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Alle Beiträge von leaxsays
Summer is gone: Streetart for the fall
Autumn starts today.
The sun is gone and the rain started.
And I will not post some rainy days pictures from the sky.
I will remember the last season: Summer
I will embrace the Summer with the picture log.
A #latergram on #additionalstory
A #summerlatergram
First stop: Street Art in London, Shoreditch and Bricklane
Wahrscheinlich der letzte Sommertag in London.
Der Herbst fängt heute an.
Die Sonne ist verschwunden und der englische Regen ist angekommen.
Aber ich habe keine Lust einen Herbstpost zu machen.
Ich werde die letzte Jahreszeit noch einmal Revue passieren lassen.
Ich werde den Sommer mit dem Picturelog wieder beleben.
Ein #latergram auf #additionalstory
Ein #summerlatergram
Erster Post: Street Art in London: Shoreditch und Bricklane
Picturelog: Golden sun in Camden
Camden is everywhere today.
It seems like it is the last day of the summer.
Golden sun.
I spent the evening in this beautiful north London area.
Just walking around and taking some pictures of these lively neighborhood.
I let the pictures speak for themselves.
In addition, I was able to shoot a very nice spontaneous shoot with the London local Mona. Check out her page if you are interested in dance culture and awesome dance moves.
Have a nice sunday 🙂
#addtionalstory asks: What makes you happy, Kingston?
Something irrational made me happy.
In Half Way Tree, Kingston I started to wonder what the people here makes them happy.
And because I didn’t want to assume something that I could never know I just went on the street and started asking some people at the transportation center and at the Mandela Park in Kingston.
Here is what they said…
What makes you happy? Did you expect these answers?
Series: 5 secret signs that you are in Cuba
When you are in Cuba you will know it in a second, because beside rum, tobacco and salsa the main signs that you are in Cuba are:
- Old Cars
Quite stereotypical for Cuba, but it is really one of the first thing every visitor recognizes. These pre revolutionary cars are still shining, polished and driving hundreds of people around every day. And not only the cars are ols, also trains, trucks and everything that has to do with transportation will make you realize how creative cubans are to keep old things in a very good condition.
- No real timetables
In Cuba, everything a bus, a car or a train comes when it comes. Than can be today, tomorrow or in three days. And nobody will be able to tell you exactly when the transport is arriving or leaving. Overland trucks for people will start when the space is full. That can be 6am or 6pm. If you want to travel in Cuba you will train your patience without doubt.
- Political street art
Street art and graffiti are normally a form of protest and resistance. In Cuba you can see also the very conform and political government supporting streetart.
These always repeating and nostalgic pieces of sort are giving the streets this unique flair you can only discover in Cuba.
4. Natural Paradise
If you open your eyes and you can’t see nothing than real nature around you, you are probably in Cuba. Especially the small towns and the eastern coast is like a trip to the surrealistic landscapes of the magic realism in latin america.
Abandoned beaches, so natural that even the coconut leaves are still there, quietness and peace and only the sound of the ocean…. that is the wild side of Cuba.
- ‘Pizza de queso’
I know.. Cuba has a lot to offer, one of the best rums, cigars, culture, beaches… But the food is definitely not one of the things that are known by the world. But still, Cubans eat everyday and if they don’t eat rice, beans and meat they love the cheese pizza. This pizza is more like a thick pancake like base, topped with some ketchup salsa and cuban melted cheese. Sometimes you get them clapped together, sometimes the cheese is not yet melted and sometimes you have to wait ages for your pizza but it is the number one street food in Cuba, no matter where you go.
Series: 5 signs you are in Jamaica
Ever wondered what happens when you go to sleep and the next day you wake up in Jamaica?
What cool things can you do in Jamaica? Things that are not so obvious when you think about this crazy caribbean Island for the first time?
Let’s see which are 5 serious signs that you are in Jamaica, beside stereotypical Reggae, Beach, Ganja and Rum!
- Rasta Culture
Long dreadlocks, green, gold and red hats, bags and flags, Haile Selassie and Jah…
Even if the majority of the Jamaican people call themselves Christians the signs and symbols of the rastafarian culture are visible in everyday moments.
The strong visibility is also made possibly through the music and the cultural spreading.
The Rastafari Movement is a religion which became popular in the 1930s in Jamaica and was introduced to western cultures through the worldwide spreading of Reggae music in the 1970s. The origins of this religion are ethiopian- hebrew and are related to the bible.
If you are in Jamaica and also in other regions of the Caribbean you will always see a lot of Rastafarian.
A rastafarian priest during a religious ceremony.
A religious ceremony during the saturday sabbat in the Blue Mountains, close to Kingston.
Haile Selassie I was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930- 1974
The bible: The origin of the rastafarian movement.
