Christmas in Kazakhstan it is this year. The forecast says -30° for the five days we are there. So in wise foresight I am wearing all the woollen uniform garments I have. And even so, as we exit the terminal the icy cold just hits us right in the face and chills us within seconds; quickly into the bus without slipping on the ice.

Temperatures vary greatly. No wind and in the sun: “not so bad, really beautiful”. In the shade: “pretty frosty, to be honest, my nose itches from the cold”. With the addition of wind: “my face is burning and freezes to the scarf”.

Nevertheless, I go for a walk in the freezing cold every day. The blue sky, the sun and the frozen ground just make it so wonderful. The whole city is frozen. Cars whizz by with spikes on their wheels, locals hurry past and quickly disappear into the next building. Life takes place indoors. I am wearing an immense amount of layers, but still after half an hour of being outside I need to go inside and warm myself up. I stop in a café, in a shopping mall or a supermarket. In order to get into a building you need to pass four doors, so the cold stays outside. In the mall there is a coat service where you can drop of your big Kazak fur. I love walking through foreign supermarkets and taking in all the things on offer. I do this to my heart’s content during the days here.

With these stops in between I get to see quite a few of the sights of the Kazak capital. I climb the Bajterek Tower and enjoy the views of the snow covered steppe. I walk up until the Ishim River. It is frozen from November till May, an incredibly long time it seems to me. The ice sculpture park looks especially beautiful during sunset. The last rays of sunshine make the clear ice sparkle. Children are sliding down the ice buildings.

Every day after I come back to my room from my ventures out in the frozen world I warm up in the spa area, a swim in the pool followed by and a long sauna. I utterly enjoy my time here. It feels like a time out from the real world. Relaxed breakfast buffets in the morning, followed by reading and my daily walk through Astana, then my spa time, some more reading and watching TV, followed by dinner together with the crew. We have a lovely time together.

Der Beitrag Christmas in Astana erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

Once again I’m in Hong Kong. Clouds are hanging low. Still, the drive from the airport on Lantau Island to Kowloon is beautiful. Lush green forests cover the steep hills; slim skyscrapers stand in close groups together, views of the bays and the islands… I lean back into my seat. Heavy tiredness is resting on me. But I cannot stop looking out the window and taking in the sights.

The weather forecast for the next days does not look very promising. However, I packed my hiking backpack anyway. Hiking in Hong Kong is, apart from fabric shopping, my favourite thing to do. I have hiked across Hong Kong Island to Stanley, in the New Territories and on the smaller islands.

The next day I can see Hong Kong Island and the Peak across Victoria Harbour from my hotel room. It is overcast but not raining. Around the corner here is a bigger bus station. I take the bus towards Tsz Wan Shan. First of all I need to find the right lines on the floor indicating the correct bus and the end of the queue. I love discovering the workings of everyday life in a foreign city. It provides me with a sense of accomplishment, of being able to survive in a strange land and sometimes of mastering an art form. Half an hour of driving through Hong Kong is like a small sightseeing excursion. From the upper deck I have an excellent view of what’s going on around me.

Getting off at the Sha Tin Pass Road I have to climb the steep road for one and a half kilometres until I reach the hiking path. Everything is always so steep in Hong Kong. But the possibility to quickly get out of the city is always worth it. Up, up, up, the stairs climb…  But the view of Kowloon, Hong Kong Island and the other islands is superb, even though the sky is grey. Somehow, that makes the skyscrapers sparkle even more. From up here I can see the landing strip of the old airport in Victoria Harbour. I sit on a rock overlooking the vast city. The view is breath-taking. It’s perfectly quiet up here, apart from a few birds. I remain here sitting and staring into the void for a long time.

The hiking path continues to meander through the thick forest and over lofty heights. Every once in a while I catch a view of the city. Every time I sneak a peek the perspective has slightly shifted. I meet a few people, but that’s another thing I love about hiking in Hong Kong: it’s the perfect way to escape the crowds.

