🙂

Today reminders to smile are everywhere, from emojis in your text messages to magnet on your fridge, smiles are almost impossible to ignore. Only almost, but smiling is a lot more tricky than it seems. In fact, there are 19 different types of smile, but only 6 happen when you’re actually having a pleasant time. The rest is related to pain, discomfort, awkwardness, embarrassment and even anger. A smile, the universal symbol of happiness, is, unfortunately, more often used as a mask to hide your unhappiness. Finding your true smile in a jungle of fakes can be an endless hunt for the right conditions.  

De-stress

One of the most common factors behind a fake smile is stress. You smile at others – colleagues, friends, family – merely as a way of maintaining the peace. Nobody can suspect your distress if you smile. It’s a form of defence mechanism, but unfortunately, the fake sake doesn’t convey any joy. It’s a smile of misery. Shake away your tensions with acupuncture, relying on Soothe Acupuncture and Tui Na Bodywork therapies to relax your body. When the tensions disappear, your real smile can turn up. You might find as well as some of your health complaints, such as sleep issues or digestive problems, have gone in the process.

Look after your teeth

The embarrassed smile, tight-lips and eyes looking away, is more common than you think. More often than not it affects people who don’t feel confident about their smile. They are worried that their teeth may not be presentable, and as a result, choose to grace the world with a tight-lip sign of appreciation. If you are concerned about the look of your teeth, you need to put your smile into the hands of an expert who can help you to improve its appearance. From straightening to whitening, and even looking after broken or damaged teeth, a dentist can give you the smile of your dreams. All it takes is to gather the courage to make an appointment. A word of encouragement: Going to the dentist doesn’t hurt.

Surround yourself with positive people

An angry smile is a smile that tenses the lower part of your face. The jaws are clenched. The teeth are ground against each other. The eyes are narrow. It’s not a smile that shares happiness. It’s a smile that expresses a silent pain. Most commonly, you’ll find an angry smile in offices or among groups of people, as it is often provoked by your surroundings. Spending more time with the positive people in your life can help you to find your true smile back. Additionally, inspiring people are a beneficial force in your life. They push you forward and inspire you to become a better person. A person who can be proud of their achievements. A person who smile like they mean it.

There are so many important considerations that need to be made when you’re travelling, but there are even more when you’re travelling with children. You want to make sure that they get the most out of the experience, and that means planning things differently to how you would if you were travelling without children. Read on to learn more about some of the important differences and the important considerations that need to be made when travelling with children.

Giving Yourself Extra Time in Your Schedule

Whenever you need to get somewhere at a certain time, you should add a little extra time into your schedule. That might mean setting off earlier because having kids with you always means that you should expect the unexpected. There are plenty of little things that can slow you down when you have to think about the whole family, so it makes sense to give yourself a little extra breathing room.

Family Friendly Accommodation

You’re going to want to spend time in the kind of accommodation that welcomes families. If the place you’re staying at isn’t really suitable for kids, your stay probably won’t be as enjoyable. Luckily, there are kid friendly caravan parks and hotels all over the world, so you shouldn’t struggle to find one. It is something you should pay attention to when you’re browsing accommodation though.

Preparing for the Climate Properly

It might be alright for you to misjudge the weather and cope with it while you’re there, but your kids can’t do this. They’re going to need all the right clothing and other items to help them cope with the climate. This is especially important if the climate is very different to what they’re used to at home. You should do your research and find out what the weather will be like at the time of year you’re heading to your destination.

Where You’re Going to Eat

Eating out can be very tricky when you have children to think about. Many restaurants simply won’t be suitable for small children. And the ones that do might not have the food on the menu that your kids want. If they have a pretty limited diet, it’s worth doing some research ahead of time and finding the restaurants that will be suitable for your whole family.

Not Allowing Them to Get Bored

Getting bored is something that kids are very good at, so you’ll need to keep the activities coming constantly throughout your travels so that they never get bored. The last thing you want on your hands are bored kids demanding you do something fun and interesting. All of the activities should be planned between you as a family before you even board the plane.

Travelling with children is never the same as travelling on your own. That’s something that you just need to accept if you’re going to make the most of your journey. If this is your first time travelling with your children, be sure to prepare and plan things out carefully beforehand.

Everybody changes. It’s part of life. While you may always have the same values, your interests will change, your taste will develop, and as a result, your style will grow. It’s just part of life. It’s the reason we always seem to look back on old photographs and always wonder what we were wearing or why we had our hair that way! Because back then, that was your style and how you chose to dress. But you went on to change and develop. Sometimes, you won’t even see this happening. You won’t really notice that your style is changing or that your fashion choices have evolved. But then sometimes, you will. Sometimes, you’ll feel as if your wardrobe just doesn’t suit you anymore, or the current phase of your life. When this is the case, your wardrobe will need a shakeup. So let’s see how you can adapt your wardrobe as you grow.

