JET BLAST MAY CAUSE DEATH - Blown away at Maho Beach, St Maarten

Photo Credit: Bennyzheng Photography

An experience that blew me away. Literally. By blown away I mean fighting with all my might to keep vertical, squinting my eyes in the wind and shielding my face from the rocket sharp stabs as each grain of sand came pelting towards me. I’d anticipated it being quite a blast, not quite to this extent though. At no point did I expect to end up naked. I guess that’s what happens when you stand behind a 747 jumbo jet as it’s revving up to take off...

Sitting at the beach awaiting some planes

A few years back I was lucky to tag along on a weirdly exciting family adventure to the Caribbean. I call it weird because believe it or not it wasn’t the white sandy beaches, the clear waters nor the intrigue of island life that motivated booking the trip. It wasn’t even the allure of cruising with Royal Caribbeans latest and greatest ship to grace the waters- the Oasis of the Seas (though that was a well welcomed bonus!). We were actually traversing half way across the globe to sit at an airport and watch some planes come and go. Say what now? Yes. You read correctly. The one and only pull for my father booking the trip was the desire to sit on Maho beach and oogle at the jumbo jets as they made their journeys to and from Princess Juliana Airport in Sint Maarten.

What makes this beach special? 

Forget about quiet mornings, blissful sunsets or moseying about on the beach in peace. While the Caribbean is known for its quaint and peaceful beaches Maho beach is definitely the exception.  Why? Because it happens to lay a mere two car lengths away from the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. With a harrowing runway length of only 2180 meters in order for the jets to land they must swoop in at minimum altitude skimming right over Maho beach and casting an epic shadow over any beach goers. You can literally lay on the sand and through a rock up to the plane that’s how close they are. However I’d suggest against doing that.

For those brave enough it's probably your one and only chance to line yourself up behind a plane, dig your feet into the sand and feel the magnificent force being blasted from the rear.

If you’re lucky this may mean playing a serious game of tug of war with the wind or if you’re unlucky... (or luckier depending on your thrill seeking desires) it’ll be a quick trip straight out to sea. 

Need to see it to believe it?

Youtube is full of fantastically funny clips of tourists a-flyin' You can see one of my personal favourites here Plane vs Japanese Tourist. Be wary though taking on the force isn't for the faint hearted. Particularly that of the big name jumbos. There are a number of (almost humerous) large red warning signs stuck up along the fence warning and advising the potential for bodily harm or death via jet blast. Yes, death via jet blast. The beach has become quite a tourist destination in its own right with little Caribbean beach bars being opened up for business, some even sporting large arrival and departure signs to notify tourists exactly when to prep your panties for the show. One of the beach cafes I sat at went as far as broadcasting live radio transmissions that went between pilots and the control tower! 

The fun and games aren't just for tourists though – Look over to the sidelines of the beach or up along the apartments and I'm sure you'll find a collection of locals having a right old laugh watching on as the tourists are willingly or unwillingly blasted away.

How to get there?
Other than the obvious option of flying directly to the airport Saint Martin port is a typical port of call for many cruises making their way through the Eastern Caribbean. If you're already on the island there are a number of tours that run through Maho Beach though I'd suggest just getting a cab from the main port of Saint Martin and heading there yourself. A cab directly from the port to the planes will cost you around $8.

Photo credit: Mark Wippel

A word for the wise

Don’t wear a strapless dress to the beach that day. Being the thrill seeking anything-once traveller that I am there was no way I was missing this experience, even in my little yellow sundress. Mid blast, eyes squinted, sand pelting from all angles & holding on for dear life to my father’s arm I could feel my feet begin to lift off the floor. It all happened so quickly though within the next 3 seconds I fought, lifted, swung, fell & at some point during this sequence of movements... my dress flew off. I kid you not. I’m sure somewhere on the internet I’m actually a youtube sensation due to my naïve decision to wear a little strapless sundress for a day of taking on the ultimate blast of wind. If it wasn’t for my dad leaping quick smart to my rescue I would have ended up doing half naked cartwheels out to sea. Thankfully it wasn't quite that bad, much to the dismay of the two German tourists who had their camera glued to the scene... though I’m sure it was still a sight not to be missed. If somewhere in the big wide web there is footage out there... you're welcome youtube.

Whether you’re an aviation enthusiast, a thrill seeking tourist or just looking for another out of this world thing to gawk at, Maho Beach has it covered and is definitely an edition worth adding to your Caribbean adventures.
For another intriguing beach side phenomenon take a look at this bioluminescent plankton lighting up the shores of the Maldives!

