Alja Travel

Breakfasts healthy or not?

2009-07-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

I´m not a role model when it comes to having breakfasts, especially if I have to get up at 6. But normally I´d say we have a quite healthy breakfast habits in Finland; multigrain cereals or breads, cheese, yougurt, mysli, fruit juice, vegetables, tea, coffee and oat porridge are some examples.

Breakfast in the UK is also filling, but is it healthy? Well, at least it has proteins :) And it´s salty.

Bacon, egg, sausage, beans, mushroom etc. But once you are there it doesn´t seem like people really eat this filling breakfast that much, or do they? Maybe mostly on weekends as a brunch.

But I couldn´t belive my eyes when I realized what people in Spain have...

Donuts, cakes, buns, cup cakes.... On the other hand; those sweet things are my painful weaknesses. Should I move to Spain after all..?

UK: Derby and Matlock Bath

2009-07-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

DERBY is a compact and cosy little city in the middle of England that hosts around 250.000 inhabitants. Typically English with old red stone houses and old churches in many corners; churches that interestingly enough are used as pubs, resturants etc these days.

Matlock Bath

There are many beautiful places around Derby, such as The Peak district. A small town close to the district was called Matlock bath since warm springs were discovered in the 1600 century and later baths were built here. Matlock bath has a beautiful river with green walking paths such as the "lovers walk" along the side and in the woods. Walking up to the hill sides to look at the great views and the houses made me think of an alp village.

Wherever I go I seem to make new nice friends :) I´ll greet my own two cats from them when I get home.

I love apple cake with vanilla custard or ice cream. And I truly got my share at the decorative little cafe "The victorian teashop" in Matlock bath. Visit this place if you can! English scones with jam and cream + tea was not a bad option either.

Turkey: Istanbul: The endless shopping districts of Taksim and Grand bazaar

2008-06-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Taksim Square and central district is a part of the modern Istanbul with an endless amount of shops, hotels and restaurants. The mainstreet is longer than your eyes can reach and is crowded with people shopping, walking & talking, eating and entertaining themselves. My local host (from Couch surfing) told me it´s as crowded until early morning, like 4 am or so and even the shops keep their doors open as long as they like, for example til´12 pm or 01 am. Hm, where do all those people come from? Istanbul is huge. I´ve never seen so many shops and so many people in one street in my life before. Shop til´you drop, or...?

Turksish water pipe with light fruit

tobacco :)

THE GRAND BAZAAR:

The grand bazaar is one of the world´s largest covered markets. Here you can especially find spices, pottery, carpets, silver & gold, scarves etc. The perfect place to find souvenirs! It´s very easy to get lost there in the 58 streets and 6000 shops... which both me and my son did. I knew we would the minute I walked in there :)

Turkey: Istanbul: Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque

2008-06-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

HAGIA SOFIA:

During our days in istanbul we chose to visit following historical buildings: the famaous museum Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.

Hagia Sofia (the former mother church of all eastern Christianity, both ortodox and catolic) was constructed already at 530 AD! It was originally a Roman patriarchal church where the eastern Ortodox religion florished and ruled for nearly 1000 years. At that time Istanbul was "the new Rome", called Constantinople. Later the Ottoman Turks concored and turned Istanbul Islamic. Hagia Sofia then became a Mosque. Today it´s a museum filled with historical vibartion and valuable art.

Don´t miss this huge master piece if you are in istanbul!
The entrance fee is 10 Lira (about 5 euro).

THE BLUE MOSQUE:

The Blue Mosque is an impressive landmark for Istanbul with its Dome, semidomes, yards and minarets. The mosque was founded by Sultan Ahmed and was built in the beginning of 1600.
The Muslims still go to the mosque for daily prayers so be prepared for respecting the customs concerning non-muslims when you enter; enter barefoot and have scarves to cover your head, arms and legs as a female (also my son had to cover his arms). Scarves and bags for your shoes are provided at the tourist entrance.

Turkey: Istanbul

2008-06-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Istanbul is so huge!!

