Category: Myanmar

An Announcement: The Trip of a Lifetime – 100Essential Travel Experiences

It’s been quiet on Travel Cake these past few months. Some of you have been asking me where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to. Well, I can tell you this much: I haven’t been slacking!

I’ve moved from Ecuador to Belgium where I have been slaving away at a 9 to 5 desk job. Being back in my hometown has been wonderful in terms of reconnecting with friends, family and the city. You may have read the mini luxury guide to Ghent I wrote for travel blog “Hippie in Heels”. You may also have read what I had to say about travel photography in an article for “Voyager for life“.

saying my goodbyes to Ecuador

But most importantly, I’ve been preparing for the trip of a lifetime. A new adventure, greater than any I’ve ever been on before.

Destination?

Motherhood.

That’s right,I said motherhood.

The journey began 10 months ago in Iran and continued in Ecuador and Colombia. It took a turn in the US and passed by the Netherlands. It then continued to Belgium where our daughter was born. Our ‘Mini Travel Cake’ is a sweet and funny baby with a traveller’s spirit. How could it be any different, she is only a month old and has already been to 6 countries!

Does this mean Travel Cake is turning into a mommy blog?

No. Plain and simple. It’s just not my cup of tea. However, I’ll probably publish an article related to kids and travel every once in a while. But in general I plan on publishing the same kind of content as I have so far.

As my pregnancy came to an end, I was stuck indoors with a swollen face hiding from the summer heat. Knowing that my life will never be exactly the same again, I thought about my passed travels. Motherhood is probably the most intense and life changing adventure of them all and I’m THRILLED not to have rushed into it. Thrilled to have taken time to see and experience as much of the world as possible while being relatively carefree. That’s why, as a tribute to carefree travelling, I will be posting a countdown of my 100 most memorable, essential travel experiences.

Here goes part 1, in no particular order:

100. Driving miles and miles on the rooftops of Nepali busses.

A drink, music blasting from your headphones and wind running through your hair… the best seats are in between the luggage on the roof of the bus!

99. 1001 nights in Morocco

Morocco’s riads are so romantic, so sophisticated and worth the occational splurge. I tried looking the part sippin’ on an overpriced martini in one of Morocco’s fancy riads. Click on the title to read about my weekend in Fez, Morocco.

98. Floating through life on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala

Waking up on the deck of our houseboat, having breakfast while we glide over the waterways, sigh…

97. Going nuts during Thingyan, Myanmar’s water festival

Water party in a pop-up day club

This is a common street scene in Yangon during the water festival. Click on the title to read about our experiences during Thingyan.

96. Trekking in the Himalayas

Our first and very ill prepared trek at 4300m altitude. Click on the title to read a post related to trekking.

95. Rum cocktails in Castro’s Cuba

Cuba during Castro’s reign was such a bizarre yet unique and enchanting place. At least for visitors. Things may have changed but I’m sure the rum cocktails are still just as delicious!

94. Hiking in Valbona, Albania

After a breathtaking hike, I reached the cabin of an Albanian family who welcomed me for tea and burek. Instant adoption. Click on the title to read about my hike in the Albanian Alps.

93. Spending the night in the garden of Eden in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Watching the sun set after a long walk in what seemed like the garden of Eden. DRC has fantastic nature, I wish I could say the same for the political situation.

92. Seeing Tarsiers in the wild

A childhood dream came true when we spotted these cuties in the jungle of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Click on the title to read more about our time in Sulawesi.

91. Fishing, sunbathing and drinking on a catamaran in Los Roques, Venezuela

My first time on a caribbean beach, I was overwhelmed by the high tropical factor

90. Traveling by train in Russia

I got to know my cabin mates by communicating with signs on a 40 hour train ride to the Russian Arctic

89. Hiking the Cocora valley in Colombia

Another long time travel dream come true! Click on the title to read about our hike in the Cocora Valley.

88. Discovering the architectural jewels of Iran

Feeling tiny amongst Iranian architectural masterpieces

87. Camping on a beach in Oman and finding nestling turtles

Camping on a deserted beach in southern Oman.

We stumbled upon some sea turtles laying their eggs in the sand. Click on the title to read about my road trip to Oman.

86. Learning to scuba dive

Wreck diving in the Philippines, a new world opening up…

My first open water dive in Zanzibar, one of many more to come.

