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do that thing you always thought you'd never do. Yes, it's true, I quit my job and took my show on the road!! As crazy, scary, unpredictable and totally predictable as it may be, I'm doing it! Join me for some vicarious wanderlust as I check-in with the world, Carmen Sandiego style.
The other thing I’d heard over and over again from my British travel-mates was that London is apparently sooooo huge, that you never ever in a million years run into people you know in the city. On one of my Flash Pack tours a few people in the group discovered they lived in the same London neighborhood, just a few blocks from each other, and this was treated as a humongous and unprecedented coincidence. When I suggested that maybe now that they know each other they would run into other all the time (as happens in Teha’s world in DC) the response was “um…unlikely…but perhaps…that could possibly happen….” which is British for “no chance.”
I was in London for a night before the Finland trip and stayed with wonderful Rachel who was my assigned roommate during my Flash Pack trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. We are now good friends, despite not having been battle buddies in ‘Nam after all. In the morning she escorted me to the bus, as the first step in my journey to the airport. I lugged my suitcase up the few steps and was proud of myself for having my London transport card relatively handy to scan. As I did, I heard my name and looked up to see my friend Isobel sitting in the very first seat on the bus! I know Isobel from my Chile tour group and she seemed way more surprised to see me than I was to see her. Her level of shock could only be matched by Rachel’s. These Londoners are sticking with their story that “these things just don’t happen” but I’m no longer buying it! I came back to London after Finland and stayed with the handsome and mostly funny Rob for a week, while spending my days playing tourist and catching up with pals I’d met at various points and in various places over the past six months. It’s hard to believe I didn’t know anyone in the city before then! I kicked off my visit in true tourist style with a free walking tour with my new favorite free walking tour company, Sandemens (I’d also used them in Prague). My second tour with them did not disappoint- the guide knew a lot about a lot and shared it with wry British humor that seemed perfect for the occasion. My favorite anecdote he shared was outside Buckingham Palace, where he relayed he story of Michael Fagan- this dude puts that lame White House fence jumper to shame. In the early 80’s this guy not only hopped the fence but due to a series of randomly well-timed circumstances, made it to the Queen’s bedroom and actually sat at her bedside sat chatting with her for about ten minutes (I guess the cat is out of the bag that Phillip and her weren’t exactly spooning…or even in the same bedroom). Fagan seemed a little confused about where he was and asked the Queen if she could call room service to order him some cigarettes. Her butler staff did think this request odd… and that maybe security should check things out. According to the guide the Queen said it was the only time in her life she’d been talked to like a “real human being” by someone who had no idea who she was and she allegedly invited him to her 90th birthday party (I guess he was busy that night). During the subsequent legal proceedings it was also discovered that Fagan had not actually broken any laws by entering the palace, so some loopholes were closed up after the incident. It was a blustery London day and the tour ended at a pub, where I sat and chatted with a new friend from the tour over fish and chips- she’s from Brazil and her name is Alathea. This confusing during introductions when she said “I’m Alathea” (pronounced Ala-Teha) and I replied “I’m Teha” and she said “No…I’m Alathea” to which I responded “and I’m just Teha.” Soon after we sorted this out, two gents timidly approached our table and asked for a favor…they work for a market research company and were testing a new hard cider. They had the nerve to ask if they could give us each a free pint of cider and ask us a few questions on camera. AND, as if this weren’t enough of an imposition, they also wanted to PAY us ten pounds for the huge inconvenience. Um…YES and YES! Alateha commented with glee that these things just don’t happen to her. I admitted that these things seem to happen to me all the time. Here we are with our paychecks:
So, while planning my day that morning I’d checked out a last minute theater ticket app and entered a raffle for a first-row ticket to see Kinky Boots for 20 British pounds (which is equivalent to $28). I checked the app at the designated time and saw that I had not won the first row raffle (and I usually pride myself on my raffle-winning skills) but I was offered a 7th row seat for the same price. I guess that would have to do!
My seat and the show did not disappoint- both were amazing! And apparently my row was celebrity-central that night. I was chatting with a group of six women in my row before the show and noticed the two ladies sitting next to me staring and whispering. They later told me they couldn’t believe I’d met the band “Girls Aloud,” which is apparently a British Spice Girls-esque band. The group had apparently broken up so it was BIG NEWS that they were together at the show. Oh the drama! One of my seat mates exclaimed, “I can’t believe there are celebrities sitting next to us! This NEVER happens to me!” I refrained from commenting this time.
I continued my London exploration for the rest of the week, checking out some sites on my own and was lucky to also have several friends excited to show me their city! On Friday I met up with Bhavika (aka B) who I’d met in July on the Flash Pack Vespa tour in Spain and she took me to the Tate modern as well as other assorted sites, before we met up with two other fabulous females from the same trip, Emily and Sacha. The four of us went to a super-cool bar that is World War II themed. It’s underground (and actually hidden with a secret entrance) and decorated as a bunker. You wear a bad-ass uniform jacket while decoding various clues, selecting a series of smells, colors and tastes, and radioing in the selections…which end up being the components of individualized hand-crafted cocktails. They claim to never make the same one twice but who knows. Mine was delicious so I do hope they make it again!
The next day I was excited to FINALLY meet the infamous owners of my favorite tour company, Flash Pack. I’d been in much contact with Radha and Lee while planning my trips and liked them both a lot despite having never met them in-person. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Palomar and chatted for over four hours…and we could have kept going. We are definitely kindred spirits and meeting them re-validated my tour company choice…not as if I needed it.
I then met Rob at his cricket club where there was a big rugby game on TV, but I forgot to watch the game as I was too busy chatting with people. The next morning Rob had a soccer (aka football) game that I went to watch. It’s with guys (aka mates) he went to high school with and they still play against other former high school rivals! I was immaturely entertained hearing grown men on the field (aka pitch) saying things like “lovely shot mate!” The “British language” really never ceases to entertain me!
We then tubed on over to Emily’s beautiful home in Notting Hill (yes, think the adorable neighborhood with the adorable Hugh Grant) for her “Secret Sunday Lunch Club” which is a regular business venture she operates. Essentially she cooks delicious food and people come to her house to enjoy it. The kicker is that often she doesn’t know any of the people (nor do they know each other) and most attendees are just individuals who want to enjoy a “proper Sunday lunch” and potentially make new friends. It’s a popular concept in London apparently and a “brilliant” idea. Emily is an out of this world chef and the consummate hostess, so it’s not at all surprising that her lunch club has been so successful!
I saw Emily and B again a few days later for a delectable “afternoon tea” at none other than the infamous Harrods. I knew the Brits were known for “tea time” but didn’t realize it was a thing that many restaurants offer in the afternoons. A very cool experience with two very cool ladies.
I checked out the London museum on my last day in the city and was horrified to learn more about all the city has been through over the years…fires, plagues, wars etc. Talk about a resilient city! I have to say that my time in the city made me leave wanting more, which is exactly how I like to leave a place. I especially need to see St. Paul’s cathedral next time, as Tom Cruise had it occupied this trip for filming Mission Impossible 12 (or whatever number we’re on now).
My next destination was Dublin, where I visited the lovely Louise…my roommate from the Flash Pack tour of India & Nepal (you may notice a theme with my Flash Pack roommates). The night I got there we stayed up until 2am catching up and poor Louise had to work the next day! Meanwhile I did the Dublin tourist thing and checked out the Dublin museum, the Dublin castle, and the spectacular St. Patrick’s cathedral. I think there was a bit of a mis-communication with my St. Patty’s cathedral tour guide, thou, who was French-speaking and kept apologizing for her English. I thought she had said I could come back to the cathedral at 5:30pm to see the children’s choir perform.This sounded cool so I cruised back over following a tour of the not-too-shabby Dublin castle. As I walked into the cathedral at 5:30 on-the-dot, the woman at the entrance stopped me. I explained “Oh, I’m just here for the concert” to which she replied “This is a religious service.” At that point my deeply seeded Catholic guilt came out (odd since I’m actually not Catholic) and I feared if I turned away at that point I’d be struck by lightening. So…I sat through an entire mass. There was actually a choir, but it consisted of middle aged to old men- definitely no children. Whoops! It’s such a beautiful place that I definitely did not feel bad for myself.
The next day Louise and I got sucked into some Winter Olympics viewing in the morning. As explanation, I’m minorly obsessed with the BBC’s coverage of the games as it’s SO different from how the Games are covered in the U.S. First of all, there are NO commercials and they actually show LIVE coverage, that includes showing athletes who are NOT from Team USA. What a novel idea! I will say they definitely focus on events where Team GB has any shot in hell for a medal, but that’s only a few events anyways. I learned that Ireland only has five athletes at the Winter Games and has never won a medal. Louise read me a headline from a local publication, about an Irish skier’s “success” in their event the previous day. I assumed that meant they had made history and medaled! Um…not exactly. Success is apparently defined as (and I quote) “finishing the run with no major issues” and placing in 56th place! Once again…perspective gained.