As a Finn I was lost in the amount of people (around 12 million), the lively streets, the colourful bazaars, the very old historical buildings, the gorgeous architecture, the beauty along the riverside and the geographic distance within this great city.

Istanbul is a heterogenous city built on two continenets; Europe and Asia. Most people live on the Asian side. The European side holds more commersial and cultural activity. This side is divided into two main districs; the Old city and the modern downtown.

The best way for me was to move around with the ferry along the Bosphorous river! It´s just fresh and you see the most beautiful parts of Istanbul passing by. They don´t go that often, though. Trams and buses are also ok and go all the time, although being quite crowded and sweaty. Taxi is a very nice alternative when you feet aces, not being too expensive.

The people are very friendly and helpful and on the whole I felt safe and sound being there no matter where I moved around. I didn´t see the poorest places, though.

The history is amazing having traces from 3000 BC! It was not until the 15th century that Istanbul slowly changed from being a Christian empire (the Roman Constantinople) to slowly becoming Islamic. You can witness all this in the very old and breath taking Mosques and museums!

Bulgaria: Nice foods

2008-06-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

Raki (schnapps) to the entries

Mixed grılled

Bulgarian moussaka

Soups

What is Bulgarian food like?

Stuffed peppers and sallads

In Finland many of us know Bulgaria (as a country...) partly because of the Bulgarian youghurt from the supermarkets :) So as I arrived in Bulgaria I was curious about what the real youghurt was like. And as a friend of good food I'm always up for tasting the local specialities!

The Bulgarian food is an interesting mixture of southeastern European cousine with obvious influence from Greece, Turkey, Italy, Hungary and other Mediterranean countries. What interests me most wherever I go is not only the type of ingredients used (that might be strange to me) but also how they are used and combined! Each time I get home again I try to do it all myself. And practically I realize I might have used those same ingredients for years in my own cooking at home not coming to think of those exciting, good tasting and decoratıve ways to use and combine them! Many times the food ideas are the best souvenirs from my travels. They wil lıight up my ordinary life in between and will live with me the longest. Hopefully they sometimes lights up my family's appetite as well.

My favourite dishes from Bulgaria:

- the Bulgarian moussaka!

- Shopska salad (made of tomato, pealed peppers, fresh cucumber, red onion, dressing and white cheese: serene that reminds of the feta cheese we have in Finland)

- Sarmi (the stuffed and rolled cabbage or wine leaves)

- Popa (a sweat but healthy breakfast drink made of cearials)

Cheers to our host (from Hospitality club) Svetla & her nice kids for introducing us the the great Bulgarian foods!

Bulgaria: Beautiful Varna by the Black sea coast

2008-06-11T03:06:00.000-07:00

Being at the beach listening to the waves and drinking Cappuchino is one of my favourite things to do in Life!

Varna is a positive surprise to me. It's nice, green, fresh and with many open and friendly people! Coming from Bucharest in Romania I can't help to notice the difference.
Varna has become touristic (with advantage and disadvantage?) with all the beach resorts outside the city (Golden sands, Albena) but it seem like the locals lives in happy co-existance with the tourism, especially in Varna city. The city itself has quite nice beaches and many beach cafees and restaurants. One important thing to discover is the beautiful Sea side park, which is considered to be the biggest in Europe with its 8 km promenade, museums and historical monuments. The sea side park is a popular strolling ground for locals as well as curious visitors in all ages.

From may to september the place is very much alive and many locals get their extra income during this high season. In winter it gets cold and the temperature can even go down to -20 degrees celsius (which is tough since the house heating systems are not made for such temperatures). Hard to imagine it can be like that when it's so warm, sunny and green right now. But that's what we say about Finland too. We have such a green and warm summer (most of the time) but in the winter it gets too cold... AND dark (which is not the whole truth, though, since it can be very shiny in February when the sun starts shining and reflecting its strong light over the ice and snow).