I already saw the famous Lion Rock from the bus. I am soaked in sweat by the time I reach the iconic overlook. The temperatures are moderate, but the humidity is high. The view is exceptional… all of Hong Kong lies in front of me. I can barely see the streets, the houses stand so close together. The view is my companion over the next couple of kilometres. It is really beautiful up here. From time to time I can hear the city noise drifting up the mountain. And then the birds take over and drown out the sirens. Black and turquoise butterflies soar through the skies.  It’s magical. I love it.

On my way down the hill I see signs warning against the feeding of the macaws. They sit up in the trees and eat red berries. I observe them as much as they observe me. But other than that they are not much interested in me. In the afternoon I take a bus back to the city from the Tai Po Road.

Not a drop of rain, no low-hanging clouds… Sometimes the weather ends up being better than forecasted. I did not mind carrying my rain jacket the whole day and not using it. And most of all I do not mind the rain drops falling on my way back in to the city.

Der Beitrag Hiking in Hong Kong erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

I finish this email as I sit on a plane taking me back to Bogotá. I had a six day rotation to Bogotá and decided to fly to the Caribbean coast for three nights. I’ve never flown somewhere else during a layover. That was a first and a really wonderful one at that.
What can I say, Cartagena de Indias is mesmerising. The colours, the old city, the South American lifestyle mixed with Caribbean flair… the beautiful beach close by, the food. It’s moments like these when I love my work and my life even more than I usually do.

My colleague Catarina and I stay in the colourful Getsemaní, close to the old town. Mustard yellow, grapefruit rosé, purple, swimming pool turquoise, mint green… every house shines in a different hue. Bougainvilleas adorn the houses and their wooden balconies. Wonderful artistic graffiti decorate the walls. Without a map, we simply let ourselves drift among the small alleys. Caribbean meets South America. Older men sit in the squares in the shade. Children play football in front of the church. Fruit vendors sell mangos, coconuts and watermelons. Beautifully carved wooden doors serve as entryways to hidden courtyards. It seems magical.

Later we walk through the city wall into the old town. Small shops and street vendors try to sell their wares to tourists. The houses are equally colourful here. The yellow of the churches and official buildings dating back to colonial time shines bright in the sunlight. Meandering through the streets is wonderful. We have only been here a few hours, but we feel 100% like we are on holiday. The laid-back lifestyle of the cartagenos is contagious.

I love exploring cities in the morning, before the city awakes and everyone goes about their business. It is a new day in Cartagena. I am awake early and walk around our area. A man is selling empanadas from his living room window and I join the queue. Lots of locals on their way to work buy the hot, freshly fried goodies. A little further I add a bit of mango, watermelon and passion fruit to my breakfast menu.

On our second day we join one of the free walking tours through the centro histórico. We learn a lot about Spanish conquistadores, English and French pirates, indigenous people and African slaves. From the city wall the view of the ocean on the one side and of the city on the other is spectacular. We quickly develop a routine and have a coffee break, followed by lunch; a frozen yoghurt… freshly squeezed limejuice is perfect in this heat. We simply enjoy life. It is not as humid as yesterday and so there is no thunderstorm in the afternoon. How many kilometres have we walked today?

Getting lost in the old town is our favourite thing to do. Of course there are a number of typical souvenir shops. However, there are also a number of small boutiques and shops and we love browsing through them. Taking part in a food tour takes up much of the afternoon. We enjoy strolling through the local market and trying lots of different foods. There is so much to see and taste, to observe and to discover. And so quickly does another day end in Cartagena. Over ceviche and beer we reminisce about all that we have seen and experienced today.

A day spent swimming in the ocean is a day well spent. We get to enjoy the tropical heat for another day and decide to go to la playa for the day. We pass the day swimming in the ocean, reading in the shade, eating fish, drinking agua de coco… It is wonderfully relaxing.

