Posts by : Izy Berry

The Songs That Have Shaped My Travels

Seeing as I’m busy enjoying Coachella I figured it’d be fun to do a music themed blog post. For me, music is really powerful and when I listen to a song I love, memories surge through my veins and I remember all the critical points at my life when I heard that particular song. Music is the closest thing I have to teleportation, at the moment, and for this reason I’m very particular about songs that I choose to play throughout my travels. I’m typing this post on a bus from Prague to London (hey, it saved me 70 euros) and I realized that travel would be a lot more painful without good tunes. 

After 1.5 years of travel, I’ll be honest and say that there are times when it’s difficult. Travelling alone has many benefits and I treasure it because of the special experiences it opens up with locals and fellow tourists alike. Changing places regularly brings a full spectrum of emotions: empowerment, anxiety, bliss, loneliness, confusion, awe, homesickness and pride – you can feel everything and anything at once. I’ve got songs that lift me up when I’m feeling down and I have some that let me just pause and take everything in.
 

When I was saying goodbye to three guys I’d travelled with for two months and moving on to Cambodia alone, I needed to hear something that made me feel like I could take on the world. Naked and Famous – Girls Like You was my weapon of choice, and whenever I listen to it I can remember all the details of that period of time. I can remember the long, lonely bus ride from Saigon to Phnom Penh, requesting a room for… one and proceeding to spend an entire day in my pjs eating ice cream blasting this song on repeat. I want to share the songs that have shaped my travels with you, so get comfy (pjs and ice cream encouraged), and listen to some really amazing music.
 

Jose Gonzalez – Heartbeats
I never expected much from Amsterdam, I thought it’d be seedy, with prostitution and drugs oozing from its pores. Instead, I found myself biking around the beautiful canals, shopping bags in my basket, slowly falling in love with Europe. I knew it was a period of my life I would want to savour forever, so I chose this dreamy song as my soundtrack to Amsterdam.

M.I.A – Paper Planes
This is a bit cheesy, I know – I suppose everyone associates this with India thanks to Slumdog Millionaire. But, when I was flying into Calcutta airport,  I had one of those moments where I doubted every decision I’d made leading myself here. Why on EARTH did I pick India and such a random city I knew nothing about?  ALONE? I was nervous, sick to my stomach and smothered in doubt. The only solution? Two doses of this song. As the plane dipped onto the runway, I was blasting it as loud as I could on my iPod earphones – it was everything I needed in that moment.

The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
I arrived in India on the Monday, on the Tuesday a strong earthquake struck my hometown. I found out the following day that my aunty, affectionately renamed my pseudo mama, was missing and after a few complications with insurance I was on a long, painful flight home. I don’t think I could ever accurately articulate the feelings that churned inside: hope and fear are devastating when mixed. I spent three days constantly on the verge of breaking down and this beautiful song was my lullaby. It soothed me to sleep, it kept me awake at the airports while in transit, and it gave me the confidence to walk through the arrival lounge in Christchurch knowing she wouldn’t be there waiting for me.

Bon Iver – Skinny Love
Well, Bon Iver’s got around a lot. He’s been the background music to many key parts of my life. This was the sound of me learning to live with grief and finding the courage to leave my country again. Probably the sweetest memory I have of Bon (we’re clearly on a first name basis now) is sitting in a four-bed sleeper train coming back from Sapa, with three Europeans I’d met during my travels. I put Skinny Love on, the two guys relaxed while a new friend, Ava, and I sung along smiling at each other. She told me that she was really glad she came and decided to come to Bangkok to spend a few more days with us. It was perfection. Hearing him last night at Coachella was an absolute dream. 

And for those days when I’m feeling a little home sick and need some New Zealand music I play Fat Freddies Drop – Hope. It reminds me of sitting a little patch of grass, with a beer in hand, loving New Zealand.

Do you have any travel songs that you carry with you always? As my iPod was stolen I have to load up my music collection again!

