Fantasy Travel Friday - The Orient Express

When I hear the words "Orient Express", I think of elegance and Agatha Christie. How can you not? When I decided to write this Fantasy Travel Friday post, I was shocked that the Orient Express train still existed. When I think of the hey day of train travel, I think of the early to mid-20th century, and the fact that people slept and ate sumptuous meals in the comfort of a train. I take the train at least three to four times per year here in the Northeast U.S., but it pales in comparison to the luxury of the Orient Express (and it's only for four hour rides).

Train travel is still a major part of travel in Europe, but I think the Orient Express (now called the Venice Simplon Orient Express) goes beyond getting you from Point A to Point B via the rails. I'm adding this to my "Wow! This pretty expensive, and I need to win the lottery list" of travel dreams.

The Orient Express has a variety of routes, but I would choose the Paris to Istanbul route leaving from Gare de l'Est and arriving at Sirkeci Station a week later with stops in Budapest and Bucharest.

I know that I'd be staring out of the window a lot like this woman.

Catching views like this....

A lazy afternoon of staring deserves some afternoon tea to go along with it.

Knowing me, even with all of the pretty scenery, I would go exploring through the train to discover as many of the public and private spaces as I could.

One of my first stops would have to be the dining car, of course.

In the early evening, I suspect people sip cocktails here in the lounge.

I will say that the Orient Express knows how to use space well. Each cabin has both a daytime and nighttime configuration. Your personal steward changes the room over while you are "out" for the evening.

I would love to lie in bed watching the world go by.

Maybe a bunk wouldn't be so bad (I don't see Husband J going for this)?

Do you think I could get Husband J to agree to splurge on a luxury cabin?

I can't think of a more fun way to see Europe.

Have you ever been on an overnight sleeping train? What has been your most memorable train trip?

Happy Weekend!

1. In the station; 2. In the mountains; 3. Woman in cabin; 4. View through window; 5. Afternoon tea; 6. Dining car; 7. The lounge; 8. Floor plan.; 9. bedroom ; 10. Train bunk; 11. Luxury cabin

Travel Challenge, Day 15 - Advice to Those Traveling Abroad

***Last day...better late than never, right? I'm glad I finished.***

Day 15 - Advice to someone who is thinking about traveling to another country

I think Deidre of Vai Via Blog really captured the sentiment of any advice I could give you if you're thinking about traveling abroad, which is (like Nike says) "Just Do It!"

I know that there are a lot of constraints perceived and real that deter people from getting out there to see the larger world: lack of vacation time, money, worry about safety, etc., but I want to tell you to do it anyway.

Here is some of the advice I'd give to folks thinking about traveling abroad soon:

1. Be intentional about travel. If you do want to get away, make a plan and figure out a way to get where you want to go. Maybe that means planning for over a year, but at least you have travel on your radar and are focused about incorporating it into your life. As I get older, I realize that the everyday aspects of life can get in the way VERY easily and take priority over travel, i.e., bills, family obligations, etc. I know one of the biggest roadblocks people experience with traveling is money. I love how Catherine from Forty Twenty Four and her husband purposefully incorporate a line item in their budget for travel savings. That's how it's got to be! I know I have not talked about money on this blog yet, but a post is in the making because I do want to address it.

2. Learn a little about the history and culture of the place you're visiting beforehand. You definitely don't need to read Phd. level history books, but it really adds to your experience if you take a little time to even read the history section of the guidebook, Wikipedia or SOMETHING before exploring another country. Understanding the context for what you see and encounter will deepen your experience while there.

Salvador, Brazil

3. It's okay if you don't speak the local language. Wait, you didn't know I spoke Turkish? :) Just kidding. Melinda from Palindrome at Home did ask me this question a few months ago, and I haven't addressed this yet. If you are reading this blog, you either a) are a native speaker of English, or b) have learned English quite well enough to understand my rambling. I want to tell you that you are lucky in many respects. English is widely spoken by many people in the tourism industry all over the world. I've spoken English to Balinese shopkeepers, Turkish cab drivers and Brazilian street kids. Yes, there are some countries where English is not widely spoken, but to be honest that is actually part of the experience of traveling abroad. In those instances, some good basic phrases or some genuine smiles and hand gestures can go a long way. People have been so nice to me when I have addressed them in their language and made an attempt to speak even if I don't sound like a native (or even close).

