Thank you India

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This post is slightly different from what I have been used to write around here, but I feel I have to write it because, this is my blog and, after all, it is about my journey through life. I'm not gonna talk about how I found the true meaning of life, or about some spiritual retreat that changed my life forever. I didn't find "myself" in India. But the step I took when I decided to go there, changed the course of my life.

O post em baixo é um bocadinho diferente daquilo a que estou habituada a escrever por aqui. Não obstante, sinto que tenho de escrever sobre isto porque, no fim de contas, este blog é sobre a viagem que é a minha vida. Não vou falar sobre como descobri o verdadeiro sentido da vida, nem sobre algum retiro espiritual. Não me "descobri" na Índia. No entanto, o passo que dei ao viajar até lá, mudou o rumo da minha vida.

Last Summer (2019) I went on a 2 month holiday that led me to India. Before my flight (and having already visited Greece, Turkey and Egypt), in Cairo, I sent all the clothes I had used until then, back home, to Portugal. All on the grounds of what was to happen. A few weeks before my trip, I made a research about sustainable fashion brands in India and got in touch with some of them, asking if they would be interested in sponsoring me. The idea was, as I had been doing on my last trips, to pose for shots Luís would take of me and subsequently post them on Instagram. That was, beyond shadow of a doubt, something that I really enjoyed doing so far. However, this time, I would wear clothes to promote brands that have as their focal point sustainability in fashion. Having managed to convince the brands, I arrived in Mumbai with an empty suitcase.

Este Verão fiz uma viagem de 2 meses que me levou até à Índia. Antes do meu voo (tendo já visitado a Grécia, Turquia, e Egipto), no Cairo, enviei todas as roupas que usara até à altura, de volta para Portugal. Tudo porque umas semanas antes, decidi procurar marcas de roupa sustentável que estivessem interessadas em patrocinar-me. A ideia era, como até ao momento tinha vindo a fazer nas minhas viagens, posar para as fotos que o Luís me tirava, e publicá-las no Instagram e aqui no meu site. Sem dúvida, algo que sempre me encantou e deu prazer. No entanto, desta vez, a roupa que usaria, seria com o intuito de promover marcas, tendo como ponto de destaque o conceito de moda sustentável. Posto isto, de mala vazia, cheguei a Mumbai.

Waiting for me, in my hotel room, were several packages that came from all over India, with magnificent clothes inside. I was astonished by how so many people/brands, who didn’t know me at all, were willing to participate in this project! Also, I was really psyched about doing this in a country that is, unfortunately, known for exploiting workers rights and that contributes greatly to environmental pollution through the garment related industries.

À minha espera, no hotel, estavam vários pacotes, provenientes de toda a Índia, com roupa magnífica, com tecidos orgânicos e/ou reciclados e artesanais, com bordados e técnicas muito interessantes. Fiquei espantada com a quantidade de pessoas que não me conhecia de lado nenhum e que alinharam neste projeto. Fiquei super motivada por poder fazer este trabalho num país infelizmente conhecido pela sua exploração das condições de trabalho e contributo para a poluição do meio ambiente através das indústrias relacionadas com a produção de vestuário. 

I felt like I was standing up to the system, I got people staring at me everywhere I went, in the street, in temples, as if I were a rare bird. They would ask me where did my outfits come from. As we were on the hottest season, there were almost no foreign tourists at the time. Most of the tourists we encountered were Indian, so I was really glad to tell them that my beautiful clothes were actually designed and ethically produced in their own country.

Senti-me quase como se estivesse a desafiar o sistema, os olhares na rua, nos templos, invariavelmente caiam sobre mim, qual ave rara, e as pessoas, impressionadas, perguntavam-me de onde vinha aquela roupa que eu vestia. Na altura em que estávamos a viajar havia poucos turistas estrangeiros, por ser a época mais quente do ano, por isso, quem me abordava eram essencialmente pessoas Indianas. Com prazer, pude dizer inúmeras vezes, que era roupa criada no seu próprio país.