This was where everything started, that all consuming wanderlust. I remember clearly having my feet planted on the first soil that felt really foreign, while standing in awe looking at the busyness of it all. It was the only place I’d ever been before that really didn’t feel like it could be my home, and I loved that about it. It’s been over 1.5 years since I was last in Hong Kong and I’m really looking forward to returning again in June.
 

Hong Kong was also where i purchased some new photography gear and started really trying to make myself improve. I felt obligated to, so that I could start doing justice to the places I was visiting. And while looking at these photos I could see ways I wish I’d done them differently, they were the start and I appreciate them for that.
 

Yesterday in valet parking in Hollywood my camera was stolen. I’m resigned to the fact that there’s nothing I can do to retrieve it, which is both devastating and frustrating. I could run through a list of things I could have done differently, but the end point is I felt it should have been safe there. There might be complications with my insurance company, but I hope not as I can’t afford the considerable sum it will cost to replace the body and the lens. For me, photography is such a huge part of my travel and I’m not sure how my next few weeks/months of travel will be without it. I’m trying to keep things in perspective, it’s just stuff, but it was mine.
 
Last time I only had 24 hours in Hong Kong, this time I’m heading there for five days. Any suggestions of things I have to do are appreciated!  

So, I’m here. In America, land of the free. If I can be honest, America was never a place I was never desperate to visit, but Coachella has been a dream of mine for numerous years, so a trip here was inevitable. So far, I’m having a great time. I’m constantly surprised by how friendly Americans are. They are so chatty! In Rory’s I met a movie star… on YouTube, haha. Many of the stereotypes ring true, though. We went to Del Taco for dinner (stay classy) and the large fountain cups were big enough to quench the thirst of a rugby team. Supermarkets are laced with so many delicious treats and there’s a billion flavors of M & Ms!

We picked up our Coachella passes yesterday and as I was flipping through the booklet, I became SO excited. Coachella Valley is absolutely stunning, my photo above, taken from a car, does it no justice. It’s a really weird feeling going to a festival knowing you’ll be there for the second week. It takes a lot of the pressure of having to see your favourite artists. After Coachella Weekend 1 I’m going to try to make my way down to Tijuana and maybe Ensenada. I hope to see a little of San Diego. Post Coachella Weekend 2 I have only 2-3 days before I fly out of LAX, so I’m not sure where I’ll go then… I have a while to figure it out.

Less than 24 hours until it all begins, I’m so excited 🙂

Meeting locals – When I set out on my first trip to South East Asia, I knew that meeting locals was one aspect of my trip that was really important to me. While meeting fellow backpackers is special – some of them have become close, treasured friends – it’s not unlike spending time with your friends from home on holiday. I wanted to penetrate the surface of the countries I was visiting and the best way to do that is to slow down and speed time with the locals.

Not Exactly What Was Promised:
When we were in Chiang Mai we did a three-day trek through the gorgeous hills. On the second night we were staying in a “hill tribe” – the reality was that we were staying in tourist accommodation next to a hill tribe. Our tour guide didn’t take us to visit the locals and eventually curiosity got the better of us and we set off in a group of 10 or so people to explore. Walking up towards their houses, I noticed that there were a bunch of other tourists wandering around confused. This was not the hill tribe experience any of us had hoped for, but on reflection I’m not sure how it could have gone much better.

I felt like I was looking into a fish tank: another world that I couldn’t possibly fit inside. Being part of a large group of outsiders made me feel awkward, so I told my friends I’d wander around alone and see them later. Two children working caught my attention, so I slowly approached them with my ridiculously large camera in tow. I smiled – it was my version of holding a white peace flag. The girl kept panning the rice, oblivious to my presence, perhaps jaded by the hoards of tourists that stroll through her property daily. The little boy lapped up the attention and started doing peace poses – pausing his motion so I could take a good photo of him. I noticed my friends in the distance, clumped together, still firmly on the outside of this world. This is when I learnt my first and second lessons about meeting locals: be alone and smile.

