Why hello there again Switzerland, I am so happy to be back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhg7Ob7Ar9Y

Switzerland is one of those countries I simply HAD to go back to visit. The first time I went I was simply to overwhelmed and couldn’t possibly see it all. This second time was a chance for me to take a breath and try some of the fantastic hiking trails and outdoor activities that flourish in this region.

Via Ferrata- The Iron Way

Via Ferratas were introduced to me by a few Contiki friends. They are old WWI aerial access routes, now present day ropes courses that consist of steel cables, ladders and bridges that allow you to ascend, descend or traverse mountains and cliffs. They involve of a mixture of hiking and rock climbing, and you are attached to the steel cables via a harness and carabiners. So in one sense they are safe since you are attached to a rope, on the other hand you are dangling off a rock cliff sometimes hundreds of metres above the ground.

I love them.

Via Ferratas are hands-down one of the best thrill seeking outdoor activities you can do. Not only are they fun, you get to see some of the more unique parts of the region. I highly recommend trying one if you visit Switzerland.

Mürren – Gimmelwald course

Now there are a couple of options on how to do Via Ferratas:

• You can rent gear at any sports shop and go out on your own via a map.
• You can hire a guide to take you, or join a group going through the area.

Some courses are very doable on your own, the Mürren – Gimmelwald course is very straightforward, although VERY frightening. Stephanie and I managed it on our own and it took around 3 hours.

Eiger -Rotstock course

On the Eiger -Rotstock however, I would have been very clueless if I had attempt it on my own, so I am very glad we were with friends that could guide us through it.

The great divide

Now you hear this a lot in Switzerland, but essentially there are three main languages: Swiss-German, Swiss-French and Swiss-Italian. Zürich is Swiss-German, Interlaken and Bern as well, where as Geneva is French. It’s astonishing how just a few hours by train can make such a huge difference on language and culture. I honesty felt like I was in a different country when I was in Geneva; the way people acted, the food and the transportation systems were all so different from the interior German parts of Switzerland I was more accustom to.

Geneva

CERN

Now I wasn’t in Geneva for too long, just a few days which was a good thing, since it’s not the most budget friendly of places. On my life’s bucket list of places I want to visit,  CERN, The European Organization for Nuclear Research, was near the top.

I am a huge science nerd and I love watching all the Discovery specials on the universe, quantum mechanics, particle physics and string theory. (I did study engineering for a year after all) Hence why visiting  The Large Hadron Collider, the 27 km particle accelerator track underneath Geneva, was indeed a very nerdy fantasy of mine.

Thinking about visiting CERN yourself?  Here is what you need to know before you go:

1)    Book in advance. There is only one tour a day and they run in multiple languages, so call and book in advance.

2)    If you cannot book in advance or forgot, like ourselves, call anyways and find out the time of the tour in your language for the day, then show up freakishly early and put yourself down for the cancellation/wait list. Most of the time there will be space and you’ll be able to get in this way, but obviously booking in advance is the better option.

3)    There is A LOT of information they are going to cover on the tour and it might be a bit overwhelming, but the information is at its’ most basic explanation. The tours are meant for visitors that aren’t necessarily familiar with the innermost details of particle physics, so don’t worry about not being a genius. I do however recommend going through the interactive information zones to familiarize yourselves with the terms and general concepts, that way you will have a much largest appreciation of the material being covered.

4)    You’ll probably be a bit disappointed. You don’t get the see the LHC or go anywhere they are currently working, which is essentially everywhere. This is a bit of a disappointment; however, we have to remember that these are real scientists working and I’m sure they would appreciated us not staring at them while they work and not touching anything.

So while informative, I would only recommend a CERN tour to those who truly appreciate the science and concepts behind the LHC cause if you don’t care much for it then you will not enjoy it.

The Many Sides of Switzerland |Hey Nadine

Remember in my previous post where I was telling you about how wonderful my long-lost family from Slovenia was? Well, they just kept continuing on with that trend of being absolutely amazing.

After Maribor, Stephanie’s and my original plan was to just jump onto some trains and explore around Slovenia, well our family decided instead that they would personally treat us to some of the best spots and most exciting places in Slovenia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9qn9uoR_3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ4zyg2nZwY

First Stop:

Bled

The picture-perfect-literally-out-of-a-storybook town of Bled, Slovenia; known for it’s tiny church on the lake and it’s towering castle overlooking the lake. It is one of Slovenia’s most popular tourists attractions and THE hottest destination to have your wedding at.

Koper

Next we traveled towards the only bit of coastline Slovenia has: the seaside town of Koper.

Now I have heard a lot about Koper growing up, mainly from stories from my Grandpa, since this was where he was born and lived most of his life before immigrating to Canada. Koper is a big deal in my family. So while there Stephanie and I decided that we would really like to find out where my mom, aunt and grandparents grew up. Originally we thought, ok this might be a bit of a challenge since things might have been renovated, or construction might have occurred. In one aspect we were correct; it was very difficult to find their old house, mainly cause there are no street signs! The city has also renamed several streets and thus since they moved their street name had been changed. So to find this place all we had to go on was an old name and the fact that the building was an apartment complex that was painted red and was close to the water. Of course, if my mother was here it would have been much easier since she would just walk through the streets via memory and pointed it out.

Alas, we did manage to find it after around an hour of searching. Victory!

Postojna Caves and the Predjama Castle

I LOVE castles. This clearly comes from my love of all things fantasy. So the fact that I am visiting a picture perfect renaissance castle built on the side of a mountain is truly something that makes me very giddy indeed.

Now the inside of the Predjama Castle is nothing spectacular, it is damp, cold and somewhat dreary; kinda like a true renaissance castle and unlike some of the famous French castles. All this is thanks to the cliff side it is built on. And while this may seem like a huge fault, it is actually a gigantic strategical military advantage. Seriously, who is going to try and attack this castle by foot?

One of the most exciting features about this particular castle is that it actually tunnels into and links up to the Postojna Caves; a 20 kilometre network of passages, galleries and underground chambers. Talk about your escape route!

The Postojna Caves are Europe’s most visited caves and Slovenia’s most popular tourist attraction. Now the only other caves I have had the pleasure of being able to visit were the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand, and those are nowhere near the size as the Postojna Caves.

Although we were not allowed to take photos I still manage to sneak a few quick snapshots in. They are nowhere close to representing how vast the actual caves were.

We seriously have the best family you could ever ask for. I can’t wait to show them around Canada when they come visit us :)

Travelling with the Locals |Hey Nadine

So let me put this into context for you.

My family history is somewhat of an unknown. I know that both my parents move to Canada in the 1960/70 with literally only a suitcase each full of some clothes and pictures. They came from the former countries of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia escaping political communist regimes. Only my immediate family, including my grandparents and their kids, aka my parents, immigrated to Canada. Now, back in those times there really wasn’t much of a way to connect with friends or family aside from writing letters. Welcome to the digital world 2013, where by complete fluke my mom just so happened to find her long lost cousin from Slovenia on Skype. A women whom she hadn’t heard from since she move to Canada when she was 11 years old.

So on our trip through Europe with my sister we decided to go visit them in Maribor, Slovenia.

I could not believe how welcoming and loving my long lost family is. These are relatives I have never met before, half-cousins I didn’t even know existed. They provided us with accommodation, food, acted as our tour guide through their home town of Maribor. Went far above and beyond. Taking us to the places that literally, the locals go to.

I could not believe their hospitality to us. Even though we are related by blood, we were complete strangers and they treated us like well, family. Maybe I was expecting something a bit different or perhaps this is just how meeting long lost relatives is like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ4zyg2nZwY

So via my new found half-cousins and second-cousins we explored:

Maribor

The second largest city in Slovenia  and “arch rival” of the capital city, Ljubljana. Here we had a chance to stroll around the main city square,

grab some fantastic Gelato and oh yes, hike up the 455 stone steps of Kalvarija in 30 degree heat. Once a way to escape the plaque, now a favorite pastime of fitness enthusiasts. Thanks cuz.

