• Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Travels
    • Africa
      • MAURITIUS
      • MOROCCO
      • Tanzania
    • Americas
      • USA
    • Asia Pacific
      • AUSTRALIA
      • CAMBODIA
      • EAST TIMOR
      • Indonesia
      • JAPAN
      • LAOS
      • MALAYSIA
      • SINGAPORE
      • THAILAND
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • FRANCE
      • United Kingdom
  • Eat/Stay
  • Life & Style
    • Abdominal Myomectomy
    • Beauty
    • Currently
    • Furbaby George
    • Life Lately
    • Recent Reads
    • 5 For the Month

jewels wandering

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Travels
    • Africa
      • MAURITIUS
      • MOROCCO
      • Tanzania
    • Americas
      • USA
    • Asia Pacific
      • AUSTRALIA
      • CAMBODIA
      • EAST TIMOR
      • Indonesia
      • JAPAN
      • LAOS
      • MALAYSIA
      • SINGAPORE
      • THAILAND
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • FRANCE
      • United Kingdom
  • Eat/Stay
  • Life & Style
    • Abdominal Myomectomy
    • Beauty
    • Currently
    • Furbaby George
    • Life Lately
    • Recent Reads
    • 5 For the Month
Travel ABCs
07 Dec 2015
Travel

Travel ABCs

Happy Monday! It’s my last full week at work before I head off and I am so excited!! My London schedule is going to be jam packed and I just found out this weekend that one of my best friends is also going to be there! I haven’t seen her in 4  years so I cannot wait!!  How was your weekend?

Well, today’s post is slightly long, I  saw Jen’s post and thought this could be fun, so hope you make it through the end! And would love to see a similar post on your blog…Travel ABCsA) Age you went on your first international trip: I think I was 6 or 8 months old, we were moving to DC from Brazil.

B) Best foreign beer you’ve had and where: Ooh, definitely during my time in Brussels.  You can try a different beer a day for a year there.  Now my favorite? Hmm, I do quite like the Framboise Beer from Le Mort Subite, but Hoegaardens are quite nice.  To be honest, I’m not really a beer drinker.

C) Cuisine – favorite: How do you pick just one? I love Brazilian food, Italian, Japanese and Thai.  But I also do love me some French fare as well.

D) Destinations – favorite, least favorite, and why?:  I’m so in love with Zanzibar and would love to go back.  Seriously the most amazing beaches, ever! As for my least favorite? I would have to say Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.  Though I had a good time only because I never left the resort.  Plus I was on my own and I didn’t really fancy going out on my own as a female as I knew I would get harassed. Even in the resort itself, there was one waiter who wanted to marry me and was trying to get me to give him my number. Umm, no.Zanzibar, TravelE) Event you’ve experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:  My most amazing trip ever was the safari I did in the Masaai Mara, Kenya. WOW.WOW.WOW. To be that up close and personal with these amazing animals was breathtaking.  I was able to see an impala or a gazelle give birth and it was so amazing to experience this and you can also feel the tension in the air as her herd gathers around her and keeps an eye out for the lions.  And it never struck me until it happened but as soon its born, he/she gets up right away and they run off.  Amazing!

F) Favorite mode of transportation: While traveling? Bicycle or a tuk-tuk.  Easy to get around and you experience more of the place. Otherwise, your own two feet will do!Bikes, Penang, George Town, MalaysiaG) Greatest feeling while traveling: Being out of your comfort zone; realizing that there is this world out there that is so different from what you know and being able to experience it.

H) Hottest place you’ve ever traveled to: Hmm, probably a toss up between Dubai and Egypt during the summer. Argh, never again! But at least the heat in Sharm el Sheikh was dry, whereas Dubai was humid.

I) Incredible service you’ve experienced and where?: Japan is known for their incredible service and they do not disappoint.  It’s easy to think that good service will be had in South East Asia, but that is a myth! Although Thailand is pretty magical as well!

J) Journey that took the longest: The first time I went to Indonesia back in 2005 was a doozy.  We flew from JFK to Seoul which was a 14 hour flight and there we had an 11 hour layover.  And silly me didn’t realize that the flight to Jakarta from Seoul was another 8 hours.  I was a bit special back then, just assumed it would be close by because you know, you’re in Asia..! HA I got to Jakarta on no sleep and was looking forward to getting to my hotel, but I was driven straight to my friend’s house where the pre-wedding celebrations were taking place.  Everyone was dressed so nicely and I rocked up with oily hair, jeans and a t-shirt looking cracked out. Great first impressions!

