Living a dream

I have embarked on a new way of life. Travel and teach. After traveling to24 countries, just visiting a place was getting boring. I lived in turkey for2 months,  Norway for3 as a holiday trip and now I have accepted employment for a year in Thailand.  I just recently did my TEFL certification. I am From South Africa,  Cape Town. But will be living in the world for a while following my dream :))) . What about you?

Singing Bird competition in Thailand

The Thai take pride in their birds.

I was walking down to the local market when I noticed men on scooters holding a strange looking box in their hands. It looked like a cloth covering a cage. I was even further intrigued when more and more of these scooters shot past. It was then I decided to investigate.

When I arrived I found a crowd gathering around what seems to be a competition.

This is a very serious competition.  Birds are judged on their tone, melody and volume. They are hung on three to six meter tall poles or rails.

The whistle blows and owners start to edge the birds on to whistle the loudest. The judges listen to the bird that performs the best.

Once the session is over, the judges move in and give the best bird a mark. After a few rounds of elimination, the winner receives a trophy.

I enjoyed my day discovering different things and see the local culture.

Shopping in Beijing

To do some shopping in Beijing, I am told to head down to:

Wangfujing Street

This shopping street hosts all the modern shops. The Oriental Plaza at the south end is a must visit. You will also find Beijing's largest supermarket ( Dong'an Market ) here as well.

Qianmen Street

This street is more than 500 hundred years old and one will find lots of food and clothing markets here.

Silver Street

This street sports some of the most elaborate shopping centres and franchise stores. Head on over to the Guiyou Department Store and the China World shopping Mall. 

The Silk Market

It is here where the taller and larger person will find clothes. This market is very popular as it is here where merchants offer very reasonably priced clothing and brands. Keep a close eye on your wallet when shopping here. 

Salintun Market

This street is known as the bar street. During the day they sell clothes and bargain goods.

Historic streets and squares

Embracing the history of China and Beijing, alleys in Hutong and courtyards in Siheyuan is a must visit for any tourist. This area offers unique

The Nobel prize winners of peace

Are you able to identify these hero's from the struggle during the Apartheid era? :-)

Norwegian Foods - Brunost Cheese

Brunost is made by boiling a mixture of goat's milk, cream and whey carefully for several hours so that the water evaporates. The heat turns the milk sugar into caramel which gives the cheese its characteristic colour and taste.

It has a slightly salty and surprisingly sweet flavour with a hint of goat about it. 

A sort of salty goat fudge (mmm, sounds good doesn’t it).

Norwegain foods - Cheese

Fethiye - Turkey, A piece of heaven

The history of the city of Fethiye can be traced back to the 4th century B.C. when it became a part of the Ottoman Empire.

The original city name of Telmessos (land of lights) is believed to have come from the son of the God Apollo. 

It was the most important city of Lycia in the 5th century BC.

Legend says that Alexander the Great was on a mission to invade Anatolia in the winter of 334-333 BC and entered Telmessos harbour with his fleet. With the warriors disguised as musicians and slaves they went ashore with their weapons hidden in flute boxes. They captured the city during the feast held that night.

 

In 1934, following the population exchange between muslim Turkey and Orthodox Greece, the city was renamed Fethiye in honor of a fallen soldier from the Ottoman air force.

The medieval Castle, built by the Knights of St. John from Rhodes and the Genoese, still to this day tower over this beautiful town 

Fethiye - Turkey

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Amazing Places

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Flora - Norway, A visit to Paradise

Welcome to another adventure with Carol K

Flora, Sogne og Fjordane, Norway
Paradise

What a glorious morning. the sun 0is shining bright , the sky is deep blue, the air nice and crisp and the temperature warm.

My plane to the most western town in Norway, Flora, was booked  for 10.55am. I arrived at the busy airport in Bergen only to be told the flight is cancelled and we had to go by bus!  As this was an early morning flight, the disappointment for not seeing  the spectacular fjord from the air turned into excitement. Just imagine driving along the lush green country side, all along the mountains and flords! Crossing the Sognesfjord with a ferry in a bus. This became a true adventure through paradise.
The three hour journey went quick. I arrived in a buzzing Flora with excitement in the air. I was just  in time for the annual Herring festival!
This small corner of paradise was  originally the Herring capital of Norway. Once a year the locals and eager visitors descend in hundreds to enjoy free Herring for all on the longest Herring table in the world. It is noted as such in the Guinness Book of World Records too!

