Aujourd'hui 8 aoüt 2011, nous partons à la découverte d'un pays d’Amérique du Sud, le Venezuela. Nous partons au nombre de quatre personnes soit deux couples. Ce sera une première fois pour les deux garçons de l'expédition.
Nous décollons de Paris, avec une escale à Madrid pour une arrivée sur Caracas, en tout le vol durera 9h.
Nous partons d’Orly, le père d'Alexander nous dépose à l'aéroport.
Le baptême de l’air d' Alexander et d' Alexandre se passe bien, nous faisons bonne route. Nous arrivons à Madrid, nous effectuons le tour de l’aéroport pour finalement se retrouver à la porte d’embarquement A6 et comprendre que l’avion de Caracas accumule une heure de retard. Nous finissons par embarquer dans l’avion, nous sommes tout au fond et Alexandre et Nina devant nous.
Dans l’avion, nous nous couvrons de "couettes toutes douces", d’après Emilie . Nous prenons des photos du ciel, dans l’avion.Nous remplissons même una " tarjeta de embarcacion" .
>> Alex a voulu remplir rapidement sa carte mais il s'est trompé. Il a dû en redemander une nouvelle à l'hôtesse. <<
Dans notre réservation des billets, le repas est offert, nous avons à manger et à boire. Un bon repas nous attend : Paella, Café mais à choisir le thé était meilleur.
Il fait un peu froid à bord, la clim est forte.
Nous ressentons quelques zones de turbulence sans grand risque et nous sommes arrivés quand la lune apparaissait.
Les contrôles à la douane sont assez long. La douanière a un sourire sévère en arrivant devant elle, c’est peu rassurant.
Quel bon souvenir ce voyage en avion. La nourriture, le stress, Nina, la nécessité de se débrouiller en espagnol et le plaisir de l’entendre.
Nous retrouvons nos bagages sans souci. Nous avons eu peur que les canifs soient trouvés. A la sortie des douanes, des rabatteurs nous proposent des taxis, de l’argent sur le marché parallèle pour le taux de change plus intéressant. Nous ne faisons pas appel à eux, mais à un organisme reconnu “ Ital Cambio” pour 200 Euros nous échangeons 1222 Bolivars. Dans les environs de 20h, nous cherchons ensuite un taxi noir comme indiqué dans le guide (Lonely Planet Venezuela ) environ 220 Bfs, la course.
Le conducteur de taxi est un type sympa, âgé, père. A 20h40, Il nous donne son nom avec sa carte à l’appui. Nous arrivons à Los Palos Grandes dans le quartier de Chacao. Le vigile de l’immeuble d’Abdu nous fait rentrer dans la
cour.
Malheureusement pour nous, Abdu n’est pas à son domicile alors que nous devions dormir chez lui. Nous choisissons de l'attendre, mais les heures passant, nous décidons de rechercher un hôtel pour la nuit.
A force de recherches, nous réussissons à trouver un hôtel qui nous a coûté cher et dans lequel nous ne disposons pas de grand lit . Il faut se serrer, nous passons la nuit à 2 dans un lit une place. Nous ne tardons pas à trouver sommeil.
Nous nous levons tôt le lendemain à cause du décalage horaire (6h30 de moins qu'en France)
1ere galère : la roulette de la valise est fondue , elle doit être changée ou réparée pour cela Emilie réalise un atelier de bricolage à l'aide de nos canifs afin de pouvoir à nouveau la transporter sans trop de soucis.
En effet, 2 des 4 roues sont abîmées.
La vue en plein jour de notre chambre d’hôtel est vraiment extraordinaire, on aperçoit un attroupement de personnes qui attend , semblent t-ils le bus.
Nous partons faire des courses avec Nina juste pour prendre de l'eau et de quoi manger un peu le matin. Nous retournons chacun dans sa chambre et ensuite nous ressortons tous les quatre à la recherche d'un cybercafé pour envoyer des mails à nos amis et à la famille. Nous prenons aussi le temps de retourner chez Abdu et de voir s'il est rentré, mais ce n'est pas le cas.
Nous rangeons toutes nos affaires et ensuite nous sommes obligés de libérer la chambre vers 12h. Nous partons donc en quête d'un hôtel, nous essuyons plusieurs refus et finalement nous retournons à l'hôtel Altamira qui dispose encore de chambres. Nous nous installons dans nos chambres et réservons pour 3 nuits.
Nous nous reposons car c'est très fatiguant, nous nous retrouvons dans le couloir avec la ferme intention de visiter le quartier. Nous connaissons déjà bien à cause de notre escapade nocturne et nous choisissons ce qu'on compte faire demain. Nous effectuons des recherches, et le choix se porte vers la mer, nous choisissons la destination de Morrocoy mais nous ne réussissons pas à joindre les hôtels.
Nous essayons donc Maracay une destination un peu plus près et nous faisons les mêmes démarches sans plus de résultats. Nous nous renseignons donc sur les itinéraires et sur les horaires des cars et autre moyen de locomotion . La station de bus (le terminal) se trouve non loin de notre hôtel et on décide d'y aller pour voir et se renseigner.
Nous prenons des billets pour le premier car de la journée direction Maracay, puis partons faire quelques courses de fruits exotiques, des pommes et des gâteaux de quoi grignoter les matins.
Il est déjà l'heure d'aller dormir, chacun dans sa chambre. A demain !
>> Hé oui, moi j'ai peut être pas mangé de fruits exotiques mais avec des pommes, je ne suis pas tombé malade << E.
JOUR3 : 10/08/2011 : Direction Maracay / Choroni, Attention aux distances annoncées !
Ce matin on se lêve à 4h du matin, le temps de se lever et de préparer les sacs pour aller prendre le car pour Maracay .
Arrivée à la gare des bus, nous attendons, en effet il y a plein de formalités concernant les passeports et d'autres papiers. Arès avoir payés et obtenus nos billets nous devons faire une autre file d'attente pour la confirmation et pour enfin atteindre nos places.
Première constatation, la climatisation est très forte, le froid est atroce, et l'enceinte grésille pendant le feuilleton qui est diffusé pendant le trajet.
Arrivé à Maracay, nous sommes surpris car nous pensions arriver directement sur la mer ce qui ne fut pas le cas. Nous discutons avec quelques personnes qui nous expliquent qu'il faut se diriger vers le terminal des bus.
Nous le recherchons et trouvons un bus vert qui va vers Choroni, Puerto Colombia pour la Costa Aragua.
Nous payons au milieu du trajet pour 25bfs par personne. Nous devons traverser le parc National de Henri Pitier.
A travers la jungle, le bus klaxonne à chaque virage, il passe à toute allure tout près du bord (3h de voyage pas 1h comme le chauffeur nous l'avait indiqué) .
Le chauffeur s’arrête pour boire à une source et repart de toute belle. Aucun arrêt n'existe, il suffit de héler le chauffeur pour qu'il s’arrête.
Nous descendons au terminus, et il ne semble pas y avoir de plage à l’horizon.
On longe un cours d'eau et on tombe sur un petit port. Finalement, après plusieurs minutes de marche supplémentaires on trouve la plage entourée par les montagnes. Le sable est si chaud, ça brûle les pieds.
Nous apercevons des marchands ambulants, et on se baigne un peu. Le prochain bus part dans 2h à peine et nous avons un peu de marche avant de le rejoindre, ça nous laisse peu de temps. Malgré tout nous profitons de cet instant.
Nous revoici à la gare de bus près de Choroni, les affichages dans la salle d'attente vante les mérites du socialisme et la fille d'attente devient vite remplie. Nous devons même nous inscrire !
Nous repartons pour ne pas louper le car à une intersection proche de la gare des bus, nous crions pour sortir et commençons à courir de peur de louper le dernier bus pour Caracas. Nous courons dans le sable, chaussés de nos tongues, nous sommes ridicules et en plein fou rire, mais nous arrivons à temps pour la confirmation des billets.
Finalement, nous validons nos billets par contre nous payons une taxe de 15 bfs pour le terminal de car.
Nous arrivons à 21h30 et partons manger à Migas, un restaurant pas trop loin pour 52 bfs et un supplément de 21 bfs pour un chocolat chaud.
JOUR 4 : Petite journée sur Caracas et Soirée à l'Altamira Suites : 11/08/2011
Ce matin, nous n'avons pas besoin de se lever tôt, rien de prévu à part visiter la ville de Caracas. Nina et Alexandre sont prêts avant, nous alors ils partent faire les courses et voir par la même occasion si Abdu est rentré.
Pendant ce temps là, nous faisons notre lessive avec du savon noir. Nous étendons notre linge, nous rangeons un peu nos affaires…
Au retour Nina et Alexandre nous montre ce qu’ils ont acheté : du pain comme des galette de mais sucrée, des tranches de fromage et du jambon saucisson caoutchouc. Nous faisons des sandwich et on part avec, en chemin on passe au cyber café pour envoyer des mails et prendre des nouvelles, nous appelons le numéro qui nous a appelé quand on était dans le bus hier, et on tombe sur Abdu.
On mange nos sandwich c’est vraiment immonde, pas mangeable du tout ( regardez un peu la tête des garçons, hmmm ça à l'air bon hi hi !!), après nous fixons un rdv à Abdu par téléphone dans une heure.
Pendant ce temps, nous nous baladons dans les magasins et nous prenons une glace Alex et moi.
Donc une heure, nous retrouvons Abdu chez lui, nous partons chercher les billets d’avion pour l'isla Margarita et après nous nous donnons RDV une heure plus tard sur la place de l’obélisque.
Nous retrouvons Abdu et il nous amène dans un bel endroit, genre un bar classe au 19 ieme étage, mais nous ne sommes pas assez bien habillés (en fait Alex a mis ses tongs, il a un peu mal au pied, 2 taches rouges sont apparues sur son pied, donc nous rentrons nous changer. Une obligation pour Alex de mettre ses chaussures de ville.
Nous rejoignons les autres dans le bar, Nous commandons un Vivaldi pour Emilie et un mojito coco pour Alex.
Apres avoir profiter du cadre a l’intérieur, des Hamac en guise de déco, nous montons sur le toit et nous profitons de la vue, pour accompagner la soirée on commande 3 pizzas, les meilleures de note vie après le repas infect du midi ! c’est délicieux.
Nous rentrons mais le pied d’Alex continue de le faire souffrir, la chaussure frotte les taches alors en rentrant nous échangeons nos chaussures. Trop marrant.
JOUR 5 : Visite du centre historique de Caracas et fête entre amis : 12/08/2011
Ce matin nous nous sommes réveillés tôt. Nous prenons notre petit déjeuner. Le pied d'Alex lui fait mal, c'est assez inquiétant.
Nous avons rendez vous avec Mr X (préservons l'anonymat ) pour changer nos chèques en bolivar. Nous nous retrouvons dans la chambre d'Alexandre et Nina et procédons à l'échange. Nous lui donnons nos 4 chèques de 500 € et il nous donne à chacun 5500 bolivars réunis en 3 grosses liasses : 2 de billets de 100 et l’autre de billets de 50. C'est une sacré somme. Nous avons recompté l'argent et avons pris le temps d'essayer son casque de moto !
Nous sommes complètement parano (avec tout cet argent normal) et nous nous sommes dit que la femme de ménage a entendue notre conversation et qu’elle va nous piquer notre argent, n’importe quoi ! Donc avec ces pensées, nous cachons des sous partout dans la valise et comme la réservation de Nina et d’Alexandre prenait fin, ils mettent leurs valises dans notre chambre, ça fait beaucoup de sous au même endroit !
Ensuite, nous décidons d'aller sur Caracas en métro, notre première impression ce n'est vraiment pas très accueillant. Arrivée à la station El Capitolio (départ d’Altamira), nous marchons un peu avant de tomber sur la place Bolivar.
Nous voulons goûter les Arepas mais finalement nous trouvons un beau restaurant (car on avait faim au bout d’un moment quand même )! Par ailleurs, ils nous ont roulé, le serveur nous apporte des apéritifs (des beignets, de la crème et du fromage) et il nous informe que cela est offert. Au final, nous les payons mais c’était quand même bien bon.
Nous continuons à se balader, nous visitons la maison de Simon Bolivar dans laquelle nous prenons plein de photos
Nous passons devant le parlement, le panthéon et tout plein d’autres jolis bâtiments ainsi que des bâtiments en construction en prévision du Bicentenaire, nous avons des photos qui le prouve.
Le panthéon est surveillé par des militaires armés de mitraillettes . L’armée est très présente dans ce pays.
Sur notre chemin il y a une église magnifique. Nous voulons y rentrer mais faute de mal être habillé, nous restons dehors.
Après notre ballade, nous retournons à Altamira et faisons des petites courses en prévision de la journée de demain car nous prévoyons de faire de la randonnée dans la montagne de Caracas et de redescendre en téléphérique.
Nous rentrons tous dans notre chambre, en effet Nina et Alexandre ont rendu leur chambre d’hôtel car ils dorment dormir chez Abdu.
Après que tout le monde se soit douché, nous retrouvons Abdu avec les valises de Nina et d’Alexandre, nous allons chez lui pour passer une soirée entre jeunes, un bon moment se prépare.
Nous passons une bonne soirée, nous rencontrons des français qui parlent espagnol, ou l’inverse (Solene et Lucie), d’autres vénézuéliens (Miletsy, Jesus), C'est l'heure de l’apéro et de manger.
Alex avait beaucoup mal à son pied et personnes dans l'assemblé peut nous dire de quoi il s'agit. nous faisons connaissance avec des gens, Nous nous sommes plutôt bien intégré, c'est vraiment bien, nous apprenons des choses et rigolons beaucoup.
Après avoir sympathisé avec la plupart des convives, nous sortons dans un bar de salsa El Telequibrio mais en voiture (même si c'est à moins de 5 minutes, la rue n'est pas sur de nuit ! ).
Nous dansons et discutons. L'ambiance dans les bar à salsa est toute particulière, quand vient la fin de la soirée les musiques de salsa s’enchaînent et les couples virevoltent à travers la salle, c'est vraiment un spectacle magnifique.
Une connaissance nous ramène à l’hôtel vers les 2h du matin, et arrivée devant la porte. Nous avons une frayeur nous sonnons pour rentrer comme d’habitude mais personne ne vient ouvrir, puis finalement quelqu'un vient.
JOUR 6 : Montée au Parc Nacional Del Avila et les Sabas Nieves : 13/08/2011
Ce matin, l’appel de Nina vers 10h30 nous reveille. Nous préparons les affaires et prenons le petit déjeuner. Le pied d’Alex est un peu mieux. C’est juste un peu rouge mais ça a une bonne tête dans l’ensemble.
Nous passons à la pharmacie, nous allons ensuite chez Abdu pour déposer 2/3 trucs et retournons à l’hôtel avec Alexandre pour qu’il nous aide pour la valise et en chemin et nous avons tué une roue (de plus ^^)
Nous mangeons et en guise de dessert des bananes planteur cuites ( mmmmh c'est bon ! ). Après ça, nous partons pour l’ascension de la montagne pour atteindre le parc nacional Del Avila. Abdu nous propose d’assister à un match de foot auquel Alexandre veut grandement participer, alors nous n'avons pas de temps à perdre.
A peine, nous montons la rue d'Altamira pour atteindre le parc que nous sentons que la randonnée va être compliquée pour nos petites jambes !
En effet, la randonnée n'est pas pour les débutants, le début est sympathique mais le reste le devient beaucoup moins.
Il est très long, dur à monter, des hautes roches à enjamber sans compter la chaleur qui nous assome. Mais après l'effort, le réconfort, les paysages sont à couper le souffle.
Nous rebroussons chemin, pour arriver chez Abdu vers 16h pour le match de foot. Finalement, pour quelques raisons , ce match est annulé. Nous sommes dégoutés, nous tentons tout de même de finir cette journée en nous rendant au parc zoologique mais celui est fermé à partir de 16h30. Il est déja trop tard.On est ensuite allé voir le Festival de la Salsa , on a essayé de danser avec EMilie . tres amusant.. mais nous decidons d'aller à un concert de Salsa ayant lieu dans le parc Nacional Francisco Miranda.
Apres le concert très sympathique et amusant où nous essayons de danser avec Emilie, nous faisons des courses pour le repas du soir. Nous mangeons et nous couchons bien fatigués.
JOUR 7 : Arrivée sur l'Isla Margarita : 14/08/2011
Ce matin comme nous l'avions dit hier une grosse journée nous attend. Nous nous réveillons a 4h du matin, nous montons dans le taxi à 5h du mat.
Nous arrivons à l’aéroport de Maiquetia coté départ national à l’heure, nous trouvons la compagnie Aeropostal. Notre compagnie. Il faut encore confirmer et payer les taxes de transport (38 bfs). Nous allons à la zone d’embarquement et passons le contrôle des bagages à main.
Nous attendons prés de deux heures à la porte d'embarquement. L'ensemble du groupe montre des signes de maux de ventre, surement à cause des fruits tropicaux, Emilie est la seule rescapée !
Le voyage en avion passe en quelques secondes, nous dormons et nous nous reveillons mutuellement pour le petit dej offert par la compagnie d'avion ( petit croissant au jambon et fromage et un petit macaron à la cacahuète, avec du jus de fruit ).
L’atterrissage se passe bien mais Alex commence à avoir de la fièvre et mal à la tête. Nina retrouve Nathalie pendant que nous attendons l’arrivé des valises.
Nous montons dans sa voiture et allons à la réservation à Paraguachi pour poser les valises, se mettre en maillot.
