the ones we had previously visited but it did not seem to affect the classy and upscale environment nor seemed to affect any of the guests. The décor was high-toned and compelling.

When the tour site ended, we headed back to the Four Seasons and Raincouver finally started to show its true colors with its grey skies forecasting an intense rainfall. Afraid that it could rain at any moment now and having acknowledged that I, of course, had left my umbrella at the hotel, I was ready to accept my beginner’s bad luck and give in to the scoreboard’s new numbers but, and to my surprise and relief, I made it to the hotel safe and dry. 

Erika 2 – 1 Bad Luck

Granville Island Brewery

4:00 p.m.

1441 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, BC

Having changed outfits and relaxed for a little, Hafdís, Joha, Max, and I took a cab to Granville Island and walked around while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. The next thing on our itinerary was to pay a visit to the famous Granville Island Brewery.

Once the group was reunited, we were divided into two so one group could tour the brewery while the other got to do some beer tasting.

My group got to do the tasting first, so we were soon walked into a little, cozy tasting room, where we sat at a family-style table, and were placed 3 tasters of 5oz each in front of us. A very nice lady explained to us what we had right before our eyes, and we were encouraged – or rather peer-pressured – to drink up as she spoke.

Our tasters featured the Sunshine Coast Hefeweizen, the Lions Winter Ale, and the Infamous IPA. I have enlisted them in the order in which I liked them best as I discovered that the lower the beer’s IBU, the more likely my palate was going to be able to tolerate it. That explains why the Hefeweizen’s IBU of 15 won over the IPA’s infamous IBU of 55.

Right after my group had drunk up, it was our turn to tour around the brewery to see how the beer that our stomachs had in store now had been initially made.

And although I am not a beer fan, it was an overall nice and pleasing experience.  

Bistro 101

6:00 p.m.

Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts

101 – 1505 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC

Bistro 101 is the equivalent of TRU’s Accolades Dining Room but for the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.

We even got to tour the back of the house and observe the dynamic of the classrooms and working spaces of the soon-to-be professional chefs that attend the Institute.

The restaurant features a Market Menu and a West Coast Buffet, but for our group they had arranged a 3-course dinner, very similar to the dynamic we followed at Cin Cin. 

The sitting arrangement was kind of sad as the group got separated into two different tables but we all seemed to be fine with it.

It was nice to see another extensive Wine Menu until you realize there is too many options and the situation turns overwhelming. I ended up going for a glass of (White) Cliffhanger, an off-dry and nice white blend of Viognier, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris.

From our dinner menu I chose the Potato, Bacon & Corn Chowder as my appetizer, Ling Cod as my entrée, and the passionfruit + Kalamansi for dessert.

This was our last meal together as a group and with which we concluded our official appointment-part of the itinerary. I can say it went quite smoothly and very lowkey as everybody was starting to realize how exhausting and hectic the city life can be – and yet still the most exciting, in my opinion.

After we figured out the billing chaos (something that I was definitely not going to miss from the trip), we took a cab back to the hotel.

Some of us concluded the trip at Celebrities, on 1022 Davie St., where my Tuesday the 13th’s bad luck made a small appearance when at the end of the night I realized that I had cracked my phone’s screen. What a game it had been.

The final scoreboard:

Erika 2 – 2 Bad Luck

A draw…

The rest shall remain a mystery. 

[positivity--only]

Today is the last day of 2017, so I thought it’d be cool to reflect on the year and review my personal favourites, from experiences to beauty, etc. So let’s start!

Beauty

Mario Badescu Rosewater Facial Spray

I absolutely love this product; it smells good and makes your skin feels extremely soft. I’ve found that it moisturizes my skin nicely as well!

Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturizer

Love, love love this product! It’s lightweight and smooth, and I found that it does make my complexion brighter. Or maybe it’s just the placebo effect, but I like it nonetheless!

Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade

It’s creamy, easy to work with, and takes your brows to the next level.

Books

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

This was one of the first books I read in 2017, and I absolutely loved it. The author, Mark Manson, truly captures a counterintuitive way to live life, redefining what it means to not give a f*ck. Focusing on how to persevere through life and change our narrow view towards celebrating even the smallest of things, Manson truly captivates the audience with his writing, making his self-help book humorous, fun, and enlightening.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

A beautiful historical-fiction novel about a German boy and a French girl whose paths collide in WWII. Two different stories and narratives intertwine in a fascinating twist. The prose is beautiful, with rich descriptions and beautiful imagery, and illustrates the similarities between two parties pitted against each other.

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

If you’ve ever wondered how to change your life but always made excuses to delay any changes, this book will destroy all self-doubts. It was the last book I read in 2017, and I highly recommend it to everyone and anyone. Jen Sincero does an excellent job of illustrating how to overcome obstacles that prevent us from reaching a goal. This book highlights the steps and ways for you to step closer to your end goal whilst reminding you that the most important thing along your journey for self-improvement is to love yourself.

*while we’re talking about books, check out my Goodreads account if you want to see what other books I love!

Fashion

Feminist Tee

UNCLEXStudios is a clothing company based in Canada, founded by a YouTuber, Allegra Shaw that I love and follow. I got my hands on this feminist tee and absolutely love it – the material is amazing and soft, and the fit of the tee is perfect. A very simple and versatile shirt that makes a bold statement.

Credit: https://unclexstudios.com/shop/bell-hooks

Watches, watches, watches!

An easy way to elevate and add to an outfit, and can really dress an outfit up or down! I have two of which I alternate: my leather Kate Spade watch that I wear daily, and my gold Fossil watch that I wear when I want to dress up an outfit.  Simple, elegant, and chic.

Black Pants

A solid staple in every wardrobe, my black skinny pants are a lifesaver and are extremely versatile!

Experiences

Spring/Summer Trip to China

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This Spring/Summer, I went to China to visit family, and it was such an amazing experience to dive into the culture and enjoy a full month of amazing food. I went on a guided tour of Beijing to visit all the historical sites such as the Forbidden City, the Summar Palace, and of course, the Great Wall. Followed by that, I visited my father’s hometown of LuoYang, which I hadn’t visited in a good 10 years or so. There, we visited the Longmen Grottoes surrounding temples before going on a week-long road trip down South to Sichuan, stopping along the way to visit other destinations. The trip surpassed my expectations; the luscious green landscapes along the highways were a stark contrast to the exuberant city life of Beijing or Toronto, and I became fully immersed in the history that surrounded me at all times.