Nothing to it eh Steph? :P

Our second cousin Nik told us about how much beer Slovenians consume, much like most Eastern European countries, and our other second cousin Jasmina showed us around a local folk music festival on top of the local ski hill Mariborsko Pohorje.

Where we of course got to enjoy beer!

We then got to drink some wine from the The Old Vine, the Oldest Vine in the World. It’s over 400 years old and registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. Mom, you are welcome for the lovely bottle of wine we brought back.

Last, Nik being a super huge football fan, took us to the local stadium and bought us some wicked gear!

Score one for family!

Finding Long Lost Relatives in Slovenia |Hey Nadine

I do apologize for titling this post Croatian Island Hopping, since there really is only one island I am taking about in this post: Brac. Where in my last post, I featured the islands of Korcula and Hvar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga2lHOIj0sI

So, a little fact about Croatian island hopping, to get to and from the islands via public transit you need to take the catamaran ferries, and in the shoulder season, aka September, the only ferries are at 6:00am. So prepare yourself for this, cause it sucks. You must be at the docks by 5:15am to ensure a ticket to get on the boat, then you end up arriving at your destination around 7:30am ish and you can’t check into your hostel till 11am at the earliest.

Brac

Welcome to the town of Bol on the island of Brac: the windy, beach resort and adrenaline junkie Croatian island.

Famous for its triangular beach, Zlatni Rat, Bol is home to those famous round white pebbles that result in spectacularly clean water and beaches. A big change from the sandy beaches of Australia and the Caribbean.

Split

After our island adventures were complete we made our way back to the coast and spent some time in Croatia’s coastal capital, Split. Home to the ruined ancient Roman Palace of the Emperoro Diocletian, this second largest city in Croatia is full of great beaches, atmosphere, culture and cliff jumping!

Zagreb

Our last stop in Croatia was Zagreb, the capital city. We hadn’t originally planned to stop here but our 1 hour train layover on our way to Slovenia turned into a 4 hour delay so we decided to go check out the town. There is a lot you can accomplish in 4 hours, so in our layover we enjoyed a vegan festival in the town centre, complete with live entertainment.

Took a strolled through the park, grabbed dinner and sipped on some coffee.

Oh Croatia, I hate to say goodbye. I have fallen in love with Croatia and I have no doubt that this lesser known country is one of the hottest up-incoming travel destinations.  Full of great beaches, food and architecture, Croatia has all you can desire from a Mediterranean European destination and more.

Croatian Island Hopping |Hey Nadine

As summer was coming to an end it was the perfect chance to soak in a bit of late summer sun and head to the Mediterranean islands and coastline of Croatia. I was joined by my sister (@stephsykora) from Canada as we decided to do some “dual” traveling together and visit some distant family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5yv02k_38I

Dubrovnik

Where to first? Well, you can’t go to Croatia without visiting its most popular attraction: Dubrovnik! Thus we started our trip in this stunning town full of culture and staircase “roads” (which we found out the hard way after being dropped off by a taxi and trucking our luggage up the 20m flight).

The jewel of the Adriatic is, without a doubt, the 13^th – 16^th century old town. This UNESCO world heritage site is a spectacular city filled with marble streets, seaside guard towers and scenic city walls. So we did the #1 thing to do and walked along these gorgeous, but really hot (tip: don’t do in the middle of the day!), walls.

The defensive walls are stunning with the Adriatic Sea on one side and the baroque architecture building with orange brick roofs on the other side. And on top of that, we discovered that it was the location where they filmed scenes for King’s Landing for HBO’s Game of Thrones!

I love Dubrovnik, it is one of my most favorite places I have ever been to, and I have been to ALOT of places. It’s just so freaking beautiful! A word of warning, it is VERY touristy, all of old town is sadly, shops, restaurants, gelato stores and bars. However, if you ever find a small hole in the wall near the western wall where the locals are jumping off the rocks, crawl through to the lovely sunset bars perched up on the cliffs and grab a drink.  Worth every penny. Blink and you’ll miss it.

After Dubrovnik we were in the ideal spot to head north along the coast, and what better way than to do some island hoping and visit the Croatian islands.

Hvar

We “hopped” to the party-happy island of Hvar. The host of copious yachts, but also beautifully clear waters and mini-islands that were wonderful to swim around.

Of all the island in Croatia  Hvar is the “it” island, it’s where the rich and famous go to party and be seen. However, if you are like me and neither rich nor famous you can still enjoy Hvar via hostel life and pub crawls. This place is seriously a must if you want to get the best of Croatian island hopping.

Korcula

Another island we visited was Korcula, famous for its white wines and stronghold (sort of like a min-Dubrovnik). Marco Polo inscribed merchandise was everywhere, which we thought he must have been born there, but turns out he just lived there in the 13^th – 14^th century.

We only spent a day on the island of Korcula, and quite honesty out of all the places visited in Croatia this was probably my least favorite. It had beaches yes, it had strong holds and old town culture as well as trendy seaside restaurants overlooking the sea. It was kinda like a mixed grab bag of everything, however nothing spectacular in comparison to other places in Croatia: Dubrovnik for architecture, Brac for beaches, Hvar for parties, Split for city life, Zagreb for cafe culture. But I guess in a sense that kinda does make Korcula special, cause you can get a tiny bit of everything in just one place.

I does have wine though, yes let’s not forget about the wine.

A Trip to King’s Landing : Dubrovnik, Croatia |Hey Nadine

Your going to be hearing a lot about Rio de Janeiro  in the next few years, first because they will be hosting the  2014 FIFA World Cup and then the 2016 Summer Olympics Games.

So let this be your sneak preview of what you can expect from this bustling, spotlighted city.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70R8llNmf2k

First thing I instantly noticed about Rio and from travelling around Brazil is that Rio is nothing like the rest of Brazil. It’s like I am instantly transported to another country. Granted, Brazil is huge, we learned this when planning our trip initially and thus opting for a flight pass to get around the various cities we intended on visiting. Getting back to Rio, Rio is like most modern western metropolises, with a tiny hint of beach culture. If anything I would compare it to Honolulu or Waikiki in Hawaii, but quite a bit less developed.

In regards to public transport, shopping, cleanliness, tourist attractions and eating it is all on par with any major city in North American or Europe. I would also put it in a whole other category than the rest of Brazil in things related to safety. I felt unsafe in various areas of Brazil, mainly more inland in Manaus and Salvador. But in Rio, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could finally relax and enjoy a bit more. Although I should mention I stayed far away from the Favelas.

And boy did I relax, somehow Rio turned into beach, party, beach, party, and a little Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor ) sightseeing in there as well. Hey, it was the end of our trip, we were allowed to go a bit crazy.

Our first beach we visited was Copacabana, mainly cause it is the most famous beach in Rio and our dad would be extremely disappointed at us if we didn’t visit it.

The second beach we checked out was Ipanema, the “new up-in-coming trendy” beach.

In comparison, they were both very similar. The sand was clean, Ipanema’s was slightly more white, and the water was cold. Ipanema also has a wonder boardwalk that’s open to rollerbladers, bikers and joggers, as well as a gay beach section which is very forward thinking. Can’t say I prefer either to the other.

Night Life

In regards to the night life, we kinda had a bit of bad timing in our trip as we arrived on a Monday and departed on the Friday afternoon, so we never got a chance to experience Rio’s famous Lapa district street music and nightlife area. We did however manage to make our way onto a party boat that cruised till 4am,  and eventually a Samba club.

Other things we did in Rio

Visit Christ the Redeemer: a crowded cluster of people, posing and trying to squish onto the tiny platform for just a few seconds, enough to snap your photos and be done. It’s hectic, you have to show up at least two hours in advance to book a spot on the tram to ride up. But, if I didn’t get a chance to see it I would have been very disappointed.

Hang gliding

I was scared shitless, I had a previous bad experience paragliding in Austria (the second time) and thus the thought of voluntary running off a cliff again stressed me out like crazy. However, it only took a brief panic attack before I was convinced to run off and fly.

