y Travel Blog

14 Reasons Why I Love Winter (and Not One Word about Ski)

guest writer — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:09:24 +0000

Why I love winter is a guest post by Ayelet from All Colores.

Ask people for their definition of travel heaven, and many will describe the scenery of a tropical beach. Yet winter, that good ole season that indulges longer in the northern and southern parts of planet Earth, has more than its share to offer.

14 reasons why I love winter and you should too!

1. The drop of rain, the drop of snow

Rain, resembling tears, is usually related to sadness, to heartfelt goodbyes. Yet tears come upon laughter as well, at those moments when nothing matters more the joy of the present. Snow enhances that feeling, turning everyday streets and mountain tops to a playground for all ages.

Snow drops on Bariloche, Argentina

2. A theatre of trees

Trees take on a more dramatic, funny perhaps, look in winter.

La Boca neighborhood, Buenos Aires, Argentina

After shedding their covers in the fall they stand bare, vulnerable, suggesting you do the same as you embrace another opportunity winter brings.

3. The opportunity to cuddle

There is no better season to cuddle into an embrace. Even if you travel alone, the warmth of chocolate, the warmth of coffee and the warmth of a blanket place a fierce competition to summer.

4. Walking on a glacier

While you can walk on a glacier in summer, it is a winter activity. Done with guides and minimum special equipment, most people will be able to find a tour that suits their physical abilities.

Usually, a walk on a glacier will reveal a natural shade of blue that you cannot see otherwise, caused by ice breaking or melting. If you are fortunate, you’ll get the opportunity to touch or drink a bit of that blue on your tour.

5. The art of nature

Icebergs detach from glaciers and float around the water. Visiting Argentina’s Glaciers National Park, for example, you could mistake the biggest lake in the country for an art museum.

Icebergs big and small will surround you if you take an all-day cruise there. Make sure you have enough batteries, because your camera will probably not cease working.

Icebergs in Glaciers National Park, Argentina

6. Lightheartedness matters more than fashion

While it is true that there are fabulous winter fashions, when you freeze you might be willing to let go of what others might think for the sake of warming up.

A sense of humor will come in handy, as you rejoice in silly winter hats or in funny equipment that supports you in walking on snow or ice.

On top of Mount Otto, Bariloche, Argentina

7. Chubby mountains filled with snow

Chubby mountains stand tall, reminding us there’s not only one way to be gorgeous. It is a wonder of nature to watch these giants reign their regions.

Bariloche, Argentina

8. Conquer fear of height

Many times, going to mountain tops requires using a cable car or an open chair lift. If you have a fear of height, this could be challenging. Take someone with you, talk to them as you go up and down the mountain, ask them to describe what they see.

Getting to the top will be worth it, and at times, the only way to feel the snow drops. Winter can be an opportunity to practice this time and again until you, too, will dare to see the beauty from above.

Mount Catedral, Bariloche, Argentina

9. Driving a snow motorcycle

Whether you drive on highways or not, driving a snow motorcycle on fields of snow is achievable and easy to learn. You’ll feel the wind of adventure as you look ahead and pick at your rear view mirror, capturing a moving image of snow that you will not soon forget.

Ushuaia, Argentina

10. Dramatic clouds

Clouds are at their most dramatic, funniest formations when winter is around. Sit on top of a mountain or by the window of a wooden cabin with warm tea or chocolate, and allow your imagination take over.

Israeli winter clouds

11. Good fortune

More than ever in the year, you need good fortune in winter. Whether you get a sunny day, a clear view, a fun snow fight, whether you get a tasty soup when you feel cold or you’re there when it snows – it’s so easy to feel fortunate in winter.

12. Rainbows

After the tears of laughter that rain brings disappear, a huge smile is spread on sky’s face, an opposite one, turning toward humans. It is a colorful one. It represents acceptance of diversity, of more complex thought, it represents possibility and all there is to come.

Show me one person who doesn’t love rainbows.

13. The wildlife of winter

Some penguins might prefer warm weather, yet most people connect them with Antarctica, the continent of winter. Whales jump for winter joy, showing off their tales. Visit countries south or north for Winter Wonderlands and you’ll be led by Husky dogs down from snowy mountain tops in sledges.

Polar bears sleep through winters, yet their summers in the North Pole are cold enough to count as winters. They slide on ice and run through snow, baby polar bears at their heels. Wouldn’t it be a dream to watch?

Penguins arrive in Argentina's Peninsula Valdez in late winter

14. Watch nature growing back

As winter fades, fades not the joy, for you can watch the fruits of rain that, hopefully, kept you not indoors. Thanks to the rain, flowers reappear, trees grow leaves and water falls in full. Anyone up for a swim?

Soon it will be summer and bathing suits will color seas, yet a true winter lover knows…. winter will be back, and it will bring the wonders only winter knows.

This is why I love winter. What do you love most about winter?