In the slideshow above, the first photo is of the Great Wall, the second is of the Summer Palace, and the third is of the Longmen Grottoes. All photos were from Google due to my inability to remember where I stored my own (sorry!).

Summer Road Trip to the Maritimes

This summer, my aunt came to visit us in Canada, and my family went on a two-week long road trip across most of Eastern Canada. Starting in Toronto, we made our way to Ottawa, where we stayed for Canada’s 150th birthday. The lines twisted around the streets of Ottawa, making it impossible to move, and the dark clouds threatened a downpour at any moment, but it was amazing to see how everyone came together to celebrate. Following that, we went to Montréal and Québec City, and I loved every minute of it. Being in Québec gave a much more European vibe, and the constant view of the St-Lawrence river transported me back to grades 6-8 when we were learning about the wars and the fight for the land we were standing on.

Following that, we went to Fredericton, St. Johns, and Charlottetown to finish off the tour. The Maritimes and the Atlantic provinces gave an entirely different sensation than Québec. The lack of tall skyscrapers and endless sights of hills, mountains, and water was able to relax anybody. Disconnecting from the high-pace, high-stress city life, I found that the escape was the most beneficial to forget about any worries, and doubts, allowing me to truly live in the present moment and be grateful for all that I had.

Nevertheless, I was happy to be home after the two-week long road trip. On the way home, we stopped in Kingston to see the Thousand Islands, and that concluded our incredible journey to the East of Canada.

    Graduating High School and Starting University!

I finished high school this year, and it was bittersweet. I said goodbye to all my friends (including my best friend :((( ) and moved 2 hours away. Perhaps the biggest milestone that happened this year was the fact that I started university! A huge shift from having all the comforts of home. At first, it was strange sharing a communal washroom and having 20-something first years with you who have no clue what they’re doing. But now that a semester has passed, it doesn’t feel that difficult at all, and I’ve met some great people there. It’s all part of a journey, and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to study something I’m interested in and add another step to achieving a dream career.

Finally…

That’s a wrap on my 2017 favourites! I hope that everyone had an amazing year, and I encourage everyone to reflect upon their year to see what they can improve upon for 2018. I wish everyone all the best in the new year to come!

Love,

Winny

My 2017 Faves Today is the last day of 2017, so I thought it'd be cool to reflect on the year and review my personal favourites, from experiences to beauty, etc.

[touristguidebuzz]

How to Spend 4 days in Niagara Falls with Kids

Things to do in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Niagara Falls is arguably the most popular natural attraction in Canada. The Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park are also worthy of such a title, but these powerful waterfalls in Ontario attract the most tourists each year.

It is estimated that over 30 million people visit Niagara Falls each year, with numbers consistently increasing every year. That number is close to the entire population of Canada!

There are three waterfalls that make up the collective Niagara Falls, with the largest being Horseshoe Falls, followed by the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The river splits Canada and the USA and acts as a natural border crossing between the province of Ontario and the state of New York.

How to spend 4 days in Niagara Falls with Kids

While the powerful waterfalls are truly spectacular, there are plenty of other reasons to choose Niagara Falls as your next family vacation.

Today, we share the top family attractions in Niagara Falls. We spent 4 days exploring Niagara Falls this past summer during the last week of August (2017).

It should be noted that you could easily spend a full week exploring Niagara Falls. There are plenty of family activities and daily entertainment to keep everyone busy. Your kids will not be bored!

For more detailed info, read the Niagara Falls travel guide.

First – check out the amazing waterfalls!

This one is so obvious it’s almost not worth mentioning. BUT – you can’t visit Niagara Falls without witnessing the natural wonder that made it famous.

The easiest and most accessible way to see the falls is to walk along the promenade that lines the river gorge. You can start your walk at the Table Rock Welcome Centre and walk north towards Rainbow Bridge, of vice versa. The promenade is stroller friendly and there are plenty of grassy areas and benches to take a break. There are several lookout points that offer great photo opportunities.

You will get a completely different view of the falls from the American side (for this article – we’re making the assumption you are on the Canadian side of the falls). This requires you to walk or drive across the international border crossing this is Rainbow Bridge.

We did not cross the border on this trip to Niagara Falls, but we’re told it’s a relatively simple process.

Stroller friendly views of the falls from the promenade.

When you stand on the north side of Horseshoe Falls you will get sprayed from the mist of the waterfalls. Even if the weather is sunny with clear skies, it will feel like rain as you approach the waterfalls.

The two photos above were taken within a few minutes of each other. The photo of Nicole with the boys shows a sunny and dry afternoon. We walked another 100 meters and the streets are wet with big puddles. It did not rain. The intense mist from the falls makes it feels like its raining heavily.

Travel tip – Bring a waterproof jacket with you and cover your stroller before you get close to falls. We made this mistake and got soaked.

A rare couple selfie with the falls in the backdrop.

Journey Behind the Falls

Journey Behind the Falls offers an exceptional view of the powerful waterfalls from the base of Horseshoe Falls. You access the falls from the Table Rock Welcome Centre and take an elevator down 150 feet to an underground tunnel network that is over 100 years old.

The main observation deck provides the best view of the falls (see photo above). It’s quite the site. The mist from the falls feels like a shower of rain and the sound of the rushing water is deafening. It’s a unique experience unlike anything we’ve experienced.

For info on pricing and hours of operation, visit the Niagara Parks website here.

Niagara’s Fury

While you’re at the Table Rock Welcome Centre or checking out the Journey Behind the Falls, you can add the Niagara’s Fury experience to your itinerary. It is included with the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass.

Niagara’s Fury tells the story of Niagara Falls in a 360 degree multi-sensory theater. It’s part movie, part ride. You will get wet, so make sure you put on the waterproof poncho that is handed out at the theater entrance.

Here’s the description from the Niagara Parks website:

“Water will bubble and spray as you travel down river, while snow falls all around simulating the last Ice Age. The moving platform beneath your feet will help you understand the power of nature as you’re surrounded by stunning visuals of the mighty Niagara River.”

