10 reasons why everyone should visit Namibia at least once in their life

Africa is a big ol’ continent and I’m incredibly lucky to have visited 5 countries within it. As much as I’ve loved each country, Namibia has always held a special place in my heart and I discover new reasons to love it every time I go. As one of the most unheard of and underrated countries, I thought I’d put a little list together to tell you why it’s worth visiting the beauty that is Namibia.

1. People

Everyone says this about everywhere they go so I’m going to join them and tell ya that the people you meet in Namibia are just so so so lovely. As well as being kind, caring and smart; the friends I have in Namibia are also ridiculously hilarious.

2. Sunrises and sunsets

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Calmer skies tonight for a calmer Maz. #notthatcalm #namibia #whatislife

A post shared by ✨MARY MANDEFIELD (@mary.mandefield) on Nov 17, 2016 at 9:32am PST

Get up early (I’m talking like 5am), find a hill or building to climb up and watch the sun rise along the horizon.

Watching the sunset is equally as stunning; the colours change each evening and you’ll feel like you’re in the real life version of The Lion King.

3. Culture

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Women of the semi-nomadic #Himba tribe in northern #Namibia are famous for their reddish hair and complexion. It's the result of #otjize, a paste of butter, fat and red #ocher, applied daily to their hair and skin. It was once speculated that the otjize served as a form of sun protection and to ward off insects, however the women say it's purely for aesthetic reasons — which makes sense, given that Himba men don't take part in the practice. Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images #CNNAfrica Read more about these traditions on CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/05/africa/incredible-tribal-traditions-africa/index.html

A post shared by CNN Africa (@cnnafrica) on Dec 9, 2016 at 7:08am PST

 

Namibia has an estimated population of 2.2 million people, made up of 13 ethnic groups. They are: the Herero, the Damara, the Nama, the San (Bushmen), the Rehoboth Basters, the Coloureds, the Whites, the Caprivian, the Kavango, the Topnaars, the Tswana, the Himba and the Owambo. Visit Opuwo in the north to see how the Himbas use ochre on their skin and hair.

4. Drinks

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Appreciate those who don't give up on you! #thanxbeer #coldone #beersfortheboys #summer #windhoek

A post shared by Pierre Rabe (@pierrerabe4) on Jan 10, 2017 at 7:55am PST

Windhoek lager and Tafel are brewed in Namibia. Savanna and Amarula are from South Africa but readily available at all times in Namibia. You’ve gotta give them a try.

5. Etosha

Etosha National Park is a game reserve in Northern Namibia and should be on every bucket list. You can expect to see lion, springbok, gemsbok, impala, hyena, giraffe, rhino (black and white), elephant and if you’re lucky; leopard and cheetah.

Instead of following radios and keepers to find the animals, you can self-drive and wait for the wildlife to come to you at a waterhole.

6. Braais

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#roughingit #safariparty #lovemylife #bushbarbecue #braai #africayoubeauty #firelight campfire

A post shared by Karen O'Brien (@karenob_) on Jan 10, 2017 at 5:40am PST

Afrikaans for BBQ, but so much better than a pathetic British attempt at grilling meat outside. Braais don’t take days/weeks of notice and hours of preparation. Just call some friends, bring drinks, meat, make a fire and enjoy.

7. Ghost towns

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPAj32WBODa/?taken-at=294040452

Vogue photoshoot worthy ghost towns (yass, really), Kolmanskop is worth a visit if you want to fill your insta with artsy pics of abandoned houses and a forgotten town.

8. The landscapes

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Not quite Pride Rock but not far off. 🦁 . . . . . . . . . #Namibia #rocks #landscape #forgottenhowtospellthisplace #sundowner #priderock #lionking #africa #kunene #travel #photography #clouds #sand #🇳🇦

A post shared by ✨MARY MANDEFIELD (@mary.mandefield) on Jan 10, 2017 at 5:40am PST

If you enjoy wide, open spaces then this is the country for you. Namibia is huge (3 times the size of the UK) but with 62 million fewer people living in Namibia than the UK, there are a lot of open spaces. You can drive for hours on end without encountering another person.

From rocks, to bush, the desert – the changing landscape is a major appeal to tourists and photographers from all over the world.