Keep Key Basics

First of all, you’re going to want to make sure that you load up on the wardrobe essentials. While your style may change and grow, it’s important to keep some of the basics in your wardrobe going. Think about things like jeans, a white shirt, a classic blazer, a white tee – all of the things that you know you can style well even as your personal tastes start to change.

Change Up Your Accessories

If you really feel like you need to change things as you’re growing, then change up your accessories. You’ll often find that the same kind of accessories really don’t always work as your style evolves. So, instead, you’re going to want to change your accessories as your style and tastes start to grow. You’ll often find that the next point really applies here too.

Invest In Classics

One of the best ways to really guide your style as you change, is to make sure that you are investing in classics. Here, you’re not only going to want to make sure that your basics are of a high quality, but you’ll want to focus on those key investment pieces too. Think about how investing in your accessories can be a great idea, as well as spending that little more on classic clothing pieces you’ll have forever.

Buy Quality

It’s also important to make sure that you are buying quality. Whether that’s women’s designer clothing or just better fabrics and qualities in whatever it is that you’re looking at all around. Because as you age, you will start to realize that you will want higher quality clothing that lasts.

Add & Remove As You Go

The key to making sure that your wardrobe is always developing in line with your own style and preferences is to make sure that you’re always adding in pieces. When you’re buying new pieces each season, your wardrobe will grow. As you start to notice that you don’t wear key things, you’ll then want to remove them as you go. By keeping up with this, you will find that you always have a wardrobe that adapts with you as you grow.

floating in the dead seaFloating in the Dead Sea was on my bucket list. Now I’ve ticked it off the list. Was I ecstatic about the experience? Hardly.

I know I could be too critical at times. There’s also a saying: the more you expect, the more disappointed you’ll get. Probably both true.

My floating in the Dead Sea Experience:

The Dead Sea looked deadly gorgeous high above from Masada fortress. It looked wonderful when we drove around it many times too. But the Dead Sea beach we went? Didn’t look inviting at all – sorry for not saying something more positive. I’m not sure if you could go floating anywhere in Dead Sea on your own. Somewhere less touristy, less crowded would definitely make the trip more pleasant.

In any case, this is just the account of my experience going with a tour company. The beach was obviously a destination that all tour buses would go to. It has a large souvenir shop that sells Dead Sea skin products as well as hats, tea towers, pouches etc with “Dead Sea” written all over them. There are a couple of bars on upper level and a changing place with bathrooms, shower rooms and a locker room. It costs 15 shekels to hire a locker. Everywhere was packed with people. People from all over the world.

It was around 42 Celsius degrees when we went to the beach. Normally in a hot day like that, I’d be dying to go to cool water. I didn’t have much desire to go down all the way to the beach that day. Instead, I felt hot and bothered. But hey, who couldn’t miss this maybe once in a life time opportunity to go floating in the Dead Sea! I travelled all the way from Australia to do this. “Don’t be discouraged so easily Yvonne!” telling myself off, I slowly worked out how to utilise the free time we were given.

Taking everything with me,  I went around and down to the beach to explore the whole area before going into the water. Someone yelled out: “Hey, where are you coming from?” Hmmm. I squeezed a very weak smile and walked faster, not in the mood to be friendly just with anyone.

floating in the dead sea

Trying to find the best angle to photograph this crowded, touristy beach. It looked decent from this quiet spot.

floating in the dead sea

After a quick orientation, I went up again, changed to swimming suits and hired a locker to put everything in it including my camera and phone. Feeling much lighter with only a towel and a bottle of water in my hand, I headed to the beach, this time, for a real dip and float.

floating in the dead sea

The beach was burning hot – you could grill your feet without wearing shoes. A fellow tourist kindly made room for me under an beach umbrella. I put my towel down on a chair, sat down and gazed at the water a little bit more. A couple of women fell on  the way back to the beach. It must be very slippery.

I walked towards the water sweating from the heat, took my shoes off right before the edge and went into the Dead Sea slowly. People have warned me to be careful not to get the Dead Sea salty water in my eyes. But sweat streamed down heavily on my face and flew into my eyes. I wasn’t sure which one is saltier, my sweat or the Dead Sea Water. It felt good to cool down in the water finally. Soon my exposed skin was burning like crazy because I didn’t put sunscreen on properly. I grabbed the slippery mud and put it all over my body. The best sun blocker ever! I lied on my back for a little float. It was super easy. You could totally relax on your back, stretch/twist your arms and legs without sinking.

