Books From Far Away Lands

When I can't be off exploring other countries I like to read about them. My favourite places to read about are ones that might not necessarily be high on my travel list but fully immerse you in a foreign way of life and introduce you to new cultures and traditions. Here are a few honourable mentions to take you away from the every day!

Click on any of the books for more info or if you're like me and want to buy them straight away!

Anything by Khaled Housseni 

These books are all brilliantly written stories about children in Afganistan. All three of them got me properly emotionally involved and gave me an interesting insight into life in Afganistan pre and post the Taliban regime. I would start with 'The Kite Runner'.

Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A novel set during the Biafran War in Nigeria. The characters were so intriguing and entertaining. This was also a part of history I knew very little about so I enjoyed learning about it through the eyes of characters I found believable and likeable. I was hooked by the changes in perspective and time throughout the book.

Shantaram- Gregory David Roberts

I have always wanted to go to India and reading this book only strengthened that feeling. It is based on the true story of an escaped Australian prisoner who finds himself living in a slum in Bombay. It is a mammoth read (nearly 1000 pages) but keeps you entertained and enthralled throughout. There is a deeper philosophical side which you can choose to engage properly in or stick the surface of the story telling.

Sweetness in the Belly- Camilla Gibb

This book bounces between 1980s Britain and 1970s Ethiopia to tell the tale of a white Muslim nurse who grew up in Africa. When she returns to the UK she bonds with Ethiopian refugees and together they find new meanings for 'family' and 'home'. This book is well-written and very easy to read and enjoy.

The Angel of Grozny- Asne Seierstad

I've just ordered the third book by this author as I find her books so interesting and eye-opening. Seierstad is a Norwegian journalist who travels to war zones to report on real-life stories of people living there. This book is set in Chechnya and tells the story of woman who takes in children who have been lost or orphaned by the conflict with Russia. It also tells the children's stories and gives some history into the war and how it developed. Her other books 'The Bookseller of Kabul' and 'With Their Backs to the World' cover the conflicts in Afganistan and Kosovo.

Without You, There Is No Us- Suki Kim

This book is written by a Korean-American who goes to teach English in North Korea. She compiles notes in secret and uses the information she gathers to give an amazing insight into a country most people will never have anything to do with. I found it both mind blowing and though provoking to learn about how people brought up in such a regime act.

Lion (A Long Way Home) - Saroo Brierley

The true story of a six year old boy who gets lost on a train in India and finds his way to Calcutta where he lives on the streets. He ends up being adopted by an Australian family. This is the story of how he got lost and how he spent many years trying to find his family again. It is now a movie too.

Three Cups of Tea- David Oliver Relin

I hesitated about recommending this book due to the controversy surrounding it but decided to do it because I found it so inspiring. The true story of an American climber who finds himself in a small Pakistani village after getting lost on a mountain. He vows to help the people of the village by building a school. Not only does he fulfil this promise but also goes on to build many other schools in the neighbouring villages. There is debate as to the truth behind his original story and the use of the money his charity raised. But looking past that, this book really hit home when talking about the importance of education, particularly for girls. I was inspired to look for ways Max and I could help similar causes during our travels.

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Meet Our Van- Morrison!

Sitting in a hotel room in a small German town, less than one week back in the country since my trip to Central America and only 2 days after booking flights to NYC, Max and I decided we wanted to purchase a camper van. Not a big one with a kitchen and electricity but a converted delivery van with just the basics for sleeping in (on the side of the road without being noticed). We were inspired by one for sale on a facebook page connecting NZers in Germany and after a bit of research decided it would be a pretty economical, flexible and fun way to travel through Europe for the first part of our big adventure next year.

After further research we found that the van for sale was a decent model and had been well-built up to be stayed in for long periods. We messaged the guy and agreed to take a trip up to Hamburg the following weekend to check it out. The van came with everything we could possibly need (including a book collection, lego figures and a toaster) and despite a dent and a little surface rust, we fell in love with it.

Max engaged in some excellent bargaining with the owner and we drove away with what we felt was a great deal and a new home! Over the next few days we (well more Max) managed to negotiate the complex system of vehicle registration and insurance in Germany and with shiny new number plates we were ready to roll.

Key Features of the Van

• Large double mattress

• End of the mattress folds up to be a table.