Nous réglons les problèmes administratifs, paiement et autres ( 17,50 euros par jour pour environ 5 jours ).
Nathalie nous amène à la Playa Grande, c’est vraiment beau, nous profitons de la vue et elle nous donne des cartes pour que nous ayons accès à un parasol pour 2 et 1 transat chacun.
Nous passons toute la journée à la plage, de 12h a 17h, nous commandons des jus de fruits frais.
Vers 17 h, Nathalie vient nous chercher et nous allons un peu plus loin voir des amis à elle. Elle nous a offert un Cuba Libre un peu corsé mais bon. Un des amis nous conseille d'amener Alex à l’hôpital pour son pied.
Nous rentrons faire des courses, et allons à l’hôpital public de Chavez. Les médecins ont détecté une bactérie. et on fournit une liste de médicaments antibiotiques à Alex. Nous irons à la pharmacie demain car elles sont toutes fermées.
A savoir à titre indicatif que la visite médicale dans l'hopital ne m'a rien coûté, elle est prise en charge par le gouvernememt.
Bilan, nous avons passé une bonne journée en témoigne les traces qui redessinent nos différents maillot de bain ….
JOUR 7 : La maison louée à l'Isla Margarita et Visite du centre commercial à Sambill : 15/08/2011
Le matin, nous nous préparons pour aller à la pharmacie pour le pied d’Alex. Nous passons tout le reste de la journée dans la posada, dans la piscine.
Nathalie vient pour apporter de l’Aloe Vera pour les coups de soleil de Nina et Alexandre et les voilà partis à se l'étaler sur le corps. Assez nouveau pour nous, il suffit de couper la feuille en deux et de s'appliquer le jus, cela change de la crème.
Le soir, Nathalie nous dépose à Sambill ( centre commercial super touristique). Nathalie nous laisse 2 h dans le centre alors nous nous promenons.
Juste avant de rentrer dans le magasin, nous apercevons ce qui serait une vigie pour surveiller les voitures peut être. Etrange système si c'est le cas ! Rappelons le dans un pays socialiste, tout est bon pour offrir du travail :)
Emilie remarque tout de même que ces femmes ont des formes généreuses en témoigne les tailles dans la boutique de sous vêtements.
Et même si nous sommes proche de nombreux restaurants, nous ne cédons pas à la tentation !!!
Nathalie vient nous chercher et nous ramène en voiture. Le soir, nous mangeons notre délicieux riz au thon avec de la mayonnaise !!
JOUR 8 :16/08/2011 : L’initiation à la plongée..une découverte pour Emilie et moi…
Nous nous levons à 7h, Nathalie nous conduit à sa posada où Ezéquiel, le gérant de la plongée va arriver. Le prix est annoncé ce sera 60 euros par personne pour la plongée. N’étant pas expert de plongée, et désirant découvrir, nous acceptons le prix.
Nous sommes contents les médicaments qu’Alexander prend lui font de l’effet et la douleur à son pied semble disparu.
Ezéquiel nous conduit à bord de son van bleu dans un petit port rempli de pécheurs et nous explique qu’il revient. Nous prenons des photos rapidement car il est déjà de retour avec nos palmes de différentes tailles.
Il faut rejoindre le bateau..L’eau nous arrive bien à la hauteur de nos hanches. Des enfants présents sur le bateau nous aident à grimper, moi y compris.
Nous enfilons aussi des gilets de sauvetage pour rester sur le bateau sans risque et aussi vous vous en doutez bien pour ne pas nous noyer dans la mer. . On ne sait jamais.
Le bateau nous conduit vers un îlot. Pendant la traversée, nous nous voyons proposer des bouteilles d’eau.
Arrivée à destination, notre groupe se divise.. les débutants..les confirmés ne prennent pas le même chemin. Ezéquiel est notre professeur du jour. Il nous explique les règles fondamentales de la plongée… :
"Toujours respirer par la bouche, souffler pour descendre, inspirer pour remonter, comment gonfler les gilets, les signes à se rappeler pour se "parler" sous l'eau et si on a mal, souffler par le nez en le bouchant pour arrête d'avoir les oreilles bouchés.. Assez peur pour cette première fois.
Et la plus importante, toujours rester avec son partenaire, le mien est Alexander.
Mais ce n’est pas terminé, il faut maintenant comprendre le fonctionnement du matériel de plongée. Nous disposons de bouteilles qui nous servent à respirer, ainsi qu’un objet à mettre dans la bouche. Il faut inspirer et expirer par la bouche. Ainsi pour descendre ou remonter, nous disposons d’une commande à gauche. Le gilet fourni des bouteille est lui aussi gonflable, nous avons des palmes.. une combinaison et un masque. Pensez à bien nettoyer les verres en crachant dedans si besoin… Si de l’eau venait à rentrer, soufflez fort avec le nez pour en faire sortir l’eau..
La découverte s’est bien passée excepter pour Alexander qui rencontre de nombreux problèmes. « Je ne suis pas rassuré, je vous l’avoue ».. J’ai beaucoup de mal à suivre le groupe ». Je ressens des difficultés à respirer par le nez..à nager avec mes pieds. » Emilie comme elle me l’a répété sous l’eau.. elle n’abandonne pas son partenaire.
Revenus de cette séance, nous sommes conduits sur un ilot pour manger sur une terrasse de pécheurs. Il est 11h48, nous voici près d’une maison face à la mer. Des plateaux repas nous attendent..bien garnis..c’est délicieux.. Barracudas..Poulet..Pain..Crudités..Boissons.. Une bonne musique et une bonne ambiance..
Nous nous reposons le temps d’un instant sans plus. Le temps de se balader avec Emilie puis s’entrainer à faire des ricochets.. Bon point pour moi, je réussis 2 à 3 rebonds Ouh ouh !
Nous repartons pour la 2eme plongée de la journée. Nous reprenons le bateau..et sommes conduits près d’une mer turquoise..très envoutant.. Nous voyons énormément de poissons.. Alexander suit mieux le groupe, Emilie veille au grain. Cette fois ci, nous descendons plus profondément. Emilie malgré qu’elle ne porte pas ses lunettes pendant la plongée a tout de même vu des poissons. « Ils étaient très colorés », « Vraiment Magnifique ».
A la fin de la plongée, tout le monde garde sa tenue de plongée, et nous jouons avec des os de poulet qu’ils viennent manger. Ils le volent, le piquent, impossible de rattraper le bout.
Nous remontons dans le bateau, terminé. Une petite bière à partager ça fait toujours plaisir quelque soit le pays où l’on se trouve. Nous décidons de prendre le CD de nos aventures sous marines pour le prix de 150 bfs le CD gravé… ça fera toujours un petit souvenir agréable que l’on partage à 4.
Nous rentrons tard sur l’Isla Margarita, nous demandons tout de même à Ezequiel de nous conduire à Paraguachi pour faire des petites courses pour le petit déjeuner et bien sur pour les grillades que nous comptons faire ce soir. Nous achetons du salomo afin de les faire griller. Nous cherchons des branchages, Alexandre encercle le feu. Un petit peu galère à démarrer.
Nous mangeons donc des pâtes accompagnés de viande grillée. Puis, Emilie propose de manger en dessert des chamalow.. Tout le monde est enchanté et c’est donc avec plaisir que nous les dégustons à l’aide de fourchettes n’ayant pas de piques adaptés.. L’odeur et l’ambiance sont très agréables.
Alex et Nina, le second couple se prélasse dans la piscine le temps d’un instant puis partent dormir. Moi, et Emilie profitons de la chaleur du soir et de la pénombre de la piscine. Nous discutons autour d’un chocolat chaud, et d’un café bien trop fort. Je lis, Alex écrit en se mordant les doigts, c’est trop chou.
Nous voyons un crapaud, une chauve souris ainsi que de nombreux lézards au cours de cette fin de soirée. Nombreux petits animaux cohabitent dans le jardin !
Nous sommes debout à 9h. Il est l’heure de se diriger vers la plage et d’en profiter. Nous nous préparons, Nathalie nous propose la plage de Parguito. Nous louons un toledo ( 2 sillas por 60 bfs) chacun.
Je choisis du jus de fruit au lechoza, Emilie un petit Coca Cola pour ne pas changer et éviter les jus de fruit..Alexandre choisit un jus de parchita..et pour Nina , un jus de pina. Petite baignade au programme, quelques vagues assez fortes mais un bonheur pour les yeux.. pour la peau ! Du soleil :)
Nous nous baladons autour de la plage, montons sur une colline et prenons de superbes photos de paysages. Nous commençons à nous perdre dans les cactus, mauvais plan.. ça commence à piquer sec.. Après mure réflexion, nous faisons demi tour.
Emilie se fait faire des tresses pour la somme de 120 bfs tandis que Nina est en plein massage.
Nous allons ensuite tous mangés à un restaurant proche de la plage appelé le Teka. Nous choisissons en apéritif :
1 Coco Loco pour moi, Daiquiri Parchita pour Alex, Nina ne prend rien et Emilie une petite Coco Frio ( Jus de Coco à boire). Une véritable coco où un trou est fait pour boire à même la paille.
Pour ce qui concerne le plat, ils choisissent une sopa de pescados dont une arepa pour Nina et Alex. Nous découvrons l’asopado de pescados.. en pensant qu’asopado signifiait « un assortiment ». Erreur !
Nous mangeons donc une soupe de poisson au riz et bambous pour 143 bfs pour tous les 2, ce n’est pas délicieux !
A savoir que les alcools et cocktails coutent 1,20 euros..Autant dire que ce n’est pas ce qui coute le plus cher pour nous européens.
Ensuite, nous repartons nous allonger et recevons la visite de Nathalie nous expliquant que comme convenu.. Elle ne peut finalement pas venir nous chercher que l’on peut toujours prendre le bus.
A la fin de la journée, nous nous appretons à partir mais avant un petit essai s’impose. Les Empanadas al Queso ( fromage)… Délicieux, bien gras, préparé sur place. Nous mangeons en contemplant un perroquet qui se balance sur le toit ! Trop cool !
Nous réflechissons à la possibilité d’y aller à pied mais de nombreuses personnes rencontrées sur le chemin nous le déconseillent et nous invite vivement à prendre le bus. Fatigués, nous rebroussons chemin pour trouver l’arrêt de bus du « Routa Costar » pour l’arret à Paragachi.. Nous payons seulement 3bfs par personne autant dire que cela ne coute rien.
Nous nous arrêtons avant notre arret croyant reconnaitre le notre… Hé non.. nous commençons à marcher quand la tongue d’Emilie se craque, impossible de la réparer. Un gros problème vu la quantité de bouts de verres, et ordures qui traînent sur le trottoir.. J’opte pour lui enfiler un sac plastique autour du pied pour au moins éviter le contact, tout en la supportant de son pied pour éviter qu’elle se plante quelque chose nous continuons d’avancer prudemment.
Nous nous arrêtons dans des magasins pour savoir si personne ne vende de tongues.. mais non rien ! Tant pis, Emilie retourne à la posada avec un sac plastique autour du pied ! Sur le chemin, un animal se cache devant notre passage peut être un autre volatile ^^ !
Rentrés, Alexander est très fatigué, les médicaments le cassent en deux. Il n’est presque jamais présent pour les repas du soir… Il dort..mais il n’a plus mal…
Dans la soirée tout de même, nous tentons d’appeler Abdu qui doit nous confirmer le numéro de son contact pour Canaima… la découverte du Salto Angel.. la jungle !
Chose faite, nous voici en train de négocier avec la personne en charge du programme avec un mélange d’anglais et d’espagnol. Nous réussissons à nous faire comprendre. Nous réservons pour Mardi. Nous rions, puis dormons tous les 4 dans la même chambre. Ici, il fait bon comparé à la chambre de Nina et Alexandre qui est devenu un véritable sauna.. ! Bonne nuit !
merci pour ce récit et ces photos qui font remonter à la surface bcp de souvenirs de mon séjour au Venezuela 😎
Bonjour,
Nous gardons d'excellents souvenirs pour ce voyage qui fut notre premier à tout 2 ! Contents que vous puissiez revivre le vôtre à travers celui ci ^^ . Quelle partie avez vous découvert du Venezuela?
je dois avouer que pour un premier voyage, vous n'avez pas choisi la destination la plus simple...
De mon côté, j'ai fait le tour de Margarita (2 mois, en liant l'utile à l'agréable 😎), ensuite j'ai rejoint le continent par bateau, Caripe, Maturin, Tucupita, Ciudad Bolivar, Canaima, Santa Elena, Gran Sabana, Merida, Los Llanos, Coro, Péninsule de Paraguana, Tucacas et Caracas.
Un magnifique voyage, même si pas toujours facile 😉
je dois avouer que pour un premier voyage, vous n'avez pas choisi la destination la plus simple...
De mon côté, j'ai fait le tour de Margarita (2 mois, en liant l'utile à l'agréable 😎), ensuite j'ai rejoint le continent par bateau, Caripe, Maturin, Tucupita, Ciudad Bolivar, Canaima, Santa Elena, Gran Sabana, Merida, Los Llanos, Coro, Péninsule de Paraguana, Tucacas et Caracas.
Un magnifique voyage, même si pas toujours facile 😉
Bonjour,
Ce fut un concours de circonstance..découvrir le pays et ses richesses où l'ami français était parti pour un ou deux ans je crois (du couple avec qui nous avons voyagé). Nous ne regrettons aucunement ce choix ! Effectivement, il n'a pas été évident comme pays mais avec une bonne préparation en amont, quelques règles de sécurité, du bon sens.. un zeste de chance.. et nous voilà repartis !
Vous avez effectué un magnifique parcours, je serais bien resté bien longtemps pour en découvrir plus. Peut être :)
Aujourd’hui , nous partons visiter l’île dans son ensemble. Nathalie, notre contact sur place nous le propose. Le départ est prévu à 8h mais finalement vers 10h seulement nous partons, pour cause une amie à Nathalie devait être amené à l’hôpital.
Ça y est nous sommes en route pour la Asunción où se trouve une ancienne église. Elle est malheureusement quelque peu abîmée, commence à être noire. Nous y rentrons sans nous y attarder.
Au cours de notre petite aventure, nous cherchons désespérément des souvenirs à rapporter à nos familles ou amis et pourquoi pas pour nous. Ce n’est pas une chose très courante de trouver des magasins qui vendent des souvenirs ou artisanat à proprement parler. C’est donc avec bonheur et envie que nous apercevons notre premier magasin de souvenirs. Nous achetons quelques petits cadeaux.
Après cette première étape, nous voilà en direction del Valle del Espiritu Santo où se trouve une magnifique basilique nommée « la Basilica de la Virgen del Valle ». C’est devant notre étonnement que nous tombons nez à nez devant un marché spécialement destiné à la vente d’objets religieux en rapport avec la vierge.
Nous visitons cette belle basilique blanche. Elle est d’ailleurs au moment même où nous la visitons en rénovation à certains endroits.
Cela n’empêche pas les touristes et habitués de s’y rendre à l’intérieur et de la découvrir, de prier.
Ensuite, il vient l’heure de manger notre repas. C’est avec plaisir que nous trouvons une femme préparant des arepas à la main. Vous choisissez votre contenu (poisson) et elle vous le frie tout cela devant vous. Certains de mes compagnons crieront à l’hygiène, c’est vraiment bon. Pour vous donner envie, nous choisissons une arepa au fromage et une au poulet. Assez consistant, trop bourratif pour Emilie. Nous ne regrettons pas tout ceci pour 15 bolivars le tout accompagné de sauces si vous le désirez.
Vous payez tout à la fin après avoir dégusté et fini. Beaucoup de confiance comme au restaurant, le concept est intéressant.
En nous dirigeant vers la Laguna de la Restinga, nous rencontrons sur le chemin, un banc de flamands roses qui à notre approche commencent à reculer puis finalement s’envoler devant nos yeux. Notre chauffeur prend garde de ne pas trop approcher son véhicule du sable car il commence à s’enfoncer. Restons prudents tout de même.
Le parc national de la Laguna de la Restinga, nous vous en parlions, pour un coût de 120 bolivars la balade en barque de 30 minutes. Nous voici baladés, au programme petite traversée où nous rencontrons faune et flore tel que des pélicans, étoile de mer, coraux.
Très belle balade que nous recommandons vivement sous un soleil et un beau ciel bleu ça aide !
Nous repartons après cette petite pause aquatique. Nous nous dirigeons maintenant vers Macanao, une principauté à l’ouest de l’île. Le climat change, le paysage aussi. Il fait bien chaud, nous transpirons. Nous sommes entourés maintenant seulement par un désert aride avec des cactus et des roches autour de nous.
Nous finissons par nous arrêter pour atteindre le bord de mer pour ramasser des coquillages. Nous trouvons des beaux coquillages, assez amusants. Cela nous plait, nous les rapporterons en France. Nous en profitons pour nous baigner non loin au sud, très sympathique. Le coin est connu, des locaux se baignent aussi.
Pour terminer, Nathalie nous emmène en direction de Juan Griego pour voir le coucher du soleil. Nous montons en haut d’un fortin nommé el fortin de la Galéra. Un endroit très joli où nous assistons à la levée du drapeau vénézuélien par 6 soldats en uniforme. Ici, de petits marchands vous vendent quelques objets, cet endroit doit donc être assez fréquenté.
Il est l’heure de faire demi-tour. Il commence tout doucement à faire sombre, le soleil vient de se coucher. Pour profiter des belles couleurs, nous voilà arrêtés sur une colline surplombant un hôtel de luxe, en direction de Manzanillo.
