Soaking in the rain in Portugal

Jul 11, 2019

When you least expect it, I am here to check in with what seems to be my personal record of overdues - a video from Portugal.

Portugal is easily one of the most dramatically beautiful countries in Europe (just look at the Algarve coastline alone to see exactly what I mean). My initial intention was, of course, to post a long read with stunning imagery and thoughtful in-depth captions, but a) it's been a year, and my memory but mostly my motivation has worn out; b) the internet probably doesn't need another “things to do in Lisbon” post.



So instead of a preview, here are some tags for you to start with:

cliffs    trams    edge of Europe    caves    port wine    pastel de nata   seagulls




And here's a short video-recap of the trip, enjoy!


xx,
Vic

Soaking up the sun in Spain

Feb 25, 2019

Hello! This is exciting (for me at least). I haven’t written a new post in so long, but I am finally here to check in with some of my favorite memories from Spain. I know, I know, I should already be making plans for the upcoming summer and I don’t really know why it took me so long to publish these (it’s been nine months), but I finally kind of got my shit together :) So I'm going to let the photos (and the video!) speak for themselves and hope you can see through them even a fraction of what I saw and fell in love with.        



BARCELONA

Seeing Gaudi’s influence everywhere you go

Barcelona’s architecture is almost synonymous with Antoni Gaudí’s name. It’s practically illegal to go to Barcelona and not visit La Sagrada Familia. The world’s largest unfinished church is one of the most unforgettable places I’ve ever seen.  

Make sure to visit Park Güell for Gaudi’s colourful ceramics and masterful mosaics in all their glory. Most of the park is free to explore and enjoy! (Casa Mila and Casa Batilo are worth visiting as well).




Biking around

Barcelona is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities I've been to, so don’t miss the opportunity to explore the city on two wheels.




VALENCIA

I felt so so thankful to have been reunited with my friends. Our last goodbyes made me sad because we couldn't give an answer as to when we would meet again but in a flash, we were all reunited in Valencia - the birthplace of paella and horchata, the city, where historic buildings and old markets meet futuristic science parks, vibrant nightlife and passion for street art.














The City of Arts and Sciences

The icon of Valencia and the most popular spot for photographers. The water pools with nice shallow water guarantee the eye-paradise… You can walk around all the buildings and visit the garden on the first floor.



The Paella

As I've already mentioned, Valencia is the birth place of paella – the famous Spanish rice dish. So we've headed to La Pepica, the famous restaurant at one end of the Playa de Malvarossa, looking for traces of Hemingway and a good meal. The whole place had an air of nostalgia about it and the walls were proudly covered with wooden framed pictures of famous personalities that have dined at La Pepica over the years. But most importantly, the paella was fantastic. My mouth still salivates at the thought of it.




MADRID

Of course, no trip to Spain would be complete without a visit to Madrid, the country’s capital. While Madrid often loses out in the minds of visitors as it doesn't have that many tourist attractions, it still has much to offer from soaking up the culture in the city's museums and galleries and feasting your eyes on the city's beautiful architecture to filling up on plates of tasty tapas.


Hiding from the rain

We weren't so lucky with the weather as it was raining and cloudy, so we spent the first day in Madrid partying in the hostel and enjoying the views from the balcony.



Getting lost in the Prado's 7000 paintings
/ and spending half of the time being hypnotized by Bosch's triptych

With such a concentration of masterpieces, it's impossible to do the Prado justice in a single visit. So here's a tip: take a map at the front desk and follow the route of 'highlights' that is laid out.  



Finding shade on a hot summer day in Retiro Park

There’s a lake you can paddle around in, many gardens and terraces where you can sit out in the sun, or take naps in the grass after a long morning at the Prado.



Sleeping in Madrid Barajas Airport

You guessed it. No longer students, but still enjoying a little airport sleepover here and there. Sure, it may sound a little cheap and degrading at first, but let me tell you that it's an adventure and it just adds an extra element of strangeness to your trip :)



 I hope the photos managed to capture what an amazing time we had, and traditionally, I've put together a little video diary.

Dedicated to my travel companions - Gabrielė , Povilas, Nastya, Islam and Zohdi.




xx 
Vic

Hashtag Egypt Is Safe

Apr 12, 2018

DISCLAIMER
You can skip this part if you don't feel like reading the whole story about how I f*cked up :)
 If you do, enjoy!

- - -

Rule #1. Expecting everything to go perfectly on your trip is only setting yourself up to fail. And I’m definitely a testament to that. No matter how prepared you are, at some point you’re going to get lost, miss your bus, get food poisoning... But the list of travel disasters on my way to Egypt seemed never-ending.

Long story short, holding a Belarusian passport comes with its surprises. As a rule, if you are traveling to Egypt as a tourist you can get a visa when you arrive at the airport. But I got refused entrance 2 times.

First I was denied boarding in Warsaw, as it turned out I was supposed to obtain a visa from an Egyptian Embassy prior to departure. I cried my eyes out as I gradually began to realize I was going to wave my friends goodbye at the airport and go back home. But I didn't. And this is the part of the story where I say thank you to the people I'm proud to call my friends, for not letting me suffer alone and for missing the flight all together :) The next step was to to calm down. We had to rationally figure out an alternative plan, put smiles on our faces and think of how this will make a great story one day.