85. Trying to understand the Israeli-Palestinan conflict

The more I talked to local people on both sides of the conflict, the more confused I was on the issues. No matter how much I hung out in the old streets of Jerusalem. Read more about my trip to Israel.

Crossing the horrendous border to Palestine. Click on the title to read more about my findings in Palestine.

84. Motorcycling through India

An epic drive from South to North India on a 30 year old Royal Enfield. Click on the titel to read about out motorcycle trip through India.

83. Unexpectedly ending up in Paris and attending a crazy party in “la Machine du Moulin Rouge”

The evening took an unexpected turn and I found myself in Paris. Wearing pink fur and a white wig…

82. Travelling solo

I find traveling solo extremely liberating and enriching. Everybody should try it at least once in their life! Click on the title to read why I travel solo even when I’m in a relationship.

81. Trying to catch a glimpse of Nessie in Loch Ness in the Scottish highlands

Nessie not found.

So much for part 1 of my favourite travel experiences. Continue reading part 2, part 3, part4, part 5 and part 6!

Which of these experiences would you want to read more about?

The post “An Announcement: The Trip of a Lifetime – 100Essential Travel Experiences” first appeared on Travel Cake.

September 24, 2015
Birthdays Abroad

The past 7 years I’ve been so lucky to celebrate the start of a new life year abroad, either doing something exciting or lazing in the shade of a coconut tree. Because this year was so different, I thought I’d look back on those past birthdays.

Turning…

…22! Stargazing in Liechtenstein’s Alps

As wild camping is legal in Liechtenstein, my then boyfriend and I made our way to the Alps. We pitched a tent in a beautiful meadow and spent the evening celebrating under the stars with bubbles and smoked salmon. It was my first time camping in the wild and I loved being totally isolated in nature. Though I must admit, there were moments at night where I was convinced a mad serial killer was scratching our tent… Tsss, city girls…

the Alps…

bubbles and salmon

“bathing” in nature

…23! Exploring Marrakech and its bazaars

A birthday in the old city of Marrakech was a perfect ending to a two week trip through South Morocco and Western Sahara. We exchanged our dusty desert clothes for urban wear and spent the evening bargaining in the souk and sampling Moroccan wines on rooftop bars.

Djema el-Fna from rooftop

the damage

…24! Solo in Egypt

Instead of flying straight home after a conference in Egypt, I prolonged my stay to see as much of the country as I possibly could. Birthdays are usually spent with friends and/or family, but that time, it was just me. I was proud to be a 24-year-old assertive and mature enough to ‘survive’ the chaos of Caïro. I was proud to be fit enough to climb Mount Sinai for the sunrise. I was proud to be brave enough to travel solo in an unknown, male-dominant country. I felt lucky to have the freedom to do what I was doing.

fighting off touts around the pyramids

loving solo travel

Holy Mount Sinai

…25! On a 40 hour train ride across India

Being crammed on a stuffy Indian train might be one of my most unglamorous birthdays . A group of Indian men sitting on the bed opposite mine, staring at my every move. Rats sprinting across the wagon, passengers loudly clearing their noses by spitting everywhere, toilet floors inundated with urine… It wasn’t much of a celebration, but rather an extremely long two days to get through. After the 40 hour ride, I was treated to a huge cake and beautiful views over Udaipur.

I can stare right back…

delicious personalised birthday cake

Udaipur

…26! Searching for the best “pasteis” and Port in Portugal

What a road trip; driving from city to city and around the country side, sampling on all the goodness Portugal has to offer. Learning about the Portuguese cuisine and culture was my gift to myself.

Port wine served with a selection of fine cheeses

pasteis for the road

Belèm

…27! Love Cake in Kathmandu

We stalled our big hike in the Himalayas to get mentally ready for the trek. So I spent this birthday in Kathmandu visualising myself on the top of a mountain. I can’t remember specific details about that day except… Except the love cake… A famous chocolate cake that has been mentioned as a must-try since the 70’s hippie trail. I wasn’t expecting much -as usual when it comes to chocolate anything outside of Western Europe- but my mind was blown. I was utterly quiet for a few minutes, couldn’t believe I just tasted what I did. Pure bliss! I must admit, my opinion might have been influenced by the fact that I had been eating nothing but flavourless “dahl bhat” and instant noodles for two weeks, but either way, to this day I still think of the Love cake as my favourite chocolate cake EVER!