About the author:

Ayelet Weisz celebrates the everyday and extraordinaire joys of life through travel on her travel blog, All Colores. She is an enthusiastic, tri-lingual writer and translator who loves to research, covering travel, body image and self empowerment. Follow her adventures and winter-lovin’ on Twitter.

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WIN a Nissan X-Trail Ti – Our New Road Tripping Vehicle

Caz — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:03:46 +0000

I slightly feel like Oprah right now. One item on bucket list checked off.

I love being in the position where I can give more. Blogging has really helped us with that. While we get a lot of opportunities because of this space, we also work to ensure that we give back.

So if we get a product to review we ask for one to give away, as you would have noticed lately with our giveaways.

Recently, we gave away $600 to a community member to spend on a holiday. We’ve got another $500 coming up to give to someone as well.

The more we grow the more I want to be like Oprah. I would love it if I could give a car away to every reader, but we’re not quite there yet.

I do now have the opportunity to giveaway a brand new Nissan X-TRAIL Ti to a reader. Worth $50,000. Wahoo! (Aussies only.. so sorry if you are not)

Now. It’s not quite through y travel blog BUT it is through our family travel blog site over on one of Australia’s largest parenting websites who have a ampaign called Kidspot’s Village Voices Going Places.

If you didn’t know I’ve been busy over there writing three articles a week on family travel and road tripping.

So the giveaway is really with many thanks to Kidspot and Nissan Australia. My involvment in the campaign means I can pretend I am Oprah.

As part of that campaign, Nissan has also given us a Nissan X-TRAIL Ti for the duration of the campaign. Ours is not to keep, and I am dreading our return date already.

At the moment Exy is our third baby…

Welcome to the family Exy

The car is amazing.

To be honest, I’ve never really gotten cars before. To me they have always been a Point A to Point B sort of thing.

For that reason you could understand sometimes my choice of cars. They have literally just done that and sometimes just barely.

Then I drove the Nissan and fell in love. I got the whole car obsession thing. When it comes time for me to drive anywhere I get this ping of excitement and then I never want to leave the car, especially now the weather is colder and it has seat warmers.

When we first got in the car, I felt this warmth under my butt and kept thinking something was wrong, or I was sitting on top of part of an engine, like so often happens on a rickedy old African bus.

It took awhile before I realized and I saw the button and shouted, “Craig we’ve got seat warmers!”

There are many other awesome features, but in a nutshell it has sophistication and class and is the perfect family car.

We’re going to be doing quite a few road trips in NSW for the next six months testing out the vehicle. So far the X-TRAIL ticks all the boxes for family road trips – safety, comfort and functional.

It’s made me think that now I have a family, I should have been ticking these boxes off before instead of focusing just on getting from Point A to B, sometimes with a few dodgy shakes.

How To Enter

If you are an Australian resident and you want to win a Nissan X-TRAIL Ti for your family and road trips then come on over and enter.

Let me know in the comments what features you love in a road tripping vehicle.

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Photo – Yangshao, China

Caz — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:50:22 +0000

Local farmer, Yangshao, China

Yangshao, China is a picturesque town with stunning scenery and karst mountain peaks.

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Bringing music into your travels with Logitech Rechargeable Speaker Dock s715i

Caz — Wed, 30 May 2012 00:45:49 +0000

When we first started travelling we lugged around cases full of CD’s and a Walkman! The music would keep us entertained and inspired in our own private space on long bus and train journeys.

Or lying in hammocks while gazing at sunsets.

Music goes hand in hand with travel; I just can’t live without it on the road.

The problem we always found, apart from CD’s being bulky and highly destructible, was the fact that the walkman caused arguments between Craig and I as to whose turn it was to listen to the music.

Life is so much easier now that we have our own personal iPods and iPhones to reduce the burden of lugging CD’s and marital breakdowns.

What about the times we want to experience the music together? Sharing ear phones just doesn’t cut it and they don’t leave much room for dancing and singing out loud. You need others walking past to hear the background music drowning out your horrible voice.

Well at least I do.

Music for your travels

Of course we can play our music through our computers, but if you are like me you don’t like that for two reasons:

1. I find it too distracting to be coming from the space I am working/hanging out on

2. Music should be played loud and computer volumes just don’t deliver.

Behind me right now sits my new Logitech Rechargeable Speaker dock s715i. It’s blasting out Alicia Keys: Empire State of Mind from my iPod. The speaker’s intensity is helping to raise mine and has me pumped up to travel again and to achieve my dreams.

music on the road

I’ve been trialling the rechargeable speaker for a few weeks now, thanks to Logitech, and I am loving it. As a minimalist I LOVE that I can take this speaker travelling with me and use it at home– no more bulky stereos taking up all my living space.

The sound is crisp, clear and loud and has caused me to go on an iTunes spending spree. Ed Sheeran and Angus and Julius Stone’s Big Jet Plane is dominating the social space.

