Capela Dos Ossos - Alcantarilha

As part of my job I was lucky enough to go to Portugal last month with one of my clients (I work as a live-in carer - not an escort!) and two of his friends. 

We stayed in a lovely apartment just on the outskirts of Lagos that was decked out with all the equipment that we could need. Hazel and Bryn, the owners of Funchal Ridge, recommended many places in the Algarve to visit. We decided to follow them up on the recommendation of Capela Dos Ossos in the small town of Alcantarilha. 

We skipped the new main motorway and stuck to the old highway (got to keep away from those tolls!) following directions from a road map!

We came of the highway and straight on to tight, cobblestoned roads.

As well as the map we had the use of phone GPS as we weren't entirely sure of the exact location of the Chapel. We came to a T-junction and followed the GPS and a very vague sign and ended up 5km away in a little village that seemed to be closed for siesta. Executing a quick u-turn, turns out the Chapel was where the T-junction was!

Looking up to the main church in Alcantarilha

The Chapel is situated behind the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and was constructed in the 16th Century and built on the site of the old church cemetery. 

The interior is lined with skulls and thigh bones of dead parishioners. 

                                    


The Chapel is about 4m x 4m and the doorway is barred so that the bones can not be stolen. 
 A crucifix of Jesus Christ is placed high on the back wall. 


                     

                              

                                        

I personally didn't find the Chapel eerie or scary, but that could have been due to the sunlight streaming through the doors behind me. 



We ended up having dinner with my client's family near Carvoeira and didn't arrive back to Lagos until after dark. 

Despite the cold night air that had come in, the darkness worked in our favour as we found this beauty in the middle of a roundabout coming through Lagos. 

Massive chairs!

Of course we had to take a few photos of them!

                                              

Edinburgh

Edinburgh has been a city on my must-visit ever since coming over to the UK (and possibly before that) and last week I finally got to go, and for a good cause too!

Last month I got a call for work asking if I would like to be a volunteer on a Back Up Course. 

A little about Back Up
The Back Up Trust is a charity that helps all those affecting by spinal injuries. It was first set up by James Bond stunt double and Freestyle Champion Mike Nemesvary in 1986 after he broke his neck.

 'Despite being paralysed from the shoulders down, Mike was determined to get back to the life he enjoyed.  Back Up was initially set up to offer ski courses for those affected by spinal cord injury. Over the years, Back Up has expanded its services to challenge and empower people to get ‘back up’ to a place they were at before their accident.'   

The charity lead around 17 courses a year, ranging from ski-karting in Sweden, water ski-ing, multi-activity courses in Exmoor to Back to work courses and skills for independence.

Edinburgh
I got to go on the Edinburgh City Skills for over 50s, the first time this particular course has been run.

So after a long journey on the train up from London (4.5 hours) and getting lost I checked in to the hotel and we all gathered in the courtyard for introductions. We had 12 people on our course, and everybody has a different role. We had 2 Group Leaders - one wheelchair user and one able bodied, 2 wheelchair skills instructors, 3 buddies, 2 Personal Assistants and 3 participants. 

Our ice breaker was 2 Truths and a Lie.

Can you guess my lie?

* I can drink a glass of vinegar straight
* I played basketball for the state defence team without ever playing beforehand
* I've been travelling for the last 3 years

The course included a day of wheelchair skills. We were lucky enough to invade RBS headquarters on the outskirts of Edinburgh - it's like a town unto itself! Starbucks, Tesco Express even a flower shop!

As an able bodied person you don't realise how much you take for granted. Simple things like curbs or manoeuvering around objects, carrying a beverage, even a slight incline on a road are made that much harder for chair users. 
We had two great skills trainers on our course J and R who went through some tips on how to navigate obstacles, like flicking the front wheels up onto a curb at speed and then using the momentum to get the back wheels up.

Or having a friend that has a power chair ;-)




The next day we hit up The National Museum of Scotland. The museum is housed in a grand old building looked over by this bloke. 

