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Kampung Kling Mosque: Embracing diversity in Malacca, Malaysia

A dark grey dove glided through the air into the mosque as well as perched atop a fountain in the middle of the pool. I looked at my friends Asta as well as Ces and, without saying a word, stood there as well as viewed it. two muslim men sitting on the patio were viewing us, too, as we viewed the bird. Don’t get us wrong — we’ve seen doves before, however we were drawn by how regally it stood on the second layer of the fountain before us.

We were at the courtyard of the Kampung Kling Mosque (or Masjid Kampung Kling) in Malacca. We stood on a slightly raised walkway next to a loaded pool, the center of which harbored a richly-designed functional fountain. however I’m getting ahead of the story.

Kampung Kling

One of the oldest mosques in Malaysia, the Kampung Kling Mosque was built in 1748. It stands along Jalan Tukang Emas, likewise known as harmony street or temple Street, since the street is likewise home to other places of worships: the Cheng Hoon Teng temple (Taoist, Buddhist) as well as the Sri Poyyatha temple (Hindu).

Harmony street is now flanked with Chinese shops as well as other industrial stores, however it wasn’t always like this. Centuries ago, the area was called Kampung Kling. Kampung implies “village” in local language. Kling, on the other hand, is what they used to call Muslim Indians who hailed from South India. I’m not sure if Kling is the same as ‘Keling’, which is considered a politically incorrect as well as offensive term nowadays, however it may not have the negative connotation at the time the mosque was erected. This mosque became the main place of worship for the Indian population of the area during the time.

Kampung Kling Mosque in Melaka
What Makes Kampung Kling Mosque Special

Unlike many mosques in Western Asia which are built on a hexagonal or rectangular plan, Masjid Kampung Kling stands on a square plan. This wood mosque is covered by a triple-tiered roof. The central roofing system is supported by four primary columns while one more set of four columns raise the lower two layers. The patio area of the mosque is bordered by a short Corinthian colonnade. Chinese ceramic tiles decorated the roof, some parts of the walls, as well as the floor. however the Chinese influence doesn’t stop there. The eaves of the roofs are curved like many old Chinese buildings. The carpeted floor of the main prayer hall can be accessed through several doors, one of which serves as the mosque’s iwan, leading to the courtyard behind.

The courtyard, where we viewed a dove quench its thirst, hosts a pool with a fountain at its center, used for ablutions. one more set of columns surrounds the pool as well as forms a covered walkway around it.

The many eye-catching structure in the site, however, is the imposing minaret just next to the mosque. It is a minaret, yes, however it somewhat resembles a Chinese pagoda. Unlike the wood prayer hall, the commanding minaret is built completely of stonework. It has six (?) tiers topped with eco-friendly roofing system as well as an apex so high I might not see what the style was exactly. Each layer of the tower is windowed however the number of arch windows vary. Each side of the top tier has two huge arch windows as well as several smaller ones; the second tier has three small windows; the third has two on each side; as well as so on.

In 1868, around 120 years after its construction, a high wall was built to safeguard both the mosque as well as minaret from the street. The wall opens through an arched-topped, tile-roofed gate, ornamented with three acroteria.

Perhaps one thing that I really liked about Kampung Kling Mosque is that it embodies the street, the city, as well as the country that cradles it. The influences in architecture as well as style of the place reflect how Malaysia has embraced the numerous cultures that nurtured its history as well as traditions, as well as ultimately makes it the nation that it is now.

More suggestions on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Walking in Harmony: 4 religious places to visit at temple Street, Malacca, Malaysia

Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi temple in Malacca: Malaysia’s Oldest Hindu temple

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Malacca: The Oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia

CHRIST CHURCH MELAKA IN MALAYSIA

THE DUTCH SQUARE IN MALACCA, MALAYSIA

THE STADTHUYS town HALL: museum of History, Ethnography, as well as Literature of Malacca, Malaysia

Jonker street in Malacca, Malaysia

Hoe Kee poultry Rice Balls: Where to eat in Malacca, Malaysia

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Zakynthos Greece: A complete travel guide

Zakynthos Greece (also known as Zante Island) is a small, stunning island that bobs in the Ionian Sea of western Greece. With outstanding accommodation options, wonderful restaurants, welcoming locals, and some of the best beaches in Greece, it’s no surprise why this island is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the country.

After travelling around Greece for nearly 3 months in total, we still consider Zakynthos one of our favourite islands to visit. even though the south of the island is dominated by mostly mundane resort beach towns offering the typical inclusive holiday packages, the north and center of Zakynthos is still an exciting place to explore.

The craggy, cliff-strewn coastlines that surround Zakynthos bless it with some breathtaking white sand beaches tucked in secluded coves and sheltered by dramatic skyscraper cliffs. If you’re looking for a beach holiday, this is one of your best options in Greece, but don’t be fooled into thinking that’s all Zante has to offer.

In this guide to Zakynthos Greece, I’m going to break down everything you need to know about travelling to this fascinating Greek island.

Table of Contents
About Zakynthos Greece
Where is Zakynthos?
How big is Zakynthos?
The best Time to go to Zakynthos Greece
Getting There & Away
Where To Stay
Things To Do
Best Beaches
Best Restaurants
The Nightlife in Zakynthos Greece
Our Experience travelling in Zakynthos Greece
In Closing

About Zakynthos Greece

Zakynthos Greece is also known as “Zante” and “the flower of the Levant”. located in the Ionian sea about 250 kilometres west of the capital of Athens, it is perhaps most famous for Navagio Beach, a breathtaking cove surrounded by dramatic 200-meter high cliffs.

Today there are around 40,000 people living on the island, but during the high tourist season, as many as 2.9 million tourists descend on Zante and the other Ionian islands.

The capital is Zante town, a charming seaside city with many restaurants, bars and historical sites. When we visited, Zante was a quiet place to be, but I’m sure that in the high season this port city would be bustling.

See Also: The ultimate guide To Greek Travel

Where is Zakynthos?

Zakynthos is located in the southernmost part of the main Ionian island chain around 20 kilometres west of the Greek mainland and 249 kilometres from Athens. The island of Kefalonia is 50 kilometres north of Zakynthos. There are also a few small islets around Zakynthos including Marathonisi and Kalonisi to the south.

How big is Zakynthos?

The island of Zakynthos Greece is around 40 kilometres (25 miles) long and 20 kilometres (12 miles) in width. The total area of the island is just over 400 kilometres² and its highest point is atop Vrachionas mountain at a total elevation of 758 meters.

Zakynthos boasts about 123 kilometres (76 miles) of stunning coastline, but not all of it is stunning white sand like that found on Shipwreck beach (Navaggio). much of the coast is craggy cliffs and dramatic rock formations.

The total population of Zakynthos is 40,759, but as I mentioned earlier, this number is much higher during the peak tourism season when tourists outnumber the locals 10 to 1.

The best Time to go to Zakynthos Greece

You can pretty much check out Zante at any time of the year, but our favourite time to check out is in the spring (March to May) or fall (September to November) when it’s not too hot and there are fewer tourists. The prices of accommodation are also much lower at this time with savings of up to 50% in our experience.

If you don’t mind being around crowds, then the summer (June to August) is also a terrific time to visit. If you get too hot, you can always head to one of the many beaches to amazing down.

We last visited Zakynthos in the spring and it was beautiful. The days were hot, but the evenings tended to amazing down enough that we were comfortable while sleeping and the sea was still warm enough for a (chilly) swim.

Easter, Christmas and July & August are the absolute peak visitor times for Zakynthos and during those times the prices can skyrocket.

Winter (November to March) is an okay time to check out as well, but don’t expect to go swimming as the sea temperature can dip to 12°C (54°F) in January and February. You may also find that many restaurants and hotels are closed at this time.

Getting There & Away

Zakynthos Greece is a relatively easy island to get to thanks to its close proximity to mainland Greece. You have a few options for getting to Zante and leaving the island when your vacation is finished.

By Sea

The ferry from mainland Greece (Kyllini, Peloponnese) has scheduled departures seven times per day starting at 5:30 in the morning and the last sail is at 22:30. The journey takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes and the price varies based on season but it’ll usually cost you around €47 – €56 per person each way.

