Laetitia Lair
laetitiaaroundtheworld
Started a new life chapter in 2009 and loving it! Bye Bye China (since 2003) and the world of Communication and welcome to the Humanitarian world! Where? Well...first 13 months in Pyongyang, North korea and since december 2010 in Baghdad, Iraq. Enjoying every minute of it & somehow looking at life with a different perspective.
If there was one sentence to sumarize my state of mind, it would be this quote from Ghandi "Live as if you were to die tomorrow, Learn as if you were to live forever"
What's next ? After a few "quiet" months far from TB but still very much on the road (Croatia/ Montenegro & memorable NY break in Poland), I am back to the blogging with India as a starter and much more to come in 2012. Will be as well traveling extensively in Iraq but unfortunately no blogging ...
Outside of Iraq, as always I will grab every opportunity I got during holidays to go scuba diving, white water rafting & trekking...stories might just be slightly atypical!
Destinations covered so far:
Asia: China, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Philippines, Bali, Malaysia, Macao, DPRK, Nepal
Pacific: Australia, NZ, Bora Bora (Tahiti), Micronesia (Palau & Guam)
South, Central & North America: Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Costa Rica, US, Canada
Europe: France, England, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, Serbia, B&H, Croatia, Montenegro, Poland
Middle East: Dubai, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt
Other..: South Africa, Morocco, Tanzania Zanzibar
Comments are welcomed (and the best way to keep improving this blog) so please feel free to post them on this blog! Cheers!!!
More to come soon :-)
Travel Blog Posts
Iraq, exploring the ancient city of Babylon !
Published: May 19th 2012Middle East » Iraq » East » Babylon
April 14th 2012
After nearly one year and half in Iraq, mostly in Baghdad, this Saturday morning felt special. On the road for a 10 days trip across South Iraq visiting our different structures, this is the one day where I am actually about to go out, not to visit one of the projects, got a few of them already lined up during week days but to go and visit the one and only Babylon. Never thought that this opportunity would come true and here I am pulling my hair up in a chignon style, fixing tightly a light color scarf over it & wrapping it up around the chignon. Outside, temperatures are approaching the forty degrees and wearing the full on abaya, it can quickly become hell for any women to stand under the heat, so short sleeves ... read more
Inner Peace, tropical Kerala Backwaters & Amma Ashram
Published: April 7th 2012Asia » India » Kerala » Alleppey
February 24th 2012
After stunning Munnar and its sea of tea plantation, time to go back to the Indian coast, white deserted beach and quiet backwaters are on the program before catching up with one of my closest friend Pauline at Amma Ashram. Far from the hustle and bustle of Indian cities, Kerala country side has this special something that makes you feel serene. No rush here or jumping from one tourist spot to another but a slow path travel where one takes the time to enjoy simple day to day life taking place all around, the colors & scents of the spices, the smile and waving of people met along the way & the every second peace. On the map, most of the small towns seem to be near from each other but somehow I had this feeling ... read more
February 20th 2012
Kerala, « god’s own country » as you can read on every street sign, tuk tuk, buses and travel agency window is at the image of India, diverse & vibrant. So diverse that I simply cannot summarize my trip to this part of India into one blog so here we go…part 1, going inland in a lookout for peace and quiet ready to discover Munnar tea plantation and its heartwarming sea of green and silent mountains. Reaching Munnar & feeling home already After four hours on the busy and curvy road that goes from Cochin to Munnar, bypassing constantly tuk tuk, buses and trucks, the arrival in Munnar Royal Mist Home Stayfelt like reaching paradise. The warm welcome of the owners together with the beautiful deluxe room and the view of hills and plantation from the ... read more
Sarajevo, from one edge to another, emerging from the dark years and reinventing itself
Published: October 15th 2011Europe » Bosnia & Herzegovina » East » Sarajevo
September 3rd 2011
Over the years, when thinking of Sarajevo, I somehow always recall the tragic events of the 90’s. My understanding of the events people went through during those years was quite modest, but I always wished I could one day walk in its streets, meet & chat with locals and along the way grasp a bit more knowledge about Sarajevo complex history while discovering the new Sarajevo. Without going back to those years in too many details (many have done it & will do it in much better ways that I would ever be able to), I wish in this blog to share stories & impressions gather during our stay. First impressions…our arrival Reaching Sarajevo after having crossed the tortuous mountain chain that separate Bosnia from Serbia, brought to reality the little understanding I had of the ... read more
Bosnian white water rafting, stunning!