I spent 22 days in the North on India and the resulting photos weren’t at all disappointing. I was happy as can be with the job we’ve done (and with the great feedback I had from the brands that sponsored me). I was eager to repeat the experience, it was as if I got addicted to it, like I found something I didn’t really know I was looking for, for a long time, and now I would never let go of. Since I got back to Portugal, in June, until now, I’ve been photographed in other travels, wearing sustainable fashion and accessories from all over the world, I can only hope that the future will bring me more of it!

Percorri o norte da Índia em 22 dias e as fotos resultantes desta jornada não decepcionaram. Não podia ter ficado mais feliz pelo sucesso do trabalho (e pelo feedback entusiasmado dos meus patrocinadores pelo conteúdo que lhes enviei). Fiquei desejosa por repetir, era quase como se tivesse ficado viciada, como se tivesse encontrado algo que não sabia que procurava. Desde a minha chegada a Portugal, em Junho, até ao presente, já fotografei, em outras viagens, com produtos de inúmeras marcas de moda e acessórios sustentáveis, oriundos de várias partes do mundo, e tudo indica que o caminho se estende aberto à minha frente. 

Having studied fashion design and worked as an interior designer, I’ve never dreamt of making it on social media. And I guess that the thing I was least expecting was the natural shift on the way we (Me and Luis) travel. Now, we travel not only for the pleasure of exploring new places and cultures but also with a purpose of photographing me, wearing cool, sustainable garments in those places, which sometimes feels like a job. I know that there are a lot of people that made travel photography their job and are tremendously successful by posting pics on their instagram accounts. Although I’m extremely lucky to be able to travel a lot and that subject is actually pretty interesting, per se, I felt that there was a lack of depth in my content. It looks like I have found it in sustainable fashion! It is now, actually, a full time job, as I’m always on a quest for brands I can work with and locations that are not overly explored, and also there's editind and all kinds of other things.

Tendo estudado design de moda e trabalhado como designer de interiores, nunca sonhei em trabalhar com redes sociais, e muito menos que as minhas viagens ganhassem um propósito que dá tanto prazer quanto trabalho. Sei que há outros a fotografar as suas viagens e têm muito êxito ao publicarem fotos das mesmas nas suas redes sociais. Apesar de ser uma sortuda por poder viajar tanto e esse tema ser, por si só, interessante, senti, sem dúvida, que faltava alguma profundidade ao meu conteúdo. Parece que a encontrei na moda sustentável! A pesquisa torna-se mais intensa e trabalhosa, sempre em busca de locais menos explorados e de marcas interessantes, é na realidade um trabalho a tempo inteiro. 

I’m so excited to know what the future holds for me. What will be my next big destination, what other wonderful projects will I be able to embrace! Is this a new way of traveling? I only know that, for me, it definitely is!

A sede por conhecer mais deixa-me ansiosa por saber qual será o meu próximo destino e que outros projetos maravilhosos poderei abraçar! Será esta uma nova forma de viajar? Sei apenas que para mim, sim, é a minha.

If you want to know what brand I'm wearing, just click on the images and you'll be directed to the brand's website!

Se clicares nas imagens, serás redirecionado para o site da marca do outfit que tenho vestido.

❤

Ancient Turkey

After Capadoccia we hit the road towards Antalya. We didn't know how big it was and it is actually pretty huge. It has nice areas to hang out but it seems a bit crowded with tourists. Not only with foreigner but also with Turkish tourists as well. It looks like the perfect place for teenagers to party, and for families to spend some time at the beach followed by lazy nights at the restaurants and bars with live music at the city's old town.
From there we visited a pretty nice place called Kursunlu Waterfalls, with beautiful clear water. There was a Turkish wedding photo shoot going on, which we thought was pretty cool, the bride was so differently dressed from western culture brides, with her head and neck all covered in white and with glitters all over her huge gown.

Depois da Capadócia, voltámos à estrada em direção a Antália. Penso que tínhamos uma ideia pré-concebida de que seria uma cidade relativamente pequena, mas estávamos enganados! Sem dúvida há imensas áreas agradáveis para sair mas pareceu-me um pouco abarrotado com turistas. Não apenas estrangeiros, mas também turistas turcos. Não obstante, senti que o centro histórico da cidade é o lugar perfeito para adolescentes se divertirem e para as famílias que, depois de passarem algum tempo na praia, procuram noites preguiçosas em restaurantes e bares com música ao vivo.
Não muito longe de lá, visitámos as cascatas de Kursunlu, com água cristalina muito bonita. Durante o tempo que estivemos a absorver a beleza, esteve a decorrer uma sessão fotográfica de um casamento turco, a noiva estava tão diferente das noivas ocidentais, com a cabeça e o pescoço cobertos de branco e com brilhos por todo o seu imenso vestido.