After one last stroll through beautiful Cartagena we have to take a taxi back to the airport, back to Bogotá. We change into long trousers and pullovers in the lavatories, because the mountain climate is going to be cold. The chaotic traffic of Bogotá quickly brings us back to reality. Cartagena seems like a colourful dream. What a wonderful trip. Incredible…

Der Beitrag Cartagena erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

Whenever I am in California I love to go hiking. That is why the wildfires break my heart. I have seen the different stages of plants and animals reclaiming land after a fire. Last summer while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains I met a group of fire fighters. They asked me to take a picture of them in front of a commemorative stone. Their colleague had died while fighting a forest fire the year before. During the last couple of days, as the wildfires have been raging, I have been thinking of them. I am sure they are fighting fires somewhere around LA.

As I am heading to Los Angeles once again I have my hiking shoes and backpack in my suitcase. It is the 4^th of July and let’s just say that I am not the only one on the trail up the hill. But it is lovely catching snippets of conversations as I pass people or walk behind them. I leave most people behind me as I take one of the smaller paths. Yellow gorse grows alongside it and the fog starts to lift. Water drops in the spider webs sparkle in the sunshine.

Hiking in California’s summer smells of eucalyptus, juniper, sage, thyme and many more plants I do not know. The intense sunshine really brings out the smells. Walking along dusty paths feels like walking through an aroma field. The skyscrapers of Downtown LA rise out of the hazy plain in the distance. Up here it is very dry. Rocks, dust and dry-loving plants dominate the landscape. Birds fly by and lizards constantly cross the path. It is just beautiful. The black stalks of burned trees serve as a constant reminder that this is wildfire country. Butterflies sail past me.

Further on I follow a valley. It is greener here and the vegetation grows higher. Sometimes I walk on overgrown paths and other times I follow the wider fire roads. With my map of the park I can adjust my route as I wish. Deeper in the hills here, I do not meet many people anymore. I relish the solitude. After a full flight here and the hustle and bustle of downtown LA it feels so wonderful to be alone up here.

It is so hot now and I am very happy that I can fill up my water bottle at a small campground. I end up walking much more than I anticipated. The descent took me longer than I thought, but walking past the mansions down to Sunset Boulevard is a perfect end to my hiking day.

I started out at 7 o’clock in the morning and returned only at seven in the evening. I am so grateful that there is a supermarket right around the corner from our hotel and I can stop by there on the way back from the Metro. Once I get up to my room all I really want to do is shower, eat on the bed and watch a bit of television, nothing more. I could not be motivated to go out again. Right before I fall asleep I can see the first fireworks illuminating the night sky over the city. Happy 4th of July everyone!!

Der Beitrag Hiking in Los Angeles erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

G’day my friend,

I’M HERE!!!! Two long flights later and I’m in Sydney. Can you believe
it? It’s wonderful out here. The harbour, the ferries, the people, the beaches… I can’t believe that I’m here. I’ve wanted to visit Australia for so long.

I’ve been here a week and seen quite a bit of the city, as well as of the surrounding areas. I could see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from  the rooftop terrace of my hostel. After a long day hiking I loved going up there and enjoying the sunset. And the hikes along the coast…. the deep blue ocean, yellow sandy beaches, turquoise waters and the white waves… I’ve seen so many animals, met such nice people… the views…. It’s really worth the trip coming all the way out to Australia.

Now I’m heading into the Blue Mountains for more hiking. It’s much cooler here. And there’s more water: waterfalls, tree ferns and almost jungle like vegetation. The views are just as grand. Here the ‚ocean‘ is not blue but green. The cliffs offer wonderful views of the forest in the valleys. Hiking often involves a lot of sweat going down into the canyons and climbing back up. I loved it! I’m fascinated by the lyre birds. And of course I saw a few snakes basking in the sun on the paths.

I’m here almost two weeks and I make my way to Melbourne. There is so much to see and do here. When I’m new somewhere I often like to do a walking tour to get a first impression of the city and its history. And here in Melbourne I’m also interested in Phryne Fisher. You wrote me about two Australian series that you watch. And I love Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. It takes place in 1920s Melbourne and Phryne Fisher is a lady detective with a
sharp whit and fashionable clothing style. The houses from that era are magnificent.