- Sunday: Family days at the beach
It is hot, it is Sunday and you want to enjoy a bath in the crowd? You get the chance for that word for word at a public beach close to a big city! You can share the beach and the waves with families, couples and the hip people.
crowdy beach in Hellshire, a beach close to Kingston (direct bustransfer from Half Way Tree and Downtown)
- Perfect sunsets
No compromise on this, if you are looking for perfect sunsets like this one… there is only one place to stay. Ans don’t forget to enjoy this view with a perfect sundowner 🙂
Sun goes down in Treasure Beach, Jamaica
Sunset at Beverly Hills in Kingston.
- Street sales
Loud dancehall tunes, the smoke of grilled jerk chicken is in the air, people are shouting constantly. Have an eye on your valuables and take a brave step into Kingstons exciting sales paradise: Downtown.
You can find everything you need on these street markets.
I guess you can find a beach outfit out here…
Everybody is busy… selling and buying
5. Live Music 🙂
Mhm…no idea what to do tonight? Why don’t you look up a live music event in your area? If you are in Kinston, Mandeville or Montego Bay the chances are very good that you can see a world class reggae or dancehall artist for a low budget.
Chronixx live at an unplugged concert in Kingston, July 2014
The crowd it loving it…
A special setting: Open air, live music at the edge of the blue mountains.
9 ways how to travel on a shoestring
The best time to travel in life, is when you are young, have a lot of time and are full of enthusiasm.
But at this time most persons don’t have a lot of money in the pockets, so the possibilities of travel are restricted.
As a young student I am definitely in the category of shoestring travellers, sometimes more and sometimes less. Sometimes I get comments from friends: ‘How the f*** can you travel to all this places?
Today I want to share my personal tips on traveling far, adventours and as long as possible on a low budget.
- At the beginning, if you are looking for good advise for planning a low budget hotel trip to a beach resort you are not at the right place. I stopped having ‘normal beach resort vacations’ since I started to finance my travel by myself. The last time I spent my free time in a hotel resort was in my teens and it was a family financed holiday trip.
Today I am always looking for self organised travel experiences, city trips and combined travel and work options.
I am not looking for a holiday, I am looking for a travel experience and these mostly start outside of the resort hotels. Since I have been to many countries that are famous for resort tourism (Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain) I am avoiding the resorts because I doesn’t make a difference if I am staying in a resort in Spain or Thailand. The same concept of beaches, food and drinks all daytime and a light evening entertainment.It is the perfect traditional recipe for a quick and effective relaxed holiday, but not for the travel experience I am looking for.
So the first thing to keep in mind for a economic travel is to look for non touristic areas in a country.
If you are looking for a good alternative in very touristic countries try to avoid the ‘best spots’ of a country for staying and look for alternatives. A hotel in walking distance to the NYC Time Square is definitely not the most economic option, there is always something in a area that is still close but offers better conditions for a stay (like Queens or Brooklyn). Not only the costs for accommodation, also the prices for restaurants and even supermarkets are cheaper than in touristic centers.
- Before arriving at the travel destination, you should choose a way to travel there. The best way to find good prices is research online. There are various travel sites which compare prices and airline fares. The most common is skyscanner for flights. A search from different airports can make a big difference in the price range. My personal favourite for trips in europe is goeuro. These site compares all kind of transportations: train, car, plane or ship. For short distances the cheapest travel options can be a shared car. Sites like blablacar are showing possibilities in central europe.
Comparing prices online and flexibility of destination and departure airport/places can save a lot of money.
- A small but very effective hint is the choice of transportation from the airport to the place of accommodation.
A taxi from an airport can quickly go up to 40$. Public transportation is a budget alternative for adventurous travellers which also gives a first hint into the local culture and people. Travelling could take more time but it is indeed more fun and can save you some pocket money.
Take as much public transportation and try to travel like a local.
- Accommodation: Instead of looking for a hotel try to look out for a hostel, bed and breakfast or small pension. Also compare prices online before you arrive at hostelworld or hostels. Sometimes you can get special deals by booking online.
I often stay at friends houses, and I appreciate that opportunity of meeting friends which I didnt see for a long time while travelling.
If you don’t mind sharing time and space with a stranger, you can go for Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is a travel community around the world, where members offering their ‘couch’ sometimes it is also a guestroom for free to international travellers. As a counter move you should bring a small gift from your country, cook a nice dinner or contribute anyhow in the grocery shopping.
Couchsurfing is an ideal opportunity to get to know locals and to spent almost no money for accommodation.
- Food: Well, I was thinking long before writing the passage, because it is kinda controversial trying to save on food. Especially in a foreign country. You never know what you get and you don’t want to spent the last days of your vacation in bed with an upset stomach. I love street food for three reasons, first because it is on a budget, second it is mostly fresh, tasty and local and third buying street food from local people helps support their business way better than vanishing in panic in every new city to a Mcdonalds.
Eating street food in areas where you are not familiar is simply if you follow these easy rules:
- Don’t eat raw fish, meats or half cooked food – it is better to go for fried or cooked delis.
- Eat where everybody eats. A very busy place or a long line in front of a street food corner signals that the food is popular and fresh.
- Don’t eat things where you can’t see how they prepare them.
- Relax, if you are unsure what to eat go to a market and ask some locals for the main food there.
