100 Essential Travel Experiences, Part II
As a tribute to carefree traveling, I’m listing my most memorable travel experiences so far. You can read the first 20 items in the previous post. Without further ado, here are the next 20 travel experiences in no particular order: 80. Bathing in Budapest’s public baths in the snow 79. Indulging in […]
An Announcement: The Trip of a Lifetime – 100Essential Travel Experiences
It’s been quiet on Travel Cake these past few months. Some of you have been asking me where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to. Well, I can tell you this much: I haven’t been slacking! I’ve moved from Ecuador to Belgium where I have been slaving away at a 9 to 5 desk […]
A peek into Friesland’s past, The Netherlands
It was a sunny September Friday when we set off for the north of the Netherlands. Having never ventured that far up in our neighbouring country, we instinctively packed our warmest jumpers and scarves.“With a name that roughly translates to ‘Freeze land,’ it must be exceptionally cold up there,†we nodded jokingly. I’d been wanting […]
2014 Travel Summary
I spent the last two days of 2014 in a haze, trying to beat jetlag and fatigue from the long transatlantic flight to South America. While the rest of the world was exchanging hugs and watching fireworks to ring in the new year, I was soundly asleep, cocooned in my warm bed. Despite the endless […]
Torajan Death Rituals
“Would you like to go to a funeral, m’am?†Not exactly the question you’d expect when stepping out of a long distance bus… And yet, what this man was proposing, is quite normal in Tana Toraja. In fact, funerals are the “main attraction†in the region. Visitors mostly come to learn about the Torajan culture […]
Thingyan, Water festival in Myanmar
Who doesn’t love a smashing New Year’s party? Now imagine that bash lasting for days, taking place outdoors under a blazing sun, and involving obscene amounts of water. Welcome to Thingyan — Myanmar’s water festival, held around mid-April to ring in the Burmese New Year. It’s the country’s biggest and most important holiday, and it’s […]
Spiritual Tourism: Thaipusam 2014
Experiencing the Festival of Thaipusam: A Dream Fulfilled Yes!! Another travel wish come true. Years ago, while doing some research on Malaysia, I stumbled upon a celebration that immediately caught my eye: Thaipusam. I was fascinated. But when I realized I had just missed it by a few weeks, I was gutted. Fast-forward six years, […]
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