After the city I’m heading out into nature again. The Great Ocean Road towards Adelaide is calling my name. I’m taking it slow as buses only run every three days. That gives me time to enjoy hiking along the beaches and seeing my fist koalas. Right there on a  hike, looking up and there they were. They are the cutest furry little creatures. One koala climbed down the tree right next to me. When he finally noticed me, we just stared into each others eyes. What an encounter. 
Further along in Port Campbell I hire a bike for two days and cycle parts of the rugged road. This way I get to see all the stony sights. The 12 apostles is the most famous formation along the coast, but there are many more. Again, biking gives me the opportunity to slow down, sweat a lot, talk to people and just enjoy the wonderful nature.

From the Great Ocean Road I travel by bus to Adelaide. It was wonderful to see quite a bit of the countryside of southern Australia. And I saw my first three kangaroos!! Hope to add many more to my list.

Adelaide is very small and laidback in comparison to Sydney and Melbourne. The two days here passed really quickly. Also because it rained a bit. But nothing a cup of tea and a good book won’t solve. Sometimes it’s nice to slow down a little while traveling. It’s almost been a month now.

Now I’m on Kangaroo Island. I rented a car for three days since the island is fairly big and has no public transport. I think it’s my first time driving on the left hand side and an automatic car. I’m always up for an adventure. There are tons of kangaroos and koalas here… I didn’t get to see the famous platypus, but an echidna, lots of birds… And on my last night I saw the famous little Australian penguin. It was magical. Nature is amazing out here. And I love to drive through the bush. The red earth, green eucalyptus, blue skies… After a short rain shower, a rainbow spreads across the sky. During the day I pinch myself, because I can’t believe that I’m actually here and seeing all this. This is a trip to remember.

Last night I stayed at a small campground directly at the beach. First, I had my dinner with the sun setting in the ocean. It was so dramatic and beautiful. Then, I strolled a little around and counted more than fifty kangaroos grazing behind the beach in the field. Later at  night the stary sky is quite indescribable.

From South Australia I take a flight to the other end of the country: Cairns, North Queensland. Here it’s tropical and the main attractions are the rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. I enjoy the warmth, the sun, the adventures.
Snorkeling at the reef is a must for me. In advance I was both excited and worried. You hear so many stories of how amazing it is and at the same time how the corals are dying and there is not that much to see anymore. Well, we did see a lot. Galapagos will always be special, the sharks, the rays… but this was really good, too. I just love floating in the water among the colourful fish, diving down to take a closer look at corals, sea urchins and sea stars. Even a turtle visited us.

And now I’m in the rainforest. North of Cairns is the Daintree forest, which starts at the coast with mangroves and climbs into the hills. It’s lush and green and filled with wildlife. It’s amazing. Mangroves and especially the thick, dense air always remind me of Ecuador. That’s were I first saw this type of vegetation.
I rented a car and spent four days in the rainforest and the tablelands (where rainforest and outback meet). The hikes through the pristine rainforest were sweaty and dirty but wonderful. I did not see any crocodiles, but lots of birds and lizards, snakes, spiders and butterflies. The cassowaries are the biggest birds here, beautifully coloured but slightly aggressive. I always made sure to keep my distance.
In the Tablelands I stayed at a small campground with a resident group of tame rock wallabies. They are such cute furry little creatures hopping over the rocks as if it was nothing. I even saw a mother carrying a joey in its pouch.

You cannot leave Australia without having seen the outback and Uluru. So before the end of my travels I fly from Cairns to Ayers Rock airport for a four day tour through the red center. From the airplane I catch the first glimpse of Uluru from above, and also the Kata Tjutas, another famous rock formation in the area. It’s fabulous to see the desert from above. I always enjoy looking out of planes. Everything is red!

We camped in the desert under the most amazing stars. I’ve rarely seen the milky way this clear. And I saw quite a few shooting stars. Of course we went to see the sunrise and sunset out in the desert. Im still so much in awe of how the light and the colour of the stone changes during the day. We learned a lot about aboriginal life out in the desert, about plants and animals, we hiked along the rocks and through the bushland… It was really quite an experience. Everything is so red. And we were a fun group. That is always
important to me because I’m not much of a tour group person.