By Air

To get to Zakynthos quickly, you’ll likely want to fly, either from Athens with Olympic or Aegean airlines, or sometimes you can find direct flights from major European cities like London, Amsterdam, Prague, Edinburgh and Rome. These direct international flights usually only connect Zante to the rest of Europe during the summer months.

Check Ryan Air, Volotea, British Airways, Jet2, Ellinair and other budget airlines for direct flights to Zante in June through September.

By Car

A lot of people choose to rent a automobile in Athens and drive over to the Ionian Islands. If you want to do this then you’ll have to pay the automobile fee on the ferry to bring it to Zakynthos.

When we were on Zakynthos Island, we rented a automobile and it’s a terrific way to get around, so whether you want to rent it in Athens and drive all the way to Kyllini to catch the ferry, or fly to Zakynthos and rent it there, it’s worth having a car.

Where To Stay

There are many different areas to stay on Zakynthos Island with the most popular beach destinations clustered together on the south and eastern coasts of the island. here are the best places to stay in Zakynthos.

Zakynthos at a Glance:

The South: busy resort towns like Laganas and the popular Turtle Island make this the most visited part of the island. While other places have better beaches, this is where you’ll find the most restaurants, hotels, bars and nightlife.

The North: mostly deserted mountains, olive groves, pine forests and dramatic cliffs along the coast, you won’t find as much going on up north aside from the most famous sight on the island, Navagio Beach. While there are a few luxury resorts and villas up here, most don’t stay long in the north.

The East: Aside from the small but bustling port of Zante Town, the east is a series of developed beach towns that stretch on either side of the capital.

The West: Empty and mountainous, most people only come to the west on a trip around the island with a stop at the famous sunset spot of the Cliffs of Keri.

Zante Town

The capital city of Zakynthos is a terrific little town right on the sea. This is the largest city on the island, but in our opinion, it’s not the best place to stay. There are plenty of tourist hotels and restaurants here, but it’s not on the nicest beach and it’s more of a bustling port city than a tourist attraction.

Read More: A complete travel guide To Zante Town

Laganas

Most people who check out Zante will stay in Laganas. This is the main tourist center famous for parties and popular with young tourists and European students on short vacations. There are lots of terrific accommodation options here including low-cost apartments, nice resorts and amazing boutique hotels.

Read More: A complete travel guide To Laganas Beach

Agios Sostis

Just 2 kilometres west of busy Laganas is the more laid back Agios Sostis. This is a walkable distance from Laganas, so it typically gets busy with day trippers, particularly those who come for the picturesque Cameo Island which is linked to the mainland by a lovely little bridge (you’ve probably seen the photos), as well as nearby Turtle Island.

Tsilivi & Planos

Tsilivi and Planos are another one of the most popular beach destinations in Zante. The family-friendly, calm, shallow, 2 kilometre long “Blue Flag” beach of Tsilivi is one of the most stunning and safest to swim in. There are many accommodation options in both towns and terrific restaurants along the sea here as well.

Read More: A complete travel guide To Tsilivi & Planos

Psarou & Ammoudi

Sandwiched between the more popular towns of Tsilivi to the south and Alykes to the north, Psarou is where we stayed when we last visited Zante Island. I have to say that it’s definitely not one of the main tourist hot spots in Zakynthos, Greece. Nevertheless, we loved it there! We stayed in a lovely little modern apartment and paid only $22 / night (thanks to shoulder season discounts).

If you’re going to stay in Psarou, I’d definitely recommend having a automobile because it doesn’t have as many restaurants and entertainment options as some of the other, more touristy citiesin Zante.

Read More: A complete travel guide To Psarou

Argassi

Partway down the Vasilikos peninsula before you reach the beaches of Banana beach and Porto Azzuro you’ll find Argassi. set conveniently between some of the best beaches on the island and the buzzing capital, this town has terrific hotel and apartment options, outstanding Greek restaurants and decent public carry links thanks to its proximity to Zante Town.

Vasilikos

The town on the peninsula of the same name that stretches out of the southeastern part of the island a few kilometres south of the capital, Vasilikos is a relatively untrodden part of Zante Island. This is where you’ll find some spectacular beaches like St.Nicholas, Banana beach and Porto Azzuro. There’s decent accommodation options down here and some terrific restaurants.

Kalamaki

A little east of busy Laganas and a little west of Zante Town, Kalamaki is the goldilocks beach town of the south in this respect. thanks to the nesting turtles, there are no hotels right on the sand and there are no watersports, which give the sandy beach here a nice, relaxing atmosphere. Kalamaki is a terrific place for couples and families.

Keri

There is a Keri village on the west of the island and Keri beach town on the southeast, which are about a 10-minute drive apart and both offer terrific accommodation options. Keri beach has a few nice resorts and hotels near the sand, while Keri village has dramatic views over the cliffs out towards the Ionian Sea as well as the picturesque lighthouse.

Read More: A travel guide To Keri beach & Keri Town

Alykes

If the smell of sulphur on the beach doesn’t bother you too much, Alykes is a stunning beach in a secluded cove complete with a free natural spa treatment. Geothermically heated mud pours into the beach in between a couple of rocks giving the water a cloudy glow and your skin a nice treatment. This is a traditional Ionian seaside village and is much quieter than some of the more developed beach towns in Zante.

10 most important first steps For a brand new travel blog

starting a blog is easy and only takes about 5 minutes, but then what? once you’ve started a blog, designed it a bit, added some posts and are ready to launch, what do you do next? These are very important questions to answer and we know the feeling of not knowing what to do next.

New bloggers typically fail because they make the same fatal business mistakes and feel overwhelmed. The fact is that blog growth is a formula and you need to continuously follow the proper steps toward success.

Travel blogging completely changed our lives, but it didn’t happen over night. There’s no “get rich quick” in this game. Our journey from a hobby-blog to a full-time business was a long one! If you want to succeed at blogging, you need to create a blog knowing that it will take time to build it to the point that it can earn you $10,000 – $20,000+ per month. but taking the right steps can help this process go along much faster.

In this post I’m going to go over the first 10 steps that every new blogger should take after starting their blog.

1. Take a Course

This is a point that you may not find on other new blog to-do lists found online, but I do think it’s the single most important thing you can do to give yourself a enormous boost above the competition. online courses are amazing. I’ve taken some courses that are worth upwards of $1,200 and I really can’t even explain how much I learned from them. even the most expensive courses we’ve taken have paid themselves off within a year.

But I’m not recommending that you start a blog and then go and spend a lot of money on an online course. Without too much self-promotion, we have a WordPress beginners blogger course that is free if you start a blog through our link and helps new bloggers design a beautiful, professional looking website, how to write posts and how to grow a brand new blog so that it can one day earn a full-time income.

Courses are vital because they allow you to learn from a pro and literally get your hand held through the most important steps of any given topic.

Back in 2012 when Dariece and I first started this blog, we paid for our domain and hosting and then opened up WordPress (the best platform for building blogs on the market, hands down), and we were completely stumped. We didn’t know what to do next!

We really wish that we could’ve found a blog online that was offering a course because even if we had to pay for it, it would’ve saved us hundreds, if not thousands of hours Googling for answers and getting lost in the process.

Do yourself a favour and whenever you start a new blog, plan to take a few courses along the way. think of it as an education, but one that is better than university. You ever notice how the text books in schools are from the 80’s, 90’s, etc.? even a 5-year-old textbook on blogging and marketing would be obsolete.

Online courses are typically up-to-date, they provide actionable steps you can take to succeed and they’re taught by those who are in the business currently, not those who have been teaching in a classroom for 10+ years.

Can you tell I’m a lover of online learning material?

2. create important Pages

Okay great, so you’ve started your blog and you’re learning the ins and outs of WordPress through an online course, but while you’re learning you should also create your most important pages. all of them should also be added to your site’s navigation menu. These pages include:

Home Page: The main page on your site and the page people reach when they type your domain (ie: “www.yournewblog.com”) into their browser.

Contact Page: You need to give your readers a place to contact you… even when you’re just starting out and you only have a couple of followers. maybe your grandma has a question about travel! You can use WP forms Plugin to easily create a contact form on a new page. write a bit about where to reach you, your business address if applicable and a photo of yourself.

