FLASHPACK ESNTLS

This Week’s Great Travel Deals

flashpackesntls — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 13:53:53 +0000

Hello Flashpackers!

Coming to you with this week’s great travel deals. Get leid in Honolulu, Hawaii for only $612 CAD round trip from Toronto. For all our readers across the pond in Germany, you can hop over to our home soil (Toronto) for only €282 – what a deal! Finally, if you have been following us for some time you know how much we loved our time in India and we always encourage all you Flashpackers to check it out. So, I will let you in on this secret flight: $748 USD return from New York to Chennai, India.

Happy Flashpacking!

– Tracy

Image Courtesy of No Limit Hockey

Filed under: Uncategorized

The Bucket list: The Great Wall of China

flashpackesntls — Fri, 01 May 2015 04:58:05 +0000

Hey Flashpackers,

Thank you all for your understanding, continuous support and emails, we love you all and will get back to regularly scheduled posts shortly. Yesterday I was able to cross another item off of my bucket list and that was climbing the Great Wall of China!!

Climbing the Great Wall of China has always been on my bucket list and I remember almost 2 years ago I was discussing with a friend that I wanted to go to China to see the Great Wall and learn Mandarin. I never expected to be in China so soon, but I spoke it into existence and here I am finding myself climbing one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. I can’t even express to you the emotions I experienced as I walked along the wall, when you are actually living your dream a wave of emotions just takes over because you are happy but also in disbelief. I have seen the history books and read about China and have seen may videos about the country and it’s people but growing up I never thought I would ever be on this side of the world.

I was always planning to go on the Great Wall by myself just to enjoy such a wonderful moment but I was happy that my friend Mo was able to join me on this adventure. There are 9 sections of the wall that you can visit spanning across China but we chose to see Mutianyu this time around. Mutianyu is less crowded with foreigners, has beautiful scenery, better architecture than the touristy Badaling section of the wall and has more watchtowers. Mutianyu means “admire fields valleys” and is surrounded by beautiful pines, cypruses and mountains.

You have two choices on how you get up to the wall, you can take the stairs all the way to the top or you can take a cable car. At first I was all gung-ho about taking the cable car because I wanted to take pictures of the scenery as we went up. Mo reminded me that we were supposed to be here on an adventure and that it only made sense that we get up to the wall using the stairs. Although the sun was beating and the steps were steep I obliged and we started our trek. I suggest to anyone taking the stairs to bring a cold beverage, proper shoes, loose fitting clothing and a towel or handkerchief of some sort (if you go when it’s warm) because you will surely need it. After climbing stairs for 20 mins, I worked out my buns and basically sweated all my makeup off lol but it was ok because we made it safely and in one piece!

I am the paparazzi by nature and therefore couldn’t stop taking snaps with my little Samsung but I had to remind myself that taking in the sites and creating permanent memories in my mind were more important than any image I could ever capture, so I stood there and just enjoyed my view. We met all kinds of people from around the world on the wall, Chinese natives and people from North America and Europe, everyone was so friendly and we also had many people come up to us to take pictures and welcome us to Beijing. It was a great feeling.

After almost 2 hrs of walking up and down steep stairs and climbing parts of the wall in the hot sun Mo and I decided it was time to go as he had to go to work in the evening. Going down we had a decision to make, walk down, take a cable car, or take a toboggan ride. Since I had really wanted to take pics from the cable car we decided to go that route. Once we were on we realized we should have taken the toboggan ride down because it looked like ways more fun than the cable car. Overall it was an amazing day and I cannot wait to visit another part of the wall again in the fall as I’m sure it will be beautiful!

“Travel, it leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller”- Ibn battuta

-C

Filed under: fernwen, flashpackers, home

So I Moved To Vietnam

flashpackesntls — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 14:07:48 +0000

Hey Flashpackers! I officially live in Ho Chi Minh City! I basically just packed my bags, booked a hotel for 6 days, and hit the road. My plan was to find an apartment and a teaching job after I arrived. I wanted to go to HCMC from before I left Korea, so I just took the leap. I chose this city because of the weather, the pay ($18 – $30/ hour), the proximity to other countries (easy travel), and the low-cost of living (food and beer is $1 – $2). It has been a wild ride so far.

