TRAVEL: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - feasts, feathers and fountains

Flying into Kuala Lumpur airport, it appears as if you're about to land into a sea of palm trees, before the greenery opens up to reveal an airstrip as if out of nowhere. KL is very much a mix of green and grey, moving from jungle to city in a matter of moments. Leaving the airport, we were hit by a strong aroma of spicy food - one which you can smell everywhere you go - hopefully a good sign of a city with good food. 

The drive to the centre of KL takes about an hour, but before two long you can begin to see the famous Petronas Towers appearing on the horizon. Our hotel was located right next to the towers at the Madarin Oriental, a hotel which doesn't look like much from the outside, but very much makes up for that on the inside with it's plush rooms and excellent amenities.

After a quick rest to recover from the long flight, we made our way out into the city, which looks very modern and new with a plethora of skyscrapers dominating the skyline. A long walkway took us over the busy highways direct from the plaza behind our hotel to the Bukit Bintang district. Walking through a very upmarket indoor shopping centre, we headed out on the street, where we were confronted with a beautiful waterfountain in the shape of a tower of cups, and right next to it, a giant statue of Spider-Man in promotion of the upcoming blockbuster. A juxtaposition of two worlds and two cultures. 

This area was slightly different from the highly manicured central district, and it was out here that we saw more beggars and street hawkers. I must say, I was appalled when I saw a Western twenty-something year old woman sitting on the street begging, with a sign in front of her saying something along the lines of "I've been travelling the world for 6 months now and loving it. Your money will help me continue to follow my dreams and visit more countries!" Really, when you have people begging for subsistence right beside you, you beg to continue with the pleasurable lifestyle you've become accustomed to? 

Further along the road, we came to the street market we'd been searching for - a street filled with new sights, smells and sounds. I was surprised to find that most of the stalls were selling not Malay cuisine, but Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese; which are clearly significant influences here. Apart from this, there were only a few stalls that sold fresh fruit, and I was tempted to try Durian, the world's smelliest fruit which has been banned on airlines, but thought they might serve it at breakfast instead. We settled for some dim-sum, which in total probably cost about 20p for 5 pieces. Not quite a taste of Malaysia, but yummy nonetheless. 

We raced back to the plaza in front of the Petronas Towers to catch the dancing fountains, which changed colour and moved along to music, before heading back to the hotel (I love it when you get chocolates on your pillow) to recharge for the next day. 

The Madarin Oriental's breakfast was very expansive, featuring Chinese, American, Malaysian and Indian cuisines, along with the usual pastries, cereals and yogurts. After filling ourselves up for the day, we caught a taxi from outside the hotel to the Batu caves, at a cost of only about $7. In front of the caves was a large golden statue of a Hindu god, around which monkeys roamed. Climbing up over two hundred steps took us to the main cave, filled with more monkeys and a small colourful temple. 

Whilst the temple was beautiful, most people seemed to be paying attention to the monkeys, but I was appalled by how some of the tourists were acting around them - trying to pet them, feed them Pringles(?!), and even throwing water bottles at them. It's no wonder some of the female monkeys were hostile towards some humans, especially since some were carrying around babies. 

Heading back down, we stopped into the Dark Cave which offers 45 minute educational tours of the cave. Unfortunately, they were booked out for the time we would be around, so we went back down to the bottom of the steps and made towards the train station. En route, we passed Rama's Cave, based on the story of Rama & Sita, which for 5 ringgit we were able to visit. Inside the cave was very interesting, with statues along the walls outlining Rama's life. It was almost Disneylandish in the way it was lit up with the figures, but definitely a place that I would recommend taking a look at. 

We caught the commuter train to the Botanical Gardens, and walked to the Butterfly Park. This was a great way to pass the time, walking around the enclosure and looking at the colourful butterflies. Again, I was upset by how visitors were treating the animals, with one man snatching a butterfly off a leaf by it's wing to show his wife. Particularly in a place like this, you'd expect people to show more respect. I, however, could have spent hours in the park, as each time you'd walk round it would be different, with new butterflies to admire.

Our next stop was the Bird Park, the world's largest free-flight bird enclosure. This was definitely my favourite park of our time in KL, as from the moment you walked in, you were surrounded by birds roaming around next to you. All around the park, we walked past hundreds of Milky Storks and Cattle Egret, and each 'zone' had new birds, ranging from parrots and emus to cassowary and peacocks. Again, this was a great way to pass the time, even though we had missed the feedings and shows which had occurred earlier in the day. 

We also saw some non-birds which I'm pretty sure weren't necessarily meant to be in the park, including an adorable stoat-like animal, and a very surprising encounter with a large dragon-like reptile. I'm not one hundred percent sure what species it was, but it held a resemblance to the Komodo Dragon (although of course we were not on Komodo), but that didn't stop the family behind us from turning back in fear so they wouldn't cross it's path. 