I'm not sure who he is, but he definitely needs a bit of a bath!

The museum is amazingly huge! Set over 7 floors, the exhibits range from a Chinese Dynasty, the animal world, science, Changing Scotland and much more! You definitely need a whole day to prattle about.

One of the interactions is driving a F1 car. Which I did. And I failed dismally. Besides that one time when I crashed, i'm a great driver (if I do say so myself) and I stand by my judgement that the museum staff have buggered up the steering on this ride. 

My favourite bit of artwork/painting/photo was this one that I found in 'Common Causes'

Can you guess which photo is of the Australian Scottish Regiment?

In the afternoon we had a bit of a treasure hunt around the city. At one stage the clues sent us hurtling down a hill the wrong way - but there was free fudge!  Who knew a 'crag and tail' meant crossroads? Google sure didn't!!

There was a bit of controversy when we got back regarding the last clue. 
'Take the ramp down to Waverley Station and take a photo that includes every team member - must not be taken by another person. hint, head towards Left Luggage'

My team and I had no idea why we had to head to Left Luggage, but we got there and took our selfie that included all 3 team members and even the left Luggage sign. When we got back, the other teams were in uproar because we outselfied them. Well, we had different interpretations of the out of date clues. Apparently the clues were ridden before selfies were invented so you supposed to get a photo from the photo booth right next to Left Luggage. We still won though! WOOO!

Selfie at Left Luggage

                     

Sunday included a trip to the Castle. I love a good castle and Edinburgh is awesome, especially for the views over the city. 

We started at the bottom of the Royal Mile and had to go uphill on cobblestones, which isn't the most pleasant experience in a chair. You can buy a contraption called a Free Wheel that clips on to the footplate and lifts the small front castors off the ground and turns the chair into an all-terrain vehicle.  

As an AB (able bodied) if I see someone struggling, my first desire is to give help. Don't do it! Offer help but don't do anything until you've been specifically asked. The course was all about gaining the skills to be independent. One of the participants is over 70 and pushed himself up the Mile without any assistance! With anybody or anything, you never know if you don't try. 

Knowing when to ask for help is important as well. One way we assisted the chair users is by pulling them up steep inclines. This is done with a loop of rope or similar. Put it down on the ground, roll across one side and pull the rope up so that it's in between the castors and the back wheel and under the knees. If you're assisting it's much easier to pull than push too.



 Edinburgh Castle
There is a bit just in front of the drawbridge that is supposed to have spectacular views, but the Tattoo grandstands had already been set up, so we missed out on that unfortunately.

Once inside the inner castle walls, the ground kind of flattens out a bit and to the right are the battlements and canons. We saw the canon that they shoot off every day at 1pm except Sundays. We went on a Sunday so we missed out but we got to see the gorgeous views.



Sunday afternoon was spent just like the Scottish do - Whisky!
I'm not a big fan of Scotch so the best thing about that was the free glass you get ;-)

Monday morning we headed down to Holyrood to go to Dynamic Earth. I love interactive stuff so this place was amazing! The floor shook, there was 'snow' dropped on us and a AI who answered the  most stupidest questions. 
The exhibit takes you through a series of rooms depicting the universe, from the Big Bang, right up until today. The rooms changed temperature from warm (volcanic era) to really cold (ice age) which I thought was great. 

I was lucky enough to grab a kiss off this handsome fella:

                                                           

Monday afternoon was free time, then we all came together for one last dinner. This one was participant's choice and we headed to Cafe Andaluz on George Street for Spanish Tapas. They were amazing! The staff were attentive, the food was delicious and the company was great. 

Tuesday morning was farewell unfortunately. I had booked my train for the afternoon so I caught up with an old friend for lunch. I got to try the Scottish National Dish of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. 



It was delicious! Haggis tastes just like the insides of a meat pie, only a bit more peppery. 



My 5 days in Edinburgh were amazing. I got to see nearly everything I wanted, spent time with some quality people and learnt a lot that I can hopefully apply to my job. 