K) Keepsake from your travels: It depends.  I like to get something that is unique to that place but if I don’t find anything that interesting, then I don’t get it.  My favorite souvenir was the chest from Zanzibar I picked up, would love to have a bigger one!Zanzibar, Stone Town, Zanzibar ChestL) Let-down sight, where and why?:  Ooh, definitely the Manneken Pis in Brussels. It is a cute little statue of a naked boy peeing into a fountain.  You think it’s a big statue, but it’s actually quite small.  It is cute though, I’ll give it that.

M) Moment where you fell in love with traveling: I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced this aha moment. I’ve been an expat brat my whole life where traveling was just part of life and I’ve carried on since I’ve been an adult just because it’s who I am as a  person. Does that make sense?

N) Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: Hmm, I’ll go with the Eastern & Oriental in Penang.Eastern & Oriental, Penang, MalaysiaO) Obsession – What are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?:  Doors! There’s something about doors that I really love and how different countries have their own ornate doorway, or even a simple one that is brightly colored.Zanzibar, Stone TownP) Passport stamps – how many and from where?: Oh my goodness, I’ve filled up so many passports in my life, I have no clue how many stamps I’ve gotten along the way. I’ve been blessed with having traveled quite extensively. I think I’ve been to 35 countries so far with my favorite stamps being from Tanzania, Kenya, Israel, Mauritius and Barbados.

Q) Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where?:  Hmm, I would probably have to say it was the Sex Museum in Amsterdam.  It was especially interesting to see the large penis. HA

R) Really frightening – where’s one place you’ve visited where you felt unsafe or  uneasy: It’s not that this place is unsafe, but I was on my own in Krabi, Thailand and in my room at night. I was lying in bed when someone tried to open my door. Luckily, I always put that bolt thing on the lock so the door can’t fully open. But whoever it was, managed to open the door and the latch caught. At that point, in a shaky voice I said, “Hello?” And whoever it was quickly closed the door and left. I don’t think it was an intruder, just someone who went to the wrong room, but holy crap, I was seriously crapping my pants and I couldn’t fall asleep for the longest time!

S) Splurge – something you have no problem spending money on while traveling: If you have been around here for a while, I think it’s safe to say that I’ll splurge on food.  There are, of course, a load of cheap eating options when travelling around SE Asia, but I will reserve a table at a super nice restaurant. As much as cheap food is good in the belly and on the wallet, I like to see how they interpret their local dishes into haute cuisine.

T) Touristy thing you’ve done:  Now, I’m not sure how to interpret this..? I mean, when you travel, you’re a tourist and you’re most likely going to be doing touristy things, no? Or does it mean, a touristy thing you’ve done in the place you live in?  Hmm, I will go down this route then…. I’ve been on the London Eye when I used to live in London and I’ve gone up to the Empire State Building when I used to live there. I’m sure I’ve done others.  How about going to see the Merlion?Merlion, SentosaU) Unforgettable travel memory:  There was this summer I spent in Barbados with my best friend, Gaby. By the end of the trip, we were broke.  Like, I had $5 in my bank account broke.  We were flying back to New York via Puerto Rico, but our flight leaving Barbados was delayed.  And we were on separate flights back to New York for some reason.   Anyway, I would have just made my connecting flight, but she had missed hers.  So like any good friend, I missed my flight too.  Luckily we got put up in hotels and got meal vouchers.  Those meal vouchers saved our lives! Seeing that we had a whole night, we hung out in the hotel casino, looking for quarters on the floor so we could play on the slot machines.  We caught the eye of this older guy who had wads of $100 bills.  We were hoping he would give us one so we could play, but no luck.  He just told us that we could charge whatever we wanted to his room bill.  We didn’t but then as our luck would have it, he was staying in the room next to ours. We walked the other way so he wouldn’t know and steered clear of him. #creepyoldmen

V) Visas – how many and for where?: Oh man, another question that’s hard to answer! Being on a Brazilian passport, I do usually have to check if I need a visa or not.  For the most part, a Brazilian passport isn’t too bad but around SE Asia, if you need a visa, you can usually do visa on arrival, so it’s not too bad. So how many have I had? Hmmm. my last passport it was just for Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan.  Guess I didn’t need as many visas as I thought! 😉Mauritius,WanderlustW) Wine – best glass you’ve had while traveling:  Now, the name of this wine is now quite unfortunate, but I was having dinner in Malta with an ex and we ordered a bottle of Maltese wine.  This really nice crisp with a slight fruity palette Chardonnay.  It was called Isis. I liked it so much, when a friend went to Malta, I asked him to pick up a bottle.  I wonder if they’ve re-branded?