Maid of the Mist or Hornblower Boat Cruise

The oldest and best known tourist attraction at Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist and/or the Hornblower boat cruise. The Maid of the Mist is operated exclusively from the New York side of the falls (United States) and the Hornblower is operated from the Ontario side (Canada).

The boat cruise takes guests up close to the base of the American, Bridal Veil and Horseshoe Falls. The boats have outdoor observation decks, so you will get wet when the boat approaches the falls.

You can take a tour during the day or at night. Boats sail every 15 minutes in season, from April 1 to November 30. More info and pricing here.

If you look at the photo above you will see a red boat and a blue boat. They’re both white boats, actually. The red and blue you see are plastic rain jackets on passengers. I’m not sure what the capacity is for each boat, but there are a couple hundred people on each of those vessels pictured above.

Read Next – 28 Powerful Quotes That Inspire Travel

Falls Incline Railway

The Falls Incline Railway is a convenient way to connect the Fallsview Tourist area and Table Rock Welcome Centre. It also provides a unique view of the Horseshoe Falls (see above photos). It is open year-round and is stroller/wheelchair accessible.

Our boys sat at the front window and enjoyed the ride up. They didn’t really care about the waterfall views, they were more excited about being on “a train that goes up the side of the hill”.

The ride only takes a few minutes. You purchase tickets directly at the station. It’s $2.75 per person. Children aged 5 and under are free. You can also buy a day pass for $7.00.

Clifton Hill

Labeled as the ‘World famous Street of Fun by the Falls’, Clifton Hill has become a destination all on its own. The best way to experience Clifton Hill is to get the Clifton Hill Fun Pass. 

The Fun Pass includes:

Niagara Skywheel

Zombie Attack

Wild West Coaster 6D Theatre Ride

Movieland Wax Museum

Dinosaur Golf or Wizard’s Golf

Ghost Blasters

Bonus: 5 Midway Game Tokens!

Clifton Hill is conveniently located within walking distance to Horseshoe Falls and several Niagara Falls hotels. We stayed at the Howard Johnson and it was a 5 minute walk to the Clifton Hill area. There are also several restaurants and coffee shops in this area, so it’s an ideal place to spend the afternoon/evening.

Visit this hotel booking website to check hotel pricing and availability.

Clifton Hill road is filled with games and attractions. Your kids will go wild.

Clifton Hill at night is quite the site. Neon everywhere.

Ripley’s Believe it or Not

Located on Clifton Hill, the Ripley’s Believe it of Not has three attractions in Niagara Falls, including the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium, the art motion simulator ride Ripley’s Moving Theater, and Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks showcasing over 100 life-like wax figures.

The Odditorium, pictured above, has 15 themed rooms and over 900 never-before-seen exhibits.

Learn about pricing and hours of operation here.

Niagara SkyWheel

The Niagara SkyWheel is located in the Clifton Hill area. Are you sensing a theme here?

The SkyWheel offers unique views of Horseshoe Falls and American Falls. At 175 feet (or 53 metres), it is said to be the largest observation wheel in Canada.

Below is the description from the Clifton Hill website:

“The Niagara SkyWheel is a world-class ride featuring fully enclosed gondolas, each equipped with heating and air conditioning for year-round comfort and enjoyment. You can ride day or night, in any season.

The ride duration varies from 8 to 12 minutes with spectacular aerial views for miles in every direction. Evening rides offer dazzling views of the glittering lights of Clifton Hill and the surrounding Niagara skyline.

With a bird’s eye view of the Niagara River, Niagara Parks and Clifton Hill, there’s no better way to snap incredible photos and quickly get the lay of the land.”

To get the best photos, consider the time of day you take the SkyWheel. We tried to catch sunset but the skies were overcast and our boys were running out of steam. We visited during the summer, so sunset was much later in the day (around 9:00 PM). Our boys didn’t make it. They started to get very cranky and tired, so we ended up taking the ride about an hour too early.

If you plan to take the SkyWheel you should consider purchasing the Clifton Hill Fun Pass. At the time of publishing this post, customers get a bonus 2nd ride on the SkyWheel when tickets are purchased online.

Views of the American Falls from the Niagara SkyWheel.

Related – 10 Family Travel Mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Zombie Attack

Because you bought the Clifton Hill Fun Pass – that’s why!

Our youngest was too scared to do this one, but our oldest boy loved it. He still talks about the time he “shot a bunch of zombies” at Niagara Falls. That wasn’t exactly the happy memory we were hoping for, but at least he had fun, right?

Wizard’s Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf

The Clifton Hill Fun Pass gives you the option to do either the Glow-in-the-Dark Miniature Golf or Dinosaur Adventure Golf. We originally planned to do the outdoor Dinosaur Adventure Golf but it was really busy at the time we showed up. Our boys don’t have much patience for mini golf, so we decided to do the Glow-in-the-Dark option instead.

It’s a fun 18-hole course with brightly coloured exhibits of Wizards, Trolls, and Dragons. It’s not a very challenging course so it’s ideal for little ones.

Games, Games, Games!

You won’t get far in Niagara Falls before you find an arcade or entertainment room. We visited the Great Canadian Midway twice during our visit to Clifton Hill. It’s a 70,000+ square foot facility with over 300 games, including the popular Wild West Coaster Motion Simulator and the spooky Ghost Blasters Dark Ride.

We like the vibe of the Midway. It has many of the old games we enjoyed playing when we were kids. Many of the games dispense tickets that can later be redeemed for small toys and souvenirs. If our boys had their way we would have stayed there for hours every day.

You can also visit one of the many casinos in Niagara Falls if you like to gamble. But note, kids are NOT allowed in the casinos.

Movieland Wax Museum

Niagara Falls has a few different wax museums, including the Movieland Wax Musuem. If you like wax museums, this is an easy addition to your Clifton Hill experience.

Below is the description from the Clifton Hill website:

“A walk through Movieland is a like a walk through entertainment history. Snap a selfie next to your favourite stars! You’ll see everything from classics like ‘Indiana Jones’ and the ‘Terminator’, to current hits like ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.’