Back Up is always looking for volunteers and support. If you are interested contact the team through the website: http://www.backuptrust.org.uk/about-us/volunteering 

This was my first course but hopefully it won't be my last!

Richmond Park

On Thursday I caught up with my Australian mate Nathan. 

It was a lovely Summer's day so we decided to check out one of the eight Royal parks that are dotted around London. 

Richmond Park is in the South West of London and dates back to the 13th Century!. It is the largest of the parks and is also a national nature reserve. 

It was a long walk from Richmond tube stop to the gate so we decided to head in the direction of the closest cafe. And lucky we did! 

About 5 minutes down the road we came across a herd of deer. 

One of the deer thought that the grass would be greener on the other side and proceeded to hold up traffic and cross the road. 

This particular deer wasn't scared of us mere humans, he came right up and nibbled my hand! He also posed a bit for photos. 

After are amazement of the deer wore off we headed to the cafe, grabbed a cider and enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful scenery. 

River Thames

Richmond Park

Richmond Park

random path

On our way back to the tube station we found a playground! 

We took one spin on the spiny-round thing before I felt ill (I don't do rides real well) and headed down to walk along the riverbank.

We of course had to take on last selfie together as today Nathan departs on a 47 day Topdeck trip before going back to the land down under as his visa is at an end (sad face)!

My Turkish Bath Experience

During my stint in Turkey I tried to partake in every traditional cultural activity - from the food to the relaxation.

One of the things that I (and 3 other girls) tried was the Turkish bath. 
Also known as the Hamam, it is a place for relaxation or cleansing. 

We walked in to the change room to be greeted by another English speaker who advised us to take the plunge and partake in the bath in the 'traditional' way - that is, get down to the buff - or our undies would get saturated and you would get wedgied.

Seeing as I only had the one pair of knicks on me that day, I got starkers, wrapped around the 'towel' they give you, slipped on my thongs and headed for the first room. We were greeted by a lady who didn't speak much any English, but she gave us each a glass of apple tea. Apple tea is a delicious traditional Turkish drink that you can get just about anywhere - and sometimes even for free! 

The lady then lathered face masks over us, it was a lovely puke green colour.

Once we were all covered, we were directed to the steam room where we waited for 15 minutes then hit the showers to wash it off.

Walking through the next door we were greeted by the sight of bush. Bush was everywhere (no boys, not in a lesbian porn movie good kind of way). I didn't know where to look! So I checked out the architecture instead.

In the middle of the room was a hexagonal bench/table. On the edges were naked women being soaped up and massaged by the ladies in black bathers.
The walls of the room were lined with benches interspersed by water taps.
It wasn't overly hot as it was in the steam room, but it wasn't cool either. 

We four sat lined up on the wall bench awaiting our turn. There were a few ladies in front of us who were participating in a cross country bike ride. It took us 12 hours on a bus! I couldn't imagine doing it by bicycle!

I was lucky enough to be first up in our posse. 
The bathing lady instructed me to lay out my towel on the seat behind me. I was standing the butt naked while she proceeded to throw a few buckets of water of me before I sat down on my towel. Then she got out the exfoliating cloth and started rubbing me down, she was extremely gentle of my epic sunburn from 5 days previously and pretty much missed my whole stomach. 

More buckets of water to wash away the dead skin before being directed to the bench on the other side of the room to await my massage. 

Finally, a happy looking blonde lady was waving me over. Again I was instructed to lay out my towel except this time I was to lay stomach down on top of it. I did see her bending knees with previous ladies so I made sure to let her know about the old broken leg (read that little adventure here).

She started wacking me with a pillowcase full of soap bubbles, then proceeded to massage from my feet up till my neck - there ain't nothing better than a bum massage! -  before telling me to flip over. 
There's something just a tad awkward about laying naked on your back in front of strangers, but my massage lady soon had me covered with bubbles from her magic pillowcase. 

All too soon, it was over and she was washing away my bubbles by throwing buckets of water on me and directing me back to the shower. 

