Before embarking on this leg of my travel adventures, which had no end date at the outset, I was chatting with my sister-in-law’s most amazing parents (Bob and Carol) about their many travels and their trip to Turkey came up. I don’t know many people who have been to gobble, gobble and their enthusiasm about the country made an impression. Also, I LOVED Greece when I went a few years ago and had been curious about neighbor Turkey but admittedly had some safety concerns based on… what exactly was it? Maybe the few terrorism incidents over the last few years? But (sadly) other countries have had similar incidents… I didn’t have safety concerns going to London. Maybe it was their general proximity to Syria that was concerning me? Who knows what kinds of “bad things” can hop the borders? Hmm… seems like a stretch. In my head, Turkey = dangerous, but why?
Fast-forward to mid-way through my African adventure when I was contemplating where I would go next. My tour-friends asked what other countries I wanted to see and I mentioned Turkey right away, but said it was somewhere I didn’t want to travel to by myself (again, no real logic behind this). Also, our African adventure included a lot of time on a bus and I was feeling a smidge antsy at this particular juncture and said I’d like to do a tour that was super active – like maybe a cycling tour. Fast forward approx. three hours and there’s a flurry of activity in the What’s App group of my fabulous Philippines tour group [Side-note: my American friends who don’t know about What’s App, download it! We are seriously the only country in the world that doesn’t use this app for messaging. It’s far superior to texting, especially for groups, AND it’s encrypted…so much more secure for keeping the nosy NSA out of your business!] Anyhoo, the Philippines gang was back at work after our tour and was sharing ideas for future ‘holidays’ (yes, I speak fluent British now). The amazing Danny said he’d actually just booked a “bike, hike, kayak” tour in Turkey at the end of May. It’s with a tour company called Intrepid and was a real deal cost-wise. I mean… HELLO! I had JUST been saying I wanted to go to Turkey AND I wanted an activity-based tour. It never occurred to me that I could do an activity-based tour IN Turkey! And with Danny, who I absolutely adore! Here we are, having a horrible time in the Philippines:
Obviously, I signed up immediately for the tour. Yes, this meant I would be cheating on my favorite tour company, Flash Pack AGAIN. I rationalized it was better to cheat the second time with someone else, so not a serious affair with one entity. And it’s really like I’m conducting a competitor analysis, of sorts, for Flash Pack! Certainly Lee and Radha would be grateful (or at least understand).
I had three days in Istanbul before the tour and (per the ushe) showed up with very little idea of what there was to do or see in the city. As I rolled my suitcase down the adorable cobblestone streets of the Old Town, heading to my hotel, various restauranters greeted me and encouraged me to dine with them that evening. I’m not a huge fan of this marketing technique and I mostly ignored them. Same deal after dropping my suitcase at the hotel and walking back up the same street. Finally, I engaged with one gent who was more friendly than pushy and he said his name was Aladdin, which obviously makes him awesome. They also had a super cute patio area and their Turkish bread looked amazing, so in I went. In hindsight this was a VERY good decision, and it turned out to be the first of several meals I would be enjoying at THE restaurant, Albura Kathisma. It was there I met Aladdin’s colleagues, my Turkish boyfriend, Osman, and his sidekick Drej. They all seem to have the best jobs in the world, hanging out on the patio talking to people all day (and doing other stuff like serving food and “fishing” for customers, but it still seems pretty low stress… although I guess part of their job is to make it seem that way). That night I also I met my new British bestie, Gail, who was also traveling solo and was already a regular at THE restaurant (as in she had eaten practically every meal there, hanging out with the gang, and had a seat, like Norm from Cheers). Here’s me and Osman at THE restaurant, as well as one of the delicious meals I enjoyed there:
As luck would have it Gail had done quite a bit of research and has a good sense direction, so we went off touring Istanbul for two days, using THE restaurant as our home base and getting great advice from our new friends on what to see. We hit up the infamous Spice Market, which surpassed my high expectations with it’s amazingness.
I very much heart spices, so was in my glory and (despite extra space being at a premium in my suitcase) I couldn’t resist buying some spices from Aladdins’s spice-guy friend, Dolphin. Of course Aladdin has a spice-guy friend named Dolphin!
Next stop was the Grand Bazaar… which is most certainly Grand!
They give you a map upon entry and it’s clearly VERY easy to get lost amongst the MANY winding rows of shops, selling pretty much anything you can imagine and a lot of the same things. We also explored the tons outdoor markets selling everything from the most glittery ball gowns you can imagine (unclear where one would wear these dresses), to faux designer purses, to the most delicious looking cheeses, olives, nuts and produce. As well as a bunch of things I don’t know how to describe exactly…
And we enjoyed a boat cruise up the Bosphorus strait, the glamorous waterway that weaves between the Asian and European sides of Turkey and offers spectacular views of the shorelines.
Now, I knew prior to the trip that I’d be in Turkey during Ramadan, which is the holy month in the Muslim religion when many Muslims refrain from eating, drinking (anything, even water), smoking, and sex during the daylight hours (I’m sure there are more things they have to refrain from doing, but those are the highlights that stuck out for me). They also have to do extra prayers during the 5-times a day “calls to prayer” that bellow from the speakers on the minaret towers that adorn the mosques. The calls to prayer are LOUD and also serve as convenient reminders of the time. After the sunset call to prayer (at about 8:30pm) those recognizing Ramadan can FINALLY eat and drink water (no alcohol) for the first time since 5am that morning! I’m not sure how they do it, but according to Osman it’s really difficult for the first three days and then you just get used to it. It seems like it would be TORTURE to be working in a restaurant and cooking/serving food all day and not be able to eat yourself. I greatly admire the willpower of those who participate in Ramadan! VERY greatly admire. Here’s some signs of the Ramadan celebrations:
I had to bode my new friends farewell to meet my tour group and I have to say I felt a little bit like an Istanbul local already, having friends and being a regular and all. Istanbul is thumbs up, in my book! Parting is such sweet sorrow…
I met up with Danny and the rest of the tour group- an eclectic bunch (my favorite kind of people) hailing from Australia, England, Ireland, and Mexico and including one couple and seven adventurous solo travelers ranging in age from late twenties to mid-60’s. Here we are!
