Around the year 800 AD, some 600 years before Machu Picchu, Teyuna was chosen by precolombian indigenous culture as political and spiritual center of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia). At its peak, the city was home of 2000 people, living in harmony with nature and working on precious metals. Today, the only way to admire the ruins of this ancient city is to trek through the mountainuous jungle of the Sierra Nevada for 4 days.
It took us 36 hours to get there, 7 trains, a power shortage in Germany and 3 flights to get there. Stepping out of the plane, we feel the warm and humid air of Colombia on our faces. We feel tired, jet lagged, but the excitement is strong. From the sky, we first see all the white skyscrappers on a long piece of land, making it look really modern, like “Legoland”. Then, the more modest areas. And finally, the forteress. The airplane touches the ground. We arrived.
Tomorrow is the big day! Leaving for the trip of a lifetime, from the Caribbean to the end of the world. “I am so happy…!”
I am also so happy I can share this exploration of South America with someone. And I know with my fellow traveler (and also le boyfriend) I will never get bored. We both swear in different mother tongues -none of them being English nor Spanish-, we both enjoy meeting people and discovering new places and most important – having fun! With his engineer background, Adnan will be the one fixing stuff on the way -girlfriend included, if she (I) gets a bit too sad/upset/worried 😉
So what is the plan? So far, we just have a one way ticket to Cartagena, Colombia in our pockets, a bit of savings and thirst for adventure!
We got lots of request from friends and family so we will publish our adventures regularly on the blog :-). If you don’t want to miss one you can subscribe to the notifications by email, follow us via RSS feeds (scroll down to the bottom of the page), like the page on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. We will also update regularly a few KPIs about our trip (days on the road, km, transportation, money spent…) so you can know how it is going!
Finally, we would like to apologize to our friends and family for writing in English, it just would have been a bit too hectic to publish in 4 languages (English, French, Swedish, Bosnian).
Each year, the Friday between 19 and 25 of June, Sweden stops for 24h. Streets are quiet and Stockholm only full of tourists. Swedes leave the cities to gather with friends and families to celebrate in tradition the longest day of the year.
Midsummer Eve is one of the most (if not the most) important tradition in Sweden and it’s a fantastic experience to discover the Swedish culture and gastronomy. If you have the opportunity to celebrate it with Swedes, just do it! It’s the time of the year where Swedes loosen up, and you will have lots of fun. Difficult to find a part to join? No worries, in this post I will give you some tips to plan your very own Swedish Midsummer.
Credit photo: thenigo.com
A room with priceless view, camping in Norwegian fjords
“Waouh, look at this! Best room with a view ever!” We couldn’t stop congratulating ourselves for finding such a great camping spot (above). After a day of travel from Trondheim, it looked like we (I travelled with my brother) found our little corner of paradise, here in Romsdal.
Norway is among the most expensive countries to live in and to visit, it was not my first time there and I knew that. But this trip to convinced me once more: it really worths it and with a bit of flexibility and creativity you can have an amazing time with a reasonable budget. ( Note for the inpatients: you can directly scroll at the end of the article to see our budget. For the others: keep reading!).
Exciting post! Announcing my next travel plans: a 6 months journey across the amazing south American continent! Departure in just 17 little days!
For this “few” of a lifetime trip, we will be landing in Cartagena (Colombia), on the Caribbean coast. We plan to travel our way south -through Amazon rainforest and Andes mountains, salty and sandy desert, via ancient cities and vibrant megapolis, national parks and exceptional beaches – until the end of the world, Ushuaia (Argentina).
Join us and follow the journey the way you prefer: Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or via email (scroll to bottom of the page).
Difficult to know where to party when visiting a new city. In this post I suggest 4 places frequented by locals to enjoy Stockholm night life. Pick the place depending on your mood, and dress accordingly!
Debaser is the rock club of Stockholm. Every weekend the place hosts concerts of international rock/pop groups such as FUN or Imagine dragons as well as local groups such as Panda da panda, First Aid Kit or Urban Cone. After the performance, the club plays top hits until 3am. Debaser is the perfect to dive into the Swedish pop scene and discover upraising international stars.
You can actually party in 2 Debaser clubs in Stockholm, both offering the same experience.
Where: subway Medborgarplatsen / subway Hornstull
Good to know: Opens until 3.00am. Admission fee varies depending on the performances, check the website.
Dress like a local: jean, pop or vintage tee-shirt, sneakers/ flat shoes accepted.
Unsure where to go? Berns might be your best bet, the night club is a great party spot and its different rooms give you the possibility to choose between different ambiances. In Stora Salongen it’s a huge dance floor, with high ceiling and crystal chandeliers and a balcony where you can spot people in the crowds. The Terrace plays house music at a lower volume, perfect to engage conversation with your new flirt and your friends. On the lower level, the Gallery focusses on dance music -house and techno. The all place is huge! The nightclub is quite fancy but here you still get a good chance to get in. The main downside of the place: its expensive entrance fee.
Where: Berzelii Park, Ostermlamstorg subway
Good to know: admission fee of 220SEK. Minimum age: 23 years old. The club closes at 3pm but the Gallery at 5pm. Visit the website.
Dress like a local: Smart casual (shirt and nice shoes)
With its up beat ambiance, its house and techno sound and its beautiful people, Sturecompaniet is representative of Östermalm nightlife. This complex includes some of the most hyped clubs of Stockholm: Sturecompaniet itself, hell’s kitchen and heaven’s gate (until 5pm), intimate club “V”. Some of them are so select that you will have to queue a second time inside to see if you can join the VIPs. The only trick is to arrive really early around 10pm if you want to be (almost) sure to get in.
Where: Stureplan, subway Östermalmstorg
Good to know: Got rejected? Head up to Ambassador, similar ambiance with upbeat sounds but slightly less selective
Dress like a local: To have a chance to get in, dress to impress. Mini dress and high heels for girls, suit up for guys
This is the place to be if you want to dance like “back in the days” in an in time ambiance. Fashing is the club for live jazz, folk, groove, world music. After live sessions the place turn out to a night club for 60-70s music where even the shy swedes dance until early morning (until 04.00am on weekends).
Where: T-centralen subway.
Good to know: Check the website for concerts, entrance fee after concerts 100SEK
Dress like a local: Drop the too fancy outfit.
If you are dreaming of a vacation of old medieval and roman towns, national parks, beaches and great Mediterranean food, you picked up the right itinerary!
Inspire yourself from this itinerary to combine the discovery of the Croatian coast and the exploration of 3 great islands (Read related post: 3 beautiful croatian islands accessible by ferry). With this trip is doable by public transportation – i.e ferries and buses- you can get the best of both worlds, even if you don’t sail.
Welcome in Paradise – Sali, Dugi Otok
In 2012, I run my first sprint triathlon, in Stockholm. Crossing the finish line, I was happy, tired and proud -even got a cool tee-shirt!-. But I was also a bit disappointed. It’s only when I actually run the triathlon that I realised how I should have trained. Here are the 10 mistakes I made, and what I think I should done instead, combined in a post I wish I read when I started training for my first triathlon.