After a successful day, we made for the train station once again. Walking around the city, it was very humid and though not particularly sunny, the sun felt strong, so it wouldn't have been a good idea to stick around for long. Following a quick stop in the Central Market near Chinatown to buy another snow globe for the collection, we caught the KL Rapid to KLCC near to our hotel. 

Showers were much needed after walking around in the heat all day, and at 7:30 I went down to watch the light show at the fountains again. There are a lot of things in KL that I could spent hours doing, as clear from the day's events, and the light show is certainly another one. 

Dinner that evening was in the KLCC shopping centre at Madam Kwan's 'Truly Malaysian Food', an establishment so heaving with people at the time we arrived that we were placed on a waiting list, which offered an opportunity to have a quick look around the shopping centre. Once in, we ordered a mixed starter platter, followed by Nasi Lemak, Malaysia's most famous dish, Beef Rendang, deep fried bean curd, and a cendol dessert to finish, which is a coconut milk based dessert with red beans and a sweet syrup. It was particularly enjoyable to watch how quick the table turnover was, with people barely just having left before a new group was brought over, sometimes still whilst the table was being cleared. Not a bad price either, as the whole meal cost around $18 for 3 of us. After that, it was back to the hotel to admire the fountains and Petronas Towers from our bedroom windows for the final time. 

My advice for Kuala Lumpur: the weather is very variable - one minute you're in humid sunshine, and the next a thunderstorm might hit. Along with your shorts and t-shirt, make sure to pack a raincoat! Speaking of clothing, KL and other cities in this region are quite conservative, so if you have strappy tops, it's best to throw a scarf over your shoulders to cover up. For temples in particular, clothing should cover shoulders and knees, so wear trousers or again bring a scarf to turn into a makeshift skirt. Absolutely visit the Bird and Butterfly Parks, and if you have the time, take a look around the Botanical Gardens too - they are majorly expansive and something that we didn't even have time to look at!

What did you think of this blog post? Let me know by dropping me a message on Twitter  @CiarasCountry and be sure to follow as there's many more travel blogs on their way! If you've been to KL or other parts of Malaysia, I'd love to know what you enjoyed or didn't so feel free to leave a comment below!

TRAVEL: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - heat, hotels and high prices

Arriving into Dubai at 8:30am, you might think that the early morning would offer a respite from the high temperatures the country is notorious for. You'd be wrong - leaving the airport, I found the temperature relatively pleasant, before realising that I was still standing under an air-conditioned archway. One step forward, and I was in 40'C heat. Nice. 

We were met on arrival at the airport by a driver from the hotel we were spending the night at, the Jumeriah Dar al Masyaf, who, after offering us cool towels and bottled water, drove us through the city pointing out various buildings along the way. Being one of the most modern cities in the world, Dubai has some stunning modern architecture, as evidenced by the plethora of skyscrapers that lined the highway. Along the way, we passed the current tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa; and perhaps Dubai's most iconic building, the Burj al Arab.

Before long, we drove up a driveway lined with golden horse sculptures to the front of our hotel, where we were quickly escorted to our 'villa' on an abra, a canopied boat which took us along the canals that make up the Dar al Masyaf complex. Inside, the villas butler checked us in and brought us to our suite for the night, an Arabian style series of rooms with balconies overlooking the canal. 

After a quick rest, we took an abra to the Souk included within the hotel complex, which is reminiscent of ancient Arabian markets (although I'm sure with much higher prices!) We bought tickets for the Big Bus Tour which, with an Entertainer pass which you can buy off eBay for $5, you can get a buy one get one free deal, although I'm sure we were still ripped off for the tickets, but that's Dubai for you. Once on the bus, we began our way around the Beach route, which took us onto the Palm Jumeira island, and past the famous Atlantis hotel. From the ground, you can't really get the feel that the island is in fact in the shape of a palm tree, so perhaps a helicopter tour would be better! 

One of the hop on hop off stops was the Mall of Emirates, which is where we changed onto the Marina route, which took us more into the centre of Dubai, passing mosques, many many skyscrapers, and the Burj Khalifa. Unfortunately, the commentary on the tour was fleeting so I wouldn't say we learnt too much about the buildings themselves, but at least they were pointed out. 

After completing the Marina tour, we aimed to swap back to the Beach tour, but were made wait 30 minutes at the changeover point, which wasn't ideal given our limited time in the city. Eventually, we were on the road again, and drove past some of the public beaches before being dropped off again at the Souk. Although not the best tour, it was probably the best way we could've spent the day - out of the heat and getting to see the most of Dubai. Having not slept for about 40 hours and feeling like a member of the Walking Dead, once back I headed back to our villa for a much needed rest. 

That evening, we headed down to the reception area of our villa for welcome drinks, before taking an abra to one of the Dar al Masyaf's 40 restaurants. Wanting something a bit different to home, we chose the Lebanese restaurant, and it was pleasant to leave the blistering evening heat and enter the air-conditioned bliss. Being on half-board, we were entitled to a three course meal, although I found it difficult to eat in the heat! I started with cheese spring rolls and falafel followed by moussaka, and finishing with an almost savoury dessert made with vermicelli noodles. The food felt authentic and it was good to have had the choice of so many restaurants. Be careful though, whilst being on half board means the food is included, restaurants make their money through beverages - we had only two bottles of water which cost more than I'd care to admit...