Our guide, Fatih, is an old pro at this tour (at age 32) and really seems to know everyone and everything. In summation, he’s a rock star! Here’s the legend, in action and showing off his backgammon skills with a local:
Gavin (one half of our one couple, hailing from Perth, Australia… coincidentally one of my favorite places on the planet) started a game called “Stump the Guide” where one person would ask Fatih a Turkey-related question every night. These questions were TOUGH and I was amazed (but not surprised) when Fatih secured victory three nights before the end of the tour. Here are Gavin and Mary (aka Thurston Howell the Third and his wife, Lovey).
I’m ahead of myself already- the tour commenced in Istanbul where Fatih guided us about on foot (again, I was like a regular so it was old hat- a tour around my own backyard pretty much) and we visited the ginormous Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, which was a SUPER OLD Greek Orthodox basilica then an Ottomon imperial mosque and now a museum. It’s still in the amazing condition, about a million years after it was constructed (okay, only 1,400 years but still a lot AND it was the largest cathedral in the world for the first 1,000 of those years!)
We spent the night at a sub-par hotel called the Golden Horn- there are two Golden Horn hotels in Istanbul and Danny accidentally booked the other one the night before the tour and said it was much better than ours. Just to be safe, though, I’d avoid both if you go there. Again, I swear I’m not a hotel snob and I realize I’ve been spoiled by Flash Pack and the glam accommodations on their tours… but I feel like Intrepid could have done a little bit better with hotel choices on the tour. That’s my one complaint of the tour so far and I’ll shut up now.
Anyways we all survived and the next day we were off on the first of several rides on Turkey’s public bus system. Soooo many public buses on this tour! Danny and I joked it should be called the “bike, hike, kayak, bus” activity tour. This first bus ride was great, though, as our chariot was a comfy coach and there was a bus-flight-attendant-guy with a cart who served us complementary drinks and snacks!
Following two buses, we hopped a ferry to the beautiful waterfront town of Cannekale. There enjoyed the first of many delicious fresh seafood meals with a view as we wound down from the travel day.
The next day we were off on a hike through the battlefields of Gallipoli, which is the site of an infamous WW I battle between Turkey and the Allies (mainly the British/Aussies/Kiwis). I admittedly did not know a ton about this particular battle prior to the hike but was fascinated to learn more especially on the very site where the NINE-MONTH battle played out, resulting in a LOT of casualties and, eventually, a defeat for the Allies.
It also turned out that a famous Australian soldier (a soldier known as “the man with the donkey,” as that was his method of transport for the wounded) had been the boyfriend of Gavin’s grandmother at the time of his death during the battle, and he got to see his grave.
It was an active and educational day, and I totally want to see the Mel Gibson movie about the battle (and not just bc it features young Mel). Danny and I got some cool hats and peer pressured others to join in our ridiculousness!
No rest for the weary and the next day we were off on another bus journey- a private bus to a public bus- taking us to the town of Selcuk, where we embarked on a late afternoon tour of Ephisus. Here Fatih dazzled us with his knowledge of the ancient city, that had actually been completely buried for a number of years and was rediscovered. It’s pretty awe-inspiring to look at the remains of the city, complete with a Main Street, a library, and a public bathroom and bath house, and to think about how old it is and imagine what it was like to be there back in the day. The buildings were MASSIVE and adorned with ornate murals and mosaic tiling… they really did it up with the details, with no stone left un-carved (literally).
Next stop…the beachfront town of Akyaca, which we arrived at via a less fancy public bus. This was a smaller version with no reserved seats and we were lucky to get them, as some folk had to stand. Fatih said he’d stood on a similar bus for over three hours in the past! That can’t be fun. The rain Gods descended on us that afternoon, which was rather convenient as we had no outdoor activities planned. This was a theme throughout the trip- we dodged some insane weather perfectly. Louise from Ireland is to credit for her self-proclaimed weather luck, and we all believe her now. Akyaca is where we embarked on a 20km cycling adventure, through rolling hills and winding roads taking us through small villages dotted with fruit trees.
The clouds started to roll-in towards the end of the ride and we could hear thunder in the distance (which did not go over well with me, given my irrational TERROR of lightning. Like, complete terror). Alas, (thank you Louise!) the TORRENTIAL downpour held off until minutes after we were nestled under the awnings of our adorable late-lunch destination, and it stopped just as we finished our chicken shish and pides. I’m telling you, Hollywood could not have timed this better!
Having completed the “bike” portion of our activity tour, we rested up for the forthcoming hiking and kayaking… with much bus-ing in between, of course!
At least they put me up in the Sheraton which is located just a tunnel away from the terminal. There I joined a room full of other Lufthansa passengers in a large conference room for our comp’d dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes. Kind of like Thanksgiving, and many people looked about as happy to be there as they would at their disfunctional family’s holiday dinner tables. Unfortunately I was faced with another snafu the next morning as we were delayed leaving Frankfurt and I missed my connection in Munich. Argh!!! I had a five hour wait for the next flight and took out the trusty old iPad to troubleshoot how I would get to THE DOLOMITES, having missed the one bus of the day. I mean, I could always rent a car. But I hate driving. But… it’s THE DOLOMITES!! And your options are veeeerrrry limited. Here’s what I saw of Munich- it looks lovely and I’ll have to go back under different circumstances. 
I FINALLY landed and set out to claim my rental car, dragging a lil’ bit from my 36+ hour journey at this point. The kind woman at Thrifty must have noticed I wasn’t exactly in the jolliest of moods and upgraded me from Bare Bones Fiat to Pimped Out Audi (to be referred to as POA from this point forward). Here she is: 
My mood buoyed slightly… I was off with a sweet ride! The two-hour drive to Cortina was beautiful, despite increasing patches of fog and rain as I got deeper into the mountains (on mostly winding two-lane roads). 