Boy was this the experience of flying or what! We were lucky enough to catch a thermal which lifted us up higher above the jump platform and thus gave us a longer flight time.

Hang gliding is really all about luck, since we tried all 4 days we were in Rio to do hang gliding and only on the last day the wind conditions were right. ( They take this stuff very seriously). Regardless, I loved every second of it, much more than paragliding, although that’s also pretty wicked. Considering that was the last thing we managed to do in Rio, I believe we time it quite well.

Now this is only a small glimpse of what there is to do in Rio, and from what I have seen so far, World you are in for a treat, Rio will not disappoint! I can’t wait to go again, maybe 2014? We’ll see.

Big thank you to hostelbookers for hooking us up with some sweet rooms at the Samba Palace, in Rio!

Rio de Janeiro: Let’s Party! |Hey Nadine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVsrA_XEtNc

While in Praia do Forte, Brazil we were lucky enough to get a tour around the TAMAR Sea Turtle Project. 

There Stephanie and I learnt a ton of information about the conservation efforts, biology and history of Giant Sea Turtles!

First off, they are massive; some adult species budding over two metres in length. Second, they are old; at live-spans estimated at 100 years they are some of the oldest creatures around.

Five of the seven species of sea turtles are found in Brazil, which are distinguishable by the plates on their shells and comprise of: Loggerhead, Olive Ridley, Green, Leatherback, and Hawksbill. All of which are threaten with extinction and the latter two being critically endangered.

(left to right) Loggerhead, Leatherback, Green, & Hawksbill Sea Turtle Shells

Sea turtles differ from their land-loving relatives by their developed flippers and unique spawning process. From the months of September to March, female turtles migrate to the Brazilian shorelines to lay and bury golf-ball sized eggs  within the sand, where they incubate for 45-60 days.

Fun fact, during this time the temperature of the sand actually determines the sex of the turtle.

Turns out 29°C is the magic number.

Warmer? It’s a girl!

Colder? It’s a boy!

When incubation is done they hatch, crawl out of the sand and scurry to the sea as fast as they can. They then go on living their juvenile lives and return again one day to those same shorelines once adulthood is reached.

Tamar Education Center

For the past 30 years the TAMAR project has been very successful in the conservation of these vulnerable creatures. Back in the 1980s little was known about sea turtles, nearly all female up on the beach were killed, and all their eggs were poached/collected. Brazil was doing nothing about it at the time but international pressure was rising. A group of oceanography students came together, surveyed the shorelines and wrote a reported to the government. Since then, TAMAR has grown to 23 stations, with the main national headquarter in Pria du Forte where we visited.

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Working with local communities their conservation efforts range from:

• Trading in turtle eggs for chicken egg. (initially)
• Employing former turtle hunters to help find nests on busy beaches and mark them

Thanks to their efforts, within the past 30 years they have completely changed the mindsets of how turtles are managed and now only 2% of them are being poached, since they local communities realize: a turtle is worth more alive than dead.

As considerable as the conservation effort from the TAMAR project have been, there are still many threats to these endangered species, especially moving toward the 21^st century.

A Marked and Monitored Nest

With coastal development and new resorts swelling in Brazil, beaches are becoming more crowded and nests are increasing becoming threaten and disturbed. This is a crucial responsibility of TAMAR, where they monitor the beaches between 20:00-2:00 and mark the turtle nests. Once marked they put protective nets on top and monitor them, and if in a high traffic area, relocate and transfer to the beach research centre to incubate until they are ready to hatch and be returned to the sea. In the meantime valuable information such as skin, blood, and scale samples are taken to help track these turtles’ health and abundances.

Artificial lighting from these developments and climate change also menace the turtles because of their heat sensibility (remember the 29°C magic number). Lighting disorientates the baby turtles and gets them lost and dehydrated when they head for the sea. It also falsely heats the sand. Likewise, climate change will have a broader effect on the ocean temperature, where it can skew the equilibrium and distribution of males and females within the surrounding water.

Project TAMAR’s Galera da Prala comics @ http://tamar.org.br/galera_da_praia.php

It’s always a treat to be able to go to another country and learn about their unique inhabitants. And to find an organization doing such a successful job at the conservation of these creatures makes me impressed and inspired. Organizations like this are important to protect those that can’t for themselves, especially because it is usually our society who caused the harm in the first place.

If you are interested in learning more about sea turtles or the TAMAR project be sure to check out their website at http://www.tamar.org.br.

Save the Sea Turtles: Project TAMAR |Hey Nadine

After our mad-hectic dash through the Amazon Jungle it was nice to temporarily call a place home for at least a week. That home would be Salvador, the Afro Brazilian capital of Brazil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGz-o6YS_mk

Thanks to Hostelbookers, we were put up in a wicked guest house called Hostel Galeria 13 ; our room was called “The Dog House” lol. No joke, this was one of the best hostels I have ever been to. Why is it so amazing? Two things: hot breakfast buffet and free Caipirinha happy hour, EVERYDAY.

Yes food is the way to my heart.

Moving on to Salvador itself now. This city is full of life, culture and music. I have never been to Africa nor truly experience any African influenced cultures, but judging from what I have seen so far I am loving it! In a span of 3 days we got to experience live music at the bar across our room twice.

As well as free Olodum drum shows, concerts and outdoor theatre groups.

And let’s not forget about the best of all, Tuesday Night Block Party! Where the entire Pelourinho spills out onto the street to take part in dancing, drinking, eating and of course, more music!

Pelourinho

The Pelourinho is the old town of Salvador now a UNESCO World Heritage site and major tourist attraction in Bahia and Brazil.  It receives funding to help keep all the buildings painted and support the culture festivities, hence why there is always something going on here. The whole area of the Pelourinho itself isn’t all that large, we easily walked from one end to the other in less than 15 minutes.

In the center square, or Cathedral Square you’ll find brightly coloured ladies selling traditional Bahian Acaraje dishes.

Then there is this thing call the Elevator. I am not entirely sure as to why I am so deeply fascinated by the thought of a giant public outdoor toll elevator; oh wait, those are indeed the reasons why. It connects the Pelourinho which is up on the hill, with the bus loops and harbour on sea level. A quick alternative route to taking a bus down the hill. Although, as efficient as it sounds this elevator was out-of-service more often than not in the 6 days that we were there. As well as it closes at sundown and there is almost always a huge line up for it. So in reality it’s not all that convenient after all.

The City of Colour: Salvador |Hey Nadine

Let me tell you about the scariest night of my life.

First let’s start with the fact that I have an overactive imagination. I’ve had it since I was a young kid and I never seem to have lost it. I’m not ashamed of it or anything like that, I’m actually very proud and I credit it for some of my creativity.  Most of the time it’s something I rather enjoy. There are other times, like when you’re in the Amazon, that it ends up being a horrible, frightening thing.

So when Stephanie and I booked our Amazon Jungle Tour , we agreed it was an absolute must to spend a night in the jungle. Sleeping deep in the forest beneath the canopy of the trees and among the stars.

Everything was set up for the evening.

The Hammocks strung up with mosquito nets to match.

Our bags and shoes hung up above the ground to allow for no unwanted guests to take up residence.

And that is when I went crazy.

It’s a hard to describe the exact level of fear I was experiencing. Being alone in the dark and only relying on your senses. Hearing becomes heavily heightened in the already unbelievably loud environment. I could hear everything everywhere and all around me. Crickets, croaks, slithers, splashes in the water down by the creek, in which raw chicken had oh so conveniently been tossed earlier. Howls, growls, footsteps, rustles of the trees, leaves, buzzing of the various unknown beetles and mosquito like flies trying to get into my hammock.

And then the last fading sources of light, our fire slowly crackling out and the last wisp of a candle fading, hissing into darkness. Pitch Black, removing all sense of where these sounds could possibly be coming from and leaving you utterly blind and helpless to your environment.

