Tag: adventure

Go, go, go!

Sara MarshallLeave a comment

⚲ Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand (South Island)

Because I only had one full day in Christchurch, I decided to make the most of it and squeeze in as much as I could. It was go time!

Once it was an acceptable time to wake up, I headed back to the city centre for the tram tour. The system dates back to the 1800s, originally running on steam and horsepower, before switching to electricity in the 1920s. It was damaged during WWII and replaced by diesel buses in 1954, but in 1995 the heritage trams made a comeback and now help showcase the city – which is a very cool way to see it all.

Much like the bike tour in Singapore, it was a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time – although this one was only 50 minutes (and thankfully didn’t require any cycling!). While I really enjoyed hearing the history, what stood out most to me was the resilience of the city. Christchurch was hugely impacted by the 2011 earthquake, yet has rebuilt so much. It was fascinating to learn that some of the new buildings can withstand tremors up to 8.5 on the Richter scale, and the hospital up to 9.5 – which is just incredible! Whilst there are still visible remnants of the disaster, the city felt strong, vibrant, and full of life. The importance of community and support networks in overcoming hardship was so evident everywhere, and it was really beautiful to see.

Next, I took a gondola up Mount Cavendish to the Port Hills Lookout.

The ride up was impressive in itself, but stepping out at the top – WOW! I had heard so much about how beautiful New Zealand is, and now I was seeing it with my own eyes. Not a bad start at all!

After taking in the views, I had some lunch and then went for a walk towards the tip of the lookout. The views stayed absolutely stunning the whole way, and I also learned about the Māori deity Kahukura, the “Rainbow Deity”, associated with life and protection. There is an area called Te Tihi o Kahukura (“Citadel of the Rainbow”), and watching the light hit it, it was easy to see why it was named that. This felt especially meaningful to include in my journey, as it connected both to Māori culture and to my family’s affinity with the rainbow following the loss of my sister, Rebecca.

The walk itself was beautiful but very windy (see picture for comedic effect!). In fact, it got so strong that they started ushering people into the cable cars and stopped letting others up, so I felt very lucky with my timing!

Once safely back down, I headed to the river for some punting. Although it covered some of the same areas as the tram tour, it was really interesting to see the city from a completely different perspective. It was also fascinating to learn that people on the water during the earthquake wouldn’t have felt it at all.

Our guide, a lovely Frenchman called Noe, had recently moved to New Zealand, so it was really interesting to hear about his experience adapting to Kiwi life. Like me, he really seemed to see the beauty of the place, which felt quite reassuring for the rest of my trip.

I also got my first close-up glimpse of local wildlife, as a family of pāpangos (New Zealand scaups) joined us on the river. They were very cute and playful, and stayed with us for most of the journey, while Noe showed us how to tell the males and females apart. We also saw a black swan.

With the sun still out, I went to explore some of the city’s street art – an initiative to brighten Christchurch after the earthquake. I loved the variety, especially a penguin mural that reminded me of Mum.

Just before heading for an afternoon treat, I managed to visit the Cardboard Cathedral. I arrived at the same time as two other British girls, and the staff joked that they’d been expecting us and had kept it open just for us! It was such an impressive space, and honestly so lovely of them to let us in. This was built as a temporary sanctuary following the 2011 earthquake, using 98 rolls of cardboard, and some shipping containers! A lot of its decor is cardboard themed too. It stands now as a stunning testament to architectural innovation and the city’s resilient spirit.

I then made my way to Duck Island – probably the most important recommendation I had been given! Naturally, this was an ice cream place and it absolutely did not disappoint. The flavours were so creative that I couldn’t choose just one – so I didn’t! I went for three smaller scoops: white chocolate pomegranate macadamia, strawberry coconut lime leaf, and pistachio honey. I feel like these would have been very Mum-approved choices.

Whilst enjoying my ice cream, I messaged my friend from the plane. We weren’t sure we’d get to meet, but then, as I was walking back into my hostel I walked past her sitting in a doorway! We both did a double take, and ended up having dinner together with two other Brits (it seemed I was only meeting Brits but we do have a habit of finding each other abroad!). We had the most ridiculously funny conversation and laughed the entire evening. They were nearing the end of their trip and shared some great tips for mine, which just made me feel even more excited to be here!

