Clare's adventures

Photos: Angkor Wat temples

clare-tamea — Sat, 5 Dec 2015 22:34:00 GMT

Angkor Wat temples

Photos: Chiang Mai Loy Krathong festival

clare-tamea — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 22:53:00 GMT

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong festival

Photos: Laos

clare-tamea — Sat, 7 Nov 2015 22:23:00 GMT

Laos

Photos: Thailand

clare-tamea — Tue, 3 Nov 2015 21:33:00 GMT

From the Lake District to Asia - our new adventure begins

clare-tamea — Tue, 3 Nov 2015 21:29:00 GMT

Having spent the summer in a perfect job for travellers working at a brilliant campsite in the Lake District, we left the darkening nights of November to head off to Thailand for a couple of months, spending a little time in Laos and Cambodia as well.

Photos: Lake District, England

clare-tamea — Mon, 2 Nov 2015 21:38:00 GMT

The Lake District - one of my favourite places

Serengeti Safari

clare-tamea — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 23:46:00 GMT

At the moment we are in Tanzania on an expedition with Raleigh International. Before we started here, we went on a superb safari to the National Parks of the Serengeti and Ngonrongoro Crater. We went with Duma Safaris, making up a group of six, which was great as we met some lovely people. Kawaga, our guide, had 18 years of experience and knew exactly where different animals were and was really good at predicting what they would do next and which way they would go. This meant we had some really close encounters with the animals, who at times were just feet away from our jeep. Wow!! Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebra, lions, cheetahs, leopards, buffalo, hippos, hyenas, jackals, gazelles, wildebeest, warthogs, antelopes, and a mongoose! The jeep had a lift up top, so we could stand up and look out. The animals didn't seem to mind us at all, they just carried on doing whatever they were doing which was great as it meant we could just watch them in a natural setting. So, the hippos carried on making their barrel rolls and flicking water over their backs with their short whippy tails and farting a lot. The lions mainly slept and the giraffes grazed. The baby elephants played with each other or walked along under the adults. The cheetahs gazed out from their vantage points or stalked through the grass. And best of all, we saw a pride of lions finish eating a zebra they had caught, walk with their cubs to a river for a drink of water right past our jeep, and then hyenas run in and grab the scraps - a head, a leg, before running off laughing.

At night, we stayed in the most amazing places. The first night was at a lodge and wow, that was posh! it was right on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, a huge caldera formed when an ancient volcano exploded and which is now full of animals. We watched the sun set and some Maasai Warriors did their famous jumping dance before we had dinner. The other nights we spent in a tent - not like any tent I've ever been in before though. This was not your cheap £25 tent from Asda. It was a semi-permanent tent right in the Serengeti, with proper beds and pillows, rocking chairs on a porch, and a bucket shower. After a superb dinner, and beers sat round a camp fire, a herd of wildebeest galloped past, really close to the tent. Hyenas were making their funny noises all night, one seemed so close it was just at the other side of the tent wall. And in the morning, we woke to look out of the tent door to see elephants and giraffes, just browsing past. It was so amazing, we just couldn't stop smiling. :)

it was a brilliant end to our travels as such, before we started our charity work.

Photos: Tanzanian Safari

clare-tamea — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:46:00 GMT

Tanzanian Safari

Leaving for Africa

clare-tamea — Mon, 8 Sep 2014 21:34:00 GMT

After an amazing 9 months, our "Round the Pacific" journey is about to end (but we have loved it so much, we want to do it all over again!)

We will soon be setting off on our next adventure - a 3 month expedition with the charity, Raleigh International, to Tanzania, Africa. Feeling a bit sad that our travelling has nearly ended, but excited to visit Africa and really looking forward to seeing if we can make a difference with local communities and give something back before we head back to the UK.

Thanks to you all for reading this blog. I hope you've enjoyed our stories and pics.

This may be my last post on here. If so, and you want to find out how we are getting on in Africa, please check out the Raleigh Tanzania blog (which I'll be writing!) :

http://www.raleighinternational.org/ri-blogs/raleigh-tanzania

Love to you all,

Clare and Adam

Photos: Seventh leg - Malaysia

clare-tamea — Tue, 2 Sep 2014 00:14:00 GMT

Seventh leg - Malaysia

Snorkelling paradise in the Perhentian Islands

clare-tamea — Tue, 2 Sep 2014 00:10:00 GMT

We have just had a totally relaxing week in the Perhentian Islands, off the Malaysian East Coast. The two islands are covered with jungle, fringed with perfect yellow sandy beaches and surrounded by coral. We had some very chilled, lazy days snorkelling and swimming in the warm, crystal clear, turquoise waters.

