Hermitting in Santorini

The Caldera

This year has been a busy one. I’ve traveled a lot, I moved to a new country where I don’t speak the language and I started a new job. I’ve also had more house guests in the last two months than I have had in 5 years. It was time to go into hermit-mode and rejuvenate myself.

Some people retreat into their man (or gal) cave. Me? I retreat to a hotel where the rooms are built into a cliff like a cave.

JUST THE ESSENTIALS - SORT OF

Originally my plan was to do a safari in Africa, but after I checked how long the flights were (and how expensive), I changed my mind. Besides, as I mentioned, I was tired and needed some peace and quiet – which was not exactly what the safari tour places were offering. Then someone at work mentioned they had gone to Greece for a long weekend. Greece? It’s close? I keep forgetting that Switzerland is close to things that normally would be inconvenient to get to and Santorini was one of them.

One of the private pools at the Ambassador Aegean Hotel

Because I’m a travel procrastinator, I didn’t start looking for a hotel until early July (for late July bookings). I had no idea that summer was going to be so popular. Plus, Greece was in the news with their economic crisis so I had assumed no one would be visiting the islands. Ha ha ha ha...I was so wrong.  

Looking at Expedia and seeing all the reasonably priced hotels that were booked during my time slot, I decided there was no way I was going to stay in Fira or Oia. It would be too crowded and I wouldn’t get the quality hermit time I needed. 

All I wanted a nice hotel and a great view to look at the sunset. I also wanted to eat really good Greek food. Oh…and I needed internet. Reliable internet.  I was taking a course at Drexel and my mid-term exam was going to happen during my vacation so I needed to be able to complete it online.

So that was it: Food, shelter, sunsets and internet…the essentials of my life.



Complimentary drink of your choice when you arrive at the hotel. I was jet lagged coming from Tampa and Pina Colada always says "I'm on vacation" to me.

PEACEFUL PERFECTION

My answer came when I came across the Ambassador Aegean Hotel. The website said it was near Red Beach, Ancient Akrotiri (could be interesting) and each room had a private pool. But these are the words that got me hooked “located in one of Santorini’s least exploited areas” and the “ultimate Santorini escape.” Ooohhh…that translate to hermit-time with wine and olives to me.

The private pools at the Ambassador Aegean hotel

While I was a little worried that this place was not booked up like all the other ones I had looked at, I shouldn’t have been. It turned out to be peaceful perfection with five-star service.

My amazing cave room

I loved the lantern-lit cave hallways and the rooms were private and incredible. Every room had a panoramic view of the caldera so I could enjoy the sunset from my room, terrace or pool. Plus, breakfast was included and it wasn’t buffet. I’m not a fan of buffets as the food is usually subpar. At the Ambassador Aegean, you ordered from a menu the day before and it arrived at your desired time the next morning.

Lantern lit hallways leading underground to your room.

And yes, the hotel was away from all the tourists, but close enough to Fira and Oia that you could take a short cab there for an evening out. If you want a loud party weekend, then this is not the place for you, but if you want a quiet escape from reality, then forget the man cave and go for this cave hotel.

Relaxing dinner with a view.

Urban Trail des Singes: The race that kicked my butt

Amazing…the website said. Beautiful…read the description. Absolute pleasure and sumptuous landscapes…were also in bold. So what was it? It was the Urban Trail des Singes. This is a half marathon that takes runners through one of the wine areas in Switzerland, and naturally with a description like that, I had to try it.

The website also showed these great photos of the route overlooking Lake Geneva. It looked wonderful.  There was just one important thing I didn’t consider and that was, if the route overlooks Lake Geneva and you start at lake level, that means there are some big hills to climb.

Photo from the Urban Trail des Singes website

SWISS RUNNERS ARE GODS

I’m not exactly a half marathon virgin. I run a few a year and already had run two in the two months I’ve lived in Switzerland. Plus, I run for fun… a lot. But when I showed up at the Urban Trail des Singles, I knew I was in trouble. My first clue was that there were only about 500 people running the event which I thought was strange especially as the route was so scenic and even took you through an UNESCO heritage site. I mean…why wouldn’t you want to run it?

My second clue was the type of runners who did show up. These were not your every day runners. These were serious runners.