It didn’t help that my hammock was tied at the edge of the forest by the river bed, which is a hot spot for nocturnal activity.

It wasn’t the small things that I was scared of. It wasn’t the small rodents I knew were scrounging around the leftover bags of uncooked vegetables poorly strung up over a log. It was the single thought that I could get attacked by a Jaguar, of all things. This is what I was most scared of, something so statistically unlikely I’d have a better chance at winning the lottery.

Regardless of reasoning, I let my imagination run wild with what-ifs that elevated my fear to a level where I was literally paralyzed in my hammock.  Everyone fell asleep by about 9-9:15pm, I eventually closed my eyes at around 2:15-2:45am and woke up again at 4:10am and stayed awake for dawn.

Of course, you all know the end results. I survived, wasn’t attacked by anything, and I got to witness dawn, which is truly something spectacular. The deep, dark tones of night melting away, replaced with chirps and squeaks and squawks so loud you instantly knew they would frighten everything scary from the previous night away.

Now you might ask in hindsight, “Would I ever do it again?” The answer is simply no. Somethings are better left to the imagination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mjCMAPb87E

The Scariest Night Of My Life |Hey Nadine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnb4ywwSN_M

My number one request for when I started planning my Brazil trip was to go to the Amazon. I studied it in grade school, I’ve watch countless documentaries about it and put it high up on my bucket list. The Amazon is just one of those things that most people wish they could see and I was one of the luckiest people alive to be able to see it.

Since the Amazon is a very scary, dangerous place that inexperienced travellers shouldn’t venture into, I opted  for a 4 day Amazon Antonio Jungle Tour.

We started our journey in the capital of Amazonian at our hostel in Manaus via Hostelbookers.

Flow chart. Nuff said.

It took around 3 hours by coach and another hour up the Urubu River to get to our lodging in the rainforest. Here I got the first taste of the rainforest: a thunderstorm. Boy do I love thunderstorms. They are such a treat for me since I never get them in Canada.

Over the course of the first few days I spent a lot of time on the river. Gazing at the clouds and doing such fun river activities like piranha fishing. Although I sucked at it and didn’t manage to catch anything.

I also learned about the different types of trees and bugs during a 3 hour rainforest hike.

Tigerbalm

Rosewood

The largest tarantula in South America.

Ants which actually work as a natural insect repellent much like Citronella.

Non-poisonous frogs. These are safe to touch but no kissing!

Cayman hunting (not killing). Baby caymans. We did spot the larger ones as well but couldn’t get close enough to snap a photo.

Looking back I can also reminisce on how absolutely stunning the weather was.

Sunrise

Sunset

There was just so much to see. This was a dream come true yet somehow, something inside me was a bit disappointed. I truly believe the Amazon has a gift for allowing one to take amazing photos that make it seem so lush, beautiful  and full of life. Yet only in person do you get the full sense of how large the space truly is.

It’s actually quiet, lonely and vast. But more on that later.

Into the Amazon |Hey Nadine

Iguassu, Iguazu and Iguaçu Falls, there are indeed 3 different ways to spell the name of these magnificent falls. Each respective of their own country; America, Argentina, and  Brazil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE9Y9oi0RnQ

First off, a bit about the falls at written by my lovely sister Stephanie , whom I have just convinced to start her own blog. Check it out at www.exploringthearth.com.

Iguazu waterfalls are a spectacular natural cascade set in the heart of a sub-tropical rainforest. With over 275 individual falls that make up both the Argentina and Brazil side of the falls, Iguazu is both wider and taller than the famous Niagara and Victoria falls, respectively. These impressive traits resulted in Iguazu being named one of the new 7 wonders of the world.

The initiation of these falls is believed to be ~20,000 years ago, whereas the basalt rock landscape that shaped and made way for the falls was created some 135 million years prior! This unique basalt and sandstone landscape, accompanied with various tectonic cracks and faults, allowed Iguazu to form, which was actually 28km downstream from its current location. These falls are still active in carving the land and will continue to retreat further and further back as time goes on.

Brazil Side

As stated above, the falls consists of two different sides that you can access from the town of Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil or Puerto Iguazú in Argentina. The border crossing to get between the two towns is the quickest, easiest border you will ever cross. However, Americans and Canadians be aware of costly VISA fees. I have a EU/ Slovakian passport so I didn’t have to worry about those.

The Brazilian side takes about 2 hours to complete and within those two hours you’ve seen pretty much everything.

Argentine Side

The Argentine side takes minimum 2 hours to see the best part: Garganta del Diablo the Devil’s Throat. And all day if you wish to view anymore than that.

Pretty much every guide book about the falls will tell you that you need one day to do each side. And if you only have one day, that you need to choose between the two sides. WELL, sanity seemed to escape our brains since we decided that the guide books were wrong and that both sides could be accomplished in one day. No, not one day, 3/4 of a day, since we had to be at the airport by 6:30pm and had to catch the bus back to our hostel to grab our bags before then.

To our amazement we did indeed accomplished this task; but I have never ran to catch so many buses and trains before in my life. Let me break it down for you:

• 8:30 leave on the bus to Brazilian park entrance
• 9:00 Brazilian park gates open
• 9:50 arrive at entrance to Brazilian side
• 10:00 hop on park bus to the falls
• 10:00-11:40 walked the trails and took photos of the falls
• 11:50 hop on park bus back from the falls
• 12:15 grab local bus at Brazilian entrance to connecting bus stop #1
• 1:00 cross the Argentine border
• 1:20 grab connecting bus #2 at Puerto Iguazú to Argentine side of falls
• 1:40 arrive at Argentina park entrance
• 1:50 grab food
• 2:20 walk to train
• 2:35 miss train by 5 minutes
• 3:00 catch train
• 3:28 arrive at Devil’s Throat station
• 3:30-3:40 mad sprint 1km to Devil’s Throat
• 3:40-3:50 photos
• 3:50-3:58 mad sprint back to train
• 4:00 catch train
• 4:30 mad sprint to bus
• 4:37 catch bus back to Brazil border
• 6:10 make it to hostel (Iguassu Guest House) via HostelBookers
• 6:30 arrive at airport
• 7:45 depart Foz do Iguaçu

I remembered all these times since I was constantly looking at my watch making sure we didn’t miss anything.

So as you can see this task can be done, but I highly recommend not doing what we did, it’s nuts. As for what side was our favorite? I can’t choose, photography wise the Brazilian side is better, but to get a sense of how powerful the falls are, Argentine is the place to be. Regardless I would be pretty bummed out if I missed either side.

Big thank you to HostelBookers for setting us up with some sweet accommodations.

How to do Iguassu Falls in 1 Day |Hey Nadine

Last year LAN airlines cancelled one of our flights to Iguassu Falls on my South American trip, then for compensation offered us a free round trip flight from any US destination to any South American destination, the catch: it had to be completed by Nov 30, 2012. Well, what sane travel junkie person would turn down a trip like that? Not me.

I wanted to use the most out of this pass, so I decided three week would be a significant amount of time to travel around Brazil. I would be joined by my sister, Stephanie, as well as fellow travel writing colleagues Maggie and Ashley for the first few days of our trip.

Now for those of you who don’t know Brazil is HUGE, and most of it is covered by think forests. So while three weeks seems like an extended period of time, it’s not when getting to those places takes several days by bus. So to accomplish this task we purchase an airpass through TAM, which allowed us to book multiple flights for cheap. (More on these passes in detail later.)

This would be our schedule. Beginning in São Paulo and ending in Rio de Janerio.

For our trip we also had the privilege to partner with HostelBookers, who provided us with accommodation in some wicked local hostels.

Like the Tu Casa Hostel in São Paulo, which had amazing wi-fi. Yes, I get excited by the little things.

Sao Paulo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C9Pk2LRayg

With one day in São Paulo we were faced with the age old travel conundrum : What do we do?

