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Let the packing begin!

June 17, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

12.06.15-mjs_cc_packing-list_582_394

In a few weeks my daughter and I will be boarding the plane for Peru. Well, I say for Peru. I mean a 30 hour trip via London Heathrow, Madrid, Lima and then onto Cusco.

So, looking down the Global Volunteer Network check list, that means it’s time to get packing!

According to GVN the key to packing for a trip to Peru, and Cusco more specifically, is to pack for a variety of conditions. Cusco is truly a land of extremes with intense sun during the day and cold mountain nights to remind you that you are 11,200 ft/3,400 mtrs.

We intend to travel outside of Cusco to Machu Picchu so we need to be ready for the heat and humidity there too. I’m hoping our experience of seven summers in Dubai will give us a head start.

Apparently, dressing in layers is the answer. Here is the suggested packing list:

  • 7 Pair of underwear
  • Daypack
  • Shampoo
  • 7 Pairs of socks
  • Water Bottle
  • Towel
  • 5 T‐shirts
  • Camera
  • Sun block
  • 3 Long‐sleeved shirts
  • Laptop (optional)
  • Soap
  • 4 Pairs of pants
  • Umbrella
  • Toothpaste
  • 2 Pairs of shorts
  • Razor
  • Swim wear
  • Jacket
  • Rain gear
  • Athletic/walking shoes
  • Hiking Boots
  • Sandals
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat

Doesn’t seem much, does it? I notice there is no mention of chargers!

Well, the aim is to travel light (background noise: husband choking on a cup of tea) with only one rucksack and a small day backpack. Accordingly, I’m expecting my daughter to treat me as her walking coat hanger and so I’m staying one step ahead of her and limiting the day bag to one.

The return luggage will be a different story altogether…

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Posted in: LIFE Tagged: dubai, dubai blogger, family, family travel blogger, peru, travel blog, volunteer trip to peru, zoe cooper-clark

Temple of Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka

May 13, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

DSC_0191

Located in Kandy, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy. Although you do not get to see it, the temple houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha.

Upon entering the site I could feel the serene ambiance and smell the fresh of Jasmine and Lotus flowers being sold as offerings.

Fortunately, there a number of story boards in English hanging around the main hall inside where the children can easily read the potted history of the tooth. We all left feeling a little bit more enlightened.

Time to head back to the hotel for dinner and a pillow fight.




 

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: blogger, dubai, family, kandy, sri lanka, temple of tooth, travel

Gem factory, Kandy Sri Lanka

May 13, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Gamini gem factory

Back in the AC, we were on our way to the next stop in our roomy 12-seater minibus to Gamini Gem factory, Kandy.

At this point, I think it’s a good time to point out that there were times when we simply felt like a purse being sent from one place to the next.

When you decide to take tour with a driver, like we did you are – in part – agreeing to visit some, let’s say, mutually beneficial establishments where things always end with a sale.

DSC_0165

My husband and I were well aware that we were about to be ‘sold to’ at this particular venue but decided to put our cynicism aside and embrace the experience. Good job really, the kids loved it. The mini ‘tour’ started with a step by step explanation of how rough stones are selected, polished and made into beautiful jewelry. We were then escorted to the shop across the street, with assistance from two authoritative-looking policemen in brown suits, to the pride of place ready for the essential gem presentation.

DSC_0168

Yes, we bought something. Two Moonstone necklace gems for only $10 madam.

Sri Lanka is touted as a great place to buy gems but without any prior experience or knowledge of gems, we stuck to the cheapest option to reduce the risk of unscrupulous dealers. According to some reports, there are some dealers ready to trick gullible tourists by passing off blue spinel, or other semi-precious stones as sapphire.

Leaving with our treasure, we climbed into our carriage for a thoughtful and educational trip to the Kandy War Cemetery and then to the Temple of the tooth.

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: dubai, family, gem factory, sri lanka, travel, travel blogger dubai

Wish I was: on safari on The Mara, Kenya

May 7, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Giraffes

Binoculars and camera at the ready…enjoy the view as nature entertains.

Masai Mara or The Mara as its known by the locals is famed for its bountiful array of animals including lions, leopards, cheetahs and of course the annual migration. It was named in honor of the Maasai people who describe the the area when looked at from afar: “Mara,” which is Maa (Maasai language) for “spotted,” an apt description for the circles of trees, scrub, savanna, and cloud shadows that mark the area.