Kalyra wants to hear “That plane song again Mummy!” and she twirls about in the living room. A four year old techno whizz she has figured out how to navigate around it, just like she has with our smart phones and barbie.com

We’ve been doing a lot of small road trips and weekend getaways lately. The iPod speaker dock has been the perfect portable companion. It’s easy to bring with us and helps to keep us warm on those campfire nights reminiscing of times spent with Red Hot Chili Peppers in Koh Lipe, Thailand. (that was through the old CD Walkman- yes we are ancient!)

And of course the remote helps to navigate to your song choices without leaving the dance floor of the comfy beanbag. If only we had a remote that could fetch cold beers for us as well.

I recently wrote a post on Village Voices, Without music road trips are a mistake. I think life without music is a mistake, but there is no better place to have it loud than with those you love on a holiday.

Just watch how the speaker dock brightens up our hotel room. Who would have thought staying in a hotel room could be so much fun?

The Logitech Rechargeable Speaker Dock s715i definitely now has a space inside our bags for all of our upcoming road trips.

Logitech Rechargeable Speaker s715i More info

Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S715i Product Info

Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S715i Reviews

Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S715i Video

Logitech Australia Facebook Page

Logitech_AU Twitter

How important is music to you on your travels?

P.S Watch this space carefully over the next few weeks. We have one of these speaker docks to give away, bringing the music to you!

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What to Do in Tainan

Caz — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:30:03 +0000

Looking for travel tips on what to do in Tainan?

As part of our “Travel Tips” series we interviewew Matt Gibson who lived in Tainan for seven years.

Matt share with us he’s insider travel tips and knowledge on Tainan for those looking for the best places to see, eat, stay, drink, and explore.

Take it away guys…

How Long Have You Lived in Tainan?

I lived in Tainan for nearly seven years.

Why Visit Tainan?

Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and is also the former capital, so it’s steeped in Taiwanese culture and history.

Although by western standards Tainan is a large city , it does not feel like a metropolis. It has a distinctly old heritage city feel. There is also a lot of support for the arts in Tainan. There are some fantastic modern art galleries and even an art street.

Best Things to See and Do?

There are a lot of temples in Taiwan, but as the oldest city, Tainan has an especially high concentration of them–several of which are very well-known.

Tainan’s Confucius Temple is one of the most famous in the city. The National Literature Museum is also an excellent place to learn about the country’s culture and history.

Taiwanese people are passionate about food, especially snacks, and Tainan is famous for having many of the best in the country.

In Taiwan most restaurants are small, only serve a few items, and have a specialty that they’re known for. Since Tainan is so old, many of the recipes date back to the city’s early days during the Qing Dynasty.

Needless to say, food stand and restaurant hopping is a fantastic experience here.

The night markets are, of course, always entertaining..

Traditional painted masks depicting gods

Best Neighborhoods to Explore?

Anping is the oldest neighbourhood in Tainan, which makes it the oldest in Taiwan. It is said that Anping is where Chiang Kai Shek first landed when fleeing China.

Here you will find some of the biggest and oldest temples in Taiwan, the Anping Fort (which was built by the Dutch as defence against invaders) and beautiful historical character alley lined with specialty food shops and artisans.

Locals and expats alike can often be found relaxing with friends and people-watching on tea shop patios on Hai An R., Tainan’s ‘hip district’, which is also a fantastic area for shopping.

Hai An Rd. is the location of a city-funded art project, and many buildings are adorned with murals. The area around Hai An Rd. is also the old center of town and former red light district, so it has a character and charm all its own.

BeiMen Rd. is the main road in the middle of town that runs past the front of the train station. It’s also a fantastic place for shopping. If you are looking for cheap computer parts, there are two large computer malls here with everything that you could imagine.

Just north of the train station on Bei Men Rd., you will find the Tainan Park, the largest in the city, complete with a lake and a pagoda suspended above it.

The Tainan Lantern Festival is held each year after Chinese New Year

Where to Eat?

In Taiwan, it’s the small dumpy-looking restaurants with hundreds of years of history behind them that are best-known and are highly recommended. Here are a few of my favourites:

Shanghai Steamed Pork Buns | 上海好味道小籠湯包
This restaurant is famous countrywide for its soup dumplings–but all the dumplings are fantastic! There’s no English menu, so if you don’t speak Chinese you will either need to enlist some help or resort to pointing at other people’s food to order. Ten steamed dumplings here will run you about $1.50 USD. That’s plenty for most people, but I usually can’t resist ordering a second plate.

Address: #26 DongAn Rd., Tainan City | 台南市東區東安路26號
Phone: 06-2081601
Website

Vonny’s Garden Vegetarian Restaurant | 綠素界花果茶餐飲坊
As a buddhist country, Taiwan has some amazing vegetarian food. The fake meat (they even have fake sashimi) is unbelievable. Vonny’s is a homey restaurant in an old house with excellent vegetarian dishes, great service, and an English menu. Meals here range from around $2.20 USD for noodles or rice, up to around $8 USD for the fake steak.