I arrived about two hours too early as I didn’t expect the bus to arrive as quickly as it did, which meant that I had a lot of time to study my fellow runners. 

Normally in a half marathon you have a mix of people. Some of them look super fit and you know they will be the elite that finish first. You have normal looking people like me that finish in the middle and you have the first time people or people who are out there to walk it and have fun. They are a little more average looking and usually come with a friend.

This race didn’t have any of the average people at all. This was not a "bring a friend" type of race. In fact, most of them looked like they were in the elite level as they were lean with muscular legs. You can tell they trained for hill running. I, on the other hand, did not train for hills. Mostly because running hills is not fun and I’m a lazy runner.

In other words, I was going to be in trouble.

HILLS SUCK…A LOT

I’m going to post my disclaimer that I probably should not have run this race. Not because I was not in shape (which I wasn’t), but because I had severe allergies and getting over bronchitis at the time – so even walking would cause me to hack up stuff and left my lungs straining. But I really didn’t want to miss out on the scenery.

There's also something else you might need to know and that is that I never look at the race map in advance.  I figure, "Why bother? I'm not going to be first anyway so I don't need to know the way." Besides, I like to be surprised.

In this case, looking at the map might have prepped me for how many hills there were.  But then maybe I may have chickened out as it was hard.

The race began and within minutes we were already climbing – and by climbing, I mean like 200 meters nearly straight up the hill. Instantly, I was glad that I only signed up for the half and not the full marathon.

The first hill I pushed through but then realizing there was not going to be any “flat” running sections in this race – only steep ups and knee-breaking downs as we wound through the vineyards, I gave up. I was completely out my fitness league so decided to just enjoy it.  I jogged the downs, then walked the ups which seemed to be the strategy most of the other mid-level runners like me had adopted.

I know we sound lame, but really, on many of the hills, even walking the “ups” you had to be bent over as the incline was so intense.

In reality, this was not a race where you would achieve your personal best. Not only were the hills more extreme compared to the average marathon, but the route involved climbing narrow stairs where you were at the mercy of going only as fast as the person in front of you (I didn’t mind the slow climber ahead of me as I used the time to catch my breath) and there were also narrow single-file trails to jog through.

The purpose of this race was to push yourself through the grueling route while enjoying the scenery. And next year, I will do it again – but I will hill train first.

In and Out of Turkey in 24 hours

entrance to the Grand Bazar

You know what I learned last week? I can get a direct flight from Geneva to Istanbul for really cheap and it only takes couple of hours to get there. You know what that means? It’s Turkey time!!

I mentioned this amazing idea to two of my friends who had also never been to Istanbul and the quest was on.  The only issue was that because I was still on probation at work, I only could go for 24 hours. I would take an early morning Saturday flight and come back on Sunday.  But no worries…I could squeeze a lot in during that time.

 IT’S EUROPE…BUT NOT

While Turkey is in Europe, it’s not the Europe most of us know -- and when I say that, I'm thinking of France or Italy. There is no comparing it to Paris or London or Milan.  Istanbul has its own unique vibe happening.

First of all, while you can get the Euro there out of the bank machine, they don’t use it. They use their own currency (the lira). Secondly, it’s got old buildings like France, but the architectural style is different. The Islamic influence in the buildings, food and colors is still there - but at the same time, it didn't feel like Jeddah or Doha or any of the Middle Eastern cities I had visited.  It's got it's own unique mix, which is kind of cool.

And thirdly, while the rules may be Western, you won't see a lot on women wandering on their own – and you definitely won’t see women in the local bars. It was all men – except me and my girlfriend.

Our little trio.

 Oh...I have to mention this.  You really have to do a Turkish bath (or haman) when there.  I didn’t have time to partake in this, but my two friends who arrived 12 hours earlier than me, swear that it is the best experience ever.


TOURISM STILL RULES

But is it safe? I’m going to say “yes” to that, but only if you are not foolish. The tourist areas felt safe and places like the Grand Bazaar were crowded. Other tourist areas around the Blue Mosque also felt fairly safe – during the daylight hours anyway.

Where things get sketchy is at night if you venture outside the tourist zone and hang out with the locals --   but NYC and parts of Memphis, Miami and London are the same. Every big city has it's safe and not so safe areas.