About Page: This page is all about you. write your story, why you created the blog, who you are, where you’ve travelled, what makes you unique and what you plan to do in the future. This page should be LONG. I mean like 5,000+ words long. Go into terrific detail. When people click a button on your site to learn more about you, they’re interested in YOU. This is the time to show them who you are and to introduce them to you… after all a travel blog is a personal brand, so you are your blog.

Destinations Page: You’ll want to have a page that people can go to read all about the different places you’ve been / written about. You can use the Interactive Maps plugin to embed a fancy looking map on the page where users can click countries and regions to access all of theposts you’ve written about each place.

Start Here: This is another really important page to create. The start here page is like your about page, but instead of being all about you, it’s more about the blog itself. What is your blog’s main goal, what is it about, what makes it unique, what’s the niche / theme of your website? You can also link to your most popular content and your categories from this page.

Privacy Policy: now that GDPR is in full swing, it’s important to have a privacy Page. This is just a technical page that you should create to explain to users how your site gathers data. As a brand new site, you can just use the conventional WordPress template for this page and create it in about 5 minutes.

Blog Page: This is normally a list of your latest blog posts, but you can also create a page to make this page a bit nicer looking. You can add links to your most important content and a bit about what your readers can expect to find in your blog posts.

3. design Your blog using The prosper architect Plugin

Now it’s on to the fun stuff. When we started our blog, we had to try to learn JavaScript, CSS and HTML coding in order to make our site look decent. The problem with this is that no matter how good you think you are at designing a website, there is always something wrong! It doesn’t look correct on mobile devices, or the text is too small, or something else.

I’ve always said that a good blog design is one of the most important first investments for new bloggers. When we finally handed our site over to a professional design & development team, they told us that the coding was a disaster. these days there’s a new plugin that’s an absolute game changer for blog design and it literally makes any new blogger, with no previous coding experience, a professional web-designer.

It’s called prosper architect and I’ve used it to design a lot of the pages on this site, and I used it to design the pages for our Beginner blogger Course. Basically, prosper architect allows you to drag and drop different elements onto the page to make your site look exactly how you want it.

At this time, you can’t fully design site-wide elements like the footer, header, sidebar and menu, but those elements can be easily designed in a free WordPress Theme. What prosper architect allows you to do is create stunning landing pages. So if you want a professional looking home page, or any of the other pages I listed above, I can’t recommend this plugin enough.

Right now it’s only a one time payment of $67, which I think is a steal. We’ve purchased it for both of our websites and I use it every day.

We’ve spent over $5,000 in professional design on this blog, and while I don’t regret it because it gave Goats On The road a bespoke, unique design, I definitely would’ve waited a lot longer, and our site wouldn’t have been such a coding disaster if prosper architect existed when we started out.

The best part is that they have over a dozen tutorial videos to teach you how to use the plugin easily and they have a support team that answers within a day if you have any questions. yes I get excited about it because now I love designing new pages on our blog and making them look cool.

See Also: 10 free WordPress Plugins Every travel blog Needs

4. Set-up social media Accounts

Once you have a nice looking blog design, it’s time to start sending some traffic your way! one of the best ways to do this is through social media. There are 4 main accounts you should set up as soon as you start your blog.

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

These accounts only take a few minutes to create and they can be extremely valuable to a new blog. once you set them up, make sure you go back onto your site and add social sharing / follow me buttons all over your blog so that your new readers can easily follow you on your social networks.

We use Shareaholic for the social media buttons you see around this blog. It’s a plugin that allows you to add these buttons wherever you want on your website. It’s easy to use and only takes a few minutes to set up.

Try to use your actual blog name for your social accounts because it will make it much easier for your blog readers to find you if they’re searching for you. For example, all of our social accounts are under “Goats On The Road”, like Facebook.com/goatsontheroad, Instagram.com/goatsontheroad, Pinterest.com/goatsontheroad and Twitter.com/goatsontheroad.

If we made our name Goats travel or something, people probably wouldn’t be able to find us.

Don’t just rely on new blog readers to follow you on social media either. Make sure you go and ask all of your pals and family to follow you too to get the ball rolling. go on your current personal social accounts and ask all of your pals to follow you.

Pinterest is actually one of the most underrated social media platforms for new bloggers, but those of us who have been at it for a long time know the importance of Pinterest. like Google, Pinterest will likely be one of your biggest traffic sources, so it’s important to learn how to boost your blog traffic using Pinterest.

Get those numbers up! follow our social media 6-Day Success schedule and explode your social numbers right away.

5. start creating an email List

This is a very under-utilized aspect of travel blogging that many new bloggers completely miss out on. As soon as you have some blog content, you should start collecting emails.

MailChimp allows you to start a new account for free up until you have 2,000 subscribers. It’s decent, but every blogger will go for a better email company as soon as they reach that threshold because MailChimp just isn’t the best one out there.

Once your list gets over 2,000, definitely change over to a more advanced email company like ConstantContact or ConvertKit. Or if you have the funds, you might want to invest in a good email company right off the bat so that you don’t have to switch over later. These advanced email systems allow you to more easily grow your list, segment them and ensure that your emails actually make it into the inbox.

We also use ThriveLeads on this site to gather emails. It’s from the same people who created prosper Architect, and it’s just as amazing. It allows you to create pop ups, ribbons and banners using the same easy-to-use drag and drop design functionality as prosper Architect.

Since adding ThriveLeads to our site and integrating ConvertKit for our emails, we’ve nearly doubled our list in just under a year. At the time of writing this post we have over 20,000 incredible email subscribers and many of those are thanks to ThriveLeads.

At the very least, you should start by heading over to MailChimp and creating a new account for free. then you’ll want to add email forms all over your blog. Make sure your forms ask for both name and Email! You definitely want to be able to call all of your subscribers by first name.

MailChimp has a WordPress Plugin that makes this very easy to do. just add some text above the email form that says, “Join our mailing list if you want to hear more about our travels” or something similar that conveys your brand and niche. Then, when you send an email you can use what are called “Merge Tags” to make sure that the email says the subscribers first name at the top.

Next, you’ll want to do the same thing you did with your social media accounts and contact everyone you know and ask them to subscribe to your newsletter.

Friends and family are great, because they’re genuinely interested in reading your emails. At first, your emails will likely just be about your travels and what you’ve been up to. but as your blog grows and you start producing content, you can use your email list to give your newest posts a good bump in traffic.

Once you have a few people on your list (even just 10), start sending them emails. every week (Sunday nights / Monday mornings are best), send your email list a newsletter with your latest posts that you wrote during the week, as well as a bit of content just for them. They’re special! Make them feel that way by offering them stuff that normal blog readers don’t get.

You’ll also want to set up an automat

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WILL THE CORONAVIRUS modification exactly how YOU LIVE? IT will FOR ME.

Posted: 04/27/20 | April 27th, 2020

Emily Dickinson when said, “To shut our eyes is Travel.”

I disagree.

Confined inside for the last six weeks, no matter exactly how commonly I shut my eyes, it’s just not the same. The charm of Dickinson’s quote seems to only go so far.

When she was alive, the world was a “bigger place.” leisure travel was not truly a thing. many people would never leave their hometown, let alone their specify or country. You couldn’t just jet to Japan for a few weeks. Going anywhere was a extremely long as well as costly endeavor.

And, as a recluse who seldom even left her home (she left her hometown three times in forty years), perhaps utilizing her mind to check out the world was most likely the very best for Emily to “see the world.”

But we online in an age when the entire world is our oyster. We can (or could, anyway) jump on a flight as well as see far-off lands at the decrease of the hat. We can text, call, as well as Zoom people in real-time from anywhere in the world. travel has ended up being so affordable as well as simple that we concern about the “overtourism” of destinations. everybody is on the road these days.

Our society is the most mobile as well as globalized it’s ever been.

And, yet, these days, no matter exactly how numerous travel books, movies, online museum visits, as well as Zoom phone calls I devour, I still feel like a caged bird.

It’s not that I’m yearning to travel. I had no travel plans up until late May.

But I miss the outdoors, seeing my good friends in person, glasses of red wine at restaurants, as well as going to mixed drink bars. I miss freedom. All my huge plans to be home, join social clubs, take gardening classes, as well as hike much more are postponed.

