Flora The Explorer - Page 14 of 28 -

Crosses, Skulls and a Thousand Churches: Religion in Romania

Posted on September 26, 2014

Castles, forests, Catholicism. And gypsies. And Dracula. I’m not proud of it, but these have long been the sole buzzwords I’ve always associated with Romania. Along with a lot of countries in Eastern Europe (and the continent in general), it’s been a place I’ve always vaguely wanted to visit but never really made the push to do so. But last month, people from the land of the vampires invited me to pay them a visit – and not in any ordinary sense,…

From Farm to Factory: the Truth Behind Cuban Cigars

Posted on September 11, 2014

The first cigar I ever smoked was when I was studying abroad in Florence. My friend Kath had been given one as a gift, so we lit it up along with a lot of giggling, took turns with a puff each – and suddenly I felt horribly sick. No one had ever told me not to inhale. That evening spent holding my stomach in disgust remained my only education into the world of cigars for the next eight years, and…

England Food

Eating My Way Around East London

Posted on September 4, 2014

Good English food is one of the things I find the hardest to be apart from when I’m travelling. When I last came back to London in January, I spent two weeks practically inhaling my body weight in cheese. And bagels. And bacon, roast dinners, English mustard and the delicious weirdness that is Marmite – because when it comes to food, there’s nothing like home comforts. So it’s safe to say that, after being back permanently in London for a…

Accommodation advice Cuba Solo Travel

Navigating Casas Particulares in Cuba – A Solo Traveller’s Guide

Posted on August 21, 2014

Before I arrived in Cuba, I knew nothing about casas particulares. “Flora, wait!” Esther came trotting down the hallway of the small bungalow in her nightie, waving her hands as I stepped over the threshold into the thick heat of the midday Viñales sun. “What time do you want your dinner tonight? And would you like chicken or fish?” A strange request from a woman I’d only met two days ago – but in Cuba, you become part of the family…

England Personal Writing

A Lack of Familiarity: Learning How to De-Travel

Posted on August 14, 2014

It’s been a month since I left South America. Four weeks ago, my last full day in Colombia, I was on the outskirts of Bogotá playing tejo in a giant greenhouse with a group of Colombian friends; everyone drinking beers at three in the afternoon, throwing metal pucks at little packets of folded paper filled with gunpowder. Trying to make them explode. I was excited and nervous about going home again after such a long time away, but at least I knew…

Bolivia Brazil Colombia Ecuador Peru Solo Travel South America

15 Reasons Why I’m Still in Love with South America

Posted on August 7, 2014

“You don’t know when you’re coming back from South America?!” I remember the face of my best friend, slightly astonished, as she took in what I was saying to her. Finally making that decision – to not buy a return ticket, to lay myself open to the possibilities of whatever the road had in store for me – was something difficult to understand. But I always knew that was the right plan for me and South America. The entire continent…

Challenges Cuba Solo Travel

Cars, Cigars and Casas: Understanding the Great Havana Hustle in Cuba

Posted on July 31, 2014

What do taxis, cigars, horse drawn carriages and Buena Vista Social Club have in common? Well, they’re firstly all seemingly integral parts of a tourist’s experience of Cuba. And second, they’re yours – for a price. Understanding the great Havana hustle Havana is the first port of call for the vast majority of tourists visiting Cuba. In fact, many of Cuba’s tourists only have the chaos of Havana to constitute their ‘authentic Cuban experience’ before they’re whisked away to one…

Challenges England Personal Solo Travel

After Two Years of Travel, I’m Moving Back to England

Posted on July 17, 2014

For a long time (and without sounding too smug), I've been rather proud of how much travelling I've managed to accomplish. When I finished university in 2011, I spent six months interning in London before I realised I couldn't handle not being on the move and seeing new things, so I caught a flight to Nepal for February 2012. Six months spent in Asia was followed by six months exploring Europe, before I left for Ecuador in February 2013 –…

Cuba Photography Solo Travel

Impressions from Inside Cuba

Posted on July 10, 2014

“Crickets are good luck in Cuba,” the man tells me, as he expertly winds a palm leaf around itself, folding the plant so it begins to represent an insect. His fingers move as quickly as his mouth does. We are in a car park just outside of Trinidad, at the base of stone steps that lead to a viewpoint looking out over the valley. All the surrounding land used to be filled with sugar cane plantations, worked by innumerable African…

Colombia South America

Why Don Elias Runs the Best Coffee Farm Tour in Salento, Colombia

Posted on July 3, 2014

Have you ever been on a Colombian coffee farm tour? I’ve been battling an obsession with coffee for a long time. Despite adoring the taste, the caffeine buzz, and the resulting burst of productivity, coffee also makes my skin break out, gives me the shakes occasionally, and sometimes causes a buzz that’s a bit too much for me to handle. So after a few too many South American coffees, I thought I’d try abstaining for a while. And I was…

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