We tore ourselves away from the Olympics coverage to travel to Glendalough, which is a beautiful spot in the Irish countryside about an hour outside of Dublin, where we hiked up to a spectacular look-out. It was stunning and made me want to see more of the country!That night we went “out on the town” with Louisa’s fabulous friend, Fiona, and ended up at an authentic and infamous pub called O’Donahues, where we saw a “proper session” of folks jamming Irish music with an array of impressive instruments. It was pretty phenomenal and also cool to see the photos on the walls of the dozens of celebs worldwide who have been there to enjoy the music.
The next morning I promised Louise I’d be back soon (I hope she meant it when she said that was okay) and headed off to the airport. Next up…Myanmar! P.S. If you haven’t heard of Myanmar you aren’t the only one…think Burma
Our sledding adventure ended with tea and delicious salmon and potato soup around a fire. The next day we had a few hours to explore in the snow before heading off to Finland’s capital, Helsinki. I roamed around that morning and tried so hard to see a reindeer but no dice…just a lot of evidence that there were around (and likely hiding from my pink snow pants).
These pants are actually my 92 year old grandmother’s back from her skiing days and she actually had a jacket to match! It takes a certain kind of person to rock pink ski pants like these ones and I can only hope to do them as much justice as Nan did!
We’d heard that Sundays were quiet in Helsinki and that it would be hard to find something to do. But I was starting to feel my fever subside and was excited to join the group to see what we could conjure up! We ended up at one of the few open estashments…Bar Base. I’m not sure what the Sunday night theme is there exactly but it was definitely locals night and was far from tame. We may not have understood much of the language but we had a blast! Funny headwear is known for breaking down language barriers.
The next morning we were up and at-em, following Binay who had seen a YouTube video on the top things to see and do in Helsinki. It seemed he recognized EVERYTHING we saw as the “#1 thing” from the video. But apparently an 18th century sea fortress called Suomenlinna was REALLY at the top of the list, so we took a ferry there (cruising through icebergs…like the titanic but, thankfully, more successfully). It was a FREEEEZING day in general and especially so on the blustery fortress island. Once again…hand warmers to the rescue! This fortress has some really cool history as it was originally constructed to protect against Russian expansionism and was created using a typical “star-shaped style of fortification” but adopted for a group of rocky islands. This construction methodology was apparently very successful as the sea fortress still stands in seemingly perfect condition and there are even about 800 year round residents.
Back on the mainland we warmed up with lunch and speed-toured a few churches before ending up at a Boston bar (by accident, I swear!) where we played Finnish scrabble.
There is a different ratio of consonants to vowels in the Finnish version of Scrabble and some letters are missing altogether. At one point Claire had 4 k’s in her letter bank!
I have to say it was surreal sitting in Finland in a bar with Boston sports paraphernalia everywhere and with the Washington Capitals hockey game on TV!
Before heading out on the town (aka back to Bar Base) for our final evening of the trip, we presented Daisy with a thank-you gift for organizing our adventures, which she totally rocked.
Little did Bar Base know that it’s Twister night on Mondays! Daisy denies this was her doing but the rest of us are certain it was.
Some final touring in the morning before heading to the airport to head back to London. There, we finally found the northern lights!
The amazing Daisy already created a fantastic re-cap video of the trip, that you can view here.
As I boarded the plane to take me from Helsinki to London I got a message from a friend warning me it was the coldest week of the year in London, and it was only 3 degrees Celsius that day. I realized Finland had recalibrated my idea of what constitutes cold and happily settled into my seat, looking forward to the warm weather!
We had an authentic Austrian meal during our last night in Vienna, complete with more Weiner schnitzel and the largest wine decanter I’ve ever seen. The next day we covered any remaining parts of the city on foot…although the buildings and statues are so incredible, it was hard to know which ones we’d already seen! Rob had to head back to London that night (work schmerk) and I stayed for one more night and enjoyed the little classical music concert in the hotel. The next morning I was off to check out one more Austrian city…Salzburg. It was an easy train ride and well worth it to see the quaint and Sound-of-Music laden city.
I took it all in by roaming around for two full days. A few hours after I arrived, Rob messaged me “do you hear it?” I was confused at first and inquired as to what he meant. “The music!” he replied. Duh! There is actually a lot of music everywhere in Salzburg, mostly in the form of church bells from the several cathedrals.
I spent much of my time in Salzburg in the hills, exploring the areas up by the unbelievable castle that overlooks the city.
I found many walking trails and a few hidden-gem sunset viewing spots up there. I also did a self-guided Sound of Music walking tour but I have to admit it wasn’t quite the same without Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. I also have to admit that nothing I saw looked all that familiar to the movie. (I declined to take the official SOM bus tour as I had such a short time there that I wanted to see it on foot as much as possible. It’s such a beautiful city that I stand by my decision.)
My Austria adventure was punctuated by finally trying apple strudel…purchased from an adorable old lady at her cart, as I hauled my luggage to the bus stop headed to the airport.
I reflected on my Austria experience later that day, as I nibbled on the strudel while gazing at a stunning view of the Alps from the plane window. And, I couldn’t help thinking about how grateful I am to Ms Harney…for teaching me to stretch my limits, look more broadly at the world, and, especially, not to be limited by the card catalog.
So, for ten days it was too cold to go outside for more than a few minutes…which resulted in a lot of time inside and lots of “opportunities” for family bonding. I had the option of two locations where I could participate in this bonding: my parents’ house (which includes my mom and dad) and my sister’s house (which includes my sister, Tobi, her husband, their three children, and two cats). Over the ten days, I found a great balance toggling back and forth between the two houses- the chaotic and exciting environment of Tobi’s and the relaxing and excitement-lite environment of my parents’. At my sister’s I loved hanging out with my adorable nephews, and especially meeting my brand new nephew, Theodore! How cute is he?!
I even came to enjoy the 7am wake-up calls of two shrieking jumping beans (named Felix and Hugo), who jumped on both me and the bed with MUCH gusto every morning I was there.
As much as I enjoyed this, I needed a break every few days and enjoyed the solace of my parents’ spot. I also loved spending some QT with my parents and was even there the day my dad came home from work for the last time before retirement. After so many years of grabbing his briefcase (and gym bag) and heading to the office, he was dunzo!
Now, if you who know me at all, you know that I have just a lil’ bit of energy and this being-stuck-inside thing was bound to have me bouncing off the walls. This could have resulted in a disaster over ten days [namely me going bonkers]. Have no fear… Planet Fitness to the rescue! This was a clutch move that contributed pretty significantly to the success of the visit…that and a few (short-lived) outdoor expeditions.
Despite the farewell blizzard I made it back to DC, where the next week and a half flew by and soon I was scrambling to pack the morning of my next adventure! Where am I going, you may ask? So…this trip kind of morphed along the way as I discovered that it’s super-cheap to travel to and around some European cities during cold and dark January. What a perfect time to hit up some new places! And after braving the New Hampshire weather, I was certain Europe would feel like Cancun.
Sorry, but I’m not going to divulge my full itinerary for the next six weeks. Telling you would ruin the fun (and it’s possible I haven’t firmed up all the details yet). I will share that I’m starting out by visiting Stockholm, Brussels, Prague, Vienna, and Salzburg. Let me explain…
So, I’d been bragging to my friends that I’d found a $150 ticket from DC to Stockholm. What a smart and fastidious traveler I must be to track down this deal! Yes, it was with a low budget airline (of course it is for that price), and it takes a smidge longer than some other airlines because there’s a layover in Iceland. But at least it’s a short layover (this seemed like a good thing at the time). So, I downloaded Season 2 of the Crown and felt prepared for 11 hours of travel! I was not, however, prepared for 44 hours of travel. YES, it took me almost two days to fly to Stockholm!
My journey began when good ole WOW texted at 8 am [on the day of my flight] that my flight was 45 minutes delayed. I appreciated the advance notice (as well as the extra time to overpack). Yet, I got to the airport and no delay was listed on the boards? BUT both the ticket agent, and the actual ticket, said that the 45 minute delay was still in place. [The boards in the airport actually never showed a delay and the flight just disappeared from the board once the original departure time passed]. It was flight crazy-town! The lounge concierge was even flummoxed by this, but said, “strange things frequently happen with WOW airlines.” If only I knew how much stranger these things could become…[btw, check-out how harmonious the flight-crew was before take-off- they were yelling]:
Upon takeoff, the WOW flight attendant announced that most passengers on our flight were transferring in Iceland and heading to Europe. She also said that, despite the delay, she was “99% certain” that all the connecting flights would wait for us. PHEW! Then we landed…. and the same lady got on the loudspeaker to let us know that if you were headed to Stockholm or Berlin, well, those planes didn’t wait. 99% certain? How lucky of me to finally be a one-percenter!
What happened next, at 6am Iceland-time, is a little bit fuzzy due to having slept for only an hour or so (and it being the middle of the night, DC-time). I recall wandering to the WOW info desk and being told to get my luggage and find the “meeting point.” I did as instructed and at said point found a cluster of other half-asleep, mildly disgruntled travelers. Of course, I paused to take a very flattering selfie.
