Coming of age rituals, skin-whitening treatments, swimming with sharks, eating tacos and fried guinea pigs, The Lord of the Rings scenery and sinking cities. Six globetrotters give Veronica Stivala their views of six different continents.
Natural rhythms of life
Alexia Rossi in Africa.
Memorable: Meeting local tribes in Southern Ethiopia.
Alexia Rossi first went to Africa to do voluntary work in Kenya in 2002. She returned there six times to do charity work but always finds the time explore new territory.
For Alexia, Africa is a place of, “Vibrancy, colour and breath-taking scenery where passions run high and the connection with the land and natural rhythms of life are thoroughly refreshing.”
This is a continent marked by its sheer diversity, visible through the different histories, cultures and peoples.
Ethiopia has a special place in Alexia’s heart because it is strikingly different to the rest of the African countries she has visited.
“Arriving in Ethiopia, I was initially confused, being invited to a millennium celebration, when a few days before it was 2007 for me. But I was soon intrigued by their different clock, iconography and ancient civilisation.”
The opportunity to witness their tribal way of life with ceremonies and traditions such as a male’s coming of age test, scarification and the use of lip plates will forever remain imprinted in her memory.
The Africans are a people with an unrelenting and infectious joie de vivre, says Alexia.
“Their community-based way of life is impressive – they focus on the essentials and manage to maintain strong ties to traditional roots, keeping various customs and celebrations alive despite the pressures of globalisation.”
If you’re visiting Africa, advises Alexia, live by the motto “pole pole” (Swahili for “slowly slowly”).
“One has to experience Africa not just visit it, so let time stand still, soak in the beauty of the surroundings, get off the beaten track and take time to meet, laugh and dance with the people.”
Wild adventures
Michaela Muscat in Asia.
Memorable: Firing an AK-47 around the Cu Chi tunnels.
Michaela Muscat has been to Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore and Vietnam. She has returned to live and study in Malaysia for a few months.
As Michaela first stepped onto this continent, she was taken in by the social and economic capital of white skin.
“Being quite the sun worshipper, I couldn’t help but notice Asian tourists touring beaches, slathered in sunblock, carrying an umbrella and wearing layers of white clothes. The malls are also full of whitening products for the skin. It’s a dreadful combination of globalisation, colonialism and traditional attitudes.”
Unforgettable for Michaela was Dalat, the capital of Lam Dong province in Vietnam – riding around the mountains on a motorcycle with the Easy-Riders was quite the thrill.
The Unesco World Heritage Site Halong Bay in Vietnam was striking too.
“There’s a sense of the ethereal about Halong Bay, especially when you’re spending the night on a Chinese Junk. We also had some wild adventures there which then set the tone for the rest of the trip.”
One such wild adventure was firing an AK-47 around the Cu Chi tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
“It was surreal to hold and use such a powerful killing machine,” recalls Michaela. No kidding.
Speaking of explosions, Michaela savoured the incredible food.
“It is fragrant, colourful, tasty and sheer stimulation for the senses.”
If you’re visiting Asia, forget the clichés, advises Michaela. Reading about the history, politics and culture should minimise the risk of essentialising of millions of people into a category. Or even worse, romanticising poverty like the trustafarians on a gap yah.
Stunningly beautiful
Robin Naudi in Australia.
Memorable: The Great Ocean Road in Victoria.
Robin Naudi lived in central Melbourne for a year and travelled extensively through Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
The impressive variation in geography and climates struck Robin most about Australia.
“It’s only one country, but being a continent, Australia has nearly every kind of landscape imaginable: rainforest, desert, snowy mountains, forest, sand dunes, incredible coastlines, and that’s just the stuff on land.”
Admittedly, it’s a bit of a cliché but Australians are social creatures: they love any excuse to meet friends over a cold beer and a BBQ.
“The stereotype of the outback farmer with a hat with corks on is pretty outdated – it’s a highly urbanised country so most people live the city lifestyle. They do like to get out into the bush when possible though.”
Since Australia is a country built on immigration, this is reflected in the vast array of world cuisines on offer.
“When I lived in Melbourne I’d be eating sushi one day and Greek food the next. You can even find pastizzi if you look hard enough.”
There’s a lot to choose from here, from dancing for four days at a psytrance festival under the scorching sun and road-tripping through Tasmania to swimming with a seven-metre-long whale shark. Yet one of Robin’s most randomly memorable moments was going to the Centru Malti in Melbourne, hearing a bunch of nanniet speaking Maltese, and having people recognise him halfway across the road because he looks like his grandfather. Small world.
A box of Quality Street
Simon Grech in Europe.
Memorable: Watching David Bowie at Glastonbury.
Simon Grech has visited the Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Wales.