Let me just start off by saying that traffic is CRAZY – it scares me. Imagine New York traffic x 3, but you are on a motorbike breathing in all the fumes. Motorbike is the most common mode of transportation and it is not uncommon to see a whole family on one bike with a toddler riding shotgun.

As a result, there is a lot of pollution. Yesterday I was stuck in rush hour traffic with a thousand bikes, cars, buses, and trucks around me – I felt like my lungs were going to collapse. Therefore, I decided I am going to get a mask. I will look something like this when I am on the street.

I will give you a run down of what I was up to the last few days. I arrived Wednesday at about 11am. I was lucky enough to meet some nice people on my flight who helped me find my hotel, get settled in, and one even showed me around the neighborhood where my hotel is (hey Steve!).

Bin Thanh Market

Wednesday night I went to an event and met some more cool people. Shout out to Sheryll from The Wanderlust Project for inviting me out and helping me get started. Thursday I just ate, walked around, and relaxed. Yesterday (Friday) I could not sleep and was wide awake by 4am. After tossing and turning I eventually peeled myself out of bed and spent the entire day running around apartment hunting. I found a super small studio (aka “service apartment”) on a beautiful street. It is only $280 USD/ month and that includes cable, internet, laundry/cleaning service twice a week, and water. The only thing I have to pay for is electricity, which, according to the landlord, is an average of $15 US/month. It was a toss-up between a bigger apartment in the same district at the same price, but on a busy back alley street with no amenities close by, or this beauty. I chose this because it is right in the center of the city on a quiet street overlooking the river. This is my view at night. I could not use my flash because my phone battery was low so the picture isn’t that great, but you get the drift.

The apartment is at the edge of District 1 which is considered downtown and the “international area”. I was going to try to move out of D1 because it is too populated and polluted, plus I am not crazy about being around a bunch of expats (I like the authentic experience); however I was lucky enough to find this little gem. Just around the corner there are tons of language schools and awesome restaurants (food is important). I love it because I can hold off on getting a motorbike for a bit, I can just walk to work. Don’t mind the stuff in the picture, someone was living there when I checked it out.

After that hectic day I ended up crashing at 10pm even though I wanted to do some exploring at night.

My apartment won’t be ready until Monday, so I will continue to stay at a hotel until then. The hotel I am staying at is called Yen’s Hotel and it is in the middle of the backpacker district. They serve complimentary breakfast, play calm music in the lobby, and talk really quietly. They have that whole Zen theme going on.

I have not done anything touristy yet because I wanted to get my apartment first, budget for that, and then see what extra cash I have to spend on entertainment. I ate a lot of good food though.

Tonight I think I am going to go to a rooftop bar and watch the sunset, then head to another bar/club to dance. There is another area called Mekdong where you can watch the sun set, eat barbecue, and catch fireflies – I might go there tomorrow. Some random motorbike taxi man tried to convince me to go yesterday, but I had appointments with real estate agents. Every 2 steps there is a man on a motorbike asking if you need a ride or some woman asking if you want a mani/pedi or food. Let’s just say I have mastered the art of saying “no” politely.

My only complain is the pollution has done a number on my eyes and I can’t wear my contacts. Going to visit an ophthalmologist in the next few days to see what they can do to help me out. The other thing I have to get use to is haggling for EVERYTHING. Most vendors inflate the price by 100% or more. I had a couple of taxi drivers try to rip me off. However, they were unsuccessful because momma didn’t raise no fool. Besides that the people here are so friendly and they are always smiling.

I just want to take a moment to acknowledge how AMAZING Vietnamese coffee is! I never liked the taste of coffee in the past, I just drank it because it was the kick I needed to stay a functioning member of society. But here I might just have to start drinking coffee for fun because it tastes so good.

That is pretty much all I have to say about my experience here to date. I will let know how the job hunt goes when I start looking in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, stay up-to-date with my adventure via the hashtag #SurvivingSaigon.