Herring in buckets, a speech from the town officials, a live band and the sounds of happy bubbly locals made me feel right at home. I loved it here.

I saw vendors selling their goods, children playing on the theme park erected for this festival, colorful Fishing boats and white yachts in the bay, a vintage car rally and ferries dropping off people for the occasion.


The day ended with a trip past islands and snow capped mountains, back to my hotel in Forda, a neighbouring picturesque town. Tomorrow promised another iconic event. ... the Kinnaspelet.

The Island Kinn - Norway, Vikings and a young lady

Welcome to another adventure with Carol K

The island Kinn, Norway

This is the setting for an annual play taking place on the island of Kinn, close to Floro, off the western coast of e main theme of the play is the introduction of the Protestant Reformation by the Danish-Norwegian king in 1537. The story dates back to July 8th of that year when the congregation of this little island (then Catholic) celebrated their annual mass commemorating St Sunnivaand her men of Selje.

The community was Catholic and couldn't wait to start the play when they were abruptly interrupted by the Bailiff who announced that from the year 1537, the Catholic epoch in Norway is over. From then on Lutherism must be accepted. Norway would no longer be an independant country but a province under the rule of the Danish king from Denmark. 

The community was in uproar over the closing of the church and the Priest's daughter, named Borni, begged the bailiff to allow them to at least finish their festivities as planned. He agreed to the "entertainment"

This set the stage for a story backdating to the 900's.


********

In Ireland, the king is dead and his daughter, Sunniva, becomes queen.

The viking king, Ramn, goes to Ireland and plunders the country and demands to marry Sunniva.

 In the middle of the night, while Ramn is celebrating his victory, Sunniva escapes. They flee out to sea in ships without sails, rudders and oars. 

The story goes that finally they drift up on to the coast of Norway and land on Selje where she dies and later sainted. In her honour th monastry / church on Kinn was errected by her men.

The festival ends.

xxxx

After the festival,  the Bailiff decided to give the priest 48 hours to change his faith and convert to being a protestant. With the priest that couldn't make up his mind, the church closed, the bailiff in possession of the key, the community in uproar and her father being so indecisive...  Borni, in despair runs away into the mountains.

The Bailiff returned and after the community fiercely objected to their church being closed, the priest places himself between them and the bailiffs men. A battle on Kinn would be sacrilege

They started to sing a hymn to the old church...... This touches the priest and he decides to stay the priest of the community and accept the new faith and convert to Lutherism. 

Then.........

A little beggar girl interupts everyone and insists on speaking to the priest. She had found Borni in a cave, and tells that she saw a golden cross hovering in the air above her dead body.


Everyone sees this as a sign. A has happened. 


The little girls turns to the bailiff and asks for the key ... "what will the king say if he said no to a child?

The bailiff decided if asked, he should quote Jesus : "whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."

The people got the key to their church back and till this day the church is in service.

********* THE END *********

This whole play took place outside. We sat on the hills looking down on the stage... the whole panorama of this tiny island.

Inside the church today, services are still conducted 

Beautiful hand carved wooden panels and furniture...

Paintings of all the saints adorn the pulpit.

I enjoyed this day tremendously, and it will be one of my trip highlight points.

*************

Resources :  Kinnaspelet - the Kinn Pageant by Rolf Losnegard
Published by : Herausgeber,  Printed in Norway.
Photographs : Carol Knight     Facebook : TravelonbudgetwithCarol

5 Amazing places around the World

These 5 Amazing places should be on everyone's bucket list.

Flower garden in Brussels, Germany

E' il Shah Cheragh, Iran.

E' il Shah Cheragh, Iran. The name translates as the Museum of the King of the Lamp and honours a holy man who died in 835AD

Phugtal Monastery in India

 India have many amazing places and the Phugtal Monastery must be one of the most incredible places to see

The Tongue of Troll, Norway

In Beautiful Norway, with her many spectacular views, the most amazing place has to be the Tongue of Troll

     

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