Tout près, nous sommes stupéfaits du nombre d’oiseaux qui plongent dans l’eau pour récupérer des poissons, ce sont des pélicans qui sont ici tout près de ce village de pécheurs.
Voilà la journée se termine en parlant de nourriture à tester comme le hamburgesa, il est l’heure pour nous de ranger toutes nos affaires. Le départ est imminent.
Mais petit imprévu du soir, la climatisation de la chambre de nos amis ne fonctionne pas, autant dire qu’ils sont en plein sauna pour dormir. Nous leur proposons aimablement de partager notre chambre, ratée pour l’intimité mais nous n’allions pas les laisser comme cela tout de même !
Merci pour ce joli compte rendu sur Margarita qui me replonge lui aussi dans d'excellents souvenirs... et comme d'habitude, il me prend une envie irrépressible d'y retourner ! 🙂
Merci pour ce joli compte rendu sur Margarita qui me replonge lui aussi dans d'excellents souvenirs... et comme d'habitude, il me prend une envie irrépressible d'y retourner ! 🙂
Hello, oui ! Devant votre attente, nous nous sommes remis à écrire cette partie. Nous sommes donc motivés pour écrie la suite ! A bientôt et merci !
L’heure du départ de cette fabuleuse île a sonné. Nous nettoyons, rangeons, et voilà tout est propre pour le dernier check. A 7h15, notre hôte vient nous chercher. Nous arrivons à l’aéroport vers 8h15. Nous enregistrons nos bagages auprès de la compagnie Aerospotal pour un départ vers l’aéroport de Maiquetia. Nous nous dirigeons vers les salles d’embarquement vers le numéro 13. Nous payons la taxe d’embarquement d’un montant de 38 Bolivars, nous passons le contrôle des sacs, ça sonne. Nous n’avons jamais de chance, nous sonnons presque toujours à ces portiques. Un agent contrôle nos sacs, nous les fait vider, nous n’en menons pas large. Finalement, il nous laisse repartir, rien de suspect. Nous partons nous asseoir, Emilie a la tête qui tourne, elle n’est pas au meilleur de sa forme. Cela ne nous empêche pas de nous balader le temps que l’avion arrive dans les boutiques de l’aéroport.
Nous attendons pour 9h30, finalement ce ne sera que vers 11h que nous pouvons embarquer.
Nous montons, ça y est nous décollons pour le continent. Les hôtesses nous servent un petit repas, du poulet et un gâteau aux noisettes. Délicieux. Nous en reprendrons bien mais non ce n’est qu’une part par personne. Ahaha.
Nous arrivons sur l’aéroport de Maiquetia vers 12h. Le temps de récupérer nos valises. Nous prenons un taxi officiel et ne choisissons pas les taxis proposés par les rabatteurs. Le coût est annoncé ( 190 bfs) pour se rendre à los Palos Grandes.. Nous partons une fois les valises mises dans le coffre. Nous sommes confrontés alors à des bouchons pour rejoindre le centre ville de Caracas. Nous restons donc au minimum 2h dans le taxi. Très long, nous dormons à tour de rôle. Nous arrivons finalement chez Abdu. Comme à sa grande habitude, il n’est pas présent, nous l’attendons pendant 1h30.
Devant ce constat d’absence prolongé, nous partons manger un morceau dans le restaurant qui se trouve dans sa rue.
Il se nomme « Las Tres Esquinas », imaginez vous, nous débarquant avec nos grosses valises et désirant manger à 15h. Il accepte tout de même. Pour nous rafraichir, Emilie se porte vers une limonade frappée. Pour moi, à ma grande habitude, je me porte vers un délicieux jus de fruit frais, melon et ananas. Nina, un jus de fraise et Alexandre se presse de prendre le même.
Au repas, nos amoureux prennent des arepas et nous nous cherchons quelque de plus traditionnel.
Le serveur nous propose un repas typique du Venezuela, le pabellon. C’est donc avec plaisir que nous attendons de déguster ce met. Il se compose de haricots noirs, bananes frites, riz, viande..oeufs au plat. Bien consistant, vous avez tout dans cette assiette.
Nous apprécions cette découverte. « Extrait du récit écrit main : mmmmmh que c’était bon ! »
Nous payons. Nous retournons chez notre contact, ami sur place. Il est finalement de sa journée de boulot à l’ambassade de France. Nous confirmons avec lui pour les dates de Canaima. Le voyage se déroulerait donc le 22 au soir jusqu’au 25 au soir. Très bien, nous partons tout de suite réserver nos places dans les bus. Nous en profitons pour prendre des photocopies de nos passeports pour un coût de 2 bolivars chacun.
Nous rentrons nous reposer, nous nous posons dans l’appartement d’Abdu en regardant le cd de plongée que l’on avait acheté, les photos que nous avons prises et tout ceci en musique espagnole s’il vous plait. Nous ne sortons pas en soirée malgré que notre hôte nous le propose. Nous sommes plutôt fatigués. Abdu part lui aussi sur l’Isla Margarita demain. Il nous laisse les clés de son appartement, nous parlons de nos projets pour les prochains jours.
Emilie dort sur le canapé, moi par terre sur un matelas peu confortable mais qui peut se plaindre du gratuit.
20/08/2011 Enfermés dehors à Caracas et Visite du Parque del Este
Nous voilà chez Abdu comme vous le savez. Nous nous réveillons, prenons notre petit déjeuner.
Nous partons, Emilie et moi au magasin nommé « Excelsior Gamma ». Nos deux amis restent quant à eux dans l’appartement, prennent leur temps. Nous achetons quelques aliments pour nourrir jusqu’à notre départ à Canaima. Raviolis, des légumes, des saucisses, de la salade, de la confiture…ananas… tout ce qui nous fait envie en faisant attention au budget. Nous déposons les courses, les rangeons et ça y est nous sommes prêt à sortir.
Tout le monde sort, un par un, et je décide donc de fermer la porte. Nous sommes prêts. Nous nous regardons et peu à peu prenons conscience que personne ne dispose des clés de la porte blindée. La porte devant nous reste bloquée.
Dans ces situations, tous ne réagissent pas de la même façon, beaucoup rejettent la faute sur l’autre mais d’autres plus terre à terre cherchent des solutions que notre problème avance et finisse par être résolu.
Après avoir tenté d’ouvrir une porte comme dans les films, avec une carte bancaire Messieurs, Mesdames. Ahaha nous y croyons dur comme fer mais non cela ne fonctionne pas.
Emilie cherche donc à trouver quelqu’un qui pourrait nous aider comme le gardien de l’immeuble, peut être dispose t-il des clés de l’appartement, d’un double. Nous descendons donc le voir, imaginant tout scénario possible « jusqu’à imaginer trouver une échelle pour monter dans l’appartement d’Abdu..Rappelons-le, son appartement était barricadé de barres de fer. Le passage s’avère difficile.
Le gardien n’a finalement aucune clé, nous sommes désemparés, vraiment sensible à notre désarroi il nous conseille de trouver un serrurier dans le quartier. Nous voilà à la recherche d’un serrurier qui peut agir de suite dans les rues de Chacao. Après des indications de quelques passants, nous finissons par le trouver. Il est prêt à venir, le tarif est donné, « Cuanto cuesta ? » 200 Bfs l’opération. Un tarif bien minime comparé à celui de la France.
Après des tentatives infructueuses, et devant une panique qui nous gagne de plus en plus car nous ne disposons de rien sur nous, excepté peut être de nos passeports et d’argent liquide.
Le serrurier comprend notre situation, et tentera vraiment tout pour ouvrir la porte. Devant nos yeux ahuris, il nous annonce en pestant qu’il va devoir exploser la serrure et donc remplacer la porte.
Il tente une dernière fois, il sort donc un élastique, un tournevis, un cure dent. Hallucinant, il retente deux fois avec cette méthode et la porte devant son coup porté sur le cure dent avec son tournevis, s’ouvre.
Nous le remercions milles fois, et le payons, lui offrons un coca cola qu’il a bien mérité.
De retour à l’intérieur, nous faisons mains basses sur les clés. Nous préparons un repas car le stress ça creuse. Raviolis à la viande...quelques légumes à la mayonnaise.
Nous sortons finalement pour faire un petit marché, mais la journée est passée. Le marché quand nous arrivons est justement en train de ranger tous ses produits. Nous partons vers le Parque Del Este que nous n’avions pas pu visiter la dernière fois.
Un très joli parc avec un côté zoologique avec de nombreux animaux comme le jaguar ou même un paresseux qui passe tout doucement devant nous.
A peine est il en train de marcher, et qu’un attroupement se fait, un garde du parc le ramasse et l’aide à se porter sur un arbre.
Nous continuons notre chemin à travers ce par cet aperçevons une volière..de nombreux oiseaux comme le pélican, des perroquets plus beau que les autres. J’ai tout de même une préférence en les voyant à l’extérieur.
Le parc ferme, tout le monde dehors.
La pluie fait alors son apparition, pas une pluie toute guillerette. Une pluie qui nous aurait trempé jusqu’à l’os si nous n’avions pas trouvé ce centre commercial. Nous apercevons d’autres passants qui pour la peine eux sont mouillés jusqu’à l’os. Quelques minutes plus tard, après avoir tenté d’acheter un Mc Flurry Twix à un Mcdonalds, mais il n’avait pas de crème glacée. La pluie a cessé et la chaussée est inondé pour un moment. Nous repartons.
Nous rentrons après avoir acheté des bonnes glaces dans un centre commercial, elles seront pour ce soir. Nous mangeons et nous endormons rapidement cette fois ci dans le lit d’Abdu qui nous a été prêté gracieusement. Nous ne nous faisons pas prier.
j'ai oublié de mentionner dans mon message précédent que rien que l'évocation du mot "arepa" m'avait fait baver... alors je ne te raconte pas maintenant avec les photos que tu viens de poster ! 😛
Nous nous levons ce matin. Remis de nos émotions, nous mangeons un petit peu puis nous penchons sur la question, "Que faire ce dimanche?"
Beaucoup de choix mais finalement beaucoup de choses sont fermées. Nina nous convaint de partir visiter le musée d'Art Contemporain à Caracas. Nous nous préparons à y aller, regardons le chemin. et Nous voici à prendre le métro jusqu'à Bellas Artes.
Nous passons devant la Feria Economias, mais un dimanche autant vous dire que ce grand marché, nous parait bien gloque.
Arrivés au Musée d'Art Contemporain, nous avons le choix de plusieurs salles par thèmes. Des tableaux, des peintures, et la sculpture, cela nous parait à tous 2 bien abstrait. Nous ne nous sentons pas vraiment à l'aise dans cet univers, mais il faut garder l'esprit ouvert.
Nous en finissons, et reflechissons à visiter un nouveau musée. Arrivés à ce musée plus historique, celui est finalement fermé, et les environs commencent à devenir de moins en moins rassurants. Des bidonvilles commencent à faire apparition devant nous. Nous retournons sur nos pas, nous reprenons le métro.
Vers 14h, nous partons manger au Burger King pour 5 euros environ 50 Bfs. Ce n'est pas si mauvais, cela reste un fast food. Ca remplit tout de même l'estomac.
Finalement la journée se termine ainsi, nous retournons nous reposer dans l'appartement d'Abdu à regarder des séries comme NCIS. A peine minuit, nous voilà au dodo.
22/08/2011
La journée du départ pour la Jungle : D
Abdu est de retour chez lui. Nous reprenons nos places sur le canapé et matelas prêté, nous dormons. Un moustique fait son apparition empêchant Emilie de dormir. Après une longue bataille, le moustique est abattu.
Ce soir, départ pour Canaima.
Abdu part travailler, il nous laisse ses clés, mais nous l’attendons finalement jusqu’à 12h pour qu’il puisse manger chez lui.
Nous profitons tout de même de la journée pour se diriger vers un magasin de souvenirs qui se trouve à Altamira près de l’hôtel Floresta. Son nom si nous ne nous trompons pas est « Artenasia Altamira ». Quelques petits souvenirs, rien de bien extraordinaire. Nous rentrons manger.
Nous aimerions trouver quelque chose de plus exotique, de plus artisanal. Nous prenons donc un sac, et nous voilà en direction du métro. D’Altamira à Chacaito, nous dirigeons vers un marché couvert, une galerie d’artisanat « Centro Artesanal Los Goajiros ». Nous trouvons une lignée de stands où des objets sont vendus. Des petits objets en bois travaillés mains sont à disposition, des vendeurs bien sympathiques nous enchantent de leur sourire. Nous leur achetons chacun des petits souvenirs qui cette fois ci valent le coup. En prévision de notre futur chez nous, Emilie et moi partons pour une petite teinture bleue où s’affichent une maison, un palmier avec « Venezuela » écrit en dessous. Cela nous rappellera de bons souvenirs.
Nous rentrons, récupérons nos sacs, une petite douche. Dernier check sur l’argent qu’il nous reste depuis notre dernier échange, 864 bolivars pour Emilie et un peu plus pour moi. Nous ne nous en sortons pas trop mal.
Nous arrivons au terminal de bus pour confirmer notre présence à bord. Nous attendons dans la salle d’attente jusqu’à 19h35, puis montons dans le bus. Celui-ci part à l’heure, cela va être agréable.
Comme à notre habitude, la climatisation dans le bus est extrêmement froide, nous sommes gelés mais nous prenons quelques précautions comme notre pull ou même des serviettes de bains pour se couvrir.
Nous prenons place à bord du bus pour un trajet qui dure 10h. Un film sur l’agent 007 se diffuse mais difficile de voir clair sur un écran où des bandes noires et blanches apparaissent sans arrêt.
Nous arrivons dans la nuit sur la ville de Cuidad Bolivar vers 6h. Le trajet se fait sans encombre. De nombreux arrêts qui nous réveillent parfois mais rien de très embêtant pour notre sommeil.
Je pars avec mon conjoint en Octobre, pour 3 semaines ! Votre séjour semble s'être bien passé ! Auriez vous quelques adresses d'hebrgement à me conseiller ? Peut être chez Abdu ? Ou ailleurs ?
Nous sommes actuellement à Morelia au Mexique où nous continuons notre road trip. Dès la fin, nous continuerons à publier le carnet concernant le Venezuela.
Malheuresement Abdu est reparti en France où il travaille actuellement. Ensuite, l'hôtel où nous avons été à Caracas est convenable et sécurisé mais nous n'avons pas été scotché :D
Malheuresement Abdu est reparti en France où il travaille actuellement.
Pas plus mal, on ne peut pas vraiment dire qu'il ait été si "fiable" que cela 😉
Bon voyage !
C'est vrai que sur les débuts, on peut le dire mais finalement il nous a été d'un grand secours pour réserver le petit coucou qui nous a fait s'envoler vers Canaima et qui nous a donné l'idée de le faire.
On le remercie pour cela car ça restera gravé dans nos mémoires cette petite excursion ^^
Bonsoir, je tenais à m'excuser pour avoir arrêté subitement le partage des récits que j'ai vécu avec mon ex compagne. Effectivement, l'envie n'y est plus de partager ce que nous avons pu vivre ensemble car nous nous sommes séparés.
After as many weeks as I have fingers on my right hand, we're hitting the road again, fully recovered from our pharaonic adventure. Back in France to drop off our daughters (sorry, girls!), this time it's just the two of us, ready to be welcomed by a new destination. They say it offers one of the richest cultural heritages in the world for those willing to put in the effort. It's the land of the ancient Silk Road, where we'll follow a journey steeped in history and discoveries straight out of *One Thousand and One Nights*. A former Soviet bloc region independent only since 1991, we'll be walking in the footsteps of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Alexander the Great, Marco Polo...
Another fun fact about this country: it's strictly forbidden to import porn on your phone. True story. The same goes for painkillers! Unless it's about sodomy—though the two don’t seem connected, that’s just how it is. Don’t ask me why! Anyway, I’m getting off track. Here’s the big question: Where do you think we’ve just landed?... To give you a hint, the locals are known for being incredibly welcoming. No sooner said than done—our first taxi driver, proud to transport French travelers, refused to let us pay for the ride. Great vibes for these two weeks ahead. So, any guesses?
Uzbekistan!!!
"So, my little wanderers, back at the decks? What’s this mystery destination you’ve got in store for us at the start of the year?"
Yes, the schoolyard bell’s ringing again! We’re hitting the road... or rather, the skies! At first glance, our destination might surprise more than a few. First off, simply because I was here exactly twenty years ago, and I don’t usually like retracing my own footsteps. Secondly, because the name of this place screams mass tourism—basically the opposite of what Flo and I look for.
Despite that, in this land of backsheesh, I’d promised myself I’d come back one day to experience it my way. And since Flo told me, during our wanderer chats, that this destination straddling Africa and the Middle East was in her top 2 travel dreams, the stars aligned for this roots-style trip to quickly make it onto our pharaonic festivities program! Unless you’re totally clueless in general knowledge, you’ve probably guessed by now—we’re off to Egypt! Of course, a few classics will be on our itinerary, but above all, we want to soak up a culture that can’t be appreciated in four-star resorts or on a Nile cruise boat. And let’s be clear, these next two weeks won’t be a walk in the park—neither for our two daughters who are joining us, nor for our bodies!
And that’s clear from the get-go: after our first flight, eight hours of trying (and failing) to sleep on Milan airport’s metal seats, our second flight, landing, passport stamps, our Uber ride, and our first Cairo kilometers, we finally drop our exhaustion at the little guesthouse we booked in Giza. Doesn’t all that energy deserve a little reward?