- Trips: It is travel time, after a while you want to discover the place, you want to make some trips to the must see places and to hidden treasures. So take your stuff and find out which special deals you can find maybe for students, older people, groups etc…
Another way is to organise the trip by yourself. If you can find two or three other people who would like to join you at your trip you can ask a local taxi driver for transportation or inform yourself if there is any public transportation to the place. You will always get a better deal than booking a tour package in the hotel. Look for special days, national museums and art galleries have at least one day in the week where you get a free entry.
A traditional coach is a cheap and easy way of transportation in Guantánamo, Cuba.
- Most of my travel was combined with some work or studies. So I the trip by itself was financed mostly by the work I did abroad at the same time. When I was studying a semester abroad I had the same financial income as in Germany. It is always very recommendable to look for scholarships when you are planning to study abroad. I used the time after the studies to stay a few months longer and travel through the country. Other ways are easier if you are looking for only a few weeks of holidays. I made a very good experience in a workcamp. The concept is easy. You work 2-5 hours a day in a social or environmental organisation, therefore you get free accommodation and food. The weekends are completely off and you can decide where to work. You can get more information at workcamps here (in german) or you can look at the private organised site workaway.
The concept of combining travel with work is not new but still a great deal to save some greens while you are abroad.
- Listen to the people around you! Try to catch up some local slang and then use it!
It can be hard and sometimes frustrating, when you try to say a work six times and nobody understands what you mean, because your pronunciation is too bad, when you think you can speak a language and then you are falling on the bottom again because you discover that the local accent is nothing like you learnt it at home in your books. It is frustrating and you feel overwhelmed… but after a time of shame and embarrassed smiles you will benefit from the knowledge of languages.
People are more willing to help you because they are more able to help you. You can negotiate about prices on a different level (don’t stick to the tourist prices) and you will understand the jokes that are made!
- Saving, saving and more saving… travelling on a budget can be fun, because it is also always a challenge for your own comfort zone. Are you willing to wait for the local bus, are you brave enough to try the strange looking food, are you friendly enough to convince the strangers to give you a ride to the next city?
But after all these challenges there is always a point where you should stop trying to get the ‘best price’.
When you are negotiating with an old woman on the market for the price of the vegetables and you want to push the price down, because you heard somewhere that the avocado is only 30 cents a piece, and she wants 50…. then stop it. Come on, you spent hundreds of euros for transportation, fun, food, alcohol and ridiculous souvenirs.
Especially if you are traveling to so called developing countries, don’t try too hard to get the local price all the time. Even if you know somebody will earn a few cents more with you, just let him or her, seriously, what difference will it make for you?
This is not an appeal that people should mess around with you, it is more an appeal to accept the structural privileges we benefit from, because we can travel. Remember, this country might be a temporary playground for you but it is the harsh reality for millions of people every day. And we should always keep that in mind and behave respectfully.
Well, this is my personal bucket list for saving on my travel trips. Please let me know what are your best strategies for saving money while travelling!
Log: Guantánamo
After months of travelling I passed every possible feeling. From excitement, anticipation, anger, frustration, love, fear, stress, exhausted,lucky, annoyed to thankful. But the hardest feeling I kept in my mind was a big question mark about my coming and going feeling of happiness.
Sitting in a overcrowd ‚Camion‘, what is not more than an old truck with some hard metal reihen to sit on, from Guantánamo to Baracoa in the most eastern part of Cuba i felt too lucky.
After an unplanned night in Guantánamo me and my travel friend finally were lucky enough to get on one of this pre revolutionary trucks, more than 60 years old but still rolling and transporting about 30 crazy school boys, farmers, children, pigs, goats, chicken and us two.
After that seven hour trip our clothes were soaked in sweat, rust, rum and rainwater.
We stopped every 15 minutes because the driver had to say ‘hola’ to some friends on the road, to piss on the street, to eat a pineapple, to drink some rum or just because he wanted to stretch his back.
We were pushed together on the smallest space in the truck and constantly asked by the curious and friendly cuban man where are we from and why we are traveling with the uncomfortable camion.
Even if this trip was hard it was one of the funniest and luckiest experiences we bonded with our rum drinking neighbors, learnt that roosters like flavored ice-cream like humans and that potholes in the size of a cow are the best communication starters.
Other tourists looked at us with a face of unbelief, curiosity and envy when we told them about our trip.
Why you have to see this: Black and White in Cuba Part I
Why is this important?
Dear Photography Lover, Picture Tagger, Sport Fanatics, Basketball Heroes and World Traveler:
This is a scence in the capital of Cuba, La Habana. This is what La Habana is every day.
It is not the typical old car in a small street, it is not the salsa dancing and the rum drinking, the relaxed, nostagic, static Cuba – it is different.
Bright, clear, moving, motion, and energy making an #additional story.
Black and white in Chinatown
Maybe this is what we re always looking for.
Clear structures, black and white.
Easy images for the stressed mind.
Simple rules to follow.
No asking.
Just watching and assumed understanding.
#Additional Story 