After such a lovely end to a very busy day, and knowing I had an early start, I packed everything up and headed to bed; I was excited to see what New Zealand had in store for me next.

Much Love,
Sara 💛

Song of the Day: “Catching Feelings”, Drax Project (ft Six60). I may have only been here for a day, but I can already tell I’m really gonna like it here…

Harei Mai!

Sara MarshallLeave a comment

⚲ Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand (South Island)

(Translation: Welcome!) 

And touchdown – I was in New Zealand! It felt quite surreal, as I had been planning this trip for such a long time, and New Zealand is so far from home – and a whole other hemisphere too! After a whole ordeal with my passport not scanning at the electronic gates, the lovely people at Christchurch Airport helped me out and allowed me entry into their country, and then I was really in New Zealand!

I hadn’t had as much sleep as I would have liked on the plane, and the vegetarian breakfast option was… questionable, so my plan was to check into my hostel, have a quick shower, and then go and find some food. My main aim, though, was not to fall asleep! I really wanted to push through and sleep at night to help with the time difference and jet lag. Although, as many of you have probably guessed, this plan was very quickly foiled!

Check-in wasn’t until 3, so I left my bags in storage and went to find some food and toiletries (specifically suncream, because despite it being on my “do not forget” list, I somehow still forgot to pack it). Once I was checked in, I made the mistake of sitting on my very comfy bed whilst booking my coach to my next stop… and fell into a deep sleep. It was only about an hour and a half, but honestly, that was enough to leave me feeling completely disorientated!

I realised that, as my coach was at 7am the day after next, this only gave me one full day in Christchurch – so I suddenly had quite a lot to fit in! Thankfully, I also had the evening ahead of me, so I decided to head down to the Riverside Market.

As many of you will know, I love a theme, and I love my music – so it felt very fitting that one of my favourite bands at the moment is from New Zealand. I’d had a feeling their music would be the soundtrack to this road trip, so I popped in my headphones, selected Drax Project, pressed play, and off I went.

The walk down to the Riverside Market was lovely, taking me through a pretty park and then, unsurprisingly, along a river – very on brand! The market itself was beautifully laid out, with cute fairy-light lanterns, and just had a really lovely vibe overall. After eating (and enjoying the live entertainment from the table next to me – potentially a joint stag/hen do?), I headed back along the river. By this point, it was getting dark and everything was starting to light up, which looked so beautiful.

By the time I got back, I decided it was just about late enough to go to bed. I was trying hard to fight the jet lag, but I think I held out as long as I could! Even still, I woke up at 2am, wide awake… which was not ideal. I did manage to force myself back to sleep eventually, but it wasn’t easy. I was just too jetlagged and too excited to finally be here!

Much Love,
Sara 💛

Song of the Day: “Toto”, Drax Project. This one opens with “I quit my job” and then goes on to sing about how essentially life is short and we don’t know what will happen, but embracing the unknown and enjoying the ride is the best part. Having quit my job to make time for myself and to travel the world solo, which has always been a dream of mine, this song really resonates with me. I’m looking forward to this chapter of my life, but it is also a risk that I’m taking and therefore, a little scary. Whilst I may feel a little anxiety of leaving the financial security of a job, I feel hopeful about “stepping into the unknown” of this journey. I have got too used to riding the wave that is grief, and I know that will never stop, but hopefully with this trip I can also celebrate and enjoy the ride of chasing a dream, and getting some much needed rest and headspace.(Also we love a reference embedded in a song – especially when it’s a chance to “bless the rains”!)

Sling and Fling

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⚲ Singapore 

And suddenly, it was my last day in Singapore!

Once I was packed and checked out (with the help of a human this time), I put my luggage into storage so I could go off and explore Singapore one more time.

My first stop was the Marina Bay Sands Hotel to visit the observation deck right at the top of the building, with stunning panoramic views of the city – and as some of you will know, I love a panoramic view! It was also quite fun to have an aerial view of the cycle route we took the day before and see, in one go, just how much ground we covered. But I think my favourite thing was seeing the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay from above. Being next to them, more at eye level, during the light show the night before made them feel so tall (they’re between 25-50 metres!), so being even higher than them felt like I was looking down at the miniature versions they had by their model Christmas train tracks!