9. Sossusvlei

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Deserted 👀 #namibia #🇳🇦 #sossusvlei #dune45 #sanddune #desert #travel #africa

A post shared by ✨MARY MANDEFIELD (@mary.mandefield) on Dec 8, 2016 at 10:57pm PST

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This place is unreal. 🌍 #deadvlei #sossusvlei #namib #desert #dunes #bluesky #travel #namibia #africa #skeletoncoast #namibiatourism #🇳🇦

A post shared by ✨MARY MANDEFIELD (@mary.mandefield) on Dec 9, 2016 at 5:27am PST

Who knew a visit to the desert would be so tiring?! Sossusvlei will test your endurance and tolerance to extreme heat. In return, it will reward you with breathtaking (seriously) views, wildlife, a sense of accomplishment and pockets full of sand.

10. Swakopmund

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#swakopmund#hotel#Namibia#Bizo#bizoletu#bizoletuinvestmentcc# beautiful town indeed

A post shared by letu (@b_letu) on Jan 11, 2017 at 9:56am PST

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On your way into the desert feeling like you're in Mad Max 🔥 (fun fact – mad max fury road was filmed here in swakopmund when me and Fran were on our gap year. Shame we didn't get cast as cute lil war boys)

A post shared by ✨MARY MANDEFIELD (@mary.mandefield) on Nov 6, 2016 at 10:10am PST

Feel like Mad Max as you speed through the desert to reach the German town. The ideal spot for souvenir shopping, eating fresh seafood, hopping between cute little cafes and getting your adrenaline fix with quad biking and sand boarding tours.

Spot flamingos, climb Dune 7, walk along the jetty, collect shells on the beach and enjoy the cooler weather of the coast.

---

So there you have it, just a few reasons why I might be addicted to travelling to Namibia.

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Tjazupo (right) is my sponsor child but her and Eengwi are pretty much inseparable so they both get letters, presents and a ridiculous amount of attention when I see them 👸🏿👸🏾

A post shared by ✨MARY MANDEFIELD (@mary.mandefield) on Oct 17, 2016 at 12:25pm PDT

love, Mary

x

p.s. follow on insta for more wanderlust worthy pics: @girlgotlost_

 

 

20 thoughts I’ve had since returning from Kenya

We returned from Kenya about a week agoooo and as always I’m having some reverse culture shock now I’m in little old Welwyn Garden City. It probably doesn’t help that I’ve gone to London about 6 of the 7 days that I’ve been back. Cue long escalators down to the tube (it’s surprisngly difficult get on an escalator after not being on for so long) and hoards of Christmas shoppers coming at me like an angry army.

These are some of the thoughts I’ve had since returning from Kenya;

1. language – I can’t say my normal ‘asante sana’ ‘pole’ ‘tuannai’ etc etc. I’ve had lots of weird looks as I’ve come out with ‘asanthank you’ to the guy who held the door open for me.

2. Where has the sun gone? Seriously, it’s dark when I wake up, it’s dark when I leave for work (OK I don’t have a job yet  but you know what I mean; interviews/seeing my friends/wondering around Selfridges wishing I was rich), it’s dark when I get home. It’s practically dark by time I have my lunch. Who stole the sun? 😦

3. I have so much stuff. So many resources. Why am I not doing business? How do I complain about having nothing to wear when I have so much.

4. I can wash my clothes in a machine. On the flip side, I can’t just dry my things outside for an hour or two, I actually have to wait a full day.

5. I can have a shower with heat options and everything. To be fair, I loved our bucket showers back in Kenya but it is pretty cool to just press a button and have hot, running water. Gone are the days of heating rain water over a fire. Oh and shower gel. No more dried up soap, actual fruity, foamy shower gel. What a time to be alive!

6. I can hear about world news, not just what’s going on in East Africa. Not that great because most of the news is depressing but whatevs.

7. Everyone looks like a moody bastard. But maybe that’s not UK specific, more of a London thing.

8. Why cant I get lunch for 50 bob? Wheres the cabbage and chapati? Also, totally craving street cake and pineapple slices.

9. Sanitary adverts here are so dull. Check out Always in Africa –

10. I want to talk to every black person I see. ‘what tribe you from babes???’ ‘Habari gani huns?!’ – I must remember that not every person with brown skin wants to be my mate. Not every black person is from Kenya…

11. There is so much food in the shops. Any food you could ever want (except chapati and cabbage). I spend 40% of my time standing in the aisles like whaaaaaat should I get. Even the choice of drinks is crazy. I’m not used to having more than 2 options. So overwhelmed waaaaa.