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THE LURE OF LUMINESCENCE - Bioluminescent plankton, Maldives

Photograph by Doug Perrine, Alamy        

A little bit of magic in the Maldives. I’ve heard stories of these mystical blue lights dancing around and gently lighting up the shores of Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives. Since recent shots of the phenomenon has graced news pages I've been sent a number of messages along the lines of ‘You need to see this while you’re living there!' At a glance it almost seems too cool to be true. Glow in the dark waves? Speckled dancing lights comparable to tiny blue fairies swimming along the shores of paradise? Surely it’s either a hoax or an incredibly rare occurrence that you’ll probably never get to see. These stories are no hoax nor are the photos a display of some serious editing skills. With all the recent hype and as I investigated further, seeing this phenomenon quickly became number one on my Maldivian bucket list of things to do and see while living here.

So what are they?
The blue lights are actually tiny marine microbes called phytoplankton. Not all but many of these plankton are known to be bioluminescent and give off the mesmerizing blue glow pictured above. On calm nights when the plankton are washed up onto shore they can be seen glowing bright in all their glory. It is said they are easier to spot during a full moon, throughout certain seasons or only on particular islands and only in the Maldives. I’d like to bust that myth. Not only can I find no evidence to support these claims though when asking a local to the Maldives I have been told they can regularly be seen at shore and that there doesn’t seem to be any real pattern to their presence other than a clear sky and fairly calm waters. Much like seeing the Northern Lights (another bucket list worthy item I was lucky to tick off while in Iceland) you either get lucky, or you don’t.

Let me paint a picture for you.
You make your way down the jetty completely in awe of the natural wonderland around you. With an endless dome above speckled with stars you watch as they gently glisten and shine dancing not just in the sky but as reflections amongst the calm gentle rock of the ocean below. You make it to the end and turn back swiftly glancing over to shore. Your jaw drops, you stand there staring in wonder at hundreds of tiny blue specks lining the beach like waves of dancing fireflies swimming and prancing within the water. Completely melting from the inside out you sit in the darkness being absorbed by the silence as you try to take in and capture the essence of what is currently before your eyes. Magic.
This is how I had hoped seeing this phenomenon would pan out.
In reality though, here’s what happened: On the way home from work last night I decided to take a detour and walk the long way home. As I work nights I have missed the plankton each time someone’s spotted them so tonight I decided to walk there in the wee hours anyway with my fingers crossed. Smart move Ashlea, because there on one section of the beach I could just make out a light blue glow coming from a handful of specks as I approached. It was them! In honesty it wasn’t a great night to see them. I could probably count on my hands how many clusters I saw- not quite the thousands upon thousands I was expecting. The lack of numbers didn't at all deter from the epic shades of awesome before my eyes. Seeing what I did was still enough to make me giddy. That feeling that twists the desire to travel, one that can only be ignited by foreign or other-worldly experiences and the feeling that makes you want to both immediately leave & see the rest of the world while equally wanting to freeze in the moment and never let it end.  They are magical, and something you really need to see to believe. They actually glow brighter when agitated so you can see them glitter as the waves roll over or in the sand from the footprints you leave with each step.

So where can you really see them?
Believe it or not there has been sightings of these or similar luminescent species all over the world and paying a pretty penny for a trip to the Maldives is not your only option. Some unexpected shores gracing that list? Belgium, India, United Kingdom, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, America, The Caribbean and even back home in Australia!

Specific sightings in Australia: Gippsland Lakes, Cairns (Seen in 2008/2009) Jervis Bay NSW & as I understand a green variation has been seen at Batemans Bay.
Sightings in America:  Manasquan Beach- New Jersey, San Diego, Leucadia- California, Everglades, Cortez- Florida.

For those who are now sporting a little bit of a lure for luminescence here’s a cool page on some other natural, weird and wonderful things that glow in the night.

The detour may well become my new route home.

For some magic off shore & in the city check out my guide here on the Island capital- Male.

Photograph by Russ Taylor

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DITCH YOUR FRIENDS AND TRAVEL SOLO

Annecy, France. The chair of self discovery.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..” 

Wise words from a wise man. I could sit here and tell you countless reasons solo travel triumphs over group travel (in most cases). There's nothing greater than discovering yourself while discovering the world. Here's the top ten reasons I believe everyone should go it alone - at least once in your life.