What’s more, when I transferred to Austin, I furnished my house so it would not be comfortable to work from. I understood exactly how simple it would be to just work all the time from house — as well as doing so can make you lazy as well as unproductive.

So I produced a area that would be great for a few hours however would then force me out of my home as well as into the world.

It was my insurance coverage against my innate laziness since I didn’t want to be inside all the time.

Yet right here I am (here all of us are).

A great deal is being stated about exactly how the coronavirus will modification exactly how we live. A great deal is being stated about exactly how it will modification travel. (I already shared my thoughts on it.)

As I view spring bloom outside my window as well as keep in mind what it was like to hike in the mountains of faraway lands, I can’t assist however question if Emily would feel the exact same about living in her home if she had been around today.

Being inside has made me believe a great deal about Emily’s quote as well as my own life as well as connection to the outside world.

Like many people, my issue has never truly been “not having sufficient time” to do the things I wanted. I was just misusing the time I had as well as falling into “the hectic trap.” Endlessly doing “stuff” however nothing that truly moved me forward. And, in truth, many of that “stuff” I did was work or wasting time on the internet anyways.

But it took up time as well as made me feel “busy.”

Now, all of a sudden faced with all the time I’d always wanted I had, I discover myself in my old practices — as well as even less inspired than before. I sleep longer, I eat worse, I’m unmotivated to opt for walks, as well as I spend a great deal of day at my kitchen area table working or on social media.

That truth dawned on me last week. With limitations most likely loosening in a couple of weeks, I felt like the possibility I had a reset had not been utilized wisely.

So, in an effort to make a change, last week, I started to produce a semblance of a typical day by arranging everything. From sleep to reading to when I would eat to work to even social media, everything went into my schedule.

First, I wished to feel inspired to get out of bed again.

Second, I wished to see if I might discover to much better utilize the time I had.

The verdict?

It turns out there is lots of time in the day to do whatever you want to do.

You can get a unexpected amount of stuff performed in a day with a plan. I’m reading much more consistently as well as completing the on the internet programs that have lingered for months. I’m lastly catching up on Schitt’s Creek (it’s great). I’ve even put in “social media” time so I can guarantee that I still get my repair in.

Before this, I moved a great deal by inertia. My life was fairly balanced and, with sufficient to keep me hectic as well as on the move, I never had to truly question about all the plates I was spinning. All the chaos balanced itself out.

But, now that the music has stopped, I can see that I was never truly balanced.

All I was doing was just moving.

I hope my future self will someday checked out this publish as well as say, “You kept it up as well as discovered balance.”

After all, we always state we’ll change, however we seldom do. As time passes, we typically go back to our old ways.

Humans are creatures of practice as well as we have short memories.

I am no different.

But I certainly don’t want to look back as well as say, “Well, past Matt, you failed.”

A dilemma can be an opportunity. A possibility to reset who you are as well as exactly how you live. Being young as well as single affords me much more time than others however if I’ve discovered anything from my experience — as well as from speaking to my good friends — bit modifications can create huge results.

You don’t requirement to modification a hundred things in your life. even doing one thing (scheduling for me) can create a huge as well as positive change.

After all, time truly is as well valuable a thing to waste.

And I can’t believe it took having as well much time on my hands to recognize that.

Book Your Trip: Logistical suggestions as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a affordable flight by utilizing Skyscanner. It’s my preferred browse engine since it searches sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the most affordable rates for guesthouses as well as hotels.

Don’t fail to remember travel Insurance
Travel insurance coverage will safeguard you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s extensive security in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to utilize it numerous times in the past. My preferred business that offer the very best service as well as value are:

SafetyWing (best for everyone)

Insure My trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (for extra evacuation coverage)

Ready to book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the very best business to utilize when you travel. I listing all the ones I utilize when I travel. They are the very best in class as well as you can’t go wrong utilizing them on your trip.

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Animals Of Our World: A picture journey

The world is full of fascinating creatures, weird crawlers as well as carnivores. travelling provides us the chance to not only witness the people, cultures as well as cuisines, however likewise the animals of our world. We’ve been on safaris in Africa, camel treks in India, high altitude hikes in Nepal as well as dove with humpback whales in Mozambique. This has provided us the chance to produce a great album of interesting, dangerous as well as outstanding animals from all around the world. We like animals as well as witnessing them in raw nature is a treat that you can only get from travel. right here are our preferred animal pictures, enjoy!

Blue ribbon Eel – El Nido, Philippines
Ginger feline Out Of the blue – Chefchaouen, Morocco
Afro Donkey – Mut, Egypt
Curious Lizard – Jerash, Jordan

Sheep – Ooty, India
Palm Sized Hut Spider – Kabak, Turkey
A Smoking Dassie – Cape Town, South Africa
Monitor Lizard – Perhentian Cecil, Malaysia
Green Viper – Kapas Island, Malaysia
Grazing Turtle – Cape Of great Hope, South Africa
Sleepy Cheetahs – Masai Mara, Kenya
Majestic Bull – Delhi, India

Camel At Sunset – Jaisalmer, India
Colorful Bird – Masai Mara, Kenya
Soaring Turtle – El Nido, Philippines
Relaxing Leopard – Masai Mara, Kenya

High Altitude Butterfly – Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
One happy Panda – Chengdu, China
Extremely unusual Black Rhino – Masai Mara, Kenya

Diving With Humpback Whales – Tofo, Mozambique
One of the most outstanding experiences I’ve ever had while backpacking the world was diving with Humpback Whales in Mozambique. The sheer size of these creatures is remarkable as well as the method they glide with the water with such grace is astonishing. It’s not just the big animals that catch our interest though. little bit dung beetles as well as Dassies with cigarettes in their mouths likewise make us reach for the camera.

Interacting with the animals of our world is sometimes as rewarding as satisfying the people. travel has provided us the chance to see many animals living in their natural habitat. We will be publishing a series of these picture journeys, all with unique pictures of the animals we’ve encountered on our travels. Our next trip will bring us to Mongolia as well as central Asia where we will have the chance to witness some extremely unusual as well as fascinating creatures. keep your eye out for more picture journeys about animals of our world!

picture STORIES

Disclaimer:Goats On The road is an Amazon partner as well as likewise an affiliate for some other retailers. This means we make commissions if you click links on our blog as well as purchase from those retailers.

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Cafe at the Ranch: Where to eat in Taal, Batangas

It’s funny how, sometimes, we know so little about the places closest to us.

I grew up in a small Batangan municipality called Lemery, next to the more famous historic town of Taal. Lemery and Taal have always been twin units: Lemery used to be part of Taal during the Spanish era. Their poblacions lie next to each other, separated only by the narrow Pansipit River. My sister owns a house in Taal. My nephew goes to school in Taal. during my teen years, I was there every weekend. It’s practically my second home. Yet, when someone asks me for a restaurant recommendation in Taal, I usually don’t know what to answer.

The truth is, when I’m in Batangas, I don’t eat out. and to be fair, there are not that many options. Taal hasn’t really exploded as a tourist town (yet) and most locals would rather cook at home or dine at one of those fast food chains. So when we were driving and found an inconspicuous signage that read “Cafe at the Ranch,” I had to stop. We turned onto the dirt road next to the sign, which led to MGM Ranch. In the middle of it stands an old bahay-na-bato, the traditional dwelling of noble families during the Spanish era, which homes a restaurant. It looked like your typical ancestral house, which confused us a little bit. For a moment, we thought we made a mistake or maybe the cafe wasn’t open for business anymore, so we had to ask somebody. open it was! Lucky, lucky us.

Cafe at the Ranch in Taal, Batangas
Cafe at the Ranch in Taal, Batangas

The staff welcomed us and ushered us to our table. Unlike its sister restaurant Casa Cecilia (also in Taal), their menu revealed a more Western selection of dishes, which includes pasta, baby back ribs, and crepes. There are local options too, but limited to the rice meals (breakfast). After placing our order, the waiter promptly cautioned us that it would take a while to serve our dishes since there was only one cook. totally understandable.