Varna has the most famous museum in Bulgaria. We didn't go there cos of lack of time. But you can sense the exciting history of Bulgaria everywhere: in people's mentality, in the architecture, in the delicious food! Bulgaria has a peaceful and friendly connection to Russia but is now building up their own policies much under the American influence, my host (from Hospitality club) told me.

The history is interesting cos there are traces from Indo European tribes (the Tracians) as old as 4000-3000 years BC! In the 500 century BC the Greeks came to Varna and formed a colony and a port. Since then the city has been an important Black sea port. Today Varna is also known for its ski resorts and for its academic world. The city is a fascinating culture mix of ancient, medieval and modern styles. And the people are open and friendly to most diversity.

If you go to the Varna area, don't miss out on the real local Bulgaian city and its surrouings. There is much more to Golden sands and Albena that the beach resort area! Apart from the city of Varna you can for example visit smaller towns and monasteries by micro bus.

Romania: Bucharest parks

2008-06-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

..they are big and

beautiful!

The green parks are defintitively worth visiting since they form a peaceful and natural oasis in the middle of the busy city life. You would never imagine the wonderful park areas opening up in front of you just around the corner! One of them is acctually in the middle of the centre: the Cismigiu park (which is a large garden of lawns, trees, flowers and lakes).

We spent a picnic afternoon in the Herăstrău park. The parks often has many attractions to keep you busy if you want to do something special: rent a boat, go to the fun fair, watch some theater, eat or drink etc.

If you don't visit the parks of Bucharest you've missed the most precious, I would say.

Romania: Discovering Bucharest

2008-06-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Bucharest is Romania's biggest city and its capital. The city has around 2 million inhabitants and has also been called "little Paris".

So far we've wondered around in the Old town as well as in the city centre. To me Bucharest seems like a typical big city with a speedy traffic and with a lot of high buildings. The old town has some beautiful architecture and cosy streets to walk in or sit at by cafes or restaurants. The Boulevard street is one of them. There you can easily walk around, "shop til' you drop" and enjoy the huge fountains.

I can't claim this is a place I'd like to stay in for a long time, though, but there are things you shoudn't miss if you are here: for example those famous green parks that are defintitively worth visiting since they form a peaceful and natural oasis in the middle of the busy city life. The Peoples' Palace is said to be the world's second biggest building after Pentagon and should be experienced from the inside by guides (for a little entrance fee). And make sure you don't miss to visit the caste of Dracula (named "Bran") ... that lies outside of Bucharest. Just don't forget to bring a cross and some garlic :)

The hostel owner told me a little about the mentality of the people in Romania and Bucharest.
He claims that the Bucharest people don't care much about being friendly or pollite to others. The corruption is invisible but do exists clearly, especially among business owners. These are things people struggle with in their daily life. Not that it's as serious anymore as it is in some other countries.

So is it true then that the Bucharest people behave like this? I'm still trying to figure out. I might have to admit that I haven't seen many smiles here today yet... But on the other hand, we got some nice service today at a beautiful restaurant. And when we were lost in the streets of Old town a young girl helped us very pollitely with a weak but brave English!

Not many speak English here. But that's a different story. Younger people speak either English or French. The older speak Russian or French.

Me and my son's travels in Romania, Bulgaria & Istanbul

2008-06-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

All right. Finally I'm on the road again! After the long, harsh, dark and cold winter in Finland...

I'm no different that any other Finn on this point: we wake up to life again, open up and become more sociable and cheerful when the sun finally shows up. The weather in Finland is acctually great for the moment(1.6.2008): +20 degree celcius or so, sunny and very fresh and green. Still this is when my (long) summer holiday as a teacher starts, which give me the opportunity to do one of my favourite things: travel!

This summer I'm in good company: with my 17 year old son.
We are backpacking around in Romania. Bulgaria and Turkey/Istanbul.

Just like before we stay at nice little youth hostels but also with local people at our destinations. This is possible through the very useful internet organisations of: Coach surfing http://www.couchsurfing.com/ and Hospitality club:
hospitalityclub.org

Now we just arrived at our first destination: Bucharest, Romania.