12. And all those things cost like 10 times more than they did a week ago.

13. Christmas lights and decorations everywhere. It’s all anyone can talk about. Don’t really get the hype.

14. I have my own room and privacy and now cows outside my window waking me up at 5:30am

15. It. is. FREEZING.

16. New music!!!! I don’t know a lot of new artists and am a bit confused why everyone’s loving Justin Bieber all of a sudden but still. New music to my eaaaars!

17. No one shouts ‘Mzungu!’ (white person) as I walk down the street?! Street kids don’t harass me (I actually miss the kids loads and loads) and I don’t have to shake hands to greet every single person I meet. Happy days.

18. There is zero choice of tacky posters to buy on the street. And that makes me sad.

19. There’s plenty of excess room on public transport. Nothing will ever compare to our squished matatu journeys home; I’m talking 22 people stuffed onto a 16 seater minibus. Having personal space is not an option.

20. It’s just not Africa. After a combined almost 2 years in Africa since 2012 coming back to the UK just doesn’t feel like home anymore.Not sure if I’ll ever shake that feeling! sob sob.

Kenya photodiary -Ol Jogi

Part 8 and the final part of my Kenya photodiary!
It’s been emosh.

Towards the end of our placement we planned a trip to a village about 2 hours away from Nanyuki called Doldol. On the way there we wanted to visit a safari park called Ol Jogi.

We’d had loads of drama leading up to the trip; not all of the volunteers being able to afford the trip, seasonal rains causing floods, general volunteer behaviour (towelgate dun dun duuuun) and not being able to book the safari. Eventually it all came together and we managed to go! We were a little disappointed when we arrived because Ol Jogi wasn’t exactly a safari, more of a sanctuary. Oh well, I was happy because we’d all seen loads of rhinos and giraffes by the side of the road a few weeks before. And I was lucky enough that Ngare Ndare was safari heaven.

Simba – Lion
Bear – kubeba

This was apparently was Africa’s only bear 😦 He was rescued from a Russian circus.
Cheetah – duma

Check out this crazy canyon thing!

We loved seeing literally the most random animals (they had dogs, a very tame looking cat which apparently wild, mice, rabbits etc etc) but the main attraction were the 3 elephants. A mum, baby and huge dad. I’ll never get bored of seeing African elephants, they’re just so beautiful and majestic.

Elephant – Ndovu

This is it for my film photos but I have plenty more updates which I will either publish on here or on my Facebook – Girl Got Lost. Go give it a like if you wanna see more Kenyan adventures and pics from the places I’ve been!

Kenya, it was real. Until next time.
hadi wakati mwingine

Maz

Kenya photodiary – Tuko nyumbani

Part 6.

Tuko nyumbani – we are at home.

I arrived at my second Kenyan host home about a month into the placement. Late to the party as ever. My mum, Peris is the househelp which means she cooks and cleans and generally is a great mother figure. My host dad, Stanley is a retired beekeeper and now an advocate for people with disabilities as well as helping the community access clean drinking water. They are both some of the greatest people I’ve ever met, let alone live with.

It’s not until I really think about it that I realise how many crazy good people there are in my life. Success is measured in different ways and I would class both Peris and Stanley as extremely successful people. They took me in as a ‘volunteer refugee’ and made me feel like I’d always been in their little family unit.

We had bees that lived in the walls of the house because Stanley ‘liked having them around’ and he’d happily let them sting him because apparently it helped with his arthritis. When the honey was processed, towards the end of the program, we helped to heat it, separate it from the cone then Jonathon would assist with the packaging. This meant a house full of honey and happy Mary and Sophie in the mornings when we could just help ourselves to as much as possible. Peris would sometimes just scrape the bottom of the barrel and feed us with a spoon like a bird feeding her chicks. GOOD TIMES.

I didn’t get any photos of Stanley with my film camera because he was always busy with the bees or community projects. But this is Peris.
Check her out, separating the maize she’s picked from the shamba (farm)

This is the fire room where we’d heat water for our morning showers. We did have a fully functioning normal shower connected to the main water supply but it was broken half of the time. So not really functioning then. Andrew and I both loved this room; it was so dark, dingy and cold but the perfect place to sit and chat when there was a power cut. It’s also where we sat and stirred honey in the evening.