It was there that all of the inmates were issued pink slips of paper (literally) with the name of the “hotel,” where we’d be staying. When asked about specifics, the WOW reps shrugged a bunch, repeated the fact that there were no more flights to our destination that day, and provided assurances that we’d be on the first flight the next morning. We were then ushered onto airport buses and driven to our “hotel.” During the drive we were quiet and defeated, looking like inmates not knowing where we were being taken, or for how long. We were dropped off at The Base “hotel” that was seemingly in the middle of nowhere…in snowy, dark tundra of Iceland.
Let me be clear that The Base is NOT a “hotel.” What it is, it turns out, is a former U.S. Military Base that is in a strategically remote location, pretty close to the airport. This was a strategic location for a military base. Not for a “hotel.” [Spoiler alert: It’s a hostel. Just call it like it is!]
We rolled our suitcases through the snow to the “lobby” of The Base where we got in line to receive our assignments. I got to the front of the line and was given a key to room 212B (all the rooms have shared bathrooms… just like most “hotels” that airlines put you up in when you’ve been inconvenienced?!). I hauled my excessive amount of luggage to the room and opened the door to realize I’d awoken and startled a man sleeping in the single bed in the room! Actually, he didn’t seem overly concerned with the situation when I tried to explain. Maybe he’d been there a few days and was immune to the “hotel’s” business practices. I lugged everything BACK to the “lobby” (two flight of stairs, but at least easier going down). The front desk women seemed more confused than bothered, “well, I don’t know who he is or why he’s there…” I tried to show some empathy by sharing that I did not know why we was there either. She must have liked that as she “totally hooked me up” with my new room- a family hostel room with bunk beds, twin beds and a double beds! So many beds just for me! And what a view!
I admit that I used the deadbolt to make sure no potentially assigned bunkmates could get in. By this time, it was 8am and still pitch black. I checked my phone and discovered that sunrise was scheduled for 11am and sunset for around 4pm. Yikes. I took a snooze and watched an episode of the Crown…and then it was light (only one light) out! But it was also lunchtime and I was hungry. We’d been told by the WOW reps that we’d be comp’d for all three meals that day. This meant we could spend 2,000 of Icelandic currency (I’ll call them ‘things’) on each meal. Unfortunately, this was not for use at the restaurant of our choice (not that there were any to choose from) and it was to be spent at The Base Hotel’s on-Base “restaurant” that was a 10-minute walk from the barracks. This was more of a trek than a walk, through the snow and ice….and on that day, also blustery winds. It would definitely have been very difficult for anyone with a physical impairment to get there.
Once I arrived, it was not surprising that the restaurant (more like a mess hall) was as strange as the rest of ‘the situation.’ I got a menu and realized that there was pretty much nothing I could purchase for 2,000 things (equivalent to $20). Shocker of shockers, I had to pay extra to get a chicken salad and soft-drink. It was clearly the Soviet-bloc ambiance I was paying for? At this point, I knew I had to do something that involved movement to survive this situation, but there was no Planet Fitness to be found. Instead, I embarked on a walk to the nearest “town,” that was about 2 miles away.
The scenery was beautiful, as it is in Iceland, but I had no idea where I was or where I was going, and was paranoid the sun would set at any moment (in which case I’d have been a real liability for WOW). I completed the walk (the ‘town’ was pretty much non-existent but there were some nice views on the way) and I returned to The Base “hotel” thinking it would be a long night. Here’s the town:
Then I remembered that the airport shuttle was picking us up at 3:30am, so the night would not be long at all. Phew! I trekked back out to restaurant (an extra-chilly venture after the sun was down!) got another chicken wrap (that was more than 2,000 things, of course) and headed to bed. I was surprisingly awake at 3am (I credit the time change) and, despite the early bell, folks on the bus were actually a little chatty this time! While at The Base “hotel” I’d enjoyed meeting Joanne from Munich at lunch and having dinner with Kenny from Chicago, and it seemed others had done the same. One sub-group of five strangers had even coordinated an excursion to the Blue Lagoon!
Sadly, this was not a happy ending (don’t get your hopes up). Our spirits dampened when we reached the airport…or at least the spirits of the Stockholm-bound hostages, as the Berlin flight was on-track. There were five of us headed to Stockholm. We were told that there was actually no flight to Stockholm that day, and never had been (lots of shrugs and whoopsies) so we had the option of going back to The Base “hotel” for another day (we all shook our heads furiously when this was mentioned) OR of going to Copenhagen and flying to Stockholm from there. Despite the lack of specifics around the second leg of our journey, we boarded the plane, prepared to follow instructions and go to the WOW info desk upon arrival. The first problem with this plan was that there is no WOW info desk in Copenhagen. [Minor detail.] Thankfully, among my AMAZING four female fellow travelers (all native Swedish and one was 7-years old), there was initiative. Must be a Swedish efficiency thing…these ladies got sh*t done! Sadly there was not a whole lot to immediately get done in this cluster of a situation, as WOW seemed to have no clue who we were or what their plan was to get us to our final destination. Our seven-year old trooper, Danica, journaled her feelings during this time, while the adults were contemplating less healthy coping mechanisms. She nailed it, putting in writing that she is the Customer of WOW’s past and as far as happiness goes, she’s feeling none. Zilch.
Danica’s amazing Mom, Marit, made a very smart decision to get out of dodge and take the train, in an effort to get to her elderly father and her daughter’s grandfather faster. We all exchanged information and hugged goodbye.
And then there were three… after four hours of futile attempts to get answers (by both us and the very kind airport staff, who are deployed to help with exactly this type of situation), the lead Swedish warrior woman decided to just buy a ticket to Stockholm on another airline and demand reimbursement. The very kind airport staff could not officially recommend this course of action but nodded when asked if it was a good idea. They seemed experienced in dealing (and being beaten down) with WOW-related issues. So, my new best friend (Hanna) and I quickly followed suit and bought a ticket to Stockholm… an expensive ticket, I might add. Whatever- strength in numbers!
Hanna and I had officially met at 3:30am that morning, despite having crossing paths a few times at The Base “hotel”, at which time we were both in “what’s going on right now, eyes straight ahead” mode. Hanna is a creative, wise, and super-fun musician, who moved from Sweden to Baltimore three years ago. So, we’re practically neighbors and I have no doubt we’ll meet up when we’re both back in the area. Maybe meeting Hanna is the one thing I can give WOW credit for on this epic journey? Or maybe not. I actually suspect that we were just meant to meet and WOW had nothing to do with it 😊
So, at the end of the DAYS, my journey ended up taking 44 hours, which left me with about 16 hours to explore Stockholm before moving on to Brussels. I’ll fill you in on both cities in the next day or so. This is already so long… so much to say and congrats if you made it to the end!
Mel picked me up that night and it felt like no time at all had gone by. He took me to an authentic Malaysian restaurant, that was jammed with families sitting at round tables enjoying a dish called “the Steamboat.” I had never heard of this, but it was amazing! You basically have a vat of super-hot broth in front of you and pour in various seafood, meat and veggies to cook (fondue-style). Mel and I continued catching up the next day when he served as my tour guide extraordinaire and took me to the stunning Thean Hou temple, where there were multiple weddings going on (a popular nuptials destination and even an office on-site to procure a license.)
We then swung by the Islamic Arts Museum, which is a beautifully designed building full of historical, fascinating, and aesthetically pleasing displays. There was a special exhibit about the recent trend of Australian fashion designers focusing on how to modernize/spice-up female’s traditional Muslim attire. Admittedly, I had never thought about fashion trendiness as an issue specifically for Muslim women before, but I totally get it.
After bidding Mel farewell (and promising our next meet-up would be in <20 years) I culminated my Malaysian experience with a tour of the massive Petronas towers. They are about as tall as I expected, although I did have the added advantage of having produced a documentary about “the world’s tallest twin towers” in my first post- collegiate job, with the Discovery Channel. At the time I felt like I knew TOO much about those twins from having edited hours of video! Alas, it was a very cool experience to finally see them live and in-person.
My next stop was a quick swing through Thailand, as one does when traveling from Malaysia to London. I revisited my favorite beach from my one other time in Phuket- Nai Yang.It’s also the beach closest to the airport, which is especially convenient when you have less than 48 hours in your itinerary. This time I stayed at a hotel named “The Happy Place” and it lived up to it’s name. Some quality sun-time, several swims and beach-walks, a cheap and awesome massage,, and a few delicious meals later, I was off to chilly London. But at least I had a tan!
My flight from Phuket to London (via Cologne) took way longer than I’d expected (having not paid attention to the flight times…hence my need for a geography boot camp). Anyways, many hours later I did arrive in London and connected with my host for the long weekend…the handsome and mostly funny Rob, who I’d met during my Flash Pack tour of India & Nepal two months prior. We’d kept in good touch since the tour and decided a visit was in order (it may have been a factor that at the time I’d thought Thailand was just a hop, skip, and a jump from his home city). Regardless, it was a great visit and I loved seeing London all decked out for Christmas. We went to a “Winter Wonderland” where I even got a view of the city from a Ferris wheel! This is a selfie from the Ferris wheel…guess I forgot to take a picture of the view 🤦♀️.
