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Monday 31 October 2011

PLACE TO GO > SPORT:

Ok to be fair I've never been surfing before, although I am planning on trying it out this summer in Cornwall! I heard about Bali as a surfing resort whilst I was on holiday in Norway. A guest in the same hotel as me had a son, who was a keen surfer and was helping his friend run a surf school in Bali.  Bali is in Indonesia and is one of those tropical paradises, the kind everyone likes. What makes Bali especially perfect for surfing is it's huge coastal waves that can sometimes reach four to five feet high, this is because of southern ocean swells direct from the Antarctic. Loads of surf schools are situated in Bali and it is a highly popular resort during peak times. Not only that but there are different beaches for different levels of surfing. For example a beginner would start on Kuta Beach whereas an experienced surfer would be better suited to Keramas due to the sharper reef and bigger waves. Generally the further north you get in Bali, the bigger the waves!

Keramas

Kuta Beach

Friday 5 August 2011

PLACE TO GO > ANCIENT HISTORY:

Angkor is glorious. The ancient capital of North-western Cambodia is now known for being one of the 7 Wonders of the World and its status as a UNESCO Heritage Site. It’s complex and intricate architecture is the obvious attraction for the ancient cities unique selling point. The reason for the capitals abandonment thousands of years ago, is down to the citizens fleeing the city after Thailand’s armies captured it for their own. This left much of the city to ruin, allowing nature to reclaim some of its land. Despite this, recent photography has shown us that the natural surroundings have only heightened the beauty of Angkor. Trees and vines entangled among doorways and towers create a mystical and mysterious fairytale grotto setting. 


Angkor Wat is the largest of the buildings and was originally Hindu Monetary, however, the gradual introduction of Buddhism replaced many of the Hindu shrines with Buddhist ones adding spiritual significance to the sites captivating history. One of the things that made me most interested in this area is its history. There is no definite evidence for the abandonment of the site, although most agree it is down to cultural clashes.  It is also fascinating to see, early forms of technology as the many reservoirs and canals that encircle Angkor act as irrigation and advanced water system. Not only this, but the influence of religion had a great influence on the actual construction of Angkor to represent the fives peaks of the holy mountain Mt. Meru for the residence of the gods. It is the largest sacred temple complex in the world dating back to the 8th century and is a definite must see before you die for me, rivalling the over hyped, contrastingly boring, Egyptian pyramids.

Click through link for original source photos

Thursday 28 July 2011

Thursday

I live by the motto, a messy kitchen is a happy kitchen.

My version of Eggs Benedict

Mozzarella with chilli, parsley and lemon dressing

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Wednesday

Sometimes you need to treat yourself. The little pleasures in life are sometimes the things that make it worth living. My personal treats are; warm blankets, flavoured tea and bath bombs! But above all else, the best indulgence is a good meal. Today, I decided I needed a little treat. 

Muesli with macadamia nuts, dried cranberries, mixed seeds, goji berries, dried apricots and seasonal fruit

Now, let's get this straight, I LOVE COOKING. There I said it. Now you know pretty much everything about me. No in all seriousness, I am genuinely passionate about the process of writing, following and editing recipes. I also like eating, not that I eat breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, desert, supper and a midnight snack. But I like flavours and textures and I like to push the boundaries of what I eat. Although I draw the line at eating, like, a cat. My favourite meal is lunch, I don’t know why, maybe because lunchtime you can have either something breakfast-y or dinner-y and it can still be acceptable. 

Crab Stuffed Avocado's

Anyway, I've made some of these meals for breakfast and lunch that I've been meaning to do for a while. And I'll probably continue to document them in a weekly format. I’m not claiming they’re fantastically healthy, although I do try, but they do taste good. If you want the recipes just let me know!

Friday 8 July 2011

PLACE TO GO > MARINE LIFE:

A few months ago I saw this video and it completely blew me away. Palau is now on my list of places to go, mostly because I’m a keen diver and also part mermaid. Ever since I watched this guy floating around in Ongeim'l Tketau (Jellyfish Lake) I just thought how surreal and exciting it would be to do the same. Palau is a very small island nation in the Pacific Ocean and when I say very small, I mean, you can’t even place it on the world map. The isolated nation of Palau is just east of the Philippines and in terms of natural landscape, it is stunning. It’s literally beautiful, it’s the kind of nation I’d like to take out on a date and treat to a nice meal. It’s for this reason I’m curious as to why Palau; with its tropical climate, rare biodiversity and white sandy, paradise beaches isn’t on the same level of tourism of other island nations such as the Seychelles and the Maldives?


I’m not put off by its remote status, in fact, the lesser known, the better. But the marine biology and general landscape of Palau is the main attraction for me personally. The idea of swimming in and among blue holes, hidden caves and tunnels as well as encountering as many sea species as you can count gives me giggles. I would define it as the Amazon of underwater exploration and Darwin’s evolutionary paradise. The famous Jellyfish Lake holds around 21 million harmless jellyfish which have no natural predator and are therefore a very vulnerable species.  Thus if you do travel to Palau, be careful with the wildlife, it can’t help being so delicate and pretty.


Click through link to source photos