Other than a couple, which were just about to leave, we were the only customers at the time. It was a dainty place with just four tables. The atmosphere was vintage but had some quirky accents. The chairs were those old rounded ones with wooden seats and metal backs, legs, and spindles. The tables were made of wood, too, but painted white and then boasting colorful calligraphy and vine drawings. There was a small container of colored pencils on each table, and an image of an Easter Bunny. (It was a week after Lent.) There were inspiring quotes written on the walls, too.

While waiting, we munched on Tutti Fruity Ice candies (P50). It’s strange that we had dessert first, I know. but it was a sunny, sunny day and the summer heat can be overpowering. Each serving consists of five pieces: sweet corn, chocnut, cantaloupe, etc.

Ice candies (P50 per 5 pieces)!
Cafe at the Ranch in Taal, Batangas
Cafe at the Ranch in Taal, Batangas
After 15 minutes, the soup — chunky Crab Bisque — was served. The scent coming from the bowl when it was laid on the table was promising. and for its price, I delivered, too. It had just the right saltiness, although the crab flavor tasted artificial. texture and visuals were a bit one-dimensional, but it tasted really good.

The pasta and rice meals were served ten more minutes later. We ordered rice meals — Ranch-style Fried Chicken, Jack Daniel’s baby Back Ribs, and Adobo sa Dilaw Flakes — all of which came with either turmeric rice or java rice on the side. The two-piece fried chicken was fabulous. It was crispy on the outside and juicy inside, and could give Jollibee Chickenjoy a run for its money. The only difference was that the breading was thinner, but did not take away from the overall taste.

The Jack Daniel’s baby Back Ribs was savory and smokey, and the sauce really had a strong kick. The unfortunately austere serving of meat was on the tough side, perhaps a little bit overcooked. I’ve had bigger and tastier half-slab at a much cheaper price. The adobo flakes was crispy but a bit greasy. The turmeric rice smelled and tasted wonderful. That’s maybe because turmeric is one of my favorite spices in the world.

We also ordered a plate of pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and shrimps, which was delightful. The noodles were al dente, covered in a thin but flavorful sun-dried tomato sauce and topped with fresh, fresh shrimps and parmesan.

Cafe at the Ranch Menu
Chunky Crab Bisque (P165)
Ranch style Fried chicken (P250), Adobo sa Dilaw Flakes (P200), and Jack Daniel’s baby Back Ribs (P350)
Adobo sa Dilaw Flakes (P200)
Sun-dried tomato and shrimp pasta (P240)
The restaurant collects a 5% service charge on top of the bill.
We also had a glass of home-made iced tea, which was way sweeter than I am used to. but I’m not complaining. That meant I could have more. All I did was ask for a glass of water and I now had two glasses of great-tasting iced tea.

Crepes are their signature dessert, but we loved most of what they served thatthere simply wasn’t any room for dessert. maybe next time.

Overall, cafe at the Ranch was a hit-or-miss for me. but it is definitely something I would return to over and over again. Although there are a few letdowns, when it is good, it’s really good. The atmosphere was also light, distinct, and full of character. It’s one of those places that’s terrific for a long catchup with pals (perhaps over lunch) or a romantic date. most of all, there’s no other like it in this side of Batangas.

Cafe at the Ranch
MGM Ranch and Farm,
Barangay Mahabang Ludlod Taal, Batangas

How to get to cafe at the Ranch: If you’re coming from Manila and taking public transportation, you may take a DLTB or JAM Bus bound for Lemery (P178, terminals are in Buendia, Pasay). tell the conductor to drop you off at flying V at the corner of the Taal-Batangas road and Diversion Road. (Just say flying V Diversion and the conductor knows exactly where it is.) walk a little further and you’ll find a small signage dangling next to a dirt road, which leads to the restaurant. It’s just a short walk.

If coming from Taal Heritage Town, take a tricycle to the restaurant. They might not know where cafe at the Ranch is so tell them MGM farm in Mahabang Ludlod.

Where to stay in Taal: Taal Hotels

More tips on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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9 distinct Batangueno Dishes You must try

5 PINOY RECIPES for Christmas & new YEAR’S EVE (Noche Buena & Media Noche Food Ideas)

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MY 16 preferred things TO perform in THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Last Updated: 1/5/19 | January 5th, 2019

Two of the most-visited destinations in the Caribbean, the us as well as British Virgin Islands are what I expected them to be: white sand beaches, outstanding diving as well as snorkeling, turquoise crystal-clear water, beautiful hiking, great deals of boating opportunities, as well as heavily poured rum drinks.

I spent a month traveling around the islands by boat. There is a interesting number of things to do on the islands — life right here is not all hammocks as well as piña coladas. From celebrations to diving to strenuous hiking tracks to hidden tide pools, each of the islands in the area has plenty to offer to keep you hectic if a full day at the beach isn’t your thing.

Take a trip to buck Island

The only marine national park in the United States, buck Island is a half-day trip from St. Croix (though full-day trips that include food as well as booze are likewise available). While the marine park as well as coral are somewhat dead after years of overfishing as well as coral bleaching, there’s a fantastic beach on the island that couldn’t be much more quintessentially Caribbean: empty, wide, as well as ringed with palm trees. The half-day trip is the greatest value as well as one of the very best things to do on St. Croix.

Recommended buck Island trip companies:

Big Beard’s experience Tours ($75 for a half day as well as $105 for a full day)

Caribbean Sea Adventures ($75 for half day)

Jolly Roger Charters ($75 for half day as well as $90 for a full day)

Relax in Jack Bay as well as Isaac Bay

Located on the easternmost point of the United States, these bays are two empty beaches on St. Croix. challenging to access, after a steep hike down a extremely overgrown trail, you’ll come upon Isaac Bay (also house to nesting turtles), where you’ll be able to delight in a thin slice of white sand, blue water, as well as snorkeling best from the shore. Jack Bay is linked by a poorly signed path at the end of Isaac’s. The beaches aren’t maintained, but, while not the prettiest, they are one of the few areas on the island you can have to yourself. Bring your own water as well as food as there are no facilities in either bay.

Chill out at Cane Bay

This is my preferred bay on St. Croix, featuring a gorgeous beach, a tasty restaurant (Eat @ Cane Bay), as well as snorkeling within swimming distance of the shore. though the beach isn’t extremely broad as well as it’s found best near a road, the chilled-out environment of the area, great snorkeling (there’s a steep dropoff out from shore, producing a great deal of fish-viewing opportunities), as well as few crowds make it a location worth costs the day (and early evening when the restaurant has pleased hour). Cane Bay is found on the north side of St. Croix.

Explore Jost Van Dyke

The celebration island of the British Virgin Islands, Jost sees a great deal of day trippers from St. John as well as yachties coming into the harbor as well as making a beeline for the Soggy dollar Bar to drink Painkillers (rum, pineapple as well as orange juice, as well as fresh nutmeg), the bar’s well-known drink as well as one that everybody on the Virgin Islands drinks (the finest one I had was at Rudy’s on Jost; Soggy dollar is overrated). White Bay is where all the action is, however I liked it early in the morning or late at night when all the day trippers (drunks) were gone as well as the comprehensive white sand beach was deserted. Be sure to go to the bubbly pools on the other side of the island where the incoming water rushing into this small tide pool produces a whirlpool effect.

Explore The Baths

At first, I couldn’t figure out why everybody likes this area on Virgin Gorda. The beach was tiny, the water rough, as well as the crowds plentiful. then I complied with the indication to the caves, as well as it ended up being remove why this is the most-visited area in the Virgin Islands. After crawling with a small opening, you are surrounded by enormous granite boulders nestled on each other with streams of water streaming all around them. It’s beautiful. There are nooks as well as crannies to check out everywhere. After wading with water as well as climbing over rocks, you discover yourself in tide pools that gather between the boulders on your method to Dead Man’s Beach. It costs $3 USD to enter.

Enjoy paradise on Anegada

Looking to get away from the crowds? Anegada in the BVIs is a coral atoll with a few hundred people living on it. few ferries go to the island (only three per week), as well as many people who get up right here tend to find through their own boats. This keeps the crowds down. You can go hours without seeing anybody on the beaches. The island is ringed by a reef, making it ideal for snorkeling best from the shore (you can see a great deal of rays right here too!) The island is well-known for its lobster, as well as each restaurant has its own signature meal (Neptune’s Treasure as well as Potters by the Sea were my favorites). If you are available in November, be sure to catch the lobster celebration that occurs the last weekend of the month. It’s lobster heaven.

