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Erin Houldsworth
erinjane
"She packed up her potential and all she had learned, grabbed a cute pair of shoes and headed out to change a few things...
Her heart glowed with a degree of happy assurance."
Travel Blog Posts
February 20th 2009
AFRICA I am having difficulty paring down my emotions, thoughts and experiences from Guinea into a single blog entry, which may undoubtedly become more of a novel than a light read on an experience of only 4 weeks… Therefore, I’ve decided to start at the end of the trip and remember that less is more…I hope this short read does justice to the intensity of this journey… For Photos, Please see the following links until I have time to upload them here: Final Thoughts Jan 7th, airplane, Conakry to Brussels Distance to destination: 2784 miles, 4479 kms… Air Brussels en route from Conakry to Brussels…the TV shows random facts in English, French and Flemish…Ken is asleep beside me… This morning we ... read more
London, Brussels, Guinea
Published: December 12th 2008Europe » Belgium » Brussels-Capital Region » BrusselsDecember 12th 2008
I am about 45 meters under the sea bed, on the 'Eurostar' train from London, England to Brussels, Belgium. I'm going to visit my friend Audrey, who I met in Australia, and then catch a flight to Guinea, West Africa, on Saturday. It's there I will spend Christmas and New Years, learn more West African dance and djembe, meet amazing people, and eat amazing food... The past month has been spent lounging in London in the company of new and old friends, every minute spend contemplating my good fortune, loving the city and all its quirks and surprises, the underfloor heating and hot tea of Jon's generousity and inviting flat... After a run in with a header gone wrong, Jon split open his eye and proceeded to party all weekend, thus getting him right ill for ... read more
Ireland to Morocco via rental car, ferry, train, bus, plane and camel
Published: October 31st 2008Europe » Spain
October 16th 2008
Traveling with my creative friends from home, Chelsey, Teagan, Lindsay and Mike who I all met serving at the Spaghetti Factory, inspired me to buy a new journal in Portugal and use it often...for the past 6 weeks we have been traveling around Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France and Morocco taking the occasional wave, living as cheap as possible renting a car everywhere but Morocco and having a wicked time... Here are some of my journal entries to illustrate the journey of a zillion adventures...Ireland insights are yet to come... A postcard by my beloved friend Chelsey to her Dad which portrays our Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and France adventures in the car, perfectly... "Our vessel of travel, our car, has become our zone of comfort, our writing room, our storage, our kitchen table, our fighting ring, our ... read more
A ruddy good time, this life...
Published: September 17th 2008Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London » ClaphamSeptember 17th 2008
I'm told there is this thing called culture shock, but thankfully I have yet to encounter it...I think because the powers that be have decided my time traveling shall be a relaxing, easy going, wonderful time in my life..I wonder from time to time what the future holds for me, it can't always be this good, truly...Whatever happens, I'm just so thankful for the moment, the right now...it's all we have and I intend to enjoy it, come what may... So Indonesia rocked. It really did...it was begus sekali...so good. I ended up extending my visa for a week and spending more time in Bali with the friends that were left and the new friends we made there...my last few days were spent much like the first, lounging, surfing, eating cheap and amazing food, taking 14 ... read more
August 18th 2008
Indonesia, Indonesia, Indonesia...each time I think of the word I feel elated...this place is truly a heaven in which I hope someday my soul will rest for all of eternity... I think all this religion is going to my head...In Yogyakarta living with Dan it was Muslim...the call to prayer spoken at every Mosque around the city at 8, 12, 4, 7 and 4AM, and in Bali with Hinduisum where 1/4 of a locals' life is spent making offerings, praying, preparing and participating in cermonies...spirituality and faiths of many kinds reside within you as you travel through this country as spirits of the unknown are always present... I am currently in the small mountainous town of Ubud in central Bali, traveling with a woman and her 14 year old daughter from France...we met at my hotel ... read more
July 25th 2008
Cambodia is surreal right now. It's Friday and I backed out of going to see a mangrove forest to stay in town and get some things done before moving countries...I head to Indonesia on Sunday. It's election time here...motos attract curious eyes as they crawl down the street with huge speakers blaring elections speeches and music through the village...trucks with their beds chock full of people in crisp white shirts and caps with flags and smiles parade down the street 15 at a time followed by dozens of motos carrying 2-4 people in the same attire, all blaring the same deafening speeches or anthems... On Monday, everyone votes...after 3 days its anyones guess what the outcome will be...if the current leader of the Cambodia Peoples Party (CPP) wins, then everything will go on as normal...if another ... read more
July 13th 2008
"He fell off his bike today and lost a toenail, got right back up and continued on...they don't cry because when they cry at home their parents beat them." Alex tells me this as we're taking a break from carrying sand bags to line the perimeter of the new pond watching an adorable 4 year old bomb around with no shirt on a pink bike with streamers..."60% of the kids are beaten at home and 30% experience some form of sexual abuse...families here are messed up." It's my first day in the village of 'Torilla,' a 30 minute drive by moto from Siam Reap ...I've just arrived at the school where I will helping Khmer teachers create an English preschool program and assisting others in classroom management. My new boss, Billy who organizes funding and policies ... read more
July 12th 2008
We're in Phnom Penn looking for a hotel...zillions of tuk tuk and moto drivers follow us down the street...I would too after 3 ｍｏｎｅｙ ｂｅａｒｉｎｇ foreigners with huge packs on..."Tuk tuk lady? Where you go? You want hotel? Boom Boom? Opium? Marijuana?" (They are multi taskers - drug dealers and pimps on the side...) We finally find a lovely 3 bed hotel room for Molly, Josh and I and head out after a shower to meet Arie and Jen at the "Foreigners Correspondence Club". En route, we meet a dozen children selling flower wreaths and photo copies of books, women with naked infants in their laps and ｔｏｄｄｌｅｒｓ sleeping beside them begging on the street, wafts of good and absolutely horrible smells, and more eager tuk tuk drivers... "Hello lady, you want to buy a book?" He's adorable and ... read more
July 11th 2008
A quick recap in the event that I get stuck in the bush for 2 weeks and have no time to get to a computer! I meet with my new boss to work here in Siam Riep at an english school in a few hours and I never know what to expect... I'm in Siam Riep right now, a booming tourism city in Northern Cambodia...So far, I am in love with Cambodia...the people are exceptional and the history is heart wrenching...so much horror has bred a nation of passionate, determined souls... Back to Vietnam... Leann and I headed south west from Na Trang to the mountain town of Dalat, known for its French colonial buildings, cool climate, and outdoor adventure sports...we met with some friends and had a modest billiard full July 1st to celebrate Canada ... read more
Vietnam continued...
Published: June 29th 2008Asia » Vietnam » South Central Coast » Khanh Hoa » Nha TrangJune 29th 2008
Vietnam is quite the trip...I know this whole SE Asia planet I'm on is entirely a different universe, but there is something about Vietnam which pierces your soul...for some in a good way, for others not so much...some friends of ours are not having the best time in this country, with things being stolen, being ripped off numerous times, and having to always be on guard...but Leann and I seem to bring out the best in people (and in weather), and have been doing just fine! I left Leann in the morning and after eating in a small cafe, hopped aboard a bus to Hue, a glorious history filled city in central coastal Vietnam... I'd heard that the pagodas and tombs which line the perfume river in Hue were best seen on a motorcycle tour, and ... read more
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