Trip Report - 3 days in Ibiza

"These are the days we won't regret. These are the days we won't forget."

We are frequent travellers with single income. My husband, the Boy, spent all the little savings he had on our wedding and then we started afresh. On our first holiday (honeymoon), we counted every single penny and made the best of what we had. It was an amazing holiday.

It has been 7 years to that and now we can afford to live in 5-star properties. It is a surreal feeling. It is a proud feeling. We don't stay in 5-stars though. I want to have a comfortable old age and plenty of holidays before that - we save for that!

Anyway, why I wrote about this is because when we went to Ibiza, we stayed in our first luxury hotel on a holiday. I had my eye on this hotel which was all inclusive in the area we wanted to stay in. I kept my eye on the fluctuating rate hoping it will come down and I would be able to book it. Yes, we can afford them, but we are still thrifty and smart!

We cancelled our previous booking just 4 days prior to our visit (we always book cancellable hotels), and pounced at the first opportunity at Grand Palladium. It spoiled us rotten with its huge rooms, three massive meals a day, and unlimited drinks before we could head out! Playa d'en Bossa is expensive, this deal actually turned out to be very economical.

We reached around 9:30 p.m. and didn't feel like going out. Yes, we were in Ibiza. The party here starts at 12. But we are 34 years-old and have been there, done that. Now we like to chill! So we just had our dinner at the buffet and were entertained by live performers in the hotel. With an open bar, our evening was set!

The next day we decided to go to the most famous beach for parties in Ibiza - Bora Bora beach club.

A very happy me at Grand Palladium :)

Now this beach is at one edge of Playa d'en bossa and clearly an adult only beach club. To the amusement of the Boy, nearly half the women here were topless. It had expensive sun beds and umbrellas but you could buy your own drinks from the super market outside and have them. They were kind enough to adjust whoever came in by putting in more beds. The music was quite nice but the beach isn't the best we've seen so far.

Bora Bora was shallow and had gentle waves. But for some reason, it wasn't very clean. We did walk in the water up until Ushuaia, but we didn't really enjoy the water as much.

Ibiza was not living up to its standards!

Bora Bora beach club

Well, we didn't know what we were going to witness in the evening! We had bought our tickets online for Avicii's opening night at Ushuaia. It was suppose to be from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. I had read that the main guy come at around 10 p.m. in such nights, but in order to find a decent spot to stand, we must go a little early.

We landed there at around 9 and walked around the whole place. It seemed that it would be impossible to get a spot. We then walked between the VIP area and the pool railing and found ourselves some space. We thought we will find our way near the pool as soon as someone leaves to buy a drink. Btw, the beer there is 18 Euro and very hard to get because the bar is so crowded. Although we had already had our drinks at the open bar at our hotel, this was not acceptable!

Nobody left but we did squish our way near the pool railing. At around 10 the whole place went silent. We waited for Avicci with bated breath.(!) He came, he played and boy, did he conquer!

The entire show was mesmerising. I have never danced so much in such a crowded place. We could hardly move our hands, but it was so worth it. Every song he played, the laser lights at Ushuaia, the firecrackers, it all made our night. Or, I would say, our entire 15 days in Spain and Portugal.

David Guetta was on for the next evening, but I didn't want my experience to fade. Yeah, I am crazy like that. So we decided to let it go!

We did think about going to Space after the show but we were too tired and our feet were literally swollen! Yeah, 34!

The Boy wanted to go to a nude beach on day 3. So we hired a cab and rode to Es Cavallet. Much to my happiness, there were no beach beds available. We had to take the cab back to our original Bora Bora! Ha! It was indeed fun. And the only nudist the Boy could spot in the beginning of the beach were a very old couple. Ibiza, indeed, did not disappoint!

We did not go to the other beach clubs at Playa d'en Bossa simply because they were way too expensive and probably not as casual as Bora Bora. We had another chilled out day with our free drinks at the beach watching the world (and gorgeous topless men and women) go by!

In the evening we had dinner at this picturesque mexican restaurant, La Dona, at The Grand Palladium followed by a visit to the Old town.

That's how Mexico will be when we go there? I so wish the food is like that atleast!

The Old town of Ibiza is so pretty with its port, winding lanes with cutesy homes and petite windows, and restaurants and shops at every corner.  We could have easily stayed here and gone to Playa d'en Bossa or St. Antonio by bus or taxi. I would highly recommend people to stay in the Old town and visit other parts of Ibiza from here.

