Arthur Idyllic Voyages

They say New York is the city that never sleeps but maybe you should go to Amsterdam.

I arrived there at about 6:00 in the morning in the cold of winter only to be approached by some random man who was more drunk than the Irish on Saint Patrick's day or the Germans during Oktoberfest (Fun fact, the Germans are some of the less likely in the world to actually "be drunk" contrary to popular belief). He reeked of alcohol, you could smell it from a mile away but he was so nice to strike up conversation with me at  6:00 a.m. when all I wanted to do was sleep after my long journey.

It was the holiday season so I guess I could understand why he was in such a cheery, inebriated state but I didn't trust him nonetheless. I was in a foreign country after all. In my travel experience, you trust no one enough to walk into a dark alley with them in the wee hours of the morning. So I stuck to the light and he disappeared shortly after talking some gibberish, little of which I understood but somewhere in the midst I think he asked if I spoke Dutch. I believe that I replied yes but maybe I was just too tired to follow exactly what he was saying or maybe I just wanted a quick escape from the smell of alcohol so I agreed with everything he said and moved on.


Ok, so maybe Amsterdam sleeps a little bit because walking around the city at 6:00. a.m was silent and relaxing. That was until we arrived at the Red light district at about 6:30 a.m. and some man hollered something from across the bridge in Dutch. I can't tell you how Usain Bolt was to be dethroned and my travel companions and I became the fastest sprinters in the world at that moment. Hey, I'm kidding, we didn't sprint but we sure did put some 'pep in our step'. We ended our early morning stroll after that and chilled out in McDonald's restaurant until the sun came up.

I wouldn't recommend having McDonald's for breakfast on any other day  but I admit that it was quite nice in Amsterdam and a great start to a full fun-packed day.


A little after maybe 7:00 a.m in the morning when the streets were much busier with last minute Christmas shoppers, the city was once again 'active' and you wouldn't have imagined that a few minutes earlier only the drunk and insane roamed the streets. (We were the insane... because I have no idea why we thought roaming the streets at 6:00 a.m. was a good idea).

Stepping out of McDonald's, the air was frisky and fresh and my nose burnt a little from the cold but that was nothing as the scenery was just superb and I quickly forgot the little pang of pain. The architecture was simply magnificent and some buildings were even decorated for the holidays. This went beyond the standard European minimal store-window decorations and it felt like Christmas to me.


Forgetting a little about Christmas and talking a little about the city, let's discuss the fact that people often forget that Amsterdam is much more than cannabis and prostitutes. Of course that exists but some of the most gorgeous buildings, talented street performers, great museums and shopping can be found in this city along with its' many bicycles on every corner.

Nonetheless, you're probably thinking, when is she going to get to the weed right?
Well, honestly the weed got to me before I could get to it. (No further comment, your honour! I plead the 5th.) You thought I was going to tell you the entire story? Ha ha...Of course not! They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, well...what happens in Amsterdam should definitely stay in Amsterdam. At least this part should. :-)


Diamonds though should be shared with the world. Not many people are aware that some of the most gorgeous diamonds in the world can be found in Amsterdam.  The Gassan Diamond Experience tour is worth checking out when you visit Amsterdam and the best part is... it's completely FREE!  Well the tour is but guys you may not want to take your fiancé(e) unless you are prepared to empty your wallet and sell your house. 😉


On the other hand, if you are trying to rekindle your love or just experiment a little, Amsterdam has all the toys and gadgets that a big kid would need to play around in the dark. There are so many shops with a variety products that you would feel like you're in BDSM heaven or like a little kid in a toy store for the first time. So many colors! So many sizes! So many styles! So many options!

Christmas was in the air and like many others, we were gift shopping. I think we stopped in every little shop and saw every little furry handuff and every small, medium and human-sized "love doll".



That in itself was an adventure and at the end of the day we made our way through the Red Light District once more (on our way home) but this time it was buzzing with activity.

Admittedly, there was some disappointment when I found out that you could literally be fined for taking pictures of the "show babies" who were now sitting or standing in their "show windows" awaiting the 'highest bidder'.  The Red light district was a whole stop sign. It was so commercial, I couldn't resist feeling a little bummed by the lack of authenticity. I guess it is to protect the identity of the ladies but they were so made-up that you couldn't tell who they were in any case. Oh the wonders of make-up and wigs.