After soaking in the city views and plenty of sunshine, I returned to Gardens by the Bay to do the treetop walk. This is where you walk along a sort of bridge walkway between two of the Supertrees. Although the views weren’t necessarily as panoramic as the ones I had seen earlier that morning, there were still impressive views of the gardens themselves. What I really loved was being at eye level with other trees of the same height. I also found it fascinating to see the base of the trees (or stem/bark) up close and how they were constructed and made up of all sorts of plants. The walk also offered a unique view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel – and it was quite entertaining to think that I had just been up there looking down on where I was moments ago!

While I was up there, I got a message from my American pals from the day before saying they were heading to the Raffles Hotel Long Bar for a Singapore Sling and inviting me to join them. This felt like far too good an opportunity to pass up, as this was the birthplace of the original Singapore Sling.

When it was invented back in 1915, it was socially unacceptable for women to drink alcohol in public. Bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the drink and disguised the gin with cherry liqueur and grenadine, making it look like a fruit juice and therefore giving women the gift of drinking in public without being caught. As many of you know, I love me some gin, and I also love me some feminism, so a cocktail combining the two was right up my alley!

As well as enjoying a delicious cocktail, it was really fun to see their iconic mechanical cocktail shaker in action. Made of cast iron and hand-cranked, it is designed to shake and make up to 18 cocktails of the “Sling” variety at a time. The drink itself was delicious and very refreshing on such a humid day and was garnished with a lovely slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry.

I hadn’t got to the cherry before the waitress came to clear the glasses and, as she took mine, I asked to keep it. She held the glass out so I could take the cherry and, very unnecessarily, apologised! I told her not to worry and happily ate it without thinking much of it. Moments later, she returned with an entire glass filled with cherries. It was very unexpected, highly unnecessary, but so lovely and thoughtful – and a delightful little treat!

The other iconic part of the Raffles Hotel Long Bar experience is the peanuts! At your table, you get a bag of peanuts to snack on to accompany your beverages. However, you are not given a designated bowl or container to discard the shells. Instead, you are encouraged to fling them onto the floor.

At first, we felt odd doing so and made a neat pile on the table, only for a waiter to come and sweep them onto the floor for us! Eventually, we got into the spirit of it and joined in with the tradition. It dates back to the early 1900s, when the bar was a favourite hangout for plantation owners who treated the floor like the great outdoors. Today, guests are encouraged to toss their peanut shells straight onto the ground, creating a nostalgic, crunchy carpet that feels wonderfully out of place in such a high-end hotel. It’s a rare, cheeky nod to the bar’s rugged colonial roots – and honestly, there is something incredibly satisfying about making a mess in one of the world’s most famous luxury hotels! It is also the only place in Singapore where you are actively encouraged to make a mess and litter – do this anywhere else in the city and you could be met with a hefty fine!

Once we had had enough to drink and made enough of a mess, we headed over to Chinatown for lunch before I set off to the airport to head to New Zealand. My original plan had been to get to the airport super early and explore all the fun things to do there, as I had heard it was all part of the Singapore experience. However, I was having such a lovely time with my friends and decided that was better than spending hours in an airport by myself.

I did, however, still arrive with enough time to explore and got to see the indoor waterfall – the largest indoor waterfall in the world, with the second-largest being the one at Gardens by the Bay!

I couldn’t quite believe how quickly my time in Singapore had come to an end. Whilst it felt strange to be leaving so soon, I was incredibly excited for what was to come in my New Zealand adventure. I suppose there will be more on that soon…

Much Love, 
Sara💛

Song of the Day: “Gin House Blues”, Nina Simone. I was originally thinking of doing the SOTD as a Britney hit, because I as loving the throwback and nostalgic feeling I got when walking by shops, but sitting in the Long Bar, sipping on a gin based cocktail had me thinking otherwise. All I could hear in my head was Nina’s voice saying “Somebody give me my gin!” And so, this song wins the day! ( I mean also, it’s Nina so she wins everything let’s be honest!)