The following morning, we headed over to the other side of the hotel for breakfast at the Palmery. Travelling by boat as your primary means of transport, even over walking, is an odd experience, particularly in the setting of the Dar al Masyaf, whose buildings look like something out of a movie set. I felt as if I were on some kind of It's A Small World theme park ride as we drifted past stone villas that would look so out of place anywhere else. The Palmery offered a buffet selection of Arabian, Chinese and American style cuisine, even including an ice cream stand if that took your fancy. I particularly enjoyed the Honey Station, where they had honeycomb strung up from which fresh honey dripped down into pots for you to enjoy.

The sky was clearer than the previous day, which also meant that the sun was more intense, so even a short walk over to the Turtle Rehabilitation pond (via a quick photo shoot in front of the Burj al Arab - this is where you can get the best photos) was a struggle. I adore wildlife, so watching the injured turtles swim below our feet was a special experience, although the heat meant we only stayed a short while! Then it was an abra ride to the Souk to pick out a snow globe before heading back to the villa to check out, which you can do with your butler without going to reception which was handy.

The stars aligned, and our second night was to be spend at the world's only 7 star hotel, the Burj al Arab, without a doubt the most exclusive hotel I have, and will, ever stay in. Although not far from our original hotel, Jumeriah had organised a car to transport us, complete with chilled towels and water for our 5 minute journey. Even heading up the driveway to the entrance of the Burj is an experience in itself. 

Once inside, we were met at the door by an attendant who took us up to the 7th floor and showed us to our suite. I felt very much as if I were seeing how the other half live - our two bedroom suite is without a doubt much larger than our entire house back in the UK. In fact, it's such a ridiculous size that we found ourselves playing Marco Polo just to find each other in the suite, and I have no doubt that the Burj has permanent residents who live like this all year round. The suites ground floor, or living area, has a business suite, living room and lounge area; and upstairs holds a twin and master bedroom both with their own ensuites. Perhaps most exciting is the toiletries contained in each bathroom - full size Hermes bottles - again something I wouldn't dream of buying myself at home. Another highlight is the view, as each room in the suite has floor to ceiling windows; a real highlight as you watch the sun go down. This is a life of luxury. 

When staying at the Burj, there's really no reason to leave, so we decided to check out all the hotel has to offer, heading up to the 18th floor to explore the spa, gym and swimming pools, which honestly must have one of the best views in the world. What's even better is that they were deserted, and even if one had had people swimming in it, there's also a ladies only pool which is more likely to be free. The 28th floor offered great views of the city, and from this height you were able to get a better idea of the shape of the Palm Jumeira. A panoramic elevator then brought us swiftly down to the ground floor, and we walked out to the infinity pool before the heat got too much. Why anyone would choose to swim outside when you have the upper pools with better views, and more importantly, shade and air conditioning is beyond me! 

We'd also organised a tour of the hotel's restaurants, as advertised in the brochure, so were shown around a variety of eating establishments, each offering different types of cuisine. What was particularly enjoyable was how different the design of each of the restaurants and their entrances were - you'd step out of the elevator and feel like you were in a different hotel from the one you'd been in on the floor below. 

We headed back to the room to enjoy a full size chocolate cake which had been delivered to the room for my parents anniversary (along with a beautiful bouquet of roses) If you ever head to the Burj, plan it for a special occasion as you're well looked after - although you're well looked after anyway, as we were interrupted mid-cake by the floor Butler bringing afternoon snacks. 

At 7pm, we headed down to the ground floor restaurant Sahn Eddar. I thought this would be where we would be having dinner, but we were in for a treat - a 5 course culinary flight, with each course served in a different restaurant. The pre-starter was served in Sahn Eddar, a modern international lounge restaurant. Our first starter was then downstairs in Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara, the restaurant I was most excited for, as it contains a huge aquarium in the centre of the restaurant, around which the tables are arranged. I could easily have passed hours staring at the stunning tropical fish swimming by - an absolutely brilliant experience. The second starter was served in the hotel's Asian restaurant Junsui, before moving on for the main course at Al Muntaha on the 27th floor, with beautiful views over the Palm Jumiera. We walked round to the other side of the building for dessert and cocktails at the Skyview Bar, which offered views of the Burj Khalifa off in the distance. We were then surprised with another chocolate cake and flowers for my parents anniversary - I told you they look after you well! The food for each course was utterly excellent, and a fantastic way to try the best of what the Burj has to offer.

By the time we were finished dinner, it was after midnight, so we stepped outside to admire the Burj lit up at night. Despite being the middle of the night, it was still 35'C outside! It was then back to our suite where they had made our beds, complete with single stem roses, bottles of cuticle cream, and pillows we had previously ordered from the dedicated 'Pillow Menu'. A recipe for a good nights sleep.