So we figured hit up the top recommended tourist spots. I mean, they must be popular for a reason? First stop:

Parque do Ibirapuera

The biggest green space in central São Paulo and basically the equivalent to Central Park for New York.  Now this park was recommended to us by several sources, books, tourist centers and our hostel. Let’s just say that when we got there, we were a bit underwhelmed.

Although there were jogging trails, outdoor exercise equipment, wildlife, bridges, gardens, museums and man-made lakes, at the end of the day it was still simply a park.

Historic Sampa

So for a more cultural experience we decided that it was best to go see the heart of São Paulo,  the historical center and downtown core.

A walking tour seemed to be the best way to accomplish this task. Starting at the Catedral da Sé we walked down the Rue Boa Vista through the financial district and then past the Theatro Municipal and back to the cathedral.

The walking tour, while nothing too special did teach us a valuable life lesson: Weekend are either hit or miss when it come to walking tours. This was a miss due to all the shops being closed on weekends.

After our long and uneventful day we decided that it was time to step it up a notch in the class scale and visit a rooftop bar call Skye. As long as you purchase one of the  expensive $30 BRL drinks you can sit and enjoy the views overlooking the city at night.

The following day we met up with some friends of Ashley and Maggie, Levi and Marcelo locals from São Paulo, who introduced us to a wonderful thing called Açai and juice bars. (more on this later)

Beco do Batman

They then took us to a wonderful gem of a spot called Beco do Batman or Batman’s Alley, a neighborhood in West São Paulo that attracts sprayers and stencilers from all over the world. Literally an alley covered in street art. Colourful, vibrant, expressive and unique.

Now this is what I love, hidden gems, hole-in-the-wall places that you don’t expect to be amazing but seem to always blow you out of the water. This is what I travel for. This is what makes it all worth while.

São Paulo, your growing on me.

Finding those Holes in the Wall |Hey Nadine

When I was first invited on the Contiki RoadTrip 2012, I was a bit hesitant of how I was going to vlog it; since, I had recently passed through all of the places we were going to be visiting.

Thus being: London, Paris, Venice, Hopfgarten, Munich

So the second time around I wanted to try something a bit more creative, hence The Interactive RoadTrip was born. In this fun, choose your own adventure game you get experience the best parts of our road trip. And as a bonus, you get to do it from the comfort of your couch :)

Enjoy and please tell me what you think and if you would like more videos like this in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eaN3D9JW2s

Our wicked Contiki RoadTrip group

The Interactive European Roadtrip |Hey Nadine

Remember The RoadTrip I took through Europe back in Oct ? Accompanied by several other YouTubers?

Well, although I have not finished editing my videos from this trip here are some of the filmed group video. (yes you can yell at me for being slow, I forgot to import some footage before I left for Brazil and it is sitting at home on my external HD )

So while you wait for the AMAZING videos I am creating, you can catch up on all the videos that were produced by ApprenticeA for Contiki. Enjoy watching all our group craziness through this playlist of 8 videos.

Also, let us know if you enjoyed it since the more you let Contiki know you enjoyed it, the more likely it will happen again next year! And then I can win another trip for one of my subscriber :P

RoadTrip Video Roundup |Hey Nadine

I get a lot of acknowledgment from people who think I am this “experienced traveller”. Yes, I travel ALOT but to myself it never really registers as been “experienced”. Most of the time I feel like a tourist, with the constant snapping of my camera, my bright colours and countless maps. (I also tend to stand a lot on street corners looking lost.)

I believe it’s part to do with the constant shorter stays in countries in which I only have time to visit the “must-see” attractions. So, when I look pass the historical buildings, foreign language signs and smorgasbords of street food and notice something so small and simple as a fashion trend among locals, I get a bit giddy inside.

Somehow noticing something so mundane as popular shoe styles in other countries makes me feel like a real traveller. It’s the little things, the small quarks that stick in my mind when I leave those cities and it’s those things that I remember when sometimes everything else goes so fast it seems like just a big blur.

Vlog #4: Contiki Scandinavia: Stockholm, Sweden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kK6VulD3LU

Stockholm Town Hall

For those looking to find the most passionate youth tour guides in the world, look no farther than Stockholm City Hall. Used for many different purposes including banquets, weddings, and of course holding parliament.

Random Egyptian painting in the golden hall. There are tons of surprises to find within these walls, my favorite was the way the they heated the building through hidden vents and ducts behind the walls. So clever!

Changing of the Guard

Another sight recommended in Stockholm was to go see the changing of the guard. Apparently this happens in several countries, most noticeably London at Buckingham Palace, but when we were there we were too lazy to wait for it to happen. Well, after about 15 minutes into the 1 hour long changing of the guard we were satisfied with our intake of marching band and headed off to our next destination.

Vasa Ship Museum

I would just like to formally state that this is the most amazing eye-candy ship “museum” I have ever been to. Vasa is basically the Titanic of Scandinavia, but salvaged and restored to 95% original ship. Like the Titanic, it sunk on it’s maiden voyage only 300m off the coast. Although you cannot walk onto the ship, you can see the various levels and marvel at the sheer size of it. The Museum was literally built around the ship.

I honestly cannot recommend this place enough, I felt like I was in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but not in the Caribbean, in Scandinavia instead.

How to tell you’re a traveller: Noticing the little things |Hey Nadine

Museums are one of those things I used to do when I was young and eager to read every description and learn ever bit of info I could learn. I had annual passes for the Vancouver Museum, The Planetarium and the Aquarium. And took quarterly visits to the Vancouver Art Gallery, Maritime Museum, Britannia Mining Museum and West Coast Railway Heritage Park. Yes, I have seen my fair share of museums in my lifetime. So you can forgive me for not jumping for joy at the thought of more museums while away from home. However, whenever I am in a group I am a sucker for peer pressure and always decide go with the flow, and in this case visit not 1, but 3 museums in Oslo, Norway.

Vlog #3: Contiki Scandinavia: Oslo, Norway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLbbrW_xoNo

Holmenkollen Ski Museum

First stop on our museum tour of Oslo is to the top of a ski jump! Even though it is the end of summer with no snow in sight, standing on top of the starting point is very nerve racking. I can only imagine what the skiers must be going through. I serious underestimated how high this jump was and how daunting it must be in competitions to have to: 1. jump off this, and 2. see the little dots of people cheering below.

I have a new found respect for this sport.

Which of course is good considering below the ski jump is a ski museum! Here you can find various generation of skis and winter sport and snowshoe equipment. As well as the history of Nordic sports in Norway. Fascinating to see how much has changed over the years.

View of Oslo from the very top of the ski jump.

Viking Museum

Next up on our tour was the museum I was looking forward to the most, the Viking Museum. Who could pass up a chance to look at some of the most preserved viking ships in the world?

Well I’m not gonna lie and tell you how amazed I was at this museum. It had a total of 3 ships, this one above being the most preserved. That was literally it. About 1/3 of the museum you can see right from the entrance. A slight disappointment and a sad revelation at the same time, since judging from this there really isn’t much in regards to artifacts from this period of time.

National Gallery of Oslo

This museum was a last minute on a whim decision. The only reason I went was because the rest of our group really wanted to go see Scream the famous painting of the guy that looks like an alien with his hand up to his mouth in a warped background. I am sure you have probably heard of it or even seen it before.

I would love to have been able to take a photo of it or video to show you guys more closely but unfortunately as you can see from the sign, there is no photography allowed in that room. Well if you squint you can kinda make it out.

Yes, I guess it was kinda cool to see such a famous painting. And even more fun to try and mimic it. Oh maturity.

And that concludes our museum tour of Norway!

Mussing about Museums |Hey Nadine

Never have I found a place on my travels that has made me homesick. I have been to other temperate rainforests on the south island of New Zealand, but nothing come as exact as Norway does to BC, Canada.

The textures of the moss on the rocks, the colours of the dirt, the evergreen trees, the cool crisp air, the dramatic mountains. And yet, even with all this resemblance I still feel like a foreigner. Towns are not where they should be, valleys and mountain ranges are different, and Sounds are replaced by Fjords.  It’s a strange sensation to be in an environment so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. This is how I felt about Norway and our first few stops through Lillehammer and the Geiranger Fjord.