It was a very relaxing and memorable trip for us. I think had we gone with friends, we could have partied more. Nevertheless, we enjoyed every bit of it. I always wanted to go to Ibiza after 'THAT' song and so this was like a dream! Ibiza is the best party place we have ever been to. We thought the beaches in Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus were much better, but the vibe here was great too. It's not a cheap place to visit because of all the hype. It was in our bucket list though, and I am so glad we have been to Ibiza, yeahhh, we have also partied...yeahh...

Cheesyyyy!!! :p

Musings of a Starved Soul!

*My morning started with Lauki and amla juice today. This yum concoction was recommended by Naturopathy doctors a long time back. I thought it was time to bring some zing back into my life and try the amazing diet for a few days. I’ll share the details and results with you for sure – how I lost a few kilos and gained a Katrina-like glow!

That was sarcasm; just clarifying for the innocent ones.

* The next thing was replying to some friendship day messages. Over the years this day has lost its charm. Now we are more into mother’s day and valentine’s day – I wonder why though! Friends are my most cherished possessions. I share much more with them than I share with my mother. These friends have become mothers though and they kind of enjoy the attention they get on this particular day. Love has become a common, a taken for granted thing – yet come valentine’s day and there is so much pressure on the Boy. I think it is time to bring some zing back into Friendship day as well!

We should have reunions on this day. Like I haven’t met my besties since forever now. I chat with them on a regular basis, but who knows, they might have gotten weird personally! Then slots for new besties will open up and life will become cool again.

Oh yes, that is total crap. Maybe it is the lauki juice talking.

* I am very weird without plans. Since my Portugal-Spain trip, I don’t know where we are going to go next. During the last few days I have seen and planned for 4 destinations but none seem to be working out according to the Boy’s comfort. He’s getting old and finds road and air journey’s a total pain. He’s been driving me nuts because of this. He tells me I’m the one who’s acting like a spoilt brat by pushing holidays on him. I’ll tell him what a spoilt brat is – just let this lauki juice kick in, the mood swings would be very hard to deal with. He will need new phrases to describe me.

* After completing the book on a Korean girl’s journey tofreedom, I’ve started a book on these Sudan boys. I’m just travelling through the miseries of the world to count my blessings. When I read these books I realise how little I know and how difficult the world is for some people.

Suddenly the lauki juice doesn’t sound that bad. I have food to eat, a bed to sleep on, love to hang on to, friendships to cherish, trips that I can plan and a laptop to type this post and save it for posterity.

I cannot ask for more. Except – please God, let these next few days of eating cow food pass quickly. I’ll need a lotttt of help! 

Yeah, the feeling of being blessed die down quickly when you constantly hear a certain gurr-gurr sound in your tummy!

Trip Report - Lisbon, Portugal

I was very skeptical before going to Lisbon. I like my vacations luxurious with little hard work. On paper, Lisbon seemed like a run down city with steep hills. After visiting, it has become one of my favorite cities in the world.

I did go with a proper plan. I knew exactly which areas had steep slopes since I have trouble walking on them. I knew which buses dropped us on the top so that we can walk down. You see, I need my holiday perfect. I don't want to upset the Boy by being cranky and tired all the time. Planning to the T helps me overcome all obstacles with ease. I do reach the place like I've already been there (I see Google maps/Earth all the time), but I don't regret it one bit. This is the way I am comfortable; deal with it!

We booked ourselves into a hotel at Rossio square so that we are close to everything. In terms of location, I don't think we could have done better. Our hotel was where Rua Augusta, the pedestrian only shopping street, ended. We were next to Praca de Figueira where the most important buses/trams had a stop. And we were in a hotel that was absolutely perfect!

We landed in Lisbon after a day long journey from Bahrain via Dubai at 7:30 p.m. We took the cheap aerobus (book online for cheaper rates) because it had a stop 100 mtrs from our hotel. After leaving our luggage we took the Santa Justa elevator to Chiado district to have our first meal in Lisbon. We came back early through the winding streets of Baxia and retired for the day.

I had planned day 2 with much elan! We went to the topmost and most famous spot of Lisbon - Castelo de Sao Jorge. This castle stands on a hill promising the best views of Lisbon. We took the 737 bus which is the only mode of transportation that drops you near the entrance so that you don't have to climb a steep hill. Although the castle has a lot of steps inside, there is a vast area you can see and take in the amazing views of Lisboa. We did just that.