Oh, absolutely! And here it is: a full-on slap in the face for everyone! But just look at this view from our hotel terrace? For 20 € a night for four, even with this incredible view, I figured the room must be pretty shabby, right? Nope... Is the staff rude, then? Nope... Okay, so what’s the catch? You’re gonna tell me breakfast is included too? Well, yes! Honestly, this Egypt trip is off to a great start.
And the rest of the afternoon, spent rubbing shoulders with locals, only confirmed this vibe. After digesting our pyramid view, we dove into the hustle and bustle of our neighborhood with the goal of exchanging money, eating at street stalls, and testing the hospitality of the locals. Ten out of ten!
Eight little sun breads with baba ganoush and falafel? 80 pounds, or 1.5 €. A dozen Middle Eastern pastries? Same! 80 pounds! Two hawawshis, those little pita breads stuffed with meat and spices? 10 pounds each, or about twenty cents! Not to mention all those smiles and free "welcomes" left and right!!!
What a welcome! We end this first day with a sunset over the three sisters of Giza—where we’ll obviously be gawking tomorrow...
If I close my eyes and think of the Sultanate of Oman, I first smell a light scent of incense, feel the warmth of a sunbeam on my skin, before sand slips through my fingers. I taste the sweetness of a date, a real candy, then the flavor of coffee with a hint of cardamom and rosewater... I hear the desert wind whistling in my ears, the distant call of a muezzin, then the murmur of water. I open my eyes to see smiles, welcoming gestures, a turquoise sea, rocks ranging from ochre to purple, deep wadis where torrents burst forth, orange dunes, white sandy beaches where tiny crabs scurry at full speed. I see incredible oases emerging between arid mountains. I see abandoned villages that I’d dream were full of life, imposing fortresses overlooking valleys, and lively souks where offers are delicate and negotiation is a mutual courtesy.
All that, and so much more.
This is what I tried to capture in my illustrated travel journal, which I’ll fill in here and there with photos.
I drew this journal “cold,” after my return (actually, I made it this summer, while our trip was last winter). It’s a pretty special format—I bought it in Japan without really knowing what I’d do with it. Well, it found its purpose! Below is a photo of this accordion-style journal: here, it’s only partially open, because when fully unfolded, it’s 5 meters long!
For drawing enthusiasts: The accordion format is both a constraint (each sheet is 9 cm x 27 cm) and a freedom (you can create a fresco). The paper is also a bit special: it doesn’t allow for fine lines, but it takes ink well (liner pen). However, everything has to be done almost in one go (with a very light pencil sketch) because it erases poorly. It absorbs too much water for coloring with markers or watercolors (unless you avoid soaking it), but it works well with oil pastels and their use with a brush and solvent. Since it’s yellowish, it allowed me to create contrasts even with white pastel.
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Oman is one of the world’s largest producers of frankincense resin. Incense burners are everywhere, from the simplest clay ones to the most precious handcrafted silver ones...
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
"How about a Christmas market this year, huh? A little romantic weekend getaway...
- Yes! That’d be cool! Strasbourg? Colmar?
- Feels a bit déjà vu, doesn’t it? Plus, slim chance of snow there... And I’d love something a bit more exotic with a touch of originality..."
"Okay, Google, give me the list of the five most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe.
- In fifth place, the Christmas market in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
- Save your breath! Lithuania, here we come!"
We wanted cold, and cold is exactly what we got the moment we set foot in this new, unknown land. As for landscapes, forests and lakes stretch as far as the eye can see across this vast plain, its vegetation scorched by the frost of a winter that’s clearly already well underway here.
Lakes, in fact, set the scene for our first visit to Trakai Castle, whose brick-red towers and walls rise proudly against the azure sky of our first day. Lakes, because this castle was built on an island and is only accessible on foot via a series of walkways spanning half-frozen lake offshoots. I couldn’t have picked a better spot to build my castle! Translation: We’re totally sold! Proof is we spend two hours hiking around the area, alternating between forests, reeds, and cozy houses tastefully decorated for Christmas.
I’m sharing a little recap of this new 4-week trip to China—nothing fancy, just my experience.
We’re taking advantage of the extended visa exemption to return to China for the 4th time. I loved last summer’s trip so much that I’m a bit worried about being disappointed this year. Plus, I’ve had a few hiccups before this departure: my WeChat account got blocked, and I couldn’t recover it (luckily, Alipay still works fine); I couldn’t verify my 12306 account for weeks; Trip.com failed to book our second train; and I’ve got an injury that’ll slow me down during the trip... Ugh, I hate starting a trip with these kinds of issues. Then, oh surprise! Just before leaving, my 12306 account got verified! Super easy to use from that point on—I could book a few train tickets without fees.
We’re sticking with Free’s e-SIMs, which work great in China.
August 2–3
Anyway, on the morning of August 2nd, we took the RER to CDG. As usual, we couldn’t check in online. It’s always a bit frustrating, especially since we didn’t have any checked luggage. We flew with Air China. We arrived at the check-in counter at 9:50 AM, 2 hours and 40 minutes before the flight. The line for our check-in stretched 300 meters across the airport in both directions. What a joke!! We spent 1 hour and 45 minutes in that line just to reach the counter and get our boarding passes. By then, it was 11:35 AM, and boarding had already started at 11:20 AM. The screens showed a 25-minute walk to our gate—on the other side of the airport, of course—plus we had to go through passport control and security... Long story short, the plane didn’t leave without us 🙂 We boarded among the last passengers, and we took off at 12:30 PM. We’d flown Air China four times before, but this time, it felt *really* low-cost. The check-in chaos, the cramped seats (12 seats per row), no music by artists known outside China, mediocre food, and a boarding area at Beijing Airport with only 10 seats—worthy of Ryanair or EasyJet. And yet, the price was sky-high. Again, D.’s vacation requests were denied outside of July and August, so we’re traveling from August 2nd to 30th. We couldn’t have picked a worse time for inflated prices, and with the situation in Iran, we got hit with a 390 € fuel surcharge. I’ve never paid so much for flights—I felt like I’d bought business class, but nope, far from it!!
We landed in Beijing around 4:15 AM. It was 28°C with thick fog. We drove and drove and drove for 20 minutes, as usual in Beijing. Then we went through a first check, a second check, a third check, and waited for our connecting flight at 6:40 AM. A small Airbus A320, but way more space than in the Boeing 777 from the first flight. We landed in Kunming, Yunnan, around 10:15 AM in the rain.
We headed to the subway. You can’t pay at the machines with Alipay here either, so we set up the transport QR code directly in Alipay to scan at the subway gates. The process is a bit long the first time if you haven’t entered your info before, but once it’s done, it’s *so* much easier! We took Line 6 to the terminus for 6 yuan each.
We’d booked a hotel nearby, on the 16th floor. It’s actually studios on different floors of a huge residential building. The view’s pretty nice from here. We settled in quickly—back to those wooden beds, or rather, mattresses as hard as wood, which we *hadn’t* missed...
Then we went out for our first bowl of noodles of the trip and wandered through the shopping streets of the old town.
It was crowded, and the weather was cool—around 19–20°C. We tried a local specialty: milk skin, thick, dried, then grilled with rose jam. Yeah... we won’t be having that again. The taste and texture of the milk skin... no thanks.
We saw a lot of wild mushroom hotpot too. It’s on our list for later. We also passed through the Jinma and Biji gates, where I played with reflections in puddles. I *love* doing that 🙂
At the end of the day, we headed to a temple advertised as open 24/7 on Amap. Of course, when we got there, it was closed. We’ll go back tomorrow. That was the first of many disappointments with Amap this trip—I hadn’t had that issue on previous visits.
We were exhausted after that sleepless flight. Night was falling, and we decided to grab a quick bite without much appetite. We shared a delicious vegetable fried rice for 12 yuan—we even left half of it. The portions are *huge*.
After a couple of small purchases, we headed back at 9 PM, wiped out, after walking 17 km between the airports and these first steps in Kunming. I expected to see quite a few Western travelers here, but we didn’t spot a single one. Instead, we met lots of curious Chinese people, many of them super friendly and helpful—almost *too* eager, like when they’d run to serve us as fast as possible. It’s a bit much, but it’s great to be back!
Hi everyone, I’m Patrick, 67 years old, a seasoned traveler (already 22 trips outside Europe).
In autumn 2025, I took my first 3-week trip to Japan, with stops in Tokyo, Kamakura, Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Koyasan, Tokyo again, and Nikko.
I wanted to go back in May 2026 and explore some lesser-known places to complement my first trip.
Last year, there were four of us traveling together to discover Japan (a fairly classic itinerary). This time, I’ll be traveling solo for part of the trip and with a couple of French friends for the rest.
The weather was gorgeous in May, averaging around 25°C, with two very hot days in Kyoto and only two rainy days.
As usual, I organized everything myself, gathering plenty of information from various sites, including this one.
Transportation:
An ICOCA card is essential.
I got a 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima pass because I took the shinkansen between Hiroshima and Osaka three times, and it paid for itself quickly.
Accommodations:
Mostly through Booking. No issues at all. Average cost was 46 € per night.
Meals:
For breakfast, I alternated between buying food at a konbini to eat in my room or on the train and grabbing something at local cafés.
For lunch and dinner, I tried to vary my meals as much as possible—lots of sashimi, sushi, and ramen.
Okonomiyaki in Osaka and Hiroshima.
Oysters in every form (raw, grilled, fried) in Onomichi and Hiroshima.
A variety of seafood (shrimp, shellfish) in Hiroshima and Matsumoto.
Fish whose names often escaped me, but notably mackerel and eel (unagi).
Tempura and gyoza.
Chicken skewers (yakitori) and one teppanyaki meal.
One omakase meal (9 different dishes).
In the end, not much meat aside from a few yakitori skewers. No splurges on super expensive wagyu or Kobe beef.
Average dinner cost: 4,800 yen, drinks included.
The Itinerary:
Day 1: Departure from Brussels
Day 2: Arrival in Osaka
Day 3: To Himeji, then Kurashiki
Day 4: To Fukuyama, then Tomo no Ura, then Onomichi
Day 5: Cycling the Shimanami Kaido
Day 6: To Takahara, then Hiroshima
Day 7: To Kyoto to attend the Aoi Matsuri parade
Day 8: To Miyajima
Day 9: Hiroshima, then Kyoto
Day 10: Southern Kyoto
Day 11: Northern Kyoto
Day 12: Final day in Kyoto, then to Nagatsugawa
Day 13: Start of the Nakasendo Trail (Magome to Tsumago)
Day 14: Second day of the trail (Kiso Fukushima)
Day 15: Third day of the trail (Narai), then Matsumoto
Day 16: To Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchiko)
Day 17: To Tokyo
Day 18: Excursion to Enoshima and Kamakura
Day 19: Flight home, with a 10-hour layover in Hong Kong
Day 20: Arrival in Brussels
This time, I landed in Monastir on a direct flight from Nice, again with Tunisair. We left about ten minutes late, and the flight lasted around 1 hour 30 minutes. A meal was served on board (cucumber salad with Edam-like cheese, carrots, and two small portions of dishes I couldn’t identify—semolina with peppers, olives, and parsley, two small rolls, a square of processed cheese, and a chocolate cake). It’s worth noting because it’s not common on flights this short.
In February, France and Tunisia were in the same time zone, but now Tunisia is one hour behind. This time difference and the flight duration work perfectly for a short 15-day trip since it takes me a few days to adjust to jet lag.
Luckily, I’d asked my hotel about the taxi fare from the airport because the drivers (there were several around me) didn’t hesitate to quote outrageous prices. The actual fare is 20 dinars, but one asked for 120 dinars. I refused, and another offered 60 dinars. I replied, "That’s too expensive—I’ll take the metro!" (Having tried the Tunis metro, I had no desire to repeat the experience in Monastir with a suitcase!). I started walking toward the metro, and one of the drivers caught up with me, saying, "20 dinars is fine!" I’ll skip the details, but the negotiation took a little while.
When I arrived at the hotel, I told the receptionist someone had asked for 120 dinars. He put his hands to his head and said, "They’re awful!" He remembered our phone call two days earlier when I’d booked (he’s the one who told me I could take the metro).
The Mezri Hotel isn’t expensive. I got a sea-view room for 75 dinars (22 €). (I’d booked a balcony room for 90 dinars but wouldn’t have had time to enjoy it.) It’s well-located but noisy because there’s no double glazing.
The receptionist is a very kind older gentleman. He called a friend whose wife is from Tozeur to find out if I should take a bus or a *louage* tomorrow and what time.
I arrived at the hotel around 7:00 PM and had time to stroll along the corniche to the ribat. Despite some run-down buildings, the seaside seemed livelier and cheerier than Sousse’s.
Monastir is the hometown of former president Bourguiba. I passed his mausoleum by taxi. There are Tunisian flags along the avenue by the sea because every year on April 6—the anniversary of Habib Bourguiba’s death—the president of the Republic visits the Bourguiba Mausoleum in Monastir to pay respects.
The taxi driver mentioned other Tunisian presidents. He complained about rising prices and insecurity, blaming President Kaïs Saïed (I’d already heard that security was better under Ben Ali).
At the end of my stay, I’ll take time to explore Monastir, but tomorrow morning, I’m off to Tozeur—a long bus ride awaits me.
With my girlfriend Christelle, we’ve chosen South Africa for our first trip to Southern Africa, focusing on safaris—after a long debate with a Cape Town/Kruger combo.
But that would’ve meant cutting out St Lucia, which would’ve been harder to fit into another trip.
And St Lucia—thanks to Michel and all those travel journals—we really wanted to go there.
So our 11-night itinerary ended up like this, mostly shaped by school holidays:
- 3 nights in St Lucia
- 1 night in Hluhluwe
- 1 night at Mkhaya Game Reserve (Eswatini)
- 1 night at Hlane Royal National Park (Eswatini)
- 3 nights in Kruger (Berg en Dal / Satara / Tamboti)
- 1 night at Shindzela Tented Camp in the Timbavati private reserve
- 1 final night in Kruger at Lower Sabie
All of this in the off-season and rainy season, just a month after catastrophic floods that killed over 150 people and seriously damaged Kruger’s infrastructure.
I’ll jump straight to St Lucia and skip the loooong journey to get there (with a layover in Frankfurt, landing in Johannesburg, a domestic flight to Durban, and the rest by rental SUV—First Car Rental, perfect, no complaints).
To motivate readers—especially some familiar faces here—I’ll drop in a first photo.
Hi everyone, we're back from a DIY USA road trip we organized from July 31, 2026, to August 26, 2026.
The destination: The Southwest USA, including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Roughly 7,000 kilometers covered.
The car: A Chevrolet Equinox for two, rented through BSP Auto and Avis. Inside, we had 2 suitcases, a travel bag, two carry-on bags, a Walmart cooler, photo gear, and water bottles (a 40-pack).
The route: Dallas DFW, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Alpine, El Paso, Tucson, Sedona, Albuquerque, Amarillo, and back to Dallas to finish with a departure from DFW.
The travelers: Two seniors well advanced in years (73 and 75) but still active (nothing too physically demanding—to stay alive and fund our trips), fully independent physically, though a bit less so mentally. Big USA fans, a country where anything is possible. More walkers than hikers, preferring 3-star hotels over roadside motels, Italian restaurants over US food, frequent stops for photos, museums over nothing, naps over forced marches. Not too whiny, just enough to stay French in the land of the "great Satan," as they say.
Not great with languages—street English (but handy), and my Spanish is non-existent except for: "Hola! Una cerveza por favor!" That’s about it. My wife understands everything but refuses to speak.
The cost of the road trip: Around 12,000 €, including AF flights, the car, gas, gifts, visits, and everything else. Well managed, since we’d budgeted 13,500 € initially.
The positive side: A delight, with those endless open roads. Museums to discover. The realization of the Hispanic presence and its important history in this part of America. Lovely locals. Tourists who were more or less friendly. A terrible Texan accent that was hard to understand. Gas stations that were like real stores, with prepared food, alcohol sold in Arizona and New Mexico, and employees who were always up for a laugh!
The negative side: The heat throughout the trip... 43°C in Dallas at the end. Impossible to walk the streets. Lots of homeless people in downtown Dallas. Hotel breakfasts that were always the same. You get used to it.
So, it was positive overall, but the concept is starting to wear us out. We might rethink the DIY road trip model for next time. If the man upstairs grants us more time.
Next up, we’ll wait for the first batch of sorted photos to go through the wringer.
Here we go!!!
I left home at 4 AM on October 31st and headed to Barcelona. Driving through Barcelona on the ring road stresses me out a bit, but at 6 AM the traffic is smooth, and I arrive at the airport without any issues. I call the valet, who quickly comes to pick up my car. He takes photos of it from all angles before letting me go.
Baggage check-in hasn’t started yet, and there are already several of us waiting.
Once free, everything happens very quickly. The flight to Abu Dhabi is on time and goes smoothly. I’ve never had any problems with this airline, which I’ve been using for several years.
The flight to Bangkok arrives at 7 AM as scheduled. This is my first time in Thailand and Bangkok. I’m used to traveling in India, and I notice that everything here is well organized—the customs process is quick, and the luggage is already on the carousel.