Vlog #2: Contiki Scandinavia: Lillehammer, Norway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–d_Z5viup0

Geiranger Fjord

Bobsledding in Lillehammer

You know those safety disclaimers you have to sign before partaking in any sort of dangerous activity? Well here is my words of warning, when it comes to bobsledding you should really listen to them.

Now I have had back troubles all my teenage and young adult life. Disks and ribs out of place, chiropractor and physiotherapy visits, you name it. However, it has never really been an issue with any of the sports or high risk activities I have done, like skydiving. Bobsledding is a completely different story. 3Gs of force compressing your spine is quite possibly one of the most painful things my back and neck has undertaken. Although the ride last less than 60 seconds in total, it felt like an eternity and all I wanted to do was get off. When you ride a bobsled it’s not the feeling of your head bashing around the cage at each turn, it’s the immobilizing, pinned down feeling that you experience when zipping through the track that frightens and hurts you.

Now I am making this sound rather unpleasant, but in reality for a lot of people they very much enjoyed it. In the end thought, I am very glad I did it, regardless of the pain.

The 94′ Olympic track we sled on.

Team Sweden! Our bobsled team.

Pss. Wanna see what these tracks look like in the winter? Check out my blog from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic games!

Canada meet Norway |Hey Nadine

I swear I am going to be one of those adults that never grow up. Young-at-heart is the term a lot of people like to use. Hence why I got super excited when I got to visit the inspiration to another one of my favorite Disney stories, The Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid is originally a fairy tale by danish poet Hans Christian Andersen.  It’s also one of my favorite Disney movies and Ariel was one of my favorite princesses, along with Belle, which I already got to see the castle and the inspiration behind Beauty and the Beast.

Vlog #1: Contiki Scandinavia: Copenhagen, Denmark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mv3BzHhDnM

Carlsberg Brewery

 That’s a lot of beer.

Tivioli Amusement Park

Christiania

So now blog readers, it’s my chance to tell you about something I couldn’t film; the hippie commune of Christiania. Basically, Christiania is a part of Copenhagen that has been left alone to govern themselves, a free-state. It’s an artist mecca, lined with various styles of graffiti and local artisans selling all sorts of crafts.

Now, let’s talk about the marijuana. There is a lot of it, everywhere, and you can openly walk up and purchase it. Again, going into the pro/anti marijuana debate is not something I really want to get into, so I’ll avoid it. I didn’t spend too much time in Christiania since that scene is not really my thing, but from what I witnessed it’s a very unique and interesting place I would highly recommend checking it out.

Iconic Fairy Tale Statue, Check! |Hey Nadine

First, I’m not really going to talk about the Olympics in this post since I have another blog post I’ll being doing specifically about that. In this post I wanted to just focus on London.

Vlog #16: Contiki European Panorama: London, England

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I2CTmt6IWg

London is one of those cities everyone wants to visit. It’s on the bucket list of most North Americans and Europeans alike, mainly because there are so many things to do and see. So with my free day in London I decided the quickest most efficient way to see all these sights was to jump on a sightseeing tour bus and hop off at the various “must–see” attractions.

These included:

Big Ben

Quick, easy to see and iconic.

Tower Bridge

Hello start of the Olympics and epic bridge-ness.

The London Eye

Worth it for the view. If there was anything I recommend doing on a clear day in London it would be getting a birds eye view over the Thames River.

 Westminister Abbey

Architecture and Gothic building style heaven.

And

Buckingham Palace

The Queen! Although we decided not to stay for the changing of the guards since we thought we would be too short on time.

London Tips:

My biggest advice on how to make the most of your time and money in London is to figure out how to use the London Underground metro system. At first it seems daunting and scary but once you have rode the “tube” a few times you start to get a hang of how everything works. It’s a very efficient system.

Another tip is if you intend on being in London for a few days and plan to use the public transportation to get around, purchase an oyster card. Don’t waste your money on day tickets like I did, because they add up very quickly.

Now one thing I love doing in my blog posts is telling you guys about the things you didn’t see in my videos. Aka, the stuff I am not allowed to film. Take for example my most favorite thing that I did in London: watch Jersey Boys the musical on stage in the West End theatre district.

I am a huge musical theatre nerd and I simple love theatre and live performances. Hence why I had to go see a musical on the West End, Europe’s musical theater epicenter.

Jersey Boys was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life. Almost as good as when I saw Wicked on Broadway in New York. Now of course I do understand that theatre shows are not for everyone, but for those of you who do like them I would highly recommend going to see Jersey Boys when you are in London. Yes, even if you are a guy, it’s a very masculine musical – I promise :)

London Calling |Hey Nadine

Amsterdam, you’re the place my parents warned me about.

Poor poor Amsterdam, you are probably sick of the tourists coming in to use your coffee shops (marijuana cafes) and gawk at the red-light district. I can see how easily 20 years olds can be distracted by things that are illegal back home and suddenly legal over here. And I know you get a bad reputation from it. Darn tourists.

Amsterdam is a funny place. Although you have legalized prostitution and marijuana, the residences on a whole seem to be more conservative, physically active and more educated than many places in North America that ban those practices. It’s funny how when you legalize something you take part of the rebel edge off it. Now I could lead this into a debate about legalizing marijuana, since in British Columbia where I am from this is a hot topic; however, I would hate for this argument to shadow the quaint and beautiful city that is Amsterdam.

Vlog #15: Contiki European Panorama: Amsterdam, Netherlands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxFUXD_KJNA

Amsterdam is beautiful.

Biking around many of stunning canal ways, lined with trees and little brick houses,  felt like I was stepping back in time to an Anne of Green Gables movie or something. Oh period movies, how I love thee.

Heineken Brewery Tour

Once you have been on one brewery tour, it’s safe to assume that all the rest would be somewhat similar aside from there being a different end product. Think again. The Heineken Brewery Tour aka, the Heineken Experience is one of the most elaborate, interactive and engaging brewery tours I have ever been on. There is hops and barley tasting, horses, interactive games, and even a 3D ride call Be The Brew, where you get to follow the beer process from start to finish acting as the beer.

Edam

I am not a huge cheese person, probably due to the fact that I am lactose intolerant and hence cheese makes me rather sick. However, I do have these magic pills that allow me to have dairy products without all the nasty side effects. I generally save them for special occasions and treats since they are somewhat expensive and still aren’t 100% efficient. But I figured a cheese tasting in Amsterdam is a worthwhile occasion. Boy was I correct, Edam cheese is amazing, real ingredients with no preservatives made fresh and local. My favorites were all the garlic, onion and herb cheeses. YUM, what a treat.

After our cheese tasting we watched a wooden clog carving demonstration.  I never really appreciated the art form that is the clog until I saw a professional clog maker carve one by hand in less than 10 minutes using only a blade on a wooden handle. Colour me impressed. Although, I feel slightly bad not buying any, mainly since I have a horrible tendency to purchase large, heavy items I don’t need. However, if I had the room I would totally get a pair!

Amsterdam is a funny place |Hey Nadine

I am so beyond excited to announce to you guys my next project with Contiki, the youth travel company I have had global partnership with for the last several months. This time things are going to be a bit different as I will be joined by 12 other fellow YouTubers! Get ready for vlogging overload.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG37CkSLEWE

The Schedule

Gatherings

One of the things I am most excited about is the 3 gathering we will be having.  Finally I’ll get a chance to meet up with you guys and gals! I’ve done a couple smaller meets with fans during my travels but I’m always so hesitant about doing them,  two reasons:

1. I never really know my schedule so it’s hard to plan more than a day in advance.
2. I’m afraid someone is going to hurt me. No joke, I love you guys but I am a solo female meeting with strangers on the internet. There are a lot of documented cases of bad things happening. So I always take the side of safety.

But, now with a group of people I am way less hesitant and I am actually super pumped about these gatherings and really hope you guys can come out to meet me!