X) eXcellent view and from where?:  When people come to Sing, they automatically want to go to Ce La Vie on top of Marina Bay Sands (MBS).  But, I much prefer the views from One Altitude as you get to see MBS.

Y) Years spent traveling: Since I was 6-8 months old… My whole life!

Z) Zealous sport fans and where?: That is hard… Could be the Brazilians or the English or the Spanish with their football (soccer) or maybe even the Kiwis with their rugby?  Who knows!

Anyway, your turn!!

Related

TAGS:Life
20 Comments
Share
Author:
Julie

Always looking for the next adventure; the next thrill. One day she will find home, most likely where she started off. But even then that's a convoluted answer!

You May Also Like

Flying into Siem Reap

July 26, 2016

Road to Redang

April 1, 2016

Weekend in Ipoh

December 5, 2016
Previous Post
Currently
Next Post
Deployment Done!
Hi, I’m Julie

Hi, I’m Julie

Welcome to Jewels Wandering! I'm a serial expatter. Wait, is that even a word? I have been moving from one country to another since I was born, having most recently moved back to New York City from Singapore. We all have a story to tell and mine has definitely been an unconventional one. Let's be friends!

Currently Wandering

Currently Wandering

New York City

LIKE on Facebook

FOLLOW on Instagram

Hanging out in Park City with @christianloveshismomma
•
Follow

Hanging out in Park City with @christianloveshismomma

Related

2 months ago
View on Instagram |
1/6
Peace out, 2021! 

It wasn’t the greatest year, but it also wasn’t the worst. But I’m glad for this year and it was the year I needed to get back into my own skin and rise! 

Tell me what the best part of 2021 was for you! 

Happy New Years! May 2022 bring you all the love, success and good health! 🤍✨🤍✨
•
Follow

Peace out, 2021!

It wasn’t the greatest year, but it also wasn’t the worst. But I’m glad for this year and it was the year I needed to get back into my own skin and rise!

Tell me what the best part of 2021 was for you!

Happy New Years! May 2022 bring you all the love, success and good health! 🤍✨🤍✨

Related

1 year ago
View on Instagram |
2/6
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
•
Follow

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Related

1 year ago
View on Instagram |
3/6
It’s Christmas week! What is everyone up to? I’ll be staying put in NYC with some very low key celebrations. In all honesty, I haven’t really gotten into the festive spirit this year. Do you go all out for the holidays?
•
Follow

It’s Christmas week! What is everyone up to? I’ll be staying put in NYC with some very low key celebrations. In all honesty, I haven’t really gotten into the festive spirit this year. Do you go all out for the holidays?

Related

1 year ago
View on Instagram |
4/6
Happy December from Key West! It’s been a minute but as the darkness envelopes us earlier in the day, it’s easy to feel out of sync. I must admit, it’s thrown me off and I’m ready to sleep come 7pm but it’s dinner time! So if you’re in Key West, I’d tell you to go have dinner at Blue Heaven which is just off Duval Street. You’ll love it! And if you don’t, then next dinner on me 😉
•
Follow

Happy December from Key West! It’s been a minute but as the darkness envelopes us earlier in the day, it’s easy to feel out of sync. I must admit, it’s thrown me off and I’m ready to sleep come 7pm but it’s dinner time! So if you’re in Key West, I’d tell you to go have dinner at Blue Heaven which is just off Duval Street. You’ll love it! And if you don’t, then next dinner on me 😉

Related

1 year ago
View on Instagram |
5/6
Manatees and turquoise colored houses, oh my! Love the cheerful colored houses in Key West, it’s a stark contrast from the brick and glass that is NYC! Key West was so fun to walk around and get lost in, my head was like on a swivel trying to catch every detail. Take me back! Have you been?
•
Follow

Manatees and turquoise colored houses, oh my! Love the cheerful colored houses in Key West, it’s a stark contrast from the brick and glass that is NYC! Key West was so fun to walk around and get lost in, my head was like on a swivel trying to catch every detail. Take me back! Have you been?