An Experience I Would Have Paid For:
When I was in Ubud I was taking out a bit of time to recover. I had spent most of my time sitting in nice restaurants, dreaming up future travel plans and talking to hippies. It was time well spent, but not what I’d really envisioned from Ubud. I wanted to see the lush rice patties and longed to spend more time with the local people. My guesthouse didn’t have wifi, so I sat down the street out the back of a restaurant, blatantly stealing their Internet. Depending on the shift there were about 5-10 wait staff on at any one time and the restaurant was never that busy.

During the quieter periods, the staff would sit outside to pass the time. In between emails home, we’d talk about their hopes and dreams and I’d share mine, too. As I’d walk past they’d shout out “Hello Izy” and I’d stop to ask them how their day was going and whether they were busy today. After a few days of talking, I mentioned that I really wanted to explore the outskirts of Ubud, but was a bit cautious about hiring a scooter again. One of the restaurant staff offered to take me to see his family village, the following afternoon when he’d finished the early shift.

The next day at four pm, we met at the back of the restaurant and I jumped on his motorbike, pausing briefly to consider how sensible this decision was. As we darted between the other motorbikes, the tourist shops of Ubud trailed behind us. It wasn’t long before we were climbing a sweeping hill that was overwhelmingly beautiful. I held onto my new friend, tightly, as he told me stories of how long his family had lived here. The roads turned from sealed to dirt, and the local people started to give me double takes; I was somewhere that tourists were not normally invited. As we pulled up to his house, I lifted my helmet back to see his sister walking over, with two specially prepared drinks in her hand. We sat in the courtyard, over looking his uncle’s beautiful artworks in progress. His younger siblings and cousins surrounded us: their eyes curious and smiles wide.

After being formally introduced to the entire extended family, we decided to explore the area around his house. I was taken to their village’s private Buddhist temple, which was immaculately maintained. We sat together, perched on the top of hill watching the sunset sweep over the lush forest. We were cocooned in silence, not for lack of words, but because the moment itself was enough. On the way back to Ubud we stopped into his uncle’s gallery, where I was given a grand tour of all of his artwork, including photos of his exhibition in Singapore some ten years ago. To say I was welcomed warmly would be an understatement; I was constantly flattered, fussed over and given an open-ended invitation to stay on my next visit to Ubud.

The Keys To Opening The Other World:
It’s hard to pull apart the exact reasons as to why these opportunities presented themselves and in truth it’s unnecessary. However, my local experiences are not limited to these two, there have been numerous treasured moments with locals that I’d like to cover on this blog, over time. As I mentioned, I think being alone and friendly increases the chances tenfold. But there’s more to it than that, simply having the time to slow down and be open to these experiences is key. If I had a rigid schedule in Ubud I might not have been able to meet up the following day. If I’d been sitting inside the restaurant using the WIFI legitimately, I doubt this invitation would have evolved either. If you want to spend time with locals, go where they are.

I have literally hundreds of great memories of my travels throughout Asia, ranging kayaking at sunset through Ha Long bay, Vietnam, to buckets on the beach of Koh Phi Phi. The memories that sink to the deepest part of me are those where the veil of tourism has been brushed to the side and I’ve seen the people and their lives, truly. I hope that through sharing my memories you can see that is possible to have authentic experiences. I could have paid a considerable sum of money for a tour through a local village in Ubud, but I would have been there for the profit rather than for the genuine, honest and pure desire to share. Spend some time alone, smile, slow down and be where the people are and I’m sure you’ll find your own experiences that will stay with you forever.

If have any special stories of your own, please share them – I’d love to hear 🙂

Delicious Thai Red Curry

If I had to pick one cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, I’d pick Thai. Italian food rates highly on my list, but I’d surely wind up obese with all that pasta, pizza and tiramisu – remind me again why I haven’t been to Italy yet? Thai food has so many layers: sweet, sour, salty and spicy, making it completely irresistible.

When I was in Chiang Mai, taking a Thai cooking course was very high on my list of priorities. I went through my guesthouse’s suggested company: Thai Farm and found them to be incredible. Our host was hilarious, making lots of jokes while still relaying lots of really key information to us. If I could, I’d teleport myself back to Chiang Mai right now just for the delicious food. But seeing as I’m stuck in the Czech Republic (my taste bud’s hell) I figured I might as well share my favourite Thai recipe. It has the Izy seal of approval – it tasted heavenly and not just because I cooked it.