I checked into my accommodation and the proprietor pointed out the four restaurants I could choose from. He said they all close at 9pm as it’s a “sleepy mountain town” this time of year. Hmmm… based on Trip Advisor, I’d thought Cortina had more going on than this? And where were those mountains I was supposed to be able to see from my window?
The rain was really coming down now and it was already 8 p.m. so I motored to the closest restaurant, a pizzeria next door. There were only a few tables occupied and I was seated at a table next to another solo diner, a gent who looked about my age. I wasn’t sure how to sit as I thought facing him directly would be kind of awkward, almost like were at the same table, but with my back to him seemed rude. I compromised and sat at kind of an angle, half-facing him (which in hindsight was probably more awkward than either of the alternatives). I got bored pretty quickly sitting there by myself (and with no phone decoy) and soon we made eye contact and a conversation naturally commenced. Okay, okay I’ll be honest, chances are that I was the one who struck up the conversation… I don’t exactly have a healthy fear of chatting with strangers (as reported in the British rag, The Daily Mail, 
I caught up on some correspondence and other life administrivia that has fallen by the way-side and thank goodness for my Cortina boyfriend, as I would have really gone bonkers without Christoph (both for his company and validation that I’m not a total idiot for making this mistake). He had scoped out the adorable ski town during his time there, and toured me to his favorite spots (of the handful that were open). 
Gotta love an iPad selfie attempt! Christoph also speaks ‘nerd’ so we geeked out discussing things like China’s advances in the innovation arena and how this impacts their global positioning. The next morning brought some sunlight (!!!) and I could actually see the mountains that I would not be hiking. 
No matter, I hopped in my POA and headed to my ultimate destination- the mythical Ortesei. I spent the next 2.5 hours driving through winding mountain passes…it was INCREDIBLE! And included some extremely variable (and equally beautiful) scenery.
For the first time in my life I LOVED driving… a LOT. I think I figured out that my problem with driving in the past is that I’ve been operating average-to-below-average cars and have had average-to-below-average-views, AND have had to deal with pesky things…like stoplights and speed limits. Driving POA through THE DOLOMITES is a different experience entirely. 
It also occurred to me that when I’d booked my hotel in Ortesei I’d assumed there were only a few available because they were all full of hikers like myself, but I now suspected it was prolly because they were also still closed. And… I was correct. It was just salt in the wound when I learned that the mountains in Ortesei were opening for hiking the VERY day I was leaving. Of course they were! Regardless, I loved the family owned mountain lodge where I stayed. The views were totes amaze and they even had some footpaths where I could fake-hike. I was a happy camper.
It was pretty spectacular as far as fake hiking goes and I zoomed off for hours, happy to be moving after days of sitting (something I do not handle well). More views: 
After fake-hiking for much of the day, I took POA out for a spin in the mountains. That’s right… a drive just to drive, with no destination. Driver’s ed was the last time I did that! Then I was off to the airport, not sad it was 3.5 hours away and I savored my final moments with POA. As I drove I reflected on how my Dolomites experience had not been what I’d envisioned at the outset but it had definitely been an adventure and, all in all, one I really enjoyed! I got to make a few new friends, take in some incredible beauty, and, of course, there’s my new love affair with driving. I was glad the many snafus throughout the course of the journey hadn’t kept me from maintaining a (mostly) positive outlook and being open to whatever experiences presented themselves, as they were pretty cool ones! Next up… gobble, gobble!
And my tour group crew stuck around for the late night showing that evening, to be rewarded with the elephant act.
When we left the next morning the only animal we hadn’t seen at Etosha was the lions, who (being the teases that they are) had made their presence known with some seeeeerious, and slightly disconcerting, roaring throughout the night. Jeff and Barry worked their magic, though, and as our bus rolled out we saw some safari vehicles pulled over to the side of the road…. sure enough Mr. Lion was out for a morning stroll in the woods walking exactly parallel to road. We followed along for a good 10 minutes and he didn’t seem to notice or care about our rumbling coach bus. It was the perfect end to our Etosha experience!
And, I’m sure they’ll all have a grand time on the second leg… I just don’t want to hear about it! (#earmuffs) Where I’m headed next is still a smidge of a mystery, even to me, so there’s a lot to stay tuned for!
We stopped a few times during the drive to snap photos at various look-outs and made one very important stop, at an establishment called Ronnie’s Sex shop. 
This place is really a find, and as you can see, in the middle of nowhere. As lore would have it, Ronnie had just a regular little shop/bar and one night his friend got drunk and decided to play a prank on good ol’ Ronster… a prank that involved a can of red paint. And… business boomed after that! It reminds me of that time when some of my classmates repelled off the roof of my high school to remove some choice letters from the the side of the building… transforming Beverly High School into Beer High School. Unlike Ronnie’s, unfortunately we weren’t able to get t-shirts to reflect the new name. 
We got to meet Ronnie and he was exactly as one might expect the sole proprietor of Ronnie’s sex shop to be, drinking a beer in the middle of the bar area that has people’s bras, underwear and t-shirts hanging from the ceiling and walls. Cheers to Ronnie and his business acumen… and moving on.
We arrived at our beautiful accommodations in Oudtshoorn just as a spectacular sunrise was starting and we enjoyed it with glasses of more delicious South African wine. 
The next morning was an early bell to go observe meerkats waking up in their natural environment. I’ll be honest (as I always am- for the good or bad) that I didn’t think I knew what a meerkat was before this trip… but then was reminded of Timon from the Lion King. It was super cool to see the little critters emerge out of their burrows one by one as the sun rose and interact with each other, while scanning for danger and marking their territories for the day. 