The following morning, breakfast was at the ground floor restaurant. Whilst the previous day had had ice cream, this had a chocolate fountain. Needless to say you wouldn't be going hungry. After checking out, we moved down to a Royal Cabana next to the infinity pool. I pulled one of the sunbeds inside the cabana (better that than sit out in the 44'C heat) and spent the rest of the day relaxing. 

Our last Dubai experience was visiting the Talise Spa on the 18th floor for a Wellbeing massage - 55 minutes of top quality relaxation. I also doubt the view can be beat by any spas elsewhere in the world, as from my room you could gaze across the Arabian Sea. After finishing the day waiting in vain for the dancing fountains we had been told would occur in the Burj lobby, we were picked up and taken to the airport to say our finals goodbyes to this city of glitz and glamour.

My recommendations for Dubai: if shopping and sunbathing aren't your thing, I wouldn't pick Dubai as the main destination for your holiday. 2 days was just long enough for us to see the city and get in enough relaxation, but I think any more and we'd have been bored. Plan mainly indoor activities, as the heat really is too much - 10 minutes cumulative in the sun was enough for me! Finally, embrace the luxury. Everything is over the top in a Vegas like manner, but that's part of the charm. It's like Marmite: you love it or hate it. I felt a little bit of both.

Did you enjoy this blog? Make sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry - there's lots more blogs like this coming soon! Also be sure to let me know in the comments what you enjoyed doing in Dubai if you've visited, or what you would do if you went and I'll be sure to check it out next time I'm there!

Concert Review: MADDIE & TAE, Koko, London

Going to concerts is always a lot of fun, but somehow whenever Maddie & Tae are involved it’s always a bit more fun. I started the night by heading backstage to say hi to the girls and update my photo with them (last time was C2C 2015!) and can confirm that both girls are absolute sweethearts, both on and off stage. You can’t help but like them.

I rushed back inside to catch the end of opening act Frankie Davies’ set – she’d been recommended to me on Twitter a number of times so I was very excited to finally see her live. She certainly has a lot of charisma, laughing along with the crowd and encouraging us to help sing on final track Shivers. From what I saw, she has a beautiful pure voice, and I look forward to seeing more of her soon. Great choice for an opener!

Maddie & Tae’s set began with Brothers Osborne It Ain’t My Fault blaring through the speakers which had us all singing along within seconds – we were definitely in the mood to have a good time. The girls appeared on stage and began with Your Side of Town, having a great deal of fun and both rocking out on guitar. It’s clear these two are young superstars.

The chemistry between the duo is undeniable, and as they sang Right Here, Right Now, they would look and smile at one another making it clear how fun it must be being on stage every night with your best friend. M&T prove themselves as queens of satirical songs as we moved onto Sierra with lyrics like “A heart of pure gold is something very rare / And the only one she has is on that necklace that she wears” and “I hope that I'm around when you get knocked up or knocked down.”

Both girls had the chance to show off their unique talents, Tae on guitar and Maddie’s stunning vocals which shone through on Waiting on a Plane. However, I’m sure the crowd would have happily sang the whole show themselves as was made clear when Maddie pointed her mic into the audience during No Place Like You and the crowd heartily took over.

I was impressed to see fans even knew the words to some of the duo’s unreleased tracks from their upcoming album such as We’re Gonna Get There. As the girls don’t tour the UK as often as they do the US, they offered us sneak peeks of new songs which suggest there’s a lot to look forward to on M&T2. I particularly enjoyed the sultry Why You Looking At Me Like That which I can’t wait to hear on the new record.

More new songs came in the form of Welcome to the Club, an upbeat song which somehow makes heartbreak and all the pain that comes with it sound fun, and Growing which details the ups and downs they’ve experienced over the past year – brilliant storytelling and a key component of great country music.

Perhaps my favourite moment of the night was when the girls covered Niall Horan’s Slow Hands which was utterly fantastic and dare I say even better than the original. I’ve spent all morning trying to find a YouTube link to prove it to you but with no luck – hopefully we’ll hear it again soon!

Whilst that was my favourite song of the night, the duo also got to play theirs, with Maddie choosing Downside of Growing Up which generated a huge cheer from the audience, whose age ranged from mid-teens to elderly couples – now that’s how you know your music speaks to a wide range of people. Tae’s choice came from the new album, a lilting ballad called Walk In Her Heels discussing how hard it is to see the person you like with someone new. I told you you have a lot to look forward to on the upcoming album!

Maddie & Tae showed off their rocky side on Smoke, jamming along with their brilliant band and making sure everyone was singing as loud as they were. I kid you not, when they began to play one of their top-selling songs Fly the crowd was singing louder than the girls were – it was magical. I loved the easy transition into Coldplay’s Fix You which meant that even if you weren’t a fan of Maddie & Tae (which I’m sure was not applicable to anyone in the audience) you could still sing along at the top of your lungs. No one was not having a good time.