We ran to the Egyptian embassy in Warsaw, understanding it was almost impossible to get a visa on Friday afternoon, but still hoping for the best. And surprisingly we got things sorted out. I was lucky to get a chance to talk to the Ambassador and explain how important it was for me to go to my best friend's wedding. And he kindly agreed to help me get a visa within a couple of hours! We still had to buy new tickets, stay in Poland for 2 extra nights, which resulted in spending more than we expected (see Rule #1), and instead of going from Warsaw to Cairo, as planned, we had to fly from Katowice to Hurghada. Fun fact: we also got abandoned by the bus driver on our way from Warsaw to Katowice.

But the only thing that really mattered was that 2 days late we finally landed in Egypt, thinking the worst was behind us. 'Nothing to worry about', I was thinking to myself, 'I have my visa, I see my friends passing the passport control and waving me from the other side. Everything's good, right?' ... - Wrong.

I almost got banned from entering the country. Again. As the airport was getting empty from the lines of tourists, I was told that I could only be traveling with a travel company, whose representative had to meet me at the airport. I also had to have a tour/hotel booked, so visiting a friend wasn't an option. I spent about an hour sitting all by myself, with neither further instructions or explanations given, nor internet connection to contact my friends. I ended up paying a guy to help me get through the customs.

well that was fun

The point here is: if you want to avoid hassle and the risk of being denied boarding and loosing money, double check everything! Especially if you're a happy holder of a Belarusian passport. Praemonitus, praemunitus, kids.

That's being said, let's move on to the happy part, where I finally set my foot on the land filled with religion, architecture, monuments, and visual and spiritual richness - Egypt.

- - -

SOUTH SINAI


Rugged and starkly beautiful, the Sinai Peninsula has managed to cast a spell on me. Here is a short list of what I consider must-haves:


- Be creative when it comes to transportation -

Take a ride in the back of a pickup truck with your friends, dozen or so people can squeeze! It's fun.. it's dangerous, but mostly fun :) On your way back, get on a boat, a camel, or a quad bike - where else can you have so much fun getting around? 





- Fall in love with a Hippie Dahab -   

Unlike Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab isn’t the nightlife hub or the top-notch resorts kind of place. Dahab is more of a laid-back and and low-rise, amazingly uncrowded and hassle-free town, where beach huts offer an affordable alternative to hotels, and smoking hashish is an acceptable recreation. Enjoy the sea, sunbathing, hiking, rock-climbing, drink Bedouin tea, or wave to Saudi Arabia - on most days you can see the Saudi Mountains on the other side of the sea!  







- Put on a snorkeling mask - 

Egypt’s Red Sea is blessed with one of the world’s healthiest reefs, it's a living aquarium, teeming with underwater life. See the Blue Hole with your own eyes! You can’t miss this 94m deep submarine sinkhole. No need to take a boat or swim far out, there's plenty to discover close to the surface.





- Take a quad-biking tour - 

Go riding across the sands at sunrise or sunset, when the amazing colors of the desert are revealed in all their glory. Climb a mountain to feel like a hero! (and then cry when you realize you have to hike downhill too). 



 - Do absolutely nothing! - 

Nothing, that’s right! It's one ne of the best things you can do in Dahab. Relax from a day full of activities with a shisha by the Sea, enjoy not caring about make up and embrace your dirty feet. 



CAIRO


As one of the largest city with nearly 20 million inhabitants, there is no way around it — Cairo is massive. Wander the busy, maze-like streets full of bustle, chaos, and perhaps more traffic than you’ve ever experienced, both during the day and the night, and you’ll find that this is a city that truly never sleeps. And the sheer amount of history in Cairo is beyond staggering. Magnificent mosques, grand European boulevards, the gorgeous Belle Époque buildings, humming markets and, of course, ancient sights – Cairo has got them all.


^ Koshary - a scrumptious Egyptian staple made of rice, macaroni, and lentils mixed together, topped with a spiced tomato sauce, garlic vinegar, chickpeas and crispy fried onions. It's sooo good! Also, make sure you order rice pudding after.

*And don't even get me started on how much I miss falafel and ful sandwiches!  



THE PYRAMIDS

The Pyramids of Giza - one of the most fascinating and majestic wonders that look like they jumped out of a story book from the old, old days. No doubt this is, at least in part, the reason you’ve come to Egypt. It’s hard to believe that such an amazing scenery is only minutes away from a bustling modern city like Cairo.



Aim for arriving early in the day - the mid-day heat gets too oppressive. Bring plenty of water, wear comfortable clothes and shoes and be sure to check out the Solar Boat Museum! 


THE NORTH COAST AKA
 SAHEL

This is what a perfect escape from a bustling metropolis looks like. A cool summer climate, soft white sandy beaches and clear turquoise water make for a vacation destination unlike any other. 





The very sight of these photographs makes me miserable and wish I was anywhere but stuck at my desk right now. 




THE BIG DAY

Never thought I'd find myself at an Egyptian wedding. But there I was, celebrating my best friends' big day, magical, romantic and crazy. A zaffa took place, and of course we started dancing once we heard the drums. Be prepared, because even if you don't WANT to dance, YOU. WILL. DANCE. And at one point during the night you will find most of your female friends barefoot - it hurts to walk, let alone dance in high heels for 5 hours. But you just have to flick your wrist a bit, and move your hips a bit. Shik! Shak! Shok!


I could talk for ages about this wonderful wedding, the people, the food (that deserves its own post), the culture and joy but will stop here so you can watch a short video-diary I've put together.




Where to next?

xx, V.