As an aside, they sleep in different burrows every night so the “meerkat guy” (who narrated the experience and was quite the character) has a team of people who run around the savannah every day figuring out where the little cuties are burrowing that night. Here’s Meerkat Dundy in action: 
We then moved on to our next adventure… swimming with the seals. I admit I was a smidge skeptical of this activity- for two reasons. One is that I didn’t think of seals as particular friendly mammals who necessarily want me swimming with them. I wondered if this would be forced like an exhibit at Sea World. The second reason is the more obvious one- the potential for seals as shark bait. I put both of these concerns out of my head, however, in true Teha’s Travels style, and tried to go into the activity with an open mind and positive attitude. And… I loved it! We took a speed boat way out to an area where there are “rafts” of seals (that’s what you call a group of seals- who knew?!). We then plunged in (literally) in our snorkeling gear. I admit I had a minor freak-out at first, as seals were everywhere- swimming underneath me, next to me, etc. I quickly calmed down, though, as I learned that they are actually very friendly and playful (think Flipper, but a seal) and we had a blast swimming amongst them!
And, I swear that one approached me to give me a high-five with his fin! 
After some beach time, we moved on to our accommodations for the next three nights- a beautiful spot called Hog Hollow. My roommate, the Fabulous Claudia from Toronto, and I were surprised and thrilled to wake-up the next morning with some monkey friends greeting us- like a wake-up call! 
We the headed to the beach for a surfing lesson that we were all very excited for and did not disappoint. 
This was my third time surfing and I was glad I loved it as much as the first two times… although I am slightly confused that in the three lessons I’ve had I’ve been taught three different ways to stand up on the board. Maybe different countries differ on their approaches? Next time I’m just going to freestyle it, I’ve decided. It was lucky for us that our guide, Jamie, is also a professional photographer in her spare time and took photos from the shore. She even made it look like I knew what I was doing! 
Our post-surfing lunch was a traditional South African “braai” (pronounced bry) which is basically a delicious outdoor BBQ. We enjoyed a delectable sampling of sausages, chicken, grilled veggies and salads. I was told by the braai-guy that in a “real braii” it’s all red meats and chicken is the salad, but we were quite happy with our menu (especially the vegetarian in our group.) 
The next day was one I’d been nervously anticipating for much of the trip, or at least since I’d agreed to participate in an optional activity… bungee jumping 600 feet off of a bridge (at a place where its claim to fame is being “the world’s highest bungee bridge jump.”) Yup, it’s pretty freakin’ high.
I was SOOOO nervous for this but something in me knew I’d regret it if I didn’t do it. Throughout the trip me and my fellow jumpers (Christina, Courtney and Hannah) had been referring to future activities on the trip as “pre-bungee” and “post-bungee,” implying that we may not be around to enjoy the latter with the group (they may have been joking with this but part of me wasn’t). Here’s our before pic:
Nevertheless we signed our lives away (literally) and made the long trek out to the bridge. There was some signage on the trail that made me laugh….this warning seemed like the least of my concerns at that moment. 
I went last and was so impressed watching my friends make the plunge and especially as each was pullyed back up to the bridge with huge smiles on their faces saying they wanted to do it again. I assumed they were putting on a happy face for me. Here’s the jump prep, where I’m clearly trying not to look behind the guy I’m talking to: 
Courtney had a Go-Pro that we were all able to use and the video of my jump pretty much says it all!
We then swung by an elephant sanctuary where we got to interact with and feed the majestic animals who we’d be seeing a lot of in their natural habitats in the days to come. 
Here’s Claudia and I inspecting their brushing:
And this is a male elephant, believe it or not 😂
That night kicked off a trifecta of birthday celebrations for our group… how lucky we had not one but THREE birthdays to celebrate, and in a row! Jacy was our first birthday queen, followed by Julie and Hannah. So many excuses to eat cake and we even discovered a shooter called the “birthday cake shot” that we taught various bartenders to make (it was only fair that each of the birthday girls should have them on their special day). Here are the lovely ladies we celebrated: 
We were off “on safari” the next day, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. Our destination was the Addo Elephant Park where we stayed at an amazing safari lodge called the Kuzuko Lodge. The way the safari thing works (this was news to me) is that you stay in a game reserve that is fenced in with electric fences, at a lodge (that is fenced in within the reserve) and you go out on three hour guided “game drives” two times a day (in pretty rad safari vehicles). 
The game drives take place early in the morning and around dusk as those are the times the animals are most likely to be out and about (they smartly lay low during the hottest time of day.) It was SUCH a cool experience! 
It felt surreal to be observing elephants, lions, ostrich, giraffes, buffalo, etc. in their natural environments (don’t worry, photos below) and I enjoyed learning more about them from the very knowledgeable guides. And I had a LOT to learn. This was evident when I decided to use the lodge business center to create “Safari Bingo” cards for some friendly safari competition. There were nine squares on the template so I included the “Big 5” of African safaris (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo) and tossed in four more animals. The safari ranger loved the idea of the game (they may keep doing it!) but was quite amused to see I’d included a tiger as one of the animals. Whoopsie… guess they don’t exactly exist in the wild on the African continent. I feel like maybe I knew this but forgot? Alas, the next game drive I had revised cards to distribute (the ranger was kindly my Bingo consultant this time) and Hannah, the birthday girl that day, was the victor! 
We were told we were lucky to see a lot of lion activity on our game drives and even got to see them just after having made two “kills” of large prey… the circle of life, indeed. 
It was fascinating to watch the animals interact with each other and the various dynamics between different species and even within the same species (the “dominant” male lion, Sylvester, for example, clearly ruled the lion roost. I totally get where the King of the Jungle title comes from.) 
It was also interesting to learn about the survival instincts of different species and see them in action. It occurred to me how much time and energy human beings spend fighting our own instincts and how much easier life would be if we were able to trust our guts more. Noted. 
After two exciting days of safari-ing we bade farewell to our many four-legged friend and headed back to civilization for (sniff, sniff) our final night together in the beach town of Port Elizabeth. The group had become so tight during our two week adventure that it would not be a lie to say many tears were shed during our good-byes (don’t worry friends, I won’t name names… too many to name.) 