After a while, I walked back to the shore, put more mud on my body and slowly made my way back. There were cold shower facilities along the way back up. I queued a little to have a quick one. The water was much cooler than the Dead Sea water. How refreshing was the cold shower! And my skin, how smooth it was after the mud! Back to the locker and bathroom on top. After a quick shower and changing to my normal clothes, I walked back into the heat. It didn’t feel that hot any more. The bar next to the tourist centre looked my inviting now. So I went in and chilled a little more before it was time to catch the tour bus back. My mood improved dramatically.

floating in the dead sea

Looking back at the trip of floating in the Dead Sea, it was still worthwhile though not overwhelmingly enjoyable. But I did what I’ve always wanted to do and understand the beach was packed because floating in the Dead Sea is OBVIOUSLY on so many people’s bucket list, therefore we’ve got to share the pleasure! 🙂

floating in the dead sea

floating in the dead sea

Israel the country as a whole is beyond amazing. Israeli people are so creative and artistic! Look at those abandoned workers’ houses near the Dead Sea Beach. Aren’t they adorable?

Want to see more photos? Here are many more posts about my Israel trip:

I loved taking a cable car up to the high desert and touring around the ancient fortress Masada.

Israel continues to amaze me and I’m so glad I made it here to keep on learning the rich history around this fanscinating region.

Masada is located near the shore of the Dead Sea, 450 meters above the level of the Dead Sea. To get into the palatial fortress high up in the mountain, we no longer need to hike all the way up through the snake path like ancient people did. A 3-minute cable car ride is all we need. Of course, the option of walking up the Snake Path is available for you if you choose to. I didn’t see anyone on the Snake Path in the 40+ degree heat though. These cable car are quite big but look rather small from a distance, you get a sense about how high the fortress is.

Enjoy the view to the Dead Sea once you step out of the cable car. The colours are so incredibly dreamy and I looked forward to a dip and float in the Dead Sea soon.

Masada was one of many splendid creations by Herod, king of Judea. It was built in the style of the ancient Roman East. “The camps, fortifications and assault ramp at its base constitutes the most complete surviving ancient Roman siege system in the world.”

I adore everything old and beautiful. People have different travel preferences. Some like watching wild life, some like going to beach resorts. I like exploring ancient ruins. Give me any old castle, temple or old side street, I could wander and get lost in time 100% content.

I’ve certainly learned a lot of about of King Herod from my Israeli trip. One clever man he was. Superbly clever. He built a luxurious palace in the middle of a desert, high above the ground. He used the geographically strategic advantage of Masada as  as refugee against his enemies. This palace was well – stocked with food and water, well – equipped for defence in case of a seige.

King Herod even brought water all the way up there to build a large Roman bath house! Imagine having a bath and sauna in the dry desert, 400 meters above the ground! My simple brain would give up the idea immediately but King Herod made it a reality.

Floor plan of the bathhouse. It is really huge!

Sauna room with water holes

As you walk around the site, you’ll find thick black lines run through the walls of those ruins. That is a mark to let visitors know that everything below the black line is part of the original construction while everything above the black line is done by later restoration.

The whole national park is simply stunning, I don’t think any picture could capture its really beauty but I was trying to capture it nevertheless. 🙂

Look how high it is. Ancient people used to climb up by foot!

Over looking the Dead Sea. Falling in love with the views again and again.

Visiting Masada is a must while you are travelling in Israel. In case you worry, the site is well – facilitated with bathrooms, free chilled drinking water, snack bars and a restaurant serving delicious buffet.

Open Hours and Cable Car Operation:

Apr – Sep: 8am – 5pm

Oct – Mar: 8am – 4pm

Traveling sometimes requires some preparation as far as documentation is concerned. We all know that we need passports, but depending on where you are going, you may also need a visa to go with it. Getting one is no picnic if you do it the old-fashioned way. You need to get off work, travel to the nearest embassy of the country where you want to go, stand in line, and basically waste an entire day for a piece of paper. Lucky for us, things are changing.

Introducing the electronic visa

The electronic visa is not new. They have been around for a few years but now is when the process is expanding. At first, only a handful of countries released such a document, but today, more and more states adopt this program. It is a lot simpler than the application process at consulates, and people are sold when they hear that they can go through all that from home.

Let’s take an example, shall we? Let’s say that you want to travel to Egypt. That means you need an Egypt evisa. Depending on your country of origin, you may or may not be eligible for one. For the sake of argument, let’s say you are a US citizen, thus eligible. All you have to do is fill in an online application, and then you wait for the visa to arrive via e-mail in the timeframe of your choosing. At the same time, the evisa will be linked electronically to your passport.