Red Curry Chicken – Kaeng Phed Gai

Ingredients for Curry paste – Serves 1 Izy or 2 Thai people:
2-3 red dried chillies (soak in cold water about 15 mins before using)
1 T of chopped shallots
1 tsp of chopped galangal (Khaa)
½ tsp of chopped kaffir lime rind
1 tsp of chopped garlic 1 T of chopped lemongrass
1 T of chopped krachai (or Thai Ginseng)
¼ tsp of roasted cumin seeds
¼ tsp of roasted coriander seeds
¼ tsp of salt (if you want to preserve the paste make it ½ tsp)

Other ingredients
1 cup of sliced eggplants (or other vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli or potato)
¼ cup of smaller pea-like eggplants (Makheau Phuang)
1/3 cup sliced onion
70 grams sliced chicken*
1 tsp of sugar
1 T of fish sauce or soy sauce
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 stems of sweet basil (Horapaa)
1 cup of coconut milk 1 cup of water
*Chicken can be substituted with beer, pork, fishball or tofu

Preparation of Red Curry sauce
Put the ingredients for the curry paste in the mortar. Pound with the pestle until everything is mixed and ground thoroughly. You can also use a blender if you’re not retro.
Preparation of Red Curry
Pour the coconut milk into the pot and turn on to medium heat. Stir until oil appears. Add red curry paste and chicken and stir until almost done. Add your vegetables, water, sugar, fish sauce, salt and turn the heat up. Stir a little. When everything is cooked, put the sweet basil and lime leaves in. Serve with rice. Pat yourself on the back; you have made one delicious curry. I would suggest making a big batch of red curry paste and keeping it in a sealed jar in the fridge, that way you can whip out some curry really easily.
If you’d prefer a green curry, substitute the 2-3 red dried chilies for 2-3 green long chilies – Tadaaa!

When I first went to University, I had a clear goal in mind. I’d study Genetics and get into research and at some point I’d cure the world of some terrible illness. Maybe cancer, muscular dystrophy or vaccine production – anything to help. Three years in labs made me realise that I wanted to see the world and experience all that it had to offer. I didn’t want to be stuck in a lab all day, socialising with pipettes while life passed me by, I wanted more for myself. After an unsuspecting catalyst turned my life upside down, I sold everything I owned and bought a one way ticket to Asia.

This was in November 2010 and since then I’ve been floating around without a clear goal in mind, other than to travel, take photos and see more of the world. I’m not saying this isn’t a worthy goal, because it’s brought some of the best experiences of my life. But the whole time I was exploring I could feel a ping under my chest, that same ping I’d felt in University: I want more for myself. At this point in time I can say without a doubt I do not want a typical 9 to 5 job. There’s a part of me that wants the (perceived) prestige of pursuing something academic like intellectual property law or genetics, but I’m not interested in working away my youth only to start living my dream after retirement.

So, how does someone who loves travel and photography with a degree in the Sciences find a way to avoid the cages of the 9-5? Location independence. At the moment I’ve made all of $0 online, but I’ve been reading a lot on location independence, freelancing, affiliate marketing, building a successful blog and creating niche websites. My goal is to, by the end of August of this year, have some income coming from online ventures – this will get me a step closer to my long term goals of being location independent. If you’d like to follow me on this journey and hold me accountable for my deadline, find me on Facebook andTwitter

Is this something that you’d be interested in too? Read my favourite location independent websites here: Nerdy Nomad, Woman Seeks World and  Smart Passive Income. If you’re working towards a location independent lifestyle, I’d love to hear more about it.

Just a brief note on packing and leaving – after 1.5 years of travel some things are exactly the same. Packing and goodbyes are still painful. Leaving doesn’t get any easier, you just get better at trusting in yourself. 