Oh wait, here’s a London view shot-
I also had a true British experience by attending a holiday celebration at Rob’s cricket club (btw, the only thing I know about cricket is that each match is 6-7 HOURS long. It makes baseball seem like the 100-meter dash). The theme of the cricket club party was the classic “ugly holiday jumper” (could this be more British?!) and Rob fully represented (although unclear if his jumper is for Thanksgiving or Christmas).
The next day I was sad to say goodbye to the handsome and mostly funny Rob (not so torn up about leaving his jumper) but time to move onward to D.C. for the holiday homestretch!
First thing was first when I got home as it was the week before Christmas and I had zero decorations up! I focused on my balcony display, facing busy 16th St., as I was sure all the commuters had missed seeing Steve the Snowman waving at them while stuck in rush hour traffic. Have no fear- soon Steve was back and all was right in the world. The front desk guy laughed when he saw me putting up the display and said he’d wait for the phone to start ringing. Okay, so there there may have been just a COUPLE of concerns from other building residents last year. Mostly because it’s possible that I was perhaps a smidge over-enthusiastic promoting holiday cheer via the use of “star showers,” which I used to project hundreds of lights onto the front of my building, making it look like the ENTIRE building was covered in strings of lights! It was SO COOL! (P.S. Some of the lights even blinked!) Well, apparently there are either a few Scrooges in my building or a few people who are annoyed by a couple of stray blinking lights projected onto their TV screens. Most likely both 🤨 Bottom line: I scaled it back this year, in true Bah-Humbug fashion.
So, I spent Christmas Eve/Morning at my brother and sister-in-law’s in Alexandria. I helped my nieces and nephews track Santa around the world via the NORAD tracker app and my 8-year old nephew (who was desperate to catch the big man in action this year) said he made it until 11pm, when Santa was in NY. He was sooo close!I joined my friend Sarah and her family for a lovely Christmas dinner at her parents’ house on Capitol Hill and when I got home I decided a Christmas Day viewing of ‘Love Actually’ was in order. This is mostly because I’ve heard (about a trillion times) what a fantastic holiday movie it is, and I’ve disputed this, as I was NOT a fan. Some of my friends are incredulous about this harsh, and sometimes divisive, reality.
So, I have to admit…I saw ‘Love Actually’ many years ago, on the same day a guy I had been dating broke up with me. Yes, HE broke up with ME. This was the first time THAT had happened and after venting to my brother for much of the afternoon, he suggested I go home and distract myself….watch a movie or something. Clearly it was the perfect night for me to watch an intense holiday love story, by myself. Clearly. Let bygones be bygones…last night I gave it another whirl and saw what all the hype was about. Yet another poignant example of what a difference your perspective makes.
Next…headed up to New Hampshire to meet my newest nephew, Theodore!! Preview of the cutie:
We spent the next day touring Hanoi, in the morning by bus and the afternoon by bicycle. We first hit up the infamous Ho Chi Mihn’s Mausoleum which was also the site of his pretty phat summer palace. Le gave us the full-scoop on the sitch and for the first of many times on my tours of Vietnam and Cambodia I realized that the history I’d been taught in school wasn’t entirely accurate. I knew of Ho Chi Mihn from history class, mostly in reference to his communist regime and his trail. I guess I didn’t have a warm and fuzzy about him as a result of these associations but honestly hadn’t given it all that much thought. Le educated us as to the real deal, from his perspective, and it seems Ho Chi was a hero of sorts to the Vietnamese- a stand-up guy who lived a modest life, refused to live the garish lifestyle to which he was entitled, and authentically had the best interest of “the people” in mind, without the corruption that has been rampant in Communist regimes since. It was interesting that as we sat on the curb across the well-guarded street from the Mausoleum, and while Le sat in front of us explaining the site, he was admonished by an officer for having his back to Ho Chi.
Le looked surprised before rotating his position, but not too surprised as it seems rules are both created and enforced kinda willy-nilly in Vietnam these days. Le also shared that he has to be careful what he’s telling us when in public or around others as free speech does not seem to be encouraged by the government, sadly. In fact, while we were there I saw on news flash (from the U.S.) that a Vietnamese blogger had just been sentenced to seven years in jail for writing about an environmental disaster (a disaster that had really happened but the government didn’t want shared publicly). Le assured me that my Teha’s Travels post on the trip would not have any negative ramifications but I chose to err on the side of caution and wait until I was out of the country to post this.
That afternoon we hopped on some bikes for an off the beaten path tour of Hanoi, cruising through the bustling, moto-bike filled city to get to the peaceful banana groves dotted with clusters of spartan homes. We then cruised back to the city, made a stop at Le’s house, AND even got to meet his parents! They welcomed us with tea and fresh pineapple and bananas that they had grown, of course.
That evening there was no rest for the weary as we prepared to board an overnight train that would take us north. Having only taken day trains I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was actually quite nice! We stayed in sleeper cars with two bunk beds in each room. It reminded me of summer camp- minus the pillow fights.
While some in the group reported not reaching REM sleep cycles (or any sleep cycles), the movement of the train lulled me right to sleep. We arrived in beautiful Sapa just in-time for breakfast and then embarked on a spectacular hike- the adrenaline from the views making even the sleepless forget they were supposed to be tired.
Our smily and charismatic hiking guide, Meg, deftly navigated us through the windy mountains, covered in lush rice patties, smatterings of villages, and the occasional buffalo.
Meg led us on another hike the next day and we swung by the remote hut/house where her grandfather lives, along with a bunch of aunts, uncles and cousins. Meg herself lived in the three-roomed hut for four years as a child, as her family needed whatever money she could bring in from selling bracelets and other woven items to tourists in the surrounding area. She did return to school, but not for long, and while her English is perfect, she admits not knowing how to read or write…but is working hard to make sure it’s different for her 6 year old son. Here she is with her grandfather:
We relaxed that afternoon before hopping on the Night Train back to Hanoi (‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ kept going through my head- the Indigo Girls version). Then in true Trains, Planes, and Automobile (& boats) style we headed to the airport for a quick flight only to have a chariot (aka bus) scoop us up and deposit us at our home for the next two days…a junk boat cruising through Halong Bay! Let me be clear that we were definitely not roughing it, as we were aboard a very non-junky vessel, where we enjoyed delicious and beautifully presented meals, sunshine on the top decks, and a kayak trip among the dozens of “islands” that are ginormous rock formations.
That evening we also had a cooking lesson (on the lido deck, of course) on how to make spring rolls.
Okay…now is the time to admit that I had a bit of a love affair with spring rolls on this trip- the fried version worked but my favorite are actually the fresh version with rice paper. I can safely say that I ate dozens of them during the two week trip. I also know 13 people who can validate this fact. Here’s a sampling of one of my typical breakfast plates:
The evening brought some authentic group bonding through karaoke…while it took us a few minutes (and several drinks) to get going- we did not disappoint. Although we may have disappointed the residents of the surrounding boats docked for the evening who were looking to go to bed early!
Our final two stops in Vietnam were Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City (the city formally known as Saigon). With less structured time in lovely Hoi An we did everything from get clothes made by local tailors (and cheap!) to foot massages (also cheap) to bike tours of local islands. I mean, what’s not to like about this city?? Please note the mic of the bike tour guide…and he used it every time he spoke even though the amplification it provided (if any) was extremely negligible. We also took a cooking class and learned how to make THE MOST delicious fish, seasoned with a mixture of fresh spices and wrapped in banana leaves before being cooked over the flame of a large outdoor oven.
It was scrumptious and while we were given the recipe, I have doubts about my ability to replicate it using bottled spices, tin foil, and the stand-up George Forman grill I have on my balcony. Alas, I will try!
Our visit to Ho Chi Minh city started on a somber note with a visit to the Remembrance museum, which commemorates the “People’s War” (what the Vietnamese call the Vietnam war). As difficult and emotional as it was to see and take in, it was such an important part of the trip for me as I increasingly realized how gaping the holes in my knowledge of the war were and the sad realities I was protected from. The hardest part to see was an exhibit on the effects of Agent Orange on the Vietnamese people. The exhibit consists of large photographs and short biographies of some of the many Vietnamese who were born with horrific birth defects as a result of the chemical warfare. These poor children (many now adults) have unconscionable deformities yet many have worked hard to lead accomplished lives, despite receiving very little (if anything) in reparations for their suffering. I was saddened to learn that the impacts of Agent Orange can be passed down to future generations and that there are now third generation children suffering. I have to admit that I was truly embarrassed to be an American as we went through the museum and each exhibit demonstrated more of the devastation the war caused.