The main set ended with more fun songs including new songs Blame It On The Tree with great lyrics like “My roots run way too deep to be pulling them up / They're stuck where they oughta be / You can't just bury what's hereditary / So don't blame it on the apple, blame it on the tree”, Just Fine, and of course the original sassy Girl In A Country Song. Each of these highlighted to me just how great songwriters the duo are, especially given their young ages. I find it hard enough to write a coherent review, let alone catchy, meaningful and fun lyrics!

As they left the stage, the room was filled with love for what had been a brilliant show, but we weren’t ready to go yet. Maddie came back on stage and asked the crowd “Do y’all have time for two more songs?” (like we were going to say no!) and we finished up with sweet ballad Somebody Will and the thoroughly enjoyable and well-written (when they were only 16 years old, would you believe it!) Shut Up and Fish. I left with a smile from ear to ear.

The last word I wrote in my review notes was ‘FUN’ and that sums up everything Maddie & Tae’s concert was for me – the girls, their songs and their performance were all so much fun, and it was easily one of the most enjoyable nights I’ve had at a gig so far. Don’t miss them next time they’re here!

What’s the most enjoyable concert you’ve been to? Let me know on Twitter @CiarasCountry or in the comments! I love to hear anything and everything music related so be sure to let me know who your favourite artists are, what your favourite albums are, and what you’re listening to right now. More reviews and interviews coming soon!

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Concert Review: MIRANDA LAMBERT, Eventim Apollo, London

It was a Wednesday evening, and I was tired. What better way to wake myself up than a country music concert? And not just any country concert at that, but the Queen of Country herself, Miranda Lambert. To be honest, I was surprised that the event was talking place at the Eventim Apollo, one of London’s medium size venues. She could easily sell out the O2 as many of her counterparts have done before.

Kicking the night off was Ward Thomas, who started their set with a literal bang as drum beats filled the speakers. Their set was much the same as usual (and you can read more of my Ward Thomas reviews here and here) but with the addition of new song Breathe In, a gentle acoustic track which I found a welcome break from many of their poppy, ‘clap-along’ songs like Boomerang and Cartwheels. What the new song did well was highlight their impressive vocals, so I’m interested to see what their next album holds. Nevertheless, it was clear that they are crowd favourites as each song ended with raucous applause and standing ovations from some.

The standing continued, and didn’t stop, when Miranda hit the stage – her music is not the type you want to sit down during – instead the crowd were dancing and swaying to each song, an energy I love to see at any kind of concert. She walked on exuding cool vibes in a blue fringed top and blue guitar complete with diamond strap before launching into Fastest Girl In Town. Given that this was the ‘Highway Vagabond’ Tour, I had anticipated that most of the songs would be from her latest (absolutely brilliant) album ‘The Weight of These Wings’ but the set appeared to be more of a Greatest Hits type. I can’t say I minded at all.

We hit real nostalgia in second song Kerosene released when she was only 21 years old so it was nice to see her old songs still getting a lot of love from the crowd. Just in case we forgot what kind of gig we were at, we were greeted with a hearty ‘Hey y’all’ and a good old drinking song – Heart Like Mine. Looking around, not one person wasn’t singing, true dedication to a country legend.

The next section of the set was dedicated to ‘The Weight of These Wings’ beginning with Highway Vagabond, We Should Be Friends and my favourite song of the night Vice which somehow made more sense to me when sung live than it had ever done before. All the time, Miranda looked like she was enjoying herself, working the stage and getting the audience to join in with choruses.

If I had to use one word to describe the concert, it would be ‘powerful’ and this was particularly evident in strong songs like Baggage Claim, Over You (a song which breaks my heart every time I hear it) and All Kinds of Kinds. Raw emotion ballad The House That Built Me generated the biggest cheer, and again, made it clear that such songs were of real importance to events that had affected Miranda in the past. Whilst her latest album is varied in itself, getting to hear tracks from her entire discography proved how versatile an artist she is, dealing with any content and style that she wants.

The pace picked up again with Pink Sunglasses in which her cool outfit was completed by a pair of (definitely more than $9.99) pink sunglasses. This was a song a lot of us had been waiting for, and audience members hastily pulled their own pink sunglasses out of bags to join in the fun. The party continued as Miranda poured herself a glass of whiskey and invited us to toast to failure and when things go bad. She quoted her own divorce, a little bit of drinking too much, and then things getting better – no song better to follow this speech than Ugly Lights which transitioned halfway through into the brilliantly fun Mama’s Broken Heart. Here, she showed her crazy (watch the music video, it’s fantastic) as did we all. We’d come out to have a good time and she wasn’t disappointing.

One thing I always appreciate at gigs is when artists introduce their bands, but Miranda went beyond, referring to them as ‘family’ and encouraging huge cheers for everyone even if we didn’t know where they were from. This request was obliged but backing singer Gwen Sebastian (you might recognise the name from Blake Shelton’s My Eyes) got a mega cheer, and the cheer for her Essex-born steel guitar player went on for a good two minutes.