Is your own culture the best in the world?

2007-08-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

...is a question that always has puzzeled me. Do most of people think so? Why? Why not?

I´ve decided to ASK - so if you see this - welcome to take part of my little poll down at the page. Scroll down as far as you get and you´ll see it. Then just click the answer that suits you the best.

THANKS!!

Alja´s packing list

2007-07-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

It´s the same packing panic each time... for some people
(not for my brother, though...who goes on months long trips to India and Pakistan and start packing 15 minutes before slowly moving to the airport, in the last minute... while his girlfriend goes insane)

Fortunately I´ve learned to cool down a little, too. I´ve also learned not to bring a thousands of unnecessary stuff that only weights in your bag and won´t even be used during the trip.

Here is my list:

- a good backpacking bag (rinkka)
- comfortable travelling clothes so that you can sit, stand, freely move around and even sleep with the same dress if necessary. They need to be both warm and cold enough. (Women: I´ve found that a long skirt actuallty is the best to travel with! Then u can put on or take off pantyhoses easily and you never have to suffer from pains due to tight pants sitting on the plane for hours).
- a nice little female handbag for the purse, passport, ticket, lipstick etc :)(it has to be one you constantly have under control so noone snatches it)

- underwears enough, clothes - but only the absolut necessary amount (since you can use washing machines abroad). Make sure you also have something warm and wind/waterproof. Women: beware of the dressing code of the destination country. For ex. if you travel to a Muslim country you have to bring long skirts and long sleeved shirts!
- if you have to stay at some airport night time: make sure you have some simple kind of mattress to lie on + warm clothes enough (otherwsie you can easily catch a flue, like I did last time). A inflatable travel pillow is well worth having, too!
- walking shoes (for ex, comfortable sandals where you can have socks if necessary)
- sun burn prevention stuff: good sunglasses, a sun hat, sunlotion + sun block (lotion) (don´t be a "stupid tourist" fro the north...who desperately burn themselves red just in order to get a "nice" little tan...) Think of the cancer risk.
- tablets or medicins for prevention and treatment against stomach problems and ache etc medicines (for example Lacto- or Ascidophilus tablets + Burana painkillers
- intimate wipes (for hands before eating or after toilets)
- toiletpaper (cos at some toilets there just isn´t any paper)
- a small towel + swimsuits
- communication device: the mobile (text messaging is a reliable and cheap way wherever you are). In most places you find cheap internet cafees where you can keep in touch with your loved ones or hosts. That makes it unnecessary to bring a laptop of your own.
- the camera + big memory card enough
- contact info (to the tourist office etc important people or places), maps, paper and pen will help you a lot once you are there. It saves you time, energy etc.
- contacts to local people is a must for me these days (read more on
http://www.couchsurfing.come/ and http://www.hospitalityclub.org/ It´s good if you have several contacts in the same city/area just in case something happens or goes wrong.
- facts about the local system and customs is wise to have before you go, This helps you prepare and plan the budget, the packing etc. Many local people appreciate if you know something about them or can say speak some words in theuir language. This will defenetively give you much more than it ever costs you! And facts/info is very easy to find on internet these days.
- music... is the extra luxury I need have. That´s why I load the mobile full of good mp3:s + headphones

Portugal: Couch Surfing and Hospitality Club

2007-06-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

My two day visit in Lisbon was much coloured by the great meeting´s with people I had there.

I wanna THANK all my hosts that have hosted me or guided me around in their city while travelling in Portugal and Morocco! You made my trip, friends!