The next day my education about the “People’s War” continued with a visit to a location close to the Cambodian border where many of the underground tunnels were located. Again, I must admit my ignorance as to the magnitude of these tunnels. And by magnitude I mean how many of them there were and how long they extended (hundreds of miles!), not the size of the actual tunnels. Let me be clear- the tunnels are TINY- here’s an entrance to one!
I would venture to guess that 96% of American adults would not have been able to fit into a tunnel. Maybe closer to 98%, actually, given current obesity rates. My fabulous roommate, Rachel, fit perfectly though!
We got to walk/crawl through a faux tunnel designed to give tourists a better sense of the experience but with the HUGE caveat that the amusement park version was three times bigger than the real deal, and that the actual tunnels were pitch black. And apparently the tunnels weren’t just for cruising around- people, entire families, actually LIVED in those tunnels to stay protected from bombings, and for long periods of time. To say I can’t even imagine what that was like is the understatement of the century. During the tour we could have walk-crawled further in the faux tunnel system but we all opted to get out as quickly as possible. It was hard to be in there- and I’m not even claustrophobic. And, while in the tunnel I flashed-back to family vacations as a kid when my siblings and I would complain about too much “family togetherness” sharing a hotel room or small beach rental. I then learned about the ultimate demonstration of family togetherness, tunnel-style, as there were several babies born in the tunnels! Le said the “tunnel babies” had a reunion recently and he got to meet one of them.
From a wartime perspective the elaborate tunnel infrastructure was incredible in how extremely strategic and effective it was. They were well-hidden, with ventilation holes disguised in piles of dirt and as an additional security system they were surrounded by well-camouflaged holes in the ground that had deadly traps waiting for the unsuspecting soldier who fell in. And, to further compile the situation, the weather…the day we were there was supposedly “not too bad” weather-wise and we were all flagging from the heat and humidity, after just strolling around for an hour and a half. My heart truly goes out to the soldiers on both sides who endured these conditions (and worse). It was a quiet bus ride after we left the tunnels to drive to the Cambodian border.
Then, horror of horrors, we had to say goodbye to our new BFF, Le! He kindly took us all the way to passport control and made sure we all got through, while doing a very convincing job at acting sad to see us go. He did seem slightly nervous at the prospect of leaving us on our own for a period time, as we had to cross the border solo to meet our Cambodia guide. This required leaving the building, turning left, walking a few hundred meters, and looking for a guy with a Flash pack sign. Apparently the group had not instilled confidence in Le that we were up for this task, as he reminded us several times of where to go and what to look for.
Alas, we made it! Our new guide, Kaesar (not the salad, think Usual Suspects) actually met us halfway with a big smile and shepered us through the process of getting a visa. Soon we were off to Phnom Penh, the capitol city. One of the many reasons Keasar was an awesome guide is that he gave us the real scoop on his native country, as difficult as I know it was for him to share. As we drove into the clean, built-up, and somewhat glitzy capital city we noted it was a far cry from the scenery along the sparse, dusty roads that got us there.
K explained that the current government in Cambodia is quite corrupt (similar to how Le described Vietnam) and that he would have to be careful about where he could talk to us about the real deal- it would probably be mostly on the bus. K informed us that Phnom Penh does have some money, or at least they’re putting money into things like huge statues and portraits of the king, but, in reality, it’s more of a facade to convince the rest of the world that the country is doing really well. Here’s the current King…he’s everywhere!
In reality, we learned, the country is not doing really well. In fact, the majority of the country is poor and 70% don’t have access to piped water. In addition, due to the mass killings during the war in the 1970s, 65% of the population is currently under the age of 25. [Side note- in case you aren’t familiar with the nitty gritty of the Cambodian war, as I was not- approx 1/4 of the population- TWO MILLION people- were killed in massacres by the Communist regime, the Khumer Rouge. Yes, I told you I learned a lot of harsh realities on his trip…but I’m glad I did]. Keasar also shared that there is a lot of fear right now as children aren’t being educated properly (or at all) and aren’t being told anything about the country’s tragic history…things the country can learn from. Given that youngsters are the majority in the country, this is especially concerning. K is not the only one terrified that if things don’t change, history will repeat itself. He’s doing more than his part by starting a school in the remote village where he grew up (and where both of his parents were tragically killed as a result of the conflicts when he was a young boy). The school focuses on teaching English to the village children as K feels this skill is essential to avoiding an insular future and establishing a global presence. K relies on volunteers (some from his tours!) to teach at the school for whatever periods of time they can spare and provides a bedroom with a local family. I have to admit I’m very tempted…
We had a heavy next day with a visit to the Genocide museum and one of the many killing fields. We all tried to mentally prepare ourselves as we boarded the bus but soon realized that was pretty impossible to do. The genocide museum was once S21 (Security Prison 21) and served as a prison, interrogation center and extermination camp that held about 1,500 people at a time- including entire families. Prisoners were taken there if the Kmer Rouge they felt they had any valuable information. The judgement on who these people were or what info they had seemed to have been severely misguided and we heard many accounts of prisoners making things up while undergoing brutal torture and interrogations, frequently with their children present. We got to meet three of the survivors of S21, who were fortunate to still be there, hiding, when the Vietnamese overtook the facility in 1979. As difficult as it clearly is for these men to re-live their ordeals while telling them to tourists everyday, they say they want the stories to be told as part of sharing the history- as there aren’t many left to share it. I also suspect there aren’t as lucrative sources of income for these men, who have permanent physical injuries from what they went through and now have families of their own to support. One of the survivors we met is the little boy on the left in this photo, from the day the Vietnamese arrived at S21. My tour-mate, Anne, gave a donation to one survivor and bought the books of the other two and said “I don’t know that I can even bring myself to read them but I just don’t want them to have to tell those stories again.”
The killing fields were even more emotionally charged. There was a somber aura around them, but they looked like an unkept golf course with wooden walkways at first…then we realized the large holes in the ground were where the mass burials had been. Several areas were marked- one as a location of a mass grave where 150 women and children had been buried naked…the majority had been beheaded. Next to that grave was a large tree covered in friendship bracelets. It was marked “the killing tree” as children had been tied to a rope and thrown against the tree over repeatedly before being deposited in the grave.
There were also markers where the sound system speakers were located- to drown out the noise from the killings. In the middle of the fields there’s a large memorial, filled with skulls from the victims, each labeled with if they were male or female and how they died (bayonet, bullet, iron tool, etc.) There aren’t words to describe the feeling of looking at all those skulls, in the middle of the field, while in a beautiful country where every person you’ve met has been incredibly warm and welcoming.
Needless to say, we were all a little/lot emotionally exhausted and somewhat shell-shocked after our morning. We had some time to chill-out and process that afternoon before embarking on an evening boat cruise up the river, where we passed by many floating houses/boats full of families waving excitedly at us. I couldn’t help think that maybe I’d get sick of tourist boats, blasting music, cruising by my home but everyone seemed excited to see us.
The next day we embarked on our final trip, to Siem Reap. There we had an o’dark thirty morning where we got up at 4 AM to see Angor Wat at sunrise (totally worth it).
Don’t we look chipper for having had such an early bell?
We also toured a few other spectacular temples in the area (including one where they filmed the Tomberator apparently) and saw a gorgeous sunset from the top of one massive temple.
In each case I was in awe of the grandeur of the ancient structures and the detail that adorned them.
On the final day of the tour (boo!) I took an optional tour of a “floating village,” of which there are apparently hundreds. And we’re talking about real villages, complete with schools, temples, stores etc. The water levels vary based on the season and rainfall but most of the time the village is truly floating and boat is the only way to get around. It was one final awe-inspiring glimpse into the Cambodian culture and the spirit of the people who make it so.
Saying goodbye at the end of the tour is always the worst part (without a doubt) and this trip was no exception, although I’ve learned that “we’ll stay in touch, for sure!” isn’t just something Flash Packers just say. I’ve been happy and impressed by how well previous groups have stayed in touch, via What’s App groups, in-person get-togethers and even planning future trips together! This knowledge made it easier to bid farewell to my new friends, with whom I’d shared some intense, eye-opening experiences and also some really fun times.
Next up…I meander my way back to the U.S. for the holidays, with a few stops on the way…
My dad gamely picked me up at the airport and we spent the drive to NH catching up- so much to catch up on between their move and my travels! When I got “home” my mom was clearly in her glory, having all five grandchildren and three “children” under one roof, their new roof. [Sidenote: do I call my parent’s new house “home?” It is not my home and has never been my home, so I guess not?] Here are the wild n’ crazy kiddos: Yes, it was a smidge chaotic as well, with the little ones having just been reunited, so I was not super-sad to pilot Uber New Hampshire a few hours later to meet my besties (Maegan and Nichole) for a birthday celebration for Maegan. I’ve known Mae and Cole since I was 10 and 2 years old, respectfully.
Those additional eight years I’ve know Cole have become pretty much insignificant over-time and the three of us are the closest that friends can be. (Minus Cole and I playing much tag and Red Rover in our bowl haircuts and Velcro sneakers- you really missed out Mae!). So, this was a big bday for Maegan, (sort of like her 30th) and her amazing hubby, Ken (aka Pic), planned an entire extravaganza that, conveniently for me, was taking place in New Hampshire- while I was in New Hampshire!