Moreover, the stage was let over to Gwen briefly to sing her new single Cadillac, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen at a concert before which was really lovely. We were inundated with special guest singers as Miranda’s boyfriend Anderson East then appeared on stage to duet Getaway Driver, but in a very different manner to how I’d heard it before – much slower with Anderson singing with an almost tortured expression. They clearly bring out creativity in each other and it was nice to watch their chemistry.

Next up was the second song of Miranda’s I’d heard – Automatic (I know, I was late to the party), a song I was really glad made it on to the setlist given her plethora of tracks to choose from. This was followed by the first song of hers I’d heard and admittedly hadn’t liked too much – Little Red Wagon – perhaps it’s always been a bit too rocky for me, but honestly, the way she performed it made it so enjoyable I found myself getting a new appreciation for it as I left the gig.

The main set ended with two edgy and very fun songs, White Liar and Gunpowder and Lead, the latter of which I hadn’t realised had been written in response to Miranda meeting domestic violence victims – definitely changes the way I think about it! The band then left the stage but thankfully not for to long as Miranda then returned to ask us to wish her parents a happy 39^th wedding anniversary via video and then dedicated her penultimate song to them for encouraging her to pursue music. This was what I’d been waiting for, my favourite song of the moment, Tin Man, and it couldn’t have been more perfect with just Miranda and her guitar.

The band wasn’t forgotten though, and everyone came back on stage to sing Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, highlighting their instrumental talents and vocals. By the end of the night, I was fully awake and happy from a thoroughly enjoyable gig. This may have only been her second time playing in the UK, but as long as she keeps coming back, we’ll keep spending money to go to more country gigs!

I hope you enjoyed my review! If you’re a fan of Miranda or Ward Thomas, or saw them on tour, I’d love to know what you thought. There’s lots more reviews and interviews to come so be sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry and drop me a message with your comments or what gigs you think I should head to next!

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TRAVEL: Merida, Mexico - townhouses, temples and tortillas

Travelling to Merida, Mexico, isn’t the easiest thing to do, particularly when travelling from a regional airport like Newcastle. My journey began early on a Sunday morning, where I caught a flight from Newcastle to Heathrow, and then from Heathrow to Mexico City. Bare in mind, travelling from the UK to Mexico takes a whopping eleven hours, so make sure you have something to entertain you on the flight, or comfortable things to sleep in!

Mexico City has to be one of the most confusing airports I’ve ever set foot in – it’s effectively a long corridor on two levels with no obvious directions. My advice: print out directions for inside the airport before you go so you know where you need to check in and the like! Luckily, I’d done this with direction for The Courtyard by Marriott hotel where I was spending the night before my final flight the next day, although it did still take me a good fifteen minutes to make my way there.

Jetlag wasn’t on my side, so it was an early start (luckily they start serving breakfast at 5am) and my first taste of Mexican food was excellent – refried beans, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, chilaquiles (tortillas topped with red or green sauce and cheese) and tlacoyo (black corn tortillas with cheese and chilli). They also had a great selection of waffles, hotcakes, omelettes and breads, so you certainly wouldn’t be going hungry!

Giving myself enough time to get lost again, I headed back into the airport to check in for my Interjet flight to Merida, and was glad I’d given myself the extra time as the queue for check-in was humungous. Don’t worry if you don’t have time for breakfast as the airport itself is lined with hundreds of stalls selling traditional Mexican food, and believe me when I say the food is good.

You’ll also have plenty of chances to practice your Spanish if you wish – I was asked at check-in if I spoke Spanish, to which I replied “un poco,” and was the conversation then proceeded completely in Spanish. (Yo entiendo mas que puedo hablar). A short while later, I was engaged in Spanish conversation with someone in the waiting room – Mexicans are very friendly!

My primary reason for visiting Merida was to attending the International Student Energy Summit, a biennial conference which invites students from across the globe to some exciting location (last time it was held in Bali) to hear from leaders in the field and engage with likeminded students. I was collected at the airport by members of the SES team and driven to my hotel for my time in Merida, the Hampton Inn by Hilton. Getting out of the van, the heat hit like a tonne of bricks, and it wasn’t even the ‘hot hot’ season! Sunscreen is a must.

Having a bit of downtime before the conference began, I headed across the road to admire the natural beauty of Costco. You heard right. This Costco, however, was different to most in the fact that it has a cenote, naturally occurring sinkholes which are connected by underground caves spreading all across the Yucatan Peninsula; right in its carpark. While this is undoubtedly one of the less attractive cenotes (some are extremely beautiful – more on that later), it’s something different that you won’t find anywhere else.