We didn’t end up visiting this wax museum because our youngest boy freaked out when he saw the Joker character in the window. He literally went running down the street screaming. It was quite comical – until he went running towards the street traffic.

Big Top Amazing Mirror and Laser Maze

Right across the street from the Great Canadian Midway and Movieland Wax Museum is the Big Top Mirror and Laser Maze. This is one of the newest attractions to the Clifton Hill area.

I think you get the point. There are endless games, entertainment and attractions at Clifton Hill.

Give yourself two days to explore Clifton Hill. Or one very looooong day.

MistRider Zipline to the Falls

If you’re looking for a heart pumping adventure you should definitely check out the MistRider Zipline to the Falls. The zipline starts at the Grand View Marketplace and travels down the gorge towards the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

The line is 2,200 feet long (670 metres) at speeds of 70 km per hour (40 miles p/h). This is a guided experience. Kids aged 13 and younger must go with a responsible adult. Minimum age is 7 years old.

Watch this video to see what the zipline experience is all about.

Beautiful parrots inside the Bird Kingdom.

Do you know the name of the blue birds pictured above? Leave us a comment if you do!

Bird Kingdom

Bird Kingdom is said to be the World’s Largest Free-Flying Indoor Aviary. It is home to hundreds of exotic birds and animals, including parrots, lorikeets, bats, owls, snakes, tortoises and lizards. Here is the list of species at Bird Kingdom.

Bird Kingdom is located on the north side of Rainbow Bridge, which is about a 10 minute walk from Grand View Marketplace (the place where you catch the Hornblower boat cruise and/or the MistRider Zipline).

We spent about an hour inside Bird Kingdom. It’s a good size facility; not too big, but enough variety to keep things interesting. The full tour takes you through a series of different rooms, each with different animals and birds. Our boys had fun feeding the lorikeets (an Australasian parrot) at Lorikeet Landing.

If you like this type of attraction, you may want to include a visit to the Butterfly Conservatory.

Great Wolf Lodge

We spent two of our four days in Niagara Falls inside the Great Wolf Lodge. If you’ve never been to a Great Wolf Lodge before, it’s a family-oriented hotel that has a massive indoor water park INSIDE the hotel. Your kids won’t want to leave the hotel, so plan accordingly.

We wrote a detailed post about 0ur experience at the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls.

Indoor water parks

You don’t have to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge to have an epic indoor waterpark experience. The Fallsview Indoor Waterpark is conveniently located in the heart of Niagara Falls and is connected to Falls Avenue Resort.

The Fallsview Indoor Waterpark has 16 water slides, several play areas and a large wave pool. The facility looks similar to what you would get at the Great Wolf Lodge.

Rates depend on the season. Off-peak general admission is approx $45 per guest. Children under 2 years old are free. This can add up quickly if you have a big family, so it’s best to book a package that includes your hotel accommodation.

Marineland Canada

Marineland is one of the top attractions in Niagara Falls. It’s a themed amusement park and zoo for both marine and land animals. It first opened its doors in 1961, so it’s been around for a long time.

The park is conveniently located a few kilometers south of the Fallsview Tourist Area in downtown Niagara Falls. It is open during the summer months, from May to October. Closed for the winter.

I visited Marineland once, when I was a young boy. When we visited Marineland this past summer it had been almost 30 years to the day. It was interesting to re-visit an amusement park 30 years later. Not a lot has changed at Marineland in those 30 years. The rides and decor definitely have a strong retro vibe.

Marineland puts on daily shows at the King Waldorf Stadium that feature dolphins, sea lions, walruses and beluga whales. It’s quite impressive how these marine animals interact with their trainers.

Feeding the smiling beluga whales at Arctic Cove was a highlight for our boys.

Braydon loved the family rides. He continually wanted to show us his “no hands”.

This was my favourite ride when I was a boy (Cam). Still fun.

Braydon’s first roller coaster! The kid rides at Marineland are just the right size for a 5 year old.

Niagara Brewing Company

It can’t be all about the kids – right?

After a full day of sightseeing and attractions, head to the Niagara Brewing Company for some tasty craft beer and food. It’s centrally located 200 metres from the falls, at the base of Clifton Hill.

Have you read our series about drinking beer around the world?

Rainforest Cafe

Have you visited the Rainforest Cafe? If not, you should. At least once. But only if you have kids. If you don’t have kids, it might get weird.

The food is good, but you don’t go to the Rainforest Cafe for the food. You go for the unique experience.

The restaurant is decorated to feel like you’re inside the rainforest. It has a bubbling volcano that comes alive with animatronic snakes, elephants, and gorillas. Every half hour the restaurant experiences an indoor thunderstorm – I don’t want to be a spoiler, so I’ll leave it at that.

The Niagara Falls Forest Cafe is located beside the Niagara Brewing Company – so you can do both!

Observation Deck on Skylon Tower

The Skylon Tower Observation Deck offers the best views of the falls in all of Niagara Falls. The elevator takes less than one minute (52 seconds, to be exact) to reach the observation deck, which sits 775 feet above the falls. From this vantage point you can see the Great Gorge, Niagara wine district and city skylines of Buffalo, New York and Toronto (weather depending).

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind dining experience you should consider the world-famous Revolving Dining Room Restaurant or the family-affordable Summit Suite Buffet Dining Room restaurant. Admission to the Ride-to-the-Top and Observation Decks attractions are free when dining.

Read next – 50 Photos from our Summer Adventures

Have you been to Niagara Falls? What did we miss?

Share your tips and recommendations in the comments below.

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How to Spend 4 days in Niagara Falls with Kids is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Related posts:

Our experience at the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Canada

25 Awesome Day Trips from Vancouver, BC

16 Things Travel Taught us in 2016

That time we took a ride on the Polar Express to the North Pole!

[2traveldads-blog]

Seriously, I could write about China all day every day.  Thinking about what areas of China to visit, people will probably research what spots are going to have the best tourist sites or most famous Chinese landmarks.  If that’s the approach you’re taking, then no doubt you’re going to be pointed towards the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin.  Or maybe you’ll find the deadliest hike on earth and plan on climbing Huashan (so cool!).  Either of these are going to put you in Shaanxi province and you’ll have countless options for amazing experiences in China!  That’s why we thought it would be good to have a Xi’an city guide.