Kathmandu

Love Cake

…28! By the pool in Myanmar

With temperatures reaching 40°C, there wasn’t much else to do than lie by the pool in Bagan. Temple visits in the mornings and evenings, cooling off in the swimming pool during the day. A lazy 28th. I was surprised with a gorgeous and elaborate cake… with zero flavour -unless ‘fat’ counts as a flavour. I ended up ~~splitting~~ donating the entire cake to the staff members.

the only way to deal with heat

misleading cake

enjoying a good view

…29! Cheese and wine with family

This year no palm trees, no temples and no exotic food, but something that’s at least just as good, maybe even better: stinky cheese and red wine with my family in Belgium. It might not be a dream destination, but it’s exactly where I want to be!

What about you, is celebrating your birthday at home a “must”?

The post “Birthdays Abroad” first appeared on Travel Cake.

April 9, 2014
Thingyan, Water festival in Myanmar

Who doesn’t love a smashing new year’s party? What if I told you this party lasts a few days, takes place in the sunny outdoors and involves insane amounts of water… That’s Thingyan, the water festival leading to the Burmese New Year. The festival takes place throughout Myanmar around mid april, during the country’s hottest period. Similar waterfestivals are celebrated in the neighbouring buddhist countries Thailand, Laos (Songkran) and Cambodia (Chaul Chnam Thmey).

We were lucky enough to be in Myanmar for Thingyan. It’s the most important public holiday in the country and we were told that the best place to celebrate, is in the capital. So we set off to Yangon a couple of days before the festival as there is very limited transportation during the festival.

I hadn’t expected the water festival to be a big deal. Boy, was I wrong! It started in the taxi on the way to the centre. The driver had covered the seats and dashboard with plastic.

stupidly thinking I stood a chance with my super soaker…

I asked him: “why is you car completely covered in pla…”

SPLASH!

An excited young man standing by the side of the road had just emptied a full bucket of ice water over my head. The taxi driver roared with laughter. “Happy happy?” he asked.

“Yes, happy…” I replied startled.

And so the tone was set…

ready for Thingyan

Although there is water thrown around absolutely everywhere, all the time -walking down the street in dry clothes is impossible- there are several areas where entertainment is provided. Most tourists found their way to the main square where a stage was set up featuring traditional dancers and water hoses. The dancing was beautiful but compared to what was going on in other parts of town this was quite boring.

THE place to be for Thingyan in Yangon is at the Kandawgyi Lake. That’s where all the cool kids go. It’s fun, loud, and utter madness. Dozens of temporary water spraying stations are set up and double as dance stages. Pop and electro music blares from the speakers as the people dance, play and sing under what can only be described as the world’s largest shower. Every two steps a cheerful Burmese shakes your hand and asks “happy happy?”. You reply “happy happy!”.

world’s largest shower (1.5km long)

Every single person is soaking wet and carries some kind of container filled with water. When you’re not standing under the “mega shower” someone empties their container over you and simultaneously wishes you a ‘Happy New Year’.

The water is pumped out of the lake and is flowing morning to sunset, non-stop. Hoses used to soak festivalgoers vary from regular garden hoses to fire hoses! At some point I was even sprayed down with a high-pressure washer which was quiet painful. But it’s for a good cause: the festival is held to wash away evil deeds, bad luck and sins from the past year before entering the new. Many of the adolescents take advantage of the more or less ‘free pass’ to commit some last minute “sins”. Drinking in public, walking hand in hand with their crushes, dressing and dancing provocatively…

the cool kids in town

Black Culture, organiser of one of the spraying stations, invited us to party on their dance floor. The DJ played some good beats and we mingled with the teenagers, hosing down passers-by. It reminded me of the City Parade, plus shower.

from the spraying platform

on the dance/hose down stage, photo by Marc-Antoine Martineau

party at Black Culture, photo by Marc-Antoine Martineau

The enthusiasm, excitement and happiness of the people were mind blowing. But then again, not really… This is the only time a year where the Burmese government permits crowds to gather in public areas. It’s the only time where colour, rank and status have little or no significance. Everyone is included; kids, grand-parents, business men in suits, tourists, bus drivers…

hiding under dad’s coat

The Burmese usually come across as soft-spoken, shy people, however, during Thingyan, they change into a fun-loving, outgoing crowd. Seeing this metamorphosis -maybe partly due to their alcohol consumption- is one of the things I enjoyed most about the water festival.

joking around with local women, photo by Marc-Antoine Martineau

The festival lasts 3 to 5 days and the parties are mainly during day light. After sunset the participants return home and get a good night’s rest to resume the festivities the following day.

ending a fun day with a sleeping smile, photo by Marc-Antoine Martineau

TIPS

It’s important to really participate. Let go of your inhibitions and dance, jump, party… Get in there, allow people to talk to you. Go just as nuts as they do!