– Tracy

Filed under: Uncategorized

I’m Officially a Beijinger!

flashpackesntls — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 22:20:18 +0000

Nĭ hăo Flashpackers!!
So for all of you who don’t know, I have moved to China, Yay! I decided that I was going to pick up and move my life back to the Orient so that I could continue to challenge myself and grow as a person. I’m still settling in and adjusting to the time difference here so you know my jet lag is in full swing! However, where there is a will there is a way and I am determined to get my circadian rhythm together so that I can be a productive human being again. I’ve been here all of 4 days and already I have had quite the experience so I will give you a quick update on my living/ work experiences here in China thus far. I live on the school campus, where the majority of the teachers and students live Monday-Friday. People stare at me of course and the kids come up to say hi but I’m used to this because I had a similar experience when I lived in Korea. The people here have really embraced me which I must say I am surprised about as I was anticipating a completely different experience based on my past interactions with people in China. My colleagues seem to like me and my boss does not want me to leave China apparently either. The other day she told me that she wanted me to marry a Chinese man so that I could stay with her in Beijing forever (her words not mine) lol. Unfortunately, I don’t live alone here in China, as I share my apartment with another foreign teacher who has been married longer than I’ve been alive. I’m not an ageist but I did worry that we wouldn’t be able to relate on much besides teaching. Luckily for me I was wrong, she love’s traveling and has shared some great stories about her adventures. The only spaces we share are the kitchen and the living room, so it isn’t that bad but I would have still preferred to have the entire space to myself.

I’m not a big fan of the area in which I live it def seems like there is not much to do close by my home. This can be looked at as a good or bad thing because on one hand I will be saving money because I won’t be heading out on weekdays and on the other hand I have to travel for a bit to have some fun and and interact with other foreigners. I think in this situation I will look at the glass half full and say that me being a little further away from the turn-up spots is a good thing because I will save money and stay focused on what I need to do out here. I could also be wrong and there could be so many wonderful places that I just haven’t found yet, either way I will have to take a walk in my area to see if there are any hidden jewels.

All in all everything is going well, I don’t have many complaints and I promise to have some pictures for you very soon, I must warn you my spot is far from nice lol but it is liveable and that will have to suffice for now.
“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience”

-C

Filed under: Uncategorized

Flashpack Esntls Update

flashpackesntls — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 20:12:47 +0000

Happy Monday Flashpackers!

I know we have been MIA for the last two weeks and it’s only because we have a few surprises, contests and changes for you guys in the next coming weeks! We have been working around the clock to make sure that Flashpack Esntls continues to bring you guys fresh new content and we promise you guys will not be disappointed! We love you all and appreciate your continued support, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and IG an Twitter @ifygesntls. Make sure you are using the hashtag #flashpackesntls to be featured on our page because we really want to see your travel style!!

“You don’t need magic to disappear, all you need is a destination”

-Chey & Tracy

Filed under: Uncategorized

Staycation Bliss: Harlem x Basquiat

flashpackesntls — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 14:19:44 +0000

Hey Flashpackers I know we have been gone for a minute but it’s all been for the good we promise, and we will reveal why in a short little while :).

As the cold weather continues to persist and outside is starting to look like a scene from “Frozen” I decided to take my own advice and treat myself to a staycation. Work and life get’s so busy that we forget to treat ourselves to the finer things in life. So I decided to grab a girlfriend to indulge in a day of fun! We headed to a great spot in downtown Toronto called Harlem, it was a soulful establishment with lots of tasty deep fried goodies. We arrived to find that they were actually just serving their Winterlicious menu which was kind of disappointing for me because Sadaf and I both wanted items that weren’t on the menu. Our waiter/store manager Pedro was absolutely amazeballs because he allowed us to order items that weren’t on the Winterlicious menu, score! After a pitcher of Sangria, a bowl of mac and cheese, goat cheese salad and chicken and waffles we were stuffed! I really enjoyed the chicken and waffles even though it doesn’t hold a candle to the chicken and waffles I’ve had at Gladys Knights restaurant in Atlanta. Pedro was hilarious, super friendly and even took us for a little tour and treated us to Harlem’s signature shot which was sweet (like I like it) and full of liquor (also how I like it). Pedro even offered too help us with our Euro trip plans as he was from Portugal and super knowledgeable about a lot of the places we wanted to explore. All in all Harlem was awesome, and the customer service was impeccable which puts it on my list of fave restaurants in the city!

Next stop was the AGO to check out the Basquiat exhibit, now I’m familiar with a few of his pieces as well as his artistic style but I wanted to check out the exhibit to understand more about him. I won’t lie the first few images Sadaf and I saw we looked at each other like wtf is this and why is this art but as we progressed through the exhibit we noticed the evolution of his artwork. We had a great time challenging ourselves to look beyond the surface to figure out the deeper meaning of the symbols and images finding a lot of common themes amongst each piece.

