MADAGASCAR – MONTH TWO

March 26, 2019July 8, 2020

YOU GUYS I SUCK. Time moves strangely fast here and I missed posting so many of these. I wrote most of them at the time, so I’m gonna post them all in one go and try to be better in the future… here goes.

So, time flew by and somehow it’s well past my two month mark here! Month two was much
easier than month one, mostly because Gareth was here for such a large chunk of it.

I had two weeks off over Christmas and we mostly hung out around Fort Dauphin, getting to
know the area better, spending so much time at the beach and fancy hotel, working on my tan, sorting my flat, and ringing in the new year. Still struggling to grasp that it’s 2019!

We found some time to get to Berenty, which was a fantastic way to spend a Christmas so far
from home and in the southern hemisphere. It was incredibly difficult to say goodbye to Gareth
– life here is one million times easier and more enjoyable with him around, but it got easier
quickly knowing we’d see each other in March – less than two months away at the time of
writing this!

it started getting very hot

Work started back up, and that was great because I really, really enjoy my work here. My job
changed a little bit, instead of being on an HIV project and a WASH project, I’m just on HIV and
then helping to develop strategy for the community health department as a whole. I’m really
excited about the new challenge/opportunity and think it’ll be a great way to develop my skill
set. Also, my HIV project is about 50% funded now! It’s all very, very exciting.

lunch spot

SEED office (L)

school toilets I assessed for the WASH project

Fort Dauphin continues to be gorgeous. Have a progression of sunsets from this month:

from my bedroom window

AND OF course one of the main events from month two was the Patriots beating the Chargers
in the Divisional round. Luckily for me it was on at the only slot that didn’t keep me up all night (looking at you AFCCG), and we BEAT LA!

Updates from the AFCCG and THE SUPER BOWL will be included in my month three write up,
where they belong. But I have a LOT OF FEELINGS about it, obviously.

JANUARY 2019 GOALS

January 7, 2019August 30, 2020

I’m trying a new thing where instead of plotting out large yearly goals, I break them down into bite-sized monthly goals. Especially in Mada, where life is just a bit harder, it will hopefully make everything feel more manageable. And considering Gareth left yesterday and I’m feeling quite sad and far from home, it’ll give me a tangible list of things to focus on instead of the 6,000 miles between us.

JANUARY GOALS

MPH

Finish the project for my Social Research class.
Finish the book for Issues in Public Health.

FRENCH

Get to lesson 16 in Pimsleur French 1. I used Pimsleur to learn Spanish before moving to Spain and it was hugely helpful. It’s a bit different this time, though. I studied Spanish from grade 8-11 in school, and though it had been nearly 10 years (!), a lot stuck with me. French is literally starting from scratch, I have to google how to spell oui, etc. I get through lessons a lot slower but the plan is to just stick with it and by the end of Jan be over halfway through level 1.
Work on the 1000 most common French words in Memrise (100 words).
Read first five chapters of Madrigal’s Magic Key to French.
Arrange for a tutor to begin biweekly lessons in February (waiting until I have SOME background).

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Stick with Kayla Itsines workouts three to four times a week for the full month. While I’m not crazy about the branding (every body is a bikini body, etc ), these are really effective and easy to do without equipment.
Try to figure out why I’m sick ALL. THE. TIME. The indicator for this is if I haven’t improved by mid-January to go back to the doctor.

So we’ll see how this goes. If I come close to accomplishing any of this, I’ll update and make a new one for February. If not, it’s safe to assume I failed on nearly all counts. :p

Ring-Tailed Lemur, Berenty Reserve Madagascar

BERENTY RESERVE – ALL ABOUT THE LEMURS

January 6, 2019July 11, 20201 Comment

As you all know, we spent Christmas at the Berenty Reserve in Androy, Madagascar. You can read about the logistics of such an adventure here, and see the photo diary of everything but the lemurs here. What you will find below are the best pictures and videos I got of all the different lemurs that live in Berenty. So without further ado, the highlight of the trip — the lemurs!

Continue reading →

BERENTY PHOTO DIARY – EVERYTHING BUT THE LEMURS

January 6, 2019July 11, 2020

During our three incredible days at the Berenty Reserve, we were able to see so much. Dozens and dozens of lemurs, reptiles, birds, bats, and bugs. I’ve already written a post about the logistics of organising a trip to Berenty, but here I wanted to share a photo diary of our time there. This is everything but the lemurs as there were too many of those for one post. You can find the lemurs here!