View of Lisbon from the Castle.

The Old town of Lisbon - Alfama District

We then walked down to the Se Cathedral for lunch. The lanes of Old Town are quite pretty and give you a glimpse into the real Lisbon. It was our first day and since we were quite excited, we ventured into the western district of Belem after this. We took the famous tram 12 and sat in a crowded vehicle to reach our destination! Here we saw the monastry, the tower and the Discovery monument from the outside! This area did not fascinate us enough and we were back quite earlier than expected.

An East Asian structure in a European park where we saw a performance on a Hindi number. The world is truly becoming Global in every sence of the word!

A famous custard pie that we found too sweet for our taste.

Our next stop was Praca do Comercio - the most fun yet pretty square I have seen in the world. On one side it had an archway to pedestrian shopping street. It had restaurants all around it. On the other side it had the river and a tiny beach. And in the centre, it had a huge screen playing the Euro Cup. There were beer stalls and thousands of people just chilling and making merry. 

We had had a long day and so we went back after dining in one of the restaurants and watching some part of the match. In Lisbon, you get a transport card for unlimited travel for the day in 6 Euro. We bought that and made good use of it.

On Day 3 we took the Hop-on-Hop-off bus thinking we would get a good glimpse of the city with it. Although we did see more than we could have seen on our own, the HoHo bus was a disappointment. The real charm of Lisbon is in its alleys; the HoHo stays far from them.

Devouring the map! :p

We checked into the Oceanarium area and a beautiful corniche. We then took the Hoho back for a siesta in the hotel. 

The evening on Day 3 was the most beautiful we had in Lisbon. We took the Gloria Funicular to Barrio Alto, the party area of Lisbon. We went atop Jardim de Sao Pedro de Alcantara for yet another beautiful view of the city. This viewpoint had a stage with a live singer, lots of stalls serving food and drinks, and a very nice atmosphere. There were young and old lovers, children and group of friends making merry. When they say that most amazing things in this world are free, they are not lying.

After dinner at one of the restaurants in the by-lanes, we went to Praca do Comercio again. Now this square had turned into a night club at 11 in the night. There was a DJ playing where they were showing the Euro Cup. Everyone around was dancing. We got ourselves a quiet, romantic spot on the beach front and danced. I mean, I danced! This was indeed my Lisbon moment.

The next morning I did something totally unexpected. I woke up at 8:30 and told the Boy lets run and catch the train to Porto! We had to take a shower, have our breakfast, take a taxi to Orient station, buy the ticket and catch the train. This journey takes 3 hours and was not adviced for a day trip. We did it anyway.

I had heard that Porto is better than Lisbon - I disagree. Porto is a city of six bridges. It seems more vast, less rustic. The alleys are not as charming as Lisbon. We took a Tuk-Tuk tour since we were short on time and saw what we could in 1.5 hours. What worried me in Porto was that no matter what, you could not avoid the slopes. It drained my energy.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed our trip and made the best of our limited time. The waterfront was beautiful and the views were breathtaking. 

Maybe if we had stayed overnight we would have liked this city more. Anyway, I don't regret our decision to go here, so we must have seen something nice!

We were to leave Lisbon the next day and I was definitely sad. It had been the most amazing four days and I would definitely love to go back. Even though the summer heat was sometimes unbearable, the evening breeze made up for it.

Well, the greatest compliment I could give Lisbon is I can actually see myself living there. The country is fabulous and the people are extremely warm. Do visit it to see another side to Europe.


Coming up: Trip reports from San Sebastian, Ibiza and Barcelona!

I wish to –

Start a travel blog.

Get on that plane to a new destination.

Eat chatpati chaat.

Dark chocolate cake.

Read more.

Have intelligent discussions. Only.

Laugh till a little pee comes out.

Make someone smile.

Finish that conversation.

Write more often.

Believe I can.

Win that story writing contest.

Have simple wish lists like this one. Always.

See you on the other side of wish no. 2.

On International Yoga Day

Every morning, 4 a.m. onwards, you can hear ‘Om’ chanting in my house by various people at various intervals. No, we are not a religious lot, we just do a lot of Yoga!

My dad, much to my mom’s fury, wakes up at 3 a.m. and does Yoga. He says he goes back to sleep at 4. His skin sclerosis has had a miraculous effect ever since Baba Ramdev entered our abode.

