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ISO Yoga Life
Well life in isolation has played out in completely different ways for everyone..but for me it has been a quiet journey. Having just returned home from 18 months travelling, I had not yet found my next right job..and when the virus unleashed pandemonium I definitely freaked out. I had not expected to be going without a “regular” income for this long…and now it seemed it was going to be another 6 months or potentially even longer. But more than that, alone in the house all day, it was the quiet daytime hours that felt strange and I definitely went through what in hindsight was a completely predictable rollercoaster of emotions.…
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5 simple ways to boost your immune function
Amidst all this Corona Virus talk and worries about the economy and jobs is for many, a renewed sense of focus on health. And not such a big surprise. It is scary to be confronted by something like this that really threatens our way of life, and to see people dying is deeply saddening.. I think it also makes us all more aware of just how vulnerable we are. So, in this context, now is absolutely the perfect time to take stock of old habits and to look at small, simple ways we can upgrade our choices to improve our health and immune function. Now I should start by saying…
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Silver Linings
Wow – what a crazy few months it’s been. It feels like the world has been turned completely upside down. People getting sick, people losing jobs, no longer feeling free to leave our homes or to hug friends and family. Everyone has been impacted in their own ways by this virus and I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to respond. But for me it has definitely forced me into action on some things that I probably would have held back from under normal circumstances. And so for that small blessing, I am choosing to be grateful. Mid-December last year, I boarded a plane for the first…
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When travelling is anything but glamorous
…and why I love it anyway! Everything is quiet. In the middle of the jungle in northern Guatemala and there is only the chirp of a few insects outside. The other travellers have finally settled to sleep. But there it is again.. That unmistakable pain in the stomach and then a wave of nausea. I lie still and hope it will pass. The bathroom is too far away… It’s down the stairs and outside, around the corner. Breathe slowly. Imagine nice things. I’m imagining the beach and being immersed in the ocean. But…uh oh…nope that ain’t working. Sh*t! Within seconds I’m out of bed and hovering over the waste paper…
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Volunteering in Namibia
Sleeping outside on the red desert sand, I’m wrapped up in all my layers and a sleeping bag cocoon in an attempt to stay warm. I wake up and can feel icicles forming on my nose, but open my eyes to a sky absolutely full of stars. Millions of tiny sparkling specs all with their own stories to tell, and the milkyway strewn across the sky in all its splendour. Desert cats and baboons howl in the distance, and it feels like perhaps I’ve drifted into another time. Life here has been like this, unchanged for countless ages and I am dwarfed by the magnificence of it all. My insignificance…
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Guatemala’s Hidden Paradise
After spending almost 2 months in Guatemala, there are countless amazing places and stories I want to share..but this will be the first, because literally no-one I have spoken to has ever heard of it, and it was beautiful. A perfect, hidden, beachside paradise just waiting to be discovered – Playa Quilombo. It was only a week or two after having surgery in Guatemala city, so I was searching for a peaceful, beach side location where I could recover. Yep, you heard that right..I had to have surgery in Guatemala. That’s a story for another time, but take note – travel insurance is definitely not something to skip! So from…
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My Camino de Santiago
Can a walk change your life? I’m going to say yes, if it’s the Camino – it can. The Camino de Santiago. Many journeys to the same place, and for me a total of 900 kilometers from the French Pyranees, through Santiago de Compostella, and on to Finisterre – the western coast of Spain or the end of the world as it was known to the pilgrims who undertook this journey over 1000 years ago. Why did I do this thing? I’m by no means a crazy hiker. I didn’t train for this and really, I had no idea what I was in for. All I knew was that after…
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Beautiful Budapest
Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, home to over 1.7 million people and the 10th largest city in Europe. After months travelling through Eastern Europe, it was a real change of pace to arrive here, and a breath of fresh air. With stunning architecture leaving traces of it’s long and tumultuous history; wide open streets; elaborate bridges decorating the meandering river; plus a modern public transport system that is just so easy to use! And it is so cheap! This really is a place where you can save on that daily budget and still feel like you are living large. And with loads of restaurants, and a buzzing nightlife to…
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The Best of Morocco
Picture Morocco and you probably imagine camel rides in the Sahara Desert; perhaps the chaotic labyrinth of markets in Marrakech filled with vibrant colour, life and pungent spices; or maybe cities filled with history and incredible architecture that has remained unchanged for centuries. There is no doubt that these are all key elements of Morocco, and you absolutely must experience them all. But that is not all that this incredible country has to offer. If you want to scratch below the surface and see a little more of the real Morocco, then read on. Stay in a traditional Riad in Marrakech This city is on every Moroccan itinerary and for…
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The Magic Sahara Desert
The incredible, vast and dramatic Sahara, there may be no other place on earth so evocative. Constantly at the mercy of the sun and wind, this ever-changing landscape is as formidable as it is beautiful. Here you will find countless and constantly shifting sand dunes; clear skies showcasing the milky way unlike any other place on earth; and a tranquillity that is truly incredible. Berber tribes have roamed this land for centuries and those that still remain live a life almost unchanged despite the passage of time. Life here is still dictated by the sun, the wind and the hope of rain. I loved Morocco and definitely recommend spending some…