I can't imagine why the major would want to shut down the brothels in this area because it is quite interesting to see and after all. How dare he stop so many tourists from being disappointed when they find out that they can't snap a photo with their favourite 'girl of the night'. (You could but if you're caught you would have to pay the price or have some legal permission to do so).

What happens in Amsterdam should stay in Amsterdam. 

Dear Travel Diary,

My experience in Japan has been nothing short of amazing!

As I write this, I'm in a bar with a bunch of drunk screaming people. It's astonishing how Japanese have the ability to be their authentic self around alcohol but very abiding to the basic laws of the society when without.

Hi there!

I will give you the name of a country and you can tell me which is the first city that comes to mind…

The country is…

Portugal!!!

Before you continue reading leave a comment of the first city that popped into your head (or you could do it at the end if you like).

Photo by Emily Morter

We arrived in Porto in February and it was relatively warm. This was great for us because we didn't need to wear bulky clothing. We needed to add extra layers but that was only for one day of our adventure which was quite surprising as it was supposed to be winter. What was also surprising was that Porto is situated in the North of Portugal and generally, the North of a city tends to be much colder than the South. Oh well, who are we to be complaining, we got pretty lucky with the weather and that made our trip all the more enjoyable.

We stayed in the more modern part of the town in a hostel called Pilot Design Hostel and Bar.
Some of the benefits of hostels include price, the opportunity to meet new people and location (they are generally in proximity of the main attractions and things that you may need) among others things.  That is what we signed up for and that is exactly what we got plus a clean and tidy environment.

We decided to travel cheaper and smarter so we took the bus into Porto. Our hostel was a few minutes away on foot so I do not exaggerate when I say that we got there quickly.

(Oh, the joys of budget accommodation and their great location).
The charm of Porto was among other things its prices. In comparison to other European countries the prices were more affordable. It was probably more affordable than Athens. Even more, you could easily access a range of restaurants, supermarkets and shops in the main square.

(Oh, the joys of mainstream European countries and their great convenience).

The supermarkets were quite cheap and always withing walking distance.

Do you know in some cities where you struggle to find a tourism office? That was not the case in Porto as it was located right next to the bus station. If you needed to have some information or just to grab a free map, you could do it there.

The maps that we took were extremely detailed and precise and did I mention, easy to use. Well, that was until I figured out that I wasn't the best at map reading and we essentially strayed off course but no worries, the locals were quite friendly and if you are like me and can't find your way when you are there, they will help you out like they did for us. Easy Peasy...

You should add a walking tour to the list of things to do in Porto. We unfortunately in the spirit of vacation missed th opportunity to join a group and take part in such an activity so we decided to do some exploring on our own which sadly did not include the history of the things and places that we saw but the internet is amazing, don't you agree?

We walked around a lot but guess what?

We took a tram!


If you want to go from the New City to the Old City, a tram is a better option than attempting to walk there. The contrast between these two cities was nothing less than a shock. Needless to say, we were simply a few minutes away but nothing was the same, except maybe... the people.

The Old City was as charming as a prince from a Disney movie.


Pardon my sense of humour. Porto is the Disney Prince after transformation, not before, when he was a slimy frog. The beauty is in the transformation of the city from older to more modern.

There were many things to do and to see there including free samples and who doesn't like free things right?

We especially enjoyed seeing plenty graffiti in every "nook and cranny". This gave life and character to the city. It was vibrant just like its nightlife. You are guaranteed to have loads of fun dancing the night away.

On the other hand, if you are looking for bars and places to 'chill', the more modern part of the city was more equipped with places to fulfill your desires. All you needed to do was take a coach (free of charge) from the Old City to the New City and POOF, you entered into a new dimension of modernity in comparison to the Old City.

If you were feeling more adventurous, you could walk across the bridge into the New city but we were not prepared to take that journey and risk having a burning sensation in the soles of our feet a few days later. (We still has some more cities to visit so being BURNT OUT and IN PAIN was not at all ideal.)

Photo by Everaldo Coelho

Another free product of this city was the sunset. Like in Santorini, the sunset over the horizon could leave you in awe. It was amazing to see from a hilltop overlooking the vast ocean.

There were so many things to do and see there that leaving seemed like the hardest thing to do but we had to. Of course, that was not before we watched the street performers serenade the lovers and us, the tourists.

This charming city will leave you feeling 'love-struck', we sure were.

Don't forget to leave your comment of the first city that popped into your head on mentioning "Portugal" if you haven't yet done so.