We enjoyed drinks and an amazing dinner, that could not have been more perfect. They even cracked a yolk in the middle of my pasta and stirred it in when served…Yum!
It was such a great night catching up and celebrating Maegan- one of nights where your heart sings with happiness (okay, that could really not be more cheesy but it’s kinda true). It reminded me that no matter where my travels take me or what people I meet along the way, nothing will ever be the same as time with my first and best friends. And, my parents moving out of my hometown doesn’t change that at all (huge phew!).
So, my bedroom at my parent’s place involved a super comfy Murphy Bed. And I loved it…until I woke up at 7am the next morning to my eight year-old nephew, Jack, trying to close the bed with me sleeping in it! He was not successful and it was actually very funny. I spent the next few days enjoying the beauty of New Hampshire and QT with the fam. This included many hikes, delicious meals (thanks, Mumsie!), games of Aggrevation (the trendy game for the 4-8 year old cohort apparently…and it’s truly aggravating!), and many, many laughs. There really is no place like home. [Sidenote: yes, I changed my mind while writing this…my parents’ new house is home after all. I realized it’s the family who make it so, not the brick and mortar or location].
On the Wednesday before turkey day my five year-old nephew, Felix, and I embarked on a short road trip to Beverly (my hometown) for an annual apple pie baking “contest” with Nichole and Maegan (more like we bake apple pies together and trash talk each other’s). While I clearly piloted the journey to Bev-town, Felix played a key role as navigator extraordinaire. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. The little dude sat in his car seat directly behind the drivers seat, but leaned in towards the middle seat so his head was sideways and he had a clear view of the road. He then proceeded to direct me (I’m talking turn by turn directions) using only route numbers. Example: “Auntie Teha, we need to get on Route 101 to 95. It’s exit 6.” On the way back he did the same thing- in the dark! I questioned him once (the exit number didn’t seem right) and he just shook his head, knowingly. Sure enough, Felix was correct! It was uncanny. Google Maps, be gone with you!
So, back to apple pies…we’ve been doing this for about 20 years now, believe it or not (yes, of course this means we started at age 10). The baking has taken many forms, from during winter break when in college and catching up on our antics while cutting apples, to having little kiddos eager to help. Here’s Navigator Felix putting some finishing touches on the pie- he’s a man of many talents. This year I brought my A-game (not having a job increases time available to focus on apple pies), and according to our crowd-sourced Facebook voting process…I won! (BTW, voting included both our high school calculus teacher and field hockey coach- gotta love small town crowd-sourcing).
Fast-forward to the eating of the pie, which happened on Thanksgiving Day, following a delicious meal at my Aunt Lindi’s house (another New Hampshire transplant). Here’s Hugo, Nan and my Dad watching some pre-dinner football. Hugie was especially into it (for about five minutes). I was especially impressed that Auntie L kept her cool during a minor candied yam issue, and I think we were all laughing too hard to do anything about it!
My 92 year-old Nan was also in attendance and I was happy she agreed to spend two nights at our “home” as she usually prefers her own. Here she is catching up on my blog.
My sister and I took Nan to the spa for a massage on the day after Thanksgiving- her second massage ever. Her first was on her 92nd birthday and she loved it, so it was time to bring on number two! This one was equally well-received and the three of us were pampered with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries after the treatments (tea for Tobi since she’s preggers with number three- less than a month to go!)
Then, before I knew it I was scrambling to pack and headed off to the airport (two things I’ve done a LOT of lately). Goodbyes were bittersweet, as it had been a great week with the fam but I was excited for my next adventure to Vietnam and Cambodia. And the next time I see my sister she’ll have a new bambino in her tribe!
My journey started out with some “excitement” when I went to check in and the ticket agent asked for my visa. Um…visa? Did I need one of those? The answer was yes. Whoops. The ticket agent asked if I was just going to go home and I said I was going to try to figure it out. But before doing that I posted this to my Instagram story (priorities!) My “figuring it out” involved some quick googling, multiple calls to companies in Vietnam to who claimed to be able to procure visas in 15 minutes. I sent in one application, waited 15 minutes, and received nothing back. I finally stumbled across a company run by a gent named Tony who promised to hook it up for me. Tony was true to his word- phew! [note to self- in the future check if you need a visa before the day of your travel. Duh!]. I was so happy to get on the plane that I didn’t think about my 10 hour layover in Doha, Qatar until I landed. Then I thought about it…Ten hours is a long time! Again, I turned to Mr. Google who informed me that Qatar Airlines offers free three-hour city tours for passengers with long layovers! What a relief! They even provided a free 24-hour visa and an English speaking guide. It was fascinating to learn more about the country (only 2.6 million residents and 85% are ex-pats, mostly from Asian countries). Qatar has a lot of new fancy desert-style developments , with more underway (much of it in the form of 5-star hotels and luxury shopping) and we learned that it’s cheaper to buy a liter of gas than water!
Our last stop was a local market where we had some time to explore and take in the sites and sounds.
I’m currently on my third flight of my 30+ hour journey to Vietnam, currently headed from Bangkok to Hanoi. There’s a 12-hour time difference from New Hampshire, so my body isn’t quite sure what is going on, but is definitely wanting more sleep. I think I’ll do that now. Can’t be tired starting a new adventure!
Next stop- South America! Specifically Chile, which I didn’t realize is quite as far south in South America as it is. I discovered this during my nearly 24 hour journey to get there. I will say that my travel time was not helped by my willingness to sacrifice travel time for price. I feel guilty doing anything else, since I do have a lot of time these days due to the whole not working thing…
Yes, I was going on another Flash Pack tour. Yes, this would be my fifth tour with my favorite (and only) tour company. If they were a publicly traded company I would definitely request some shares in return for my loyalty. And even though I’ve been psyched for every trip, I was extra-excited for this one. So, one day while planning my travels I asked a question via the online chat on the Flash Pack website. It must have been 9 or 10pm in the U.K. (where Flash Pack is based) and as luck would have it the co-founder of Flash Pack, Radha, was online and answered my chat. Of course she had heard of her MVC (Most Valuable Customer- this is a self-proclaimed title, as I actually have no idea) and she even follows my blog! We connected by phone and Radha marveled at the fact that the first online sales chat she had answered personally in a while was from ME (she has a whole team that usually does that stuff as she’s busy, ya know, running the business and all). What are the odds?! It was like it was meant to be! Anyways, we had a great chat and during the course of the convo I asked about the Chile trip. Well, it turns out Radha had actually personally planned the trip and thought I would really love it, as it’s jam-packed with activities. I guess she knows my travel style by now 🙂 Thank you Radha! You did not lead me astray.
Fast forward to my zombie-like arrival in Santiago. Twenty four hours of travel and not a lot of sleep will do that to you, I guess. The first evening was a bit of a blur as I met the 12 members of my travel group and our guide, Felipe. The group was (once again) great and it was fascinating to learn more about my travel-mates as the days went on. Our crew included a neurophysician, nurse, pharmacist, and dentist, so we were well covered for any sort of medical emergency. We also had an architect, two lawyers, an environmental NGO fundraiser, an accountant, the GM of a laundry company, an HR specialist, and (my personal favorite) “Tina the Aussie Entrepreneur,” who owns a super-successful pho restaurant in Sidney (Bar Pho- check it out next time you’re Down Under). Of course also included in the group is the traveling unemployed person, which makes introductions for me much more fun than having to explain a job. From that night I also vaguely remember a delicious dinner and being very exited to go to bed.
The next morning we were up and at ’em, boarding a bus to take us to the oceanfront town of Valparaiso, which actually has similarities to San Francisco with it’s hilly topography and expansive water views. Lucky for us Felipe is actually from Valpo and he deftly led us through the charming streets that include a variety of architectural styles within the French, German, and British influenced neighborhoods. Here’s Felipe in action!
We enjoyed a lovely rooftop lunch before traveling on to the beautiful Bodega winery. (Btw, I’m slowly finding myself using more British words like “lovely” and “brilliant,” which I blame the influence of my travelmates from Mother England. If only the accent would rub off too!).
Next stop was was the Bodega winery where we got a tour of the vineyard and winery and then enjoyed a tasting of four varietals at an expansive banquet table in the wine cellar. The rosè was especially delicious and was a blend called Pinotel that is a blend of Pinot Noir and something else I can’t remember. After the tasting we sat outside and enjoyed a final glass of wine before heading back to Santiago for dinner and pisco sours (Chile seems to be poaching Peru’s drink. No complaining here, though…not that I’m allowed to complain anyways).
In the AM we boarded the first of five domestic flights that we would take throughout the course of the trip. Who knew Chile was big enough to fly that much?! And while it was a lot of flying, it was SO worth it to see so much of the country and such different landscapes…keep reading.