Address: 95 Linsen Rd., Sec.2 | 林森路二段95號
Phone: 06-234-9616

Shangri-La Hotel | 香格里拉
Shangri-La Hotels are known to be one of the most extravagant hotel chains in the country. Most upscale hotels and shopping centres in Taiwan will also have a very upscale buffet restaurant serving exotic foreign cuisines, sushi, steak, seafood, and the like. They are normally all you can eat and all you can drink (including beer and wine). They generally cost about $30-$40 USD per person. If you are looking for an exceptional meal, visit Tainan’s Shangri-La for the best buffet in town.

Address: 大学路西段89号
Phone: (886 6) 702 8888
Website

Of course, stall-hopping at one of the many night markets is always recommended.

You Can’t Visit Tainan Without Eating?

An oyster omelette–by far Tainan’s best-known specialty. One should also not forget to drink pearl milk tea, and, if you get the chance, try some peking duck (about $8-9 USD for a whole duck).

A traditional Taiwanese oyster omelet

Where to Drink?

Traditionally, Taiwanese are not big drinkers so the busiest places in town are foreigner hangouts. The most popular include:
The Armory | 兵工廠
Address: 82 Gongyan South Rd. | 台南市公園南路82號
Phone: 06-226-9520
Website

Tin Pan Alley
Address: 28 Bei Men Rd., Section 2 | 北門路二段28號
Phone: (06) 2231123

Willies
Address: 321 JianKang Rd., Section 2 | 台南市健康路二段 321號
Phone: (06) 291-1050

Where to Stay?

Budget
Iris’ Tower ($16 USD/night and up)
Address: 14F-2, No.53, Sec. 2, Lin’an Rd. | 14F-2臨安二段53號

Midrange
Asia Emperor Hotel ($34 USD/night and up)
7F, No.31, Sec. 3, Dongmen Rd. | 7F臺南市東門路三段31號

Super Pimp
Shangri La ($99 USD/night and up)
Address: 大学路西段89号
Phone: (886 6) 702 8888
Website

Any Markets or Shopping Districts Worth a Visit?

Like I mentioned above, Hai An Rd. has fantastic clothing and jewelry on the road and, especially in the back alleys nearby.

Bei Men Rd. near the train station has very good clothes shops (although not as awesome as Hai An Rd.) as well as lots of electronics, computers, photography, and other shops.

The Tainan Jade Market (台南玉市) is also definitely worth a visit. It’s open Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday and is located at 215 Jhonghua West Rd., Section 1 (台南市中西區中華西路二段215號)

A fishmonger in Tainan County

Major Events and Festivals Throughout the Year?

Each year in May a local foreigner organizes a small festival called the May Jam.

Every year shortly after Chinese New Year there is an unbelievably dangerous fireworks festival called the Yenshuei Fireworks Festival. It takes place in the nearby township of Yenshuei. During this festival thousands of fireworks are shot directly into the crowds.

Every Chinese New Year Tainan also hosts a fantastic Lantern Festival. Almost any time of year you are likely to see some sort of parade for a god’s birthday (Daoism has a LOT of gods).

Revellers are pelted with fireworks during the Yanshui Fireworks Festival

Best Way to Get Around?

The bus system is very difficult to navigate and seldom used. Taxis, however, are quite affordable. You can get to most places in the city for $3-6 USD.

Renting a scooter is also a good option, as they are better than cars for navigating the crowded streets. There are several scooter rental shops behind the train station, and scooters can be rented for $25-30 USD/day.

Is Tainan WiFi friendly?

WiFi is pretty easy to find here for free. Many Starbucks have free WiFi. A coffee shop chain called Donutes also offers free WiFi.

You can buy one month of 7-11 WiFi for around $10 or $15 USD (I forget exactly how much), which is very convenient because in Taiwan 7-11′s are everywhere, serve coffee and food, and many have tables and electrical outlets where you can plug in your computer.

Best Time of Year to Visit?

November and December are the months when the weather is by far the most pleasant. It’s like north american indian summer. Not too hot, nice and dry, sunny most days.

A view of Tainan county, a monkey and child, and a door in the Anping Treehouse

Getting There and Away?

There are lots of budget airlines in Asia that fly to Taiwan. Check out:

Tiger Airways when travelling to or from Singapore

Cebu Pacific when travelling to or from the Philippines

Air Asia when travelling to or from Malaysia.

It’s really not worth the money or trouble to fly inside of Taiwan. If you are in a hurry, Taiwan’s high speed rail is much more convenient.

Although Taiwan has a good train system, I much prefer to travel between cities by bus. The cost is similar, but the busses are incredibly luxurious.

I strongly recommend travelling by HoHsin (the red bus). Each seat is the size of a Lazy Boy, has massage settings, and its own screen for watching moves and playing video games. The price is comparable to a train ticket, and they have service between major cities at least once an hour 24 hours a day.