That day was going well but it could not have ended better, as we drove up the mount Güllük to see what Termessos ancient ruins were all about. So, we were expecting ruins, but having seen so many in my life and a lot of them were top rated world heritage sites by UNESCO, we though that we wouldn't be very surprised. Oh, but we were so utterly wrong. Amidst the pine forests, the steepy hills and a lot of clouds there it was. One of those places you could only expect to see on an Indiana Jones movie. A true sleeping beauty, lying in the silence of the skies, waiting to be found. Some of the ancient Pisidian buildings (built around 23 centuries ago) still have their walls standing. There are fallen rocks and columns with detailed carvings lying everywhere. To access some of the city areas you actually have to climb these fragments of history. There are no restrictions about that and you can walk freely around. The gymnasium still has most of its walls with beautiful niches around it.

Depois das cascatas, podíamos dizer que o dia nos estava a correr bem, mas o que não sabíamos era que ele melhoraria ainda mais, enquanto subíamos o Monte Güllük, para conhecermos as ruínas de Termessos. Então, nós esperávamos ruínas, mas tendo tido a possibilidade de visitar tantas, muitas delas, as melhor qualificadas pela UNESCO durante todas as nossas vidas, pensámos que estas seriam só mais umas. Oh, mas estávamos tão enganados! No meio de pinhais, o monte íngreme e muitas nuvens, aí estava ele. Um daqueles lugares que apenas esperamos ver num filme do Indiana Jones! Uma verdadeira bela adormecida, descansando no silêncio dos céus, à espera de ser encontrada. Alguns dos antigos edifícios Pisídios (construídos há cerca de 23 séculos atrás) ainda têm as suas paredes de pé. Há rochas e colunas caídas com entalhes detalhados espalhados por toda parte. Para aceder a algumas das áreas da cidade tem-se realmente de escalar esses fragmentos de história. Não há restrições em relação a isso e pode andar-se livremente por todo o lado. O ginásio ainda tem a maioria das suas paredes com lindos nichos em redor.

As a wave of dense fog came upon us we reached the amphitheater. As the mist vanished, like a curtain being opened, we stood in awe staring at what was presented in front of us and below our feet. The most amazing Hellenistic amphitheater, so perfect, that one may think that it could be only a house for the gods. The dramatic landscape surrounding it is absolutely breathtaking and we wanted to just seat there for hours, watching the clouds and the sun coming and going at their will and soaking up all that beauty. The site has many other amazing arches, gateways and rock cut tombs (like the ones you'd see in Petra). For me it's bitter sweet to be exposing here a place that lies so authentic. It makes me scared to think about people disrespecting it, and I would wish for it to lie there, still, as it was the day I found it, for the whole eternity. Actually, the silence and absence of people in general made it all much more perfect. I think that this places must be respected and treated with gentleness. I was so glad that there weren't any buses coming and going and guides shouting to their crowds, waving their flags and umbrellas.

Chegámos ao anfiteatro enquanto um denso nevoeiro se instalava à nossa frente. Quando a névoa desapareceu, como uma cortina a ser aberta, ficámos estarrecidos, olhando para o cenário que se desvendava à nossa frente e abaixo dos nosso pés. O mais incrível teatro helenístico, tão perfeito, que se pode pensar que seria um lar perfeito para deuses. A paisagem dramática em torno dele é absolutamente deslumbrante e queríamos apenas ficar sentados lá horas a fio, observando as nuvens e o sol indo e vindo à sua vontade e absorvendo toda aquela beleza. A cidade tem muitos outros arcos surpreendentes, portais e túmulos de rocha (como os que se podem ver em Petra). Para mim é agridoce expor aqui um lugar que é tão autêntico. Isso deixa-me com medo de pensar que as pessoas o podem desrespeitar, sendo que o meu desejo é que a cidade ali permaneça, serena, intocada, como estava no dia em que a encontrei, por toda a eternidade. Na verdade, o silêncio e a ausência de pessoas em geral tornaram tudo muito mais perfeito. Penso que estes lugares devem ser respeitados e tratados com gentileza. Claro que fiquei super feliz por não haver autocarros indo e vindo, e guias gritando para as suas multidões de turistas, agitando as suas bandeiras e guarda-chuvas.