1. MEET MORE PEOPLE
‘Solo travel means countless hours of being alone’. This is a myth. In fact it’s quite the opposite of true. Yes, sometimes you will be alone though typically most of that time is spent in transit or because you never made the effort to leave your room. When you’re flying solo you are just that – solo. Because of this you won’t be meeting anyone unless you get out there and find them! When you realize this and start playing an active part in creating a social life abroad you’ll find there’s a huge amount of likeminded and interesting people in the same boat who are willing to wander, explore or party with you. I’ve met far more people on solo trips than I ever have when traveling with friends or family. This is generally because when you’re traveling in a group you tend to stick within your bubble. If you are apart of one of these bubbles and hoping to meet other international travelers (By meet I don’t mean dance with and exchange small talk, I mean end up sitting with and discussing the philosophy of the world all night while learning about their fears, dreams and plans) I’d suggest bursting that bubble by spending less time reminiscing with your friends and more time interacting with others and steering conversation away from the 'us' and into the 'you, where, why'.

2. SEE MORE THINGS

       Ever miss out on something on your list because you were deep in conversation and passed it by? This is another reason traveling solo is wonderful. Since you’re not going to be distracted by the person walking alongside you you’ll end up seeing more, taking more in and noticing the little things you otherwise wouldn’t have.

3. GO WHERE YOU WANT & WHEN YOU WANT

The number one perk of solo travel? You're the boss! When traveling in a group chances are what you want to see, how to get there, what’s important and how you should spend your time and or money will greatly differ. When you’re alone, not only do you create the must see list but you also direct yourself around 100% of the time. This means no more time wasted on discussing what to see rather than seeing it, no more 'give and take' thus missing out on the shops you wanted to visit or skipping breakfast because your friend took too long to get ready. If you want to sit for hours on end on a chair in awe of the Alps- do it and enjoy it, you’re on your time!

4. BE WHOEVER YOU WANT TO BE

       It’s a pretty cool feeling to be somewhere in the world where no one knows your name much less who you are, where you’ve come from or where you’re going. Relish in that. Explore new places, meet new people and let them see the real you. This I believe is one of the reasons why friends met in transit are some of the most genuine and honest people you’ll ever meet- all they have to go on is what you show them.

5.   LEARN MORE ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m not going to summarize this one. It’s an experience one can only understand after time spent on the road alone. A discovery well worth making.

6. TAKE MORE PHOTOS. TAKE BETTER PHOTOS

I’m the first to admit I can be incredibly anal when it comes to photography. Due to this I’ve missed out on a number of potentially awesome snaps because my fed up friend has hurried me along or I chose not to go back and reshoot the otherwise crooked photo I snapped in a hurry while running for the train. Going back to being the boss of your journeys you have all the time in the world to wander, notice, line up, prepare, snap and shoot away! All without getting on anyone’s nerves.

7. GO WITH YOUR INSTINCT

Basic travel advice 101. Go with your gut. Sometimes though what your gut is telling you differs from what your travel companion believes. When traveling solo you should and can follow your instincts.

8. FACE YOUR FEARS
Traveling alone will force you to experience or do things you otherwise wouldn’t choose to. Without the safety in numbers and having the option to ask someone else to do it for you, you’ll learn of strengths you never knew you had and find yourself coming home with a new found independence and an 'I can handle anything' attitude.

9.   FIND INNER PEACE
This was a big one for me. I never realised just how unsettled I was within myself. Always in need to be constantly entertained, talked to, inspired, distracted or just noticed. I spent very little time if any, on my own. I can actually pinpoint the exact moment in my travels that this inner peace first touched me. I was sitting on a chair in Annecy, France. (That chair I mentioned in number three & the top picture of this post) Just sitting there, waiting. To be fair, waiting isn’t the right word because I wasn’t actually waiting for anything. I had nowhere to be, no one to see and essentially nothing really to do. So why did it feel like I was waiting? I believe in the age of social media we rely far too heavily on outer things to bring us inner fulfillness when really it should come from the inside and spill out onto our outside world. I thought a lot about that as I reflected on my life, my past, my future, where I’d been, who I’d met, the amazing things I was currently seeing and then even deeper into the who am and I am where am I going. I ended up sitting on that chair with myself, for roughly five and a half hours. It was on that chair at that moment I made the decision to start getting to know myself, learning to like myself and becoming my own best friend.