To give you an idea of how amazing and diverse this group was- there were two guys on the trip, and they really could not have been more different. Matt hales from Birmingham, England and is self-employed as a farmer. Neerav is of Indian descent and works in the finance industry in NYC. Yet they share the commonality of being two of the nicest and funniest guys I’ve met, and they quickly became best buds. Actually, pretty much the whole group became best buds! 
Fortunately by the end of the trip I’d managed to nail down some short-term plans for after the tour (you may recall at the outset of the trip I had none… and no return ticket). Luckily of my new tour friends, Katy, had planned an add-on trip to see a few more sites in and around South Africa and she kindly agreed when I invited myself to join her. Then our tour guide, Jamie, has a birthday camping trip near Cape Town planned with a bunch of her friends, that I also invited myself to join. Phew, things to do! And I do realize I’m lucky they were both too polite to say no to me. Stay tuned for safari phase 2, up next!
Moving on-ish…the mystery flight out of El Nido (that was only a mystery to me) took us to beautiful Bohol. Bryan Not-Adams had the not-so-easy task of herding our group of 13 through the airport…but we made it and were greeted with adorable little monkey necklaces. 
We were taken to our home for the next three nights, a 
And here’s our first glimpse of our latest slice of the paradise pie that this country is. 
That night we enjoyed more fresh seafood at one of the many restaurants on the beachfront that our hotel overlooks. Since it was the night before Easter the beach was packed with revelers and we even got a fireworks display (which Bryan took complete credit for arranging). I hadn’t realized that the Philippines is 80% Catholic, so obviously Easter and everything around it is a huge deal and we saw many festive celebrations throughout the week. 
The next day (Easter Sunday) we were off on our next adventure- exploring the “Chocolate Hills” that Bohol is known for. I’m used to chocolate on Easter but this was even better! The Chocolate Hills are scattered throughout a 20-square mile area and are these cone shaped mini-mountains (100 to 400 feet tall) that are apparently a geological anomaly. They are a luscious green color in the rainy season but brown in the dry season (when the grass dies and the mud that forms them is exposed), hence their name. We started our exploration of said hills with an aerial view from a viewing area. 
Once we had our bearings, we got down and dirty with our hills exploration, cruising through them on ATV’s.
This was a BLAST and we all finished absolutely covered in “chocolate” (I wish!).
Part way through our journey we stopped to hike up one of the hills and take in more views. 
We also saw many interesting sites along the way, such as this Easter dinner prep.
Some minor excitement when Fi’s ATV stalled while cruising through some water but our guides troubleshooted quickly and we were on our way. 
We rinsed off as much of the mud as we could before heading to our next destination- the Tarsier Sanctuary. So, I’d never heard of a tarsier either, but they are adorable little monkeys who are native to the Philippines. They are so tiny that they could fit in the palm of your hand and they look like little Yodas! They actually have the largest eyes relative to body size of any mammal and their eyes are the same size as their brain (random tarsier factoid). And, because their eyes are so big they can’t rotate them, so instead their neck can turn 180 degrees in each direction! Despite this exorcist-like party trick, tarsiers are sensitive little creatures, and they like their silence and darkness while sleeping (who doesn’t, right?). But apparently, while in captivity, light from camera flashes and noise can make tarsiers commit suicide! We carefully creapt through the sanctuary, pointing and snapping a few flash-less pics of the cute little buggers- hoping they wouldn’t off themselves on our watch. 
Tarsiers are sadly an endangered species with the numbers continuing to plummet. This is because they require a specific habitat with certain vegetation and lots of insects to eat, which is harder and harder to come by. The Philippine Tarsier Foundation runs the sanctuary we visited and looks after about 100 of the adorable little creatures. Needless to say, we all fell in-love.
Back at the resort, we relaxed by the pool and took in a stunning sunset before enjoying another beachfront meal. Life continues to be a struggle!
The next day was a BIG one…my birthday!!! While I wasn’t exactly psyched about this birthday rolling around, I could not have asked for a better one and I want to thank my 13 new, super-awesome friends for making it so special! They even made me card and wrapping paper- using printer paper, colored pencils and staples. So industrious! And, yes, there were presents! Sneaky Fiona even got me a tank top I’d been eyeing at a shop in El Nido, after she’d convinced me not to buy it. 
I spent my birthday morning paddle boarding down the gorgeous Loboc River, that is lined with palm trees and other luscious vegetation. We stopped along the way to use a rope swing and try various challenges presented by our guides. Cristina won the “balancing on one foot contest,” with an extremely impressive 21 seconds! I didn’t trust my phone dry bag to keep my phone dry (learned that lesson in Croatia), so unfortunately there are no photos to prove any of this actually happened. You’ll have to take my word for it!
So, if you’ve followed my blog at all (or if you know me at all) you know that “relaxing” is not exactly my area of expertise (at least in the relaxing-by-not-doing-anything-active kind of way). I actually find more relaxation in movement than sitting still (weird, I know). But, when the day after my birthday was a “free day,” I chose to “relax” at the resort and actually thoroughly enjoyed laying around! Maybe this is a getting older thing?!? I will say, the scenery definitely helped (as did the fact I needed some recovery from the birthday revelry the night before). 
Proof I was “relaxing!” 
Danny, Joe, and Bryan got up early that day and went on a boat trip, which they enjoyed- while they did say it was odd to be on a boat with “other people.” I completely understand how that would be odd, as all of our tours in the Philippines had been private and, quite frankly, it was the lifestyle to which we had become accustomed! They seemed to tough it out okay, though, strangers and all. 
The next day we hopped a flight to a town called Cebu, and stayed at a beach resort on Mactan island. Our final dinner (sniff, sniff) was at a “floating restaurant” and we even had a personal musician, regaling us with acoustic cover songs. I will say it was quite entertaining to watch the group (mostly British) belting out “Country Roads,” in accompaniment to the Filipino musician, as we sat on a floating restaurant in the middle of the South China/West Philippine sea (which sea it is depends who you ask). A perfect ending to a perfect trip!
My personal favorite is the hat’s perfectly timed jumping photo on the beach! 