Of course, there are a few requirements you need to meet, apart from the eligibility issue. One of the most important is your passport. You are required to have a passport that is valid and remains as such for at least another six months from your date of departure. This is a general requirement dictated by Egypt’s visa policy, so there is no way around it. Even so, a valid passport is not such a difficult thing to obtain. Worst case scenario is that you apply for a new passport. You can find passport photos online as well if you like.

Apart from the passport requirement, you also need to provide a few documents for the company that will handle the application process. There are multiple companies that can do that for you, one of which is iVisa, so they need some things from you to get started. You are required to provide your personal information, answer some personal questions, and depending on the visa you are applying for, some additional documents. The supplementary materials depend on the case as well. For example, if you travel with your minor child, you need an authorization letter from the other parent. Failure to upload the entire necessary documentation will lead to a denied application, and you may end up at an embassy after all. However, if you pay attention and make sure to cross every requirement off the list, you should be able to get what you need in just a few days.

Say what you want about this, but you have to admit that it is a brilliant solution to a common problem. You can apply from home, day or night, and there is no hassle and waste of time. Not to mention that it is not expensive either. Until passports and visas go extinct, this is the best thing that can happen to travelers.

 

 

Most people commented “You are very brave” when they found out I was travelling to Israel on my own. Middle East, is unsafe for travellers in many people’s eyes. My personal experience in Tel Aviv speaks otherwise.

I was of course, a little concerned flying into Israel without knowing anyone but the airport transfer all turned out fine. My hotel room in Tel Aviv, to my surprise, had direct views to the beach. I could see the sun beaming, people running on the beach and colourful paragliders all over the sky, just like they do over beaches in Sydney. Best of all, I could watch sunset on the beach in my room! That was a perfect set up for a day dreamer like me.

My schedule was tight, there were so many places to see, no time for day dreaming. Everyday I was on a day tour to explore different parts in Israel and this country really fascinates me. One day I met Sharon, a (medical) Doctor from Cape Town, who’s been to Tel Aviv before. My trip turned out to be even better.

I was travelling alone and intended to keep pretty much all to myself. My plan for that evening was to walk alone on the beach, enjoy more sea breeze and another beautiful sunset. Sharon called me from behind on my way back to my hotel and asked if I’d like to go for a walk on the beach together. “Sure,” I replied. She looked nice and a company like that doesn’t hurt. But we didn’t just had a little walk on the beach, she took me to the Old Town of Tel Aviv and showed me around. Without her, I wouldn’t know how wonderful Old Jaffa is – that was like the best personal tour ever. And I couldn’t be more grateful.

Looking back to the new town from old town Tel Aviv – a mixed world of old and new:

Approaching the old town:

Iron cannons left from when Napoleon conquered Jaffa in 1799:

The iconic bell tower of Franciscan Church:

Keep exploring… We watched sunset together. There wasn’t a single cloud on the sky, which allowed us to watch the last bit of evening sun dipping into Mediterranean sea. And the wonderful, winding sandstone alleyways – I could walk in those for days! Israelis are such creative, artistic people. You’ll be amazed how beautifully decorated the doors and side streets are.

I’m not a religious person who could tell the religious significance of many old monuments, but words can’t express how much I appreciate the beauty and rich history of Old Jaffa!

Jaffa Port at night.

Tel Aviv is modern and fun with a brilliant mix of old and new. You can feel the relaxed, happy and romantic Mediterranean air in the whole city, day and night. No wonder it’s been such a popular holiday destination for Europeans.Note to people from Jerusalem who said there’s nothing in Tel Aviv: That’s not a true statement. Please don’t mislead your guests:). Old Jaffa is one of Israel’s most ancient cities and there are plenty to do and see. For people who are scared to travel to Israel, please don’t listen too much to the media. 🙂 It’s totally safe to travel to, even for a not so confident, single female traveller like me.

I didn’t know where Rosh Hanikra is; didn’t even have time to Google it before I went. I simple trusted the driver and the tour guide that they’d take me to somewhere rather amazing. They surely did. It was more than an amazing experience.

What is turquoise blue? The colour of sea water here is! Looking down from the top of the cliff, I couldn’t stopping thinking how impeccably, naturally beautiful Israel is.

Following along the board walk, we were about to take a short cable car ride down the cliff to see those spectacular grottoes that used to be only accessible by capable native swimmers and divers. This cable car is supposed to be the steepest cable car in the world, with a 60 degree gradient. One yellow, one red. They are easily the cutest too.

