Caves in Slovenia and Other Travel Challenges

Caves in Slovenia and Other Travel Challenges

Books about travel always interest me and recently I found a great book to spice up our travels. 203 Travel Challenges is an awesome book (and website) aimed at inspiring new and seasoned travellers to experience a different side of travel. From challenges in your own backyard to once in a lifetime experiences, just flip open a page and start planning!

We recently completed our first travel challenge of this trip #20 - Go inside an extraordinary cave. We found some amazing caves in the middle of Slovenia that we'd never heard of and decided to check them out!

Rak Škocjan Park is a valley created when some giant caves collapsed. Now the valley is marked by the natural bridges at either end. In between are plenty of beautiful walking tracks, sink holes, caves and rivers to explore. 

The area is accessible by road and is just a short drive from the town of Postonja and the capital city, Ljubljana. It is free to enter. Nearby there are also more extensive underground caves which can be viewed as a guided tour. Postonja caves and the less touristy Skocjanske caves are both incredible. 

Photo by https://www.flickr.com/photos/toddography/

We're totally inspired to keep searching for new and different experiences in the places we visit. My biggest dream is challenge #187 - Go to the airport and buy a ticket for the cheapest flight of the day. But that may need to wait until after van travel!

For now, here are ten other challenges we have already completed on previous travels. 

Travel Challenge #38 - Discover an abandoned place and take a walk in the past

On our last trip to Berlin we visited the Teufelsberg abandoned radar tower which has been turned into a street art haven. Well worth a visit if you're in Berlin! 

Travel Challenge #24 - Feel like an ant among rock phenomena

I had never experienced a proper canyon before our trip to Kazakhstan and was totally awed by the Charyn Canyon just outside Almaty. You can read more about it in our Almaty City Guide. 

Travel Challenge #52 - Feel like an ancient king or pharaoh

I finally fulfilled on of my childhood dreams with a trip to Egypt in 2015. It was everything I expected and more! I spent 10 days staying with friends before Max joined me for a further 10 days. One of my favourite trips to date! Here were out top five experiences. 

Travel Challenge #113 - The slow return challenge

We did this one by accident! Most of you know the story of how we missed our flight home from Edinburgh and ended up hitchhiking the whole way home. If you haven't read it yet you can have a laugh at us here. 

Travel Challenge # 117 (seasoned travellers) A one month trip with a backpack weighing no more than 7kg

Well my amazing backpack has been on several long trips and is only handluggage sized. The longest I've done so far is six weeks but we are prepapared to take it all out as we take only our 40L backpacks for indefinite travel. Yes, we have matching ones! Why do we love these bags so much? Read all about them here. 

Travel Challenge #108 - Spend Christmas at 30°C

Ok I cheated with this one a little being from New Zealand. But Christmas in the sun is an awesome idea! Here's what you can expect in a classic Kiwi Christmas.

Travel Challenge #76 - Drive along picturesque winding roads

Not buying a vignette in Switzerland forced us onto some smaller roads and we ended up winding our way through the Alps. Read our information about the vignette and how you can avoid the toll-roads here. 

Travel Challenge #62 - Get lost in a magic garden

As the book suggests, when in Holland we took a trip to the Keukenhoff Gardens. Not our usual travel activity but they were really beautiful!

Travel Challenge #194 Find the world's largest...whatever

In Astana, Kazakhstan we found the world's largest tent and boy was it impressive! It contained a shopping mall, mini theme park and swimming pool!

Travel Challenge #16 Sweet camper life

To quote the book 'You've read all those travel blogs of people who left their jobs and embarked on a journey around the world by van. We'll say no more. You know what to do'

Well we knew what to do and are currently living this challenge! Read more about our van. 

For these and other great travel challenges get the book 203 Travel Challenges. It's also available as an ebook for those travellers with no more space in their backpack! 

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of the links I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks! 

Celebrating Christmas in New Zealand

Celebrating Christmas in New Zealand

After three years in Europe I finally managed to combine the time and money to get home for a New Zealand Christmas. Of course there's the excitement of being with my own family rather than an adoptive one for Christmas day. But Christmas in New Zealand really has its own vibe that can be very hard for Europeans to understand.

For a start there's the season thing, it's the middle of summer so the activities around this time of year are very different to the snowy festivities of the Northern Hemisphere such as the German Christmas Markets and the huge events surrounding Christmas in London. But having spent the Christmas season in a few other countries I've noticed that a New Zealand Christmas has its own traditions, foods and atmosphere that makes it a unique experience.

So for all those people who ask me 'what's Christmas like in New Zealand?', here are all the ingredients for an epic Kiwi Christmas!