Again as a woman, you will stand out and be stared at. No one approached us or bothered us, but we turned heads. Keep in mind that I am blonde and tall though so I'm not exactly going to blend.

My girlfriend had to leave early to catch a plane, so on Saturday night, it was just me and my guy friend venturing out on the town. Our plans were to have dinner at a local place, enjoy the food and relax even if was the only woman in the restaurant ---  the only woman anywhere.

 But the food was good and plentiful. And no one bothered harassed us or gave us a hard time. The only issue we had was the taxi driver at night did not take us directly back to the hotel, but on a round-about route that cost triple the money.

So would I go again? Sure...and if I was with a guy friend, I would venture into the local area after sunset again.  But...if I was by myself, I would play it safe and stay in the tourist area where the other Westerners were to try to blend a bit.

My first “real” hike in Switzerland: The Gorge Dailley

Switzerland is gorgeous – as you can tell from my photos on Instagram. Surprisingly, all those photos were taken from my morning runs. Yes, that’s how amazingly scenic it is here. I haven’t even had to leave my neighborhood to be surrounded in beauty.

But I do miss my hiking days in Arizona so figured it was time to venture out – although, it’s a little harder to do when you don’t have a car and the train stations are located in cities and not the wilderness. It is doable though. To do it, I joined glocals.com and from there I could sign up for a hike and hitch a ride with one of the attendees.

My first one was the Gorge Dailley.

The hike started in Salvan where we climbed up to have a scenic view of the Rhone Valley. From there we hiked through the forest to reach the entrance of the gorge. According to the website, these gorges were first open to the public in 1995, but then after the road was constructed in 1944, mostly abandoned. They reconstructed the path up to them from 1991 to 1995 to make them stable and accessible again.

I’m assuming when they say this that the path they are talking about is all the steps you have to climb to get to the top of the gorge. When you get to the top, you will be out of breath, but the view is incredible.  

Checking out Montreux

The rain has finally stopped in Lausanne so it’s time to venture out and explore. First stop: Montreux – mainly because I recognized it from the train route so it would be an easy town to get to.

Montreux is famous for two things. The first is the annual Jazz festival which happens in July and the second is the Chillon Castle. I wasn’t doing either of these today. Instead, I was going just for a wander.

The town is cute and the waterfront is gorgeous. It is more touristy and crowded than Lausanne is probably because of the attractions that it has, but it’s worth a visit – even if it’s just for the afternoon.

Open Wine Cellar Days (Caves Ouvertes)

After living just outside of Napa for years and being able to just pop in for a wine tasting any time I wanted, I was surprised to learn that it doesn’t work that way in Switzerland. 

Sure, they will let you wander through the vineyards around the Lutry area, but you can’t just wander into a winemakers area and ask for a free sample of wine. And, I must say, that even though I had no idea Swiss actually produced wine, the wine they do produce is pretty tasty.


CAVES OUVERTES FOR TWO DAYS ONLY!

So when I heard Caves Ouvertes was happening May 23 and 24, I had to take advantage of it. For 15 CHF, you get a wine glass. With this glass you can visit 300 cellars and drink as much as you want. They do actually give you a full glass which is not what you’ll get in Napa –where you do get just a “taste”. And if you are really into wine, you can use the same glass on both days.

 

 There are some things to consider though. The route is hilly so don’t drink too much or else it will be long walk to the train station.

Coffee from beans pooped out of an animal

Beans harvested from Civet Poop

Would you drink coffee made from beans pooped out of an animal that looks a little like a house cat? Sure you would. I did and I don’t even like coffee – because when in Bali you try some strange things.

The woman roasting the beans

I learned about Luwak coffee while in the taxi on my way to the airport when leaving Bali. It sounded repulsive when I read about how the beans were picked out of the poop of a civet cat, but yet I was intrigued. Did it taste like normal coffee? Why would people even think of brewing coffee made from these beans that went through the cat’s digestive system? And was it really so good to warrant being the most expensive coffee in the world?

A coffee and tea tasting

Whether it’s myth or reality, my taxi driver told me the reason the coffee is supposedly so wonderful is because the civet only eats the best beans. And then when they are digested, formation occurs along the digestive tract producing more amino acids. I know. It still sounds disgusting.

But when he said we had time to drop into a place where they served it, I agreed.  I mean, this was something I wasn't going to get back home.

