Road Trip Across America
Click here to see pictures from my road trip across America!
Travelıng across country with the beautiful Sara Crosby... from LA to Chicago via Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Salt Lake City, Denver, Topeka, and Chicago. Amazing journey complete wıth truck stop hookers and Venetian castles.
Turkey
Click here to read the blogs from my trip to Turkey!
Project Overview: Kayaköy Art Camp is a place where different art workshops are held for creative international participants who are interested in photography, painting, water painting, pottery, carpet weaving, drama, yoga, meditation, Reiki, Tai Chi, Astrology, rhythm and Salsa.
The aim of the program is to create an atmosphere where people from different steps of life can express themselves creatively, explore nature and history, eat healthy, and enjoy life together. It is a perfect blend of sun, sea, history and art.
The camp takes place on Kayakoy ( Levissi) - a deserted Greek village in the southwest of Turkey. I will sleep in the tents provided or under the starry skies alongside my fellow participants. Food will be served at the site, cooked by the mother of the family.
After the camp I will travel up the western coast of Turkey, visiting the beaches of Marmaris, experiencing the tourist thrills of Pammukale and Ephesus, and finally departing for Greece via the port of Kusadasi. Not much time to soak up such an amazing and gigantic country, but I'll do my best to see as much as I can in my limited time!
Greece
Click here to read the blogs from my trip to Greece!
I will begin traveling around the Greek islands from Turkey's western coast - jetting off to Samos, Syros, Santorini, and Paros before ending up in my final destination island, Tinos, for the workcamp project. Time to explore the wonders of each unique and beautiful place, enjoy my personal travel time, and get prepare for the feta and olive overload I am sure to endure in the weeks to come.
Project: In the municipality of Exomvourgo on Tinos III (a Greek island among the North Cyclades), local and tourists ramblers often wander in a network of footpaths as is not possible, in most cases, to create routes for vehicles due to the landscape. My fellow volunteers and I will work to clean, open, and renew the signals of the most important footpaths of the network.
The work will take place in Kardiani, one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages of the Municipality, and we will stay in the basement of an old, vacant church. Two members of the group (everyday in shifts) will be responsible for maintaining the group's accommodation, as well as preparing of all the meals of the day for the rest of the group - with supplies that they get from stores around the area.
More about the island: The island Tinos III ''not made by human hand'', as characterised by the philosopher Cornelius Kastoriades, is one of the North Cyclades. The Municipality of Exomvourgo covers the 2/3 of the island with its 35 villages. It is the less developed area concerning tourism on the island - it is a mainly agricultural and semi - mountainous area - but it is the part of the island with the most beautiful sites and inhabitants who like keeping traditions and customs. The structured scenery includes 30 traditional dorps, dovecotes, culverts, fountains, mils, small chapels, museums and, also unstructured scenery- with granite bulges in Volax, Voliaka, Livada, Polemos, Kambos, coombs, field-grassland, beaches, antiquities at Kionia (temple of Posidon) and Exomvourgo (capital of the island during the Venetian rule), Tower of the Maid and a large number of other unexplored places and wonders. This island is a site of great interest for the sight-seer tourist, as well as a lovely and sacred place for the local inhabitants.
Bermuda & Puerto Rico
Click here to read the blogs from my trip to Bermuda!
Click here to read the blogs from my trip to Puerto Rico!
I am so lucky! I get to spend two weeks in the exotic beaches of Bermuda and Puerto Rico with my fabulous family - watching my sister's skin sizzle under the hot sun, listening to recaps of the day's medical lectures, and exploring the two beautiful locations on scooters (that is if I get my way on the scooter rental issue).
Vacation, paradise, relaxation, family, fun. I can't wait!
Thailand
Click here to read the blogs from my trip to Thailand!
Project: This project focuses on a kindergarten school in the village of Ban Tonsan. In two weeks, we will work together to repair and decorate the school and its surroundings. We will decide how to improve the garden and playground, then paint and decorate the school by drawing and painting on the walls using the ideas, creativity, and motivation of the participants. Our aim is to create a nicer atmosphere for the young children so they have a beautiful place to go to learn.
The program takes place in Ban Tonsan, a small and nice Buddhist and Muslim village in the Phattalung Province of Southern Thailand. We will live together in the school with our Thai Work camp leader.
After the camp I will travel around Thailand - visiting Bangkok's impressive wats and Phuket's breathtaking beaches. And of course, eating as much sticky rice and chicken as my little tummy will take...
Malaysia
Click here to read the blogs from my trip to Malaysia!
I have eight wide open days to explore and wander the amazing lands of Malaysia. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what I will do while I am there, but that is most of the fun, isn't it? Perhaps after my trip, I can add more details about the amazing adventures and fabulous places I visited while in this far away land...
China
Click here to read the blogs from my trip to China!
Off to Shanghai to visit the lovely Lisa Weir! We will travel down to the southern part of the country for a quick Chinese-style vacation in the lovely town of Dali - soaking up the beautiful scenery, exploring the town, and hanging out with the coolest club owner in all of China and his wonderful friends. Then, back to Shanghai to enjoy the thrills and frills of that beautiful and exciting city... culminating in raging New Years celebration at her boyfriend's club. Basically, it is the highlight of my Asian adventure.
An impromptu trip to visit one of my favorite human beings in a country I have been dying to see forever, complete with a mini-vacation and new year bash. Could not ask for more.
India
Click here to read the blogs from my trip to India!
Project: I will be participating in learning the basics of yoga and ayurveda with fellow volunteers during a two-week work camp. Everyday there will be topics covered by the master, which will be practiced by the volunteers. Apart from learning these traditional health practices, the other volunteers and I will also help at a nearby herbal garden and school.
The program takes place in Kerala, a Southern region of India. After the completion of the program, I will travel the southern part of India - visiting cities along the western coast (Cochin and Varkala among my list) to travel the famous Kerala backwaters, experience a wildlife sanctuary, and enjoy the gorgeous landscapes.
More information on ayurveda and yoga:
Ayurveda is the 5000 years old Indian health care system, widely practiced, in time with the times. "Ayur" in Sanskrit means "life", "Veda" means "science". It is a perfect science of health and longevity. This holistic science is the knowledge of complete balance of the body, mind and spirit- including the emotions and psychology- on all levels. It includes in its consideration, longevity, rejuvenation and self-realization therapies through herbs, diet, exercise, yoga, massage, aromas, tantras, mantras, and meditation.
According to Ayurvedic tradition, health is the balance of elements air, earth, fire, and water while illness is as excess or deficiency of any particular element. Ayurveda treats illness at its source, rather than at the level of symptoms, and helps an in individual to take responsibility for their own health and well being. Ayurveda is also known as 'Ashtanga Veda' (the word literally means 'Eight branches of knowledge') as it is divided into eight specialized branches.
Yoga is a complete science of life that originated in India many thousands of years ago. It is the oldest system of personal development in the world encompassing the entire body, mind and spirit. It is the union between a person's own consciousness and the universal consciousness. The classical techniques of Yoga date back more than 5,000 years. The word Yoga means "to join or yoke together," and it brings the body and mind together into one harmonious experience.