Nothing bet Termessos, in our stay in Turkey, but I can say that Phaselis (700BC) is a much humbler but lovely ruin of a harbor city that belonged to Greeks and Romans. We also visited Olympos Ruins, which has ruins from different historical periods, from Hellenistic to the Middle Ages. It has a river dividing it and the city ends in the sea, like Phaselis. This site is pretty big. Near Olympos there's Mount Chimaera, a rad place where there are constant fires burning, coming from holes in the rocky soil.

Nada bateu Termessos na nossa estadia na Turquia, mas posso dizer que Phaselis (700 aC) é uma ruína, muito mais humilde mas adorável, de uma cidade portuária que pertencia a gregos e romanos. Também visitámos as Ruínas de Olympos, onde se pode andar entre ruínas de diferentes períodos históricos, desde o Helenístico até à Idade Média. Há um rio que divide a cidade e este termina no mar, tal como Phaselis. Esta cidade é bem grande. Perto de Olympos, há ainda o Monte Chimaera, um lugar onde há incêndios constantes, vindos de buracos no solo rochoso.

We got to visit Kas and Fethiye. The beaches are beautiful and so is the whole coastal drive. You can see amazing islands and the water has the most beautiful Mediterranean shades of blue. Sometimes, going down the hills I would see a vast portion of land shining like a huge mirror that at first I though were solar power plants, but instead were hundreds of green houses, producing mostly tomatoes!!

Tivémos a oportunidade de visitar Kas e Fethiye. As praias são lindas e vale a pena fazer a estrada costeira, pois tem vistas absolutamente arrebatadoras. Podem ver-se ilhas incríveis e a água tem o mais belo tom de azul mediterrânico. Às vezes, descendo as colinas, via-se uma vasta porção de terra a cintilar como um imenso espelho, que a princípio eu pensava serem centrais elétricas de energia solar. Mais tarde descobri tratarem-se de milhares de estufas, dedicadas maioritariamente à produção de tomates!!

Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) can be seen a few kilometers away from its location as this bright white mountain rising from apparently nowhere. We arrived at sunset and we were afraid we wouldn't have time enough to see everything, but decided to go in nonetheless. Maybe you think I should be more informed before visiting some places, as I'm easily surprised, but I think that's the magic in visiting them. I read the basic info and wait to find out more while I'm actually on the spot. So, for my surprise, we had to take our shoes off because there's water running all the way down from the top of the hill. Cascading down the pools, these thermal springs' water is super rich in calcium that over time created these beautiful natural pools that are as white as snow! On top of the hill there's an ancient roman city and it is said that Cleopatra visited it to bathe in this whimsical waters herself!

Pamukkale (Castelo de Algodão) pode ser avistado a alguns quilómetros de distância, parecendo surgir do nada uma montanha branca e brilhante. Chegámos ao pôr do sol e ficámos com medo de não termos tempo suficiente para ver tudo, mas decidimos entrar de qualquer forma. Talvez quem me lê pense que eu deveria estar mais informada antes de visitar alguns lugares... Sei que parece que sou facilmente surpreendida, mas acho que o efeito surpresa faz parte daquilo que eu acho mais mágico quando viajo. Eu leio a informação básica e espero para descobrir mais quando estou realmente no local. Então, para minha surpresa, tivemos que nos descalçar, porque havia água imparável a correr desde o topo da colina. Descendo em cascata pelas piscinas que ela mesma formou, a água destas nascentes termais é rica em cálcio que, fator determinante para a formação destas magníficas estruturas, tão brancas quanto a neve! No topo da colina há uma antiga cidade romana e diz-se que Cleópatra a visitou para se poder banhar nestas águas milagrosas!