Firstly, know that there are two different states in China called “Shaanxi”.  We are talking about the southern of the two which is where you’ll find Xi’an.  They border each other, so who knows, you may even find yourself in both when you’re visiting China.  Shaanxi is a large province, but it’s still less than half the size of California.  Having said that, that’s kind of how to approach planning a trip through Shaanxi:  think of the amount of time you’d need for a Northern California or SoCal roadtrip and boom; you’ll need the same amount of time for a trip around Shaanxi province.  If you base your travels off our little Xi’an city guide you’ll be set!

Arrival in Shaanxi Province

Depending on where you are coming from you probably cannot get a direct flight into Xi’an, China. Flying through Beijing is a great option and is surprisingly affordable. For example:   a round-trip flight from Seattle to Xi’an via Beijing is about $550 USD.   If you ever book international travel, you know that a $500 range round trip ticket is a pretty good deal.

Tip:  I flew Hainan Airlines with a layover in Beijing and had more room in my coach seat than any other international flight ever.  Also, I received Mileage Plan miles with Alaska Airlines for the flight, so win!

Another way you might arrive in Shaanxi province is if you are already on a road trip through Central China.  Getting to Xi’an may take you a few hours from once you’re in Shaanxi province though, so plan for traffic and lot’s of potty breaks.

As you look at our suggestions know that an itinerary needs to work for travelers and for their starting point, don’t just build a trip using this one idea. Adjust the suggestions in our Xi’an city guide based on your time, your starting point, your strongest interests and advice from others.

Touring Xi’an, the largest city in Shaanxi

Xi’an is such a cool City. The first thing that caught my eye was how big it was. The airport was as big as SeaTac here in Seattle but it turns out that Xi’an is nearly eight times the size of Seattle. Within the city you’ll find many interesting sites. You may be directed to any number of attractions, but not all are authentic or worth visiting.  That’s why our Xi’an city guide isn’t crazy full of stuff. :)

Cultural History Museum in Xi’an

One of the sites we visited that was directly in Xi’an was the historical and cultural museum. If you don’t go to many museums you may be captivated and fascinated by most of what you’ll see there as it’s very different from what you’ll find in the museums in France or the United States. If you compare the quality of the exhibits, the cleanliness, and the number of people within small spaces in the museum you won’t be very impressed. Choose wisely as to if you want to spend time going through museum exhibits versus exploring the city.  

Tip:  a great phrase to have handy to let the Chinese folks around you know that you’re engaged and trying to immerse yourself in culture is “hěn yǒuyìsi,” which means “That’s interesting.”  It’s fun to say and applies to almost everything you’ll encounter.  Our buddy Richelle over at Adventures Around Asia shared this one!

Parks and Pagodas in Xi’an

Another way you can experience history is by going directly to the source. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was my favorite site within Xi’an (which is why it’s the MUST of our Xi’an city guide). Being more than a thousand years old and centered within a Buddhist complex, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was absolutely amazing. With smaller temples throughout, this site is worth an entire day. True, you can do it in 2 or 3 hours, but if you just want to relax and people watch as well as explore the many buildings, including a small museum on site, you could allot an entire day.

Directly next door to the giant Wild Goose Pagoda is the Tang Paradise Park. While some of the structures are much older, the colonnades, dragon fountains, and art installations are fairly recent. This is the site that emperors of ancient China would wander around following a visit to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda; they would enjoy their time there before returning to the Summer or Winter Palace, but most of those original structures are no longer found within the imperial gardens of the Tang Paradise. The site is amazing though. We were there for about two-and-a-half hours and could have easily spent five hours. It’s a half-day activity.

Note:  certain sites in China require you to present a passport to be able to enter or even purchase an entry ticket.  China is one country where traveling with your passport at all times is recommended, at least for this reason (and checking into hotels).

The Terracotta Warriors

I think it’s a safe bet to say that besides the Great Wall of China the Terracotta Warriors  is the most famous site or tourist attraction within all of China. It’s totally understandable because they’re pretty darn cool. That was my first time ever visiting an active archaeological excavation and being able to watch people working with line tools uncovering pieces of the army as well as others reassembling… It was just so cool to see. The museum portions of the Terracotta Army Park were of a much higher quality than what we experience at the cultural and history museum. One of the things that really made the day fun when we went to the terracotta warriors with making a stop ahead of time in his Artisan shop where they make souvenirs relating to the Terracotta Army. We got to make our own Warriors as well as watch the process that was used nearly two thousand years ago.

Note:  the actual National Park site is quite clearly the actual site.  Don’t go to a knock off site or extra special tomb site or something.  The Terracotta Warriors site is the only real one.

Also:  this is a part of our Xi’an city guide because, although it feels like it’s far from the city, it’s truly a part of it.  Xi’an is huge.

Biking the City Wall of Xi’an

The city wall of Xian is another fun sites to explore. And it’s more than just walking up to the wall and saying “There’s a wall…”  we actually rented bikes and rode around the entire city wall except for a small portion where they were doing some re-construction. The city wall of Xian is the largest fully intact city wall in the world. It’s really really amazing. At night the bell towers and ramparts are lit up with colorful lights and spot lights. Even if you don’t have time to bike the entire wall you should be sure to be close to it at night for some really cool night time photo ops.

Tip:  unless you have stellar balance, it might not be best to snap pics while riding a biking on a cobblestone elevated street.  Pull over for actual photo ops and selfies.  Or wear a GoPro for your ride and look at pics later.

Getting a dose of Chinese Culture

Something else that you want to be sure to do when you are in the city is to get your fill of culture and there are several ways to do it.

Actual Chinese Food

The easiest way to jump into culture is of course going and finding amazing food. FYI, the Chinese food you get in China is actually Chinese food. If you’re expecting something that you would get at a Chinese restaurant in America you are going to be shocked because American Chinese food is some sort of pretend concoction that people made up to try to make it so that Americans would eat some form of Chinese food.