In autumn now it doesn’t get so hot during the day anymore. Which was really nice for all our activities. However, at night, we all huddled around the campfire and crawled into our sleeping bags early. I loved it! If you ever make it over to Australia, make sure to come out here.

And now I’m in Perth, which is my last stop on this amazing journey. I find Western Australia to be quite different from the east coast. Partly also because it is so remote from the rest of the country. For the last time I hire a car and drive north. In the Pinnacles desert you can hike and drive through the sand looking at thousands of rock pinnacles. There are lots of sand dunes in the bushland. I’ve come to enjoy driving on the sandy dirt roads. I stop along the coast on an amazing white sandy beache with crystal clear turquoise water. After walking along the beach I go for a swim with no one around. No deadly jellyfish and crocodiles here like in the tropical north. It feels like heaven!

I spend the night in a small fishing village. Once more I’m having my dinner at the beach with the sun setting in the vast Indian ocean. Just as the sun has disappeared two dolphins swim very close to the beach in the golden shimmering water. What an amazing sight. That felt like a proper farewell to Australia. The next day I go for one last bushwalk. Koalas and kangaroos pass my way and it couldn’t be more perfect. This last roadtrip was really something.

After six weeks out here I cannot say what I liked most. Everything was so perfect and always worked out perfectly. The mix of desert, rainforest, ocean, the animals, the people, hiking, snorkeling…… I hadn’t made a proper plan before I came. However, I did pretty much everything I wanted to see and did everything I wanted to do over here. Who knows when I’ll be back. When I get on that plane tomorrow,  then I’ll be very grateful for the amazing time Australia offered me.

I wish you all the best and hope to see you soon again back home,

Susanne

Der Beitrag Australia erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

I can see the Hollywood Hills from my downtown hotel room. This is where I want to go hiking today. Very conveniently the Metro station is right around the corner and so I am soon at the start of my hike.

It is Monday and there are only a few jogger and dog walkers with me on the trail up the hill to the Griffith Observatory. The view over the city is spectacular. Thanks for a sunny day. I continue on small paths and through shrubs. The Hollywood sign appears in the distance and I slowly get closer.

I am sitting on top of Mount Hollywood. The sun is shining, birds are chirping and I enjoy the 360° degree view of LA, Santa Monica and the Pacific in one direction and Pasadena and the hills in the other direction. Traffic noises are only barely audible and planes pass by. The city is not far away, but it is really beautiful up here. I feel far removed from the city. It has gotten really hot. I am now walking in my t-shirt and I am glad I brought so much water with me.

The Hollywood sign is caged in. I guess otherwise people would climb all over it. There are more people here and I love taking a break and watching them. I cannot get enough of the views today. From every angle there is a sunny view of the metropolitan area, the ocean and the surrounding hills.

My next stop is Mount Burbank. Up here in the hills the vegetation is very dry: thorny bushes, succulents and many birds. I like the hummingbirds best. Their pink chest shimmers in the sun when they sing. This is the last hill I have to climb today. From up here it is all downhill past the Hollywood Reservoir and on to Beverly Hills. I walk along Hollywood Boulevard for a while, looking at some of the stars on the Walk of Fame. People watching is so fascinating. In a side street there is filming going on. I feel like I am truly in Hollywood.

Der Beitrag Hiking to the Hollywood Sign erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

Jackpot. I won a Bangkok rotation from standby. A colleague has organised a bike tour for us and there is still space for me to join. We are meeting at 4.30pm tonight. That leaves enough time for me before hand to visit the Jim Thompson House.

Jim Thompson was an American architect, who came to Bangkok after the Second World War. The ensemble consists of six old teak houses that form one bigger house now. Thompson is mainly famous for exporting silk and making it famous throughout the world. He was interested in traditional weaving techniques and collected traditional art and handicraft. I always love walking through old houses and seeing furniture and the way people used to live. The guided tour is really interesting and I love relaxing in the beautiful garden afterwards.