When we reached Istanbul, I've got to confess that we were very tired from all the driving and running around. It was freaking cold, which we didn't expected (after all, it's Spring), so I definitely have to give it another try in the future, preferably during Summer. Sure, we visited Hagia Sofia, which has mesmerising byzantine details. We went to the huge underground Basilica Cistern nearby, but it was half closed and there were so many disrespectful teenagers, just fooling around and touching and throwing garbage on the water that I wasn't able to concentrate and enjoy the wonderful subterranean construction. The Blue Mosque was also having some ceiling work done, so we only got to see a part of it. The city has a pretty cool vibe and there are nice coffee shops, restaurants and stores in Galata, very much like the ones in hype neighborhoods throughout European cities. I have to confess that the Grand Bazaar, although huge in size, is much more organised than what I expected and it's a super touristic place. So, although the building is pretty, if you get a chance to look at the beautifully painted ceilings, it is all covered up with ugly cables and signs. The shops look so clean and they try so much to make them look high end, selling fake designer bags and shoes (I think that they're so good looking that there are people that may think they're buying the real deal!), that there's no originality to it. For me, the place has lost its soul and for a spot with so much history, I feel that it's a pity and so, after that disappointment, I preferred visiting the hectic markets for locals, where you can really sense their true culture.

Quando chegámos a Istambul, tenho que confessar que estávamos muito cansados ​​de toda a condução e correria. Fazia um frio que nunca esperámos que fizesse (afinal de contas, é Primavera), assim sendo, tenho evidentemente de dar uma segunda oportunidade a esta cidade, de preferência no Verão! Claro que visitámos a Hagia Sofia, que tem detalhes bizantinos absolutamente hipnotizantes. Fomos à enorme Cisterna subterrânea, que fica apenas a alguns metros, mas estava meio fechada e havia tantos adolescentes desrespeitosos, a brincar, gritar e a mandar lixo para a água que eu não consegui concentrar-me e aproveitar a maravilhosa obra de engenharia onde me encontrava. A Mesquita Azul também estava com algumas obras de recuperação nos tetos, por isso também só conseguimos visitar uma parte. A cidade tem um ambiente bom e interessante e há cafés agradáveis, restaurantes e lojas em Galata, muito parecidos com aqueles que se podem encontrar em bairros hype em todas as cidades europeias. Tenho que confessar que o Grande Bazar, apesar de enorme em tamanho, é muito mais organizado do que aquilo que esperava e é um lugar super turístico. Então, embora o prédio seja bonito, se se tiver a chance de ver os tetos lindamente pintados, está tudo coberto por cabos e placas feias. As lojas têm um aspeto muito limpo nota-se que os donos se esforçam para que se pareçam sofisticadas, vendendo malas e sapatos de contrafacção (acho que há pessoas que podem pensar que estão a comprar os produtos de verdade!). Para mim, o lugar perdeu a alma e originalidade que suponho que tenha tido em tempos. E para um lugar com tanta história, sinto que é uma pena. Depois dessa decepção, preferi visitar os mercados para 'locals' mais caóticos, mas onde se pode realmente sentir a verdadeira cultura da cidade.

In Istanbul there are loads of Hammams (Turkish Baths), they look really decaying but there's a very peculiar charm to it. These places are, for me, the ones worth going to. We had the Turkish bath experience, a full body scrub and a foam massage for less than 10 euros!

Turkey was a huge surprise, all and all, and I have to point out how amazing everybody was to us, how humble and friendly! Oh, and I couldn't end this post without saying how their love for dogs made me like them even more. Stray (but tagged) dogs go on about their lives in the streets everywhere. They're so well treated. They always have food and water (you can see so many shops and other businesses that keep tins full of food and water for the street dogs outside (and sometimes inside)! They live in harmony and those dogs are friendly and lazy. I guess that these are the little details that most people don't notice but make traveling such an enriching experience to me. I'm sad to say that we didn't take a lot of good photos in Istanbul due to the cold. That only means that I have to come back soon!!

Em Istambul há montes de Hammams (banhos turcos), a maioria com um ar realmente decadente, mas para mim, isso até tem o seu charme. Esses lugares são, na minha opinião, os que valem a pena visitar. Tivemos a experiência de banho turco, uma esfoliação corporal completa e uma massagem de espuma por menos de 10 euros!