Whilst the area of Merida I was staying in was a 7km away from the centre (and I would recommend staying closer to town if you can), I was pleased to find it wasn’t completely devoid of attraction, and opposite Costco was not only a massive Mexican flag, but a line of small shops which opened onto the street. The only problem was that they were across an 8-lane highway from where I was currently standing. How does one cross such an obstruction? You walk into oncoming traffic and hope the cars don’t hit you, apparently, so that’s what I did. It is slightly daunting knowing that once you cross you may never be able to get back depending on the traffic situation.

I wandered alongside the shops for a while, getting a feel for what the locals eat, drink and do, before finding myself at a massive shopping centre which appeared almost out of nowhere. Out of curiosity (and a wish for some sweet, sweet air-conditioning), I made my way into the supermarket inside – very different from back home. Here, everything was piled sky-high (how they ensure the food at the top of the piles don’t go out of date is beyond me) and they even had a tortilleria where you can get as many freshly made tortillas as your heart desires.

The following day, I caught the hotel shuttle into town. Don’t do this if staying at the Hampton. I was told at the check-in desk that the shuttle would take 20 minutes to get to the only drop-off point of the Fiesta Americana, and then a further 20 minutes to walk into the centre. With this in mind, I thought catching the 8:30am bus would give me ample time to be at the Cathedral for my tour, starting at 9:30am. How wrong I was…

The bus left late to begin with, and then drove about 20 minutes, dropping 2 people off at a university campus. We then drove to a cenote where more people were dropped off. At this point, it was 9:05, and another of the passengers was already late for his tour leaving the Fiesta Americana at 9am, so he checked his Google Maps to discover that we had headed in the complete opposite direction of town and it would take us a further half an hour just to get back to the Fiesta Americana. We ended up driving back past our hotel, arriving at the Fiesta at 9:35. Needless to say, neither of us were particularly happy being very late for our tours.

I literally begged the shuttle driver to take me to the Cathedral, to which he reluctantly agreed, and we arrived there at around 9:45. I ran as fast as my legs would take me to find my tour, and by some act of God spotted a man in a pink t-shirt speaking to a group – a sure sign of the Pink Cactus tours, right? I’d made it! And only just, as a minute after I arrived, the group moved on to another part of town and there’s no chance I would have been able to find them. To conclude, take a taxi into town!

The tour itself was very good – despite only taking in a relatively small area of land, we managed to see a lot in the hour and a half tour, including the Plaza Grande, Teatro Peon Contreras, shops selling bejewelled beetles due to an ancient myth, beautiful churches, colourful buildings, the Santa Lucia Plaza, before ending up in the artists foundation. And the best bit? It was free! At the end, you can pay what you think the tour was worth, and it certainly was worth it. A great way to spend the morning.

I asked our guide how I should spend the next three hours before I needed to register for the conference, and he suggested to check out Paseo Montejo. Firstly, I retraced my steps a bit to visit a chocolate shop in the Santa Lucia Plaza to buy some Mayan chocolate as presents. The shopkeeper was very nice and let me try a number of the chocolates so I could make my decisions – I settled on an 82% dark chocolate, and milk with corn chips. I then headed to the Plaza Grande to take some photos of the Merida sign and pick up an overpriced snowglobe (it had to be done).

Paseo Montejo is a broad boulevard lined with utterly stunning mansion-like buildings, so I can see why it had been recommended. You can easily spend an hour or so strolling down the street admiring the beautiful architecture. The street even has free wifi, so I quickly Facetimed my Dad (to make him jealous of the sunny weather, of course) and checked the route back to the hotel, which I’d decided to walk as I had a few hours to kill. Perhaps not my best decision, as it was midday and 35’C, and I did end up getting a bit lost, but I’d say I’ve certainly seen a lot more of Merida than most tourists now. If you make a similar decision, please ensure you take a lot of water with you – heatstroke is definitely a potential issue!

That evening and the following three days were spent attending the conference, and included special events such as an opera performance at the Teatro Peon Contreras (be warned, the one we saw was in Italian with Spanish subtitles), a cocktail reception right next to the Cathedral, and a Gala Dinner in one of the glorious Paseo Montejo buildings. I understand my target audience probably aren’t as interested in energy as I am, but if you’d like to find out more about the conference, do get in touch!

Given I’d travelled halfway across the world for the conference, I had decided I might as well stay a few extra days afterwards to explore, so on Saturday I headed down for a leisurely breakfast only to find that the hotel had messed up my tour bookings and I was meant to leave 10 minutes ago. Again, not particularly pleased with the way the Hampton handled this so I wouldn’t stay there again if I returned to Merida. Nevertheless, everything was eventually sorted and I headed out on a different tour, this one organised by Mayan Heritage to Chichen Itza, one of the most impressive remnants of the Mayan era. Luckily, we arrived early at the archeological site, although it was still very busy – the earlier you can get there, the better. Entrance was 242 pesos which you pay yourself, but I would recommend following a similar route to me, as the whole tour, including transport, a guide and lunch had cost me 600 pesos, whilst choosing a tour guide at Chichen Itza would set you back 800 pesos alone.