Continue reading →

A Weekend in Bergen, Norway

January 4, 2019January 30, 2021

Last Autumn a friend came over to Europe from LA, and we decided to visit Bergen, because Norway is amazing, and tickets were shockingly cheap–an occurrence I’m finding less shocking the more often I look up flights out of London (lucky me!).

Getting There

Getting there was an adventure, because when does travel ever go smoothly?? An evening that began with Megan getting on an express train to the wrong destination and nearly missing the flight, ended with us huddled in the pouring rain at midnight, desperately trying to get one of our phones to turn on in the freezing air, 50 metres from our airbnb and completely lost. The plus side is getting to/from the airport is incredibly easy, regardless of when you arrive. Top tip: Buy a round trip ticket from the machine right next to the bus stop at the airport–it’s cheaper than buying on the bus (which is possible if you’re in a rush/would rather deal with a human).

The place we rented was the definition of hygge, to steal a Danish word. It was tiny, but so cosy and well decorated I honestly considered becoming a furniture thief/smuggler. After my flight out on Sunday, Megan was able to meet with the woman who lived there. She is studying for her Master of Philosophy at the University of Bergen, and I’m mildly obsessed with her life (and decorative skills).

We only had around 36 hours there, as we had to leave after work on Friday, and my flight back was at noon on Sunday. While more time would have been nice, and I do want to return to experience everything in nicer weather, Bergen is a small, a gorgeous city surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Everything we wanted to see was within a 5 minute walking radius, and it was easy to fit everything in.

Itinerary

Food

Breakfast

Start with breakfast at Godt Brød, where you need to try the traditional cinnamon rolls and delicious tea/coffee. The Fløibanen funicular is right outside the cafe, as is the walking path (which I believe takes about 30 minutes if you choose to hike). The funicular was about 8 pounds round trip, and as a big funicular fan who was short on time, I opted for a round trip service.

Lunch

We stopped for what was meant to be a quick lunch at Kaf Kafe Bryggen. This place is super cute and is a lovely way to spend the afternoon – which we basically did, as our (delicious) soup took over 45 minutes to come! We ended up having to eat the soup in under a minute because our Fjord tour due to begin. Definitely not a place to go when you have a strict schedule, but an incredible cosy place to warm up and relax!

Fishmarket Dinner

To start, this isn’t a budget option. But, oh my god, if you find yourself in Bergen you have to eat at the fishmarket. It’s so lovely – set up with the cosy blankets and heaters G and I saw everywhere in Copenhagen last year and just so atmospheric. We had wine, and a meat and cheese platter (HIGHLY recommended, though consider asking them to not include whale), and salmon and mashed potatoes. It was a lot of food, all delicious, and an all-around great way to end the trip.

Things to do:

Mount Fløyen

As the Fløibanen funicular is right outside of Godt Brød, I’d recommend a trip up right after breakfast. Mount Fløyen offers some incredible views of the city and harbour and has hiking trails throughout. It’s a great welcome to Bergen, as you can see everything from the top. We were luckily enough to get some blue skies while up there, and after taking in the views, we walked through the woods for a bit, which were well marked and felt quite magical. Try to find the “warning” signs hidden around the forest!

Shopping

After the nature walk, take some time to explore the shops in Bryggen, which are filled with some incredible clothes and furniture and decor. I could have easily spent hundreds, thousands of pounds there, and it got to the point where I just had to stop going in, because the window shopping was hurting my heart.

Though all the stores were incredible, my Christmas loving heart has to give a special shout out to Julehuset. We happened upon this Christmas themed heaven by mistake, and it was probably my second favourite part of the trip! Anyone who knows me knows that the holiday season is my absolute favourite time of the year. Thanksgiving, pumpkins, snow, Christmas music and movies. I am that obnoxious person who can’t get enough. Julehuset did not disappoint. It’s huge, four floors, filled with every Christmas decoration you can imagine. I almost bought a wooden truck that had little drawers that made it an advent calendar, and still regret not doing it on a near daily basis. Instead I settled for a few ornaments, and a pull string wooden toy that reminded me of one my grandparents used to have. If you are as obsessed with Christmas as I am, do not miss Julehuset!