It´s amazing that you can meet people and get so well along eventhough you´ve never met each other before. My gorgeus host Helena in Lisbon (picture) let me stay at her place and be part of her nice family. I really enjoyed spending time with her, discussing, relaxing and drinking tea. She, as well as others, are defenetely people I hope I will stay in touch with in future. I also wish you all very welcome to come to Finland one day to surf my couch, too

Links:

http://www.hospitalityclub.org/

http://www.couchsurfing.com/

Portugal: The Douro river in Porto

2007-06-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

My first impression of Oporto (Porto in Portuguese) was that it´s an old, respectable and nice city. It might not be the most beautiful city you´ve seen since many of the fasades of the houses are in bad shape. But Porto has an intersting history, old fascinating and beautiful buildings and last but not least: it´s from here the real Port Wine comes from.

The river Douro resques a lot. It gives the city breathing space and separates Porto from the nearby city Vila Nova de Gaia. If you stand on the Gaia side you will see a Oporto in a different light and also the other way around. There are bridges between the two cities and you can easily walk over to the other side in a couple of minutes.

I found people in Oporto very friendly and helpful! The older ones don´t speak much English but younger ones often speak some or quite a good English. As a Finn I felt it was easy to get along with the people I met there but also with people in Portugal generally.

Maybe Finns and Portugues generally have more in common than the Finns and the Spannish?

Morocco: Why stress?

2007-06-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit that I´m a very typical Finn...

That I just can´t seem to take it easy or just relax and enjoy... not even when I ´m on holiday and there´s absolutely no rush anywhere.I seem to be in a hurry when moving from point A to point B... like I have to maximize the use of time, tempo, programme.

Why do people have to stress so much in today´s society?

Why do we have to be so successful, rich, beautiful, well-educated, hard-working, ambitious, perfect... all at the same time? It´s not human. And it´s not fair.

I wish I can take a small piece of that relaxed mentality that people in Morocco has, take it home with me...and relearn myself a bit.

Morocco: Trance and Gnawa music

2007-06-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

You can hear the music

everywhere, especially at squares where artists, singers, musicians and all kinds of entertainers gather to play and collect money. The music is also performed in private parties, at religions meetings or rituals, in homes and cafees ect. Traditional music might also be combined with dance and storytelling.

I got to hear some nice examples of Gnawa music at the square in Meknes.
The style is an interesting mixture of religious arabic songs, african rythms, trance music and mysticism. Professional dancers are at lest as wild as the wildest heavy-metal singers/musicians that wave their heads up and down with the long hair...! And the trance feeling you get from listening and looking at it reminds a lot of the trance - and dance music we have at home.
The music were developed by slaves from other parts of Africa who were brought to Morocco at the 16th century.

Unfortunately I had to leave before the big and famous Gnawa festival held in Essaouira every year in June.

Music & Social work in Meknes

2007-06-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

Meknes is a rather small and religious city

It's still unspoilt but even here the tourism and comersial life is growing every day (like in Rabat, the capital). Walking in the city, shopping in the souks (bazars) and communicating with people were different here. You could still feel the genuine open attitude towards you as a tourist and visistor; people welcomed you very kindly and didn't even try to "fool" you (too much) on the prices - which still were low in the shops and souks.

But what was one of the greater experience I had was the "social work" done by some professional street musicians on the market square. People stand in these big clungs around the artist (who ever it is for the moment) and to get to see what is happening you have to squeeze yourself to the front. This time it was a singer and a guitarist playing, singing and entertaining. With short intervals the singer collected money from the crowd. He had an enormous power on his audience making everyone listen, laugh and give the small money they had.

The whole thing was a happy little circus until...

...a very old, dying man in wheelchair was brought into the crowded circel.

Everybody stopped and became serious. And suddenly there was no sound at all.
The singer talked privately to the old man for a minute. It turned out that he needed money to support the family since he couldn't do it himself anymore.

And then the real collection started; the singer suddenly turned into preacher, more of a political religious master, an artist, a teacher...while he at the same time remained the professional entertainer he was. He preached, told dramatic stories (which I didn't understand a word of)laughed, he sang while the guitarist silently accompanied him in the background. Suddenly he also draw my friend (and host from couch surfing) into the "band" to sing along and dance! (They knew each other from before and my host is kind of a musician too). This funny show mixed with seriousness kept on going for quite a time and meanwhile the singer had managed to collect a big sum money for the whealchair-man.

