The voice of Boracay - Ferns Tosco

Do you guys know where and what Boracay is?  Well we admit we knew nothing about Boracay until we decided to embark this September on a journey through Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.  Boracay is a small island in the Philippines; so small that its area is of 10.32 km2.  Still, it holds over 350 beach resorts, the best beaches and sunsets we have seen and some of the most amazing people we've met by now.

We arrived in Boracay on a Monday morning on a boat from the island of Caticlan following two flights in a row from Denpasar (Bali) to Manila and from Manila to Caticlan.  Once in the small Caticlan airport we booked a fast transfer to our hotel in Boracay.  Maria Torres (a Spanish name for a true Filipino lady) carried as fast as the wind from the airport to the boat that would take us to the beautiful Island of Boracay and than further to our hotel.

 

How does one fall in love with an island it barely knew before?  Well, here comes the subject of this post.  Because this is not a typical post about a location, what to see and what to do or not do; this post is about a beautiful singer we met during our trip that made this Island stick forever in our hearts.  

We found Ferns Tosco in our first night in Boracay.  Wandering on the beach near Beach Station 2 we could hear some live music coming from one of the beach bars. And we figure why not sit down, have a drink and enjoy the music of this amazing girl.

 

It ended up being a memorable night, with great music and good food.  At the end we couldn’t help it and we just had to meet Ferns and buy her album. We were surprised to meet this warm young girl, with big eyes and even a bigger smile, happy to chat with us.

We spent four blissful nights in the company of Ferns Tosco and the Bom Bom Bar talented singers and band members with a combination of Filipino music, Reggae music, oldies but goldies, modern tunes.  We sang along with these guys like we never sang before, we danced on their music in that way…you know…like no one is watching and we made good friends with their tunes on the background.

We will for sure never forget that feeling when you have your feet in the sand, a San Miguel beer in your hand, palm trees around you and you just sing “I want to go back to the Island called Boracay…there’s a place that I can call home…”

Official video below (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91gyFAnZux0):

For a detailed story about Ferns and how her album was born just click the link below - it's worth it

http://www.maryjanecabrera.com/2011/09/11/island-called-boracay-by-ferns-tosco/  

We say thank you Ferns for sharing with us your love for Boracay and we look forrward to meeting you again in Europe or in the Island, wherever our feet will carry us first...

As for you guys if you became just a little bit curious about this Boracay Island that Ferns is singing so frenetically about stay tuned for our next post where we unveil some tips on how to get there, what to do/not to do, what to expect and what to experience.

Positano Bites Deep

We've been following Travelista73 for quite a while now and we have to say that her blog has it all: good stories, amazing pictures, glamour and that je ne sais quoi that makes you want to come back for more.  More on Travelista73 here http://travelista73.blogspot.ro/p/about-travelista73.html

 

We are thus very happy that she agreed to share as guest post one of her post from the beautiful Italy.  We have not visited Positano yet but we have to admit this post just put Positano high on our bucket list. So here we go:

 

"As our boat made its way through the azure waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea towards Positano Bay, I inhaled the warm breeze and gave gratitude for this blessing.

Photo credits: Travelista73

There, like a crown jewel amidst the steep rocky cliff of Italy’s Amalfi Coast laid Positano, a place so enchantingly beautiful that its memory remains etched upon my heart. Sun drenched homes built on a series of cliffside ledges cascaded down to the shore in a panorama of pastel hues, ocher, and vermilion. The gold and green mosaic dome of the legendary Church of Santa Maria Assunta glistened underneath a crystal blue sky. Tropical flowers and lemon and olive groves beautifully displayed in harmonious union. A landscape so romantic it has inspired painters and photographers the world over.

 

Photo credits: Travelista73

Ever since watching the romantic comedy “Only You” I have dreamed of visiting Positano and its renowned hotel - Le Sirenuse - a Moorish Baroque 18th century villa with spectacular views of the sea and the famed Costiera Amalfitana. Once the summer residence of the Marchesi Serale family, members of which still manage this luxury property, it is now the place where dreams are made. And on this special day they happened to be mine.