If you hadn’t guessed yet, I’m a dog lover. My best mate in Makutano was Shifter. When I arrived, his paw was split in half because he’d got it caught on barbed wire so Andrew and I bandaged it up using our first aid kit supplies. Unsurprisingly the dressing was gone by the next morning but luckily it all healed up well. Dogs are not domesticated in Kenya and the idea of your dog sleeping in your bed or even coming in your house is a bizarre thought to most Kenyans.
Shifter’s mum. Nameless

Shifter’s little sister. She was underfed so resulted in eating 7 baby chicks. Her owners were not happy
Say Jambo to a few of our friendly cows.




Post run death. Running in Kenya was like a rite of passage for me. I knew the altitude would be a problem (1905m by the way compared to a modest 122m in Hertfordshire) but I didn’t realise what a massive problem it would be. I planned to attempt 10Kms a few times a week. I managed about 2Kms at a time. Oh well, at least I didn’t pass out or anything.

That’s all for Makutano home life. It’s a beautiful thing that we can be so adaptable to move countries, houses and families and feel so at home so quickly. That’s one of my favourite things about Kenyans, is how hospitable and welcoming they are.
2 more posts to come; Ol Jogi safari and Nanyuki town

Kenya photodiary – Sijui

Part 5.

We’re nearly through with my film photos. This collection is just random snaps from out and about. (Sijui means ‘I don’t know’. I said this word a lot during the cycle. Or ‘Mayolo’ which is the same but in Masai)

You never think about how much you do during a space of time like 3 months until you get home and reflect – mainly by retelling stories 3 hundred million times. People then say ‘wow you did a lot!’. Yeah I guess we did manage to squeeze a lot in even if it felt slow and laborious at the time.

Before starting our placements, we stayed just outside of Nanyuki in Bantu Lodge. Bantu was beautiful. There was a lake, baboons running around, horses, little boats to sail, giant swing sets, a bar, a campfire – basically everything we needed for a few days of training and getting to know each other. The days did go on a bit but most of the sessions were really engaging and interesting. Marketing, international aid, global development, personal branding, health and security and loads more.

I stayed in a room with Elsie (UK vol, 18) and Betty (Kenyan vol, 21). Betty was very quiet but Elsie and I got on so well from the start. We both kind of had the same reservations and worries about things and she was good shoulder to cry on when things weren’t going too well (I was basically a big soppy mess at Bantu. Girl probz)

The boys next door to us washed their clothes and left them on the bush to dry. Casual. Oh and at Bantu we all saw how some of the Kenyans like to brush their teeth with a stick.

Check out my main man Max! This little pup belonged to my host cousin and was only a few weeks old. He slept in a little tin barrel and loved chasing the chickens. I was the only one to pick him up and cuddle him like a baby because rightly so, everyone feared he had fleas. He definitely did have fleas because I was itchy for days after. So worth it though. No regrats.

Thanks boys for making me look like the super keen one while you’re all just chilling giving me weird looks… I promise you that these guys are my mates. Jonathan, Daniel and Peterson. This was taken at the end of our clean up of Majengo slums. It was a weird day; the rain kinda drizzled on our plans and some of the team joining us weren’t too bothered about actually cleaning up the slum but more for the instagram opportunity.

We stumbled across these camels in the slums. Random I know. Their legs were tied up and no one was about to explain what the situation was; they were literally just 2 camels in the middle of a field in the middle of a slum. The next day we were talking to a guy who lives nearby and he told us they were preparing them for the slaughter house. Very grim thought but I’d rather they were about to die than being tied up any longer. Weird logic? Ebony villa. Our home for 2 days over MPR. Emily, Sophie, Lynda and I stayed in this lush apartment while we did our mid-phase review, which is basically summing up the work we’d done so far, facing the problems we’d encountered and coming up with solutions for the future. The weekend involved teaching the Kenyan volunteers how to toast marshmallows (they kept setting them alight) and doing traditional dances around the fire. Some of the sessions were absolutely hilarious (Danielle had us playing counterpart Mr & Mrs and using Kenyan food as buzzer words ‘Chapati!!! YES!’ ‘Calvin, chapati is not the answer!’) and some sessions were beyond awkward. We had a group discussion between country groups and wrote down all the problems we all had with the other country group. Cue a presentation saying ‘you’re patronising, rude, you don’t know how to wash, your clothes don’t even match!’ Ouch!. Luckily we somehow managed to see past these petty problems and I do think we grew a lot closer for it. It was like burning down bridges to rebuild a stronger foundation I guess. Look at these LAAAAADS
‘LAADS’ has somehow been a running joke from sixth form, then in Namibia, Cape Town. It seemed to be missed with the frenchies and spaniards but fear not, I took it to Kenya! ‘Everyone say LAAAAAAAADS’

And I’ll finish off this post with a cute sunrise pic. Mountains and banana trees; what more do you need in life?