Last stop was a quick swim and sauna moment to unwind after a long day and prepare myself for the grind, hustle and bustle of the next day. Being submerged in water for me is very therapeutic so, I like to spend the time alone meditating reflecting on my day as well as my life and thanking God for all of his blessings. I chose to read one of my fave books because I think Ms. Nasty Gal herself is an inspiration! All in all I had a great time with my girl and it definitely got me out of my winter blues :).

Besos,

Filed under: fernweh, home

This Week’s Great Travel Deals!

flashpackesntls — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 23:59:17 +0000

Hey Flashpackers! Sorry we have not been posting as often. We have some amazing adventures planned for 2015. It is too soon to say, but we will keep you posted. While we are planning our trips, we want you to get busy planning your own. This week’s flight deals are amazing: round trip from Toronto to Hawaii for only $474. You can also book a round trip from New York or Chicago to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for only $596 return. If you book, let us know by tagging your travel pics #flashpackesntls so we can feature you!

-Tracy

Image courtesy of Aston Hotels.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Cuteness Overload: 23 ways to show your partner you care!

flashpackesntls — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 13:53:39 +0000

Happy valentines day flash packers!! Valentines should of course feel like everyday when you are with someone you really care about but let’s be honest here, it is not always lollipop’s and rainbows. Life happens, time passes and people become comfortable so Valentines is a day for people to stop, take time and show their partner love and appreciation. Here are 23 cute ideas to help you show your partner how much you care about them not only on Valentines day but all year round!

*Write a cutesy message on some fruit.

*Play hooky from work and spend the day together.
*Surprise your partner at work or school with their favourite treat.
*Use your thesaurus to help you describe how you’re crazy about/wild about/enamored with/ – your mate
*Purchase tickets to their favourite sporting event

*Spend a day at an art gallery.
*Revisit the site of your first date.
*Go star gazing at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in L.A.
*Plan a surprise staycation.
*Take a massage therapy course together and practice on your mate.
*Create a sexy 5 sense evening and get small gifts that appeal to each of your mates 5 senses.

*Make a giant valentine card on the back of a travel poster and have vacation travel tickets taped to the poster.
*Find a local “romantic hideaway” and go there!
*Write them a love letter and mail it.
*Cook your mate their favourite meal.
*Use foreign languages to say I love you.

*Take a bubble bath together.
*Attend the Valetines Day/mid winter carnival in Venice.
*Tour the great restaurants of France.
*Take in the beauty of the Grand Canyon at sunrise.

*Go to an inexpensive vacation spot and get the most expensive accommodations.
*Place a love note in a seashell and place it on the beach where she can find it.

“True love is the way the ocean continues to kiss the shore no matter how many times it is sent away”

-C

Images courtesy of the escape artiste, neon lime light, oltmedia, wikipedia

*Inspired by the book 10,000 ways to say I love you by Gregory Godek

Filed under: home

The Winter Blues Fix: A Staycation!!

flashpackesntls — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 00:06:51 +0000

Hey Flashpackers, does your body shut down once the temperature dips into the negatives? Do you find yourself staring at other peoples travel photos secretly imagining your face on their bodies wishing those tan lines were actually yours? Do you ever curse Beyonce and Rihanna for showing off on their yacht while you are bundled up to your eyes in winter gear? You all don’t have to admit it but I know I’ve done one or maybe all (don’t judge me) of those things to try and fill the void in my heart because I am stuck in the cold and know I deserve to be on a beach somewhere.
I’m generally a ray of sunshine but lately I’ve been experiencing a mild case of the winter blues. I definitely attribute my groggy state to this SUPER cold Canadian winter and the lack of vitamin D that one needs on a daily basis to function properly. My general fix for a lack of sunshine, ocean and sand would be to book a getaway, but not all of us (myself included) can just up and leave tomorrow. So, what’s a Flashpacker to do?
My suggestion is to buy some vitamin D pills (trust me you will thank me later) and plan a STAYCATION!! What’s a staycation you ask? A staycation is a mini vacation where you stay in your own city, no planes or passports needed! A staycation can be as long as you would like it to be, I suggest 1 to 3 days with weekends being the best times to enjoy your stay since you won’t be bogged down with work. So now that we are informed about staycations I’m going to briefly tell you what to do to set one up!
Step 1: Find a partner (or partners) in crime