Meanwhile, I enjoyed the amenities and soaked in every bit of sun that I could. I only had to push a few kids out of the way to get a turn on the water slide! 
When I left, it was just Phil at the resort…the last one of the group. He tried to evoke some sympathy for this circumstance but I didn’t feel bad for him, at all. 
While it was sad to have the trip come to an end, I’m so glad that the our group chat has continued to be active, as we share photos, re-live memories, and even plan for reunions (yes, reunion plans are already in motion!). Bryan Not-Adams even made a two-minute video of the trip (talk about going above and beyond!) You can view it 
We began our adventure in the city of Manila, that we toured via bamboo bikes. How ingenious to find a way to make a bicycle using the country’s natural resources! And I have to say it was actually a much smoother ride than a “normal” non-bamboo bicycle.
So, Manila is a city with it’s fair share of baggage in the history department. Essentially the country has been under Spanish, Japanese, and American rule for periods of time and (according to our very awesome guide, Bryan Not-Adams), Filipinos are a hybrid in getting their romance from Spain, their business sense from Japan, and their ambition from America. Not a bad combo at all, in my opinion! I have to say that the amount of American influences in the country have definitely surprised me. Most people speak English, for starters, which is something I had not experienced in my southeast Asian travels yet. When we popped into a big shopping mall to use the ATM, it could have been in any mall in America. They even had a Dunkin Donuts and a Forever 21! (Keep in mind this is the major shopping mall in Manila. Very different from the villages we visited later in the trip).
After the bike tour, we chilled at the hotel pool during the hottest part of the afternoon and then I enjoyed an incredible $10 massage. The deal the hotel offers is actually 2 hours for $1000 pesos (about $20) and there is no option for one hour-. I think I like this “island time” thing! I was certain if I had a 2-hour massage I would succumb to jet lag and fall asleep, so I “split” the time block with one of my new friends, Kristina.
So, we travelled via sea plane to El Nido- a first for me! [Although, in full disclosure, this plane took off from the sea but landed at an airport so I’m not sure it counts as a full sea plane experience? Regardless, it was a cool.] We pretty much sat with the pilot, a friendly Canadian, and it felt a little bit like being in a flight simulator (although thankfully just watching and not flying). Here comes our aircraft:
Preparing to board (some of us are just a smidge nervous)
We made it! Our first meal in El Nido.
We spent that evening in a small beach town and enjoyed a spectacular sunset before our chariot arrived the next morning (our chariot being a boat) that would be taking us to a remote, private island where we would be camping for three days (yes, that’s right, I said private island). On the way there we “island-hopped” (this is a thing), did lots of snorkeling, and had lunch on one of the many isolated white sandy beaches. We arrived at our private island later that afternoon, where we stayed at the one 
Fiona made herself right at home on the private island (yes, I’m trying to say private island as much as I can).
Private island life was a very rustic and very phenomenal experience- the views of the sea, sunsets, and stars were like no other, and the staff could not have done more to go above and beyond and make us feel at home on the island. We were even treated to a concert by the daughter of the chef! 
Speaking of the chef, the food was amazing and they even roasted a pig for us on the second night. The bacon at breakfast the next morning was also delicious. 
After sleeping in mosquito net tents on the beach (at the waters edge under the most star-filled sky) we enjoyed another full day of island hopping and snorkeled for hours among vibrant coral and fish. Life is really tough right now, I know. 
We tried to coordinate a synchronized jump off the boat (we’d seen the passengers on another boat do this and thought it looked cool). Getting into position took some time and once we were all finally ready, Oliver (who was ring leader of the group jump) must have gotten excited and jumped in early. We are just a little dismayed by this premature jump.
Finally, success! Sort of.
I had thought my back was maybe a little pink from all the snorkeling but when I returned to the island, the owner greeted us and immediately offered me aloe for my back. There were no mirrors on the island so asked him to take a picture so I could survey the damage. Ouch. 
Much aloe later, it’s finally faded- that sun can really creep up on you while snorkeling. That night we witnessed another phosphorescent sunset, collectively noticing that the prettiest colors actually came out about 15 minutes after the sun had set. Not sure if this is just a Philippines thing and I’ll have to start paying attention during sunsets elsewhere. With Bryan’s help I also used the time-lapse feature for the first time to capture the sunset. Let me see if I can figure out how to share it…
I had grouper steamed in lemongrass shared some DELISH grilled squid.
The next day we had the option of a free day to relax at the resort or go on a lagoon boat tour- difficult life decisions. I opted for the tour and seven of us had the BEST day crusading around the West Philippines sea, stopping to explore multiple amazing lagoons. Since it was a holiday (Good Friday) the boat traffic was heavier than usual but we still managed to find a secret lagoon, where we were the only ones there for a period of time. Lunch was on THE most secluded beach, which also happened to have THE best snorkeling of the trip so far. And that’s saying a lot! It was a fantastic day and we were all grateful to Bryan for organizing it for us on a free day. Although I think his motivation may have been partially selfish as he seemed to have just as much fun as we did. 
We reunited with the rest of our group for a sunset cocktail (and there was so much for us all to catch up on after not all being together almost a whole day!) I felt kind of guilty telling those who hadn’t come on the lagoon tour how spectacular it was, but they all seemed quite content with their decision (and also looked very relaxed).
As we walked, Daisy told me about a black mark on Hungerford’s history, due to he now infamous “Hungerford Massacre,” which occurred in the 1980’s, when a mentally unstable person walked down the streets of the town randomly firing a rifle at people and taking 16 innocent lives. Following the tragedy, the gun laws in England were severely tightened (including a ban on semi automatic weapons altogether) and the incident remains one of the deadliest mass shootings ever in the UK. It was a timely anecdote to hear as an American, and also frustrating to be reminded that much of our current gun violence is actually preventable. Sigh…
Upon meeting her parents, it was obvious where Daisy gets her contagious personality- her parents are great people and I have no doubt their family home was full of laughter (like all the time) while Daisy was growing up.