After the shower you exchange your soaking wet towel for some dry plush ones and relax on some loungers with another apple tea. 


It was a wonderful experience and one I would recommend to anyone. I would definitely do it again if i had some spare coin. 

Have you ever taken a Turkish bath?

Cappadocia Valley of Penises - and a cave house

Walking through the valleys of Cappadocia one of the first things you notice is the shapes of the valley rocks. 

Here's a bit of a photo collage of the sights.

    

Turkey is full of picturesque scenery and I was fortunate to see some of the most exceptional sights I have ever seen.

Cappadocia is a region in central Anatolia in Turkey approximately about 400km. Back in the day a lot of the locals used to live in caves built into the walls of the valleys.

inside a traditional cave house

ANZAC Day at Gallipoli

Over the last few weeks I have been able to strike a few things off my Bucket List. 

Turkey is an amazing country, relatively new in itself, but the every part of the big country is full of history. 

A friend and I decided to embark upon a Busabout Tour in time for the 99th ANZAC Day Commemorations on the peninsula where it originated.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about (I will forgive you, as long as you're not an Aussie or Kiwi), ANZAC Day takes place on April 25 every year to remember all Australians and New Zealanders who have served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping missions. 

The date is the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire. it is the first campaign that led to major casualties.

"Those heroes that shed their blood 

and lost their lives...

You are now living in the soil of a friendly country

Therefore rest in peace.

There is no difference between the Johnnies

And teh Mhmets to us where they lie side by side

Here in this country of ours...

You, the mother,

Who sent their sons from far away countries

Wipe away your tears.

Your sons are now lying in our bosom

And are in peace.

After having lost their lives on this land they have

Become our sons as well."

Ataturk, 1934     

We arrived about 8pm the night before and made ourselves comfortable in the grandstand. All of the grass space had been taken by tour groups such as Fanatics and Topdeck laying out in their sleeping bags or sitting in groups shrouded in Australian and New Zealand flags. 

Throughout the night, there was entertainment, ranging from the Australian Air Force band to a Maori tribe dance to clips on the big screen about the history of the day - from both the ANZAC perspective, and the Turk perspective. 

                        

Us up in the grandstand had a bit of room, and I laid out my sleeping bag on the ground to get a bit of shut eye before the Dawn Service.

After a broken sleep of around 5 hours (thankyou to that can of Coke I had), it was 4am and the MC was back on the mic waking everyone up for the 5am Dawn Service start. 

We stood for the Turkish, New Zealand and Australian national anthems and then for the Ode and the Last Post. 

The Ode is a verse from the poem "For the Fallen' by a British poet and author Laurence Binyon.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, or the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, 

We will remember them.

The Last Post is a bugle call that signals the end of the days activities. It is also played at the funerals of soldiers to indicate that he is in his final resting place. As well as ANZAC Day, it is also played at Remembrance Day services. 

To be able to stand on the hallowed grounds where many of our ancestors fought and died for our way of life is an amazing experience and one I would urge all Antipodeans to make the pilgrimage to the battlefields of Gallipoli. 

After the Dawn Service it was time to make the 3km hike up to Lone Pine for the Australian service. 

I broke my leg about 6 weeks before, so I took advantage of the free Shuttle Bus (a service very well organised by the volunteers). Unfortunately this meant that I missed out on seeing the cemeteries that are scattered throughout the peninsula - I did get a free lanyard though! 

                                         

The Australian service didn't start until 10am, so we were entertained by the Master of Ceremonies till the start of the service. 

On the Slopes of Bansko

A couple months ago my housemate suggested that we get our first taste of snow by joining a skiing/music festival in the resort town of Bansko, Bulgaria. 

Good thing we chose to go because England has been severely lacking in bringing forth a proper Northern Hemisphere winter.

The festival we did was called Horizon Festival. The festival is in it's second year. For around £200each we got a self-catered, one bedroom apartment. The price also included our ski pass and festival wristband.