Under the surface, pink, green and yellow corals of different shapes (called names like mushroom, table and brain coral) are home to blue and purple clams with their rubbery, zig zag lips. Ghost-like fish make nests in the sand; lots of little Nemos hide in the wavy sea anenomes and shoals of anchovies swim past like silver metal decorations, moving like a huge flock of starlings on a winter's day. Bright blue darts of fish, shoals of yellow angel fish and the unmistakeable wavy swim of a small shark catch the eye (and with the latter, make the heart beat a little faster for a few minutes). We also saw green turtles, a huge eel with rows of sharp teeth, two-tone pink and green fish (I remember someone at school having some two-tone trousers way back in the 70s) and a stingray.

We stayed by a little beach - no roads, just boats - which was quite "back to nature" in a shed-like sort of a way. We had a frog living in our shower and had a pit viper snake on our porch (now removed!). Monitor lizards roam the undergrowth and squirrels fling and jump through the trees. The owners have a pet otter!

We have had a stay in paradise for sure. And we had never heard of this place until a short while ago when some friends recommended it (thanks Annie!). Wow, Malaysia, you really gave us a fabulous snorkelling surprise!

Mount Ishizuchi - a great day hike

clare-tamea — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 21:43:00 GMT

We decided to take a walk up a holy mountain, Ishizuchi-san, the highest mountain in western Japan (1982 metres), whilst we were in Shikoku. A cable car takes you up part of the way, then a stepped path leads up past shrines to the summit.

There are three places where you can leave the path and scramble up cliffs using fixed chains to hold on to, which of course we did! We eventually arrived at a place we thought was the top, but then the mist cleared and we realised it was a further teetering walk along a final ridge, with a steep drop either side - nice!

As well as seeing quite a few pilgrims dressed in white with straw hats and staffs, we also saw three snakes, two being the most poisonous snake in Japan and the other was a "crazy snake worm" - the body of a big worm but the movements of a snake. Altogether a really interesting day out:)

Cycling Japan's Inland Sea

clare-tamea — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 21:17:00 GMT

For just 500 yen a day (less than £3), we hired a bike each (choice of "sporting" or "comfort"), to ride a cycle path which links Shikoku Island with Honshu Island, via seven islands in Japan's Inland Sea.

The cycle path runs for 70km along fabulous bridges, some as high as 60 metres in the air, looking down onto turbulent tidal waters, tropical beaches, and lots of ships and boats.

We took a detour round one of the islands, cycling along the coast road and stopping for a noodle lunch and cold drinks (sadly no cakes).

it was amazing value and a great way to spend a day simply island-hopping by bike.

Temples and shrines

clare-tamea — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 21:16:00 GMT

There are literally hundreds of temples and shrines in Japan, especially in Kyoto. They range from the ultra-ornate, such as Kinkakuji, "the Golden Temple", to small, moss covered ones hidden between mid-rise concrete buildings. Some have immense Buddhas inside, such as Daibutsu in Nara, whose ears are longer than I am tall!

My favourite temple so far is Ginkakuji, "the Silver Temple", which was designed by one of the first Zen-Buddhists in 1482. The temple grounds have raked-sand gardens, a mirror-like pond, and a bamboo wood. Curving water channels pass through mossy grounds, past strategically placed rocks, plants and shaped trees. It seemed that, in freeing the surroundings of clutter and creating space also freed the mind in a similar way. To me, it felt full of peace, calming and very spiritual.

Geishas in Kyoto

clare-tamea — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 20:56:00 GMT

We saw geishas!!!

Whilst we were in Kyoto, there was a special event we went to. Served with cold beer and green beans (yes, that's right, green beans!), we were entertained by Maiko dancers (Maiko are apprentice Geishas just completing their training).

Wearing fabulous kimonos, extravagent "obi" (the sash that is worn with this), and having the traditional white makeup, these girls looked stunning.

When they started dancing, their grace and delicate movements were exquisite. They seemed to perfectly represent the sense of unattainable feminine perfection which geishas are known for.

Miranda, this is what "allure" is all about!

Japanese food, continued...

clare-tamea — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 10:10:00 GMT

We've been asked a bit more about what Japanese food is like, particularly whether there is a lot of sushi.

The main staple food seems to be sticky rice which is eaten at almost every meal including breakfast. And a little pot of miso soup. Then add lots of other little dishes each full of interesting veggies and seaweed, and often tofu and different mushrooms. Then add some sort of fish (of many different types), tempura, curry, egg, pork, tongue, or other kind of meat often in a lovely sauce.

We occasionally eat a noodle dish instead of rice. There are thin brown noodles and thick white noodles and come with all sorts of toppings, including raw egg. They sit in a heap in your bowl challenging you to eat them and their sauce with your chopsticks without getting it everywhere!

But everything is interesting and tasty and different areas have different specialities. I think Sushi is only an occasional meal for most Japanese (and us). And a rule here is that you don't eat food (or drink anything or smoke) in the street. You have to find somewhere to sit down, to respect the food and other people around you. Even donuts! It's so tempting to just take a bite rather than try and find a bench or go back to the hotel!!