Fjord Tour

Also do not miss a Fjord Tour! It was the highlight of our trip. We booked one that lasted for 3 hours from Bergen to Mostraumen and it lived up to our high expectations, even in the pouring rain. In fact, I’d say the rain made it feel even more epic, like more of an adventure. We would alternate between going outside until we were soaked and freezing, going back inside to dry off/try to coax our phones/cameras into turning back on, and then doing it all over again.

The little villages we traveled through were incredible, and it felt a bit like we had gone back in time–the slightly eerie, foggy weather didn’t hurt either. Eventually we came to the end, went right up to a waterfall where they stuck out a bucket and we were all able to drink some waterfall water. I’m a bit neurotic about drinking water, but had decided as soon as I’d heard about this part of the tour that I’d try it, and it was super delicious. Sometimes water just tastes good, and this was some good water.

Norway was unexpectedly wonderful. Having now been to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland, I can confidently say I am a huge fan of Scandinavia. I want to go back to Bergen, but also go farther north – I’d love to get to Tromso and have a shot at seeing the Northern lights! But until then, my weekend in Bergen was a wonderful introduction to the country.

CHRISTMAS AT BERENTY RESERVE

January 3, 2019July 9, 20202 Comments

Guys, we went to Berenty Reserve and I finally saw lemurs!! Hundreds of them!

We knew we wanted to stay around Fort Dauphin for most of Gareth’s trip, mainly so he can see where I’m living and help sort out my flat (thank you, G!!). But we wanted to do something special over Christmas which led us to Berenty.

Berenty is a small, private reserve about 3.5 hours from Fort Dauphin, and one of the most famous in all of Madagascar. It’s one of the best places to see lemurs in the country, and where primatologist Alison Jolly studied lemurs for over 50 years. If you’re into lemurs, this is your spot.

LOGISTICS

TRANSPORT

You need to organise transport to and from the reserve directly — you can’t just turn up. They can arrange this from Tana, but in Fort Dauphin the Le Dauphin hotel is their sister site and you can arrange things there. You’ll be picked up from the hotel early in the morning with a driver and a guide. The drive out is part of the experience, with a few stops along the way to see the changing landscape. We had a fantastic drive out, you can see some of the pictures below.

FOOD

There is a restaurant at the reserve, but nowhere to buy snacks. The restaurant is a fixed menu — continental breakfast (with or without eggs) in the morning, and three courses (starter, main, dessert) during lunch and dinner. Breakfast is from 6 – 9, lunch from 12-2:30 and dinner 7-10. The food was good but not great — though this lobster on Christmas Eve was quite the treat.

ELECTRICITY AND WATER

The reserve runs on generator power, so there’s electricity from 5am to 9am, 11am to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm. This is generally fine but as it’s the peak of summer, nights without a fan or air con were HOT. There is also running water, flushing toilets, and showers with hot water. (YES, PLEASE!)

COST

The cost for transport and the guide is €157 each. It includes the driver, gas to/from the reserve, a guide who provided us with three (long) walks a day (7-11 am, 3-6 pm, and 7-8 pm), room and board for both driver and guide, and entrance to the reserve and museum.

It’s another €62 each night for a double occupancy room. Meals are 19,000 Ariary each for breakfast and 36,000 Ariary for lunch and dinner, however on special occasions (Christmas Eve), there is a special menu that was €22 each. Water, and most drinks, are 6,000 Ariary.

THE EXPERIENCE

You see SO much at Berenty. You’re basically guaranteed to see all the different types of lemurs that live in the reserve, and you can get quite close to them! We also saw chameleons, flying foxes, snakes, so many cool bugs, tortoises, and a crocodile. We saw so many incredible things, which you can see in the photo diaries here and here. Our guide JP was incredible — he was SO knowledgeable about everything and just such a nice person to be around.

In all, if you’re in Southern Madagascar and at all interested in lemurs, Berenty Reserve should be top of your list!

2019 GOALS

January 1, 2019August 30, 2020

HAPPY 2019!!

I can’t believe it’s here! I can’t believe 2018 is over! Sometimes I think back to 1999/2000 New Year and remember how scared I was of Y2K. I was at my Aunty Gail’s house with my two best friends and moving into the 2000s seemed insane. Now it just seems crazy that was 19 years ago. Wow, wow, wow.

Anyway, looking back on my goals for 2018, I was semi-successful. I failed at refocusing on Spanish, I did not learn to drive a standard, and while I got back into Pilates for a while, the move to Mada really undid most/all of that effort.