“Happy Happy”

Sara MarshallLeave a comment

⚲ Singapore

(Apologies – this is a long one! Although I think we all know I’m more of a short story long kinda gal!)

It suddenly dawned on me that I only had one more day in Singapore, and there was still so much I wanted to do. However, being the indecisive human that I am, I couldn’t choose just one thing. So I opted for the most logical option: a bike tour of everything! Well, almost everything…

The bike tour was supposed to be a four-hour tour, hitting most of the main spots and learning about the history of Singapore as we cycled around. It was just me and two Americans on the tour, and the three of us, along with our tour guide Aaron, quickly built up a good sense of banter and camaraderie – so much so that even after an hour, we were already running behind schedule! Aaron didn’t seem to mind too much and eventually asked us if we had plans later, as he had no tours that afternoon. As none of us did, it turned into a six-hour tour, plus a stop under a bridge to hide from the torrential rain!

Another fun little part of the tour was when we asked Aaron about the metro announcement that happens when pulling into each station that we all agreed sounded like “Happy Happy!” It turns out the Malay version of “Mind the Gap” is “Berhati-hati di ruang platform”, which sounds a lot like Happy Happy! This soon became a running bit, with us sporadically saying “Happy Happy” at random intervals to reassure Aaron we were OK and not too tired from all the cycling!

We started off riding along the esplanade to arrive at a scenic view of Marina Bay, taking in iconic views of the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands (including the iconic hotel!). The Merlion is Singapore’s mythical mascot and represents its original name, “Singapura”, translated as “Lion City”. The fish’s tail represents Singapore’s beginnings as a fishing village, whilst the lion part references a Malay legend. It is said that a Srivijayan* prince landed at Temasek (old Singapore) around the 14th century, saw a strange, majestic creature, and was told by his minister it was a “singa”, meaning “lion”, leading him to name the island “Singapura”, or “Lion City”. We were also told that, in hindsight, it would have been very unlikely that a lion would have been there and that it was more likely to have been a tiger. However, some people say the minister didn’t know the Malay word for tiger and so stuck with lion. I personally think Lion City sounds better and don’t think “Mertiger” rolls off the tongue quite as easily!

We rode through historic neighbourhoods like Kampong Glam (the Muslim quarter) and Chinatown. Some highlights included seeing the oldest Chinese temple and learning about how to enter and exit properly. There are three doors at the entrance and, traditionally, you should enter through the left and exit through the right, saving the middle doorway for the gods. The temple itself was beautiful and ornate, and the way its upkeep is maintained was highly impressive. It also had a wishing well in the centre, where you can ring a bell for a specific blessing, which I thought was really beautiful.

I also really enjoyed learning more about the street art I had seen the day before. There is one specific artist, Yip Yew Chong, who likes to illustrate what old buildings or areas may have looked like. He also always includes an interactive element, such as an empty chair, so passers-by can become part of the mural. Oh, and he loves cats, so there is always a cat hiding somewhere!

In Kampong Glam, we saw the mosque and learned that when it was originally built, the community was asked to donate to help fund or decorate the building. Some gave silver, some gave gold, but those who could not afford either gave glass bottles. The bases of the bottles were then removed and used as tiling around the outside to show that every contribution is important and valuable within a community. When we were first told this, we were too far away to see it properly, but seeing it up close moments later was very special. It was also a good reminder that sometimes it’s the simple things in life that mean the most. Whether it’s a message checking in on a friend that takes two seconds to write, smiling at someone as you walk past them, donating a glass bottle, or accepting and celebrating a glass bottle donation – it can make a world of difference!

Chatting happily whilst cycling, we also rode through the more colonial section and learned about Stamford Raffles, a British colonial official who established a free port in Singapore and turned what was a small Malay fishing village into a thriving, multicultural economic port. Whilst this was not without some classic problematic British colonialism, it essentially paved the way for what Singapore is today. There are multiple things and places named after him around Singapore, most notably the Raffles Hotel, which is the home of the Singapore Sling cocktail (more on this later!).

One of the most interesting things we learned was that a lot of Singapore is made up of “reclaimed land”, meaning sand (and lots of it!) is added to raise the existing land level above sea level, creating more usable space to build on. It was also fascinating learning about how housing works in Singapore, particularly how public housing and allocations are organised. We also passed a school that had a poster saying it uses “the rogue method” which, as a teacher, fascinated me. Definitely need to look into that!