I didn’t even know about Borobudur until I met a lovely lady on a bus traveling from Bali to Yogyakarta. She said her and a friend were going to see it and invited me to come. I almost declined, because I still felt “templed out” from my previous trip around Asia, even though it was over 6 months ago. Curiosity got the better of me and we set off to see this Hindu temple at 6am. We arrived just before it opened and were surprised to see that there were so few tourists around. As the sun sleepily traced its way higher in the sky, we walked through the beautiful grounds to see Borobudur’s temple in all it’s glory. The entire time we were walking around, there were only a handful of other tourists. As we turned the corners, it felt as if we’d been given this striking temple to explore all on our own.

I like to say that Borobudur is “my Angkor Wat”. I know it’s not good to compare places, but I can still appreciate their own merits. While Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples are incredible, it’s hard to enjoy it entirely when there are hoards of tourists, there’s rarely an opportunity to take a photo without a bunch of  random people ending up in the frame. I personally enjoyed the different style of carving at Borobudur – it seems a lot deeper and you can see the Hindu influence. The temple dates back to the 9th century and was covered in volcanic ash and vegetation for hundreds of years. In 1814 it was rediscovered and underwent massive restoration. This might just be my favourite temple in the whole world, if you are traveling around Java, make the journey to visit it and spend a while in Yogyakarta soaking up Java’s artistic hub.

Want more postcard goodness? See my postcards from Gili T 

I’m probably the worst traveler in the world in terms of organisation, but this means I’m in a pretty good position to advise you of what’s essential – because if I consider it essential, chances are you will too. Since I first went traveling I’ve been messaged by lots of my friends asking what they need to take along on their trip. Some of them are the “planners” and they spend the weeks leading up to their trip in a cloud of anxiety, worrying that they’ll forget something and their trip will be ruined. You’ll be able to find most of what you need in Asia, so don’t stress too much but at least consider all of these things before you go.

Without further ado, here’s my travel checklist. If you have these things covered I’m sure your trip will run smoothly enough.

A Healthy Traveler Is A Happy Traveler
Make sure that you have the appropriate vaccinations for your trip. I would advise seeing a doctor who specialises in travel medicine four to six weeks before you intend to depart. For South East Asia I was given a  tetanus shot and a combined Hep A & B vaccination. I decided not to get the rabies vaccination because it was expensive, I hadn’t budgeted enough time for the course of vaccinations and if you are bitten by a stray animal you still have to get injections after the fact. This is a personal decision and you should talk to your doctor about whether you think it’s the best option for you. In New Zealand the injections I got were fairly expensive, running at a few hundred dollars including the consultation. You’ll need to factor this into your travel budget from the beginning.

Malaria Is Deadly
If you are traveling outside of the main developed cities, then you will probably need to consider anti malaria treatment. I personally chose to minimize my chance of infection in two ways. The first step was literally covering myself in deet (or an appropriate mosquito repellant) all the time. I added it to my daily routine – after brushing my teeth I’d smother myself and I’d always carry it around with me during the day. After traveling for a few months I got pretty fed up with spraying on repellent so I bought some repellant wipes that were a nice change to use. Don’t skimp out on this one, a leg smothered with 40 mosquito bites does not look good and it’s potentially dangerous, too.

The second avenue I took was an anti malaria pill – I chose Doxycycline mostly because of money, the other popular alternative Malarone is 5- 10 times the cost.  There are pros and cons to both of these and I am by no means an expert, so I suggest that you research the specifics of these yourself, or talk to your travel doctor. I ended up extending my travels for much longer than I had originally planned and found it very easy to find Doxycycline in Asia and it was 1/10th of the price I paid in New Zealand. I would suggest taking a small supply from home and buying more from a reputable pharmacy such as Boots in Thailand. I suffered from a number of side effects from Doxy that were not desirable and eventually I chose to discontinue taking them. This was a very personal decision, but it is not so uncommon among long term travelers. If you would like to know more information about this decision, feel free to post a comment here and I’d be happy to answer.

Emergency Kit
I would also suggest that you take some kind of emergency kit with you. Chances are you’re going to get food poisoning at some stage during your travels and when it happens you want to be able to minimize the discomfort. I had a variety of pills that I bought in a food poisoning kit from my travel doctor – one that was the biggest saving grace was something called a “stopper” – I’m not sure of the specific medication in it, but basically it stopped the physical symptoms of food poisoning long enough for me to endure a 33 hour bus ride. Things like bandaids, paracetamol etc are all fairly easy to pick up overseas, but there’s no harm in bringing some with you.