The Great Migration of zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti is on show every year from July to October. Don’t miss it.

 

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Posted in: LIFE, WISH I WAS Tagged: family, kenya, Masai Mara, safari, The Mara, travel

5 tips: when planning to book a Sri Lankan Driver

May 3, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Tuc Tuc Luv SL

If like us, you want to take full advantage of your time in a new place and see as much of the island as you can in one trip, it”s likely that you’ll be considering a driver. Sri Lanka is around 25k sq miles of mostly flat land, with mountains in the south-central region, so getting around and covering a fair bit of the country should not be too much of a challenge. 

We contemplated taking a train from the airport and using a driver on an ad hoc basis but the cost versus hassle-factor finally led to a decision to go with a driver for the complete trip. Plus, travelling with two children, having limited time and not being familiar with the roads cancelled out the rental car option for us but I came across a number of stories of people who enjoyed the freedom of exploring independently.

When researching,  Google produced a mix bag of results including recommendations from visitors on sites like Tripadvisor and Lonely Planet, as well as web pages of individual drivers put together by generous clients. After speaking to friends, reading a number of forum threads, it was obvious that there was no clear market leader or agency to fall back on so there was an element of risk and lots of research involved.

I eventually opted for a one-man-band driver who had his own website, a bunch of recommendations and testimonials. Thankfully, after a few surprises, we had a fantastic holiday and a great driver but it wasn’t straightforward.

IMG_5551

Below are a few tips when booking a Sri Lankan driver:

1. Do your research. 

Things may have changed since our trip so make sure you look at up-to-date and recent posts to get a general understanding of what is available. Consider social media for tracking down some of the people that left testimonials to qualify the recommendations. Make sure the driver can speak English at a level where he is able to respond to the barrage of questions coming from seats behind him!

2. Ask lots of questions. 

One way to get a feel for your driver, before you commit,  is to ask him questions about the fine details of the trip.  There are different types of services;  ‘A tour’ is when you leave the majority of the planning to the driver, down to the hotels you stay in and the places you visit.  If you fancy being the tour manager and arranging the itinerary yourself  (like we did) you will need to make it clear at the start that you only require him to drive you to places. Most 5* hotels offer driver accommodation for around LKR 100 (45 pence) which should be covered by the driver as part of the package but it is worth checking.

3. Discuss the right-sized vehicle before you leave. 

I asked for a ‘car with a driver’ and was advised that we needed a ‘van’ for two adults and two children. I agreed to the upgrade for extra comfort. When we arrived we were greeted by a different driver, with a car. Subsequently we had to take a  two hour detour to switch to the pre-agreed van that turned out to be a  lovely new 12-seater mini-van.

4. Get what you paid for. 

As mentioned earlier, we picked a driver based on his personal website and references. However, the driver that greeted us at the airport happened to be a freelance driver who was contracted to take over our trip. Fortunately, he turned out to be a polite, professional and kind man, who was a relatively safe driver on the mad roads of Sri Lanka.

5. Don’t be afraid to change.

“If you are not happy with the driver, change him” – that was the advice from a mum we met during our travels. One of the dads told me worrying stories of how her driver would constantly take his hands off the wheel and appeared to be a struggling to drive in heavy traffic. Another woman changed her driver after day two as she felt there was no chemistry and found it difficult to communicate.

Driving in Sri Lanka was an experience, a hair-raising one and a major part of our trip. Would we have a driver again? Yes and we would probably book the same guy. Is it safe? Not technically. I had mixed feelings that ranged from the exhilaration of the anything-goes, wacky races approach to times of shear terror when we were dodging head-on trucks, wandering pedestrians and wild dogs that seemed to disappear under the van and reappear the other side none the wiser. A holiday is not a good holiday without taking yourself out of your comfort zone in my opinion – a little fear does no harm!

 Our driver was K.A. Udayasiri aka Udaya. He doesn’t have a website but can be contacted on kaudayasiri@gmail.com 

 

 

 

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: blog, driver, family, sri lanka, tips, travel

12 fast facts on Sri Lanka

March 29, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

SRILANKA-10015

With only 6 days to go before we all set off for our trip to Sri Lanka, I thought I would share a few facts I have come across whilst booking and researching our hols. The plan is to fly into Colombo, make our way to Kandy where we are staying in a beautiful scenic location close the centre, a hike and a short stay at Hunas Falls  followed by a drive down to Hikkaduwa for a few days then back up for one night in Colombo to see friends.