Chinese food in China is beyond amazing and that’s all I can say about it. Things to look for in great Chinese food would be lotus root, dragon fruit, dumplings that have some sort of black sauce in them, anything with Sichuan peppercorns that make your tongue tingle, aubergine, aubergine, aubergine, eggplant…  Can you tell that the food was bomb digity?

Tip:  BUY STREET FOOD.  OMG, how can you not?  It’s everywhere and it’s so awesome.  Whether you’re getting cotton candy or something that looks like an onion pancake but has a layer of meat, it’ll be good.

Note:  I have a whole string of tummy issues and a bizarre medical history and eating in China was a piece of cake.  In fact, eleven days of Chinese food was the best I’ve felt in years and I had ZERO moments where I thought I was going to die from the food. (I’m not a doctor though, so don’t think of me as a medical expert of any sort.)

Muslim Quarter Street Market

I’ll be the first to say that crowds aren’t my favorite thing, particularly when I’m in a really unfamiliar place, but OMG, the Muslim Quarter has be to included in our Xi’an city guide.  Just look:

Every corner within the Muslim Quarter had something different to distract us.  We spent so much time wandering and trying foods we’ve never seen before that we almost didn’t make it home that night.  We visited the Muslim Quarter of Xi’an twice and I can confidently say that day or night, it’s an amazing place to wander through.

Tip:  this is your chance to try everything you’ve seen on travel or food shows that you’ve never had at your fingertips.  When are you going to find barbecued cuttlefish again?

Chinese Ballet

Another form of culture that you should seek out is theater. We went to an amazing Chinese ballet in a beautiful theater covered in silk tapestries with gold end crystal chandeliers and it was mind-numbingly colorful. The show we went to featured many different styles of Chinese dance comma a full-sized Chinese dragon, and really incredible traditional music. After a long day it was a bit of a sensory overload but it was absolutely incredible and the perfect way-2 get a feel of traditional Chinese culture.

Tip:  if you’re planning on doing any photography, be ready to adjust your camera settings quickly.  You’re expecting to shoot low-light photography, and you will, but then the stage is bright beyond bright, so be quick about it!

Modern and Ancient Art in China

Well, I wouldn’t have thought to seek out a contemporary art gallery on a trip to China. That was one of the final activities we did while in Xi’an. We had an English-speaking guide within the gallery who explained the different pieces and the artists creating them. From Modern political art making statements about the one child policy to mid-century art making honorary references to Mao Zedong there was quite the gambit.  The Tangbo Museum Gallery was an awesome surprise.

We got to see a collection of historical art ranging over a thousand years which included some rare portrayals of women in power as well as really elaborate battle tapestries unlike any I’d seen anywhere ever. In the same museum we also got to sit down with an instructor and learn how to create Chinese characters using traditional walnut ink and a lot of patience. I really enjoyed that and would love to actually study Mandarin to understand the characters, the history of the language, and so much more. Chinese culture is fascinating.

Tip:  if you see art that you’d like to bring home, either in a gallery or in a marketplace, get it. Art from your travels is an incredible, one-of-a-kind souvenir.

Day Trips out of Xi’an

Does anybody travel with the intent of staying just within city limits?  No, except for maybe NYC.  Xi’an is centrally located within Shaanxi province, so you’ll have lots of options.  If you’re not touring the entire province, there are a few sights that can be done as day trips out of the city.

The Death Planks of Huashan

Before I actually got to the death planks I really didn’t know what to expect or if I would actually be able to walk across these fabled pieces of wood above some sort of Canyon. Well, the experience was amazing. About 2 hours outside of Xi’an is Huashan National Park.  When you arrive you get to start your day with a bus ride along what seems like a never-ending  zig-zah road. We were fortunate enough to get to sit in a group of retired Korean tourists who had brought their own DJ box along with them and we’re pumping K-pop all the way up the winding mountain. It was hilarious.

When we got to the end of the road we boarded our cable car and headed up up up up up until we were staring across valley after valley of granite cliffsides. We headed up countless stairs passing thousands of locks on the railings and hundreds upon hundreds of prayer tassels while we made our ascent to the South Peak of Huashan.  We passed by so many temples and religious sites on the way to the top, each being so different and having a different purpose. At the very top prior to doing it the death planks there was a huge bell where you could pay the bellman, say a prayer, and then bang the largest bronze bell I’ve ever seen.  It was an awesome experience.

Crossing the death planks wasn’t that scary. Well, coming back across them was scary because we had to circumnavigate around a pack of tourists who were terrified and barely able to move. I think that’s why this is the most dangerous hike on Earth: because of the tourists who have panic attacks more than a mile above the valley floor. You should still do it though.

Tip:  bring water and cash (RMB).  You’ll get thirsty and if you want to have a harness on your for crossing the death planks, you have to pay the piper.

Ancient and Modern Buddhism at the Famen Temple

Gosh, even though I loved the Tang Paradise and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda for their history and beauty the Famen Temple was jaw-dropping. When we first approached we thought we were going to some sort of bizarre Lego structure. It wasn’t. The Famen Temple complex is the perfect combination of modern Chinese architecture juxtaposed against one of the most ancient temples in China.  Take a look at this place!

The purpose of this Buddhist complex is to house the finger bone of the original Buddha, as well as be a center of learning and tourism for those interested in Buddhism and its devout followers. The contrast between the two parts of the Famen Temple complex really helped me understand Buddhism, its history, and it’s modern practice. I really loved it and appreciated being brought to this site.

Tip:  plan on eating at the Famen Temple, as there are street vendors in the area between the Heshi Dagoba and the ancient pagoda, as well as a Buddhist restaurant that it fully vegetarian.

Taibai Mountain and Baoji

How to write about this without chuckling.  

So, the city of Baoji is hilarious. Picture a Las Vegas that is only neon and LED lights but also completely abandoned and yet still very well kept. And then add some really cool structures like dragons and small pagodas and waterfalls and bridges and… And then cover them all in lights. That’s what this town is like. The tourist area of Baoji exists for the purpose of people visiting from Xi’an who want to experience the hot springs which flow through a really incredible Hot Springs Resort.  But there is also amazing, genuine Chinese massage and treatments too… um, which were awesome (as you can see).