Enjoy the food as well as music of Redhook

This port town on St. Thomas has a few of the much better restaurants as well as bars on the island. You’ll discover vibrant music, a tasty beer as well as burger bar called tap as well as Still, as well as energetic clubs. If you’re on the island as well as wanting to have a night out, this is the location to be. You can likewise get ferry service to/from Cruz Bay on St. John as well as to/from the British Virgin Islands.

Party on St. John

Want fun? $1 pleased hour specials? outstanding drinks? St. John is for you. With only 2,000 people living on the island, it has a small-town feel, however it heaves with tourists who want to getaway the stuffy as well as costly costs of St. Thomas. because the primary town of Cruz Bay is so small, bar hopping is truly easy, as well as many bars function online bands.

Note: Hurricane Irma as well as Maria truly did a number on St. John. While healing has been strong (most companies as well as beaches have reopened), some accommodations are still closed. You can comply with the islands’ healing development at usviupdate.com.

Visit Cinnamon Bay

This bay on St. John is house to the only campground on the USVIs. It’s a broad bay that stays quite empty as well as calm, making it one of my preferred beaches on the island.

Note: Hurricane Irma as well as Maria truly did a number on St. John as well as much of the island is still recovering. At the time of writing, this bay is still closed to visitors.

Hike the Reef Bay Trail

Cutting with St. John, this path begins in the center of the island as well as takes you with the forest featuring old sugar plantations, stone ruins, ancient petroglyphs, as well as a deserted sugar factory by the water. It’s beautiful, easy, as well as the beach at the end is a ideal location for a dip (you’re going to work up a sweat!). integrate it with Cinnamon path that begins at Cinnamon Bay on the top of the island, as well as you can cut across the entire width of the island in about four hours.

Get away from the crowd at Brewer’s Bay

Located near the flight terminal on St. Thomas, this beach is near the USVI university as well as a locals-only beach — for the sole reason tourists just don’t seem to ever make it here. You’ll see regional households BBQing, people exercising their dogs, as well as planes concerning as well as going from the airport.

Wander the empty Salt Island

This tiny, deserted, out-of-the-way island is full of once-important salt ponds. There’s snorkeling around the island, as well as you can take a dinghy to go to the deserted town near the salt pools. The island is had by a household that pays an annual lease to the Queen of England of a single one-pound bag of salt. You’ll requirement to get right here with your own boat; there are no ferries.

Dive/snorkel the RMS Rhone

Considered one of the most outstanding dive as well as snorkel sites in the world, the RMS Rhone was a mail ship that crashed in the close-by reef as well as is now its own synthetic reef, house to countless different fish as well as coral. It’s a should for each diver. many dive trips leave from Tortola. You’ll be able to go into the wreck too.

Drink at Willy T’s

Located off Norman Island, this old boat turned floating bar is where everybody goes wild in the British Virgin Islands. I’ve seen old women doing body shots here, while young men chug beer as well as jump off the boat naked. It’s always a wild day on Willy T’s. however if the water is calm on weekends, the location gets extremely hectic as locals take boats over for some Sunday Funday. There is no ferry service to this celebration barge. You’ll either requirement your own boat or pay to choose the Dolphin Water Taxi.

Hob nob on Necker Island

Famously house to Sir Richard Branson, you can stay on this island for a awesome $50,000 a night. Don’t have that much money? No problem. You can take a day trip with Gumption on the Sea It remove Glass bottom boat Tour. trips leave from a number of places on the northern Virgin Gorda (including gun Creek, Bitter end Yacht Club, Leverick Bay, Fat Virgin, as well as Saba Rock) as well as function fish spotting as well as a walk around the island. Branson has been understood to state hello.

Sail around the islands!

It may be expensive, however you can’t go to these islands as well as not sail around them. It would be a sin. Whether for someday or several days, be sure to jet around the islands. It’s the only method to see the much more remote islands that ferries don’t visit, get away from the crowds, as well as find your own hidden snorkeling spots. Here’s exactly how you can sail around the islands on the inexpensive (or for free!)

****When I went to the islands, I pictured myself wasting away the days on beaches as well as reading as well as composing at night. It turned available was just as well much to do on this area to “waste a day.” No matter what island you end up on, there will be lots of choices to select from. This listing of outstanding things to perform in the Virgin Islands can assist guide you, however don’t believe for a second that these islands are boring. even non–beach bums will fill their days.

Book Your trip to the Virgin Islands: Logistical suggestions as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to discover a inexpensive flight. They are my two preferred browse engines since they browse sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned. begin with Skyscanner very first though since they have the most significant reach!

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most significant stock as well as finest deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the most affordable rates for guesthouses as well as inexpensive hotels.

Safety Wing (for everybody below 70)

Insure My trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (for extra repatriation coverage)

Looking for the very best business to save money With?
Check out my resource page for the very best business to utilize when you travel. I listing all the ones I utilize to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Want much more info on the Virgin Islands?
Be sure to go to our robust destination guide on the British Virgin Islands for even much more planning tips!

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RAINBOW village in TAICHUNG, TAIWAN: travel guide + exactly how to get There

Throughout history, art has proven itself as a powerful tool to reveal personal thoughts as well as feelings. It has likewise ended up being an efficient platform to motivate discourse on social problems as well as difficulty the existing norms. This is a lot of obvious in street art.

In Taichung City, there’s a popular street art attraction that was conceived by a professional soldier, Huang Yung-Fu. The Rainbow village in Nantun district is a former settlement for professionals who served during the Chinese Civil War. To save it from being demolished as well as replaced with contemporary structures, Mr. Huang started painting the staying structures.

After university professors as well as their trainees found Grandpa Huang as well as his artworks, the proposal to protect the Rainbow village as a cultural possession was lastly settled, saving it from demolition. as well as before they understood it, it has ended up being a mainstream vacationer area that is checked out by travelers from all around the world!

For first-time visitors, right here are a few of the things you may want to understand before you go.

WHAT’S covered IN THIS GUIDE?

What are the operating hours of Rainbow Village?
How much is the admission ticket?
When is the very best time to go?
How to get to Rainbow Village?From TRA Taichung Station
From TRA Xinwuri Station

What are the points of rate of interest at Rainbow Village?
Is there a close-by restaurant or food place?
Where can I get in touch with the administration for additionally inquiries?
Other Rainbow village Tips
Where to stay in TaichungSearch for a lot more Taichung Hotels!

More ideas on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️Related Posts:

What are the operating hours of Rainbow Village?

Although an open-space exhibit, the Rainbow Village’s office or the story space area is open from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

How much is the admission ticket?

The entrance to the Rainbow village is FREE!

You can take pictures of yourself as well as your companions against the vibrant as well as eye-popping backdrop without costs a dime. considering that it’s a bit far from the city center, make the most of your visit!

When is the very best time to go?

The area is small, so it can get a bit congested particularly on holidays as well as weekends.

If you’re checking out for a picture op, early morning or late afternoon is the very best time since of the lighting. Noontime light is rather extreme as well as not truly great for photos.

How to get to Rainbow Village?

From downtown Taichung, the travel time to Rainbow village is 45 minutes to an hour, depending upon the web traffic condition as well as the mode of transportation.

From TRA Taichung Station

From TRA Taichung Station, take Bus 27 or 89 to Ling Tung University. The fare is NT$ 12.

Alight at the Ling Tung university bus stop.

From the bus stop, you can reach the Rainbow village in about 10 minutes on foot.

From TRA Xinwuri Station

From TRA Xinwuri Station, take Bus 56 to Rainbow village bus stop. The fare is NT$ 12-15.

Alight at Rainbow village bus stop.

Follow the pathway to the entrance as well as walk past the children’s playground.

Note: Bus 56 buses have 30-minute interval, so if you missed the previous bus, you may have to wait around 30 minutes for the next bus.

What are the points of rate of interest at Rainbow Village?