I’m not totally caught up on this blog — one day I’ll write about Croatia, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Mzansi in Cape Town. BUT I kept up with it relatively well and got through a backlog of other things. So I’m going to mark this one down as a win.

Feeling content is a work in progress but I’m definitely doing better than I was this time last year, so again, a win.

A theme is that I suck at accomplishing any of my resolutions, which is well documented on this blog. So this year I’m setting “intentions.” Let’s see if that helps any.

2019 INTENTIONS

French. Would be SUCH a career boost if I could speak French, and I’m living in a country where French is commonly spoken and would hugely assist my ability to get by. I’m going to look into lessons and try to leave Mada with a solid grasp of the basics — something off of which I can continue to build. I think often with languages the hardest part is just getting started.
My masters. I want to take (and pass) the finals of at least three of my classes.
Surfing. Fort Dauphin is great for surfing and there are tons of people offering lessons. Learning to surf used to be on my 30 before 30 before I decided my fear of the ocean was stronger than my desire to surf. But when in Rome…

Very few intentions this year, and zero travel related! It’s not cheap getting to/from Mada, so I expect I’ll be here most of the year. When my contract is up, depending on finances, I could see myself moving to France for a bit and taking a month or two of intensive French lessons. We shall see.

The most important things left on my 30 before 30 are: masters, learn French, live in France, B2 level of Spanish, Bali, and Buenos Aires. I might be able to get the first three started, but the last three will be a bit of a push. We shall see! If I turned 30 tomorrow I’d be over the moon excited about how much I managed to do in the past five years. Anything further is just a bonus, really!

2018 WRAP UP

December 30, 2018August 30, 20201 Comment

Wow, another year nearly over! 2018 honestly went by so fast I’m struggling to write this post — my brain does not compute.

There were some pretty big things that happened this year though. For starters, the vast majority of my friends got married! I went to seven weddings this year and there was only one where either Gareth or I weren’t in the wedding party! It was such a wonderful, love filled year and I’m so grateful I was living in London (and able to get to Boston) for everything!

There were also some great trips —

I went to Paris in February to visit Faye and meet Ross, which was so lovely. FAYE I MISS YOU COME TO MADAGASCAR!

Ibiza for a hen do, where we stayed in the nicest villa and went proper clubbing. I haven’t done that since I was 21 and brand new to LA!

Egypt and South Africa, which were huge life highlights I’ll never forget.

Greece, easily one of my favourite places on earth.

Boston, to see my fam and watch some of my best friends get married.

Madagascar, where I’ve moved to work on HIV and WASH projects for the next year.

Regarding my 30 before 30, I crossed off four (and a half) items. Go to Egypt, South Africa, Greece, work in the field in Africa, and I’ve started my masters.

This year was big professionally and educationally, and moving to Mada has been pretty big personally as well. Being apart from G after having lived together is a new kind of hard, but it’s also teaching me so much about the world, myself (to be corny), and of how much I’m capable.

Also I’m quite enjoying looking back at wrap ups for 2016 and 2017 and seeing how much has/hasn’t changed. One more year to 30!

48 HOURS IN ATHENS

December 28, 2018July 11, 20201 Comment

During our time in Greece, we planned to spend just 48 hours in Athens. The city was a bit of a surprise to me — I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did, which is the best kind of trip!

We had about 48 hours in Athens and had a pretty good mix of sightseeing without feeling too overscheduled, and I think if you’re looking for a chilled few days filled with amazing food, I’ve got the itinerary for you.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed in Plaka, which I’d recommend. The area was adorable, very walkable, and central to everything. We stayed at Antisthenes Apartments which was cheap, clean, and great air conditioning, so all in all I’d recommend it if you’re looking for basic but pleasant.

WHERE TO EAT

We ate all our meals on Lysiou Street, which is one of the most famous in Athens. It’s full of adorable houses, cute tavernas with outdoor seating, and all the food was delicious.

GETTING THERE

If you’re staying in Plaka, it’s an easy transfer from the airport. Just jump on the metro to Syntagma station where you can either walk from the famous Syntagma Square, or change to the red line and hop off a few stops over — our place was right next to the Acropolis stop.

DAY ONE

We got breakfast at the airport and the journey to our flat and checking in took us until about 13:00. From there we decided step one was finding us some gyros, and you should do like we did and go to Kalopsimeno. It is cheap and fast but oh my god has some of the best gyros you can find. We didn’t have better our entire trip, so be prepared for your gyros game to peak day one.