I booked a taxi on Booking. All I have to do is find the right exit and door based on the agency’s instructions. A large sign with the names of people who booked is posted on a wall. A hostess greets me and calls the taxi, which arrives 5 minutes later. I booked one night at the Lost Inn BKK hotel in the Phra Nakhon district, and we arrive at 9 AM. The welcome isn’t warm, and I have to wait until noon, sitting on a chair, before I can check into my room. I’m exhausted, and sleeping sitting up isn’t ideal. Noon finally arrives—the room is small but clean, which is fine for one night. I quickly take a shower to wake up because I plan to spend the afternoon visiting the Grand Palace. First, I need to exchange some money, and the banks are all close together on the same street, which is very convenient. When I enter one, a hostess gives me a ticket and invites me to sit down. There are about twenty counters, and I wait quietly until my number is called. The exchange is quick, so I can head out to find the Royal Palace. It’s actually very easy, and the walk is pleasant.
Entry to the Royal Palace (500 baht).
It’s magnificent and grand, and there are quite a few of us visiting. The sky is gray, it’s very humid, and a shower interrupts the visit. It’s a vast complex of temples and palaces. The buildings are colorful and sparkling, with a great sense of serenity (without the tourists, of course). I quietly enjoy the place and try to take photos without tourists, which isn’t easy.
Very close to the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the capital.
It’s very famous for its 46-meter-long reclining Buddha statue.
Walking around the temple, you can see different representations of Buddha, all covered in gold leaf.
Inside the temple, on one side, monks recite their prayers, while the other side is reserved for tourists who come to meditate in silence.
Before returning to the hotel, I have dinner at an Indian restaurant. I go to bed early because tomorrow’s wake-up call will be very early again.
Saturday, November 2nd
Wake-up at 4 AM, departure from the hotel at 4:30 AM. The taxi I booked via Booking is waiting for me and takes me to the airport. The trip is fairly quick—he takes small roads, and at this hour, there’s no traffic.
The flight to Phnom Penh is on time. Before boarding, I realize I left my fleece jacket on the carousel, but it’s too late to go back for it.
The flight goes well, and customs is quick.
At the exit, I take a tuk-tuk to Julieka’s GH near the museum. The welcome is friendly. I won’t be able to check into my room until noon, so I take the opportunity to exchange some euros on the market street. The street is lined with restaurants, and I’ll have my first meal there.
The museum is right across the street, so I don’t waste any time visiting it.
The representations of Hindu deities are very different from those in India, and I don’t recognize them. Many beautiful Buddhas are on display.
The museum is very pleasant, and there aren’t too many people, which is a plus.
At the exit, I return to the GH, settle into my room—which is decent and clean.
The Royal Palace is 1 km away. I walk along a garden, and at the end of the street is the Tonlé Sap, but I turn right. I arrive at a large esplanade and see the buildings with tiered roofs and glazed tiles. The entrance to the palace is a little further away.
At the entrance, I notice there isn’t the same crowd as at the one in BKK.
Khmer architecture is magnificent. The complex consists of gardens, palaces, pagodas with golden roofs, and slender spires.
The Silver Pagoda houses the small Emerald Buddha, which is actually made of jade. The silver flooring is covered with carpets. Photos are not allowed.
The walls surrounding the pagoda are covered with frescoes depicting scenes from the Ramayana.
My partner and I traveled from Sunday, July 5, 2026, to Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
We spent a long time debating whether to rent a car or use public transportation. In the end, after reading so many posts about travelers getting scammed by police or rental companies—even those recommended by blogs and reviews—we decided to stick with public transport. It worked out really well. Sure, we had a little less freedom to go where we wanted, but it was way less stressful for us.
Sunday, July 5:
Arrived at Cancun Airport. Withdrew cash from the ATM in the terminal just before exiting. The ADO bus counter (they pronounce it "A-Jee-O") is right behind you when you're facing the ATM. Bus to downtown Cancun cost 145 pesos per person.
Stayed at "Rose 5," booked on Booking. The studio was super clean and perfect for one night. The owner’s instructions for accessing the place were very precise, with photos included. Check-in was self-service with a code. The ADO bus terminal isn’t far, and there are shops and restaurants nearby. We really appreciated that the AC was already on when we arrived. By the way, I’d recommend always booking places with AC—it’s *really* hot in Mexico.
Monday, July 6:
Bought a SIM card with data from a TELCEL store. My partner, who’s on Free Mobile, was able to use her regular plan. Just so you know, I found the network pretty unstable. As soon as we left the cities, neither of us—me with TELCEL or her with Free—had any signal.
Another thing to watch out for: roaming charges. I had to turn my SIM back on for less than 30 seconds to get a bank SMS code, and my phone apparently connected to the internet—resulting in an 8-euro roaming fee.
Left on an ADO bus to Chiquila for 278 pesos per person. During our trip, ADO buses were always on time, comfortable, and clean. The AC is *cranked* though, so bring something to cover up with—it gets cold. Some routes were fully booked even in the low season, so try to reserve 1 or 2 days in advance either via the app (when it works) or at the counter.
When we arrived at the ADO terminal in Chiquila, the ferry company counters were right next to it. Ferries leave every 30 minutes, alternating between companies, so no need to book ahead. Just take whichever one is leaving next (330 pesos per person).
When we got to Holbox (pronounced "Hol-bosh"), we’d booked a place via Booking called "Casa de Nana." It was a huge studio with a fridge, cooking plate, and utensils. The best part? The *location*. It was 100 meters from the beach and 200 meters from a Chedraui supermarket. They provided bath towels and beach towels, and the AC worked perfectly. There’s a key box so you can leave your keys inside when you go out. The only downside was that no one was there to let us in when we arrived, so we had to wait a while. The Wi-Fi was good, which was lucky because during our 4-day stay in Holbox, the phone network *never* worked. According to locals, that’s pretty common in Holbox, along with water outages.
Luckily, I’d had the good idea to download an offline map, which helped us find our way back to the place more easily. You can walk there from the dock.
The restaurant next to our place (La Barracuda) was great if you like seafood—I’d recommend their octopus dishes.
Tuesday, July 7:
We did a kayak tour in Holbox’s mangroves at 6 AM. We were looking for a sunrise kayak tour with a French-speaking guide. That’s exactly what we got with "Kayaking Holbox," where Diego, the owner, speaks English and French. He was joined by Gustavo, another guide.
We’d booked for a group tour, but we were the only ones. Diego still went ahead with it instead of canceling due to lack of participants, so we got a private tour at the group rate—really professional of him. They showed us this amazing ecosystem for over 3 hours. We saw all kinds of birds: pink flamingos, pelicans, egrets, frigatebirds... rays, a horseshoe crab, and a little crocodile that was *so* well hidden. Diego and Gustavo have a real eye for spotting animals—I could’ve passed by the crocodile 100 times and never seen it, it blended in so well. Their explanations about the flora and fauna were super interesting. We also got a little break where we tasted mangoes and bananas that taste *nothing* like the ones in France. A real treat—those little Mexican yellow mangoes! I’d definitely recommend Diego and his agency for a French-language kayak tour (1000 pesos per person).
In the evening, we walked to Punta Coco to see the bioluminescence. No need for a guided tour—if you really don’t want to walk, you can take a taxi. At Punta Coco, you have to pass the beach bar/restaurant and then go left into a kind of inlet that forms a lagoon. You have to wiggle your feet or move your hands in the water to create movement, which makes the light appear. Just don’t expect the kind of photos you’ve seen online—they’re all edited! It’s fun to see, but you won’t be dazzled by the light...
Wednesday, July 8:
Whale shark tour with "My Holbox Tours." Why recommend this agency over others for swimming with whale sharks? Simply because Valérie surrounds herself with top professionals to make your experience unforgettable. We were with Captain Fernando, who does everything to position the boat perfectly and make your swim easier. In the water, we were with Humberto, who also goes above and beyond to make sure you have an incredible time. He doesn’t just "supervise" like some guides from other companies who leave you on your own. No, Humberto reads the whale shark’s trajectory and guides you—all you have to do is follow him. He really puts in the effort, even holding your hand to guide you through this quick but intense encounter. Humberto also films the moment and will offer to show you the videos and sell them to you. His footage is really high quality.
Fernando and Humberto also prepared food for us. Special mention for their guacamole! Valérie is there to make sure everything goes smoothly on the boat and to answer your questions in French, English, or Spanish about these animals. If you choose My Holbox Tours, you can be sure you’ll get a top-notch experience.
About the tour itself: before you go, you should know that the sharks can be *really* far away. The day we went, it took 3.5 hours by boat to reach them. The boats are small, and let me tell you—on the way there, when we weren’t going with the waves, it was *rough*. Out of 9 passengers, 4 got seasick. But once you’re face-to-face with the shark, you forget all about that. Even if swimming with a whale shark isn’t exactly a walk in the park—they swim pretty fast, so you need some endurance to keep up. You’ll usually get 2 turns. Our first swim lasted a little over 4 minutes, and the second about 2 minutes because the shark was moving fast and we were still tired from the first swim. It might seem short, but when you’re swimming, it feels *long*. Either way, it’s an experience you *have* to do—but choose your company wisely. On the way back, there’s a stop at Cabo Catoche. Honestly, the snorkeling is pretty disappointing if you’ve done it elsewhere in the world. But the lunch stop at Cabo Catoche is really nice for relaxing (white sand and hammocks).
Thursday, July 9:
Short morning walk to Punta Mosquito at 6 AM. Really nice.
Ferry to Chiquila (330 pesos per person) + ADO bus to Valladolid (300 pesos per person).
In Valladolid, we booked "Casa Lucia" via Booking. The hotel is gorgeous, with a colonial style, and very close to the ADO bus terminal and downtown. It’s super quiet and clean. There’s a shared kitchen you can use with a fridge, microwave, and water dispenser, plus a big table by the pool and a nice indoor terrace. Breakfast was simple but included. The only small downsides were the tiny room and bathroom, no mirror in the room, and a noisy fan.
Friday, July 10:
Not far from the ADO bus terminal is the colectivo station for Chichen Itza. They offer a round-trip to Chichen Itza with an option to stop at Ik Kil cenote on the way back and then drop you off in Valladolid for 370 pesos per person (Ik Kil entrance included).
For the Chichen Itza visit, we’d booked a tour with a guide often mentioned in groups—his name is Juan Pat. He’s a Maya who lives near the site and speaks excellent French. He reserves spots in advance for you and queues up to be the first on-site. It cost 500 pesos per person + entrance fees. His tour lasts 2 hours and focuses mainly on the main pyramid and the ball court. He’s passionate and fascinating, even if some of his claims, as a Maya, might be a little biased. I think it’s *really* important to have a guide—otherwise, you’ll miss so much. You can contact Juan Pat on WhatsApp at +52 985 121 2381.
Afterward, we went to Ik Kil cenote (showers and life jackets mandatory, lockers available). It’s *very* crowded, but still really beautiful with its lush vegetation.
Saturday, July 11:
Since we didn’t have a car but still wanted to visit other cenotes that seemed hard to reach by public transport, we decided to book a taxi for the day. We agreed on 1200 pesos to take us to 3 different cenotes and wait for us at each one. (To find taxis, just look where they park near the ADO bus station.)
He picked us up at Zaci cenote, which we’d walked to. We got there at opening time and were the first ones there—had the place to ourselves for a while! 150 pesos per person. A pretty cenote in the city center with lush vegetation. It’s a bit like Ik Kil but without the deep cylindrical effect.
Cenote Xcanahaltun: the most beautiful cenote we visited. Entry 250 pesos per person. It’s a closed cenote with a hole that lets light in—a cave-like setting. You can kayak inside. There are little fish at the edge that nibble dead skin off your feet. Since it’s closed, the water is *freezing*!
Cenote Palomitas: entry 250 pesos per person. Another stunning closed cenote, even more enclosed than Xcanahaltun. The hole in the ceiling is smaller, so it was pretty dark when we arrived—kind of an eerie vibe. But when the staff turned on the lights, it looked like a "Gothic cathedral" full of bright stalactites.
Cenote Sac Aua: entry 290 pesos per person. The ticket includes a guided cave tour (tip-based). This cenote is really unique with its central island and way less crowded than Suytun. Just so you know, the water is *really* cold in cenotes. In these three, in July, we had the place to ourselves for a while and never saw more than 2 families at once—so peaceful!
Sunday, July 12:
ADO bus to Bacalar (536 pesos per person).
In Bacalar, we stayed via Airbnb with a host named Luli, who offers several rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen.
The room is nicely decorated in a pleasant setting. It’s ideally located near the lagoon and downtown. The shared kitchen is handy. The mosquito net over the bed is useful because there are *a lot* of mosquitoes in Bacalar. Luli provides a water jug, which is really nice. The only big downside is the lack of water pressure in the shower—we had to rinse off by filling a bucket. Also, there’s no real door separating the room from the bathroom. We never met Luli in person, but she was very responsive via messages. The terrace in the middle of the vegetation is lovely.
From the ADO terminal to the place, we took a taxi for 40 pesos. Since this driver was honest about the price (we’d checked beforehand), we decided to use him every time we needed a taxi in Bacalar. Here’s his WhatsApp: +52 983 184 3585.
Monday, July 13:
We did a boat tour on the lagoon with "Bacalar Francophone Activities." Since we were just the two of us, it cost 3500 pesos. If we’d managed to be 4 people, it would’ve been 1000 pesos per person.
We had a private 4-hour tour on the lagoon with Steeve and his very comfortable boat. He’s from Quebec, so his French is perfect. During those 4 hours, Steeve showed us the lagoon’s iconic spots *and* places other boats don’t go. He told us about the lagoon’s history and gave great tips on where to go and where to eat. As a little bonus, he gave us a video taken with his drone during our swimming break.
Tuesday, July 14:
We went to Los Rapidos by taxi (400 pesos round trip) and entry was 225 pesos per person. It’s *very* touristy but really beautiful. You can eat there (expensive), relax, and go down the "rapids" as many times as you want. It’s worth it if you spend a few hours there. You can’t bring in food or drinks—you leave them at the entrance and pick them up on the way out.
Wednesday, July 15:
On Wednesdays, navigation is banned on Bacalar Lagoon, so we’d planned another excursion.
Visit to Calakmul from Bacalar with ABCtours (WhatsApp +52 983 319 8359).
This agency organized a trip from Bacalar to Calakmul with a French-speaking guide. Communication beforehand via WhatsApp was smooth. Mr. Checo, the driver, and Fernando, the guide (who spoke great French), picked us up on the day. Mr. Checo drove very carefully on the long road and always made sure we were comfortable. Fernando is passionate about flora and fauna—he’s a biologist with a degree in ornithology, so he knows *everything* about animals. The slightest sound or song, and he knows what it is. He’s got an eye for spotting them, from the biggest to the smallest.
During the trip, we stopped at km 27 for a short forest walk, then went to see the two main pyramids on the site. On the way back, we stopped at the bat cave for the magical spectacle of millions of bats flying out at dusk. In the end, we saw or glimpsed (some briefly) spider monkeys, howler monkeys, a toucan, 2 tapirs, turkeys, 2 deer, and lots of birds. If, like us, you’re more into flora and fauna than archaeology, I’d *highly* recommend this agency and tour with Fernando.
It’s not cheap, but the road between Bacalar and the site is *long* (3.5 hours). Price: 3900 pesos per person for 2 (3500 for 3, 3200 for 4).
Thursday, July 16:
ADO bus to Playa del Carmen (614 pesos per person).
In Playa del Carmen, we stayed in an Airbnb. The building is on the town hall square, next to the casino.
The best thing about this place is the *location*—super close to Fifth Avenue (La Quinta). The kitchen is pretty basic, but the fridge works well. There are supermarkets nearby. The rooftop pool is really nice. The two big downsides, though, are the soundproofing (you can *hear* the neighbor’s alarm and all the events on the square) and the *total* lack of water pressure in the shower. We had to fill a trash can with water to pour over ourselves. When we told the owner, he said it wasn’t normal and someone would come fix it, but we never heard back. Based on previous reviews, this seems to be a known issue that never gets resolved.
Playa del Carmen is *very* touristy on Fifth Avenue, but in a fun, musical vibe—we never felt unsafe. There are *tons* of little souvenir shops for tourists on this street. There’s a beautiful monumental sculpture on the beach (the two figures meeting in the air), next to which you can see the Voladores show (men climbing a pole, tying themselves with ropes, and descending headfirst while "flying" around the pole). The show is tip-based and happens several times a day. In our opinion, Calle 38 is prettier than Fifth Avenue—it’s lush, green, and quieter, with the sea at the end. Great for an early evening stroll. We had really good meals at great prices at "El Tio Noy" tacos, just a few meters from Fifth Avenue in a side street.
For souvenirs, we’d recommend going to Walmart instead of Fifth Avenue—you’ll find skulls, tequila, mezcal, keychains, mugs, glasses... at good, fixed prices.
Friday, July 17:
We did the excursion to Isla Contoy. Isla Contoy is an uninhabited, highly protected island. Only 200 people are allowed to land per day on a rotating basis, so only a few companies have permission to dock there. Most agencies subcontract the day to a third-party company.
We booked through VRM (Viviendo Riviera Maya), but it was Ocean Tours Mexico that handled the tour. Contoy is a little paradise. We were accompanied by multilingual guides, including French speakers, throughout the day. Steffy gave us info about the island during a short walk on the marked trails, and Leño Tlatemoa kept the mood up on the boat rides with music and dancing. Isla Contoy is *truly* stunning, and the lunch was delicious: grilled fish and chicken, guacamole and tortilla chips, rice, fruit, drinks (everything is brought and taken back by the guides). The snorkeling part was pretty disappointing if you’ve done it in Cozumel, though. The stop at Isla Mujeres isn’t very interesting either—it’s too short to explore, and the island is *extremely* touristy. Still, the excursion was very well organized, and we had a great day (2970 pesos per person).