Clothing for New Zealand Christmas

Firstly, the correct attire must be worn, namely jandals and shorts. Even if the weather is not living up to the summer time expectations, a certain level of optimism is adhered to. Jandals (known as flipflops to the rest of the world) may be replaced by bare feet but any type of covered shoe ruins the Christmas vibe. Note for Germans: don't you dare try adding socks to this mix! 

New Zealand Christmas Activities

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Christmas in New Zealand - Me and my brothers circa. 2003

A staple present received in the 'Santa Sacks' is a water gun or a pack of water bombs. Cue the Christmas day water fight. This great battle is usually governed by two rules: 1. If you're wetting people, be prepared to get wet. 2. No water in the house. Beware of stray water guns throughout the rest of the day, the battle is never over.

Another classic activity is the Annual Family Backyard Cricket tournament.  For those of you unfamiliar with cricket, it's a game that involves throwing a ball at some sticks and someone hitting the ball away with a bat. Perfect for three or more players this game can keep all the cousins occupied while the lunch is being prepared. Which brings us on to...

New Zealand Christmas Food

Every family has their own spin on Christmas lunch but many families take the opportunity to cook outside and have a barbecue or a hangi. A barbecue is pretty self-explanatory but a hangi is something you'll find only in New Zealand. Traditionally the way Maori (the native people of New Zealand) cooked this is still a popular method for delicious meat and vegetables if you have a spare day!

A fire is lit inside a hole and used to heat rocks. The food is wrapped (traditionally in leaves, these days in tin foil) and buried under the earth for 3-4 hours. This results in tender meat and smokey vegetables for the whole whanau (family).

For dessert there's a classic KIWI dish called Pavlova (I emphasise this for all the Aussie readers who may be under the illusion that it comes from Australia). It's basically a large meringue but soft and fluffy on the inside. Notoriously difficult to bake to perfection, there is usually one dedicated family member who takes on this daunting task. This dessert is traditionally decorated with whipped cream, strawberries and kiwi fruit, which also make for a great disguise of any baking faux pas.

Entertainment

I believe this stems from a British tradition but it is firmly implanted in my memories of Christmas day. Some time during the present giving there appears a box of Christmas crackers which are pulled between two. The winner is the person who gets the bigger half and gets to keep the glorious prizes enclosed. These prizes vary with the quality of the crackers but you can be guaranteed to get the following; a small toy or game, a joke (to read aloud and cringe at) and a paper crown which must be worn throughout the rest of the day.

New Zealand Christmas Tree

Yes, we do have traditional Christmas trees in New Zealand and kids decorate them with baubles, lights and angels. But New Zealand has its own Christmas tree that is far more beautiful. The Pohutukawa tree is a self-decorating festive tree which blooms with beautiful red flowers around Christmas time. The green tree covered in red flowers fills the streets and gardens around New Zealand giving the ultimate summer Christmas feel.

New Zealand Christmas Songs

We still sing Jingle Bells and the other classics but we have a couple of our own.. ok,one. It's called 'Christmas on the Beach' and it's brilliant. Enjoy!

Another modern take is the recent Air NZ commercial featuring Ronan Keating and Julian Dennison. It's 'Summer Wonderland'.

So if you are backpacking New Zealand over the summer make sure to find yourself a kiwi family to enjoy Christmas with and partake in some of the weird and wonderful parts of a New Zealand Christmas. 

If you need some ideas for Christmas gifts check out these useful gifts for backpackers.

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Incredible Libraries of the World

For a lover of books and travel what could be a better activity than visiting libraries around the world?! From beautiful old libraries to modern buildings there are so many worth seeing and they are usually free to go into. While I don't always sit and read, the feeling of walking through large rooms filled with books is enough to satisfy my inner bookworm. So, in no particular order, here are some incredible libraries I have visited around the world! 

University of Bologna Library, Italy

photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/42807077@N07/

A little hard to find among the sprawling buildings of the university but when you do it is worth it. There are mixed reviews about which parts you can go into as a member of the public but we managed to find a friendly librarian who took us on our own little tour (free of charge). The highlight was the Aula Magna, a beautiful room lined with books from floor to ceiling with globes standing next to wooden reading desks and ladders leading to the higher shelves.

New York Public Library, USA

The New York Public Library is free to enter and has brilliant hallways to walk through as well as stunning reading rooms. In the children's section you can see the soft toys which inspired the characters of Winnie the Pooh. There is also a great shop with lots of book related gifts.

National and University Library, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The reading room of the National and University library, Ljubljana is only open at certain times as it is still used as a study room for university students. It costs €2 to enter and is a really beautiful old reading room. The rest of the library and exhibitions are free to enter. 