Artworks. The whole complex is snap-worthy. The walls as well as complex grounds are made lively by the artist’s carefree brushstrokes as well as cheery artworks. Take pictures with your companions with Rainbow Grandpa’s masterpieces as your backdrop.

Souvenir Shops. even the souvenir shops are fun as well as lively! The stores offer products as well as products that mirror Rainbow Grandpa’s masterpieces. There are printed shirts, umbrella, passport wallets, magnets, hats, bags, mugs, postcards, as well as lots of more! The smaller shop is called Hongfu, while the bigger open-air shop is called Art color primary Shop. The latter is where you will see Rainbow Grandpa in flesh. chat with him, take pictures with him, or both.

Story Room. If you want to discover a lot more about the background as well as history of Rainbow village as well as the artist, the story space will tell you exactly how everything started.

Thunder Egg. This store offers tea eggs called “thunder eggs”. The eggs are boiled in tea (oolong, black tea, etc.) with their shells still intact. Tea eggs are rather prominent in Taiwan. The store likewise uses rainbow popsicles, plum popsicles, as well as ice cream. The store is found next to the Art color primary Shop.

Fun Bar. This store generally offers drinks/beverages. It has bubble tea, coffee, marbled soda, as well as more! The store is found just before the exit back to the children’s playground area.

Is there a close-by restaurant or food place?

YES, however we weren’t able to try them.

There are two close-by food locations along Lingdong South road where the Rainbow village bus stop is likewise located. These are Hong Ya Hamburger as well as Mao Men.

Where can I get in touch with the administration for additionally inquiries?

Address: Lane 56, Chun’an Road, Nantun District, Taichung City, Taiwan

Landline: 04-2380-2351

Mobile Number: 0920-162888 / 0912-076787

Email: rainbow194992@gmail.com

Official Website: www.1949rainbow.com.tw

Other Rainbow village Tips

Avoid using tops with hectic prints or graphics. wear ordinary bright shirts, so you will pop against the backdrop as well as your ensemble won’t fight the artwork patterns. note that the dominant color is red. Make sure that you are using comfortable clothes as well as footwear.

Bring sun security or apply sunscreen lotion or cream.

Be mindful of other people. As much as possible, don’t take as well much time taking photos. let others take pleasure in the area too.

Have your mobile phones charged full or bring a power bank.

Bring your own refillable water container to keep yourself hydrated.

The restroom is found behind the children’s playground as well as near the auto parking area.

Where to stay in Taichung

If you choose to make Taichung City your base, right here are a few of the close-by hotels as well as lodges offered on Agoda.

Norden Ruder Hostel Taichung. inspect rates & Availability! ✅

Star Hostel Taichung Parklane. inspect rates & Availability! ✅

Loosha Hostel. inspect rates & Availability! ✅

Stray Birds Taichung Hostel. inspect rates & Availability! ✅

Search for a lot more Taichung Hotels!

2020 • 8 • 12

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Finding the genuine Cuba in Viñales

close your eyes as well as photo a vibrant shade of green. now lay that palette over rolling hills as well as sprinkle them with small wooden houses as well as huge palm as well as Bougainvillea trees. now pierce with the emerald floor lots of large limestone karsts. hear pure silence interrupted only by the creaking wheel of an ox-drawn carriage as well as the occasional whinny of a equine in the distance.

Welcome to Viñales. A location in Western Cuba that, in spite of an enhancing number of visitors each year, stays stubbornly raw as well as authentic. This is where we headed to after 4 nights in Havana as well as the stark contrast between the busy funding as well as the tranquil farmlands had us energized for travel when again.

We were greeted at the bus station by Mileidi, the head of the hold household at our Casa specific which we pre-booked with HostelsClub.com. Casa Particulars in Cuba are like homestays as well as they are one of the very best parts of travelling the country. We were thrilled to inspect into our second house away from home!

The Casa

Casa Boris & Mileidi had two quaint rooms, one somewhat larger as well as brighter than the other, however both were extremely clean as well as comfortable. Our space had two double beds, A/C, a fan as well as a personal bathroom.

Casa Boris & Mileidi
Between the two guest spaces was a massive, open-air typical area ideal for reading or enjoying a meal. There were 3 dining areas, a fridge as well as a beautiful rooftop terrace that had astonishing views over the small town of Viñales as well as the surrounding farmlands as well as mountains.

About Viñales

Viñales is in the Pinar del Río province of far western Cuba. It’s finest known for the farming of Cuba’s famous, all-natural tobacco which is utilized to create the world’s many sought after cigars. however tobacco isn’t the area’s only agriculture. The farms likewise create loads of fruit, vegetables as well as coffee, in addition to big amounts of cattle as well as livestock.

For years visitors have been drawn to this peaceful oasis by the vision of sitting on a patio in a rocking chair as well as smoking a cigar while looking out at farmland as well as enjoying views of huge limestone karsts that practically always seem to be within arm’s reach. This is exactly how numerous of the locals spend their afternoons, as well as it was the chance to sit together with them as well as experience their way of life that drawn in Dariece as well as I to this region.

Our Visit

We have to admit that we were keen to delight in some relaxation in Viñales, however we had huge plans for our short 4 night stay. We rented a 50cc moped to ensure that we might have a bit bit of additional flexibility as well as get away from the crowds as well as into the more rural areas of the Pinar Del Rio Province.

NOTE: You can lease a moped for $25 / day or $20 / day if you lease for three days. The rental shop is on the primary road. We can’t keep in mind the name, however it’s somewhere around here. You truly can’t miss it when you’re walking around (the extremely small) Viñales town. You can likewise ask the owner of your casa as well as they can point you in the direction.

We went to a lovely close-by beach called Cayo Jutias which is frequented by tourists as well as day-tripping locals who are all drawn to the powdery white sand, remove aqua-marine waters as well as fantastic coral reefs. We likewise took the bike out to see the St.Thomas cave which was outstanding as well as extremely recommended, however aside from a few hours on the sand, me going for a dive as well as us checking out the cave, we were mainly submerged in the farmlands of “real Cuba”.

The highlight of our trip to Viñales, as well as most likely the highlight of our three as well as a half week trip with Cuba, was our second day of independently hiking into the farms around the tiny village.

As soon as we left the small hamlet and rode for 10 minutes outside of town, all we could see was farmland as well as jagged cliffs sprawling outside towards the horizon. The peaceful hum of motorcycles as well as village life disappeared behind us as well as we were left with pure, uninterrupted silence. The amazing thing about Viñales was that there seemed to be no fences or personal property, no restricted areas or closed doors. So long as we weren’t trampling any type of crops, we could walk with any type of farm in any type of direction.

We took two long hikes while we were in Viñales. On our second day in the area, we spent about 5 hours hiking around the Valle de Viñales, which lays just a few kilometers north oftown. We parked the bike as well as slowly walked up towards a view point, which provided us a amazing point of view of the surrounding area as well as showed us just exactly how numerous farms there were. We then hiked around the valley floor, stopping in at one specific house to smoke a cigar as well as chat (with restricted Spanish) to a regional farming family. They provided us our very first taste of Mamey, Cuba’s national fruit. I liked the sweet, date-like flavour however Dariece was put off by the strange fleshy texture.

Near the end of our hike we came across a major traveler attraction in the area, the Prehistoric Painting. In 1961 (curiously not prehistoric) an artist named Leovigildo González Morillo was influenced by Diego Rivera as well as chose to utilize a 120 meter broad limestone cliff as his canvas. He painted prehistoric animals as well as tried to catch the theory of evolution. however in our opinion, the rock painting looked incredibly out of location among the natural charm of the valley. however we were heading that method anyway, so we stopped by for a peek, fortunately we didn’t have to pay the entrance fee, as we just looked at it from afar.

Art?

Meeting Yasel

On our third day in Vinales, our concept was to pick one of the huge limestone mountain formations as well as walk around it to loop back to our starting point. The hike took us with tobacco plantations as well as cattle farms, past regional houses as well as over rich eco-friendly hills. At one specific farmhouse, we were invited in to see exactly how they dry as well as process their tobacco. We were lucky to satisfy one of the few farmers in the area who was fluent in English. His name was Yasel as well as he explained to us the entire process of production which his household has adhered to for generations.