All this info and more will be on the website http://www.ontheroadtrip.com so make sure you check it out!

Introducing The RoadTrip |Hey Nadine

Since it is officially the start of Oktoberfest this post has perfect timing. Today’s post is from the city of Munich, home of the largest beer drinking festival in the world!

Vlog #14: Contiki European Panorama: Munich, Germany

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwulpKe-v_4

Munich

We only had one night in Munich, so what did we do when we got there? Drink beer! And where else but a tradition German beer hall, Hofbrauhaus, a very famous and popular one right in the heart of the city.

Nothing starts a good night off then a glass of beer bigger than my face.

I normally don’t drink beer back home but I am seriously loving all the Czech and German beers. What’s going on North America, where’s all the good beer?

Another thing I had to have in Germany was sausage and sauerkraut, another thing North America is lacking. I loved this delicious fermented cabbage, it’s sweet, salty and crunchy all at the same time. Then pair it with a creamy, fatty, juicy sausage and you’ve got a plate of WIN. I will give one warning though, sauerkraut can make you very, very flatulent. Hence always bring Beano with you to Germany- it will save your life.

Rhine Valley

If you head up north along the Rhine River you will find yourself in the Rhine Valley, home to hundreds of castles and Riesling grapes!

And since I obviously didn’t have enough alcohol in Munich (sarcasm), it seemed only right to do a Riesling wine tasting!

Now I don’t have any particular favorites when it comes to white wines and the only other white wine tasting I have done before was in Gisborne, New Zealand. So, I not sure how helpful my opinion is. Overall I wasn’t a huge fan of the white Riesling wines; too sweet for me. However, their ice wine was AMAZING. But I guess that is what tasting is for, so you can figure out which ones you prefer.

Oh alcohol!

PROST from Munich |Hey Nadine

Now it’s very difficult for me to claim something is the best, the best food, place, music or even mountain; however, after spending a few days up on the Swiss Alps, I think I can safely say Switzerland is one of the most beautiful places in the world and most people would not argue it.

Vlog #13: Contiki European Panorama: Swiss Alps, Switzerland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7q30ZW-76Y

Lucerne

Our first stop in Switzerland was at the lakeside town of Lucerne. Peaceful, serene and all around gorgeous, what a great start to Switzerland.

Here I took part in the honorary tourist tradition of purchasing swiss chocolate from a swiss chocolatier. Although in reality it was just a shop that had a lot of swiss chocolates. I was literally like a kid in a candy shop.

Golden nuggets, truffles and best of all, this gem: Passionfruit Lindt Chocolate. My favorite fruit combined with my favorite chocolate, what more could a girl ask for? I was in heaven.

See here the obligatory cow shot. I thought it was rather funny :P

That night we stayed up the mountain half way between the town of Engelberg and the summit of Mt. Titlis. It was a stunning hotel and I can honestly say I have never had a room with a better view than this. As well as the best Wi-Fi speeds I have yet to find in Europe, go figure?

P.S. The hotel was apparently where the Shinning was filmed.

Mt. Titlis

After the strangest gondola ride I have ever been on was finished, we found ourselves at the summit of Mt. Titlis on the swiss alps. We could not have asked for a more perfect day. I love those clear days with just a bit of cloud covering, just enough to weave in between the mountains and give them that stunning mystical look. But just the right amount of  cloud so that after a few minutes the wind can blow it away and you’d have a perfectly clear shot.

There was also a couple fun extras things to do up on the mountain including a ice cave and some wicked fun tobogganing!

Although I have been tobogganing many times before and the novelty has worn off on me, I always love seeing my Aussie friends get so excited about the snow. Also, you just can’t beat this view! What a perfect day.

The Most Beautiful Place in the World |Hey Nadine

Vlog #12: Contiki European Panorama : Tyrol, Austria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msr4yAHqv_Q

Sometimes it’s nice to drop the mold society puts on us to act a certain way and just be. What I mean by this is, it’s fun to act like a kid even if you are almost 25. This is precisely what I did when I was in Austria.

On one of the day activities of bike riding we stopped off at a park which just so happened to have a wicked playground and luge track. So naturally the immature part of me took over and we spent the better part of the afternoon frolicking on the swings .

Originally I wanted to reenact the Sound of Music Do-Re-Me song since it was filmed here in the hills of Austria; however, nobody else seemed keen on participating with me.

Frolicking

Frolicking to the death! – but not really

White Water Rafting

Some of the more adrenaline seeking activities I also did in the Tyrol region of Austria was white water rafting down the Inn River with Feel Free.

Although the rapids were a bit more calm than other rafting trips I took in New Zealand,  it was definitely one of the most scenic rafting I have ever done. And freezing by the way, since the river was glacier fed, hence the milky blue colour of the water.

Paragliding

Another activity I partook in was paragliding over the town of Hopfgarten. Paragliding although it seems like it might be scary, isn’t.

Although the weather wasn’t the best, I ended up with some pretty decent views over the town.

I would highly recommend paragliding to those who are a bit too frightened to skydive, but still want a bit of the same gliding sensation.

Overall I really enjoyed Austria, it has a ton of fantastic options for the outdoor adventure enthusiasts and not quite grown up adult.

One of these days I will eventually grow up: Frolicking in Austria |Hey Nadine

Mozart Balls- they are everywhere! How did I miss this the first time I was in Vienna? Clearly you cannot see a city in one day.

Vlog #11: Contiki European Panorama: Vienna, Austria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV7URBkxNIM

Spanish Riding School

Here is another treat I missed the first time I visited Austria: the Spanish Riding School, home to the famous white stallions inside the Hofburg Palace. Of course if I planned my trip to Vienna properly the first time around I would have been able to see the white stallions since they are open all year, except during the month of July when they are on “summer vacation”. What I don’t understand is why can’t the owners stagger the horse’s summer vacations? Like for example, only have half on holiday during July and the other half in August? I dunno, just a thought.

We did get to see some of the up and coming stallions and the mares trot around- literally. Maybe my lack of horse show experience is coming through here but I’m not entirely sure what I was suppose to be watching. In all it was okay, not really my cup of tea. Unless you really like horses it’s probably not worth checking out, at least in July.

Mauthausen Concentration Camp

Like my visit to the Killing Fields in Cambodia, I never quite know how to cover places like this. It’s sad and absolutely horrible what happened here, I explain a bit about it in my video but basically,

Mauthausen was mostly used for extermination through labour of the intelligentsia, who were educated people and members of the higher social classes in countries subjugated by the Nazi regime during World War II. - source

The owners used the victims as workers and worked them to death. Horrible acts of cruelty happened here, and thousands of jewish people lost their lives here. We watched a video before visiting the memorial and I can honestly tell you that the last 5 minutes were some of the most disturbing images I have ever seen.

Gas chambers and crematorium.

Needless to say I’ve never seen our group so quiet and respectful.

Still staying classy in Vienna |Hey Nadine

Vlog #10: Contiki European Panorama: Venice, Italy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oelMbCXhaHA

Venice is one crazy, beautiful city. It’s one of the most unique places you can ever visit since it’s not every day that you see a city essentially “floating” on the water.  It’s one of  the many European cities that have pedestrianized zones; which I personally wish every North American city had. It’s wonderful, no cars, no bikes, just people. This is how you get rid of our obesity epidemic.

Like Rome, visiting Venice during the summer months is something I wouldn’t recommend. It’s crowded and hot and everything is overpriced; however, this was the time I chose to visit so that is what I had to deal with.

Venice was rather confusing. At first glance you see crowded streets and people everywhere and in your way; however, the second you look up at the buildings or down one of the more isolated ally ways it is a completely different story. Where is everyone? Venice as a city seems quiet and almost reminds me of a ghost town . It’s eerie and ominous. It made me feel sad inside realizing that Venice is literally becoming a postcard, a snapshot of the past.