For The Ladies 
I would suggest that you bring a supply of sanitary products with you – while you can find them in most parts of Asia, they’re a lot more expensive than I was used to paying back home. Tampons are a bit rarer, but again you can find them in big cities like Bangkok. If you are taking antibiotics (such as Doxycycline) you are more likely to get thrush, so you should purchase some medication to combat this, just in case. Be mindful that if you’re taking oral contraception any use of antibiotics can impair the pills ability to prevent pregnancy.

Pack Light Then Pack Lighter
If I could do my first trip to Asia all over again I would take only the clothes on my back. If you venture out past the main cities, there are parts of Asia that are pretty dirty and any nice clothes you have are going to be all but destroyed. If you are of small to average western size you should have no problem finding clothes in Asia. You can literally pick up singlets for $1-2. Take a few basics but be prepared to buy as you need along the way. Don’t bother taking anything white there, as when you return it will be a muggy shade of gray that even the strongest washing detergent cannot mute. Buy over there and donate the clothes you don’t want to take home.

My one essential packing tip? Ziplock bags. I am crazy about them and I don’t really understand how people travel without them. I also have a slight irrational fear of airport security opening up my backpack and underwear flying everywhere. So, I roll up my clothes into ziplock bags and then I pack them into my backpack. Shoes fit into ziplock bags. Electrical cords fit into ziplock bags. Everything fits into ziplock bags. You can reuse them over and over. I usually pack outfits together in the bags, so that it’s easy to find something to wear. I will keep all my dirty clothes together in specific ziplock bags which keeps my clean clothes super clean. It also allows you to fit a lot more stuff into your backpack and so long as you maintain your bags, it makes repacking a breeze – trust me on this one.

You Need a Good Backpack 
I don’t think Asia is an appropriate place for suitcase traveling. Unless you plan to spend a very long time in each place, it will become frustrating and hinder your travels. There are three things I would suggest that anyone looks for in a backpack:

Waterproof cover – this is great for when it rains, but I use it most of the time. It doubles as a protection against wandering hands and makes me feel a little more secure about my bag being checked luggage.  Most good backpacks should have one already in the backpack, but double check.

Zips all the way around – Maybe your preference is a hiking style bag, with only a zipper around the very top. But every time I’ve seen someone struggle to find something at the bottom of their bag while simultaneously throwing everything out, I’ve thanked myself for choosing a bag that zips all the way around.  It’s just easier to deal with. On that note make sure your backpack has two zips so that you can lock them together if you want added security.

A day bag – You should try to find a backpack that has a detachable day bag. They are so useful and it’s great being able to leave your big bag in storage while you do a trek with only your small pack. I find it to be a lot more comfortable connecting the day bag to my main pack, rather than walking around with a small backpack on my front – plus it looks less ridiculous, bonus!

Bring Some Photos / Postcards From Home
You’re going to meet people and they’re going to want to know more about your world. This is especially true for locals who might not ever be able to venture to your country. Bring photos of your family and your country. If you’re from somewhere that snows bring photos of that too. Many people I met along the way would always ask me whether it snows in New Zealand as it’s one of their dreams to see snow. Postcards from home are something nice that you can leave with locals that have left an impression on you, they’ll really treasure them.

Learn Some Local Lingo 
You don’t need to stress yourself out learning seeming useless phrases such as “Do you speak English?” because if they do, you could just ask in English 😉 but if you want to learn some local lingo I suggest you should learn the basics: Hello, please, thank you, yes, no, how much, help and my personal favourite “expensive” or “so expensive”. When I was in Kuala Lumpur I was traveling with two guys and we went to a market to look at wallets. The guy quoted us a price and my response was “so mahal!” (so expensive) and he was very impressed and immediately lowered the price substantially. Anything above this you can learn, but these as the absolute essentials in my opinion.