Those wanting to take a break from the madness or wish to take it easy, there are funfairs and (wet) food stands around the premises.

greasy snacks

Don’t forget to protect your camera and other tech stuff from the water!

If you do manage to take a train or bus during Thingyan, don’t think your safe. You will get hosed down in there too!

Celebrate Thingyan in 2014 from Sunday April 13th to Wednesday April 16th.

Have you heard of Thingyan? Would you enjoy such a festival?

The post Thingyan, Water Festival in Myanmar first appeared on TravelCake.net

January 30, 2014
2013 Travel Summary

2013 flew by so fast, I hardly saw the months pass by. In terms of travel, this year was insane! I moved from Europe to Asia and wound up in a place that “forces” me to leave the country and travel at least every two months. Not the worst deal, right?

Here is part I of my 2013 travel summary:

JANUARY… Belgium

I started 2013 in my favourite city of all times: Ghent, living and working in the city centre. It was an extremely busy month but an exciting one with lots quality time with friends and family.

frozen city centre

I conquered one of my biggest (irrational) fears: driving. It was a real challenge for me especially since the lessons took place at night, in the snow! Learning to drive has been on the top of my resolutions list for years. I finally pulled through.

FEBRUARY… Poland

I took a short trip to Warsaw with one of my best friends. Poland during the winter is no joke, but the snow embellished the city. We had a great time learning all about the Polish vodka drinking etiquette. I had my first experience as a journalist at a Polish radio station and enjoyed a fab jazz concert.

>Warsaw’s old town square

at Trojka Polskie radio

Exactly 3 years earlier, a British girl hitchhiked from London to Berlin and stopped in Ghent on her way there. We met, we hit it off, we became friends and she continued her journey to Berlin. On her way back to London, she passed through Ghent again and stayed with me for a couple of days. Ever since, she has moved to Australia and we never saw each other again. Until… we bumped into each other on Warsaw’s main square. Magical! We spent the little time we had, catching up over food and coffee!

reunited

MARCH… Oman, UAE, Bankok

I exchanged the everlasting cold temperatures of Europe for the Eastern heat. My voyage started in Oman. A country I had been drawn to for years. When I finally set foot in it, I fell in love head over heels. Oman was everything I hoped it would be and more. I stayed with an awesome woman who introduced me to Omani culture. We partied, gossiped, walked around Muscat, bonded over huge plates of traditional Omani food. During my little road trip I discovered the country’s wonderful and hospitable people, the ancient culture and the stunning nature… I loved it all.

Muscat’s corniche

digging in

United Arab Emirates

After Oman, I made a stop in the United Arab Emirates. Mainly to visit a friend who had just emigrated there. She showed me around the glam of Dubai. I was expecting it to dislike it, but Dubai surprised me. I enjoyed the fancy cocktails and the high class lunches. I loved the sense of safety and the well dressed tourists. Even though I have strong reservations about energy wasting in he UAE and the whole “bigger is better” attitude, one can’t deny it is a unique place on earth, showcasing human ingenuity. If only they could use that ingenuity in an environmental friendly and fair trade kind of way…

Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world

Bangkok

When my time in Dubai was up, I made way to Bangkok. Again, just a brief encounter which was just long enough to allow me to get a feel of the city. I stayed in a fantastic boutique hostel that blew my mind. Refill Now! is probably the most stylish and clean hostel I’ve ever stayed in. I met some kick-ass ladies whom I explored the city with. I haven’t quite made up my mind about whether or not I like Bangkok. I guess I’ll have to go back to decide.

pool at Refill Now! hostel

Bangkok by night

APRIL… Myanmar

I spent three weeks in Myanmar discovering a country that only recently opened its doors to the rest of the world. It’s without a doubt a fascinating country, untouched in so many ways, but I didn’t LOVE the place. I don’t think it has anything to do with me getting a Buddha overdose, but there was just something that didn’t agree with me. Was it the fact that it was so hot you couldn’t move during the day? Or that the food wasn’t all that? Or was it the fact that I longed to stop traveling and settle down for a while? Or yet again, was I too bothered by the current regime? Either way Myanmar and I just didn’t click. I’m not sure why, I never really understood. All I know is; I won’t be going back any time soon.