Published: September 15th 2011Europe » Bosnia & Herzegovina » East » Sarajevo
September 2nd 2011
White water rafting might not be the first thing that come to your mind when you think of Bosnia & Hercegovina but the minute we found out that there was indeed great rivers, it didn’t take us much time to make up our mind! Like a gem hidden deep into narrow valleys, rivers sculpt the Bosnian country side, giving him colors & intensity while once on it, it offers one of the most beautiful scenic rafting I got to do so far. Back in the bus – the Sarajevo to Konjic drive Our day trip to Konjic which can be done either from Sarajevo or Mostar (one hour and half drive) took us in bus high up in the mountain along the Neretva river on a brand new narrow & curvy road. Having crossed the day ... read more
Belgrade, edgy & adventurous...loving it!
Published: September 13th 2011Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade
August 30th 2011
Belgrade is described as edgy and adventurous and it is indeed both and so much more… Lively, arty & with a taste for conviviality which made our two days stop in this city, a truly memorable experience. The advices & tips on where to go from my Serbian colleague Dusan did play a huge role & I cannot be thankful enough for the time he took to prepare an itinerary through his city for us to see not only the “touristic part” but as well simply the places where locals spend time. Getting to Belgrade from Budapest If I had to choose one word to describe the countryside we have been going through during the eight hours train ride between Budapest and Belgrade I guess it would be corn and more corn…Overall flat the north of ... read more
Budapest, a firework of architectural styles
Published: September 4th 2011Europe » Hungary » Central Hungary » Budapest
August 26th 2011
Budapest, our first stop out of quite a few over the coming three weeks, offered us a combination of all the right ingredients to truly enjoy and discover this beautiful historic city: fantastic weather, friends from Europe and Asia who got together for the wedding of Jeremy & Krisztina & a great little hotel right in the heart of the city that allows us to explore quite a lot on foot. Catching up with friends The very first reason we actually decided to start our road trip in Budapest was the wedding of an old friend from Shanghai Jeremy with Krisztina which he met there. Common friends from that time were present too and somehow it felt like yesterday (and it had actually been quite a few years…). The very first lunch had to be with ... read more
Let’s go wreck diving! Thistlegorm, a red sea underwater museum…
Published: June 9th 2011Africa » Egypt » Red Sea » Sharm el-Sheikh
May 12th 2011
Said to be one of the most famous wreck in the World, the Thistlegorm is indeed simply an incredible museum piece. 126 meters long, lying at 30 meters in the Gubal Straits (West of the Sinai Peninsula), she offers plenty of possibilities when it comes to its exploration. Wreck diving gives a large space to history as it is precisely history that you get to witness once underwater. A few words about the Thistlegorm The story of the Thistlegorm, a British armed freighter started in April 1940. During that year & the first part of 1941, she went to US to collect steel and aircraft parts, then to Argentine for grains and finally to the West Indies to bring back Rum to England. The Last Voyage started in the midst of the Second World War, when ... read more
Red Sea, South Sinai: Getting lost in the colours!
Published: May 28th 2011Africa » Egypt » Red Sea » Sharm el-Sheikh
May 6th 2011
Although one of the most popular dive destination in the world, the Red Sea off the Egyptian coast was somehow still on my “special” wish list, the one that implies that the site be temporarily deserted by tourists. So, I had been patiently waiting for the right occasion & with the events that took place in Egypt, it was somehow now or never! Guess it would be the case still for a little while so for the one of you who simply cannot handle diving with more divers than fish and who had until now put the Red Sea on the side for this precise reason, this is simply the perfect time. From what I could read, Sharm El Sheikh seemed to be the option when it comes to day trip diving: lots of diversity, some ... read more
Simply thrilling: canyoning to the Dead Sea shores
Published: May 13th 2011Middle East » Jordan » West » Al Karak
April 16th 2011
Keeping up with the exploration of Jordan whenever I got a long week end outside of Iraq and well this is truly the Promised Land when it comes to outdoor sports in some “virgin territories”. What might look as desert & arid scenery at the first sight is actually filled with hundreds of canyons, waterfalls and underground springs leading to the Dead Sea, possibilities are thus countless. What else? Well, this is the first entry of a series on “off the beaten track” outdoor adventures in Jordan. The canyon - Wadi Assal – nickname “the big one” 17km dry & water hike 9 abseils including two along waterfalls Starts right south of Kerak city, in Kathrabba/Ai and ends by the Dead Sea shores From Amman: 2 hours & half by minibus and 2 hours back Agency ... read more
laetitiaaroundtheworld
| Joined | June 26th 2006 | Trips | 0 |
| Last Login | May 26th 2012 | Followers | 29 |
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