Fast Facts

1. The population is close to 20 million

2. Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon

3. When you pull out your wallet to buy some tea you will need work work out your 217 times table –  1 British pounds gets you around 217 Sri Lankan Rupees

4. You will hear a few different languages, they are Sinhala, Tamil and English

5.  There are many religions including: Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Muslim

6. Literacy is 92% – which means that they boast the highest literacy rate in the whole of South Asian

7. Before Sri Lanka became famous for tea, it was famous for coffee – in 1870’s the coffee fields of Sri Lanka were wiped out by leaf blight

8. Sri Lanka is known as both the ‘pearl of the Indian Ocean’ and the ‘teardrop of India’ due to its shape

9. In Sri Lanka, when someone shakes their head from side to side and with a slight wiggle, it means “yes”

10. Although cricket is the most popular sport, the national sport of the country is in fact volleyball

11. The country has lots of waterfalls, so most of Sri Lanka’s electricity is powered by hydro-powered energy

10. Sri Lanka’s national flag is said to be one of the oldest flags in the world

 

 

Image: traveltodaylah.com

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: family, sri lanka, travel

5 different: Ceviche recipes

March 15, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Ceviche simply

We are off to Peru in June so thought we might try a few South American dishes to get us in the mood. There are only a few meals that give you that holiday feeling and for me, Ceviche is one of them.  Originally from South America, Ceviche is typically made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and chili peppers. There are a number of different versions of the dish with some adding chopped onions, tomatoes, orange juice and coriander. There are also various preferences for side dishes like sweet potato, lettuce, corn, avocado or tortillas.

And its no surprise that the greatest variety of ceviches are found in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. 

Here are five different recipes to try:
The Guardian
Felicity's perfect ceviche
½ red onion, finely chopped
250g skinless and boneless sea bass or sea bream fillets
½ tsp salt, plus extra to season
Juice of 4 limes
Juice of ½ orange
1 red chilli, shredded, or 1tsp aji amarillo paste
Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Simply recipes
Ceviche simply
2 lbs of firm, fresh red snapper fillets
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 cup of chopped fresh seeded tomatoes
1 serrano chili, seeded and finely diced
2 teaspoons of salt
Dash of ground oregano
Dash of Tabasco or a light pinch of cayenne pepper
Cilantro
Avocado
Tortillas or tortilla chips

Gaby Holland 

salmon_ceviche_with_avocado_page_1_image_0001
300g fresh salmon fillets, skinned
2 limes, juice only
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and very finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil

Garnish
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp pink peppercorns
Salt

Channel 4 Food

peruvian-ceviche_A0four
1 large red onion, very thinly sliced
600g sea bass fillet, skinned and trimmed
½ tsp Medium Red Chilli /Amarillo Chilli Tiger’s Milk
A few coriander sprigs, leaves finely chopped
1 limo chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 sweet potato, boiled and cut into small cubes
Fine sea salt

For the Amarillo chilli tiger’s milk

1 small clove garlic, halved
4 coriander sprigs, roughly chopped
Juice of 8 limes
½ tsp salt
½ tsp medium red chilli

And my personal favourite:

Gutsy by nature 

Easy-Shrimp-and-Avocado-Ceviche-Gutsy-By-Nature

1 lb. shelled, deveined and cooked shrimp, cut into bite size chunks
The juice of 1 lime
The juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small cucumber, diced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons chopped red onion or shallot
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

For full recipes, click on the links.

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Posted in: FOOD & DRINK, LIFE Tagged: blog, Ceviche, family, peru, volunteering

Volunteering in Peru.

January 15, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

We are going!

It sounds cliche but I’ve started this year with a fresh approach to life. And a new blog.

Where possible, do what you enjoy doing. Make it happen.

And on that note, I have decided to take my nine year old daughter Sadie on a volunteer trip to Peru to experience a new culture, travel, do some good deeds and hopefully to be inspired by the zoologists, conservationists and locals we meet.

 

Global Volunteer Network

 

After a bit or research (and the shock of the costs involved) I decided to go with http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/ There are many others out there but it seems the most organised, professional and not all of them that accept under 18’s.

 

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: blog, family, peru, travel

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