No rest for the weary though… I had an upcoming Travelling Trio adventure to tend to! You may recall our last adventure was to Portugal in October. For a March destination we’d tossed around Costa Rica (all of us are dying to go) but schedules didn’t allow the time so we decided on a domestic weekend trip to… Richmond, Virginia. An obvious second choice to Costa Rica? I have to say I was certainly not complaining about not getting on another plane and the train ride was quite lovely (and convenient!) So, I’ve driven through Richmond a few times (meaning I know what route 95 looks like there) and I’d seen the University of Richmond during my college touring (the dealbreaker was a HUGE lake separating the girls dorms and boys dorms- it seemed like an unnecessary barrier). But, until now, I hadn’t actually spent time in the city. And, I have to say, I liked it a lot! In fact, the entire Traveling Trio was pleasantly surprised by good ole Richmond! It’s definitely a lot more happening than I expected- a smidge edgy (this surprised me) and with a lil’ industrial feel, including lots of old warehouse based developments underway. Here we are being edgy! 
Richmond also has the laid-back vibe of a college town but combined with the maturity of an epic historic location, and with the confidence and character that goes along with that. The people are also really friendly- with a southern charm that isn’t over the top and almost seems more midwestern at times. We had a jolly old time exploring the city, including it’s bourgeoning restaurant scene and historic highlights, such as a ridiculously fancy brunch at the Jefferson Hotel (Page had us on a waiting list and we got the green light at the very last minute). 
I then headed up to New England for the main event of my March America fly-by. I spent a few days visiting my New Hampshire nephew contingent (and upping my snowman game) before heading down to Boston. 
Hugo was NOT happy when he came home from school and Frosty was no more. The hard knocks life throws at a four year old! 
So, I’ll be honest that it would have been slightly more convenient to remain in Southeast Asia in between trips to Myanmar and the Philippines. Even with my shoddy sense of geography, I know that much. However, this was not an option! It turned out that on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, my most amazing Dad was to be the honoree at a large and prestigious gala in Boston- it was an extremely well-deserved tribute to him following a 40-year career in social services, during which (according to personal testimonies at the event) he’s impacted gazillions of lives. Obvs, I HAD to be there! Those of you who know Mark Kennard understand completely… my Dad is just THE BEST! He really is. And, his acceptance speech was absolutely incredible (I may be slightly biased, as he may or may not have referred to me as “our 8th Wonder of the World” in the speech). Here’s the man of the hour! 
The whole family was very proud to be there, especially at the head table with THE Honoree! Here are a few pics of some of my Dad’s entourage (which included Baby Theodore strapped to Tobi’s front!). 
Of course, Seth was trying to hog the spotlight during the red carpet photo shoot. Brothers!
Conveniently the next day was was St. Patty’s day, and what better city to celebrate in than Boston?!? (Okay, yes, Dublin is better…but still pretty solid in Bean-town!) We jumped right into the festivities, including joining an impromptu parade with a bunch of bagpipers. It seemed totally normal at the time and we blended right in! 
I stayed with my friends Porsha and Dennis the next night and was entertained by their hilarious kiddo, Makayla, and her sidekick, Gatsby. Porsh and Dennis moved to Boston from DC last year and it was great to catch up with them. 
Then it was back to DC for packing once again (in true consultant fashion, I implemented some process improvement measures as a result of of my lessons learned from last time). I was planning to arrive a day early for my next Flash Pack tour (the Philippines!) but Mother Nature intervened and instead I spent an extra day in DC, playing in the snow with a real cast of characters.
Thankfully I was rebooked on a flight that got me there JUST in time for the first tour activity. The flight did have an 11 hour layover in Doha, an airport I’ve become very familiar with, and just to kill some time I went on the free bus tour of the city that Qatar Airlines offers. I already did this tour during a layover in December and not much has changed but the sites were far superior to those of the airport. 
Now, I’m finally here and ready for whatever adventure the Philippines has in store for me! (I guess I could look at the trip itinerary to see what that is but why ruin the fun?!)
I then embarked on my maiden solo voyage using London’s public transport system. I’d also been forewarned that this was complex to navigate and that Londoners were mostly “heads down” and wouldn’t go out of their way to be helpful or friendly. But my London opposite-world experience continued. I actually felt like people were much more helpful than people would be on the DC Metro…strangers carried my suitcase up stairs for me! At one point I was waiting for an elevator (aka lift) in the station along with several other suitcase laden travelers and a women with a stroller. In the States I’m quite sure that those who had been there first would have gotten on and the others would have to wait. But here, stroller lady got priority without question and then stroller lady worked with the other riders to arrange a Tetris puzzle that would allow all of us and our bags to fit. Teamwork with a Capitol T!
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.
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, 
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!
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).
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.
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.
So, several months later we all met up to board our flight to Ivalo, which is a remote place in Finland where the temperature was MINUS 25 degrees Celsius the day we arrived. I’m still working on how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit exactly, but any way you dice it, negative 25 is FREEEZING. Maybe the cold would decimate the germs causing whatever sickness I had percolating? Such wishful thinking! Here’s Daisy, the ringleader and travel coordinator of our crew:
The proprietor of our Ivalo accommodations, Henry, picked us up at the airport and drove effortlessly through the ice and snow covered roads in his sedan. SUV whhhaaattt??? We settled into our adorable little bungalow and bundled up for the 15 foot walk to the main building where we enjoyed the first of several home-cooked authentic Finnish meals. Yum!