10.  PROVE THEM WRONG AND DO SO IN STYLE
To finish off the list, I add these words. To all the people that ever said I couldn’t do it, to all the ums and ahs about whether or not I’d actually go much less pull it off and to all the bets on how many days before I was on a plane coming home. Fast forward a few years later & I’m still exploring, inspiring, being inspired, discovering, learning, meeting and enjoying the incredible people and places this world has on offer. Prove them wrong. You CAN travel solo, you CAN have a completely awe inspiring and amazing time, you WILL enjoy it and it WILL change you in ways you never dreamed of. 

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STARS COME & GO BUT SOY SAUCE IS FOREVER: Spanish Journal W2

"Stars come and go but soy sauce is forever."-The line I've created to overcome my initial issue with having two versions of "I am" in Spanish.

Me llama Ashlea. Quien es usted?
De dónde es ustedes? Soy Australiana- yo vivo en las Maldivas. Tego vientedos años. Encantada!
Success! I can say with a grin I’ve reached my mini conversation goal this week & can now introduce myself and ask where someone's from. Translation (here’s hoping I actually got it right) Hello! My name is Ashlea, who are you? Where are you from? I am Australian, I am living in the Maldives. I’m 22 years old. Nice to meet you! 

Semana dos (week two) GOAL CHECKLIST

[  ] Spend 30mins a day practicing

[x] Complete Teach Yourself Spanish Unit one
[x] Numbers 20 – 100
[x] Be able to introduce myself
[x] Pronouns (I, we, you, they are)
[x] Make a new Spanish friend
BONUS-[x] Ended up learning some colours and animals this week tambien! (also)

Resumen semanal (WEEKLY SUMMARY)

Bum bow… didn’t quite reach my study time goal though I did manage to do a little something every day. I ended up spending more time researching programs and pages on learning Spanish than actually using or learning with them. I did indeed make a Spanish friend though! One of the perks of long term travel or life abroad is meeting and making friends from all over the world. After a hopeful facebook post and a refer-a-friend situation I was introduced to my new Spanish friend. A friend of mine saw my post and put me in touch with her friend who is Spanish & currently learning English. Perfecto! We plan to help each other on our quest for mastering one another’s language. The hardest part this week? To be or to be. Soy vs Estoy.

¿cómo lo hago -HOW DID I DO IT?

(Some of the resources I used or memory tricks)

·        Soy vs estoy. Having two forms of ‘I am’ was a new concept and a little hard to wrap my head around. From the research I did though & to my current understanding soy is used to express things of permanence for eg I am tall or I am Australian whereas estoy is used to express things ‘in the moment’ or events of non-permanence for example I am happy or I am at the movies. A little line I’m using to remember this? Stars come and go (Estos sounding a little like stars) but SOY sauce is forever. I’m finding word play helps new phrases and concepts stick a little better in my mind and the weirder the line the higher chance I remember. Another example of this was when learning the French word for fish -poisson (pronounced pwa-son). I remembered fish over any other animal to begin with because I don’t like nor eat fish- fish to me are poison.

·        Teach Yourself Spanish Unit one / two

·        http://spanish.typeit.org/ The site I’ve been using to type correctly to my Spanish amigo.

·        Learnt 20 new vocab words from a Childrens ‘turn & learn’ picture book by writing on the back of each page the spanish word.

That marks the end of week two! – Habla próxima semana!
Be sure to subscribe by email for updates on my progress or check out some other posts.
New to the journey? See how it started here. Missed last weeks post? Check out week one here.

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LESSONS IN LUXEMBOURG - A terrible way to save money

The worst way I ever saved money and the crazy road trip that eventuated from it.

Elbows, knees and converses to the head. The dull tension brought about from the power struggle as you gently wrestle for space, the soft tingling of pins and needles as your limbs go numb and the unpleasant aftermath as they painfully wake from kicking the door or someone else while trying to stretch it out. This was the result of my money saving quest gone wrong. Sleeping in a car is never comfortable nor easy, much less when there’s three of you doing it in the back of a 2.5 seater Volvo and you're parked in the middle of a city you just arrived in.