Saturday, July 18:
We wanted to go snorkeling in Cozumel but thought the prices from French-speaking agencies were too high. Plus, for snorkeling, we figured we didn’t *need* a French-speaking guide.
So we found a much cheaper solution by taking the ferry from Playa del Carmen ourselves and choosing an agency in Playa. The round-trip ferry cost 663.50 pesos per person. Then we took a taxi to the snorkeling boat (100 pesos). The agency we chose is called Mystic Snorkel—they don’t have a physical office. The tour cost 1400 pesos per person. It was a small boat, but that day we were the only ones, so we got a private tour at the group rate. We stopped at 4 different sites, all very different and beautiful. We saw all kinds of fish, corals, a nurse shark, and turtles. El Cielo, with its huge starfish, is *exceptional*. If you’re going snorkeling in the Yucatan Peninsula, this is *the* tour to do—the other sites are pretty "poor" in comparison.
Sunday, July 19:
Morning dive with Triton Diving. I chose the Cozumel dive option. Great experience.
Booking via WhatsApp was easy. On the day of the dive, Selene, who speaks French, was our guide. She’s *very* attentive to the group’s safety. The briefings are clear and precise. In Cozumel, we did 2 very different sites: the first was a drift dive with lots of life—beautiful corals and fish. The second was a wreck, the C53, a 56-meter boat you can enter. Not much marine life, but a beautiful wreck intentionally sunk for divers—still in great condition. An unforgettable moment. Selene even took videos during the dive, which the club sends you for free afterward. I’d *highly* recommend this club.
Just so you know, in Playa del Carmen, the beaches were full of sargassum during our stay, despite barriers and daily cleanup. Locals told us the problem is getting worse and the sargassum is arriving earlier in the season. Tourism has taken a *big* hit this summer, and they’re wondering if tourism can even survive the sargassum season anymore. A lot of tourists are heading to the islands—Isla Mujeres and Cozumel—to enjoy the beaches, as the west side of those islands is sargassum-free.
Monday, July 20:
Colectivo to Puerto Morelos. First, a colectivo toward Cancun that drops you off between Puerto Morelos town and Puerto Morelos beach (40 pesos per person), then another from that junction to the beach (10 pesos per person).
In Puerto Morelos, we’d booked a room via Airbnb at "Piedra del Caribe." *Best* place we stayed in Mexico. It’s an aparthotel. Our room was ready before check-in, so they let us in early. The place matched the description—spacious, with a comfortable king-size bed. The shower had *great* pressure, which isn’t a given in Mexico. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. They let us use the pool, restrooms, and rooftop shower after check-out while we waited for our ride to Cancun Airport. They even kept our luggage. I *highly* recommend this place.
In Puerto Morelos, there was *way* less sargassum than in Playa del Carmen—it was actually swimmable.
We did the snorkeling tour with the fishermen’s cooperative for 450 pesos per person for 2 hours. The reef is close to the beach (you’re not allowed to swim there), so the boat ride is short. It’s not as pretty as Cozumel, but it’s nice and affordable. On Puerto Morelos’s page, you can also access a small, not-very-well-preserved reef. There’s also a cenote in the sea where fresh water mixes with saltwater—the water is murky there. We had a great dinner and excellent cocktails at "La Choza del Puerto."
Tuesday, July 21:
Wandered around Puerto Morelos (check out the church and read everything—it’s entertaining!), relaxed by the hotel pool, and left for Cancun Airport by taxi (400 pesos) booked via InDrive to head back to France.
Our highlights:
- Holbox
- The whale shark tour
- The cenotes
- The local flora and fauna (so present!)
- Isla Contoy
- Cabo Catoche (except for the snorkeling)
What we liked least:
- The bioluminescence (barely visible despite good conditions)
- The food—we found it not very diverse in taquerias
- The constant tipping
- The lack of water pressure in showers (fixed, wall-mounted, no hose or showerhead)
Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions while it’s still fresh in our minds.
Traveling with just one spare pair of underwear, considering a hot shower a miracle, never staying in the same place too long by sleeping wherever night catches us, taking whatever local, improbable, and rickety transport we can find—this is the DNA of us wanderers. Except this time, the script for our movie is going to be a whole different genre. On paper, the destination doesn’t exactly scream epic adventure: Réunion! And what’s more... we won’t be two, or four, or even ten. We’ll be a solid thirty. All from the same family. Yes, thirty. At this point, it’s not just a trip—it’s a summer camp on the move! Why inflict this on such a peaceful island? Because my brother decided to get married there with his lovely bride. A great idea, you might say... especially when it involves relocating the equivalent of a small Ardennes village 10,000 kilometers from home for three weeks! So who’s stepping up to be the guide and wave the little flag?
So, for an exceptional trip, exceptional stories! Don’t worry, the debates at the supermarket over whether to choose plain chips or roast chicken chips, the beach picnics washed down with ti’ punch, and other rougail sausages to digest by the pool will only make it into the family archives. Here, I’ll stick to the tales of our beautiful escapes, the ones where we explore the wild corners of this little volcanic rock planted in the middle of the Indian Ocean. So where exactly are we headed?
For the first week—the subject of this first installment—we’re taking it easy. We’ll start by rediscovering the coastline, from the Souffleur in Saint-Leu to the Hermitage lagoon, before a little trip to the Cirque de Cilaos and its legendary road with 400 turns, just to get our legs warmed up.
This travel journal is therefore intended solely for my photos, to present a consistent style.
All the shots were taken with a simple Samsung Galaxy smartphone and with whatever was at hand.
All stays combined, I’ve spent the equivalent of three years at most in Thailand, and I’m not a big expert on the country.
However, after many trips, lots of reading on VoyageForum and other sites, and conversations with many locals as well as expats, my view of the country is becoming clearer, though it’s constantly evolving. You never stop discovering and learning.
I guess I wanted to piece together a puzzle, mainly for those who want to get an idea of the country here and for those who miss it.
I don’t know if this minimalist sharing will interest anyone, but it’ll do me good to put it together. After so many months without traveling and then these other long months with VF closed, there’s plenty of material available.
There’ll be a mix of places, periods, and subjects, but it might well be intentional.
I suspect many Thais have dogs because they make excellent guards for the home. Nothing better to deter burglars or to signal the presence of a snake. You’ll often see Thais tapping the top of their dog’s head, but don’t be fooled: it’s a sign of affection from them. Judging by the dogs’ reactions, they’re used to it.
Thailand is one of the countries on the planet where rabies is still present, so keep that in mind. It’s not just bites that can be dangerous, so don’t let just any dog lick you. Especially on a wound, of course.
Even though dogs often fear humans—this dangerous and unpredictable predator—we still need to stay cautious.
Be careful when walking into alleys because the dog will defend its master’s big property, be careful at night, and be careful when they’re in packs.
It sometimes crosses our minds that Thailand isn’t really made for walking around, and dogs are one of the reasons.
That said, it’s not uncommon to see them chasing bikes or scooters. Cars, though, are much rarer—they’re too big.
It seems Thais prefer to give their dogs freedom by not locking them behind gates. Though sometimes the gate is closed, the little side door is wide open. Oh, and sometimes there’s no gate in front of the property, or it’s been broken for years.
You’ll often see dogs sleeping on the side of the road, sometimes right on the road. When you arrive, they move aside nonchalantly—or not at all. It’s less funny when they suddenly appear from thick vegetation, which reminds visitors not to drive too fast. As a result, you’ll notice that dogs with injuries or missing legs aren’t that rare.
Since they believe in reincarnation and respect for all forms of life, they don’t chase dog packs away too much, and they don’t sterilize them enough. Seeing a small pack roaming freely in the countryside, you might think it’s best not to cross paths with them at the edge of a field.
A darker side of this is that euthanasia isn’t often practiced. Twice, we saw dogs at temples on the brink of death, enduring terrible suffering. No one did anything about it. The image (and the smell) of one of them, dying and emitting the stench of death, still comes back to me sometimes.
Some of you may have seen the YouTube vlog of a French woman living in Phuket who was given a little pig by her Thai friends. The well-fed animal quickly became a happy, enormous beast with its own garden. Yet, it didn’t take long for it to fall seriously ill and become incurable. In her video, the French woman described how difficult it was to find a vet willing to perform euthanasia.
You’ll often see bowls by the side of the road. Thais leave food and water in them for stray cats and dogs. Overall, they have a big heart for animals.
If you ever pop into a shopping mall, you might see people pushing their small dogs in strollers. It’s not a gimmick—it’s just that these strollers are provided for customers to put their pets in, otherwise you can’t bring them inside. It looks a bit odd when you expect to see a baby.
It was winter, a winter with beautiful weather,
A season that only exists in the southwest of America,
I remember very well what I told you that morning
A month ago... A century ago, an eternity ago...
We’ll go... wherever you want, whenever you want...
Well, yeah, back from our adventure in our enchanting American West just a month ago, we’re already taking a bite out of one of its lesser-known competitors. "Flo, if you had to pick just one reason to justify your love for the U.S., what would it be?" The greasy, dripping burgers? No, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying it’d be the wide-open spaces... And that’s exactly what our new quest is taking us to—a land on the other side of the globe where the horizon also seems endless, where silence tastes like salty wind and sand, where freedom is measured in kilometers of desert tracks, where the GPS is mostly there to confirm you’re lost in the middle of nowhere... Add to that magic formula the fact that you’ll see more zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and elephants than people per square kilometer, and you can imagine us setting foot in Southern Africa for the first time, more precisely at the small airport in Windhoek, capital of... of...? Brush up on your geography, damn it! We’re landing in Namibia!!!
To be honest, Namibian landscapes have been flirting with me for ages. So how did I resist this island of temptation for so long? First, the budget. Let’s just say that for the same amount of effort (and kidneys), the bank lets you choose two other adventures almost anywhere else on the planet. Then there were my girls. Yeah, back then, they were too little to dose up on Malarone, the only malaria remedy at the time... Long story short, ten years later, all the planets have aligned. First, I won the Euromillions! Well, almost... Let’s just say my girls are now old enough... not to take Malarone, but to stop following me on all my adventures! Jackpot! "Flo, how about a little two-person caprice, just the two of us, tackling the Namibian tracks?"
As we landed on the runway, first wow effect: The horizon is immense. It’s flat as can be, incredibly flat... So much flat space! Did I mention it was flat?... Looking into the distance, it feels like your gaze could circle the Earth without hitting a single obstacle—until you end up staring at your own backside. "Oh, what a nice view!" Well, it’s the first time I’ve seen my butt from this angle! Touching moment... Sorry, I’m rambling—must be the exhaustion from the three-flight marathon we just powered through via Ethiopia and South Africa... And yet, no time to philosophize about my anatomy. As usual, we want to rack up our first kilometers to be front and center at dawn tomorrow. After wrapping up the tedious Namibian immigration formalities and meeting the 4x4 that’ll be our companion day and night for the next fifteen days, we’re off! We’re not exactly fresh, but we’re ready to tackle the next five hundred kilometers in night mode, cruise control set due south! Just outside Windhoek, the local wildlife—a jackal—welcomes us with a smile: "Welcome to Namibia!" That’s what it said! Honest... Okay, first endless straight road, first flaming sunset, first corrugated dirt track, first Milky Way with zero light pollution... You get it—it’s definitely the day of firsts... First night camping, too, in the big trunk of our Toyota Fortuner parked by the side of the track... The real adventure, the kind that smells under the arms, can finally begin...
Here we go—finally, the big day has arrived! A trip the whole family (my two kids, my husband, and me) had been looking forward to for so long.
To keep it short, we left from Nice, arrived in Namibia on June 25, 2025, and left again on the 21st—four weeks later.
We used an agency for all the camping reservations, activities, and the car rental. At least that side of things was taken care of. Michaël was our contact throughout the planning and the trip itself.
We spent our first night at Londiningi BB. A bit out of the city center but very quiet. The rooms were spacious and clean, and we could eat on-site that evening. Perfect for recovering from the flight.
This travel journal is our second on VoyageForum, following last year’s where we recounted our four weeks in Vietnam.
The goal remains the same: since some members on this site share tips, experiences, and great deals that help us prepare for our trips, we do the same after returning—both to give back a little and in the hope that our experiences might be useful to others in some way.
Our route was as follows: Bangkok, Siem Reap, Krabi, Suratthani, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Chumphon, Bang Saphan, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Sam Roi Yod, Hua Hin, Phetchaburi, Bangkok.
Beyond rediscovering Bangkok, our objectives were the long-held dream of seeing Angkor and exploring southern Thailand, much of which isn’t overly touristy.
A quick big thank-you to Barbot, who took the time to answer several of our questions.
12/07/2013
The cheapest flight we found earlier this year was a Paris-Bangkok route with a layover in Moscow for 1440 €, total for two people.
So, this time we tried Aeroflot. Airbus A318 for the first leg, A330 for the second. Nothing particularly annoying to report—the passengers were very calm, the cabin temperature was comfortable, and we had enough legroom.
That said, the quality of the meal trays was pretty mediocre, and the flight attendants weren’t exactly comedians.
We’d like to remind everyone that it’s best to exchange as little money as possible at the airport upon arrival, since the rate is about 5% worse than at city banks.
Of course, we made sure to take the airport exit where you can catch official taxis to avoid getting scammed. So, we queued up, a little lady gave us the ticket, and off we went with the driver.
Generally, this system works well because these drivers are registered, know their duties, and the risks they face if they break the rules. Except that day, right off the bat, we got the scammer of the day. His first move was to snatch the ticket from my wife’s hands—the one you’re supposed to keep in case of a complaint. My husband saw it, but after a full day of travel, we were a bit out of it, and honestly, there was no reason to be suspicious. But once we started driving, the guy refused to turn on the meter. We insisted more and more firmly, but nothing. So, I used the famous method of opening the door and starting to step out of the car. At 40 km/h, that scares the driver more than the passenger. He finally turned on the meter, but that didn’t calm him down—quite the opposite. For the next half-hour, he ruined the ride by demanding extra fees here and there. Having dealt with several scam attempts last year in Vietnam, this wasn’t exactly new, and we were proud of ourselves for staying pretty zen. Still, this guy was a little scary—he was completely wired and aggressive. Honestly, it was hard not to think he was on something. He’d be perfect for a *Scarface* remake. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he followed us to the entrance. We paid the two tolls (25 and 45 baht), gave him the usual 100 baht extra for the ride, and stayed polite but firm. So, meter: 245 baht + 100 baht + 25 and 45 baht for tolls—we paid the exact amount, no way we were tipping this guy. He left furious, but he was already like that before picking us up... Anyway, avoid Mr. Chartree Chidchen, number 089 826 7308, car E2663!
We were so relieved to finally settle in at Feung Nakorn Balcony hotel in the temple district. 42 € per night, great reception, all the staff is friendly. The AC works fine, the bed seemed hard at first but turned out to be comfortable. The hotel is quiet, away from the nightlife, but at this time of year, many places are less crowded than in high season. Even with a nice fish pond and outdoor breakfast area, it’s a decent hotel, though we felt we could’ve found something better.
After a night on the plane, the first afternoon is always a bit of a slog. We napped for a few hours, and when we woke up—guess what—we were starving. We visited a temple across from the hotel (nothing special) and then decided to take the Chao Phraya Express, the river shuttle that serves many piers along the river. It was a really enjoyable experience. The steel gangway wobbles when you board and disembark, the boat sits low in the water, and sometimes you get splashed. During peak times, you’re packed in like sardines, but most of all, there’s that exotic urban landscape passing by, especially the temple rooftops.
At that exact moment, the boat was packed. We didn’t see a ticket booth at the pier, and we tried in vain to pay the few baht for the ride. The cashier on the boat was too busy, and another employee we called didn’t have time to help us. Oh well, we weren’t going to force the issue. Still, this mode of transport is super practical for avoiding traffic, and at the piers, the lines with station names are clearly marked, with colors matching the flags on the boats. Combined with a map like the *Routard* guide, it’s easy to navigate.
We easily made it to the restaurant *Harmonique*, located near one of these piers. It’s a unanimous favorite on this forum, and let us tell you—it’s well-deserved. What a wonderful experience that evening! We only saw the outdoor gazebo because there was no way we were dining inside. It’s not flashy, so those looking for a luxurious setting should look elsewhere.
That night, the staff was a bit slow, and we had to track them down several times to move things along. But oh, my friends—what a feast on the plate! Start with the appetizer platter for two at 250 baht, featuring four specialties, each more tempting than the last, followed by their famous crab curry for 200 baht. There’s *so much* crab in there! The dish is so delicious and rich that when you finish, you feel—how to put it—like it was almost *too* good, to the point where you’re almost put off eating for days. And also, oh yes, we *will* be back. Their satay chicken is just as amazing, and it would be a crime not to mention their generous dessert with ice cream, warm banana, and chocolate, plus their *excellent* almond milkshake.
Later, we took a taxi to Kao San Road, mainly to book a Ko Tao-Chumphon trip for 600 baht per person at the Lomprayah counter. In hindsight, we should’ve booked all three of our trips there right away.
Kao San Road is *ultra*-touristy—better for younger crowds, but it’s still worth seeing. There’s rock ‘n’ roll, hippies, and crowds everywhere.