It’s an easy walk to Kalopsimeno from Plaka, and from there you’re nearly at Mount Lycabettus. Depending on when you go and how hot it is, you may prefer a taxi. We walked but the heat was a bit insane and the hill felt steep. At the top you’re rewarded with an incredible view of the city and the Parthenon.

Take in the sights and then treat yourself to a cold beer (or wine! all the red wine was chilled which was much appreciated by yours truly) and maybe some ice cream. We chilled up there for a while with a pack of cards, and it was a really lovely way to spend an hour or two.

On the way back, route through The National Garden which has the Arch of Hadrian, Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Zappeion, and the Kalimarmaro Olympic Stadium of the 1896 Olympic Games. It’s kind of insane how many structures from the Ancient Greeks are still standing — it’s hard to walk more than a few minutes without spotting something.

Head back into Plaka and window shop the various vendors — there are some genuinely nice things amongst the standard tourist fare.

We had dinner at Zorbas, where I got my first taste of Moussaka, which was the start of a real love affair. This whole area is the best for food. All the places are on steps and super adorable, and they were all quite lively.

After dinner and a few drinks, get an early night so you’re up bright and early for the Acropolis.

DAY TWO

The Acropolis opens at 8 am, and you should aim to get there early to avoid lines. Grab a pastry for the walk and be ready to spend a few hours checking out the ancient citadel. We didn’t go with a guide or headphones, but if they are in your budget I imagine hearing all the history whilst looking at the ruins would be so interesting.

Grab lunch back on Lysiou Street, we went to Yiasemi which had more amazing gyros and some pretty stellar tzatziki.

After lunch, head down to Monastiraki, where you can see Hadrian’s Library and the Ancient Agora whilst visiting the flea market and doing some shopping. If you’re heading to the port, from here it’s just seven stops to Piraeus. Try not to be too sad your time in Athens is coming to an end — you’ll be back, right? And you’re hopefully on your way to another amazing spot, like Paros or Crete!

WHY I DIDN’T LIKE SANTORINI

December 26, 2018July 14, 2020

First let’s acknowledge that I’m incredibly lucky and privileged to have been able to visit Santorini at all. However, if you travel frequently, you’re bound to visit a few places you like more or less than others. Santorini was one of those places I liked less. That said, it is gorgeous and I’m sure quite a few people feel the magic there that was lost on me. It’s also worth noting that we planned to spend 24 hours there, but due to an ferry strike were unexpectedly there for 4.5 days.

My biggest issue was the amount of tourists in Santorini. For example, take the photo of Gareth and I below. To get it, we had to wait in line for 15 minutes , and once you got there if you took too long people shouted at you. It was stressful and packed and really (for me) took away from the beauty.

Likewise, the sunset was gorgeous. However, to get a good spot you need to arrive about two hours early. This photo was taken 90 minutes before the sunset and believe me it only got more and more busy. Afterwards, it took us about 25 minutes to get back to the road due to the crowds.

Every picturesque location was filled with professional photographers doing photoshoots with tourists who had hired them. Everyone was dressed extremely well, and the entirety of Oia felt like one big photoshoot. Like the the main reasons tourists in Santorini were there was just to get a photo of themselves there.

I spent about an hour doing the same, mostly because we needed (free) things to do to fill our time. Then I got fed up with the whole vibe and put my camera away for the next few days. We left Oia, which felt unbearable, and moved down to Perissa which was far less touristy. It was more of a beach town. We spent a day sitting under an umbrella on the black sand beach, having a completely different trip than the Oia focused one we had planned.

I think I have a fairly high tolerance for tourists. I’m from Martha’s Vineyard and while I much prefer the winter, I adjusted to everything being crowded long ago. I went to Cinque Terre last August and was told I’d hate it due to all the tourists at that time of year, and again not only did it not bother me but it’s one of my favourite places I’ve ever been. There were 100 times more tourists in Santorini than in MV or Cinque Terre.

I’m also going to be a bit controversial and say that while there were many gorgeous parts of Santorini, I don’t think the overall beauty compared to anything we saw in Paros or Crete. There are cheaper, quieter, and more beautiful places to visit in the Greek isles. I think if you only have a limited amount of time, I’d really suggest leaving Santorini off your list!