I thought it was beautiful to witness.

This is where music and culture meets the basic human needs
and is useful to the maximum.

Morocco: Glimpses from a family

2007-06-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

I don't wanna generalize too much, cos I know that the familylife, traditions and ways differ much among Muslim families. This story is therefore only about this specific family, not about Muslim families generally.

But I have to tell you this:

I had the great honour to visit a nice local family in Meknes. And I must say; my view on the Muslim family life changed a bit!

I could never have imagined that under those innocent scarves and burkas that women wear, lies these wild, funny and half carzy women! Outside the house most of them wear traditional clothes and scarves covering themselves. But what happens at home when they take off the scarves..?

In this happy little family everyone spend a lot of time together, eats, laughs, cries, makes jokes, dances, sings, and smokes the water pipe (sisha) together. Some years ago they all smoked marihuana, but now they have gone over to some more "healthy" smoking, only using fruit tobacco. In the first picture above there was a lot of action and noise going on. The family's son's wife looked at me lauging and said "crazy family...ha?"

Sitting there amongst them made me happy too.
I wish our families had more of that spontanous life and love...

(I´m not saying you should smoke Marihuana, though)

Thousands of thanks to "Breakfast" from Couch Surfing who brought me around to local friends in Meknes.

Morocco: Female dressing

2007-06-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

The different styles and colours in women's clothing is a mystery to me:

Some wear very traditional black suites covered up everything except the eyes, some wear colourful kaftans that goes down to their feet with cute little huts that they can pull over their heads, other wear western clothes but with the traditional scarf to cover up their heads. And others wear just very modern, western-like, the latest fashion clothes covering almost nothing.

People use different styles of clothes depending on, well, what? That is the question.

One guy told me that when women marry they have to start covering more, especially if they go out. A liberate woman told me that the dressing code is roughly just up to the family traditions and their level of education.

As I heard Muslims say before, the covering outfit women usually wear is not all about covering up their body, leaving it unseen for the rest of the world except for their own husbands. It also has a practical point; the dresses are made of the right material for the hot weather, they protect you from being burnt by the sun, they protect you from dust, sand and wind etc. Interesting if you see it from this point of view. Cos that might be more than the majority of us in Scandinavia think of when we dress up for the day, squees ouselves into our uncomfortable pants and shirts... and going out to freeze in the cold temperature.

Anyway, the koftas and the other exotic clothes is in my mind still the intersting ones. In Scandinavia we see western fashion clothes every day and the outfits change almost as fast as our own seasons. The Moroccan traditional outfit is very charming, colorful, nice and female in many ways, in my mind. I am very tempted to buy myself a whole dress, as I usually am when I see traditional clothes, but the again... I know I wouldn't wear it back home in Helsinki.

Anyway, plus points for the female clothes in Morocco.

And by the way, who said that the revealing western clothes are so sexy...?

Pics are still to come.

Morocco: Casablanca's famous Mosque

2007-06-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Morocco - Casablancas great Mosque

After Mecka, the big Mosque that the Muslims pilgrims to, Casablancas Mosque Hassan 2 is the biggest religious building in the world. It is situated right at the cost and port of Casa and is easy to find since you can see it from a long distance.

Unfortunately I did not get inside of it since it is only open for non-Muslims at certains times of the day and I came at the wrong time.

The guide at the Tourist office insisted that I just HAVE TO see it from the inside. So... I guess I missed out on something there.

Morocco: Small tips help and cheer up

2007-06-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

...Here it means a lot that you give an extra tip to the cleaner at your hostel or to the waiter at the cafe. Acctually a small gesture like that will give you much more than it costs you when you see the happy face expressions on some faces.

This old handsome man was so happy when I handed over a couple of Dirhams through the Taxi window.
But I was even happier; finally I got a real pic of a real local.

Morocco: Busy Casablanca

2007-06-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

Still alive in the heat..