We walked back to the hotel, and when we got a little lost near a canal, a really nice older Thai man spontaneously appeared out of the night to kindly point us in the right direction.
Finally, a real long night of sleep ahead—we cranked up the AC. Sweet, the vacation has begun!
Hi there,
I just got back from a trip to Sri Lanka from December 18th to January 1st with 2 adults and 2 kids (12 years old).
If it helps, here’s my itinerary.
We left on December 18th from Madrid with Qatar Airways. No complaints. I booked my tickets back in March for 800 € per person. (I flew from Madrid because I live near the Spanish border and was too worried about strikes in France.)
We arrived on December 19th at 4 PM (local time). Before leaving France, I’d booked a taxi through MyTransfer for 59 € to Sigiriya. A van was waiting for us at the airport exit.
A never-ending 3-hour drive to Sigiriya. We stayed at Samana Guesthouse—very simple, clean, with a pool and an excellent Sri Lankan breakfast. Shower and straight to bed.
Friday, December 20th: Beautiful weather, but very humid and hot. We visited Lion Rock (36 € for adults) and then Pidurangala.
I loved both sites—they’re a must-do in my opinion.
Spent the late afternoon by the pool.
Saturday, December 21st: Another gorgeous day. The guesthouse manager offered us a free 2-hour tuk-tuk tour. We first visited a lake, rice fields, the temple, and the Sigiriya market, plus the usual tourist trap—the botanical garden (no pressure to buy anything at the end).
Then we took a tuk-tuk to Dambulla Temple, the Golden Buddha, and the wholesale market.
Sunday, December 22nd: Still beautiful weather. I’d booked a taxi for 8 AM. We did all the long trips by taxi to save time. I’d ask for prices from 2 or 3 WhatsApp taxi agencies 2 days or the day before—super responsive, always got replies within 5 minutes. We headed to Ella (4-hour drive) for 22,000 LKR.
Arrived in the afternoon at Rest Full Homestay—a small, family-run guesthouse. Clean, cozy, and an amazing Sri Lankan breakfast.
In the afternoon, we went to Nine Arches Bridge. It was a Sunday, a Sri Lankan holiday, so it was *packed*—mostly locals and very few white tourists! Even though it was crowded, it was cool because it was all Sri Lankans. We waited an hour for the train. It’s worth seeing, but honestly, I didn’t think it was that amazing.
Then we headed to the station to check if we needed to book tickets for the train to Haputale—turns out, no.
Monday, December 23rd: Beautiful weather. We hiked Ella Rock—a gorgeous trek. The final stretch is steep but shaded, so it wasn’t as tough as I’d read. The whole hike is stunning from start to finish. We saw the train pass twice (one blue, one red) and lots of women picking tea.
After that, we did Little Adam’s Peak. It’s not hard, but it was *packed* with tourists—meh. Luckily, at the top, you can walk a bit farther (down one side and back up) to get some space to yourself.
What I *didn’t* like was the commercial vibe at the big café/restaurant with a pool at the entrance of Little Adam’s Peak. Loud music, all that money being made right next to little souvenir stands run by Sri Lankans or tea-picking women. Felt off.
Ended the day buying souvenirs at one of the few shops we found during the trip.
Tuesday, December 24th: Beautiful weather. Took the train to Haputale. We got to the station 30 minutes before the 9:30 AM train. We could’ve taken 2nd or 3rd class—I went with 2nd (160 LKR per person).
It was crowded, but we managed to get seats—first 2, then 3. Only a 1-hour ride, but I *loved* it—windows and doors open the whole time.
Arrived in Haputale around 11 AM, and the mist was already rolling in.
We walked to our guesthouse, The Mist Holiday Bungalow. Simple but clean, with a great view of the tea plantations. The owner’s wife is Vietnamese and used to work for French tour operators, so her French is still pretty good—helpful for us since our English is terrible. They booked us a tuk-tuk for 4:45 AM the next day (2,000 LKR) to Lipton’s Seat.
Spent the afternoon wandering around Haputale. Not much charm, but there’s a nice fruit and veggie market and a short walk through the tea plantations.
Wednesday, December 25th: Beautiful weather. The tuk-tuk was on time to take us to Lipton’s Seat. We were the first ones there—the sky was just starting to turn pink. In the end, only about ten of us watched the sunrise. The guesthouse had packed us breakfast, and we walked back down (half on the road, half through the plantations). Didn’t see any tea picking since it was Christmas, but the walk was still incredible. We took detours through villages full of kids.
After that, we visited the tea factory. The tour was really interesting, and we took the bus back down to Haputale. Such a great moment—whole families were heading to mass, dressed up and made up. All so beautiful.
At noon, we left for Udawalawe National Park. Taxi for 14,000 LKR. Stayed at River Inn Safari Cottage. *Warning*: It’s the same place as Eagle Safari Cottage. I don’t recommend it. We’d always stayed with families before, but here it was just staff—totally different vibe. The pool was nice but not very clean (water was murky). The bungalow was big and fine, but it was brand new—so new the asphalt floor wasn’t fully dry. It’s in the middle of nowhere, so we had to eat on-site. Couldn’t leave a review on Booking because they never confirmed we’d stayed, and they canceled our reservation the next day.
Thursday, December 26th: Beautiful weather. I’d booked a safari through the hotel for 5:30–10 AM for 54 USD. Honestly, yes, there are a lot of jeeps, but it was great. The kids loved it—we saw everything there was to see.
Left by taxi at 11:30 AM for Welligama (12,000 LKR).
We didn’t stay in Welligama city but at Coconut Beach, between Welligama and Midigama. *Total crush* on the guesthouse: Sky Mountain Café with View. Such a lovely family. The mom makes amazing meals at reasonable prices. The view from the hill over the sea is unreal.
Spent the afternoon walking along the beach.
Friday, December 27th: Beautiful weather. My kids are surfers. Unfortunately, there weren’t any boards their size to rent at Coconut, so we took a tuk-tuk to Welligama Bay (1,000 LKR). They surfed from 8 AM to 5 PM—rental was 5,000 LKR for the day. Meanwhile, we walked the beach and swam. Water was 29°C.
Saturday, December 28th: Beautiful weather, rain from 4 PM until midnight. Same surf day. They were so well-behaved the whole trip, so this was their reward.
Sunday, December 29th: Beautiful weather. Beach day at Coconut. *Warning*: It’s a reef break. For surfers, there are three spots (Coconut Left, Middle, and Right). The boys bodysurfed (with fins) all morning, and at 1 PM, we took the bus to Hikkaduwa.
Stayed at Hotel Universal Beach. Nothing special—right on the water, but the rooms were dark even though they were clean. The manager was super nice, but the rest was meh, and breakfast was mediocre compared to what we’d had before (2 eggs and 3 slices of toast). Plus, it was late—8 AM.
First impression of Hikkaduwa wasn’t great—way too many Russians for our taste.
Monday, December 30th: Beautiful weather. Spent the whole day exploring. Turtle Beach, then the other side of the beach (toward Galle) near the fishing port. The beach there is much wider, with scattered hotels and super quiet. It’s beautiful—I should’ve booked somewhere in that area. Ended up having a great day away from the crowds.
Tuesday, December 31st: Overcast, then beautiful, rain at 4 PM. Had to end the year (and the trip) with some surf. Rented boards for the kids (3,000 LKR per board for the day). Bad luck—the waves were on a reef break but small. Not great for them, but no big deal. They still got out of the water by 2 PM. Walked the beach (which is gorgeous), had a juice, and went for a swim. Then back to surfing in the rain at 4 PM.
Wednesday, January 1st: Left by taxi at 5 AM (18,000 LKR). Flight at 10 AM. Arrived in Madrid at 8 PM.
I could have titled my travel journal like Carmen: "Some trips are born twice." Indeed, we had considered this destination back in February 2020. However, an honest tour operator advised us against traveling at that time due to the climate. So, we gave up and opted for Guatemala instead (see "On the Mayan Lands" on this site).
So, why this title? When I was in primary school, over 65 years ago, the illustrations in my history books (Machu Picchu) and geography books (Lake Titicaca) made me dream, and those images stayed in my mind. It took until 2026 to finally make this dream come true!
We prepared our trip with Tout Pérou, a French-speaking "agency." Everything was handled via email and WhatsApp exchanges with our contact: Laurent, who was both competent, friendly, and full of good advice.
For 200 €, Tout Pérou provided us with drivers and guides whenever we wanted, helped us buy our domestic flights (cheaper when purchased in Peru), booked shuttles between airports and hotels, and got us a discount on the train ride to Aguas Calientes, as well as on the buses between Chivay and Puno and between Puno and Cusco. In short, Laurent took care of all the logistics and the Machu Picchu tickets. It was up to us to book our hotels. Tout Pérou provided a list, but we weren’t obliged to follow it. Another advantage of the package: we didn’t have to pay in advance; we paid the service providers directly day by day.
We didn’t meet Laurent in person because he was on vacation in Europe. Before his departure, he gave us a briefing, provided a summary table with the entire program, the service providers, their phone numbers, their fees, the schedules, and gave us plenty of advice (money, exchange, safety, etc.). After returning at the end of our stay, he kept checking in on us.
Lastly, we had also gathered information from Arnaud Lagadec, who runs a hotel in Cusco and offers tours of the region. He gave us a lot of useful information. Another contact: Thomas Montaigne, very friendly, who runs an agency in Arequipa (Agence Pérou Exclusif).
Day 1 – Paris to Lima
Foreword
I’ll share our trip without any pretension—I don’t have the talent of some contributors on this forum—and I’ll illustrate it with a few photos (taken with an ordinary smartphone). My comments are personal and only reflect my own views. So, please be kind! Feel free to comment on my story as you like, but let’s avoid pointless debates.
Even though we live in the south of the Paris region, true to our habits when the flight is in the morning, we chose to spend the night before our departure in a hotel near CDG and parked our car in a parking lot in Garches. This way, we avoid the stress that often comes with traveling around Paris (accidents, roadworks, traffic jams, etc.).
Check-in and border control went smoothly on that Sunday morning. Our Air France flight was uneventful. In Lima, border control took a particularly long time, and for the first time, we didn’t get an entry visa stamped in our passports.
As planned, a driver took us to the Miraflores district, where our hotel was located. We were surprised by the numerous signs about possible tsunamis, having forgotten that Peru is prone to such events and regularly experiences earthquakes. We’d see the consequences of these during our journey.
Exhausted from the early wake-up, the 13-hour flight, and the 7-hour time difference, we had dinner at the hotel before a restful night.
Note that this day was Peru’s presidential election day. As a result, we weren’t served beer—the sale of alcohol was banned that Sunday.
We did the Langtang trek (hike) from September 10th to 17th, with the first and last days being the trip from Kathmandu and back—so 6 days of actual walking. It’s a fairly well-known trek but certainly not as famous or crowded as those in the Annapurna or Everest regions, which is why we chose it.
In theory, it’s mandatory to have a guide for this trek. In reality, it seems there are ways to bypass the regulations: we met at least two people hiking without a guide—a South Korean, a New Zealander, and possibly also a couple of English women and an American couple, though we’re not sure if they had a guide.
The agency we booked with had told us it was an affordable trek for relatively older people in good shape—which is our case (I’m 72 myself). I have to say upfront that we found it quite challenging, maybe because we didn’t have good weather—it was the end of the monsoon season. To be clear, no matter your fitness level, I’d say doing this trek in the middle of the monsoon season would be suicidal.
Day 1 – Journey from Kathmandu to Syapru Besi
On Monday, September 8th, there had been violent protests in Kathmandu against the government, which had, among other things, blocked access to social media and been accused of nepotism and corruption. There were 19 deaths. The situation was very tense on the day of our departure, Wednesday the 10th. The agency warned us that public transport was very unreliable. So, we decided to take a jeep, at an additional cost of $100 ($160 minus what was already budgeted for the bus).
We left a little before 7 a.m. and it took us a good hour just to reach the outskirts of Kathmandu. Along the way, we saw several houses and vehicles set on fire by protesters.
The road to Syapru Besi is only 120 km, but it’s frankly awful. It’s always narrow, winds through endless mountains, and the shoulders range from bad to confusing to nonexistent. Several sections are just dirt tracks. We didn’t regret opting for the jeep, as we could stop several times at our convenience—if only to let Y (my Thai partner) throw up everything she had. She’d taken her usual motion sickness medication, but the constant turns, accelerations, and braking eventually made her terribly carsick.
In Nuwakot, we stopped for breakfast at a nice little restaurant, Jimbu. It was around 8:30 a.m., and we’d barely covered 60 km. The restaurant has a lovely garden overlooking the Trishuli Ganga, the river flowing down from Syapru Besi. First photo: the river in the bottom right corner, mist and clouds over the mountain on the other side.
An hour later, my second photo: the hills along the Trishuli Ganga. You can see the different crops—lush green rice paddies in the lower right and corn, already yellowed and likely harvested, in the foreground on the left. And of course, the mist and clouds through which you can glimpse the mountain on the other side of the river.
When we started looking for a summer destination a few months ago, our first criterion was to avoid extreme heat and heatwaves. We had already been to Norway two years ago and are considering going back in the future for other occasions. So, we had some fun asking ChatGPT which destinations enjoyed a mild climate during the summer without going too far. Among the list provided by the AI were the Canary Islands... The idea of a place we wouldn’t have thought of first, both not too far away and exotic enough, appealed to us: “Hmm, why not?”
This destination had never really attracted me, though Magali was a bit more interested. Five years earlier, COVID had caused a short break in my professional activity, and I had planned a trip because the flight price was attractive, and I was looking for a destination different from what usually appeals to me, more than out of deep interest. From a distance and with a social judgment I acknowledge (it’s not great, but it’s not completely wrong), I had the image of a destination for party-goers enjoying the sun without the slightest interest in local culture, with concrete coastlines and denatured landscapes—everything I detest the most. Still, I had done some quick research on the different islands and spotted Lanzarote for its beautiful volcanic landscapes, hiking trails, beaches, and the impression of a good balance between activity and fewer crowds than Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Then I dropped the idea of going, without ever reconsidering traveling to the Canaries...
Until now! Because we started researching the different islands of the archipelago to see which ones might appeal to us the most. It was La Gomera, the third smallest island of the archipelago, more praised for its hiking trails and preserved nature than for its beaches, away from mass tourism (fifty times fewer tourists than Tenerife) but still a bit more developed than its wild neighbor El Hierro, that caught our attention. Contrary to what might be suggested later, I’m not at all addicted to AI, but I use it from time to time to synthesize quick research or simply for experimentation. Since ChatGPT had started anticipating my tastes lately as if it had become my buddy (often successfully, sometimes off the mark), I asked which Canary Island would suit me best for a trip with my family. The tool answered first with... La Gomera. So, I tested it and teased it a bit to see if this suggestion was well-founded, as the method sometimes makes it contradict itself. But no luck: “You’d appreciate the wild nature of El Hierro, but with family, you’ll find little activity for the kids. You won’t like the touristy vibe of the big islands like Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. You could consider La Palma, but it’s really La Gomera that will suit you best, based on your interests and the criteria given.” So, we dug deeper into our research and were convinced without a shadow of a doubt that this island was the one waiting for us.
Without knowing it, we had Canarians in our circle who revealed their origins when they heard about our travel plans. One from Tenerife insisted we’d be better off choosing Tenerife (obviously...) because it also has preserved spots and that La Gomera, “you can explore it in two or three days, you’ll get bored quickly...” The other, a colleague from Gran Canaria who had never visited La Gomera, still recommended it without hesitation because it turned out her parents had just gone there on vacation: they loved it and had encountered few tourists. She also tended to think this destination was usually the subject of short stays, but according to what her parents told her, taking your time there was also a great idea. However, in our research, the idea that La Gomera is an island you can explore in three or four days max kept coming up. So, we considered combining its visit with La Palma or El Hierro, the other two that caught our eye. But hopping between islands by ferry represents a significant budget for non-Canarians, even more so for a family of four. Then, scrutinizing Google Maps, it seemed obvious that two weeks were too short to discover two islands as they deserve, and that there seemed to be plenty to see in La Gomera, given its very unique culture. After all, we read that some people spend several months a year there, others never even leave... Finally, these landscapes and this atmosphere, which seemed to us a mix of Europe, North Africa, and Latin America, tempted us. So, it would be two weeks in La Gomera, deal!
La Gomera is therefore the second... well, the third smallest island of the Canaries since La Graciosa was recently recognized as a fully inhabited island. It has the shape of a rough circle about 20 to 25 kilometers in diameter and has just over 20,000 inhabitants, half of them in its capital, San Sebastián de la Gomera, the only real town. Like its Canarian sisters, La Gomera is a volcanic formation that rose about 10 million years ago. The island is very mountainous and rugged, covered with red and black rocky landscapes. Geological activity has shaped, between the sprawling massifs that end in steep cliffs in the ocean, six coastal valleys with tropical vegetation that have favored human settlement. They divide the island like slices of a cake; from the north clockwise: the agricultural Vallehermoso, the rustic Agulo, the green, humid, and fertile Hermigua, the sunny capital San Sebastián de la Gomera, the southern and isolated Alajeró-Santiago, and the seaside Valle Gran Rey. They constitute the six municipalities (more like cantons to our French understanding) of the territory.