Half way past drunk and in the wee hours of the morning myself and a few friends were looking over a map and discussing our upcoming travel plans when someone pointed out this little teeny country crammed in between Belgium, Germany and France. Luxembourg. After going round the table and realising none of us actually knew anything about it (in a group of expat friends alike- it was VERY rare no one had anything to say). Why had we never heard of it? Nor really even noticed it hiding there on the map? After doing a little research on the city and discovering the people of Luxembourg were called Luxembourgers and that they did in fact speak Luxembourgish it was settled that we absolutely had the go there. We all happened to have the weekend off together, something that was a rare to never occurrence. So we packed a few bags set an alarm and hit the sack. The plan? Wake up, hire a car, drive to Luxembourg (stopping in Belgium for waffles… of course) spend the night there then head to Germany the next day, spend the last night there, hit the road and be back in Holland on time for work on Monday. The only problem with this great plan was we were all dirt poor. We managed to pull together enough to hire the car and pay for gas. With no money left over we had the brilliant idea to cut costs and skip out on accommodation altogether. We have a car, it’s just for the weekend- let’s make our money well spent & sleep in it!

Three days, three countries, a car and a basket full of food. In theory sleeping in a car in a bid to avoid hotel costs seems like an awesome idea. Yeah, not so much. What I should have considered: where do you plan to park the car? Cars don't come with the privacy and comfort of a hotel room with walls, windows with curtains, a door or a bathroom. Trying to Sleep in a car parked in the middle of a city on a Saturday night is actually a very stupid thing to do as we came to understand. With the cities night life all out and about or heading home, peering eyes and drunken stares were coming at us left right and center. It seemed all the creepies where out this particular night which only added to the intensity of those stares and glares. To be fair I don't blame anyone for staring though, we probably creeped them out far more than they did us.  I'm sure they were all wondering why on earth a Czech guy and two Aussie girls were crammed into the back of a Volvo playing human Jenga for hours on end on a Friday night. Well why were you parked in the middle of the city, you ask? This brings me to lesson two. Delve a little deeper into the motto 'don't drink and drive' and some solid advice to add onto to it would be don't drive to another country, park your car someplace stupid, drink, return and be unable to move it. Especially if your car is currently hosting you as a hotel on wheels. Consider your surroundings.

After hours of shuffling around in the car we eventually gave up on the tedious task of getting comfy and decided it would be a better idea to go and sleep in the park. We happened to have parked right alongside the biggest and most amazing park in Luxembourg. Complete with giant tipi structures, tunnels, swings and a fully sized ship- it seemed more like a playground or adults rather than tikes. We spent the vast majority of the night playing in the park, building makeshift beds in the tipi structures, being creeped out by passer byes or noises, returning to the security of a locked car, making numerous attempts to get comfy in said car only to begin the endless shuffle and fight for space again. With the daylight brought the reality that no one was getting any sleep that night- so instead we locked up the car and headed off to explore.

I must say, we couldn't have been in a better place to spend the early hours wandering. The early bird really does get the worm, right? This was lesson three. I've been told for years by the early risers how beautiful and refreshing a morning walk can be and that I should be spending more time out in the sunshine than inside asleep. Mornings have never agreed with me and it wasn't until I experienced this particular one in Luxembourg that my opinion on the matter changed. Walking around the near-bare streets, breathing the smell of fresh morning air and watching the world come to life as the sun  gently kissed my surroundings. It wasn't until that tranquil and idyllic morning, probably while sitting in the silent sun, eating the berries I'd just picked from the tree I was beneath that I truly experienced the morning hours for what they are, or can be.

The people - the Volvo - the places. *Please ignore the heinous orange die job I'm rocking in these photos.

Other than opting to be more of a morning person and less of a night owl the main advice I can pass on from this lesson is consider ALL consequences and options when trying to save a quick buck. Really think about if it's going to be worth it. Know when to save and when to splurge. (Check out my post here to read more about when to spend)
I’m all for cutting costs wherever possible though in hindsight – this probably wasn’t the brightest idea we’ve had. If I was to do it again (& let’s be honest, I probably would) I’d either make the splurge for a hostel OR I’d upgrade my hotel on wheels – opting for a van or at minimum a bigger car with tinted windows.

For some money saving tips that WON'T leave you sleeping in a car, check out my post Eke out your euro.

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NEW YEAR NEW LANGUAGE

Okay! HELLO 2014.

What a year! Leaving Holland, returning home, hating it, moving to Malaysia, being relocated with work to the Maldives, a bunch of return trips here & there around asia, ticking off a number of cities on my list back in Europe. It's been a pretty fun filled year to say the least! Let’s not dwell though. Out with the old and in with the new, right? 