Hapa Kenya, hakuna matata
Here in Kenya, no worries.

Kenya photodiary – Walking safari

Part 4.
Ngare Ndare was surrounded by forests and mountains and best of all ANIMALS!!!! I love me a safari I really do Safari in Swahili means ‘journey’ so technically when you go and see these bad ass African animals you’re just going on a standard journey. This is what my cousin Collins and I did on my last day in Ngare Ndare. We took a motorbike (shhh don’t tell VSO) up a little hill about 10 mins from my house and walked through herds of sheep. We were just going for a leisurely stroll and hoping that maybe we’d see some of the Big Five. 5 mins into our walk I saw a little rhino sleeping in the grass. Over the next hour we saw 2 giraffes, a herd of zebras and more rhinos. Which really aint bad saying we were so close to home. All for free! //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js (There’s a rhino in there I swear.) //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Passed this Masai guy on our walk. There are so many Masais in Ngare Ndare but few are willing to have their photo taken (there’s a weird belief that it takes away your soul..). Check out his stretched earlobes and trousers over his shoulder from George, Asda. And the cheeky giraffe in the corner.

Kenya photodiary – Makutano.

Hey, Jambo, Habari.

Welcome to Girl Got Lost (formerly ‘Mary’s Project Year’ – but I’ve kinda stepped over the year mark, sooooo….). I’ve just come back from a crazy 3 months in Nanyuki, Kenya, where I was volunteering with VSO. More about the actual work later; for now, let me share with you some of the photos I took with my film camera. I love using film but it sucks how expensive it is and how valuable my camera is. So I mostly used digital in Kenya and took crappy videos and didn’t care too much for the outcome and saved my film camera for the safety of my home or garden. But now I’ve had the films developed I wish I was more adventurous with my photography and taken more pics at large community events and cultural ceremonies. Oh well, it’s definitely inspired me to take more next time I’m in Kenya/Africa/anywhere!

I’ll try and group the photos so expect a few posts.

Boda Life
This was taken from ‘Makutano’ which translates to junction in Swahili. So each town has their own area called Makutano but this was Nanyuki’s. We lived 10 mins from town and a further 15 min walk from the tarmac road. Although it was against VSO’s rules we used to travel by boda boda almost everyday. Thats the motorbike you see in the left of the pic. That small seat could carry around 2 or 3 passengers but we’d all seen bikes carrying 5 or 6 people, babies, goats, sofas etc. One time I even saw a bike carrying a cow. It’s legs were folded underneath it and it’s face was as puzzled as mine. Despite 2 near death experiences (seriously, Sophie and I almost had a head on collision with a lorry and another time my driver had to swerve off the road completely because of an oncoming vehicle) we all loved our boda rides. Especially during a night out, getting from bar to club at ridiculous speeds, nothing beats it! Plus it was dead cheap; about 30p for a 10min drive and one time I travelled for a full hour on a boda through forests, past giraffes and on a mud road for the equivalent of £1.60?!

Muddy Makutano   Our rural-town mix house was down a muddy path past a tiny church (you could really hear them screech out those hymns on a Sunday morning), a few grocery shops and guys welding on the street. Welding with zero protection equpiment may I add. Hardcore. I loved where we lived and the twice daily hilly walk because we were away from the bustle (and sometimes danger) of Nanyuki life but close enough to still get in and out quickly. We were down the road from Liki slums where we heard stories of petty crime and a woman getting beheaded. Our team leader also gave a passionate ‘don’t ever go to Makutno’ speech… Eeeeer we live there mate. But at the end of the day we stayed safe and the biggest drama at our compound was that someone stole our neighbours chicken. 50% of the time the road back home was fine, the other half was hell. The rain washed away our hopes of getting home quickly and cleanly. Seriously the path became and fast flowing river and we’d be ankle deep in thick mud. Our host mum would sigh at the state of us when we eventually reached home and would proceed to clean our boots with a machete the next morning. One evening I feel right on my bum because of the slippy road. Another time we saw a snake slither straight past our feet through the water.