Best “insiders” tip for travellers?

I’m a big fan of Tainan County’s Monkey Mountain. It’s about a 40 minute drive east of town near the town of NanHua. There are fantastic hiking trails and you’re almost guaranteed to see tons of macaques–in addition to an enormous Buddha statue and a beautiful temple.

This is the description from a Tainan tourism website:
“Wushan Macaca Cyclopis (Swinhoe) Conservation Area is located at a 750-meter height mountain area in NanhuaTown, TainanCounty. There are more than hundreds of Macaca Cyclopis (Swinhoe) living here and evolving to a special habitat. For protecting the wild Macaca Cyclopis (Swinhoe), the county government developed one area for tourists with no admission charge. This Conservation Area is at about 500 meters above the sea level and gathering about 40 to 50 Macaca Cyclopis (Swinhoe).”

Nearby Guanzling also has fantastic hot springs, mud baths, and hiking trails, and is home to a pool of burning water (it burns as natural gas bubbles up from fissures in the earth beneath).

What do you love most about Taiwan?

I love Tainan because the locals are so incredibly warm and friendly.

A few of the locals

About the Author

Matt Gibson is a travel writer, photographer, blogger, who is passionate about eco-friendly adventure travel. Matt lived in Taiwan for six years, founded an island-wide magazine called Xpat, and speaks Mandarin Chinese like a four-year-old with a lisp.

Matt’s Adventure Travel Blog

Facebook

Twitter

About the Photographer

The photos for this guide were provided by Richard Matheson. Rich has lived in Taiwan longer than one would care to remember. He is married to an aboriginal woman and has two children, speaks Mandarin much better than Matt, and divides his time between Tainan City and his wife’s village in the mountains.

Rich’s photography website The Taiwan Photographer.

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Delicious Cruise Food on Carnival Spirit

Craig — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:25:58 +0000

One things for sure, with the amount of cruise food on board Carnival Spirit you won’t go hungry.

I’m a big eater. And one of my favorite things about travel is experiencing all the different food on offer. But not only do I like large servings and lots of options, but also good quality food.

And I’m happy to say that my first ever cruise experience on Carnival Spirit didn’t let me down.

Whether it was breakfast or dinner, formal dining in the Steakhouse, the Lido deck buffet, or a trip to the sushi bar, the food was delicious.

Do you like a big breakfast, or something light and healthy? And how does Asian today and seafood tomorrow sound? On board Carnival Spirit you are not at home so eating doesn’t have to be boring and you can be as adventurous as you like.

And by the way, the children are taken very good care of too. Not only will they find yummy and healthy options at all the restaurants, but let them loose on the free pizza and ice cream on offer round the clock 24/7.

Oh, and just wait until your kids set their eyes on the chocolate extravaganza. Need proof, here is a collection of cruise food photos taken from our trip on Carnival Spirit…

Something sweet…

Chocolate Extravaganza

chocolate melting cake

the chocolate fountain

Breakfast in our cabin

Caz getting breakfast in bed

smoked salmon

Bagels

Caz on our balcony

Are you a fan of cruise food?…

Disclaimer: Our cruise on board Carnival Spirit was courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines but all opinions are our own.

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Campfire cooking recipes and tips for cooking over an open fire

Caz — Mon, 28 May 2012 01:40:53 +0000

Campfire cooking recipes

It wasn’t until I sat down to eat Luke’s stir fry with cous cous that I realized just how badly Craig and I suck at campfire cooking. We usually just throw a couple of veggie sausages on the barbie and if we are lucky an odd potato or two wrapped in foil and tucked into the coals.

Watching Luke throw together delicious meals so effortlessly on our recent bush camping adventure in to the River Red Gum Forest in Narrandera inspired me to do better from now on.

A favourite- potatoes in the open fire

Cooking over an open fire really isn’t that difficult. With a little thought and planning you can turn a good bush camping experience into a memorable one based on dishes alone.

Luke Starr is the owner of Starr PR and was the perfect host for our camping weekend away. He graciously offered to share his tips for cooking over an open fire, with a couple of the campfire recipes he threw together.

Tips for cooking over an open fire:

Cooking over an open fire

Get a good fire going at least an hour before you need it, and let it burn down to a point where you have a lot of hot coals.
You don’t want the fire to be too hot when you start cooking; you’re looking for a slower, more consistent heat. Remember, the heat you’re after comes from the coals, not the flames.
Most camping grounds in national parks have designated fire pits, which help to contain campfire heat. If there’s a fire pit in your campsite, use it.
Cooking on a campfire usually takes longer than it would on a normal hob. You’ll also need to keep the coals circulating; for example, if you’re cooking something like a rich pasta sauce or paella, you’ll need to drag fresh hot coals underneath the pan from time to time.
Don’t use your best cooking gear! We bought a couple of $10 frypans from the local supermarket, and they were excellent in the campfire – and we weren’t too worried about them getting a bit scuffed up.