Other Misc Things
Travel Insurance – I’ve had a number of things go wrong on my travels – There was a disaster in my home city and I was flown home from India, I was attacked in Indonesia and required 8 stitches, my camera was broken, my laptop screen was shattered, I had really bad food poisoning that required medical treatment and so on… thankfully my travel insurance covered all of those things. Get it and make sure you read up on it. My travel insurance doesn’t cover me for any alcohol (or drug) related injuries… hmm.
Camera – Photography is part of the reason I travel, so I wouldn’t be able to survive without mine.
A travel towel – smaller, lighter and faster to dry than a normal towel. Hard to find in Asia, buy at home.
Wet wipes – I use these for everything, from emergency toilet paper to an emergency shower. They’re also a godsend for cleaning your hands before you eat if you’re a little dirty. Cheap in big cities in Asia.
A small torch –  you’ll likely end up in some situations where there’s no lights, so you’ll need a torch. Easy to find in Asia.
Photocopies of my documents – I scanned my passport, emailed it to myself and printed it out, just in case I lose mine and need a replacement.
Adapters – I usually just pick them up in the country I’m visiting for a few dollars each.

If you consider everything mentioned here, you should be well prepared to backpack around Asia. Don’t forget your passport – it has to be valid for at least six months. You will need to check what visas you require for the individual countries you intend to visit.

Check out the eight things you really shouldn’t do in Asia.

I hadn’t planned on going to Yogyakarta, but needed a stop from Ubud on the way to Jakarta. A friend had suggested I might like it, but when I first arrived and saw a bland concrete jungle I wasn’t impressed. After taking some time to wander the streets, I began to discover Yogyakarta’s charm – the hustle and bustle of everyday life that seems to have art leaking out of the cracks. There’s amazing graffiti that makes you feel like you’re in Berlin rather than Indonesia. Yogyakarta is renowned for it’s beautiful Batik painting style and it was really fascinating seeing how they hand make them. I was only there a few days and spent one of those at Borobudur, but I felt like I could have easily spent weeks longer there discovering something new.

See my other postcards from: Gili T 

I spent this weekend in Bratislava – it wasn’t never high on my list of places to travel, but I live pretty close to Slovakia, so I figured I might as well. It was interesting to see the contrast between Slovaks and Czechs – in terms of both language and people. While the city itself was nice enough, as I wandered around I felt if it was lacking something. There were certain streets, while baring no resemblance at all to my home town of Christchurch, that made me miss home – the home that was before the earthquake. Hearing the light and melodic Slovak spoken around me made me crave the sound of the distinct New Zealand accent. As sunset wrapped around Bratislava’s Hrad (castle), my stomach knotted and I realised that this isn’t my home. Europe is comfortable and charming, but so far I’ve  not visited anywhere that rivals the beauty and splendor of NZ.

During my brief visit, I met some wonderful people and we had those conversations that etch their way into your deepest place.  When asked where I plan to settle down, I couldn’t find a certain answer. In fact, I don’t have any eligible places in mind. That might be one of the subconscious driving forces of my travels; the desire to find somewhere that suits me. And maybe that’s the entire reason I travel: because I’m not drawn enough to one place to really commit to it and invest into it – yet.

We made a short trip to visit Devin’s castle and I stood at the top of the medieval ruins, looking out to the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, a big part of me wished I was looking out to the Waimakariri. Snowflakes lingered in the breeze while I realised for the first time, on this trip, that I’m aching for New Zealand. This time next week I’ll be somewhere in London, on the edge of another amazing adventure. In twenty six days I’ll have my feet firmly planted back on New Zealand’s soil. While I’m really excited to be going home again, I’m looking forward to leaving, too: when something is fleeting you clutch onto it and treasure it more than you might otherwise have.

I haven’t been in an English speaking country since July last year. I wonder if I’m going to suffer reverse culture shock from being able to approach anyone and have a fluent, fluid conversation with them.  I also wonder if I’m the only one who constantly gets asked for directions, but only in countries that aren’t my own? Today I was asked for directions in Bratislava twice by Slovaks – What?