Venice remains imprinted in Simon’s mind as an impressively beautiful city to which he will keep returning.
“It is surreal and magical,” notes Simon. “The fact that buses become vaporetti and taxis become gondolas is already enough to shock your system and change your mindset.”
Indeed, for Simon, Europe is like a box of Quality Street sweets: colourful, individual and bursting with flavour.
He selects gems of memories from the various countries he’s visited.
The country of so many bikes and birds, windmills and flowers, cafés and cheeses – the Netherlands – had the strongest impact on Simon:
“It is small, sinking and has some of the best contemporary architecture in Europe. The people are tolerant and efficient.”
A bit of a night owl and rough around the edges, Simon identifies most with the Spanish and the Dutch because he thinks of himself as open-minded and innovative. An architect by profession, Simon loves both countries’ excellent contemporary architecture.
For Simon, Sicily is the best for simple, genuine and fresh food.
“There’s nothing like eating fresh fish and pasta with a glass of good Nero d’Avola by the Mediterranean sea,” Simon says.
Of all Simon’s travels around Europe, Glastonbury 2000 was one great start to the 2000s and marked the millennium for him.
“We were in our teens going to see our favourite bands on a crusade to have fun to the likes of David Bowie, Chemical Brothers, and many more.”
Diversity by definition
Sihon Gauci in North America.
Memorable: Heavenly frozen yoghurt – even better than ice cream.
Sihon Gauci went from the city of angels to sin city: Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Europe, not Malta, seemed tiny when compared to the enormity of this continent. America is as immense in its proportions as it is in its wide array of cultures, says Sihon. It’s a vivid collage of people with different ethnicities, religious beliefs and ways of living. America by definition is diversity.
Sihon was awestruck by the beauty of the scenery that unfolded around her on a five-hour drive through the Sierra Nevada Desert between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
One can’t generalise about the Americans because they all come from so many different backgrounds. However, Sihon pinpoints some common characteristics such as the fact that they are hard working – they work longer hours with less vacation time and yet they don’t complain. And they are ambitious – the American Dream is not a pipe dream of winning the lottery but a tangible plan to achieve personal happiness and financial comfort.
And they’re friendly too.
“I don’t know whether it is the pleasantly warm weather that gives Californians such a friendly disposition, but I found them extremely easy going and hospitable. Even though they live in a big, busy and competitive city, they do not forget to stop and smell the roses every day.”
Contrary to stereotypical thoughts about American cuisine, Sihon did not eat burgers and fried food every day.
“I discovered delicious, genuine Mexican tacos from taco trucks, as well as the delectable flavours of Thai food. I also tried sushi, which is no mean feat for someone who isn’t keen on fish.”
Favourite place? Sihon cannot choose just one.
“The girl in me loved Disneyland, the movie fan in me was awestruck by Hollywood boulevard, the spiritual person in me felt best on the long shores of Venice beach, and the fun-loving side of me loved the Beer Fest at Sony Studios and Vegas.”
Waterfall heaven
Marie-Claire Tabone in South America.
Memorable: Tangoing in Buenos Aires.
Marie-Claire Tabone backpacked for five weeks across Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, starting off in Lima and ending in Buenos Aires.
Bright and colourful – that’s South America in a nutshell, according to Marie-Claire. The continent stands out for its bright and colourful buildings, clothes and artefacts and its landscape, flowers and wildlife.
Its diversity is also striking, not just from one country to the other and across large distances, but also in a relatively close space.
“During our Salkantay trek, the changing landscape, even during the same day, was incredible – we found ourselves going from a cold, literally breath-taking altitude of over 4,000m with snowy caps to foggy scenery which looked like something out of The Lord of the Rings, to a humid cloud forest, all in the space of a couple of hours,” recalls Marie-Claire.
Although Marie-Claire had heard some horror stories of muggings and gassing of buses from other travellers, she was met with friendly and helpful South Americans, willing to show foreigners their way of life and help keep you safe if you end up in a dodgy area.
Their resilience shone too.
“In some parts of the continent, these people live truly hard lives, but they make do with what they have and keep smiling.”
As for food, Marie-Claire tried a few firsts such as ceviche (raw marinated fish), alpaca (from the llama family) and cuy (guinea pig).
She’ll never forget the visit to the San Pedro prison in La Paz, a functioning prison with the inmates living with their families in varying conditions depending on their status, with their guide a prisoner himself.
“Machu Picchu will also remain firmly in my mind.”
South America was waterfall heaven for Marie-Claire.
“The waterfalls are truly epic from the Garganta del Diablo to the other calmer higher falls, among lush greenery, the sounds of tropical birds and sheer beauty. The speed boat ride close to the falls where you feel the rush of the water and get completely drenched was exhilarating.”