Campfire Cooking Recipes

Spaghetti Arrabiata

Image: chicago.grubstreet.com

This is a rich tomato sauce flavoured with garlic and hot chillies, which we bulked out with eggplant. You’ll need a large wok-style pan and a second pot for cooking the spaghetti.

Feeds six.

Ingredients

Good quality olive oil
Two medium-sized brown onions, diced
Four cloves of garlic, finely chopped
One large red chilli, deseeded and sliced into fine strips
425g tin of crushed tomatoes
700g bottle of passata (tomato puree)
Red wine
One eggplant, chopped into 1cm cubes
Fresh basil, hand-ripped into large shreds (not chopped)
Handful of kalamata olives (I prefer with seeds in, but you can use the seeded olives if you prefer)
Salt and pepper
Thin spaghetti
Parmesan cheese

Steps

1. Drag out your coals close to the fire itself, and make a level spot for your pan. Heat the pan for a few minutes before dropping in a couple of good lugs of the olive oil.

2. When the oil starts to sizzle, throw in the onions and let them sauté for five minutes or so.

3. Once the onions have started to glisten, add the garlic and chilli. Let that sauté for another five to 10 minutes.

4. Empty the tinned tomatoes and passata into the pan, along with about a cup of red wine.

5. Once that starts to bubble, add the eggplant, basil and olives. Add salt and pepper.

6. Let the results simmer for at least half an hour. Remember, the flavour comes from the cooking time…the longer this sits on the campfire, the richer your sauce will become. You want it to reduce slightly, and for the eggplant to go really soft and take on the flavour of the sauce.

7. About 20 minutes out from serving, get a pot of water into the coals to heat for the spaghetti. Once it’s simmering, add enough spaghetti to feed your crew – noting recommended cooking times on the packet.

Serve this up with a few extra sprigs of fresh basil and shavings of parmesan cheese.

Campfire paella

Paella making campfire cooking delicious

This is a super-easy one-pan dish absolutely incredible on a cold night by the fire. Not only does it work really well cooked on a campfire, the woodsmoke will add to the flavour.

While this version is for carnivores, you could replace the meat with firm tofu cubes; just make sure you pan-fry the tofu in hot oil with the onion, garlic, chilli, extra paprika, saffron and salt and pepper until golden, before adding other ingredients.

Again, you’ll need a good-sized wok for this. Remember, the rice expands as it absorbs the liquid! This recipe will comfortably feed six hungry people.

Ingredients

Good quality olive oil
Two medium-sized brown onions, diced
Six cloves of garlic, finely sliced
One large red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
One red capsicum, diced
Three chorizo sausages, chopped into chunks; cured is absolutely fine
Four chicken thighs, chopped into 1cm-thick slices
Smoked paprika
Two or three strands of saffron
Salt and pepper
500g frozen prawns (which we bought before we arrived at the campsite and allowed to thaw in their packaging)
Two cups of Arborio rice (…which we couldn’t get, so we used sushi rice instead)
Four cups of good quality vegetable stock
Water in reserve

Steps

1. Drag out your coals close to the fire itself, and make a level spot for your pan. Heat the pan for a few minutes before dropping in a couple of good lugs of the olive oil.

2. When the oil starts to sizzle, throw in the onions and let them sauté for five minutes or so.

3. Once the onions have started to glisten, add the garlic and chilli. Let that sauté for another five to 10 minutes.

4. Add the capsicum, letting it sauté for a couple of minutes.

5. Add the chopped chorizo and chicken thighs; fry until the chicken is browned.

6. Add the spices and salt and pepper, to taste. I use a lot of paprika – a good three tablespoons worth – because I like the smokiness.

7. If you’ve got prawns, throw them in after the spices have had a couple of minutes in the pan. These are a bit of a luxury item when you’re camping…the recipe will work just as well without them, but they’re great to have if you can find a way.

8. Add the Arborio rice and the stock. On a campfire, it’ll take at least half an hour over coals for the rice to absorb the liquid…keep stirring every couple of minutes or so to stop the rice sticking to the hot wok.

9. You want the rice to lose any hardness, and the paella to take on a shiny, sticky consistency. Use the extra water if it turns out the stock isn’t enough to reach this point.

This is great served with a bit of chopped parsley sprinkled over the top – but really, all you need is a bowl, spoon and an appetite.

Chocolate Bananas

Throw them on the campfire- delicious

Image: onfoodandwine.wordpress.com

This campfire recipe was created by Elspeth Callendarwho was on the bush camping trip with us. It is a simple and delicious campfire desert.

Take a banana, cut in half lengthwise and leave in the skin. Put small pieces of chocolate in between the two halves of banana. Wrap it up in foil and put it on the hot coals. They are cooked once the banana is soft and the chocolate has melted.