However, I learned afterward there is the whole “humane” thing that goes along with the process. Just like goose pate is banned in some places because of the force feeding of the goose, the civet coffee beans also went through a lot of backlash. Apparently, some farmers were caging the little guys and force feeding them the beans to make them poop more. In addition to being mean to the little animal, the pooped beans are less flavorful as the civet didn’t get to pick the “best” beans like it would have in the wild.

So if you do want to try this coffee, look for “wild” luwak coffee.

My cup of Luwak coffee

As I mentioned, this coffee is the most expensive in the world with retail prices reaching $700 per kilogram for the real stuff from the wild.

So how does it taste? Like coffee – but smoother.

Bali…it really is all that

You always hear about Bali and how beautiful it is. It was because of all this hype that I had not gone. I had assumed it would be over commercialized and cheesy. I could not be more wrong. 

I arrived the evening before Silent Day and was surprised at how much culture is still very much alive in the area. The villages are filled with locals and you won’t find a Starbucks or any fast food venues anywhere. Keep in mind that I didn’t go to the beach area, but was staying in the jungle part of the island by Ubud. My reasoning? I wanted culture and I wanted to be rice farmer for a day.


PLANTING RICE FOR A DAY

Let me tell you that planting rice is sort of relaxing. First of all, you are barefoot and walking in muddy water that goes mid-calf. And then you are focused on planting a couple stems of rice every few inches apart in straight rows. It’s methodical and after a while you tune out and your mind has the chance to wander in a relaxing way. There is no multitasking, technology or pressure. It’s bend and plant, bend and plant, bend and plant.

But there are some downsides. It’s labor intensive and because you are bent over all day, it’s probably not amazing for your back. It’s also really hot in Bali – so even though the mud and water are cool, you still sweat a lot. It was a great experience though that made you hungry for lunch.

SO MUCH COLOR

Why is it that cities like New York, Toronto, London and even Geneva are so blah when it comes to color? Everyone is in black and the streets seem gray. Bali is the opposite. There is so much color everywhere.  Bright blues, pinks, oranges, yellows and of course, the whole island is lush and green.

 

I had the chance to watch some traditional Balinese dancers and their outfits were incredible. The dancing was like nothing I had seen before as they dance with their eyes. No really. They do. They open their eyes wide and the pupils are part of their dance movements.

Finally, I have to tell you about the food. It’s good, but interesting. They use spices like Sri Lanka and Thailand, but their curries are more sweet and nutty with a lingering heat that is different from the other places I’ve been too. They also use a lot of browned shallots that you spoon into everything from rice to stir fries to broth soups. One of the locals told me that they make satays out of anything they can catch including bats.  I'm sure they taste good if you didn't know what they were.

Bali really is as beautiful as they say. And I did spend one day in the more touristy beach area and that was beautiful as well. There were more hotels lined up along the coast, but it still had a strong local feel to it.

I ran into Maria from Where in the World is Paradise while there.  You can check out her photos as they are amazing.   

Relaxing Retreat in the Arizona Desert

There are times when you book something online and when you arrive, it’s even better than expected. That’s what happened when I arrived at the house from ModernDesertRetreat.com. I drove up and was transported away.

First of all, Karen the owner, was there to greet me with a glass of wine and a plate of cheese. I mean, how amazing is that? I wish someone was at my apartment every day waiting for me to arrive with treats like that. Secondly, the studio I had rented in the house was bigger than some of my apartments and nicely decorated. And then thirdly, you have the view, which is to die for.

PREPARE TO BE AMAZED

There was no one else staying in the house that week so I had it to myself. Karen opened the floor-to-ceiling 20 foot long glass doors from the living room to the patio and I think I might have gasped in delight like those women on the "Price is Right."

The house was perched on the top of a hill in Fountain Hills and overlooked the valley with views of the mountains in the distance.  Karen then showed me the pool and the lounge area. Already, I was regretting all the errands I had planned to do, because now all I wanted to do was have Karen pour me another glass of wine, sit out on the lounge and watch the sun go down over the mountains. I wanted to savor the moment.