My mom, she wakes up at 6, has her tea and twists and turns on the floor for more than half an hour. At 62, she is a hero of sorts and the most agile person I know at that age. She devours atleast one mithai a day.

My brother starts his day with a morning run. He then goes to have samosa and chai after which he comes home and does his Yoga routine. His sinusitis has been kept in check for years due to this. His late night partying, atleast twice a week, has also been regular.

Me, well, I’ve had a love and hate relationship with mudras. I was introduced to Yoga at the age of 13 at a private class by this yoga teacher who taught me a lot of exercises. Being a young girl, I absolutely hated going for the session. Teenage was definitely not the time when I took my health seriously.

It did not help me much and so we stopped after a few months. Now when I think about it, if the teacher knew more about the benefits, he could have helped me.

I learnt Sudarshan Kriya when Art of Living was quite new. It came into my life at a tough time and did make me a new person. We learnt quite a few Yoga exercises there as well.

Over the years I have learnt breathing exercises and a number of stretches and poses. For optimal benefit, I combine principles of Yoga and exercises taught by various physiotherapists. When I tell my physiotherapist about a particular Yoga pose, she immediately tells me how it will hurt my back. When I tell my mom that Yoga can be harmful, she shuns science. You can’t win with fanatics, can you?

From experience, however, even I feel there are a number of exercises that can cause harm, especially to the back. Unless you are not careful, Yoga does make you stretch beyond your limits and can lead to injuries. For that, it is important to listen to your body before getting completely immersed into a program.

While no exercise regime can guarantee you a healthy life, combining various forms can keep you interested. Not many people enjoy getting out of their comfort zone and pushing themselves beyond limits. But if you keep your routine flexible, much can be achieved in a fun way.

Pledge to change and keep your exercise interesting. Working out is as necessary as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. On this International Yoga Day, make sure people are twisting and turning in your home too. Not at 4 a.m. though; that is torture!

Conversations

Conversations

Long and meaningful

Short and sweet 

Between the said and unsaid

Lie words so deep.

Conversations

Me and you

You and them, them and me

Between the exchanges

Lie changes which you hurt to see.

Conversations

I mince my words

I turn and twist

Between the truth and acceptable 

Lies the being we detest.

Conversations

Some never meant to end

Some you will always regret

Between desired and imposed

Lie memories you can't forget.

In Sync (not)

Thoughts, actions, words - these are all three different things. What we think, what we say and how we react may all be totally out of sync. Why do we not tell people we love them? Why, even though we are kind-hearted, fear to offer a helping hand? What stops us from being who we are?

I have a big mouth. I can talk endlessly and sometimes talk crap. Sometimes people get offended with what I have to say. I don’t make up stories, I just tell them what is in my head. I believe if I don’t speak my mind, I’m not being true to the person. If that makes someone feel bad, it could be their problem. However, the guilt inside me makes me learn and I try not to repeat my mistake.

It is making me less me and more what others want me to be. But I can live with it, not the guilt. Never the guilt.

Speaking your mind also opens up other people. There are some who think more and speak less. But when they are with people like me, they feel they are more free. Sometimes they crack jokes which could be offensive, for you see, speaking your mind is also an art. I’ve learnt to take everything with a pinch of salt. Life becomes fun that way.

Thoughts and actions? – well, I consider myself a very caring person. Bad health makes you extra sensitive to things. It makes you a better and kinder person. These are the perks that we enjoy. If I feel like helping someone, I go out of my way to do that. I’ve also learnt how never to expect anything in return. I shut my brain when it comes to someone doing something for me. As long as I am hale and hearty, I don’t need anyone! After that? -  we will see!

I’ve cooked for people endlessly even without going to their home. I’ve been in hospitals for others even though I know I will never need it (Oh yeah, I’m sick positive!). I’ve bought umpteen gifts for people while I have not received many. I’ve loved and cared without, probably, being loved back..

I want to sync my thoughts, actions and words. I want to be who I am – always. If that makes people uncomfortable, they can find a way out. It doesn’t guarantee I would stop feeling the way I feel for them – ‘cause my feelings are never based on someone’s reaction, they are for me to feel.  We ignore, but we don’t stop feeling, do we? 

Then why do our thoughts, words and actions don’t sync?

P.S. This seems like a perfect example of Sunday musings gone awry!