Towards the end of the tour, we were suddenly hit with a torrential rainstorm and took refuge under a bridge for about 40 minutes to wait it out. Whilst slightly inconvenient, the rain was very impressive, and it was quite cool seeing the visibility go from poor to brilliant as the storm passed over us. We then cycled on the F1 track (or at least a very small section of it, as most was cordoned off for the marathon) before heading back to base. Because of the rain, it felt like we were cycling through rivers, with water coming up to our shins at certain points!

After bidding goodbye to Aaron, my new American friends and I headed off to find some food… and a Singapore Sling! I had been told by my Auntie Karen that I had to have one on her behalf, and I always like to follow through on a promise! The experience was also enhanced by the great views.

Once we were fully fed and hydrated, we headed down to Gardens by the Bay and explored both glass domes. It was wonderful. We saw beautiful flowers and plants, a magnificent waterfall, and they even had a Christmas train – well, several trains – and the whole setup was highly impressive, and even included miniature versions of the Supertrees!

I then stayed behind to watch the light show they do every night where the Supertrees are. As my new friends had gone the night before, they showed me where to stand so I could get a good view and not have to pay! Not only was it great to get a free viewing, but it also meant I was at eye level with the Supertrees and could stand on a wall to watch. This meant I didn’t have to worry about someone tall blocking my view, which tends to be a regular issue for me. The show itself was spectacular and the perfect way to spend my last night in Singapore!

I then went back to the hostel (via a lit up Marina Bay Sands Hotel!) and packed – excited to be flying to New Zealand the next day!

Much Love,
Sara  💛

*Part of the Malay Empire

Song of the Day: “This is Me”, Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman). As we were leaving the bike tour, we passed a public performance stage and saw a group of kids from a local music school doing a sound check and they were singing this. It’s a beautiful and inspiring song about being brave and accepting who you are, even when others don’t. But the moment felt more special as when my former head teacher at Swiss Cottage left the school, we made a music video for her to this song, signing the lyrics with the kids in makaton, and it was truly beautiful. So seeing the song being performed live was a very lovely and uplifting moment.

Hot Hot Hot!

Sara MarshallLeave a comment

⚲ Singapore

I’m so glad I decided to stop off in Singapore. It had been on my bucket list to go to Gardens by the Bay because I was fascinated by the “Supertrees”. I also knew it was an impressive city, but if I’m being honest, I didn’t know too much about it before going. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring it and learning all about it.

By the time I got to my hostel after landing, it was quite late and I was quite exhausted. I had a slightly bizarre check-in experience where I basically had to enter my details on a touch screen, scan my passport, and take a photo; it then printed my room card for me. No concierge, no human, just a machine – we really are living in the future! I then picked up a quick dinner from a shop next door, bypassing a durian stand (the smelliest fruit, with the sweetest taste!). I then ate, and headed to bed, excited for my Singapore adventure to begin.

The next morning, just as I was leaving the hostel, I ran into an actual human who worked there (I know, crazy right!) who gave me some useful tips about what to do while I was here. Some of them were things I wouldn’t necessarily have considered, so I was very grateful.

I started off in Chinatown, wandering around and soaking in the buzz from the markets and the fascinating street art. A lot of the street art seemed to illustrate the history of Singapore, which I thought was really beautiful. I also, as much as possible, tried to stay in the shade because it was HOT! Anyone who knows me knows I am essentially a solar panel and love to soak up the sun’s rays, but in Singapore, it was so hot and humid I was beginning to think I might melt!

But humidity aside, my favourite part was that within maybe 200 metres there was a Chinese temple, a Hindu temple, and a mosque. It just seemed so beautiful that so many cultures and religions coexist in such close proximity. Apparently multiculturalism and tolerance are woven into the country’s fabric, and it was really beautiful to see it in action. I went inside the Chinese temple, but not the other two as prayer services were happening at the time and I didn’t want to encroach.