No fim de contas, a Turquia foi uma enorme surpresa, e eu tenho de frisar o quão incrível toda a gente foi para nós, tão humilde e amigável! Ah, e eu não posso terminar este post sem referir o amor dos turcos por cães, o que me fez gostar ainda mais deles. Cães aparentemente vadios (mas marcados) andam por todo o lado tranquilamente. Eles são muito bem tratados por toda a gente. Têm sempre comida e água (há imensas lojas e outros negócios que mantêm taças cheias de comida e água para os cães de rua do lado de fora (e às vezes dentro)! Eles vivem em harmonia e são muito amigáveis e preguiçosos. Acho que esses são os pequenos detalhes que a maioria das pessoas não repara, mas faz com que viajar seja uma experiência tão enriquecedora para mim. Estou triste por dizer que não tiramos muitas boas fotos em Istambul devido ao frio. Mas acho que é a desculpa perfeita para voltarmos em breve!!

<3

Rose Gold Cappadocia

Turkey hasn’t really been on top of my list of countries to visit because I didn’t know a lot about it. Searching for its most beautiful attractions was a surprise: lunar like mountains, turquoise beaches, ancient historical sites and complex history. And then Istanbul, which is frequently compared to Lisbon. I had to check it out!

So I knew all of that but what I didn’t realize was how modern and developed the country was, how the roads and highways are so well maintained and how people in the countryside are amazingly nice!

We started our visit with Cappadocia. As I said in some previous posts on the blog, me and Luis aren’t very fond of tours and very touristic activities. We explored the zone in our own way, as we had a rental SUV, we were able to drive around those ravishing landscapes and stop whenever we wanted to. The weather wasn’t perfect for balloons, so there were none in the sky, which actually didn’t really bother us, as all we wanted was to appreciate nature. I guess that nowadays that is becoming more and more difficult because the area is a bit overly crowded with hotels, balloon ride stalls and shops in general. The little cities have adapted all too well to the digital age so every corner is a set for an Instagram shot. So here you will not find photos of me in a hotel balcony with air balloons at sunrise or inside the famous shop that has a patio full of rugs (though I have to say that they have a beautiful and a bit pricey selection of old dresses full of coins there) or the shops with the Turkish lights as background.

Apart from this, the further you go, the less crowded it gets. We had to wake up really early (like at 5.30am) to avoid the speedy Jeeps full of tourists that start buzzing around at about 9am (I guess that April is a very calm month over there, and still there were a lot of tours). I can imagine how crowded it can get during summer! Nonetheless the landscapes are mesmerizing, otherworldly and well worth visiting. Sometimes the views made me recall Petra and The Grand Canyon, with the canyons and rock formations in terra-cotta and yellow colored sediments. The natural shape of those spiky peaks actually seem supernatural and thinking about the people who decided to carve their own homes inside the huge stones while looking at them is totally astonishing.

Other thing I didn’t know about Turkey is that there are dogs and cats everywhere. All dogs are tagged for control and they’re really lazy all the time. Early in the morning, at Fairy Valley we were gathered by a really photogenic family of dogs! It’s such a pity that I have been struggling with dog and cat allergies for some years now, so I wasn’t able to pet them (so to make up for it Luis spoiled them with cuddles). I guess they understood that I really liked them so they stood by.

All and all, the 8 hour drive from Istambul airport to Capadoccia was well worth it. We stayed only for one day (2 nights) as we still had a lot to see in Turkey. Though I'm always trying to run away from cold weather (and in April we got 4°C at sunrise), I have to say that seeing Capadoccia during winter must also be a pretty amazing experience. 

The day we left we got to see a lot of nature! There are soooo many volcanoes a bit to the south (near Konya)! They looked so still and wonderful. We actually drove up to two of them! It was weird to walk on top of a place that was once so dangerously active! I don’t have a lot of experience with volcanoes so every time I see one I look like a child analyzing the rocks and the soil!!