The Hot Springs Resort  at Baoji was really fun to explore and try every single type of hot springs Treatment available. I’m not sure if my favorite was the propulsion jet that shot your body with scalding hot water at rocket speeds or getting buried by 200 pounds of smooth muddy rocks. Or maybe it was sitting in a pool of semi-rotten floating apples. No, it was being fully immersed in a pool filled with fish that were eating all the little skin cells off of every part of my body. The Taibai Hot Spring Resort was bizarre and amazing and I want to go back. We have nothing like it in the United States; if we do, somebody’s got to tell me immediately.

Beyond the hot springs is Taibai Mountain National Park. We approached Taibai Mountain with the best intentions and highest hopes. Pandas. Taibai National Park is one of the areas where pandas roam freely and we were so hoping to get to spot one. As luck would have it, a freezing fog rolled in and we were stuck on the mountain at the top of the cable car line in -5 degrees celsius weather wearing shorts and ponchos. Poor planning on our part, but surprise, it’s China!

The drive along the way up the mountain was really truly beautiful though. Countless waterfalls and amazing temples along the river that we’re all accessible as we drove. There’s a bus that will take you all the way up the mountain and drop you at any of the points of interest, which we took full advantage of. And after a long freezing day up in the National Park what’s better than going back to the Hot Springs Resort? Nothing. It’s an amazing day trip or even a two-day trip.

Note:  if you do Baoji and Taibai Shan National Park you’ll be experiencing an off-the-beaten-path area of China.  True, it’s not far from Xi’an which does get many international visitors, but during our three days there, we were the only non-Chinese visitors we met.

There is much more to do in Shaanxi province, but for now, this will take care of planning if you want to stay based out of Xi’an.  You’ll be able to get a great taste of culture, history and nature while you’re in Xi’an and will be completely primed for another trip to China soon after.

Xi’an City Guide: experiencing China’s history, nature and culture Seriously, I could write about China all day every day.  Thinking about what areas of China to visit, people will probably research what spots are going to have the best tourist sites or most famous Chinese landmarks.  

[topfygad]

11 Tips for backpacking in Oman on a budget

Oman, a country with absolutely great outdoors and fascinating people, should be a real paradise for adventurous, budget backpackers but, unfortunately, it is a surprisingly expensive destination. 

Like all Gulf Monarchies, the Government has primarily focused on promoting luxury tourism, which means that budget hotels are practically non-existent and you won’t find any backpacker hostels, not even in Muscat. 

On top of this, the public transportation system in Oman sucks, plus the cities are not walking friendly at all, so, during your journey, you will have to rely on either renting a car or taking a lot of cabs. 

However, spending little money in Oman is very possible.

I actually backpacked in Oman for over a month, traveling from north to south and visiting everything in between, and I swear that I spent less money than in other backpacking destinations, such as Kyrgyzstan or Georgia. 

In this post, I will tell you several tips for backpacking in Oman on a super low budget.

    Index:

11 Tips for successful budget backpacking in Oman How much does it cost backpacking in Oman on a budget? More useful tips

Remember to have proper travel insurance for both Israel and Jordan. For this, I recommend you read: How to find the best travel insurance

  11 Tips for successful budget backpacking in Oman

My 11 best tips:

Public transportation sucks but hitchhiking is very doable

In one entire month, I only took two taxis within Muscat (2.50OR-6.50USD each) and the 12-hour bus from Muscat to Salalah (7OR – 18USD). 

Then, I hitchhiked back to Muscat through the coastal road and visited pretty much any spot in between. 

I calculated it and, in total, I hitchhiked over 1,400km.

Seriously, hitchhiking in Oman is super easy and, during all that time, I think the maximum I waited for a lift was 20-25 minutes, and that was because I was standing on a road with very little traffic on a Friday, so most of the few cars that passed by were families and, if there are women inside and you are a man, they are unlikely to pick you up. 

From trucks driven by Indians to wealthy Omanis driving extravagant 4×4, Western tourists and even Bedouins with their pickups, except for families, everybody in Oman is willing, and happy, to pick up a random foreigner. 

Sometimes you have to hitchhike in roads like this one but trust me, someone will eventually pass by

  And pretty often, Omanis are willing to make big detours, so they can drop you as close as possible

Something you need to know about Omani people is that, on the one hand, they are really nice, kind and hospitable to foreigners and, on the other, many of them don’t work, or just work a few hours a day, so they have a lot of free time.

It happened to me several times – really, several times – that I was going in a completely different direction, yet, the Omani insisted in taking me to my actual destination, even if that involved him driving 60-80 additional kilometers, no kidding. Omanis are awesome. 

I had similar experiences when I was backpacking in Pakistan. 

Read: How to visit Saudi Arabia – Tips & tricks

  If you are hitchhiking, don’t rush and don’t plan much

Omanis are extremely hospitable so, when hitchhiking, expect Omanis to invite you to their house before you continue with your journey. 

Telling them ”no” would not be polite, so always say ”yes”, but this also means that when backpacking in Oman, your plans will be constantly changed, thanks to the Omani hospitality. 

You may experience this all around the country but it particularly happened to me when I was hitchhiking in Central Oman, the least visited part of the country and a land of Bedouins. That inhospitable part of Oman is composed of a road several hundred kilometers long with absolutely nothing but desert and occasional tiny villages inhabited by Bedouins. 

Well, there wasn’t almost a single Bedouin who didn’t want me to hang out at his place after dropping me off, which led to me having a very high heart-rate due to the 20 cups of qahwa (local cardamom coffee) I had to swallow in one single day. 

That delayed my trip significantly but, if you want to enjoy the country to the fullest, go with the flow and don’t rush.

Read: A guide to visit Musandam in Oman

With a family of Bedouins, somewhere in Central Oman

  You will also need to hitchhike within cities, even in villages

From Muscat to Salalah, the different towns and villages in Oman are some of the least-pedestrian-friendly places you may ever encounter. 

They are always so spread out that you will regret not having a car, even in the smallest village. 

Fortunately, Omanis are aware of that, so hitching a ride in a city is as easy as when you are standing on a highway. I hitchhiked in Muscat, Salalah, Sur and all villages in between without any problem, always. 