So, the big draw for this middle of nowhere spot in Finland, is that you have an increased chance of seeing the mythical northern lights. Henry and company provided the service of knocking on our door to alert us to any lights (up until 11pm) so we wouldn’t have to sit outside waiting for them while turning into Walt Disney’s corpse. I learned there is some debate about northern lights viewing as it’s impossible to predict when they can be seen. Some companies apparently rip-off tourists by taking them on expensive northern lights viewing treks that don’t actually increase their odds of seeing them. It’s pretty hit or miss as far as I (or anyone can tell). Having discussed northern lights viewing strategies with several strangers on the voyage there (including the Finnish flight attendants on the plane) I had decided that the best time to see them was after 11pm, when no one was watching. Like spotting Santa Claus! Yet when we heard a knock on our door at about 9:30pm- I threw on my cold weather gear in about ten seconds flat and ran outside. Opinions differed on what it was that we actually saw at that juncture…I saw a greenish cloud streaming across the sky, that looked even greener if you took a picture of it. It was kinda cool, as far as green clouds go, but not what I was expecting for THE LIGHTS. 
We went back inside, feeling like we’d seen them (if not with our own eyes, it definitely appears we did if you look at a picture) and returned to a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity. As I’d promised myself, I geared up again at around 11:30pm for another check, convinced I had cracked the code by waiting until after 11pm…but, alas, there was nothing to be seen. Not even Rudolph! The next morning at breakfast we heard from another group that they went outside at 1am and the lights were in FULL EFFECT, “dancing across the sky!” Darn it- if only I’d checked a few more times before going to sleep! Oh well, can’t win ‘em all I guess. And at least we had that green cloud!
Unfortunately, I woke up the next morning feeling even more achy and chilled, with zero desire to get out of bed (zero was far warmer than the temperature outside, btw). Staying in bed, however, was not an option as far as I was concerned…it was snowmobiling day! With all the winter activities I’d enjoyed in my lifetime, snowmobiling was not one of them and I’d been dying to try it! I consulted Binay, the doctor in the group (and he’s actually a doctor!), and loaded up on over-the-counter meds that kicked in pretty quickly and at least made me forget I had a fever. We paired up on snowmobiles and got a tutorial from our guide, during which I was only half paying attention. The views around us were just so pretty and I was just SO excited! How to concentrate?!? 
My passenger, Danielle, and I boarded our vehicle and she asked if I knew what I was doing. Let’s hope so! I knew how to GO (most importantly) and also not to get too close to the snowmobile in front of us and to stay in the track created by the leader. No funny business, basically. 
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED snowmobiling, and was in heaven as we cruised over the snow covered ice, passing a few adorable, remote lake-side houses. Throughout the three hour trip, the guide only had to stop twice to walk back to my snowmobile to issue me warnings. During the second warning he shook his finger at me, like a teacher scolding a student. I really couldn’t help it though! It was way more fun to cruise just a little bit to the side of the track, through the deeper, untouched snow and I didn’t think he would notice a few, small deviations…my bad. We stopped midway through the journey and disembarked our snowmobiles to warm by a fire deftly created by our guide, after he whittled tiny strips of birch off a branch (in the middle of a snow mound, as if creating a fire in the snow is like switching on a gas fireplace). As we trudged about 50 feet through the deep, fluffy snow to the fire area, I had the impulse to stop to make a snow angel and Daisy (our resident videographer, always looking for a good shot) asked if I had my camera handy. I handed it to her and then returned it to it’s holding place in my front pocket. 
Following the rest of the trudge (this snow was DEEP) we arrived at the fire. I reached for my phone to discover it was no longer in my pocket. Huge. Siiiighhhh. I knew my phone had to be somewhere along the 50 foot long path we’d created in the snow, so I diligently canvassed the area, scouring the WHITE snow, for my WHITE phone. And to make matters worse, the more I scoured the more new footprints I created, making it nearly impossible to tell where we had first walked. I didn’t say much during this search and rescue mission but knew that if I did not find my phone, it would be a royal pain in the *ss to get a new one (I knew this from a previous Teha’s Travels mishap when my phone had an unfortunate run-in with a defective dry bag while whitewater kayaking in Croatia…procuring a new one overseas was both a lengthy and expensive endeavor). My travel mates kept encouraging me to give up the seemingly futile search and join them around the fire before I froze to death (they didn’t say that last part but they later admitted thinking it) but I refused to give up. Don’t they look worried?
The the way I thought about it, my phone HAD to be somewhere along that 50 foot stretch of snow and while the chances might be slim that I would actually find it- there was a ZERO percent chance I would find it if I didn’t keep looking. So keep looking I did! Probably a good 30 minutes later, just when I was mentally trying to come to terms with the fact that my phone was probably gone…EUREKA! Miracles do happen! Our guide seemed shocked. The other members of my group seemed extremely relieved, most likely that they wouldn’t have to be dealing with the potential aftermath of sick AND phone-less Teha. I don’t blame them in the least! [Note: All’s well that ends well, although I do have to admit that the toes on my left foot have not felt quite the same since that frigid phone-hunting expedition…just an odd tingly sensation at times. But what’s a few toes….at least I have my phone!] 
I was on a high (from both snowmobiling and the found phone) that lasted until we got off the snowmobiles. I think the British Tylenol had worn off by then too and I was authentically chilled to my bones, wanting nothing more than to be in bed. Which is where I went…..and slept for hours (bundled in a hat, four shirts, three layers of pants and four pairs of socks). All was well worth it for the feeling of whizzing over the ice on the snowmobile! Sadly I missed out on the group’s Ivalo fun that afternoon:
That night we enjoyed a second Finnish meal, featuring none other than reindeer. I wasn’t sure about this but it actually tasted pretty good! I also enjoyed it in a soup the subsequent evening, where it had more of a smokey, bacony taste. The Finnish definitely have no qualms about eating Donner, Blitzen, and the gang. 
Same drill the next morning but on a different exciting winter adventure…dog sledding! I didn’t know what to expect on this excursion but once again it was incredible. It reminded me of that book “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London, that was pesky mandatory reading in high school. 
Danielle and I had our own sled (once again she was the passenger, I was the driver- roles we were both very happy with) and this time we had a whole fleet of energetic huskies that pulled us (and fast) through a beautiful winter wonderland-y forest. The sled driver wasn’t supposed to take videos but I couldn’t help it…at least I only had one warning this trip!
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 may not have understood much of the language but we had a blast! Funny headwear is known for breaking down language barriers.
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 
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!