Bullets and buses

clare-tamea — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 10:00:00 GMT

As you would expect, the Japanese train system is excellent - extremely clean, punctual and frequent. We love the bullet trains (Shinkansen) that whisk you through the country at top speed (we estimated our one yesterday was going at least 200 mph). The announcements are in Japanese and English, which is great. They look so cool, like formula one racing cars. And I have worked out just enough Japanese to ask for two tickets!

As much as we love the trains, I fear the buses. The round-town ones are great, but the tricky thing is trying to decipher where you are and have you reached your stop yet, as outside the main tourist areas it is all written in Japanese characters. So we are getting experts at trying to spot "that funny sign which starts with a man wearing two hats" or "the one which looks like a chest of drawers with a bird on top"! And with my eyesight...!! And sometimes the buses have curtains and people draw them if it's sunny!!! No oooooo!!!

The inter-city buses are also superb, but only if you can work out how to book one! Most have only a Japanese website. You have to register as a member, in Japanese, before you can book a ticket. We usually get stumped as soon as we open the page! Another way is to buy tickets at a machine in a convenience store. Again, in Japanese! Aaargh!!!! Of course, you can't just go to a ticket office and buy a ticket, unless you are actually in the city you want to go from (by which time the seats may all be booked) Heeeeeeeelllllpppp!!! We have been stuck in a town with no way out before now! However, at a hostel, a very kind Japanese lady helped us buy a couple of tickets on the website, explaining that it was even complicated for Japanese people! The loveliness of the helpful Japanese people is immeasurable!!!! Thank you!!!!

(Note to self - if we return to Japan in the future, learn how to read, write and speak Japanese first!)

Sendai's Love Story Festival

clare-tamea — Fri, 8 Aug 2014 22:44:00 GMT

The city of Sendai celebrates a love story each August. And everyone loves a good love story!

There seem to be various legends behind it but the one we were told by the Sendai tourist office was this:

According to Chinese legend, two stars, Altair and Vega, were once a princess and a cow-herd. The father of the princess was angry and cast the stars apart, separating them by the Milky Way. Their love for each other was too strong, and the princess cried so much, that magpies agreed to link their wings across the Milky Way once a year so the lovers could be together.

As the lovers' wish came true, Tanabata is a time for making wishes. The colourful, intricate paper decorations in Sendai contain different "wishes", for example the strings of origami cranes are to wish for peace. They are hung from bamboo poles along the main streets and shopping malls, making a wonderful display.

In Sendai and other cities, we also saw a lot of bamboo trees covered in small pieces of paper. These are wishes that people write, hang on the tree, and then at the end of these few days, are sent up in fire.

I am sending a wish to everyone reading this that your wishes also come true. And, having seen a snippet of world news, a prayer for peace.

Aomori Nebuta Festival

clare-tamea — Thu, 7 Aug 2014 09:41:00 GMT

The Chinese-inspired Aomori Nebuta festival, in the North of Honshu, is an incredible spectacle. Several parades take place, each made up of giant floats; bands of drummers, flautists and hand cymbalists; and groups of dancers accompanied by "jokers" - people dressed in funny costumes whose job it is to make people laugh with their antics. It is very competitive as the teams (which seemed to come from big Japanese companies such as Toshiba) try to outdo each other to win the prizes.

The giant floats are awesome to see. Japanese paper is attached to a wooden skeleton, inked and painted to create colourful 3 dimensional scenes depicting famous historic people, samurai, birds and beasts. The floats are illuminated from inside and pulled through streets by 20 or so men, "performing" as they go, making the float twirl and bow to the instructions of the "conductor". This sounds simple but imagine the sheer effort involved when you know each float weighs about 4 tonnes, is about 9 metres wide, 5 metres tall and 7 metres long - like carrying a small house through the streets!

As well as being a feast for eyes and ears, it was also interesting to see the brilliant team-working, and how much the Japanese love to have fun :)

Folk dancing and plastic food

clare-tamea — Fri, 1 Aug 2014 09:50:00 GMT

Each year for the past 400 years, the villagers of Gujo-Hachiman have taken to the streets for a dancing festival called O-Bon. It originated from Shinto-Buddhist religious beliefs that ancestors' spirits return from the dead for a few days around the seventh month of the (lunar) year. Lanterns are lit to welcome them. The dance is to show happiness for this and to remember the kindness and selflessness of relatives now deceased.

The streets are closed and, for 32 nights, packed with villagers performing a number of different folk dances in traditional kimonos and wooden clog-like flip-flops, accompanied by a band who drum, flute, chant, shout and sing. It was a bit like a Japanese line dance, and it looked easier than it was!

When the ancestors' spirits are ready to return, bonfires or fireworks are lit to see them on their way. It is a very special time in Japan, and different villages celebrate in slightly different ways.

In another of those ancient-meets-modern contrasts, this little town of Gujo is also where plastic food was invented and in the daytime you can make your own realistic-looking tempura, seaweed-wrapped shrimp, or piece of tofu. (A lot of the restaurants in Japan display their menus by using this plastic food. And yes, it does look tasty!)