Bali, Indonesia

4. Safety is important, but don't let it paralyze you. I know that we live in a crazy, scary world sometimes. I'm not staying throw caution to the wind and make a trip to Afghanistan tomorrow, but the evil forces in the world that perpetrate bad things want many of us to live in fear. I refuse to do that, and you shouldn't either. If I thought about terrorism on a regular basis, I would never leave my apartment or use the subway. We need to be vigilant about our safety wherever we live. With this in mind, actually heading out and seeing the world will only help in understanding that the world can be a welcoming place.

Dublin, Ireland

5. It ain't like home. That's the point though, isn't it? The beauty of the modern world even with its computers and cell phones making it a little bit smaller is that people still have customs, lifestyles and foods :) that make where they live unique. The fun part of traveling is to explore those differences.

What advice would you give anyone thinking about traveling abroad?

Travel Challenge, Day 14 - What I Learned from Traveling Abroad

***Finishing off the the Travel Challenge***

Day 14, What did you learn from traveling abroad?

What have I NOT learned should really be the question.

I've learned to be able to adapt to almost any situation and any group of people I encounter, especially people who are not friendly. I know that's a skill you can learn right at home, but I have encountered some fellow unfriendly travelers. It's actually a little disconcerting. If I may be honest, being a Black woman with an American accent has definitely put me in a position to explode stereotypes with other travelers. On a few occasions I think people have interacted with me based on their own perceptions of what I am supposed to be and think, and I have not enjoyed those times (It's rare, but it happens. People tend to be universally cool. See below). Whatever the situation my tact is to always be pleasant. If I put out positive energy coupled with good old fashioned manners, then I know good will come back to me during my travels.

People care about each other regardless of political divisions. Case in point: I went to Cuba nine days after September 11, 2001 to participate in an academic conference. When meeting Cubans and mentioning that I grew up in New York City, there was such an outpouring of support, kind words and genuine concern. Many of the Cubans I met were sincerely devastated by what had happened. When I mentioned this to a friend when I returned, she was shocked that Cubans would be concerned about how the U.S. was coping with this horrible event. Why not??!! We're all people; and tragedy is tragedy even if our governments and political choices don't agree or align. I've experienced this in other countries too, not just Cuba. Perhaps it's an often pervasive belief in the U.S. that other countries don't like people who live here? I'm not going to be Polly Anna and say that there aren't people who want to hurt others simply for things like national origin (like this guy). If anything, travel has taught me that people's perceptions of the country where I reside is much more complex.

I can figure out just about anything in most situations. There's nothing like getting a little lost or not being able to fully communicate with someone, but you figure it out. I've gained confidence in my ability to find a place to sleep when I didn't have one or figure out a subway/metro system to get me where I need to go. Also I'm pretty good with maps, if I do say so myself. :)

What have your travels taught you?

Travel Challenge, Days 12 & 13

***My internet works again! Yippee!!**

Day 12- Someone who influenced me to travel abroad

*Scratches head** My Mom? I think unwillingly she allowed me to travel places when I was younger that made me fall in love with travel. Allowing me to do a summer abroad in Mexico at almost 16 instilled a love of travel in me. We were talking about this a few weeks ago, and she marveled at how she had the inner strength to do that. My Mom was super strict and a tad (how do you say this?) "overprotective" when I was younger :), yet she saw an opportunity for me to grow. Plus, my summer program was free (I won a scholarship)! You can't deny free and life changing, right? Thanks for letting me go, Mom!

Day 13 - Favorite travel quotation

I like this one:

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends."

-Maya Angelou (love her!!)

Travel Challenge, Day 11 - A Milestone/"First" Abroad?

Day 11 - Did you have any milestones or "firsts" abroad?

This prompt was hard, too. I can't really think of any other than the whitewater rafting. Maybe it was spending my first Christmas around no family or friends in South Africa? It was weird spending Christmas with virtual strangers, but it was still fun. Also everyone wishes each other "Happy Christmas" (they do this in Antigua, too) and have Christmas lunch and not Christmas dinner. A nice change of pace.

Speaking of holidays....

A Happy Independence Day/ July 4th holiday to my U.S. readers at home and abroad. Enjoy the holiday today wherever you are.

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Travel Challenge, Day 10 - A Favorite Foreign Film

**One of the worst things that can happen to a blogger? Not having internet access at home! Let's hope everything gets resolved soon!**

Day 10 - Favorite foreign film

I think it's "Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate)", a film from Mexico, which is based on the book of the same name by Laura Esquivel. It combines some of my favorite things in one movie: romance and food. I love the magical realism of the story and how the heroine, Tita, expresses her emotion through food. Enjoy this clip. I couldn't find this scene in Spanish with English subtitles, so here it is first in Spanish and then English.