The first night, after registration, the four of us Aussies found a great little taverna called Salt and Pepper. Between the four us we ordered a plate of cheese, a 'bansko banquet' - 3 skewers of meat and veg, and a plate of wedges, with a glass of wine/beer each for the low price of 100Lev - works out to be around £13 each - or $24 AUD.

As a first time skier I was a wee bit apprehensive about hitting the slopes, but we booked a lesson to learn the basics.

Getting our moves on.

Our ski instructor taught us how to walk, move up hills sideways - think crab walk - snow plow and how to turn left and right.

The snow plow - or 'pizza' as I called it - was very hard to get a handle on and I definitely needed about a twenty metre radius so I don't crash into anyone.

The days were full of skiing, and every night the festival put on acts at one of their many venues. The venues ranged from standard clubs to outside stages on the slopes of the mountain. There were also a few discounts and specials on for the guests of the festival. 50% off drinks at one bar, another had free drinks for females before 12 and unlimited spirits with mixers for 10Lev (£5, $7AUD) another night.

The second and third day of our 7 day trip we had some fresh snow fall. It made skiing a bit more heavy but it turned the town of Bansko and the mountain into a beautiful snow covered oasis. 

Unfortunately, the trip wasn't all smiles. 

On the third day the four of us decided to ski down the mountain to the bottom - after much reassurance from other skiers and instructors that beginners who can conquer the bunny slope can conquer the ski road. 

I was minding my own business, skiing down the road - okay, I was going at speed screaming 'snow plow' to myself, right before I crashed into Nico, who was waiting on a bridge for me. One leg went one way, and the other leg went the other. 

I had to be rescued from the side of the mountain by the Bulgarian Red Cross mountain ski-doo. Luckily, rescue insurance is included in your lift pass. 

We drove on down to the medical centre at the base of the gondola and I had xrays taken of my knee.

Turns out I have a fractured tibia. The doc supplied me with a knee brace and some crutches so I could still get around. 

 On the plus side, my insurance company set me up with a British Airways flight home, 3 seats to myself. 

Moral of the story guys: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PROPER INSURANCE GUYS!

Brighton Up Your Day

On Tuesday, a friend and I headed down to the English coastal town of Brighton.
Brighton has got to be one of the most visited tourist beach destinations in the Summer - luckily we went at the beginning of March so it wasn't all that busy. 

The seaside resort town became more popular during the 1700s as some bloke decided to push the idea of drinking and bathing in seawater as a general remedy to illness. 

King George IV liked this idea so much he built a royal residence in Brighton - the Royal Pavilion.  Unfortunately i didn't have time to check out George's digs, although it is constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style that is popular in India. Bit of a contrast to the traditional English buildings Brighton sports!

One attraction we did get down to is Brighton Pier.

We headed down around dusk - an ideal time to snap some great sunset shots!

The pier has an amusement arcade full of different games - car racing, Dance, Dance Revolution, 'shoot the bad guys' - as well as 2p games. 
The 2p game was something new to me as we don't have anything like it in Australia.
 You put your 2 pence in a slot up the top and it slides down and tries to push the other coins out of the way. if you're lucky the coins fall over the edge and you get an influx of 2p coins to continue playing!



No arcade visit is complete without trying some of the rides. Here are the two I got on:

After our Pier fun, we checked out another side of Brighton.

Kelly's Brighton Murder and Mayhem Tour was all about the murders and mysteries of Brighton's dark past.

There was even a possible link between a Brighton man and Jack the Ripper! Kelly was very enthusiastic about the subject and was great to talk to. 

It's £8 per person and the walk goes for around 2 hours.

A train from London Bridge or London Victoria stations will take anywhere from 1 hour to 90 minutes, and will set you back around £16.

Or you can do what I did and invest in a personal chaffeur (make friends with locals with cars). Parking in Brighton can get quite expensive - 3 quid for 1 hour on the foreshore or £10 for a 24 hour parking permit from a hotel if you're staying down. 

It was a lovely day out with much to see and enjoy.