Related

2 years ago
View on Instagram |
6/6

Popular Posts

After an Abdominal Myomectomy: Part III
After an Abdominal Myomectomy: Part II
The Best Lavender Lattes in New York City
ICL Surgery: What I Wish I had Known

Past Wanderings

  • ►2021 (1)
    • ►January (1)
  • ►2020 (20)
    • ►December (2)
    • ►November (1)
    • ►October (3)
    • ►September (1)
    • ►August (2)
    • ►July (1)
    • ►May (1)
    • ►April (1)
    • ►March (2)
    • ►February (5)
    • ►January (1)
  • ►2019 (18)
    • ►December (1)
    • ►November (3)
    • ►October (3)
    • ►September (3)
    • ►August (1)
    • ►June (1)
    • ►April (2)
    • ►March (1)
    • ►February (3)
  • ►2018 (19)
    • ►October (2)
    • ►September (2)
    • ►August (2)
    • ►July (2)
    • ►June (2)
    • ►May (3)
    • ►April (1)
    • ►March (2)
    • ►January (3)
  • ►2017 (36)
    • ►December (2)
    • ►November (1)
    • ►September (1)
    • ►August (5)
    • ►July (4)
    • ►June (2)
    • ►May (3)
    • ►April (4)
    • ►March (2)
    • ►February (6)
    • ►January (6)
  • ►2016 (88)
    • ►December (6)
    • ►November (3)
    • ►October (7)
    • ►September (6)
    • ►August (9)
    • ►July (8)
    • ►June (6)
    • ►May (9)
    • ►April (8)
    • ►March (10)
    • ►February (6)
    • ►January (10)
  • ►2015 (127)
    • ►December (7)
    • ►November (11)
    • ►October (11)
    • ►September (11)
    • ►August (12)
    • ►July (14)
    • ►June (19)
    • ►May (18)
    • ►April (11)
    • ►March (13)

Loving Lately

product_title_1

Miami Skulls Capris

product_title_2

Trader Joe's Sparkling Coconut Water with Yuzu

product_title_3

Free People Ruby Jacket

The Fine Print

Jewels Wandering is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Posts on Jewels Wandering may contain affiliate links to help support my blogging activities. Cost will be the same to you, but I receive a small compensation. For more information, view my Disclaimer page. Thank you in advance for your support!

Follow along @Jewels_Wandering

Hanging out in Park City with @christianloveshismomma
•
Follow

Hanging out in Park City with @christianloveshismomma

Related

2 months ago
View on Instagram |
1/5
Peace out, 2021! 

It wasn’t the greatest year, but it also wasn’t the worst. But I’m glad for this year and it was the year I needed to get back into my own skin and rise! 

Tell me what the best part of 2021 was for you! 

Happy New Years! May 2022 bring you all the love, success and good health! 🤍✨🤍✨
•
Follow

Peace out, 2021!

It wasn’t the greatest year, but it also wasn’t the worst. But I’m glad for this year and it was the year I needed to get back into my own skin and rise!

Tell me what the best part of 2021 was for you!

Happy New Years! May 2022 bring you all the love, success and good health! 🤍✨🤍✨

Related

1 year ago
View on Instagram |
2/5
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
•
Follow

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Related

1 year ago
View on Instagram |
3/5
It’s Christmas week! What is everyone up to? I’ll be staying put in NYC with some very low key celebrations. In all honesty, I haven’t really gotten into the festive spirit this year. Do you go all out for the holidays?
•
Follow

It’s Christmas week! What is everyone up to? I’ll be staying put in NYC with some very low key celebrations. In all honesty, I haven’t really gotten into the festive spirit this year. Do you go all out for the holidays?

Related

1 year ago
View on Instagram |
4/5
Happy December from Key West! It’s been a minute but as the darkness envelopes us earlier in the day, it’s easy to feel out of sync. I must admit, it’s thrown me off and I’m ready to sleep come 7pm but it’s dinner time! So if you’re in Key West, I’d tell you to go have dinner at Blue Heaven which is just off Duval Street. You’ll love it! And if you don’t, then next dinner on me 😉
•
Follow

Happy December from Key West! It’s been a minute but as the darkness envelopes us earlier in the day, it’s easy to feel out of sync. I must admit, it’s thrown me off and I’m ready to sleep come 7pm but it’s dinner time! So if you’re in Key West, I’d tell you to go have dinner at Blue Heaven which is just off Duval Street. You’ll love it! And if you don’t, then next dinner on me 😉

Related

1 year ago
View on Instagram |
5/5
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

JEWELSWANDERING © 2019 Site Powered by Pix & Hue.