English version

I'd be interested in hearing about your favorite foreign film.

Travel Challenge, Day 9 - A Favorite Song from Another Country/Language

Day 9, A song you like from another country/language

This was much easier than yesterday's prompt. :)

I feel like this Travel Challenge is turning into "Let me tell you about South Africa...."

Anyhoo, this music reminds me of my time there. Mafikizolo is/was a popular South African group that had a few big hits when I was living there. They sing in Zulu, and their music can be called kwaito, which is a generic name for urban electronic music influenced by life in South Africa's townships. It's definitely a distant cousin of American hip-hop.

The name of this song is "Ndihamba Nawe" which literally means "I walk with you." After some research, I found out that the smoother translation means "I choose you." Awwwwwww!!

Here's the song:






They had another big hit, "Marabi".

I actually learned a little bit of Xhosa, the one with the clicks that is very similar to Zulu (if you can speak either language, you can usually communicate in the other). In the little Zulu/Xhosa I can make out, I do know this:

Marabi is a form of indigenous South African jazz, and this song resembles that style.

umtwana = child

eGoli = Johannesburg. It is actually directly translated as "City of Gold." Many Black South Africans, who came to Jo'burg to mine its gold and diamond mines, called it eGoli.

Are there any songs from another language or culture that resonate with you?

Travel Challenge, Day 8 - Favorite Food from Another Country/Culture

Day 8 - A favorite food from another country or culture

HELLO?!! How am I supposed to pick a FAVORITE food from another country or culture? This is by far the hardest of the prompts for me for this 15 day challenge. :)

If you are new to the blog, you might not know that I love Korean food. I had a great Korean feast about a year ago. I guess that could be one of my favorite cuisines.....

I love Korean soups!

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There is just too much good food out there to pick. Too much! I really like other foods too! Thai, Chinese, most French and Spanish cheese...

My favorite dessert is probably tiramisu.

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Hot drink? Cuban cafe con leche. I am sooo not a coffee drinker, but I could drink this multiples times per day. I looked forward to it mornings in Cuba.

Cocktail? There's nothing like a refreshing caipirinha on a Brazilian beach (or really anywhere in Brazil).

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What are your favorite foods from a country or culture other than your own?

Travel Challenge, Day 7 - What Do/Did I Miss from Home?

Day 7 - Besides people, what do/did you miss from home?

Other than my time in South Africa and a summer in Mexico, I haven't really left the U.S. for longer than four months (Is that enough time to miss things? Maybe?). What I did miss while in South Africa was the holiday season we have in the U.S. starting with Thanksgiving in November and ending with New Year's Eve.

I think I love Thanksgiving the most (for the food of course!). :)

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I know many people hate the holidays, but they've always been a fun time for me. I guess it's because I grew up the only child of a single mother, so I enjoyed large, festive gatherings as a kid. I've started to plan and serve my own holiday gatherings in the past few years. Check out last year's Thanksgiving dinner.

I remember being in South Africa having to try to explain why people in the U.S. ate a bigger than normal meal on a Thursday and to answer honestly about U.S. colonial history. That was fun (I'm being facetious).

There was one aspect of the holiday season that I DIDN'T miss. Actually, I didn't realize it until after Christmas was over. It just felt different in South Africa.

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The main difference from Christmas in the U.S. was the fact that I was wearing a summer dress on Christmas day (the seasons are switched in the Southern Hemisphere). :) The deepest realization for me was that I had not been bombarded with holiday SHOPPING commercials for a full month. Christmas is just less commercial and not about shopping at 4am in South Africa. Granted, there are economic reasons for that, but I didn't miss the news coverage and general hoopla devoted to Christmas shopping. Not one bit.

What would you miss most about your home country, if you lived/traveled abroad for a long period of time ?

Travel Challenge, Day 5 - What Do You Take With You When You Travel?

**Falling behind on the Travel Challenge! Ooops!**

Day 5 -What do you bring with you when you travel?

What I've taken on trip with me has changed over the years, so I thought I would give a very quick run down of what I took with me on my last major trip.

A small suitcase. I've never owned a backpack. I am the queen of the 20 inch rolling suitcase. I've fit anywhere from a weekend to two weeks' worth of clothes, shoes and souvenirs in this type of bag. I like traveling kinda light and with a bag this size, it keeps me honest. I can only take so much. A suitcase this size also ensures that it can serve as a carry-on, since it's small enough to fit those overhead luggage compartments. I also make sure to buy a soft suitcase instead of a hard one with no give. It makes a difference.