And here comes some more subjective reflections from my travelling;

It is a bit cooler than Marrakech since Casabanca is by the sea.

The city is big; busy and with intense traffic. Acctually most I talked to adviced me not to go to Casa but to choose nicer and more tourist friendly destination, like Essaouira or Agadir... but since the bus tickets to Essaouria were sold out I jumped on the train to Casa.

I have to admit it is not a beautiful city and the poverty is widespead.
Here it means a lot that you give an extra tip to the cleaner at your hostel or to the waiter at the cafe. Acctually a small gesture like that will give you much more than it costs you when you see the happy face expressions on some faces.

My hotel is very simple... costs less than 8 E per night: On the other hand there is no shower included and if you are too sensitive of small creeps it is not a good idea to stay in one of those cheaper hotels here in the Medina. There are several cleaner and nice ones that cost you about 20-30 E per night.

The second biggest Mosque Hassan 2, in the world, after the huge Islamic Mecka, is here in Casablanca at the Atlantic cost side. It is yet to be discovered today.

The mentality is harder here than in Marrakech. It is bigger, more elitistic and city-like whereas at the same times the poverty seem to be more obvious. The contrasts are big. While there might be a huge luxorious hotel in one city street there is still a very poor and dirty street just next to it. People at the poorer quarters seem to have less understaning for strange tourists who dress unrespectfully... and I even got hit by a man yesterday ...probably cos of my shorts and top, that looks western indeed. Well; after that experience I do not walk those worst quarters anymore if not necessary.

According to the guide at the tTourist office this attitude difference between Casablanca and Marrakech is cos of the fact that the tourism has not really reached Casablanca yet. It first came to Marrakech - which probably is the most famous city at this point. By the way, the so called Tourist office is a small glass box that was not open til the 4 th time I went there... There were a couple of thin prospects you could get from there but no map of the city itself was available.

Tonight I am gonna meet some local females and stay at their place before I backpack forward with train to the capital Rabat.

Alja

Morocco: Great food in Marrakech

2007-06-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

Another day in the hot but exciting Marrakech.

The food is great, especially if you sit down at the local big marget in late evening and join the locals for a real Moroccan dinner. When it comes to food you will defenitely not be disappointed. It is not only the very tasty and fresh food barbecued in front of your eyes...it is also the friendly and intense atmosphere. You get to sit side by side with a mixture of Moroccan people in all ages as well as with tourists from all sied of the world; I can not think of a better way to get together; everyone needs food, right? Just imagine the scent of grilled meats and vegetables, chili sauces, sallads, kebab, potatoe beefs... you name it.

I am surprised over the friendly and open attitude the Moroccan people generally seem to have toward tourists, They are helpful and try their best to help you with their poor english. And no hard feelings concerning the religion thing either. Most of people in Marrakech seem to be quite religious but as a foreigner you will not be treated badly eventhough you dress or behave differently etc. Looking at the dressing code it also surprises me that women dress variously; in traditional koftas, in skirts, tops, shirts, with or without head scarves. The coulourful clothes women wear looks just great and I have heard they are much lighter and thin in the hot weather than it looks like.

No pics this time, sorry. I almost succeeded but not quite, though, since the blogging programme refused to upload the pics waiting at the desktop, Better luck next time?

Best greetings,

Alja

Morocco: Bodylanguage

2007-06-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

3 Messages, dernière publication le 7 juin 2007

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...whatever that means...

...um, so let s see if I manage to even write a single sentence to my own blog from here. Everything goes in French and Arabic and I only speak English...
But no panic, no panic, there is always this universal human language, thanks god, called the Bodylanguage. Beides there are paper and pen.

It is hot, colourful, lots of people, squares and squares of bazaars, donkeys, horses, cars, bikes, motorbikes, old, young, black, yellow, red and white everywhere.

It is great - defenitely different than home. The climate, the smell, the heat, the tempo; the tastes, the sounds.

But I must say, and I have said it before, in Finland we have no idea how silent, peacful and clean our environments are.