But there was more. Karen then told me about the trail out back of the house that was a few miles long and took to you to the town of Fountain Hills. You know me and hiking. I can’t resist – especially when it’s in the deserts of Arizona. I love the mix of cactus, the color of the earth and how it all changes as the sun sets. But there was the wine…and the lounge. Decisions, decisions… I was like a kid on Christmas morning with too many new presents and not sure which one to do first.

A GREAT SPACE WORTH SHARING

So there I was watching the sun go down on my third day of hanging out at Karen’s Modern Desert Retreat, and all I could think about was what an amazing place this is. Karen, who is an event planner, agreed.

She said she bought the house saying she thought it would be a great place to host events, but hadn't gotten around to doing it.  It had that amazing view, it was spacious, it had this amazing kitchen and living room set up for mingling and it felt secluded, but really the city was just down the hill.

And then suddenly it hit me. Here I was talking to a woman who knew how to do events in a place that was amazing.  Could this be the place I had been looking for?  No, I'm not talking about buying -- although if I had loads of money, then yes, I would buy it in a heartbeat. But what I am talking about is a Fitness/yoga/wellness retreat.

I’ve been wanting to host a fitness retreat in Arizona for a few years, but every place I’d seen hadn’t felt right. Karen’s place didn’t just feel right. It was perfect.  And the more we talked about it and what we could do, the more perfect it became.

CREATING THE PERFECT ARIZONA 3-DAY RETREAT

 Now imagine this…you've arrived at the house with your girlfriend and you’re greeted with a glass of wine and some snacks while given a tour of the house. That evening, you’ll either join me on a sunset hike or unwind by pool and spend some time relaxing on your own. In the morning, a yoga instructor arrives and conducts a class on the patio with the view of the mountains in front of you.

You then eat a healthy breakfast and get ready for your session with Soul Love Awakening founder, Tamara Hanson, who will guide and nurture your mind and spirit. From there, you’ll visit Sedona for an afternoon of hiking and guided meditation with a shaman. Then it time to return to the house to relax poolside while your dinner is prepared.

Sound good? And that’s just the first day.

Check out the rest of the retreat

Saying Farewell to Saudi Arabia

At KAUST wearing my favorite yellow abaya

When I moved to Saudi Arabia in 2014 to work at KAUST, I had no idea what to expect…and I had no idea I would like it so much. I met such wonderful people and learned so much about the culture, their humor, their creativity and their challenges.



Group selfie with my amazing co-workers

 I also learned about the real meaning of generosity as they don’t think twice when it comes to ensuring you are comfortable in their country – and instantly they embrace you as part of their family.

When I first moved to Saudi, I remember thinking that my heart was “thrifty” compared to theirs. They would offer to drive me places, would randomly pick up things for me like converters, organic peanut butter and other essentials just because I had mentioned it…and not because I asked. Never did they want anything back in return and were insulted when I tried to give them money. They said it was like I was trying to pay for their kindness and that wasn’t the way it worked.

Farewell dinner - miss you all!!

A year later, when I had a guest from the US come visit the university to speak, I was reminded again at how generous they were. As a woman, naturally I couldn’t drive my guest anywhere, but when I mentioned it to my co-workers, I had not only one volunteer, but four who couldn’t wait to show my guest around.

 They drove him to the mall, helped him pick out stuff for his wife and suggested the best dates in the world to bring back to his friends. And then, when my guest said he wanted a thobe (the traditional dress for men), they took him to a local place to get fitted for one and spent hours helping him dress, pick out the head gear and negotiating a reasonable price.

Man...I love these dates.  Best in the world.

If we had more time, they would have taken him back the next night to show him some of the landmark areas of Jeddah. It was fun to watch my friend learn what the people were like and see through his eyes the amazement at how authentically generous their culture is. Like me, he came in with a shield of mistrust and was surprised at how easy going they were, how funny and how they were willing to take him around without any hesitation.

Just a few of my Saudi family members

Now, as I’m leaving Saudi, I have to say goodbye to these wonderful people who treated me so well when I was so far from home. But I won’t be leaving with my thrifty heart. That one was replaced months ago with a Saudi heart. Well, maybe not quite that big yet as it takes a lifetime to learn to be as generous as they are. But it’s much more open and willing to trust the good in people than it was before.

Taken my first week in Saudi and will always remind me of Samia, who took me under her wing.

Thank you, my Saudi friends for making me a part of your family.