Smores

The best!

google.com

A traditional American campfire desert and my favourite. In Australia they are harder to make as we don’t have Graham crackers and I don’t know of a substitute. I think some sort of thin wheat cracker.

All you do is roast a marshmallow over the fire, then when it is ready, place it between two graham crackers with a slice of chocolate in the middle. The roasted marshmallow will melt the chocolate and ooze together in the middle of the cracker. It is heaven.

Hot Whiskey

nicolemdesign.blogspot.com

No campfire is complete without alcohol to cook and eat with and to complement those campfire stories. Charlie brewed up some hot whiskey for us, a recipe straight from her English home.

Brew up some hot water. Pour some whiskey in a cup. Take a slice of lemon and poke cloves all around it. Throw it in the cup with some honey and then pour on the hot water. Stories have never sounded so good!

What are some of your tips for cooking over an open fire and favourite campfire cooking recipes?

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San Diego Sunset (Kalyra dancing)

Craig — Sun, 27 May 2012 12:07:09 +0000

Kalyra dancing to the sun going down in San Diego

This beautiful San Diego sunset made kalyra dance on the rocks at Ocean Beach.

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Visit Perth – The Top 12 Reasons

Craig — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:35:13 +0000

If you want to experience extraordinary whilst in Australia, then head to Western Australia and visit Perth.

My 12 Reasons to Visit Perth…

1. Kings Park

View of Perth skyline from Kings Park

Kings Park covers more than 400 hectares and is the largest inner city park in the southern hemisphere. It has a stunning location overlooking the Swan River and the nearby Perth city skyline.

Walk amongst the tree tops on the elevated bridge and wander the pathways and open grassy areas. Do the Indigenous walking tour to learn about the aboriginal people and how Kings Park is revered as a sacred place and to learn more about Australia’s fascinating history.

walk amongst the tree tops

2. Cottesloe Beach

Cottesloe Beach

Cottesloe is a beach-side suburb about a 15 minute drive from the Perth CBD and is one of the best places to watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean. Its crystal clear waters make it a popular place for swimming, snorkeling, and surfing.

The town of Cottesloe is also famous for its cafes, relaxed lifestyle, and it’s Sunday sessions when locals throng to the beachfront pubs to watch the sun go down whilst enjoying a few drinks.

Cottesloe beach

3. Eat at The Greenhouse

The Greenhouse Restaurant

If you’re looking for restaurants in Perth, The Greenhouse is one of Perth’s hot destinations. It’s a very interesting building and the concept is about operating better places for people and the whole place is geared toward sustainability. The exterior is clad in corrugated iron covered by a vertical garden with about 4000 terracotta pots filled with ivy and strawberry plants.

It has 420 straw bales in its walls and ceiling, a rooftop garden that provides produce for the kitchen and bar, and recycled furniture throughout. The quality of the food is amazing and varied, especially loved the wood fired pizza…

Delicious pizza

Website: www.GreenHousePerth.com

4. Take a Walking Tour

Walking around the CBD

The city of Perth is a city made for walking. It’s flat, has wide streets and footpaths, and one of the best ways to start a visit to a new destination is with a walking tour. It’s a great way to soak up the local culture, get a feel for the atmosphere of a place, and get great insider tips from a knowledgable local.

I walked Perth with two feet and a heartbeat as we strolled through the city streets and lane ways of the CBD learning about the history, culture, heritage, and colourful past of the city and experienced attractions on and off the tourist trail.

Website: TwoFeet.com.au

5. The Sunsets

sunset over city beach

Perth’s sunsets are legendary. There are few places in Australia where the sun sets over the ocean and Perth provides this unique opportunity. As the day draws to a close, sit on a beach, in a beachside cafe, or one of Cottesloe’s pubs and enjoy an uninterupted view of the sun going down.

6. Rottnest Island

One of many beaches on Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is located 18 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia near Fremantle and Perth. Rottnest, or “Rotto” as the locals say, is a premier island getaway with over 60 picturesque beaches and bays.

Best explored by bicycle, Rottnest is a car-free-zone making it a relaxing and enjoyable experience for people of all ages. Other activities on the island include tennis, golf, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and diving.

Bike Rottnest

You can stay overnight in a range of accommodations, or simply catch the Rottnest Ferry over and back for a memorable day trip.

7. Fremantle

Freo

Fremantle, or “Freo” as the locals call it, is located just 30 minutes from Perth’s CBD. It’s a character filled town dotted with cafes, bars, seafood restaurants, vibrant markets, and is known as the ‘world’s best preserved example of a 19th century port streetscape’ with world famous heritage buildings and a fascinating convict and maratime history.

Heritage building

Fremantle is also called the city for sailing and played host to the America’s Cup in 1987.

8. Swan River Cruise

Perth skyline

Make the trip from Perth down to Fremantle via a relaxing cruise on nthe Swan River. You’ll enjoy specatcular views of the city skyline, the many sailing boats, and marvel at some of the most expensive real estate in the country.