The moment you enter the glass doors of Le Sirenuse you are enveloped in a world of understated elegance and serenity. The impeccable grounds boast white washed walls, arched and vaulted ceilings and gleaming handmade ceramic tiles. Antique paintings and prints framed in handsome mouldings hang on the walls, while a stylish combination of traditional and contemporary furnishings decorate the interiors and rooms.

 

Photo credits: Travelista73

 A handwritten welcome note, fresh fruit and nuts, and a bottle of Champagne awaited our arrival. Frette bed linens of the finest quality were perfumed with lavender. The bathroom was made of prestigious marbles with a Jacuzzi tub fit for two. Luxurious Eau d'Italie bath and body products imbue their lovely scent throughout. The terrace, with its glorious views, was the perfect place to sit, sip Champagne and relish this moment.

Photo credits: Travelista73

The pool, perhaps my favourite space on the exclusive grounds, was surrounded by lemon trees and breathtaking vistas. Our days were spent relaxing poolside enjoying our favourite Italian aperitivo “Aperol Spritz” and marvelling at the beauty that surrounded us. This small corner of paradise was the perfect place to bask in the final days of summer.

Photo credits: Travelista73

Everywhere staff greeted us by name. This special touch provided a sense of being among family and friends, and maybe it was in this spirit of home that on our first evening we decided to dine on our terrace. Positano glowed under the night sky, a vision so heavenly I wished time could stand still.

The following evening we enjoyed fresh oysters and a glass of champagne millésimé on the candlelit terrace of the Champagne & Oyster Bar. The soft music and balmy summer night lulled me into a state of utter relaxation before heading for dinner at La Sponda, the hotel’s Michelin star restaurant.

 

Photo credits: Travelista73

What an unforgettable experience and atmosphere dinner provided! The space was lit by four hundred candles as musicians played old Neapolitan love songs. We dined on a selection of Mediterranean inspired dishes and sipped wine. It was one of those rare moments when everything in the universe seemed to conspire to remind me of the infinite beauty of life and love. It was a moment to be savoured slowly, passionately, and with every ounce of my being.

John Steinbeck said it best, “Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” And as the memories of Positano permeate my soul, I am filled with nothing but thankfulness for the unforgettable memories." - TRAVELISTA73

Photo credits: Travelista73

Photo credits: Travelista73

Photo credits: Travelista73

Photo credits: Travelista73

Photo credits: Travelista73

Photo credits: Travelista73

Photo credits: Travelista73

 

 

Yummiest Chinese Treats

We are happy to the sky and back to be sharing with you our first guest post and we send all our love to the amazing Agness from www.eTramping.com who has agreed to share with us some insight views on the Chinese sweets.  So here we go:

"Got a sweet tooth and China is next on your bucket list?  I have some good and bad news for your then. The bad news is that Chinese sweets are not very sweet. In fact, they might be a bit tasteless for those who love sugary desserts. The reason being, Chinese try to be healthy and stay slim so they avoid sugar. They prefer spicy food over sweet treats so most of Chinese desserts are savoury and contain red bean filling. The good news is that you can treat yourself with many different goodies here without gaining any weight. Guilty free pleasure! Moreover, you can discover many different flavours of fruits, veggies and a great combination of fresh ingredients.

Chinese locals snack a lot on fresh fruits, jelly, red beans, bread and cakes from time to time. They eat everything in moderation so they stay healthy and slim all year long. The list of all my favourite Chinese desserts is way too long to share it with you here, so I decided to pick up the most delicious ones you should definitely taste when you visit the Land of Dragons:

#1 Street donuts.

Street donuts are obviously sold at the street food vendors, but you can also get them in big supermarkets and most of local restaurants. They are deep fried and look exactly like the Western donuts, but they are filled with red bean jam and honey, thus they are much healthier and not that super sweet. Chinese do not sprinkle them with caster sugar, they use coconut powder instead. Having one is a must when visiting Beijing. In order to make it even more tasty, you can order a local flavoured yogurt served in glass jars. 