• Side shelf and fold out shelf which also works as a small table.

• Front seats swivel 180 degrees to face the big table.

• No side windows so it is private and looks like an ordinary van from the outside. Perfect for wild camping!

• Sliding doors on both sides

• Awesome retro curtain from Max's grandmother's house across the back window.

• Apple crates which slide under the bed for storage.

• Small camping stove, pots, pans etc

• Tarpaulin which can be attached to the side of the van and then neighbouring trees for extra sheltered space.

After living in the van for 3 months now we can safely say we made a good investment. It's the perfect size for 2 people while still being not much larger than a normal car. It's very easy to park and we can easily free camp even in cities as we just look like a parked vehicle rather than a camper. We did pretty well at stocking up with all the vanlife essentials before we left Germany and besides a new battery (eek!) Morrison has made it thus far without any problems. 

Why Russia Should Be Next On Your Travel List

Russia was one the places I enjoyed the most this year. We went without many expectations and were pleasantly surprised at every turn by this incredible country. Also read our practical information about visas.

1. The Architecture

Almost everywhere you look in Russia there are buildings on a grand scale, beautifully designed and often unused. Of course there are the well-known ones such as St Basil’s Cathedral, The Kremlin and the Winter Palace which are all spectacular. But walking around the cities you will constantly come across incredible buildings and monuments that may look like they could house a king but are of very little significance. For some interesting buildings head to the parks surrounding the Space Museum in Moscow, the Izmailovsky market or the Moskovsky district of St Petersburg. And the best part about it is buildings are almost always free to look at!

 2. The Moscow Metro

Worth a day trip in itself the Moscow Metro is extremely efficient, cheap, always busy and spectacular to look at. Every station is designed like the entrance to a museum or the lobby of grand hotel. From stunning mosaics and stained glass windows to Lenin monuments and rows of statues, there is something different to see at every stop. We spent an enjoyable day hopping between stations and being wowed by each one. A ticket for the metro costs about 50c and if you don’t go out of the station you can ride around all day on one ticket. This makes for a pretty affordable day out and a very different activity to most other cities.

Read: Taking the St Petersburg - Moscow overnight train

3. The Price

Having heard Russia was reasonably expensive we were pleasantly surprised with how much we were able to stick to a budget. Our top savings were on transport and accommodation. As mentioned before the metro is only 50c and with huge distances between stations you will need to use it. We booked our accommodation through booking.com and paid less than €20 a night for a private double in a basic but clean hostel-style place with easy transport access to Moscow city centre.

We also couch-surfed for a few nights which saved some money and our hosts showed us some less touristed parts of St Petersburg. Food could be found for very decent prices and often the chains provided cheap, authentic Russian food. We loved the buffet on the top floor of the G.U.M shopping centre. We also took a free walking tour which was a great way to get to know the city! One of our biggest expenses was the visa which you can read about here.

4. The Culture Difference

Something I particularly enjoyed about Russia was the way it felt both familiar and foreign at the same time. Moscow had the safety and convenience of a modern European city. However, hardly anyone spoke English and all the signs (including the Metro) and menus were all in Russian which made it feel much more adventurous and exciting.

The cities looked very different to what you would see elsewhere in Europe but it was always easy to find shops and restaurants. The people were very friendly and despite it being winter there were lots of people out and about. I didn’t know a lot about Russian culture before going there so really enjoyed staying with some local people and getting a feel for this immense and interesting country.

russia-syrniki

5. The Hermitage Museum

Yes, I’m putting a major tourist attraction on my list and trust me, I was hesitant about even going there but all the reviews raved about it and it was one of my parents’ highlights of their Russian trip 27 years ago. And boy am I glad we went! We chose to go a bit later on a Wednesday as it is open until 9pm and it is supposedly a bit quieter. We went at 5pm expecting to be out an hour or so later, not being big museum people. But we rolled out with the last visitors at closing time feeling utterly awestruck and exhausted.

This incredible museum is one of the world’s oldest and largest. Housed in a stunning building known as ‘The Winter Palace’ we were often more amazed by the rooms things were kept in than the things themselves. The museum houses everything from fossils and mummies to the largest collection of paintings in the world. Go on the first Thursday of the month for free entrance!

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