Jose Marti Provincial Public Library, Santa Clara, Cuba

Technically not a tourist attraction, we found ourselves invited inside for a tour with the security guard and a Danish family we had met a few days earlier. The place was closed for the day but usually functions as a public library. To me it looked more like a museum set up to show what libraries looked like 50 years ago. Huge wooden book shelves, two ancient computers and a paper system for categorizing and checking out books. One wall was painted with a giant mural of Mother Earth. Although it had a bit of a ghost-town feel this was an interesting experience and very different to most other libraries I've experienced.

Duchess Anna Amalia Library, Weimar, Germany

This is an amazing library with a very interesting history. Entrance is limited to 290 people per day and costs €7.50. We went in the morning and got in without an issue. There was an audio guide available in many languages and is free. It explained to us about the history of the library and how lots of it was lost in a fire in 2004. There are videos and exhibits showing the painstaking process of restoring both the library and many of the priceless books.

Library of Alexandria, Egypt

If you're like me this name conjures up images of an ancient library filled with scrolls. However, this is a brand new building built in 2002 to commemorate its namesake which was destroyed in a fire. Entrance to the library is around €5 and cheaper for students (Egyptians are free). The building includes an impressive collection of books in a large reading room. There are also several other rooms and a shop. Downstairs there is an exhibition hall with a collection of ancient artefacts, this costs extra, The best view of the library (in my opinion) is from the outside where you can clearly see the amazing architecture of the building.

National Library of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo

This was named one of the worlds ugliest buildings and the architecture sure is interesting. But it's a cool place to see. It's free to enter and is quite small. But there are some historic photos on the walls and nice architecture inside. It's definitely one of the more novel libraries I've visited. 

Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland

This is the first library that will come up in most amazing libraries bucketlists. It's an incredible place and should be number one on your list of things to do in Dublin. You can walk through the amazing library rooms and see The Book of Kells. Entrance costs €10. 

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The Long Route Home: Hitchhiking in the UK and Europe

  Our adventure began with an incredibly silly mistake on our part. We had just spent a wonderful week visiting friends and experiencing the Edinburgh Fringe and were all checked in and waiting at the gate for our flight home to Frankfurt. And that's as far as we got...

For some unknown reason we sat and talked our way through the boarding and closing of our flight. After pleading with the staff and being given a resounding 'no' we sat and came to terms with our dilemma. Either we could pay over €100 each for a new flight in  two days time or find another way home. Buses and trains were extremely long and expensive so we opted for the cheapest way we could think of: hitchhiking.

Neither of us had really hitchhiked before and didn't know a lot about it but after some reading up, route planning and sign making we were ready to hit the road! We weren't expecting to get very far but set our sights on London where we could easily find another way home. But we were so overwhelmed by the generosity and friendliness of British drivers that we continued our adventure across the channel and into Europe.

uk-europe-hitchhiking-2

Trip Stats

Time: Four days

Rides: 16

Average wait time: 30mins

Money spent: €85 (food and accommodation)

Longest ride: Dover to Holland

Highlight: Hitchhiking out of the centre of London because we didn't want to pay the ridiculous public transport prices.

Lowlight: Being dropped in a small Dutch town after dark and having to find affordable accommodation for the night.

Everyone we rode with, from a friendly Scottish salesman to family of Iranian women who spoke no English, was just a kind person heading in the same direction. One man drove us from Belgium to Germany because it was his day off and he had some spare time! At no point did we feel threatened or in danger. We never needed to wait long and managed to visit some friends along the way as well as making new ones. Definitely a mode of transport I would use again!

uk-europe-hitchhiking

Tips for Hitchhiking in the UK and Europe

• Travel in twos. This is a basic safety tip but also makes you seem more sociable and approachable to potential rides.

• Travel light. It much easier to fit in a car or jump in quickly if you only have small bags. Lots of people will drive past if you have lots of gear as they can't be bothered with the hassle of packing the car.

• Have a sign. We held up a sign with the name of the next town or just the direction we were heading. This got drivers attention and meant they knew straight away if they could help or not.

• Stand in a logical place. Stand so drivers have enough time to see you, read your sign and pull over. Standing near a corner or where there is no possibility to pull in will mean you won't get anywhere far!

• Have a map. Obviously not a literal one but at least an app you can rely on if someone drops you in the middle of nowhere and you need to see how far it is to the next town.

• Be flexible. The great thing about our trip was that we were in no hurry to get home so were happy to travel in short bursts. Because of the nature of hitchhiking you can never plan how long it will take or how far you'll get each day so be open!

• Pack snacks. You never know when you'll be standing with your thumb out for 2 hours and get hangry at each other!

• Try reading up on hitchwiki about the place you're hitching from.

• Enjoy the ride. Make the most of getting to chat to some new and interesting people. And don't forget to be grateful.

Note: Crossing from France to England is best done with the ferry as cars pay per vehicle rather than per person. We were picked up at the petrol station before the ferry terminal and got onboard without any issues.