 

Donuts

 

#2 Dumplings filled with fruits.

Fruity baozi are extremely delicious and they can easily satisfy your sugar cravings for all day. They are filled with strawberry, peach, raspberry or blueberry jam and honey and steamed so it’s a light snack to have on the go.

Baozi

 

Fruity baozi

 

Chinese dumplings

 #3 Candy fruits.

They are called tanghulu and you can spot them everywhere in Beijing, Shanghai or Guilin. Shiny and long candied fruit served on bamboo skewers can certainly be a yummy dessert. You can choose your fruits from blueberry, pineapple orange to grape and cherry tomato. Healthy, affordable and sweet – what else could you ask for?

tanghulu

 

tanghulu

 #4 Sweet bread.

Chinese are obsessed with sweet bread and buns. They like it steamed and filled with custard, mung bean paste or jam. My favourite one is sesame bread with pieces of raisins and nuts inside. So delicious!

Sweet bread

 

Sweet bread

#5 Ice cream.

Chinese ice cream dessert cannot be compared to Western styled goodies – way too watery, but if you feel like having something fruity as a snack and you don’t fancy eating sweet things, you should definitely have one scoop of them - strawberry and banana flavours are the yummiest. 

Ice cream

  #6 Pumpkin cake.

Pumpkin is eaten all year long in China, not only for Halloween. Therefore, some locals come up with various pumpkin cake recipes each year which are healthy, nutritious and yet slightly sweet. Sweet Chinese fried pumpkin glutinous rice cake is definitely my favourite one. It’s soft and it has a jelly texture that melts in your mouth. Surprisingly, it’s sold in the street hot and sprinkled with nuts. 

 

Pumpkin cake

#7 You tiao.

You tiao are traditional fried breadsticks – one of the best breakfast options on the cheap in China. They have golden brown skin, they are deep fried and taste awesome with some sesame oil or melted chocolate.

You tiao

 

You tiao

#8 Sticky rice in a leaf.

In China, it’s very common to have glutinous rice filled with chicken, Chinese mushrooms, Chinese sausage, red bean paste and nuts for your dessert. Steamed sticky rice is wrapped in a lotus leaf wrap, it’s soft and extremely delicious!"

 

Sticky rice in a leaf

Sticky rice

 Agness and Cez are best friends and travel companions from Poland. These two are sharing their budget travel tips on how to travel the world with $25 in your pocket. Since 2011, they have been travelling the world while teaching English in different Asian countries such as China, Thailand or Cambodia. They are both photography passionate obsessed with Chinese cuisine and culture. More about them on www.eTramping.com

Agness and Cez of eTramping - Da Lang, Dongguan, China

More pictures of Chinese treats below:

A local rolling a cake

Bakery display

Cake shop

Chinese tea

Chinese teahouse

Jam filled dessert in Beijing

Chinese Herbal Tea

Jelly Cake

 

Cookies with nuts, sesame and dried fruits

Liebster Award, the Italian Backpacker and loads of fun meeting new bloggers

This weekend I got an unexpected message form Stefania from the Italian Backpacker telling me that Are you happy was nominated for the Liebster Award. She seemed so happy about the Liebster Award game and the possibility to meet new travel bloggers that I instantly became excited also about this great opportunity of meeting new travelers. So my many many thanks go to Stefania for thinking of Are you happy and nominating our blog for this great sharing of experiences and we hope to soon meet in person during one of our trip!!!!!!

In order to play you have to:

- Thank the blogger who has nominated you;

- Answer the ten questions;

- Nominate other 10 travel bloggers (with not more than 600 likes or less);

- Ask them 10 questions.


