Las Fallas is a festival for pyromaniacs. Once you arrive in Valencia, you will be the subject of countless attacks of the loud, fiery variety – however, the assailants’ ages are rarely in the double digits. To tell you the truth, I’ve never cared much for fireworks. Everyone gathers to ooh and aah every New Year’s [...]
The fallas of Las Fallas
I visited Valencia for the first time in 2007. I’ve been back half a dozen or so times since, but that first visit made a massive impression. In 2007, I was introduced to the Spanish fiesta for the first time. I arrived in town for Las Fallas. Back in 2007, I was bright eyed and bushy [...]
Paradise in Phu Quoc
I don’t know where I had first heard of Phu Quoc. But what I do know is that I didn’t personally know anyone who had ever been there before. I have always wanted to do that. It’s up there with walking into an airport and buying a ticket for a destination on the board that [...]
437 years of graffiti
For all the negative things I’ve said about Leiden University, I’ve got to give it to them with regards to how they conduct their graduation ceremonies. Yep, yesterday I graduated from Leiden and received my Master of Arts. Woohoo! Unlike my Bachelor of Arts graduation in Melbourne, where I was among 300 or so people [...]
And then we missed the boat
You don’t go to Rach Gia for any other reason than to leave. It’s the Ancona of Vietnam. Nevertheless, we had a night in Rach Gia. We were booked on the 8am ferry to Phu Quoc, a tropical island that promised deserted sandy beaches, cocktails and massages. We’d already had our fair share of all [...]
More Mekong, markets and the best pho of my life [Part 2]
I’m going to plunge right into part two of my Mekong Delta (mis)adventure. For the first part, where I discovered that I really didn’t get all the fuss about the region, you can catch up here. We pulled into Can Tho just before dinnertime, and thankfully we were told that we were free from our [...]
I really wanted to like the Mekong Delta, but… [Part 1]
This post is going to come across as pretty negative. It’s got to do with the fact that my expectations were so high for the Mekong Delta and weren’t met; if you have zero expectations (and don’t use a group tour) you will probably enjoy yourself. We did have a good time – we were [...]
The other side of the story at the War Remnants Museum
I’d heard two things about the War Remnants Museum before I entered its doors: 1. It’s very good; and 2. Be prepared for the propaganda. My only wish is that somebody had also told me a third: 3. They channel their inner Spaniard and have a siesta from 12-1.30 every day. Therefore, it’s not exactly [...]
La Tomatina 2012: A photo essay
Three cheers for Caitlyn! Six months after the event, she has finally developed, scanned and edited her photos of La Tomatina! Yes, I had to do this the old-school way. I hadn’t dropped in a film to be processed in at least a decade, and you know, it was always going to be a bit [...]
A February to forget
It’s March tomorrow. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to turn a page on a calendar; I may have filled this blog up with stories about January in Asia, but in reality I have developed a massive case of cabin fever. February can be summed up with one word; waiting. Waiting for my [...]
A roam around the Reunification Palace
I wasn’t always a history nerd. Back when I was fifteen, I hated history. For some reason, my high school decided that the best thing to teach teenage girls was the Middle Ages, Meiji Japan and Ancient Egypt. Yuck. But in year nine, things changed. I got a new history teacher, a fiery Scot called [...]
About me
I'm Caitlyn, a twenty-something Australian living in the Netherlands. Six years ago I crammed my life into a backpack affectionately called 'the Beast' and hit the road, anxious to see all the world's Olympic sites. Needless to say, I got a bit distracted along the way. Today I'm a tour guide in Europe, and blog about what I love; travel, sport and food.
I’m in: Dordrecht, The Netherlands