Lace School

One stop we had was at the one and only remaining lace school in Venice. Being the horrible blogger I am, I can’t seem to find the name of the school. It was taught by a lovely lady who told us all about the history and process of lace work, which originated in Venice. Can you believe all these doilies are hand stitched with a needle and thread? Some pieces take months to complete and are done by teams of ladies. It is very obviously as to why this art form died out, machines can manufacture these style table clothes and patterns in minute and at a fraction of the cost. It’s a good thing the lace school is so heavily subsidized.  Score one for the government trying to preserve local culture like this, even if it is a loosing battle.

One of the recommended foods to try in Venice was the cuddle fish, while I failed at finding the plain fish version, I did manage to find €15 cuddle fish pasta. This is what 15 euros gets you in Venice. While the oily texture was definitely a first, I leave Venice still wondering what actual cuddle fish tastes like.

 Gondola Rides

After stepping off my Gondola ride I wondered,  “where did my 20 minute gondola ride go?”.  After reviewing the many ridiculous photos and videos of myself, and adding in the time spent trying to play impromptu DJ on my iPhone with my Mozart tracks, I realized where all my time went.

I do wish my gondola ride was longer. Oh well, maybe next time. Venice, live long and prosper.

P.S. I’m sorry I quoted Star Trek.

Venice You Confuse Me |Hey Nadine

Vlog #9: Contiki European Panorama: Corfu, Greece

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9HmO81YReE

Corfu

Now I only spent a couple of days in Greece and after two days of sun I can understand why everyone is so tanned here. I was dark, no more pale Nadine. I’ve noticed it a couple of times before, when I was in Southeast Asia I tanned very well, same with the south of France. I could never get any colour in Canada, nor when I was in New Zealand or Australia. Yes Greece I like your sun and your heat – and boy was it HOT.

Good thing one of our free days in Corfu was spent on George’s Boat so we had easy access to the refreshing, cool water.

Water Sports

On our day cruising on George’s Boat we stopped off to do some water sports. Para-sailing, donuts, chair boats, water skis, you name it and it was there! I was very keen on chilling in the water and not doing any water sports; however, I am also a sucker for peer pressure and so I ended up doing donuts with a few of the other girls in my group.

We all fell off.

That evening we went out for a traditional Greek feast and dancing. While the meal was good and the dancing fun I started to miss my delicious Italian wines :(

The following day was filled with pool time at our wicked hostel and of course a toga party.

Corfu Village Contiki Special Stop

Toga Party

Although toga parties are suppose to be quite common this was really my second time I have ever been to one. 40 minutes, that is seriously how long it took me to tie up my toga, embarrassing.  You would think something so easy wouldn’t be that difficult but it was.

At last, time to dance the night away.

OPA! Fun in the Sun in Corfu, Greece |Hey Nadine

Vlog #8: Contiki European Panorama: Pompeii, Rome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFSQzER02y8

Pizza Cooking Lesson

I am no chef. I can’t even prepare the most basic meals, but I figured Pizza is something even the most amateur cook could prepare. I doubt the lovely Eugenio Rossi knew this before inviting me to his Scoglio di Frisio Restaurant for a cooking lesson.

A real Italian cooking class. From Eugenio I learned the value of family and the history and background of where pizza originates.  Together we cooked a batch of dough from scratch and I learned how to flip and toss the dough. I ended up cooking a margarita pizza and a half pomodoro half artichoke and mushroom pizza. Now I’m not saying this just because I made it but that was honesty one of the best pizzas I have ever had. It was so fresh, light,  soft and fluffy.

It tasted better than it looks.

Pompeii

Like all of Italy, the day we visited Pompeii was a scorcher- 38 plus degree heat. So our lovely tour guide tried to give us a super condensed quick tour of Pompeii- which is huge.

Pompeii contains: 2 graveyards, 2 ports, 1 amphitheater, 2 gymnasiums, 2 theatres, 2 main squares, 5000 shops, 46 bakery, 27 brothels, 5 roman baths and main other houses, condominiums and villas.

Unlike some other ruins, with Pompeii you really get a sense of what the city was like. You can see where the roads and walls were and you don’t have to use your imagination to fill in too much.

One of the most fascinating things I learned about Pompeii was about the plaster casts. Plaster casts are formed from filling the air pocket left under the ash from the rotten organic materials, i.e. humans, with plaster. Once the plaster hardens you then have a mold of what was once buried under the ash.

Quick and to the point; however, I truly wish we could have spent more time in Pompeii since there is simple just so much to see.

Mamma Mia, let’s cook some pizza! |Hey Nadine

Vlog #7: Contiki European Panorama: Rome, Italy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3kTulecTSg

I have mixed feelings about Italy and Rome.

On one hand Rome is one of a kind,  so much history and mind blowing things to see. You can’t help but be amazed at what the Romans had built and accomplished.  On the other hand, the only downside is, you have to share those feelings with the thousands of other tourists also wanting to see Rome. Blame me for going during the high season, when it’s 42 degrees outside and packed with tourists. So you can see where my love hate relationship stems from.

Now I’m not a huge fan of complaining about tourists since let’s be honest, I am one. I’m sure it would have been much more enjoyable in the fall or spring, and if I wasn’t sick. So there is my tip for you if you ever go to Rome.

The Colosseum

What can you say about this building that hasn’t already been said. It’s massive, incredible and iconic. Check off one more for the bucket list.

The Roman Forum

The Pantheon

Now I know the Colosseum is a pretty big dea,l however, I actually think the Pantheon is the most impressive building in Rome. It is an engineering marvel and although simple, it’s almost 2000 years old!

Trevi Fountain

Fountain of the Four Rivers

The Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica

Although all of Rome is really a “wow” moment,  the Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica are really the icing on the cake. The number of paintings, sculptures and extent of all the interior marble is simply something else. So much detail, time and dedication went into making the Vatican what it is today.

Now one of the highlights of the Vatican City is the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately I was not allowed to film or take photos of the inside and I wasn’t brave enough to try the sneeky sneeky camera shots. Besides, there are tons of photos of the inside on the internet so I figured it wasn’t really necessary.

It’s crazy to think how they actually painted the ceilings in the cathedrals and churches. I can’t even sit and do a painting for more than a couple hours at a time. Imagine months of painting for hours each day and on the roof! Well I guess that’s why I never went to art school.

Mixed feelings about Rome |Hey Nadine

So this is definitely the second time I have written this post, so I apologize because the first post was a very well drafted thought-out blog post. and this one, well we’ll see how lazy I am and how much I remember. Next time I will remember to save my posts.

Vlog #6: Contiki European Panorama: Florence, Italy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3kTulecTSg

Just like on tour, sometimes I get really lazy since so much planning is done for me that I forget that I am traveling in peak tourist season and visiting peak tourist hotspots. So, it should be no surprise that we would need to book tickets before hand to visit popular tourist museums holding famous pieces of art like David. Of course I did not do this and therefore instead of seeing the real David, I only got to see the fake David.

Fake David, almost as good as the real thing.

For lunch in Florence our tour manager took us to this restaurant that supposedly has the best steak in Europe. First off, how do people even measure what restaurants or what food is the “best”. Of course you can say it’s by personal taste, but how would you remember and be able to compare each to the other? Not to mention taking into account other influences like being extreme hungry, hungover or having cravings.

While the steak was indeed very tasty, I wouldn’t call it the best I’ve ever had. Maybe that is because you are suppose to have it cooked rare/medium rare, and I only eat steak well done.

This wine on the other hand was absolutely delightful. Do yourself a favor and if you ever see this on a shelf, purchase it, you will not regret it.

Duomo

After filling up with steak and then gelato I had the brilliant idea to climb up to the top of the Duomo in Florence, the highest point in the city. Climbing in 38 degree heat, up a stair master on steroids, and with only 30 minutes to get up and back down before I miss my bus. Again, that whole planning ahead thing would have come in handy here.

However, once I got to the top and saw the beautiful paintings, the spectacular views over the city, I knew all those steps were worth it.

Florence- So I should really work on this planning ahead thing. |Hey Nadine