From high in the Himalayas, to tea stalls in the Andes and at floating markets in Vietnam, you are never far from someone selling you bottled water - offering you convenience and a promise that it’s safe to drink. You may also not be far from a rubbish dump or a river bank that has plenty of evidence of discarded bottles, making the natural environment less than healthy.
Buying one bottle of water doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when multiplied by the millions, we have one dirty big problem…
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Below sea level, at the lowest point on earth, the water is seven times more salty than a normal ocean. It’s here that Intrepid Express reader Sarah Johns enjoyed splashing about in Jordan…
“I visited the Dead Sea whilst on a trip in Jordan with Intrepid. It was incredible to float so easily and to revel in the thickness of the water - kind of like wading through smooth jelly that hasn’t yet set. As a regular beach-goer at home, I had to fight the urge to dive under and swim about, the water holds you so buoyant that it forces you to just relax.
The Dead Sea was one of those travel experiences that I’d always looked forward to. It was as unusual and wonderful as I had hoped, but not only for the reasons that I had imagined.
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We have received new flood reports from our Peruvian staff and from our friends at Plan Peru. On Monday, 01 March, another landslide affected Cuzco after intense rains had been falling on the region for more than 24 hours. The capital of the district of Taray, where Plan has been at work for the past ten years, has been one of the areas affected by a landslide in the Huancalle community and the overflowing of the K’esermayo River, whose waters have flooded more than 80% of the households, causing the collapse of adobe buildings.
The overflowing of the river occurred at approximately 3 am, when the families were asleep. Preliminary reports indicate that there are 8 deceased persons (among them 2 children), 3 missing persons, 300 affected families, 37 collapsed households, 147 houses deemed uninhabitable and a completely collapsed water system. The Taray Health Centre is close to collapsing as the water has severely damaged its foundations.
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Intrepid travellers who have joined our Road to Budapest and Balkan Adventure trips have remarked that they should be named ‘Katie’s Fruit Dumpling Tour of Eastern Europe’, especially when belts need to be loosened by the end of their trip. But they’re not complaining and there’s no argument from Katie Olsson, as she explains why she developed this sweet obsession…
“It’s such a simple concept - boiled dough, fruit, topped with melted butter or cream - yet it’s such a delicious, tasty treat. Eastern Europe is the home of comfort food and fruit dumplings are a great way to top off a meal of potato perogies, cabbage rolls or goulash.
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If you’ve travelled through Poland then we hope you got the chance to try delicious kolaczki. These sweet flaky pastry treats can also be enjoyed in other Central European countries, but much like Australia and New Zealand arguing over who invented the Pavlova, the debate of who first baked kolaczki rages on in Europe.
Kolaczki come in various shapes and sizes, round, square or diamond, and you can fill them with your favourites, such as raspberry, apricot, strawberry, blueberry and the famous sweet cheese.
The recipe…
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Eating in Turkey is as much about social interaction as it is sustenance. In the late afternoon you will see cafes filled with cake lovers enjoying a sweet session of pogaca (buns), syrup-drenched lokma (fritters), or 40-layer baklava. It’s believed that food and drink sustain the body and the spirit, and as Intrepid’s Rachel Wasser discovered, dining with local friends is definitely an uplifting experience…
“On the Cairo to Istanbul trip, we had the opportunity to have dinner in a family’s home in Cappadocia. The whole evening was amazing. We sat on cushions on the floor in a stone cavern-type room. The kids were doing their homework, the wife was cooking and the husband was stoking the fire and serving the meal. We were able to sample some homemade wine and the meal that followed was incredible!
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While travelling the globe Intrepid staff are fortunate to meet many extraordinary women who are making a difference. One very special lady whom we have enjoyed getting to know through The Intrepid Foundation is Sabriye Tenberken. Originally from Germany, 39 year old Sabriye founded Braille Without Borders and late last year she was one of 13 expatriates honoured with a You Bring Charm to China award. With thanks to the China Daily newspaper, we share with you the following story…
“Sabriye Tenberken not only developed the Tibetan Braille script, but also travelled to the Tibet autonomous region alone and founded the first school for the blind there.
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Never leave home without safety pins in your hat! That is just one of the tips that Emily Mitterhuemer has picked up from local women on her Intrepid Peru adventure…
“The people of the Andes still, for the most part, live in their traditional way. You don’t have to go far out of the city to find yourself among women in colourful skirts and hats herding sheep, pigs and cows. They still speak Quechua, the traditional language that can be traced as far back as the pre-Inca periods and has no relation to Spanish.
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In Romania Women’s Day on 8 March is celebrated much like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day in other parts fo the world. But in the town of Viscri they have special reason to celebrate their female folk, thanks to their sock-knitting skills, as Intrepid’s Linda Ulonska explains…
“This UNESCO World Heritage-listed town, lying in the heartland of Romania, has been home to the Saxon people for hundreds of years. The Saxons originated from Luxemburg and were originally invited to Viscri by Roman rulers, in order to enhance agriculture and to protect the town against invasion. They built a church, which was fortified against attack, and surrounded it with three walls for protection against the Tartars and the Turks. The village itself was destroyed a number of times, however the church was never conquered.
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