On our way to Antalya we followed an UNESCO brown sign on the road and found an amazing archaeological site with ongoing excavations that dates back to 9000BC!!! For sure we weren’t expecting that! The site is pretty big and it is a ‘city’ where its people built multi storey buildings. So there were many people living in the same buildings at that time, just like today. The most curious thing is that to access their floor they had to go to the top of the buildings and go down to their own houses using ladders that went through other people’s houses!

Through the whole drive we were accompanied by huge mountains with snow and at the end of our drive we actually had to go up one of them to cross to Antalya.

I loved Cappadocia and the whole trip to the South was lovely but the extense exploitation of the land for touristic purposes (in Cappadocia) as well as the Turkish people's apparent unawareness of pollution related problems (we saw so many garbage around in the streets and rivers) made me think that the world has still so much to learn about preserving nature and natural resources.

Next stop Antalya!!!! <3

Alone in Petra

After the snow from the previous night, we were so afraid that Petra would be frizzing and that we wouldn't be able to visit it. I didn't even brought socks (I left them back at the car in Eilat)! But, against all odds, the weather was just lovely, and the blue skies matched perfectly with the beautiful orange and pink from the mountains! We stayed at Rocky Mountain Hotel in Wadi Musa, which is owned by Jane, who's a Kiwi married to a Jordanian and was really helpful and so interesting to talk to.After breakfast we went down the hill on foot, as Wadi Musa is not that big. Jordan is not a cheap country and because there are so many people who want to visit Petra, the entrance ticket to Petra doesn't come cheap (around 50€ per person). The light on the rocks was amazing, so orange and pink and if you pay attention to the sediments it is possible to identify all the layers serpentining with different shades and colors.Jane, the hotel owner told us that the week before there were a lot of tourists that weren't able to visit Petra because of extreme fog and low temperatures, so maybe that's why there weren't a lot of people visiting. I guess that if the weather is on your side, Winter can be wonderful to visit this kind of places, as the feeling of grandeur becomes stronger because you feel you're discovering everything by yourself.Petra was a huge city since around 300 BC, and the Nabataeans proliferated with its proximity to trading routes. There were about 20.000 people living there and besides their skills for carving stone they were also very good in finding ways to make the most out of the water (which was a scarce resource). The city was conquered by the Roman Empire circa 100 AD and it started declining when sea trading routes emerged. After two earthquakes (one in 363 and other in 551) the city couldn't survive the damage and it became deserted.<3

Oh, Holy Land!

After leaving Jerusalem we headed to the Dead Sea. There we stayed at Herods Dead Sea Hotel, a birthday gift from the sweetest mother-in-law. We arrived around 7 pm and we wanted to explore a little, it was 22º (celsius) so we strolled outside, to the Dead Sea, to touch the water. I can assure you I never tasted anything saltier! Because the only options to dine in Neve Zohar were the hotel restaurant and McDonalds, we decided to have dinner in bed: some Labneh with Za'atar with the most amazing pita crackers and some fruit.As we had to make the most out of our morning, we were ready to enjoy the spa at 7 am. Not my usual wake up time, but it's easy to wake up when you know there'll be relaxing time and loads of food. The hotel has a big swimming pool with hot Dead Sea water and I guess I shouldn't have tried it before actually 'diving' in the real thing. The morning was not as warm as the night before. Anyway, I swam a bit, floated a bit and then run back to the sauna. The weather was absolutely bipolar that day: we had a weird mix of warm sun, black clouds and wind!After enjoying the spa and eating the most amazing hotel breakfast we went to Masada, not far from where we were staying and really worth visiting! Masada is a fortification that lies on the top of a rock plateau. The first data about the place goes back to historian Josephus, that wrote about it back in the first century.On the surroundings we found amazing sights that resemble some grand canyon rock formations. Don't they seem holy? I just love these desert lands, they look so peaceful, so still, so lost in time. I think that, in the end, the weather actually helped us to give our photos a more dramatic look. Thumbs up for bipolar weather!After this we drove our way down south, towards Eilat, so that we could cross the border to Jordan. It was 8pm when we arrived and we had to leave the car 100m away from the border because it's not possible to cross it by car. We had to pay something like 20€ to leave Israel and I would advise you to change a lot of money to Jordanian Dinars. Jordan is not cheap, and because we arrived late there were no buses to go to Petra, so we had to take a taxi. It's a 126km drive and it costs 45JOD (about 50€). You can tell the cultural difference right away, but Jordan is rather safe. On our way there we left Kings Highway to a very bumpy road where we weren't able to see anything because of the fog and there was actually snow! WHAT?! I wasn't ready for that!Next stop: Petra! <3