This could be your bestie, partner or a group of friends, anyone who is like-minded and won’t bring down the vibe with their negativity. Just in case bring some vitamin D pills to help lift some spirits. I know who my “down for whatever friends” are and you should too, bring the ones who won’t make a fuss, because then you will truly enjoy your time.
Step 2: Find a place to stay
I know you’re probably thinking you can just save some money and stay at a friends house but I want you to kill that noise and embrace the change of scenery. There are some great deals on Groupon and Livingsocial for cheap hotels and great discounted restaurants and activities within your city. If hotels are not your style, you can also check Airbnb for nice condos and lofts which boast some pretty attractive price points. Let’s face it it’s nice to be able to order breakfast in bed and have someone else clean up after you if only for a night!
Step 3: Plan an itinerary (or not)

Figuring out what you are going to do is the fun part, it’s a mini vacation so splurge a little and treat yourself! You can go for a full day at the spa, check out a fancy new restaurant, hit up a board game café, go sightseeing, grab drinks at a new spot, or adopt an alter ego, really the sky is the limit! Not sure about what places are worth checking out? Google really is your friend and a great resource, so use it to find out what’s happening in your city.
Step 4: Have fun!

I think this last step is self explanatory, but for the people who struggle with having fun, my advice is to let lose, don’t take yourself too seriously and enjoy the moment with your loved ones. Take time to observe your city from another perspective just like you would if you were going somewhere else on vacation. Do and see things that you may not have chosen to do and see otherwise, life is short so live it up!
I don’t know why, but I’m feeling inspired! I’m not sure if it was the vitamin d capsules or writing this post that has changed my mood but either way I think a staycation is mandatory. So stay tuned to see where I go for my staycation!
“It doesn’t matter where you are going it’s about who you have beside you”- Unknown
-C
Images courtesy of Flashpackesntls, Blogselfstorage

Filed under: flashpackers, home

Street Style: Sightseeing in Athens

flashpackesntls — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 20:52:49 +0000

Shoes: Doc Martin Gryphon sandal, Jeans: Abercrombie one teaspoon awesome baggie jeans, Crossbody bag: Tila March roam messenger bag, Bracelet: H&M cuff bangle, Rings: Categories trip set of rings, Top: Etsy Festival Dashiki caftan, Lipstick: Queen sinner lipstick- peachy nude, Sunglasses: Illesteva Hamilton tortoise shell frames

Today I woke up to the warmth of the sun on my face and thought to myself, wouldn’t it be lovely if I was experiencing the beautiful sun rays on my face but in a different country? Then thoughts of Crete, Athens and Santorini started flooding in as I imagined what it would be like to be there right now. Since I am planning to go to Greece this summer I instantly started to think about what I would wear to go sightseeing if I could hop on a plane right now. What I would wear now in Greece vs what I would wear in the summer is definitely different because of the weather. Since it is winter there right now the temperature hovers around 18 degrees and then drops in the evening so you have to be mindful of what you pack if you decide to go around this time.

This look was inspired by my love for the colorful dashiki, which was first made popular in the 1960’s during the Black Power movement. The term dashiki was actually taken from the West African Yoruba word danshiki which means short sleeve tunic worn by men. These days, the dashiki is not only worn by men but by women as well. I like the dashiki because the bold prints are eye catching and fun and the style is versatile and can be worn in so many different ways. The dashiki can be paired with jeans, tights, shorts or even belted with no bottoms if you like to show a little leg like myself!

Of all the places in Greece that I daydreamed about I could see myself rocking this look if I was going sightseeing in Athens because it’s weather appropriate, trendy and comfortable for walking around in. I can picture the colourful prints being captured alongside the beautiful Ancient Greek ruins and the images being breathtaking. A funky pair of tortoise shell frames and a handful of rings will top this look off bringing some funk and a little bit of Africa to Athens <3

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a fabulous pair of shoes”- Hudson & Bleecker

-C

Image courtesy of Flashpack Esntls

Information on the history of dashiki’s can be found here

Filed under: home, Street Style