View of Athens

If you're in the mood to explore your creative side, maybe you could add getting a Henna tattoo to your bucket list of things to do. My friend got one and she adored it.

There are many things to do and to see in Athens like passing by Parliament and watching the changing of the guards, climbing up to the top of Acropolis, eating Greek food, having an ice cream, shopping for trinkets, enjoying the nice springtime weather,  getting a tattoo, or even being hustled to buy perfumes. Whatever you wish to do or have, Athens has a little bit of everything for you.

Tocancipá Cudinamarca

My story starts like this...

I went from Jamaica to Colombia.

Honestly, I can't remember if I was hesitant or not. I knew I had a goal in mind and I was determined to follow my dreams.

I decided that I wanted to continue to progress in my language acquisition journey.  In order to do that I needed to immerse myself completely in the language and culture and what better way to do that than to get a job in a country where the language is spoken?

So, I did just that.

I had been studying Spanish and theatre at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica when I was offered the opportunity to move to Colombia and teach English. I graciously accepted.

Despite the stigma attached to teaching, you realise sooner rather than later that teaching isn't the worst job as many people seem to think and even more with the right set of circumstances you become a world traveller faster than you can count ABC…

Wait no… I think I'm supposed to say 1,2,3...

My brain must still be on holiday. It happens sometimes since you generally have more breaks than the average person that works from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or longer in some cases.

Santander statue in Cúcuta

Danielle in Pamplona

I lived in Cúcuta, a small city right by the Venezuelan border. I had never been anywhere that was as hot as there but I was simply astonished when I found out that just an hour away in a cute little town called Pamplona, I needed to wear a jacket as it was cold.

Being close to the border I encountered some Venezuelans who had come over to Colombia in search of food, clothes, lodging and finances. It wasn't very difficult to understand their troubles as we occasionally see the catacylsm of their country in the media but I couldn't desist from feeling sad nonetheless at the simple thought of their sufferation. 

One day, I opened my door after hearing a knock and in front of me stood a man who politely ask if I could offer him anything. He told me about his situation and after a little while asked me if he could have the yoghurt which I was eating. I wish I could have done more to help him but I offered him a fresh yoghurt from the fridge and a bag of other things I found in the kitchen without hesitating. This left me feeling distressed that my daily pleasures which I don't think twice about are the desires and necessities of others who don't have access to them. 

On the other hand, my fondest memory of my time in Colombia was most definitely the trip that I took to Medellín. I am supposed to tell you in English terms about my experience but I regret to inform you that I cannot transcribe and transfer how much fun I had in this city.

Travel group in Colombia

I travelled in a small group with friends. We stayed at the Ivy Hostel which I recommend 100%. It deserves a 10 on the scale of 1 to 10 and as one of the benefits of staying in a hostel, I met a whole lot of other travellers from all around the world.

I spent this time exploring Medellín with a group of awesome people including: Egytians, Germans, Swiss, Canadians, Americans and Jamaicans.

The highlight tourist attraction of the trip was without a doubt the grave of Pablo Escobar and the house wherein he was killed. Escobar was a well-known Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist and believe it or not, a politician. Thanks to him the Medellín Cartel was founded and cocaine trade to the United States monopolised in the 1980's and 1990's.

Pablo Escobar's grave

Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on who is reading), he was killed in December 1993 in a shootout in Los Olivios, a middle class neighbourhood by Colombian national police. He was assumingly hiding out after his escape from the 'luxurious' La Catedral prison and being on the run for 16 months.

We also visited Comuna 13, a famous but volatile graffitti neighbourhood in Colombia and to top it all off, we climbed to the top of the huge rock at Guatape.

Comuna 13

Though Medellín was an incomparable bucket list adventure and experience, I also had fun in Cúcuta. I admit that I am not very keen on going to the nightclubs, dancing in Colombia was one of my favourite activities.

Food on the other hand in my opinion wasn't as good as the food in the Caribbean which I was accustomed to but I really enjoyed the beans, soups and beer in the city.

Danielle and friends

Colombian restaurant

I hope that you too can visit Cúcuta or Medellín or even Pamplona in the near future because you are guaranteed a good time, great culture, different types of foods, lasting friendships and unforgettable memories even if you aren't a teacher. ;-)

Talking about exploring, it would be crazy of me to go to China and not visit places of interest such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace for example so I saw those and many other popular attractions in China.