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Category Archives: India

Impressions of India

It ain’t India unless there’s a cow in the middle of the road. Seriously, every place I’ve set foot in, cows can be found leisurely crossing the road (and other farm animals, but the cow is the most quintessential), seemingly oblivious to the hurricane of traffic swirling around them.

May 23, 2018November 5, 2019Posted inIndiaTags: Asia, solo travel, travel tips

Revisiting (and rethinking) Delhi

I’m back in Delhi after two solid days of rest in Guwahati. I found a copy of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho on the bookshelf in the communal living room and quickly read it cover to cover. I know most of the Western world has already read this book and I’m late to the game, […]

May 21, 2018November 5, 2019Posted inIndiaTags: Asia, Delhi, Dilli Haat, Guwahati, Saccharomyces boulardii, travel, traveler's sickness

Back on the (bleeping) bus

The bus ride was less like hell and more like purgatory. It turns out I was armed with higher tolerance on the way back from Ziro than I had on the way there. To my surprise, the same “punk kid” ended up being my Sumo driver from Ziro back to Naharlagun. This coincidence made me […]

May 19, 2018July 9, 2019Posted inIndiaTags: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Guwahati, Naharlagun, northeast India, Ziro Valley

Fake celeb syndrome

Tallo came to pick me up on his motorbike a little later today, around 9 am. We first went on a hike to Taw Tibe Farm, which involved climbing a hell of a lot of steps, but I am accustomed to uphill climbs by now. The farm itself is considered to be its own village, […]

May 18, 2018February 3, 2019Posted inIndiaTags: Apatani, Apatani Youth Association, Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India, Ziro Valley

The Apatani of Arunachal

I awoke well-rested and looking forward to exploring the town. I had known beforehand that Ziro is home to the Apatani tribe and was curious to see their way of life.

May 16, 2018April 23, 2020Posted inIndiaTags: Apatani, Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India, Ziro Valley

Ziro tolerance: part II

The Sumo ride to Ziro was a fun (and somewhat dangerous) one, which often seem to go hand in hand in my choice of recreational and holiday activities.

May 15, 2018November 5, 2019Posted inIndiaTags: Hapoli, northeast India, Ziro Valley

Ziro tolerance: part I

On May 12th, I set out for Leh airport from my guesthouse at 7 am to catch my morning flight to Guwahati. I had booked my Airbnb accommodations literally ten minutes before leaving, just barely managing it with the in-and-out wifi signal. I know by now that I prefer to have my accommodations booked before […]

May 14, 2018April 23, 2020Posted inIndiaTags: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Guwahati, northeast India, Ziro Valley

Achoochoo?

Today is Day 4 of the trek, and the most difficult thus far. First of all, it’s IDGAF-level cold both inside and outside. “Achoochoo” is my layman’s interpretation of how to express “really damn cold” in Ladakhi (ok, the “damn” is my insertion, and yes, it’s pronounced like the sound effect for a sneeze).

May 9, 2018November 1, 2019Posted inIndiaTags: Ladakh, Leh, Nimaling, northern India, trekking in India

Hankering for warmth (and maybe a hug)

Since I last wrote in this blog in 2014, a hell of a lot has happened, for better and for worse (but mostly for the better). A few of these events I could have imagined, but others I could never have predicted.

May 8, 2018December 8, 2019Posted inIndiaTags: Ladakh, northern India, travel, trekking in India

Hostess with the momo-stest

Today consisted of 6–7 hours of trekking through Markha Valley, which sits at an altitude of 3770 meters, a bit higher than Leh. It was cloudy and windy for most of the day, with brief periods of snow (which promptly melted).

May 7, 2018February 3, 2019Posted inIndiaTags: Ladakh, Leh, northern India, trekking in India

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Bonus mosaic: “School №54” (1967) #mariupol Bonus mosaic: “School №54” (1967)

#mariupol #mariupolgram #ukraine #sovietmosaic #mosaics
A small sample of the street art and Soviet mosaic A small sample of the street art and Soviet mosaics found around Mariupol. The murals shown in photos 2 and 8 by @sasha.korban symbolize a woman escaping gender-based/domestic violence and “Milana,” a 6-year-old girl orphaned during shelling near the city in 2015, respectively.

#mariupol #mariupolgram #streetart #murals #sovietmosaic #mosaics #ukraine
The city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region of sout The city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region of southeastern Ukraine can be described as a “city of contrasts,” to quote Andrew, a local and fellow travel enthusiast who kindly hosted me while I explored his city. He was referring to the industrial landscape (two of Ukraine’s largest iron and steel plants lie on the outskirts of the city) juxtaposed with colourful historical and modern architecture, green parks, sports venues, and war-scarred and abandoned buildings set against the backdrop of the Azov Sea (the most shallow sea in the world). 

Mariupol isn’t one of the main cities tourists visiting Ukraine usually seek out (and those who know of it might be apprehensive to visit given its ~20 km proximity to the frontline), but fighting hasn’t taken place in the city itself since 2015, and I felt perfectly safe. The city is well organized (the bus and tram network is solid), and tourists can find information on sightseeing at the old water tower, an official monument of Mariupol built by German architect Viktor Nielsen in 1910. Nielsen designed other iconic buildings around the city, like the Continental hotel (now a center for contemporary art) and the drama theatre. Tourists can walk along a historical route marked by tiny statues of Nielsen (like the one in my photo) along the way. 

#mariupol #mariupolgram #ukraine #donetsk #solofemaletraveler #solofemaletraveller #solofemaletravel  #digitalnomad

@andrew_wanderer @chudonatalya @mrpl_insta @mariupol_blog
Some selected scenes from wandering around Odessa Some selected scenes from wandering around Odessa 

#odessa #odesa #ukraine #urbanexploration #solofemaletraveler #solofemaletraveller #solofemaletravel #digitalnomad
Just a girl admiring her giant saw in the Ukrainia Just a girl admiring her giant saw in the Ukrainian underground 😅

This saw was once used by miners working in Odessa’s catacombs to cut a type of rock called “coquina” into bricks. The rock is a mixture of limestone and seashells and is quite soft (and pretty). Much of the old city is built from bricks hauled out of these mines in the early 1800s. 

The tunnels are not one continuous system but together amount to around 3000 km, making Odessa’s catacombs the longest in the world. My guide Vanya and I entered through Nerubayskoe, a village just outside the city. 

@odesa_by_locals 

#odessa #odesa #ukraine #catacombs #girlsthatwander #solofemaletraveler #solofemaletraveller #solofemaletravel #digitalnomad

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