beautiful Bagan

transformed into a Burmese lady

MAY… Malaysia-Singapore

In may, I finally got to store away my luggage for a while. Douglas and I settled down in Kuala Lumpur. The stability only lasted a short time as we moved from KL to Georgetown, Penang. Neither cities was the kind of environment we wanted to live in, so we decided to leave mainland Malaysia behind.

view from our window in Kuala Lumpur

getting stuffed in George town

Penang by night

Singapore

Later that month I revisited Singapore and just like during my first encounter 5 years ago, I loved the country/city. Yes, it’s freakishly clean, strict and (too?) organised, but it’s awesome! It’s an especially welcome break after the chaos of Kuala Lumpur. The food is amazing and I love how three very different ethnicities live together, side by side. If the rent in Singapore wasn’t so damn high, that’s where we’d be living right now.

mosque in Arab quarter

colourful facades of Little India

China town

Laksa

JUNE…Bali

Aaah, Bali… I found it just as beautiful as when I left it behind 5 years ago. It has changed a lot, but the essence is still present. The smells of frangipani and incense, the sounds of gamelan, the bright green rice fields… We found Ubud the perfect place to spend a few month living and working remotely. So we moved and started a new life on the islands of the gods.

vanilla pods drying in the Balinese sun

Balinese gateway

Stay tuned for part II of the year!

December 26, 2013
Myanmar: land of infinite Buddhas

Myanmar is often called “land of a thousand pagodas”. Thousand is definitely inaccurate. It surely feels like ‘a thousand’ should be replaced by “hundreds of thousands”. The Burmese dedicate their lives to honouring Buddha and constructing pagodas/stupas/temples. Each stupa or temple is filled with relics or statues of Buddha. Building a stupa ensures the believers of Myanmar several extra karma points, allowing them to be reincarnated on a higher spiritual level in their next life and eventually reach “nirvana”.

Traveling through the country, I noticed that the Burmese have a unique way of practicing the Buddhist religion. In this version, there is a heaven and a hell. Hell is depicted as a dark place deep under the ground where sinners reside temporarily before being reincarnated. Terrifying monsters spend their days torturing said sinners. Heaven is portrayed as a beautiful setting in the sky where there is no hunger, no pain and no sadness. It’s both a mental and physical nirvana.

very graphic depiction of hell

Back to the stupas and why there are so many. Constructing a stupa dedicated to Buddha clears off a large amount of committed sins. It was confirmed to me that most people in Myanmar believe that building and sustaining several temples outweigh a lifetime of thieving, cheating, misconduct or even murder. Although the latter would require an extra large amount of temples. One still has a good chance of crossing the gates to the afterlife paradise providing he/she has enough cash to build a couple of pagodas.

I can’t help but wonder if that’s the reason why everywhere you turn, there are stupas, temples and absurd amounts of Buddha statues. Is this evidence of unacceptable behaviour of the rich and powerful throughout the ancient and modern history of Myanmar? I wonder…

grave Buddhas

After 3 weeks in Myanmar, I remember thinking: “how is this even possible?!” We would be in the middle of nowhere, not one human soul to be detected, yet there it was… A temple emerging from the untamed wilderness, covered with thousands of tiny Buddhas. Mind blowing at first, overly predictable later. I found out the hard way there is such thing as a “Buddha overdose”. I could no longer be bothered to enter another temple or look at another Buddha.

Places of prayer are one of my favourite points of interest in foreign countries. I have seen countless temples in India and Nepal, huge amounts of cathedrals in Europe and a large number of mosques in the “Arab world”, but never have I seen this many houses of prayer in one country.

ancient Buddhas

tiny wall Buddhas

32 storey Buddha

Buddha highway

can you spot the 15 Buddhas?

the smaller the Buddhas, the more you can fit in one temple

reclining Buddha with bizarre entrance location

accidental Buddha

Even though by the end of the trip I had seen enough Buddhas for the next few years; I enjoyed getting to the point of disinterest.

Buddha wallpaper

Have you ever gotten insensible to a local custom or curiosity while traveling?

November 26, 2013