Our first destination was the desert. Yes, Chile has a dessert! It was news to me too. [Sidenote: you may have noticed that I often am surprised about the places I’m going and the things I’m doing on my Flash Pack tours. This is true and my tourmates are consistently both amused and amazed by how little I know about the itinerary. I quite like it, as most days hold an amazing surprise!!]
So, we made it to the Atacama Desert and settled into our hotel before meandering to the town for a fab dinner at a restaurant chosen by Filipe. We liked it so much that we ate there again on the third night! It had an open fire pit in the middle and live music that made the ambiance almost as enticing as the food.
The next day we rose early and the group split up for a morning activity of either a hike with amazing scenery or a horseback ride with amazing scenery. Tough life choices. I embarked on the ride (so lazy of me) and had a great time. We plodded/trotted through a mountain pass and enjoyed spectacular views.The ride even had entertainment as my tour-mate, Dan, was behind me in the line of horses…waaay behind me.
His horse had a bad-ass name (Conquistator or something like that) but didn’t seem to respond to any sort of kicking or cajoling by Dan to move along (or at least the way he was doing it). Dan was the “class clown” of the group as he was always laughing, often at his own jokes (even when nobody else was) and he took the horse situation in-stride, albeit with nonstop laughter. Even the guide seemed amused by the situation. Meanwhile my horse, named Wheat (because of it’s wheat color- so not creative or bad-ass) was totally on it, even trotting at times! Here’s the dynamic duo of Dan and Conquistador (aka the Caboose).
That afternoon was truly spectacular as we embarked on two hikes- one to Moon Valley (that really looked and felt like you were on the moon) and Death Valley (that was not as scary as it’s name but was stunning and we got to run down the way dunes into the valley!).
The bright Chilean sun enhanced our adventures- it’s so blue and brilliant in it’s hue and so different from the sunlight I’ve seen anywhere else. Chile should really be an Instagram filter…you heard it here first. Perfect background for silly photos opps (our specialty!)
Our senses were on overload when the day ended with a fantastic sunset viewing, completed with a vino toast (thanks to Filipe!). You don’t see sunsets like this everyday. Or, really, any day.
And the day was not over yet! We grabbed street-stand empanadas for dinner and were jettied off to a “stargazing experience.” This was in the middle of nowhere, where you see more stars than you thought existed (for the record 2,000 are up there each night, we were told). We stood under the night sky in a circle as our guide (a real jokester) walked us through the various constellations we could see from the southern part of the Southern Hemisphere. Who knew there was so much fodder for comedy in the world of constellations?! Between him and Tina’s equally funny quips my stomach hurt from laughing the next day (it was already sore from horseback riding). Comedian stargazer also used a laser pointer to show us on the ground where the “missing” stars (such as the North Star) were located. I saw four shooting stars throughout the night and had to think fast to come up with wishes! At the end we got to look through six massive telescopes, each pointed to various stars/constellations we’d learned about. I took a picture of the beautiful star-filled sky but it didn’t quite do it justice.
No rest for the weary as the next morning we were on the road early- like the 5am kinda early- and we drove to see a ton of geysers, in the morning light where you can actually see them! While it was an early bell, it was another “Am I really here? Is this really happening??” experience and we took our time enjoying the views. We continued on to some thermal baths (as one does) and took in the views while decompressing in the naturally warm water. The rest of the day consisted of the group engaging in a collective combination of sand boarding, relaxing at the pool, shopping in the town, dinner, drinks, karaoke, and Jenga.
Really something for everyone and we enjoyed sharing our experiences (and photos and videos) with each other on the bus the next day, as we embarked on a travel day to the Lake District. We arrived early enough to take a boat ride across the spectacular lake directly in front of our hotel and walk back along the shoreline that consists of volcanic ash from an eruption in 2015.
I’d never walked on volcanic ash before and became even more familiar with it on our stunning hike two days later (during which I realized I should have brought hiking boots as the packing list indicated- my sneakers/trainers were moon boots by the end- as I dumped out loads of what looked like moon dust).
In between the breathtaking hikes we had a full-day whitewater rafting adventure on the Petrohue river, which was even more exciting because of the recent rainfall that had created super-high water levels. These were REAL rapids and the kind that don’t have breaks of flat water in between. Our two boats navigated the rapids masterfully (maybe the guide’s helped a smidge) and we managed to not tip over. If you saw these rapids you’d understand why this was such a feat. The highlight (for me) was when I got to fork over my paddle and sit in the very front of the boat as we cruised through an intense set of rapids. It was like I was a hood ornament on the raft!
At one point on the trip we (meaning the guides) pulled the boats over and led us to a cliff we could jump off of. This was not like regular cliff jumping, as you were landing in rapids. We were told to do a “pencil jump” directly in front of the cliff so you land in the slightly more calm water and can swim quickly to the shore. One of the guides stood on the cliff giving instructions and the other was on a rock in the water with a rope to throw if a rescue was needed. Which it was. For one person. One guess as to who?
Okay, so in looking at the photographic evidence it’s clear that I was over-zealous in my jump and did pretty much the furthest thing from a pencil jump. As a result I landed pretty far out in the river and (according to the bystanders) directly in a fast-moving rapid. I sensed this when underwater as it took me longer than expected to rise to the surface. At that point I turned to swim to shore and realized it was quite far away and I was moving quickly away from it. Then there was some yelling and a rope being thrown towards me. Thankfully the rope was just long enough for me to grab it and be pulled to safety.
Phew! Those rapids are not something I would have wanted to experience sans boat.
In the evening after rafting we enjoyed the outdoor hot tubs at the hotel, which required three hours notice to reserve so they could heat them up…using only fire! No electricity whatsoever. In addition to being environmentally friendly, it was also a fabulous hot tub experience- Goldilocks style. The water was not too hot, not too cold…but was juuust right! Love it when fairytales translate to adult hot tub experiences.
The next day included more air travel…waaay down south, like near Antarctica. I did look into actually hitting up Antarctica on my travels but the only way seems to be a cruise that is outside of the Teha’s Travels budget. Oh well…at least I’m pretty close? Probably not the mindset of Magellan and Columbus, but keep in mind that they had outside funding. We arrived in Patagonia (like the clothing brand) to some amazeballs mountain views…the bar for mountain views went higher at every stop, even when it seemed impossible! Our hotel for the evening featured an incredible panoramic from the lobby and all the rooms. We boarded a boat the next morning that would kick-off a full-day “glacier hunting” expedition via various watercrafts and deposit us at our new accommodations (further south) at the end of the day. And then bar was raised YET AGAIN. I kid you not.
We also got to see penguin-like birds up close in one area and a bunch of sea lions hanging out on a rock in another. Apparently the sea lions are only visible on that rock a few times a year, so we were lucky!
Our group was actually told many times throughout the trip that we were lucky- our various hikes all seemed to happen on “the first nice day” in a while and had crystal clear views that we probably took for granted. In each place we stopped the local guides would thank us for bringing the good weather and beg us not to take it with us.
Anyways, back to the glaciers, we swung by an island for a delicious salmon lunch overlooking the glacier and afterwards suited up in fabulous orange outfits to board a small speed boat that took us on an exhilarating ride, eventually dropping us at our remote waterfront home for the next two nights. We had waaay too much fun in the orange outfits.
Okay, now this place was really, really, really incredible in the views department. The best. I honestly can’t really describe what we saw from outside the lobby- see for yourself.
We were all excited the next day for a trekking excursion in Torres Del Paine National Park, during which we would hike 11km (~8 miles) up to the Base Las Torres viewpoint, and back. I’m not going to lie, it was not an easy-peasy hike but it was a blast! We trekked through lush, tree-filled forests and navigated steep rocky inclines, while crossing several windy rivers. And the views…especially from the viewpoint peak where there’s a turquoise blue glacial lake surrounded by massive rock peaks and cliffs (this was a pleasant surprise for me, of course, but others seemed to know it would be there). This is Tina, Dan, me, and The Amazing Karen- for whom this hike was the 52nd in a 52 hike challenge she’d been doing!
We gave Flash Pack a lil shout-out from the summit.
It’s fair to say we were all pretty beat after 10 hours of trekking but our high from the experience lasted for days. Here we are in the bus, post-hike.
We awoke early the next day for a travel day back to Santiago, but were rewarded with a Patagonian farewell in the form of a sunrise for the record books. Honestly….
That night in Santiago was our last together as a full group, as the tour officially ended the next morning. Sad! We enjoyed a final meal at a restaurant that specializes in pisco. Seriously, the menu of different piscos is 5x longer than the food menu! As I looked around the table that night I thought about how much I had gotten to know each of the amazing individuals on the trip and how fast the time had flown by. Good-byes were sad, as always, but easier this time as several of us were staying for another night (for me this was bc flights were cheaper if I waited a day). My Chilean partner in crime (Aussie Tina) was also staying, so we shared a room. Aussie Tina and I are very much alike (minus the fact she owns her own business and I don’t even have a job) and we always have a ton of fun together. Someone in the group said we should have our own YouTube channel as she thinks it would be a big hit. I think I’ll hold for now on the “Tina-Teha Show” pilot. The world isn’t ready yet.