The steepest cable car in the world

The steepest cable car in the world

I was about to explore the grottoes in peace. All of a sudden, groups of screaming school kids rushed to the entrance. I was pushed in every direction inside the tunnel but it didn’t spoilt the spectacular sight.

Walking out of the tunnel, you’d be welcomed by those white chalk cliff faces and more stunning scenery. It felt like a dream.

My selfie skill sucks but who could resist a photo with this dreamy background?

Rosh Hanikra is right on the boarder of Israel and Lebanon. This sign clearly shows the distance to capital cities of both countries from this point.

Across the road from that wall, is the boarder crossing. Residing in a country so remote from any neighbour countries, it still fascinates me how close it could be from one country to another.

It’s important to pack light when you travel by yourself. It’s also important to pack wisely. Bringing the right items with you can make your life on the road a whole lot easier, so it’s worth taking the time to think about everything you need — and everything you don’t. Here are five pieces of equipment you’ll need when travelling solo.

  1. A rolling carry-on suitcase

First of all, only bringing carry-on luggage will save you time because you won’t have to stop at baggage reclaim every time you arrive somewhere. (This also reduces the risk of your luggage getting lost in transit.)

Secondly, a rolling suitcase is much easier to drag along when you’re tired after a long journey, especially if you buy one with four wheels that rotate 360 degrees.

Go for a hard-shelled case for protection from the elements and choose one with an extra zip if you need a bit more space. That said, the smaller the case the better. Most people try to fill empty space, even unconsciously, and you could end up packing too many items.

Different people prefer different packing methods — experiment until you find one that works for you.

  1. A microfibre towel

A quick-drying towel is especially handy when you plan to go to the beach while on holiday, where towels aren’t always provided. Microfibre dries quickly and folds up small, so it’s perfect if you’re on the go all the time.

  1. A dry sack

Bringing any electrical equipment? A dry sack is essential. You’ll be able to keep items like your phone, camera and chargers safe from rain if you get caught in a downpour. And even if the weather’s good, it’s another storage method which doesn’t take up too much space and saves you from rummaging through your bag, panicking because you think you’ve lost your phone.

  1. A personal alarm

Travelling solo is generally a lot safer than most people would have you believe, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take precautions.

A personal alarm is discreet enough to carry in a secure pocket and will emit a loud noise to alert passersby if you need help. It’s a handy alternative to sprays, which are illegal in many countries.

(Worried about travelling safely? Check out this list of portable security gadgets.)

  1. A first aid kit

According to research by 1Cover, 1 in 6 travellers had to make a claim in 2016, which shows that although accidents are rare, they can (and do) happen.

Hopefully you won’t need to head to a hospital at any point, but chances are you might get a few bumps and bruises along the way, or catch a minor sickness bug. Plasters, painkillers, cold and flu medication, allergy medication, diarrhoea tablets and eye drops are all good basics to start with, although you can customise this list to suit your needs.

Remember: Different countries have different rules when it comes to medication. Always check if any substances (such as codeine) are banned before you travel and carry any prescription medicines in their original packaging.

 

 

I’ve been wanting to see Egypt for as long as I remember, but never had a strong desire to explore Israel. Since I decided to go Jordan and Egypt and Jordan anyway, it’s logical to tag Israel along. This might be a once in a life time opportunity to see this part of the world. You know, Australia is so far far away from everywhere in the world.

My first day day trip started from Haifa which was different from my tour itinerary but somehow things got mixed up. It’s another story and all part of travelling adventure. By the end of the day, I was glad the tour started Haifa because it showed me how stunning Israel is!

I’ve seen the pictures of Bahai Garden on the internet before so I know it’s beautiful. On the other hand, places can look a lot better in photos than reality so I was prepared to be underwhelmed. Oh my. How pessimistic I was – the view to Bahai Garden in Haifa is simply breathtaking! I took numerous photos of the garden but wasn’t sure photos did its justice.:) From top down or bottom up, the garden is just picture perfect from different angles. Look at the amazing colour of sea water – true turquoise blue! I fell in love with the view immediately.

Israel is also a super technology advanced country. The tour bus was well equipped with USB cable charger, free Wifi. Those popular apps like Whatsup and Waze are all developed by Israel. As you can see, there are a lot of office buildings located here in Haifa. The bus windows were nice and clean so I snapped a few city shots of Haifa while we were driving away.

Bahai World Center – a UNESCO World Heritage Site

View from the upper terraces on Mount Carmel

Remind you of somewhere?

Can’t wait to share all the other amazing places in Israel!