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
La Gomera was populated late. As with the rest of the Canaries, human presence is thought to have begun about 2,000 years ago. Groups of animist Berbers, probably fleeing persecution, gradually populated the archipelago, especially the western islands and La Gomera, becoming its small aboriginal population: the Guanches (or later Gomeros). The animist and pastoral civilization of the Guanches thrived until the Spanish takeover in the 15th century, which, after a short period of harmony and mixing with the indigenous people, suddenly ended in bloodshed... La Gomera later became the “Columbus Island” after Christopher Columbus’s stopover, increasing the blending of populations. In the 20th century, many Gomeros emigrated to Cuba and other Latin American countries in search of a better life, bringing back a mix of cultures and traits quite palpable in today’s Gomeran culture. It is, however, in La Gomera that the vestiges of Guanche culture seem to have left the most traces, in the language, gastronomy, social practices... Moreover, most Gomeros, especially in remote villages, have a particular identifiable type and proudly claim their ancestral roots, even making La Gomera a bit exotic in the eyes of other Canarians.
Perhaps that’s why it has never really wanted to develop its tourist infrastructure too much. If we set aside the tourists who visit for the day by bus or boat from Tenerife on a marked itinerary (and whom we ultimately rarely encounter), La Gomera has remained a hidden gem, a destination focused on nature discovery that attracts hikers, nature-loving divers, and scientists for its fauna and flora, and to a lesser extent, beachgoers who don’t seek overly developed coastlines. Tourist activity is therefore limited. Roughly speaking, you’ll find a majority of Spaniards, including a substantial number of residents from other Canary Islands, many Germans who have a particular fondness for La Gomera and spend long stays there or own second homes, to the point that the German cultural footprint is clearly noticeable in some places (it’s said to be Angela Merkel’s favorite holiday spot), and still quite a few French. The presence of other nationalities seemed negligible to us. Most travelers come mainly for hiking, but it’s also a prime spot for whale watching. Additionally, the seaside resorts of La Gomera—San Sebastián, Santiago, and especially Valle Gran Rey—are well-known destinations for hippies, especially German ones, ranging from chic boho hippies to old-school hippies who’ve been there for decades, quite similar to those you’d meet in India in Goa, Rishikesh, or Paharganj. Thus, practices like naturism, vegetarianism, and local organic production are quite well established in some areas.
Some practical info:
- The round-trip flight from Paris to Tenerife cost us 365 € per person (outbound with Transavia, return with EasyJet), including checked luggage and three seats reserved side by side.
- We chose two bases to explore the island: one week in Valle Gran Rey, reputed to be the most pleasant of the three seaside resorts, and one week in Hermigua, more mountainous and close to the natural park. We booked two houses with balconies and views: the first at 120 € per night, the second at 99 €.
- The round-trip ferry between Tenerife and La Gomera cost us 270 € with the company Baleària Canarias, including discounts for children aged 4 and 12, but I don’t have the exact details. It was a bit cheaper than with the other company, Fred Olsen.
- Finally, we rented a car through the agency Cicar for 360 € for 16 days, which comes to 22.50 € per day.
- Apart from that, we didn’t plan anything and decided the day before or even the morning of what we wanted to do. We didn’t invest in any paper guide on the Canaries, as information on La Gomera was scarce, but we used the very comprehensive site La Gomera Travel, a travel guide published by the Canary Islands Tourism Council, a real goldmine of almost exhaustive information on the island.
Alright, off we go for 16 days of adventure discovering La Gomera!
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
Our first stop was just a few kilometers from Marrakech, at a lovely house perfect for relaxing and recharging before continuing. It’s called Bleu House, a little paradise on the outskirts of Marrakech. The welcome was very warm, with a beautiful pool and a lovely garden.
Next, we headed toward the Tichka Pass. The road has really improved in recent years—it’s much easier to drive now. No more getting stuck behind trucks, and today, the construction is practically finished.
Morocco has turned green after the recent rains. It’s a joy for the herds and shepherds.
I hesitated about writing this travel journal...
This summer, we only did the classics (the 3 northern parks and Zanzibar) and let a local agency take care of everything from start to finish.
No craziness, no risks, no sleeping under the stars, no self-drive, no venturing off the beaten path, no incidents, and not even any delays in the pre-planned itinerary...
But don’t think we were disappointed!
The whole family (there were 6 of us) came back with smiles and memories of great moments spent together.
So, if you're looking for a "classic" way to discover Tanzania, this is the place to be.
Our 2-week itinerary:
- Arusha (1 night upon arrival)
- Tarangire (1 night)
- Ngorongoro (2 nights in Karatu then Irmisigiyo)
- Serengeti (3 nights in Robanda, Togoro Plains, and Seronera)
- Zanzibar Stone Town (1 night)
- Zanzibar Matemwe (3 nights)
- Zanzibar Jambiani (3 nights)
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions...
So, now that I've just finished my Japan travel journal here, I figured it was high time to honor this destination we came back from so enchanted.
Disclaimer 1: This is a written travel journal. There’ll be text! Too much, for some!
Disclaimer 2: This is an illustrated travel journal. There’ll be photos! Too many, for some!
I have to say, every time I try to discipline myself, to keep it shorter, to include fewer photos... I end up adding more. It feels like my dear Aunt Nicole, who exhausted us with her slide-show evenings in the 70s/80s, decided to take her revenge. The upside for you, readers, is that you can slip away anytime without offending Aunt Nicole. I won’t even notice!
Anyway, since I love maps, here’s one to give you an idea of where I’m taking you. As you can see, we only saw a tiny part of Laos (the areas circled in red); we only had 3 weeks for ourselves (my husband’s newly retired, I still work), and we prefer taking our time over rushing around like crazy.
In broad strokes, it was very classic:
First, we “settled in” at Luang Prabang (8 days), because we wanted and needed to.
From there, we took three days to venture a little further north—not far in kilometers, but as we know, distances aren’t just about km!
Then we flew south to Paksé, letting ourselves drift down to the 4,000 Islands while stopping by the pre-Angkorian archaeological sites.
We wrapped up with the Bolaven Plateau.
A few practical notes: We arrived via Bangkok, then took a Bangkok-Luang Prabang flight, having picked up our luggage in Bangkok to check it in for Luang Prabang. No issues—the Bangkok airport, which many of you know, is very well organized.
We got our visas on arrival in Luang Prabang. Quick, but to be fair, we were on a “small” plane, and the big flights had arrived earlier, so we weren’t too crowded in line!
At the end of our trip, we didn’t fly out of Paksé but from the nearby airport in Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani (a 2.5-hour drive from Paksé), then Bangkok and Paris.
You’ll notice we skipped Vientiane to stay longer in Luang Prabang. That said, there’s now a high-speed train between Vientiane and Luang Prabang—good to know—and soon the (Chinese) train will go all the way to Bangkok and even Kuala Lumpur!
With that intro out of the way, let’s dive into the heart of the matter.
To be continued: Slowing down the pace... in Luang Prabang
It’s an ancient city that breathes, a living spring.
Here, no kitschy signs like “I miss you in Fengyu,” nor mass-produced fake antiques.
The century-old houses still bear the marks of wind and rain; in the morning, you hear roosters crowing, and at dusk, smoke gently rises from the kitchens.
This city doesn’t try to please anyone—like the spring water flowing through it, it simply keeps living at its own pace.
Located in Eryuan County, in the Dali Prefecture of Yunnan, the ancient town of Fengyu is a nationally designated historical and cultural city. It’s nicknamed the “land of scholars and ink”—during the Qing Dynasty, the Fengxiang Academy produced four *jinshi* and eleven *juren* in the imperial examinations. The Bai families made studying and farming a true legacy. Even on market days, you’ll find stalls of calligraphy and paintings, while lintels and screen walls are covered with family mottos.
Fengyu was also an important stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road. It preserves the second-largest Bai architectural complex in China, just after Xizhou. The famous traveler Xu Xiake spent seven days here and compared it to the “peach blossom paradise.”
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
Let’s start with the shotengai...
Our first "wow" moment came as we stepped out of the subway in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighborhood where we’d booked our hotel for our first five nights. Exhausted after our long flight, we finally arrived and took an exit that led straight into a shotengai—one of those covered shopping streets that pop up in city centers and flourished between the 1950s and 1980s.
It was an instant aesthetic shock, like a close encounter of the third kind between the modern city, a typical Asian market with its street stalls, the vintage vibe of the arcade, the sheer abundance of goods, and the bustling crowd—a mix of tourists, pilgrims (thanks to nearby Senso-ji Temple), and locals (it’s a very working-class area).
In the end, it set the tone for a feeling we’d experience throughout the trip. Wherever we went, shotengai turned out to be fantastic spots for finding little restaurants, shops, or even fresh produce. Some are like real mazes, like in Kyoto, where we spent ages trying to relocate a restaurant we’d loved ;-)
In Kanazawa, the Omicho Market:
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
The latest travel journal about Turkmenistan dates back to 2019. Here’s a quick update on this vast desert country, which is now a bit easier to visit than before.
This is my first travel journal. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. The country is slowly opening up, but it’s still possible to visit sites where you’ll be completely alone. In five days, I saw two Hongkongers, a few Germans, and a Chilean at the crater, ten Chinese people in a capital bazaar, and that’s it!
It’s possible to visit Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan. The easiest and most economical way is to take a taxi to the border from Bukhara. The trip takes a little over an hour.
Crossing the border takes quite a while because many Turkmen bring back items bought in Uzbekistan to resell in Turkmenistan. For example, diapers, baby products, or beauty products.
It took me over 2.5 hours to cross the border. To visit Turkmenistan, it’s mandatory to have a guide and go through a travel agency. British agencies often offer three-, five-, or seven-day trips for over 1,500 or 2,000 €.
But if your budget is more limited, you can contact a few Turkmen agencies directly by email, and they’ll make you an offer between 700 and 1,300 € for three to seven days. I took a five-day trip from Turkmenabat in the northeast of the country to Dashoguz in the north. The goal was to visit the main UNESCO-listed sites, including Merv, and archaeological sites like Nisa or Gonur Tepe.
Your guide will also be your driver. They’ll pick you up at the border. The formalities are very long because customs officers have to stamp multiple documents, and obtaining the visa you previously requested from your travel agency requires several checks. But the process goes relatively smoothly, even if each step takes a while.
Once on the other side, the first surprise is the brand-new highway all the way to Turkmenabat. A very long line of trucks stretches for several kilometers on the Turkmen side to cross the border into Uzbekistan. According to my guide, Turkmen trucks transport gas and cotton (though not this season, since the harvest is in September), but they mainly fill up their tanks because fuel is much cheaper in Turkmenistan. A full tank for a car costs about 3 €, which is unbeatable.
From the Farap border post, the goal is to reach the city of Mary, which is home to the UNESCO-listed site of Merv in its suburbs, about thirty kilometers away. This city is known as a foundation by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC under the name Alexandria of Margiana. Several fortresses are visible.
After more than three hours on the road, we have lunch at a Turkish restaurant called Aladdin. Several quotes from the president are visible along the highway, but the road is in good condition, and we move along easily. This will be by far the best road in the country—things will get much worse later.
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
Preamble:
Africa was calling to me, so a year ago, with our usual travel companions, we decided to return to the continent we love so much.
Where to go?
Uganda quickly caught our attention—wildlife we’re used to seeing, plus gorillas and the shoebill we missed in Zambia.
We got in touch with Paul, who’s been mentioned several times on the forum back in September, booked our flight tickets, secured the gorilla permits, and by early October, the most important things were done.
We still had plenty of time to hold our "prep meetings" for the final itinerary.
Three days before departure, I sprained my ankle (my weak spot, as you’ll recall from our Colombia trip).
I wasn’t in great spirits, but after a year of waiting, nothing was going to stop me.
We’d see how it goes!
Off we went for our new adventures
If you're looking for great tips and offbeat spots, if you love exploring uncharted parts of a country, if the exotic is your adrenaline, then move along!
Our 15 days in early May in this part of Turkey (a country I first discovered during a city trip to Istanbul in 2017) will only tread well-worn paths and revisit popular routes. Simply because I kept hoping until the very end that our flight to Jordan wouldn’t be canceled. Events in the Gulf proved me wrong, so we left with:
Zero preparation.
Not a single hotel booked (well, except the first one), no visits planned, just a flight ticket bought three weeks earlier. No guidebook, no app—just the desire to explore southern Turkey and Cappadocia, whose images and the chance to stretch our legs had caught my eye.
Oh, wait—I did bring along a new guide: Gemini! Yes, my friends, generative AI was my chief advisor throughout the trip for sites to visit, accommodations, routes, and even restaurants! An experiment I wanted to try to form my own opinion on using this new technology. And what better way to test it than a Turkish getaway?
The verdict? You’ll have to wait for the trip recap to find out!
The main idea of the trip is also relaxation.
So, the plan is Antalya for a few days, the Turkish Riviera for a few more, Cappadocia as the highlight, and a return via Antalya to wrap up the trip. And it was all planned by AI!
So, if you're ready, fasten your seatbelts—cabin crew, doors to automatic and cross check—boarding for Turkey now!
It often happens that we're asked what to visit in Belgium.
And the answers usually point to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels—and rightly so, as these cities are well worth visiting ;).
However, Belgium, though small, isn’t just limited to these four cities.
I live in one of them (Brussels), enjoy spending time in the other three, but I’d like to highlight some lesser-known spots that could add to the trip for those who want to see a bit more or something different.
Between trips, I like exploring one or two corners of the country where I live.
Hence the idea for a travel journal of walks.
Most of the places I’ll talk about can be visited as a day trip from Brussels, whether by public transport or car.
In chronological order of the topics covered:
- The Gileppe Dam (Liège province) - message 2, page 1
- The Domaine de La Hulpe (Walloon Brabant) - message 3, page 1
- Mechelen (Antwerp province) - message 4, page 1
- The coast - message 5, page 1
- The Westhoek, from De Panne - message 6, page 1
- The Zwin, from Knokke - message 7, page 1
- Lier (between Mechelen and Antwerp) - message 8, page 1
- Mons (Hainaut) - message 9, page 1
- The Florenville region - message 12, page 1
- The East Cantons - message 13, page 1
- Dinant - message 18, page 1
- The Japanese garden in Hasselt - message 24, page 2
- Leuven - message 29, page 2
- Louvain-la-Neuve - message 32, page 2
- Ostend - message 42 (page 3) and message 166 (page 9)
- The floralies of Groot-Bijgaarden - message 43, page 3
- Halle Forest - message 44, page 3
- Pralines - message 54, page 3
- Charleroi - message 68, page 4
- Namur - message 92, page 5
- Le Bois du Cazier (Marcinelle) - message 95, page 5
- Couques and gosettes - message 96, page 5
- Liège - message 99, page 5
- Tournai - message 115, page 6
- Oudenaarde - message 121, page 7
- Meise Botanical Garden - message 124, page 7
- Tongeren - message 125, page 7
- Beersel Castle (Flemish Brabant) - message 126, page 7
- Brussels in lockdown (messages 150 and 154, page 8)
- Notre-Dame à la Rose Hospital in Lessines (messages 161 and 162, page 9)
- Westende (message 167, page 9)
I’ll keep updating this list as the journal progresses...
This trip had been on my mind for about fifteen years.
But the discomfort of overnight stays, the difficulty of communication, and the prices of the few car rental options kept making me postpone the project.
And then, everything suddenly fell into place—I told myself, it’s time!
The preparations took longer than usual; the destination is still far from mainstream.
A bit of Kazakhstan?
Not in the end.
The south or not the south?
Yes, in the end.
Pre-book or go with the flow?
Only two stops were a leap into the unknown.
To help me find the ideal route, I made great use of this forum (thanks to everyone for patiently answering my questions!), pored over travel journals and blogs (Christian, Jeff), zoomed in on Google Maps and Yandex, and bought the guide published by OunTravela about this destination (the guide has been updated since).
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You’ve got your passport, international driver’s license, bank cards, and euros?
Off we go to Lyon—just one night left before our early morning flight.
Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping in Bishkek!
(Steak for my partner’s mischievous nephews...)
You’ll find here a post with some practical information.
And here, the version of the travel journal without comments.
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As a supplement, the route track.
Not necessarily ultra-accurate since Google has serious gaps for this destination...
Au cours de notre petite aventure, nous cherchons désespérément des souvenirs à rapporter à nos familles ou amis et pourquoi pas pour nous. Ce n’est pas une chose très courante de trouver des magasins qui vendent des souvenirs ou artisanat à proprement parler. C’est donc avec bonheur et envie que nous apercevons notre premier magasin de souvenirs. Nous achetons quelques petits cadeaux.
Après cette première étape, nous voilà en direction del Valle del Espiritu Santo où se trouve une magnifique basilique nommée « la Basilica de la Virgen del Valle ». C’est devant notre étonnement que nous tombons nez à nez devant un marché spécialement destiné à la vente d’objets religieux en rapport avec la vierge.
Cela n’empêche pas les touristes et habitués de s’y rendre à l’intérieur et de la découvrir, de prier.
Ensuite, il vient l’heure de manger notre repas. C’est avec plaisir que nous trouvons une femme préparant des arepas à la main. Vous choisissez votre contenu (poisson) et elle vous le frie tout cela devant vous. Certains de mes compagnons crieront à l’hygiène, c’est vraiment bon. Pour vous donner envie, nous choisissons une arepa au fromage et une au poulet. Assez consistant, trop bourratif pour Emilie. Nous ne regrettons pas tout ceci pour 15 bolivars le tout accompagné de sauces si vous le désirez.
Vous payez tout à la fin après avoir dégusté et fini. Beaucoup de confiance comme au restaurant, le concept est intéressant.
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
A little sneak peek?