His specific farm was well-known for creating a sweeter as well as smoother tasting cigar as well as he explained to us exactly how his dad as well as grandfather had come up with a blend of honey as well as lime juice that they spray on the leaves before drying them. He rapidly rolled up a felt marker sized cigar, skillfully sealing the ends as well as tightening the leaves inside before handing it to us proudly. He then provided us a previously rolled as well as pressed cigar to smoke.

We’re not smokers as well as really despise the taste of tobacco, however the crops around Viñales are grown without any pesticides or chemicals, as well as the wonderful recipe that our friend’s household had sprayed on the leaves provided it a candied scent that beared no resemblance to the cigarettes we discover at home.

“When in Rome” we thought, as well as we lit the end as our new good friend looked on in anticipation.

“Good ya?” he asked, excited.

The reality was, it was delicious and as we sat down as well as continued our conversation with the young farmer, it was difficult not to be swept up in the moment. right here we were, in rural Cuba, smoking an huge cigar inside a barn, under a canopy of drying tobacco leaves as well as speaking with a regional farmer about his life in a communist country, all to the noise of roosters crowing and pigs snorting outside. This is what travel is all about.

A tobacco Canopy
We took a few pictures with Yasel and guaranteed that if we ever returned to Viñales, we would bring him a copy of the pictures. We shook hands as well as quote our new friend farewell before moving on, thrilled to see much more of the rich farms around us.

The rest of our hike brought us past a number of household houses as well as each one invited us in, thrilled to see foreigners enjoying the lovely countryside. We were provided a range of things, from fruit as well as vegetables, to guitar playing as well as equine rides, however one offer was typical to all homes. The cigar. After our very first one, we had to turn down the rest for worry of overdoing it.

We ultimately made our method back to the road as well as to our motorcycle. grins creased our faces as we were both touched by the generosity as well as generosity of the households we had met. This was only our very first week in Cuba, as well as already we had experiences that we would never forget. Viñales was whatever we had really hoped for as well as much more as well as we hope that we can someday return back to that small farmhouse with the chickens as well as the pigs, to ensure that we can provide Yasel this picture as well as delight in one more wonderful cigar with him.For much more on Cuba, inspect out:

Planning a trip to Cuba: To-Do listing before Travel

Goodbye Guatemala, hi Cuba! Our journey from Lake Atitlan to Havana

Havana, Cuba: might This Be Our new preferred City?

We’ll have an interesting video of Vinales to show you soon! In the meantime, tell us what you believe of the countryside ?

A special thanks to Casa Boris y Mileidi for holding us on our see to Viñales as well as to HostelsClub.com for organizing all of our lodging in Cuba.

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THE lawn IS never GREENER

Updated: 12/04/19 | December 4th, 2019

As I lay on a beach of the island of Ko Lipe in Thailand, my Kiwi good friend Paul counted on me as well as asked nonchalantly, “Backgammon?”

“Of course,” I replied. “What else is there to do?”

We’d play for hours before heading to our preferred restaurant in the “town center.” The owner would show us Thai as well as the regional Chao Lay language while chuckling at our inability to manage spicy food. We’d laugh together with him, share some jokes, as well as head back to the beach.

Then, at night, we’d walk barefoot to the island’s primary beach and, with the generators buzzing in the background, drink as well as smoke with our other good friends into the wee hours of the morning.

When the generators turned off as well as we only had starlight to light our way, we would quote each other great night up until morning, when we would do everything over again.

When I very first started traveling, I envisioned myself as Indiana Jones on the quest for the holy Grail (definitely not some odd crystal-skull area aliens like in the last movie). My holy Grail was that best travel moment in some off-the-beaten-path city nobody had ever checked out before. There, I’d have a possibility encounter with a regional that would provide me a window into the regional culture, modification my life, as well as open my eyes to the appeal of humanity.

In short, I was trying to find my version of The Beach.

The beach was a book published in the 1990s about backpackers in Thailand who, fed up with the commercialization of the backpacker path in Asia, sought out a a lot more authentic, excellent paradise.

It crystallized what backpackers envision themselves doing.

Ko Lipe was an island full of banana pancakes, Wi-Fi, as well as tourists. It wasn’t that location nobody had ever heard about, however it was my paradise. just off the vacationer path sufficient to be remote however still on it sufficient where I’d have some contemporary amenities.

To me, The beach exists. It’s not a specific location or destination. It’s a moment in time when total strangers from opposite ends of the world come together, share memories, as well as produce bonds that last forever.

You discover those moments regularly when you travel, as well as when you do, you begin to recognize what travel has been trying to show you from the beginning:

No matter where you are in the world, we’re all truly the same.

And that basic realization is the most interesting “Aha!” moment you can ever experience.

After my trip to Costa Rica, my mind couldn’t stop believing about elsewhere. somewhere else was a location of foreign lands as well as people.

Of hiking.

Of discovery.

Of cafes chuckling with new friends.

Of freedom.

Of unencumbered possibility.

My present life was a prison. A prison that kept my new discovered uncaged spirit confined to routine as well as dread. I had seen the light in Costa Rica. available in the world, people were repeating my experience while I went into data into Microsoft programs as well as arranged phone calls as well as meetings for my boss.

If only I was available in my mythical elsewhere, my life would be much better as well as a lot more exciting.

But traveling around the world has taught me that the lawn on your neighbor’s yard is the precise exact same shade of eco-friendly as your own.

The a lot more you travel, the a lot more you recognize that everyday life as well as people around the world are precisely the same.

Everyone wakes up, concerns about their kids, their weight, their friends, as well as their job. They commute. They kick back on the weekend. The go grocery shopping. They listen to music as well as like movies. They laugh, they cry, as well as concern just like you.

How they do these things may be different however why they do them isn’t.

Humans are the exact same no matter where you go in the world.

Local culture is just exactly how different people do things. I like exactly how the French obsess over wine, the Japanese are so polite, Scandinavians like their rules, Thais seem to have a clock that is permanently 20 minutes late, as well as Latin cultures are passionate as well as fiery.

That is culture. That range is why I travel.

I want to see exactly how people online life around the world, from the farmers on the Mongolian steppe to the office workers in fast-paced Tokyo to the tribes of the Amazon. What’s the regional handle the mundane stuff that I do back home?

Bill Bryson when stated we travel to enjoy with enjoyment people doing the mundane stuff we do back home.

I believe he’s right.

We may want to believe that the world is nonstop enjoyment anywhere however where we are — but it’s not.

It’s the same.

I utilized to online in Bangkok mentor English. While I had versatile hours, I still dealt with commutes, bills, landlords, using fits to work, as well as whatever else that includes an office job. Igot together with good friends after work for dinner as well as drinks as well as did everything over once again the next day.

There I was, continents away from home, as well as I was just living my 9 to 5 around again. It felt different to me since it was in a new location — but, as I show on it now, it was necessary the exact same thing however different background.

And all the locals around me envisioned life back in the united states as interesting as I envisioned life in other countries.

The daily life of people halfway across the world is no different than yours.

You’ll discover people doing things in a different way anywhere you are. Sure, it’s fun eating on the Seine, sailing the Greek islands, or racing a motorcycle around Hanoi. however locals aren’t doing that every day. They’re just living their lives (I indicate believe of exactly how commonly you’re a vacationer in your own town? Not commonly I bet).

When you recognize exactly how alike our lives are, you recognize we’re all in this together. You no longer see people as some “other,” however instead acknowledge yourself in them — the exact same struggles, hopes, dreams, as well as wishes you have, they have for themselves.

That’s the most crucial lesson I’ve discovered after ten years as a nomad.

And so, when an interviewer asked me last week about the biggest thing traveling the world has taught me, my mind instantaneously raced with all those moments on Ko Lipe, as well as without hesitation, I replied:

“We’re all the same.”

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Book Your Trip: Logistical ideas as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a affordable flight by utilizing Skyscanner. It’s my preferred browse engine since it searches web sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the least expensive rates for guesthouses as well as hotels.

Don’t fail to remember travel Insurance
Travel insurance coverage will secure you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s detailed security in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to utilize it lots of times in the past. My preferred business that offer the very best service as well as value are:

SafetyWing (best for everyone)

Insure My trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (for extra evacuation coverage)