Our guide was very informative and walked us round the main temples and buildings, explaining things like the ceremonial sacrifices which occurred following ball games, what was found inside the main temple, how clapping in a particular place in front of the temple would cause an echo that sounded like a bird call, and ‘beauty regimes’ implemented by the ancient Mayans like strapping boards to babies heads to make them more round and ‘attractive’.

We were then given about an hour to explore independently, and the site is very large so there are plenty of places to walk and take photos. I spent the remainder of the time checking out the hundreds of stalls lining the pathways towards the Temple which sold all kinds of crafts like tiny stone temples, Mayan calendars, crocheted bags, magnets and more. As most of the stalls were selling the same goods, the stallholders were more than willing to try and have the lowest prices to attract customers, and we were followed around by calls of “One dollar! Almost free!” wherever we went. I ended up with a stunning Mayan painting, ceramic Mayan calendar, and a tiny Dia de los Muertos skull, haggling my way around and ending up with some pretty good deals!

After Chichen Itza, we headed to the Ik Kil cenote, where 80 pesos got you access to swim in the stunning pool – definitely worth it. You could backstroke into the centre of the cavern and look up at the hole above, with vines dangling down and Motmot birds flying overhead. One of the girls on my tour said it was the most amazing place she’d ever been too. It’s certainly one of the most exciting places I’ve ever swam! It was tiring work though – the cenote is 50ft deep so you have no chance of touching the bottom, meaning you have to keep treading water or find one of the ropes around the edge to hang onto. An hour was more than enough for me, and how refreshing it was. 

Our last stop of the day was lunch at a lovely buffet stop. On one side of the room, they had Mexican cuisine – sopa de lima, pork cochinita, refried beans – and on the other, international food – hot dogs, quesadillas, mashed potato, corn chowder. A great mix and definitely meaning you wouldn’t need dinner later. We also had mid-dinner entertainment in the form of dancers balancing beer bottles on their heads. A successful day I think.

The following day, I headed out on another tour with Mayan Heritage, this time to two more Mayan ruins – Uxmal and Kabah. Both were considerably smaller, and notably less busy, than Chichen Itza, but with distinctly different architecture. I enjoyed Uxmal in particular as unlike Chichen Itza, you were allowed to climb some of the ruins, giving a fantastic view of the Mayan site and the surrounding forest area from the top. I did think to myself during these tours whether it had been worth choosing them, as once you’ve seen one Mayan ruin, you’ve seen them all, but I was glad I had as they were quite different from one another. Had I another day in Merida, I probably would have headed to Celestun, a beach famous for its hundreds of flamingos, which may be worth visiting if archaeological sites aren’t your thing.

Having seen it on a number of other tours to Uxmal and Kabah, I asked our guide if we could visit the nearby chocolate museum, Choco Story, which he agreed to take us to if everyone agreed (thankfully they did). Again, the entrance fee wasn’t included, but when in Rome… The museum was a series of cabanas each of which explained something about cacao, such as its role in sacrifices and offerings, as a monetary alternative, and had its use had spread across the globe. One stage was also a ritualistic ceremony which I think was supposed to represent praying for rain. Whilst clearly touristy, it was still interesting to watch. 

Perhaps my favourite part was watching the process of making Mayan hot chocolate, which we then got to try (very bitter) and had the opportunity to add in sweets and spices to tailor it to our own taste. The museum also served as an ecopark which was very exciting, and we saw spider monkeys, jaguars and deer; a nice addition to the iguanas and snakes we’d seen at some of the ruins. Well worth a visit if you have the chance.

Again, our final stop was lunch at a place I have written down as Ca-Nah, and just in time too, as the heavens opened (clearly the rain ceremony had worked) as it does occasionally in Merida. The food wasn’t quite to the same standard as the day before, but it felt traditional nonetheless.

On my final day, I ordered an Uber to the airport – do not do this. Apparently Uber drivers get told off for going too close to the airport so most won’t take you there, despite you still being able to book it on the app, so I was charged a cancellation fee. Instead, we took a taxi – 200 pesos (around £7) isn’t bad for a 30 minute drive. My plane trips back weren’t split with an overnight stay, so after leaving early on Monday morning, I arrived back in the UK late on Tuesday night – a long trip. Worth it? I think so. 

My advice regarding Merida: prepare for weather (hot and sunny or hot and torrential rain) and mosquitoes – suncream and insect repellent are musts. If you don’t mind slumming it, stay in a hostel. My hotel cost whopping UK prices, whereas friends who stayed in pleasant hostels in the centre were paying only £7 a night. Don’t just stick to the touristy attractions – whilst the Mayan ruins are once in a lifetime experiences, don’t miss out on checking out the city and Paseo Montejo which are definitely worth a look. 

Did you enjoy this blog? Make sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry - I'm spending the whole summer traveling so they'll be lots more like this coming soon! Also be sure to let me know in the comments if there's anything I missed in Merida (or Mexico!), and I'll be sure to check it out next time I'm there!