Mount Kenya

Some mornings I would wake up at 5:30 am and there wasn’t much more to do than go for a run. And this was my view. When I used to live in Cape Town I could jog while checking out table mountain and now I had the glorious Mount Kenya to see in the mornings – not bad. The sun would rise from behind and you could see a clear outline of the mountain for a few hours before the clouds would come and hide it. On a really clear day you’d be able to see the snow and glaciers at the peak.

(run recovery on the grass. Soon to be covered in excitable dogs and subsequently muddy paws on my face)

Hopefully this has given you a little insight into Kenya and my experiences. I’ll have a few more posts on home life, cultural dress and lots of photos of my beloved cows. Crazy times.

Tuonane baadaye. (see ya laterrrr)

1 week in Murcia

Everyone in Murcia comments on how there’s nothing to do here; it’s kind of true but part of the fun. You’re not overwhelmed with tourist attractions and worried about not fitting it all in. It’s just chilled.

I’ve been here a week now, of course it feels like it’s flown by but then when I look at what I’ve squeezed in it makes sense that I was jetting off from England 7 days ago.

In my first week I’ve; moved in to a new apartment, been to 2 job interviews, met and taught 3 new students, done 3 hair braids, visited 1 beach, consumed my fair share of sangria and gross shots, danced to cotton eye joe with some crazy yanks, signed up to the gym, navigated my own way around most of the city, been to 1 student festival, booked tickets for another festival (aaaaye up years&years, 2manydjs, Morrissey etc!), dyed my hair, temporarily scared a few with my botched hennas, been rained on whilst trying to eat dinner, been woken up by the Spanish remix of ‘murder she wrote’, been woken up to the sound of continuous gunshots that turned out to just been weird play bomb things, been excited at the thought of Nina coming to visit, dodged rollerbladers, watched more than enough Louis Theroux documentaries, booked flights to attend an assessment day (planning my next move), seriously considered buying pet rats, met a bunch of new gals and guys (mostly english oops), people watched from my balcony, seen a double rainbow, sun bathed and generally had a wicked time.

Don’t worry mum & dad (not that you ever would), I’m keeping busy.

I don’t know what else to add apart from the fact that I’m feeling veeeeery grateful and if anyone wants to visit and join the LOLz (and you’re not a psycho…) you’re more than welcome to.

Mary x

Thoughts whilst in Madrid

Thank God I’m not comfortable with wasting my life away in the same place (I joke I joke. nothing wrong with staying put somewhere but I’m grateful I can wiggle out of my comfort zone once in a while). Going to Madrid was a bit of a gamble but worth taking as I had an unforgettable experience even though I went it alone. It was over a month ago and I’m annoyed with myself at not posting sooner but hey WHAT YA GUNA DO ABOUT IT.

I’d never been to Spain’s capital before and chose to go after my quick visit to Murcia because people (on the internet) favoured it over tourist-heavy Barcelona. I took a €15 coach and arrived to blue skies on Sunday 22nd February. I had almost given up hope of Couchsurfing and was looking into hostels because everyone I’d sent requests to was either out of town or lived too far out of town. Finally I got a notification telling me I’d been accepted by Alfredo, an IT consultant living in Villeverde Bajo, in the south of the city. Result. 

Before I went to Alfredo’s I planned to explore the south of the city. I found a train station with luggage lockers, left my rucksack there and went on my way. I walked for a few hours until I looked at my whatsapp (Alfredo had let me know he was home) and my watch and realised it was time to get going. Obviously, being the ditz that I am, I hadn’t noted down where I’d left my bag. And had very little knowledge of Madrid’s main stations. Luckily I retraced my steps and managed to find the right station after a few attempts and a wasted hour or two. This basically sums up my attitude/luck when travelling. I’m unorganised and usually daydreaming but everything’s always fine in the end.

Yeah yeah, I say this every time I go anywhere (apart from Frankfurt, I severely dislike Frankfurt), but I had an incredible time in Madrid. The days were cloudy but my eyes were feasted to charming buildings and the nights were all about the beer, tapas, gorgeous music, people and laughter.

The trip was a while ago now but I’m still going to share some things I thought of while there. Can’t wait to look back on this list when I’m 90 and think how ridiculously unorganised and naive I was.

Thoughts during my first visit to Madrid;

1- What is this Ale-Hop shop and why doesn’t it exist everywhere and why don’t I own all of these cheap ‘accessories, gifts and décor’ items!?