After a long exploratory walk through the Chinatown District and a visit inside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (Chinese temple), I went for lunch in one of the local restaurants and had something called Mapo Tofu. The waitress was very lovely and, guessing correctly that I was a tourist, asked if I was okay with spicy food. I think in the back of my mind was a video I had seen where restaurants tone down spice levels for tourists, so I said I was. Whether they did or didn’t tone it down, the spice level was perfect and the food was absolutely delicious! What was quite entertaining to me was that I could see the American couple next to me looking over out of the corner of their eye, watching with confusion as I ate my tofu and chillies with chopsticks while they ate something that was essentially chips and egg fried rice with their cutlery.

After lunch, I made my way to the Botanical Gardens and spent pretty much the rest of the day exploring. I probably spent a good three or four hours there. I also thought staying vertical and in motion would help with the jet lag! Within the gardens were lots of mini gardens, and the first one I went to was called the Healing Garden, which seemed apt; although rather than emotional healing, it was all plants that can be used in medicinal ways, which was really fascinating. I then went on to the orchid garden. One of Mum’s favourite flowers was orchids, and she had a great skill at keeping them alive, or even nursing them back to health (clearly she was a very talented and multifaceted doctor!). The orchids were truly beautiful and there were so, so many of them! I must have taken about 100 pictures, some of which you can find on my gallery page. I haven’t uploaded them all because no one needs to see that many pictures of orchids, but if you do, hit me up when I am back.

By this point, I had pretty much been walking since leaving the hostel, and my feet were starting to feel it. So I headed back to freshen up and had a short rest before heading out for dinner. After much deliberation, I ended up going to Lau Pa Sat, which is a hawker (food vendor) centre inside a historic Victorian cast-iron building. There was an incredible atmosphere inside, with tourists, locals, and vendors buzzing around the place. I had a wonderfully fragrant mushroom masala and a mango lassi. I spent a bit of time exploring the food hall and soaking in the buzz, before jet lag hit and I headed back to the hostel for some much needed shut-eye.

It was a very busy and full day, but also an amazing one!

More updates coming soon.

Much Love,
Sara 💛

Song of the Day: As Long as You Love Me, Backstreet Boys. Not quite what l was expecting from Singapore, but for some reason every shop that I went into seems to be playing the Backstreet Boys! They clearly love their 90s and 00s hits!

The Journey Begins…

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⚲ Heathrow Airport, London

My last few days in London were truly wonderful; I was given such a lovely send off by my friends and family. My friends have been so supportive of me and I am not sure how I would have got through many of the trials and tribulations of the last five years without them, so it was really special to be able to have an evening with so many of them in one space so I could say goodbye. 

I then had an adorable send off with my niblings, and spent the morning chatting to them and just chilling, and I even had some quality time to talk to my sister too. I also did my hardest to reassure my nephew that I will not get sucked into the Indonesian Throughflow when diving – I suppose I will update you all on that later! We then had lots of cuddles, and then they all waved me off from the window which was truly adorable! The next day Dad dropped me off at the airport and then , after a very tight hug, I was off!

It felt almost surreal checking my luggage at the airport. I had been talking about, and planning this trip for such a long time that it always felt so far away but this Is happening, and it is happening now!!

I wont bore you too much with my airport/ shenanigans (although I did get through bag check and security in less than half an hour, which is kind of wild) but it was very lovely as, for some coincidental reason, I ended up chatting on the phone to several of my old colleagues. It was really lovely to catch up with them all and I felt very uplifted by all our conversations.

I then head to board the plane, and me and the girl next to me bonded over the possibility of having the middle seat free – and we did! Later in the flight we got chatting and it turned out she was on her way to New Zealand for the year. We had some lovely conversations over the course of the thirteen hour flight and when we landed we exchanged numbers and agreed we should try and meet up.

And suddenly, a very tired Sara was in Singapore!

As I left the plane to collect my luggage, I took a deep breath and smiled. I was in Singapore, I had made a friend, and the next three months lay ahead of me. 

Things were looking up and my journey had begun.

Much Love,
Sara 💛

Song of the Day: “In the Airplane Over the Sea”, Neutral Milk Hotel. A song that is seemingly about an airplane flying over the sea, but is really about how life is short so we should learn to seize the day and make the most of our time on earth – seems very fitting!