The questions Stefania asked are the following:

1. Why did you start a travel blog in the first place and what to you wish to accomplish?

The idea of this blog came during the trip me and my travel buddy had in India in 2012. I had made very good friends in India with this two amazing brothers who are currently my family away from home and the youngest of the two brothers used to constantly asks us during the 2-3 days we spent in Jaipur, India the question "Are you happy?". And I remember we were answering with a big smile and a loud voice that yes we are. Back home nobody used to ask if we are happy or not so hearing this in India 7,500 km away from home, from people we were just getting to know was like a revelation to me. Being happy is the most important thing in life even if one is happy only for a second or for a lifetime. Travelling makes us happy, loads of happy. So this is how me and my travel buddy thought to bring together our passion for travel and the most sincere and beautiful feeling that nowadays we seem to forget about - happiness.

2. How would you define your style of travelling?

I would say curious, over excited, organized, people addict :)

3. What kind of things excite you the most while travelling?

Well, I am passionate about (not necessary in this order) art, architecture, music, food, history, small details, traditions, festivals....ah...and so many other things. I would say however that the most important aspect of traveling is getting to know people, their life, their passions, their every day life and making such people met on the way lifetime friends.

4. Are there things that annoy you, instead, while travelling?

Well I truly hate it that I am not comfortable with eating spicy food because whenever I travel to Asia I have to refuse all the great food that smells incredibly delicious!

5. Is there a destination you could keep going back to countless times?

So many!!!! Top of the list as destination where I could keep going countless times is Jaipur, India. To be honest, Jaipur easily raised from travel destination to the home away from home and as a I tell my friends I am bound to return to India over and over again craving like an addict for this beautiful country. On the list also is Italy, Spain and Vietnam.

6. Do you ever travel alone? If yes, how does that make you feel? And if no, would you ever consider doing that?
Yes. I either travel alone, with my travel buddy or with friends. I was always a people person so when I faced the situation of travelling alone I was a bit worried I would not like it. Travelling alone prove to be so exciting and gave me that precious feeling of total freedom of doing whatever you feel like doing in any given moment of the day that sometimes I have to admit I prefer the solo travels.
7. Do you believe in the distinction between traveller and tourist?

I don't know if I can honestly say whether I believe in a distinction between traveler and tourist. I think people travel for various reasons and in various forms, some like to travel alone, some like to travel with friends or in groups, some like to travel in luxury and style whilst other prefer hostels, couchsurfing or a simple hotel, some travel to run away or out of curiosity whilst others travel to feed their addiction of knowing more. I say irrespective of whether you are called traveler or tourist the most important thing is to enjoy trips, keep an open mind and keep travelling.

8. Do you ever feel compelled to do certain things, like a particular day trip or activity that is always mentioned as a “must-do”, while travelling?

Nope. Although I am organized and like to "check" the boxes for what I have planed to visit I don't believe in "must-do" when travelling. I believe more in instincts and in what each and everyone of us would like to see/visit/do in a certain given day during a travel. And if you feel like riding a bike in the middle of Cambodia or singing on the streets of Rome instead of visiting a temple or the Colosseum I say just do whatever makes you happy! Experiences come from unexpected places :).

9. Is there a country or a city that you have no interest in visiting?

No. I think any country and any culture has something to offer and worth knowing. If only we would have enough time to visit everybody!

10. What role does photography have in your blog?

I enjoy taking photos and I think photos are important for those who visit through our eyes. I don't however make photography the most important part of the travel; I rather see the world through my eyes and spread the word than see the world always through the camera lens.

Time for the new nominees :D. These travelers can, of course if they would like, answer the 10 question that follow:

Meg and Tony from LandingStanding

GlobeTrotter Mom

Morisca

Janaline

Snowbirds in Training

Inspired in Italy

Cu bagajul la usa

Foodie goes travelling


And the 10 questions:

1. What inspired you to travel?

2. If you could move to any city in the world what would your choice be?

3. Do you prefer to travel with a backpack or with a trolley?

4. Which was the strangest food you ever ate while on road?

5. Which are your favorite on the road books?

6. What was the most important object you forgot at home and proved to be necessary when traveling?

7. Do you have a travel nickname or any other name that your friends or people you met gave you while traveling?

8. Where you ever tired when traveling?

9. Which is the funniest experience you can remember from your travels?

10. Which is the country you visited where people smile the most?

Looking forward to your answers and meeting you online!

Hugs,

Irina