2- Why don’t I own a motorbike or have a boyfriend with a motorbike *changes Tinder description ‘motorbike owners only plz*. (My CS hosts car was in for an MOT so we just went cruising round the city on his motorbike. He said he could tell I was an experienced passenger ((lol I aint)) and new I was an adrenaline junkie so thought he’d go faster than he normally would with passengers. The wind was crazy and the roads were hectic at times but it was up there with one of the best things I’ve ever done. We went through cobbled streets, past cathedrals, huge government buildings and a bloomin palace! You don’t experience moments like that, for free, if you stay in a hotel.)

3- Why don’t I live in Madrid, this place seems to have the best of everything

4- Zaras here are prettier than most churches (is that blasphemy?)

5- Every girl here looks so fab and glamorous, why am I not you?

6- seriously, how do girls here look so effortlessly stunning

7- guys are even more beautiful.

8 – there must be something in the water. give me all the water

9- aw guys are so friendly here. I’ve just been called beautiful 3 times in the past hour.

10- oh no, quite a few are major creeps. Stares all round

11- I wonder why it’s totally acceptable to scream  ‘MAMA’ down the road. full on screaming.

12- why is this deep friend fish stick I’m eating and how unhealthy is it?

13- why am I standing up at the restaurant. Where are all the chairs?!

14- couchsurfing parties are expected to be totally lame and awkward, lets not get our hopes up

15- oh no, this couchsurfing party is promising. We’ve come to a lively club, free drinks all round and a fun group

16- eurgh, this german couple we’re hanging out with are way too wannabe quirky for my liking. Put down your pikachu rucksack and stop dancing like you’re in a cheesy 50’s movie.

17- roof bars are my new favourite thing! Not new favourite, they’ve always been up there in the top 5 but this place is amazing. I’ve watched the sun set and eaten 3 different types of pizza; life doesn’t get much better

18- should we go to this kizomba party? sounds like it could be cool, something different. *watches video of instructor on YouTube* yeah sorry, we’re not coming. nope.

19- why is this woman in a flamenco dress lip syncing and aggressively dancing towards me?

20- wearing sunglasses and a coat together isn’t just acceptable, it’s expected.

21- the little dogs are even cuter than ones in Paris, plus there’s a lot less poop lying around the streets

22- the only way to describe this palace and gardens is ‘freakin majestic’

23- there seems to be news reporters, police and ambulances everywhere. Non-stop drama

24- I may have found my favourite place to run. River, hills, views and pretty flowers. a 12 mile run seemed to fly by without me realising

25- whats that loud noise and rumbling feeling. *gets back to hosts house 10 minutes later* ‘did you feel the earthquake?! It’s on the news!’

26-  the wind is so strong I genuienly think theres a hurricane happening too

27- I am surrounded by the worst dressed Disney characters I’ve ever seen. Why do they keep taking their heads off and why are they here. THIS IS NOT DISNEY LAND

28- I’m an unstoppable, bad ass, confident, solo traveller. I don’t need no one. Look at me totally sussing this all out on my own. I’m a total boss

29- oh no wait, I’m lost

30- found my way again. Its 11pm, I’m in a foreign country, I don’t speak the language, I’m tired, hungry and pretty poor but I’ve still managed to navigate my way to this random house on the outskirts of Madrid without internet or the full address. I’m allowed to be proud of myself

31- why is my couchsurfing host the friendliest person in the whole world *feeling lucky and content* & I have my own room, bathroom and roof terrace!

32- these ruins are pretty darn cool. I feel like I’m in a Will Smith movie

33- I don’t need any clothes. Must stop shopping

34- just a few pieces can’t hurt; theres a sale on so it doesn’t really count

35- I can’t fit half of my stuff in my tiny bag and I need to leave for the airport asap rocky

36- lets wear ALL MY CLOTHES. So many layers that I can barely get my oversized coat on

37- airport food is the most overpriced poop. I’m so done with this. I’ve spent all my money and have no souvenirs. But I want a sandwich.

I arrived back home in Paris with 2 euros to my name but some of the best memories and friends for life. Spain was gorgeous and Madrid was the perfect remedy to any problem I’d experienced in the previous few weeks. So much love and gratitude to anyone I met, stayed with or chatted to over a very reasonably priced beer. Until next time.

Adios

Maz, beso

Amsterdam for NYE – Photo diary