Looking for a ride in Muscat

  If you are 2 or more people, look for apartment hotels. Otherwise, check Airbnb

As I said before, in Oman there are no hostels and, for a hotel, you will pay a minimum of 25€ for a private room, usually a single one. 

You may find some cheaper deals on Airbnb but it won’t be much cheaper. By the way, if you create an Airbnb account through my link, you will get 35€ of FREE credit on your next booking. 

Otherwise, apartment hotels are a very big deal in Oman and, if you are 2 or more people, they are great value-for-money. 

During my 30-day journey, I did a few Airbnb and stayed in a few random hotels and always paid around 20-25€. However, I have to admit that all the places I stayed in were excellent. 

Read: What to do in Saudi Arabia in 2 weeks

This Bengali man was extremely amazed by me traveling with such a big backpack and didn’t believe it had a tripod, a sleeping bag, a tent, a mattress, besides all my clothes

  Alternatively, Couchsurfing is great

Some of my greatest Couchsurfing experiences ever have been Oman. 

In Oman, Couchsurfing is a big deal and you can find active profiles in pretty much any city and, if you send requests well in advance, you may also find couches in smaller towns and villages. 

I did Couchsurfing in Muscat, Salalah, Sadeh, Sur, Bidiyah and Nizwa.

Moreover, since Omanis are really hospitable and treat all guests as honorable guests, if they accept you, most of the time they will be completely free, as they really want you to have the best experience, so they will show you around and, if you are staying with a family, the mother will cook some delicious local food. 

My best experience was with Musab, a kind-hearted Omani from Sadeh. I visited him during a national holiday, so we spent 4 days together with his friends visiting all around Dhofar province. From driving to the Yemeni border to visit his friend’s camel farm and loads of traditional food, every day, we had so much fun and today, I am glad to say that I have a brother in Sadeh. 

Thank you, Musab!

Read: How to visit Dubai on a backpacking budget

Somewhere in Dhofar province, with Musab and his friends

  Sign up for Couchsurfing events and join their weekend escapes

Muscat is where the big Couchsurfing community is and, every weekend, they organize different outdoor activities, which usually involve going to the desert or camping at the many wadis (valleys). 

Those events are a great way to meet open-minded Omanis and explore Oman on a budget. 

  Bring a tent and take advantage of the outdoors

Oman is a huge country only inhabited by 4.6 million people, which means that most of the country remains pretty wild. 

From great wadis to loads of natural pools, outstanding mountains and 1,700km of coastline, Oman is known for its great outdoors activities and, since the country doesn’t really have a proper, nice nightlife, plus Omanis aren’t party people either, going camping on the weekend is a big thing here, and a great way to cut costs when backpacking around Oman. 

Places like Jabel Akhdar, Jebel Shams and most wadis are easily reached by hitchhiking, no problem. 

So yeah, do bring a tent. 

Read: How to visit Dubai in 1 week

Somewhere in Jebel Shams

  Camping in the middle of a city is also good

I have to admit that I was not always able to find a Couchsurfing host, so when I didn’t feel like paying for an expensive hotel, I didn’t mind pitching my tent in one of the comfy palm gardens that abound in most cities. 

Technically, I heard that camping in Omani cities is not allowed but nobody ever cared about my tent and trust me that I camped in quite a few places, including in the palm garden next to Nizwa Fort. 

Read: Everything you need to know to visit Iran

The palm plantation next to Nizwa Fort

  Always eat in Indian or Bengali-run restaurants

Controversially, in Oman, you can eat for cheaply, like very cheaply actually.

Nearly two-thirds of the population in Oman are from the Indian Sub-Continent (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), so restaurants serving food from their respective countries are plentiful and, actually, in villages they tend to be the only option. 

From daal to chicken curries, for just a few dollars, you can easily fill your belly with Indian food. 

Moreover, restaurants serving purely Omani food, which usually consists of rice with chicken, meat or fish, are also inexpensive, usually 1-3USD more expensive than Indian food. 

On the other hand, in Muscat and other big cities, the restaurants serving international food will charge you like a restaurant in Dubai or Western Europe. 

Grilled meat plus a huge amount of rice. This massive Omani meal cost around 7-8USD and it could feed 3 people

  If you are planning to backpack in Oman on a budget, don’t come in summer unless you want to die

Oman is one of the hottest countries on Earth, with summer temperatures averaging 45ºC , and the bad news is that summers last forever. 

From May to October, day temperatures are nearly unbearable, so if you are planning to hitchhike, camping in cities and stuff like that, you should avoid backpacking around Oman during these dates. 

Even when I came in mid-November, some days were disgustingly hot, especially in Salalah and Central Oman. 

Read: What to do in Iran in 1 month

  Conclusion – How much does it cost backpacking around Oman on a budget?

Like I said in the introduction, in Oman I spent less money than backpacking in Kyrgyzstan for example. How can that be?

Well, in Kyrgyzstan, accommodation is cheap, like 10USD per night, and you can go by public transportation everywhere. However, despite being cheap, I still had to pay for it and, in Oman, since I was always hitchhiking and mostly camping or Couchsurfing, I didn’t have to pay for any of those things. 

Oman budget travel – Typical costs

One-month visa – 20OR (52USD)

Welcome package SIM + Data – 3OR (7.80USD) but then you pay 3OR for 1GB

Budget Hotel – 10-12OR (26-31USD)

A plate of daal – 500bias (1.30USD)

A biryani – 1.5OR (3.90USD)

A big bottle of water – 200 bias (50¢)

A beer – 4OR (10USD) – Only available in hotels, avoid it

Short taxi rides within Muscat – 2.50OR (6.50USD)

Bus from Muscat to Salalah – 7OR (18USD)

If you are a serious budget backpacker, so you will basically Couchsurf and hitchhike, besides the cost of the visa and the SIM Card, you will only have to pay for food and, for that, you can easily survive on 15USD a day

Half Omani Rial, the most curious note

  More useful tips for backpacking in Oman and around the region

Here you can find all my articles and guides to Oman

Traveling to Saudi Arabia? Here you can find all my articles and guides to Saudi Arabia

Are you traveling to Dubai and have little money? Read how to travel in Dubai on a budget

Iran is so close to Oman, are you going there? Remember to check then my tips for visiting Iran

And here all my content to the Middle East

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