Not my suitcase but close enough

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I don't carry a purse. I tend not to carry a traditional purse, but instead a bag that I call a "daypack". I love my latest little bag because it's got lots of compartments. On the trip to Turkey, it proved it can actually fit a camera, guidebook, Flip camera and even an umbrella. I also like that I can sling it over me instead of having to hold it like a traditional handbag/purse.

Not sexy or stylish, but I have enough time to think about that at home.

Since I have this blog, I've got to document things. :)

Camera. Here's my "point and shoot" Panasonic Lumix. I have a love-hate relationship (mostly love) with this camera. It's small enough to fit into my daypack with ease and has given me some pretty great shots. We'll see if I move on up to a DSLR. I know many people have opinions about whether the step up is worth it.

Video. To capture the videos from the Turkey trip, I used a Flip, which is discontinued now. I'm always slow on the uptake with technology, so it doesn't surprise me that they were discontinued about three months after I got one for Christmas.

Computer. I try to unplug somewhat when I'm away, but that's not happening with Husband J. He still needs the ability to check back in with work or even possibly do some work (BOOO!! No work has happened yet other than Blackberry checking), so this is for "emergencies". My husband, who swore he'd never use Apple products, has bought a Macbook Air, which he loves. Having a computer totally helped with checking our plans and other things while we were in Turkey. Wanna hear a secret? A Macbook Air can fit in a hotel safe. Of course, now that I've written that....

Psuedo Wedding Ring. I actually don't bring my engagement ring or wedding band when I travel. I've been known to lose a ton of things, and I would be heartbroken if I lost these rings. To be honest with you, I also don't want to attract any extra attention. Sometimes just being me causes a stir. Also I find that the international signal for "Hey, dude! I'm married!" is not my thin platinum band with a diamond here or there, but a simple gold one. I bought this ring for our trip to Bali and also wore it to Turkey. I remember this being a hot topic when I was a wedding blogger. Married people, care to weigh in?

That's it. Nothing else. I have big hands, don't I?

What are your travel must-haves?

Definitely check out other folks participating in the Travel Challenge!

Fly Brother

Mademoiselle Mitchell

Absolute Travel Addict

Mo Travels

Travel Challenge, Day 4 - A Pic of me Abroad

Day 4, a picture of you in another country

Of course I wouldn't be me, if I didn't think about this. I didn't want a pic of me having a bad hair day (yes, that's possible), but I did want to actually show you somewhere in the process. So...

Bad Hair Day :)

On Corcovado near the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. The statue is a few away. Here's my post on my experience there.

Good Hair Day :)

At the Ephesus ruins in Turkey. A post is in the making.

Travel Challenge, Day 3 - An Adventure Abroad

**I know some of you are having problems writing comments on the blog. I'm looking into what I can do to change that. **

Day 3 - An adventure/challenge you had while traveling abroad

Uh, Day 3's prompt is a little hard. Part of me wanted to phone it in and just post a link to last week's hot air balloon post from Turkey, but I can't do that. :)

I guess the most adventurous thing I've done abroad is whitewater rafting. This is pretty darn hysterical if you know me personally because I barely swim. After finishing up my externship/internship or whatever you want to call it, I took a 10 day group overland road trip through Namibia and Botswana, which ended at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. One of the activities our group could choose was white water rafting on the Zambezi River. Who was the crazy person that chose to go?

**Raises hand**

All I can say is that there is a picture some where in my collection that resembles something like this:

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I'm not kidding when I say that there were moments when I thought I was going to die. The Zambezi is a Category 5 river in terms of rafting difficulty. The highest category is a 6.

Luckily, the really crazy rapids were at the beginning. Since I was on the last boat of our group to leave, I got to watch each boat capsize barely past the first rapid. When it was our turn, we didn't make it either. I've never felt water come over me with such force before. When toppled over, all I could feel was me sinking. I didn't even touch the bottom of the river! Honestly, it was the longest 10 or so seconds of my life. I remember that my life flashed before me. No joke!! All I could think was: "I never got to say goodbye to my mother." :)

Life jackets are your best friends in this kind of situation. I finally made it to the top, and air felt great even though I was coughing up a ridiculous amount of water. We had some more crazy moments down river, but I am still alive and able to write that I survived white water rafting on the Zambezi. :)

Let me hear some of your stories of adventure or challenge abroad.