Million dollar homes

9. The Weather

Sunny skies

Perth is the sunny city and enjoys more hours of sunshine than any other city in Australia: 3000 hours a year and 8.8 hours a day. Average summer temperatures hover around the 30 degrees celcius mark.

10. The Lifestyle

The great outdoors

Perth offers a relaxing and easy going lifestyle surrounded by the Swan River, Kings Park, and endless stretches of gorgeous beaches on the Indian Ocean. Compared to Australia’s other major cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Perth has a lot less people and a slower pace of life.

it's Quiet

11. The Revitalisation

Helvetica bar

Perth is experiencing economic and social growth with many new developments and cultural precincts emerging. In particular, small bars and new restaurants are opening such as Helvetica and the previously mention Greenhouse.

Another exciting development is the Perth Waterfront Development, with construction sheduled to commence early 2012 and will result in the exciting new foreshore area with several hotels, an indigenous cultural centre, and many waterfront recreation activities.

Proposed waterfront development

Exciting times are ahead for Perth.

12. Margaret River

Eagle Bay Brewery

Do you like food, beer, wine, chocolate, and coffee? Then you can’t visit Perth without experiencing a getaway to The Margaret River Region. It’s easily one of my favorite regions in all of Austalia and there is something there for everyone. And when you experience all the gourmet food and wine on offer, a visit here is pure indulgence.

However, Margaret River is not only famous for it’s food and wine, but also for it’s relaxed approach to life, breathtaking scenery and stunning beaches. And throw in the fact that The Margaret River region also has amazing diversity of people with wine makers, surfers, farmers, and artists, giving it a great vibe.

stunning scenery along the cape-to-cape track

Can you add to this list of reasons to visit Perth?…

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How to travel like a child

guest writer — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:57:02 +0000

How to travel like a child is a guest post by Caroline Eaton from Traveling 9 to 5

Playing in the rain in Gili Air, Indonesia

I aim to travel like a child.

I want my eyes to forever be open and willing to learn.

I hope my life experiences and opinions take a backseat to my curiosity.
I crave my compassion will always overshadow my distrust.
I will put my caution aside and strive for adventure.
I never want my achievements to suppress my humility.
I long to find happiness in peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and oreos dunked in milk.

Children walk through life with a joy and playfulness that adults tend to lose in the process of growing up. Everything is new and exciting to children, and traveling like a child is a practiced skill that is a true blessing once mastered.

I learned to travel through these children I met in Southeast Asia.

An aspiring photographer in Halong Bay, Vietnam

How to Travel Like a Child

Look at everything with a new perspective

The beaten path is usually pretty beaten down. Tourism has slowly chipped away at the unique and beautiful sights around the world.

Instead of going through the motions, or avoiding the tourist traps all together, try approaching travel here from a different perspective.

Inspiration is not your guide’s responsibility, only your own.

Girls with attitude in Don Khon, Laos

Ask Why

Adults are trained to accept and comply. Rules are rules, we walk on the sidewalk, we stop at red lights and we eat in restaurants with English menus…err…you know what I mean.

If you meet a local ask them questions as to why their society acts like it does. Question and compare what you are accustomed to and be open to the new way of living.

Not every question will be answered, but at least you took the time to question.

Peace in Bali, Indonesia

Trust Strangers

I am not suggesting that you hand them your wallet and ask them to watch it, but if you travel with a wall up around you, your experiences will be limited.

You will leave feeling unfulfilled and unattached to the area due to your lack of engagement. You are in their world, so take the initiative to get uncomfortable and hopefully meet a stranger or two in hopes of making a new friend.

Living on the edge in Halong Bay, Vietnam

Dream Big

There are no limits to a child’s dreams. When asked about their dream jobs, they answer astronaut, not based on anything practical, just that it is the coolest job they can imagine.

Kids don’t play by society’s rules, but believe anything is possible. They don’t ask if it can be done, but they figure out how they can make it happen.

Innocence on the Mekong, Laos

Be in Awe

The smallest bug can quickly turn into the biggest monster, while a simple hill can become Mount Everest in a child’s eye.

After seeing a handful of temples and markets, seasoned travelers can quickly become jaded and avoid venturing out when visiting new locations because, “it’s just another temple”.

The fantastic part of traveling is discovering the subtle differences each country, culture and people offer. Each sight is unique and by putting yourself out there you are opening yourself up to serendipitous situations.

As you travel, color outside the lines, be spontaneous, learn by imitation and enjoy the simple pleasures of life!

Out for a stroll in Don Khon, Laos

How can you travel like a child?

Bio: Caroline Eaton is a former corporate ladder climber currently traveling the world in search of a location independent lifestyle and writing about it on Traveling 9 to 5. She is an exercise addict and a healthy eater with an insatiable sweet tooth. She hopes to inspire you to travel and to write a better story for your life.

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