We are 12 crew member and two guides on our bicycle tour through Bangkok. In the beginning it is still light. But soon it gets dark and the lights come on. We cycle along the bigger roads with lots of illuminated signs lighting up the streets. And then we turn a corner and take the smallest alleyways through the residential areas. We catch glimpses of living rooms and greet people on the streets.

I have visited the temple areas in Bangkok before so I do not mind that they are closed now and we can only see them from outside. Actually, I love the new perspective. Everything is illuminated and the spires, rooftops and domes glitter golden against the night sky. Sometimes we can enter the grounds and walk silently around the compound. It is beautiful.

We walk our bikes through one of the many night markets of the city. There is so much going on here. Now that is has cooled down and people are outside doing their shopping. Fruits and vegetables are on display and lots of flower garlands for decoration. It smells wonderful. I love the busy activity of markets. I visited a cookery school on a previous visit to Bangkok and especially loved the shopping trip to the market before cooking our Thai menu.

We stop at a restaurant by the river for dinner. We have already been cycling for a few hours and the break is much needed, a cool drink and some fried rice give us energy for the next stage of our excursion. Cycling in a bigger group works surprisingly well. No one gets lost along the way and we occasionally stop at the temples and other sights. The ferry takes us across the river and we continue.

We are covered in sweat but it is also really interesting to discover totally new sides of the city. I especially love cycling through the small residential alleys. Some are so small even motor bikes can barely get through. We pass small huts and turning a few corners we cycle along the high walls hiding big mansions behind them. The contrast is striking.

It is 11pm till we get back to the hotel and all I am longing for is a cool shower and my bed. Tomorrow I want to go fabric shopping and I am already looking forward to that.

Der Beitrag Bangkok by Bike erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

Singapore is my home away from home. Whenever “SIN” appears in my flight app I am a happy girl. Yes, the flight is long. But the moment I get off the plane at Changi Airport and walk through the flowery smelling terminal I am in my happy place.

A quick change into my summer dress and Birkenstocks and I am off to Chinatown. Walking along the small shops and restaurants I feel tropical and light and so happy to be here. A few colleagues and I meet up at the food court and have dinner together. This is the perfect start to my Singapore layover.

A visit to the orchids at the botanical garden or a trip to one of the Reservoirs or wetland areas… I always find enough to do here in Singapore. This time around I want to visit the small island of Pulau Ubin between Singapore and Malaysia. It is wonderful getting out of the city. The smell of the muddy mangroves always reminds me of my stay in Ecuador.

On the ferry over to the island I get to talk to three Singaporeans. One of them is a retired flight captain who used to fly to Germany on his rotations. The aviation family is such a wonderful group of people. We later meet on the island again and sit down together for lunch. We all share a bit of our food and talk about Singapore, flying and much more. It is so lovely to meet people along the way and chat.

Starting from the jetty I walk along the coast. It is hot and sweaty but I am really looking forward to strolling over the island. The sound of the crickets is almost too loud and drowns out all other noises. I follow small paths past tidal pools. Wild pigs run past me, a hornbill hops through the branches above me, a lizard crosses my path and a group of monkeys walks past. I follow the boardwalks of the Chek Jawa Wetland Area. Out on the water there is a lovely breeze blowing and in the mangrove forest it is hot and stuffy. I am sweating a lot, but love being out in the nature today. I observe so many birds, lizards, monkeys and particularly the mudskippers. They are my favourite animals today.

Before we fly back home I really need to take the metro to Little India and visit the fabric section at the Mustafa Centre. I always look for some nice fabric for shirts or dresses. And the huge basement never disappoints. This time I am also looking for some fabric for a friend of mine. By the time I am finished my bag is heavy and I stop by the hotel before I grab my book and head over to the Gardens by the Bay for a relaxing time of reading underneath the lovely smelling plumeria trees.

Der Beitrag Singapore, my love 3 erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.