I’ve taken that advice on literally and decided to semi-retire on my French learning & instead take up Spanish. Starting fresh. No, I’m not a quitter. You could possibly call it jaded frustration for not picking it up as quickly as I’d hoped (or in actuality lack of commitment) but I’m going to go with ‘pursuing new passions and prioritising’ instead. J Since many of my planned upcoming adventures sit within Spanish speaking regions I have decided to learn Spanish instead / first. Bien! hagámoslo.

Teaching yourself a language is far from easy. It takes copious amounts of commitment, patience, perseverance, persistence and a deep determination paired with a love for the language. It’s just that little bit harder when you’re not actually surrounded by the language nor finding yourself regularly in a situation where you are forced to use it. This is no reason to shy away though! We’re very lucky to be living in probably what could be deemed the golden age for language learning since mans first speech. More specifically- to teach yourself a language. There is less and less need to splurge on lessons now with so many free resources, videos, programs, apps, books and blogs to assist in your learning! The misconception that immersion is the only way can also now be blown out of the water. Utilizing things such as Skype, Facebook and the internet it's never been easier to immerse your(CYBER)self within a culture & language right from your lounge room. Bring the language to you! Put yourself into cyber situations that allow you to utilize what you've learnt and keep learning! Finding a language class, conversation buddy, beginners group or new native speaking friend is easier than ever with so many incredible websites designed for just that. Chances are somewhere, someone out there in the big bad world is willing to help assist you (free of charge) on your journey in exchange for practicing, using and perfecting their English. 

On and off for the last year I’ve been teaching myself French. Unfortunately though it’s been far more off than on. This year I’ve decided to start fresh with a new language and turn it into somewhat of a challenge rather than a chore (which sadly is what my previous attempts have fizzled into). I’m going to set weekly goals, monthly checkpoints and go in with a plan this time- all the while I’ll be blogging about my progress (in the hope that’ll push me to reach my goals) as well as inspire others to maybe do the same.

THE CHALLENGE? Teach myself Spanish while in the Maldives

THE GOAL? Conversational fluency by JULY, 2014. High hopes I know but we’ll see, I have a plan!

THE TOOLS? Teach Yourself Spanish Book & 2 Audio CDs, an ipod, self made flash cards, notebook, youtube and a few Spanish speaking friends on facebook. 

Here’s three fantastic language blogs I’ve been reading and hope to use for reference, research and inspiration! Check them out!

http://www.everydaylanguagelearner.com/ -This is my go to hub for all things language learning, full of great resources tips and tricks. A must-use for any language learner, thanks Aaron for your wonrderul page!

http://www.fluentin3months.com –Benny the Irish polygot. I really love this blog! It just goes to show how anyone can learn a language if there’s a strong desire. You can watch his progress and videos as he travels the world attempting to obtain fluency in.. yes, you guessed it- three months, one country at a time.

http://www.thepolyglotdream.com Similar to the previous blog, these are the tales of Luca, another inspiring polygot travelling the world and learning languages. I especially love his language learning technique posts!

Don’t forget to check back in for my weekly progress updates so you can follow my journey, see what I achieved that week (or didn’t, haha) how I did it and what tools I used! I plan to post weekly updates cross checking my goals with my accomplishments, marking my progress and linking any resources I used that week.

If there’s any Spanish speakers out there, anyone currently learning Spanish or willing to join my journey I’d love to hear from you! I’m hoping to grow a small network of language partners to practise, chat and type with! If you think you’d be up for the challenge shoot me an email on thislittlenomad@gmail.com OR leave a comment below. J Hasta Luego, amigos!

Follow via email to be notified of new posts. :) 

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CURIOUS CUBES

THE CURIOUS CUBE HOUSES OF ROTTERDAM

During my year living in Holland I took the liberty in attempting to cover as much of this country as I could. Neighbouring Den Haag where I lived, is the brilliantly quirky town of Rotterdam.

Other than the lure of Primark and other shopping escapades I was drawn here in the hope of locating and exploring the curious cubic housing complex I’d heard so much about.