The nine of us remaining spent our post-tour day touring and eating our way through Santiago (I admit we were a bit lost at first without Filipe shepherding us around). We hit up the art museum and sculpture garden before enjoying lunch at Santiago’s only Vietnamese restaurant (thanks Tina!).
Three more in our group then departed (boo!) and the “then there were six” crew enjoyed a last-last supper from a rooftop bar while taking in the sites and sounds of the city (including 80’s music). Note: Ever since Chile transitioned to a democracy in 1990 and people could freely listen to music again, the Chileans have been obsessed with making up for lost time and the music they missed in the 80’s. It’s pretty much all they play- no complaints here!
I’m now on another epic journey, this time back to los Estados Unidos, and I find myself feeling nostalgic as I write this blog. I feel so incredibly lucky to have been able to explore spectacular Chile, and with such amazing weather and such amazing people. Our group’s What’s App chain is now exploding with messages from forlorn group members as they arrive home, sending pictures of snow and grey skies, and saying how odd it feels to be alone. Except for Martin, who stopped in Rio on his way back to the U.K., and does not seem to be having a horrible time.
Sometimes I wonder if my blog makes my travels seem “Facebook perfect,” as if everything is sunshine and rainbows. Obviously this is not the case (def not all sunshine, as you’ll learn in my future Croatia post). I do try to keep it real, but, honestly, until now, I really haven’t had much to complain about. Ready to hear me complain? It’s time. Buckle up.
I seem to have stumbled upon a bad luck streak. It started when I was locked out of my life. I know that sounds dramatic, but bear with me. I was on an amazing kayak-adventure trip in Croatia (teaser for the Croatia blog!) and was sharing a kayak with my travel buddy, Kristina. Both of our phones were in a dry-bag, that was working perfectly…until it wasn’t anymore. Yes, we lugged around bags of rice for 48 hours, which did nothing to change the situation (I’m convinced the whole rice thing is a marketing ploy by Uncle Ben or one of his rich pilaf relatives). Then we had to face the sad reality. RIP iPhones.
Thankfully I have my trusty ipad (I think it’s version 1.0) that I have used maybe 25 times ever. When I logged in two days ago, I was asked to provide my Apple ID password. I had thumbprint recognition on my iPhone so haven’t had to type in my password in a good while and actually have NO idea what it is. I tried to re-set it and was asked to verify my phone number (seems easy enough and they even provided the last two digits). But I typed in number and was informed that it is not my number. But it IS my number. But it’s NOT your number (Apple and I have since had extensive back and forths on this point- more on that later). Without being able to sign in, while on WiFi I can access Gmail and old versions of Instagram and Facebook (as updating any apps requires the password). Not ideal, but I could handle it for a few days. And at the time, in Croatia, there was not much I could do about it anyways, so I decided I’d deal with it on the next leg of my journey, in Marseille. (Pictures upload really small from the iPad I’m using, sorry!)
When I arrived in Marseille, I felt like my luck had to improve! I was wrong. From the airport, I followed the Amazing Race instructions from my Air bnb host and took a bus from the airport to the train station and then took the metro to the port and then walked 1/2 mile, to meet him at his work. I was so proud of figuring all of this out, especially without having access Google Maps or having any way to communicate (including talking as I realized very few people spoke English and my French is limited to Bonjour, cava, and croissant). I was also proud that I’d lugged my suitcase pretty far by this point, including up and down several flights of stairs. I met Host at his office and I learned that he manages 30 Air bnb apartments around the city. He apologized that he couldn’t take me to my apartment, as he was swamped with many arrivals, but he gave me the key and said it was an easy walk. Okay…here we go….easy walk…
The directions seemed kinda long, but I figured it would be a hop skip and a jump, as Host had seen me and my big suitcase. Not so much. There was no time to dwell on it at the time as I was busy lugging my suitcase up FIVE sets of stairs. And we’re not talking just a few steps per set. I looked like I’d just finished a 10k by the time I got to the building, which is apparently at the highest point of Marseille. To top it off, to get to the unit I then had to walk DOWN two sets of the windy-it’s, most narrow stair cases I’ve ever seen. They were so narrow that my suitcase got stuck at one point. Here’s a sampling of the stairs:
But, I made it!! And I was rewarded with a very nice and clean-looking apartment with a charming balcony view. Things were finally looking up!
I then trekked to the Apple Store to sort out my phone/iCloud situation, as it was increasingly challenging to be off the grid while traveling internationally. I found an English-speaking Apple employee, who was stumped and connected me with the support center on her phone. My case was escalated, twice, to the Senior Support Specialist. Following an hour and 17 minute conversation, I was informed that there is absolutely nothing they can do. She suspects I mis-entered my phone number when I originally set up the account and the only think I can do is try entering every possible variation of my phone number (I can try this five times every eight hours, so my back of the napkin math puts my estimated date of completion at around 2043). At the end of the conversation Senior Support Specialist said “I’m amazed at how calm you sound. I would be a complete wreck if I were in your situation.” That did not make me feel better. In fact, the only thing that kept me from losing it at that moment was the amazing view from their Apple Store. It really is lovely! The stumped technician (note the view):
More views from the deck outside the Apple Store, as I was there so long it got dark (I’m not smiling quite as big inside):
The harsh reality is (you may have seen things going this way) that without my iCloud password I can’t access much of anything (or actually anything) …meaning that I’ve essentially lost ALL the photos I’ve EVER taken (or at least the ones that didn’t involve a CVS Photo Center). I’ve also lost all of my contacts, notes, apps, etc. And I’d been sooooo smart (or so I thought) by installing a password encryption app a few months ago and encrypting all my passwords. Problem now being that I can’t access the encrypted key to the encryption app, as it’s in my iCloud along with everything else. So, now I don’t know any of my passwords (thankfully by the time I set up my blog I’d lost steam on the encryption thing so can access that at least). This is the last time I try to fend off those hackers. In fact, I could use a hacker right now!
NOTE: This is where I left off my draft blog my first night in Marseille, vowing to finish it up in the morning when I hoped to be in a more positive mindset. Little did I know…
I woke up a little bit disoriented, and realized I’d been scratching my arm. I looked down and I gasped out loud as my arm was covered with itchy red bumps. Knowing that European pharmacies are practically equivalent to Urgent Care in the U.S., I headed straight there. I held up my arm. The three pharmacists seemed to only be conferring about how to translate the situation to me. They finally got to what I had suspected…bed buds. I admit I’ve always been dubious about the whole bed bugs thing and I sincerely apologize to my friends who I’ve mocked for paying lots of money for exterminators with bed bug sniffing dogs. I stand corrected and beg for your forgiveness. These things are real. Sigh. I took a deep breath and silently vowed not to feel bad for myself. It was difficult.
I left pharmacy with a tube of cortisone and immediately stumbled upon a free walking tour, so I joined in. I mean, what else was there to do at that moment (except maybe scratch my arm)? It ended up being a great tour and I enjoyed learning more about the city. Afterwards I had a delicious lunch with the guide and a lovely couple, Roger and Allison, at the guide’s favorite local couscous restaurant. Roger and Allison had quit their Silicon Valley jobs two years ago and moved to Mexico City and then Valencia, which they use as a home base for traveling. They do not seem to be missing America. Following lunch, the guide went his way and the three of us climbed to the top of a huge hill (so much easier without a suitcase) to the Notre Dame cathedral, where we were rewarded with stunning views.
After we parted ways I found WiFi and realized Host had not responded to my panicked email from the morning and decided I should probably address that whole bed bug situation. I found Host at his office and my news (and my arm) threw him into a complete tizzy. I’d been hoping to enjoy the sunset at the port that evening, but that did not happen. It took about four hours, and several calls to corporate Air bnb, before I had a hotel room at the Holiday Inn Express (that I may or may not be reimbursed for by Air bnb). At one point corporate Air bnb lady asked me to provide photos of the bugs and bug casings (???) as well as medical documentation. I just sent her a picture of my arm and that seemed to be enough. My final battle of the evening was with oh-so-gracious Host when I asked him to get me an Uber to the hotel. I’m sure he thought I could just walk, per the ushe, and he said that was asking for too much. Too much?!? This did not go over well and it wasn’t until I reminded him that I’d be leaving a review that he capitulated. AND, he accused me of trying to blackmail him!! Is that really blackmail??
I have to say I am not sad to be leaving Marseille (no fault of the city itself) and was relieved to get to the train station this morning. My relief dissipated quickly upon the realization that I’d purchased a ticket from Dijon to Marseille. Noooo!! I was already in Marseille. I was trying to LEAVE Marseille! The kind ticket agent informed me that the booking website lists your destination location first. Well, that just seems silly. It got sorted out but it felt like a final kick in the pants (really hoping it’s final). I’m now on the train to Dijon where I’ll be visiting some dear friends who live there. I emailed to warn them that they have an emotionally precarious and potentially bed bug laden visitor on her way. I wouldn’t blame them at all if they don’t show up at the train station…