January in Israel

Starting the new year traveling came as a surprise. I've always traveled with Luis in Winter when I was in college because we had time then, but we got super bored of traveling to countries colder than Portugal. Traveling in Winter can be a struggle for me because first of all I hate cold weather and second because it never seems to cooperate with our plans. Anyhow, we kick-started the year with the decision to spend my birthday in Israel, as the weather is only mildly cold in January.We arrived in Tel Aviv late at night and rented a car, so the next day we headed up North. We downloaded Israel map from google maps and our drive went smoothly, this system helped us driving in other countries many times before. Anyway, most of the freeway signs are written in hebrew, arabic and english. We stopped at Tel Megiddo, a village that goes back as far as 7000BC!We decided to go East, skipping Haifa, which is on the coast, North of Tel Aviv, because it was going to rain all day over there. We opted to go to Nazareth where it rained a little as well, but we were able to hide from it under the market's roofs. I guess that the reason why many of the stands were closed is because it's low season. But I can assure you that it's still wonderful to walk around those maze like markets, in the Old City. We visited Basilica of the Annunciation, where they have a lot of mosaic and tile panels that were gifts from countries all over the world! It's really cool to see how Virgin Mary is  interpreted in so many different cultures.After Nazareth we headed to the Sea of Galilee. (Everything sounds so biblical!) When we were getting out of Nazareth, which is on a hill we saw a mind blowing rainbow and though there were clouds, the whole place was flooded with a beautiful golden light. It was miles away from a normal cloudy grey sky.Because Israel is a tiny country, we were able to arrive in Jerusalem by 9pm. We didn't go to a restaurant because we went to a supermarket and bought a lot of cheap and amazing Israeli food (such as hummus and pita bread). Our hotel stood a short walk away from the Old City of Jerusalem and the next day we made our entrance through Jaffa Gate.On many of the alleyways you'll be able to find amazing food and pomegranate juice. By accident we came upon Zalatimo, which has a rather controversial reputation. As we were already there, we decided to try the famous mutabak. We ordered 2 coffees and a mutabak with nuts. I have to say that the pastry was incredibly delicious but paying about 11€ for the three things sounds like a ripoff. Nevertheless, I would eat it again!Jerusalem is divided in 4 quarters: Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian. And you can really see the difference when transitioning from one to the other. As I'm not muslim I couldn't enter the walls that lead to the Dome of the Rock (on the photo above), which was really disappointing as I would have loved to see that tile work closer.As a city that welcomes crowds of religious tourists and curious from all over the world, I was expecting to be crushed by excursion groups but that was not the case. We just walked around, sometimes entering some dark little passages that end up in patios. We never felt in danger and you can see a lot of police and military around.The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a very peculiar place. It is said that Jesus was crucified there, as well as buried. It has a lot of chapels and the decor is super eccentric. There you can find people manifesting their faith in a lot of unusual ways. There was a lady that was rubbing each day of a daily appointment book on the Stone of Anointing (the place where Jesus's body was prepared to be buried). There were also people pouring oils and spreading their new souvenirs all over, in order to bless them (fake Michael Kors bags included!).After the Holy Sepulchre Church we visited the Western Wall. For us it was super odd, as there are not many jews in Portugal, and though I've lived in Antwerp for a while, which is a city with loads of them, it was truly enriching to see the way they worship god and their traditions.I guess that one day in Jerusalem is maybe too short to visit everything, but we actually ended our visit at around 4pm, with the beautiful sight of the Mount of Olives and still had time to get to the Mahane Yehuda Market. There we bought what would be our dinner later on: fresh bread, olives, some snacks and the most amazing Labneh with olive oil and Za'atar.As we only had 5 days to explore Israel and in between we also wanted to visit Petra, in Jordan, we had to plan our route in advance. One thing we had to consider was the weekend, which is actually on Fridays and Saturdays. During these days nothing happens and most places are closed or open only for a couple of hours.<3