But home is far away in time and distance now and I am gonna go out and get lost in the bazaars again for a while, before I head back to the hostel. Sleep well.

Next time I would like to surprise myself by managing to add some pictures to my message.

Enjoy.

Alja -

Pics from home

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Home

Interview poll

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Yo!

Wanna take part and answer these questions?
Then mail me and I might publish it :)
_________________________________

Janne (Adult - but still a child):

What´s your favourite country so far? Why?

Irland.
I have always been interested in the Irish culture, both the pagan era and the christian era. And the hospitality of the people, there are no strangers in Ireland only friends who haven't met.

How do Finnish people differ from other people?

The Finns live along with the four seasons. One can notice, for example, in the spring. Not only the nature comes to bloom, the people also.

What sides in yourself are revealed when abroad?

Nothing much differ. If I stay for a longer period I long for typical finnish stuff. For example I never listen to Eppu Normaali, in Finland, but when I lived in London I had to buy one CD.

Are there things you wanna change in the world if you were God?

Actually no. The world is perfect as it is now. It too bad with all the wars and supression of the people and with wasting of global resources. But I think it is as God inteded.

_______________________________

Petri (40):

What´s your favourite country so far? Why?

Brazil. Magnificent nature and the people. You always see people smiling and that means a lot cos it makes you happy.

How do Finnish people differ from other people?

They are introvert BUT very honest!

What sides in yourself are revealed when abroad?

I become a curious little boy. I wanna see, touch and experience all kinds of things.

Are there things you wanna change in the world if you were God?

Yes. I would gather all leaders of all the religions and brainwash them…and make them be more compassionate towards each other and towards other people.

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Toffe (16, Alja´s son):

What´s your favourite country so far? Why?

Finland
(It has to be another country than your own)
No
(ok, then why is Finland the best?)
Cos it´s the only land I really know

How do Finnish people differ from other people?

Finnish people believe less in themselves.

What sides in yourself are revealed when abroad?

I become more curious and independent

Are there things you wanna change in the world if you were God?

Nä.
(hey…come on)
There shouldn´t be any mosquitos.
(Nothing else?)
No.
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Martin:

What´s your favourite country so far? Why?

India; huge, beautiful country with a completely different culture, fascinating religions and customs, beautiful nature and simply the best food.

How do Finnish people differ from other people?

Silent and honest. A compliment from a Finn is a Real Compliment.

What sides in yourself are revealed when abroad?

My real more-than-average social self, because it's easier to get to know strangers abroad. I also understand who of my friends are really important for me, who I really miss.

Are there things you wanna change in the world if you were God?

People shouldn't transfer hate through generations. I believe in the basic concept of Karma. Good comes back to you. Even if it wouldn't, you have brought something good into the world, and your life has had a positive impact.

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Alja:

What´s your favourite country so far? Why?

Egypt
Cos of the mysterious history, the beautiful red sea and the Nile

How do Finnish people differ from other people?

They are more introvert, shy, generally quite well-educated, trustworthy and quiet

What sides in yourself are revealed when abroad?

My need for silence and privacy, my need for certain foods (ruisleipä, keitettyjä perunoita, salmiakki and makkara)

Are there things you wanna change in the world if you were God?

Love and respect to all. Better intelligence used by homo sapiens. Better responsibility and care for nature and animals.

In the beginning of Blogging there was...

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...at least not very big technical problems.

THIS IS ALJA' S SUBJECTIVE BLOG BABBLE....

Ok, finally I start blogging. I never thought I would...

But I love travelling I think it´s the perfect thing to do.
I´ve had good help and advice from other vagabond blogs so far, and if you look at my linklist there are a few already (virtual soulmates :))

Now I´m counting down the days til I land in Morocco and Portugal. From that day on I´ll try my best to update my trips (eventhought I´m very good at NOT keeping routines up).

Hm... how do u think a lonesome woman will make it in a burning hot, muslim country like Morocco?

I´ll keep u updated.

So long!