This peculiar design is the innovation of Dutch architect Piet Blom. The challenge? Design and build a housing structure utilizing the space above a pedestrian overpass.  At a glance it appears as if a bunch of huge yellow blocks have fallen from the sky and crash landed into this imperfectly perfect cubic-cluster. Blom describes his work as being the structural representation of an abstract yellow forest- a home among homes. With each house representing a tree and each tree connecting with the next to make a forest. With such a wacky design and musky yellow colour scheme it’s no surprise this is a product of the 70’s. Blom actually built three test houses in Helmond back in 1974 which lead to the construction of 18 fully functioning homes popping up in 1977. It wasn't until the early 80s construction on the Rotterdam 'Forest' started. Believe it or not, all but one of these curious cubes are occupied. Who wouldn’t want to call a giant yellow tree-house block hanging on to an overpass, home? The one left over is open to the public and was actually purpose built as a late edition due to the high numbers of curious cats disturbing the residents as they tried to get a peek inside these homes.

With a total floor space of 100sqm, these fully functioning houses are actually made up of three floors! The ground entrance floor, an open plan kitchen & living floor and top floor with two bedrooms and a bath. Due to the walls being angled at 54.7 degrees only a small proportion of the floor space can actually be used- the angles do make for wonderful viewpoints out the windows though!

If the show cube isn't quite enough for you, as of 2009 STAYOKAY Dutch hostel company bought and converted one and for roughly $25AUD you curious cats can choose to stay there!

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GLAMPING FRANCE

C'est quoi? – What on earth is this glamping, you say?
First, forget everything and anything you ever knew about camping. Take all the extras expected from a hotel stay, some candles, crisp white sheets, sheer curtains, a group of wild horses, the sound of a crackling fire against rural silence and add little pinch of luxury – now bundle it all up into a simplistically beautiful little cottage made of canvas & throw it into the Suisse National Park of Normandy, France. This was my glamping experience. During the year I lived in Europe I was very blessed to have been brought along on many working holidays. One of which was to the Reinhill Ranch in Normandy. When I was told we were to be going ‘glamping’ naturally I thought I’d misheard and was ready for a bug-filled dig your own toilet kind of camp trip. Nope! We were in fact, going glamping – glamorous camping. This new age idea of camping for the non-conforming-camper meant we’d more or less be staying in a petit hotel de luxe (little luxury hotel) that was posing as a tent on a campsite. 
En route: Netherlands – France. The five of us (including Sally, our Bernise Mountain dog who may as well be a person due to her incredible size & amazing nature) all packed into the car and hit the road. After stopping for breakfast in Holland, lunch in Belgium & six hours’ worth of city, highway, country and rural towns we reached Normandy, France. Upon arrival our bags were taken and we were driven in a buggy deep into the property. As we drove up and over the last hill the beauty of the French country side started to reveal itself. Passing horses, ponies, pigs, ducks, an assortment of gardens and getting into the ranch/farm-stay spirit I could make out our soon-to-be-home gleaming in the early sunset. Perched at the far end of the field closed in by a dainty wooden fence and surrounded by a group of wild ponies stood our safari-style tent amidst the breathtaking atmosphere of rural France. Tout simplement sensationnel. Simply stunning.

Tucked away in the French countryside surrounded by lush greenery and rugged brown farmland this charming little tent-suite featured a master room, second bedroom and a large open living area complete with a wooden stove top, open fire, dining set & lazy-day chairs. The simplistic rugged interior gave all the feels of a tent while boasting all the simple benefits of a serviced hotel. Over the next week we spent our time doing a little of everything and a lot of nothing. Ce’st la vie, et il est grand. –It was pure bliss. The incredible staff working at the Ranch were beyond helpful and really made us feel not only at home but a part of the team. A huge shout out goes to Bob, Alison & the whole Reinhill team, I really can’t thank you enough for the incredible time we had with you! The best part about the trip? Switching off, disconnecting, doing nothing and being one with nature. Running, skipping and playing explorer with the kids around the property, chasing the wild ponies, grooming & riding the horses, trying our luck at horse training and welcoming each night with a glass of wine or hot coco snuggled up in blankets and telling stories over the soft crackling of our indoor fire. The worst part of the stay? When the time came to snap back to reality and say goodbye to our humble hideout. 

Glamping is for those wishing to experience all that is camping without actually experiencing anything that is camping. It’s for the designer traveler, the friendly family, the love-bug couple or anyone really looking for an unforgettable escape among nature.
It’s definitely one for the bucket list and I highly recommend Reinhill ranch as the place to tick it off.

 Once you go glamping... 


Check out some other GLAMPING LOCATIONS around the world, or get in touch with Bob & his team @ the REINHILL RANCH for some horse riding, or SAFARI-NORMANDIE to speak with someone to book a glamping trip at this magnific ranch!

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