Did you enjoy yesterday's post? Check out some other folks writing for the Travel Challenge:

Deidre at Vai Via

Earnest at Fly Brother

Travel Challenge, Day 2 - Where I'd Like to Go Next

Where I'd like to go next?

That's super hard because I have a list..no really, I have a list I keep on my cell phone. I have one just for places I'd like to travel to at some point and one for a possible girl trip with my BFF, which we're still trying to figure out.

For me, I'd say it's still India. It was a year ago and still is on the top of my list now.

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I've had a wonderful time reading about the adventures of some of my favorite travel bloggers' time in India, like Ekua from Girl, Unstoppable (Ekua's travel writing is phenomenal, and I wish this blog featured some great writing like hers more often). BFF has already been to India, and she's written about it here on the blog. One of my current favorite blogs is From India --With Love by K. She's currently volunteering in India for a year, and I am fascinated by her accounts of daily life in Delhi. Also her photography is pretty awesome. She makes me think I need to up my game and get a DSLR.

If I don't get to go to India, then eating my way through somewhere in South East Asia will suffice. :)

Of course Husband J and I have not really talked about where we'd like to go next. I think someone asked him where we'd make our next trip together, and he mumbled to someone about us heading to South America. I wonder where he has in mind?

Patagonia, Argentina?

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Sipping wine in Atacama, one of Chile's major wine regions?

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Who knows? I may not ever go to any of these places, but I admit that half of the fun is just dreaming about them.

Where would you like to go next?

Travel Challenge, Day 1 - My Favorite Place(s)

The lovely Deidre of Vai Via blog is encouraging a few fellow travel bloggers to join her in the Travel Challenge. It's 15 weekdays of blogging based on some prompts related to travel. I thought I'd join in since I've never really done something like this before or discussed some of the topics in the prompts on the blog. Let's see if I can keep up. :)

My FAVORITE place that I've visited? That's way too hard! I think I've liked different places for different reasons. At each favorite place, I've experienced something unique, or it's changed me in some way. Here are some of my favorites and why:

1. Favorite First - Italy. It was the first place I'd been in Europe and really the first place I'd ever been outside of going to visit my family in Antigua. It was a high school trip for the Latin geeks like me (I studied Latin for six years. I embrace my geekiness.). This was in 1993, and I haven't been back to Italy since. I need to go back :(

Piazza Navona, my favorite piazza in Rome. My first travel memory is eating gelato here and ogling my future Italian husbands. :)

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2. Favorite "I could live here" - South Africa. I spent four months living in South Africa in grad school doing an externship (whatever...it was an internship with a special name). Specifically, I lived in Cape Town and worked for a legal organization there. My research and policy focus was on women's rights as it relates to customary tribal law (yeah, I know. A little esoteric). I LOVED South Africa, and I miss it very much. I can't even begin to put into words how much I would love to go back. The history, the beauty of the country, the realities of blending cultures and languages and within the backdrop of a history of years of repression made it a truly fascinating place to be. My time in South Africa also made me realize that I could live in another part of the world and be happy there. I was really ready to stay.

This is where I used to go power walking after "work". :) I lived a few blocks from the water in a neighborhood called Sea Point.

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I would love to talk about South Africa on this blog, but I have no digitized pictures. Any advice on how to take my regular pics and turn them into digital ones? I have a feeling about how (scanning, right?), but I'd love to hear from you all.

3. Favorite "I'm not in Kansas anymore" - Morocco. I've never been to the U.S. state of Kansas, but I'm sure I would think it's as exotic as Morocco (no really! I would!). Parts of Morocco made me feel like I was in a place devoid of the influences of modern technology or European/North American ways of living. Plus, I was there during Ramadan, Islam's holy month of fasting, which added another element to how I experienced the country.

My pics from Morocco are jacked up, too. :( I'd love to talk about the trip here. Maybe someday. If you want to hear about Morocco, bug my BFF to send me some of her pics, and I'll be sure to write about it. Her e-mail is.....just kidding (Well, not really. What's up, BFF??!!)

A street in the Medina (old city) in Fes-al-Bali

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Also, I think Turkey has become one of my favorite places as well. Months later, I'm still thinking about it. I think New Orleans was my favorite U.S. city.

I think that's too many favorites, so I'll stop here. :)

What has been one of your favorite places to visit?

Here's Deidre's Favorite Place