Things to Do in Luxurious Luxembourg

Not realizing that Luxemboug was actually three hours away from Brussels, we began our day-trip out of the country.  Would I recommend spending a night in Luxembourg?  Yes. Though would I also recommend the day-trip for those that want to stay in their cheap hotel with Brussels as their home point?  Yes.

Luxembourg's architecture was extremely unique relative to the types I've observed across Europe.  It's a mix of old versus new as the city's architecture includes the Treveri Celtic tribe works from 1st century BC, Roman ruins, castles, churches, and modern-day financial buildings. 

Luxembourg's unique architure

A tourist office (with free map!) was located right at the train station making our travel planning convenient.  Before eating a caprice salad, we walked across The Passerelle (a.k.a. The Viaduct Bridge) which connects the city center to the train station.  Be sure to take in the view of the Petrusse Valley!

View of Petrusse Valley from The Passerelle Bridge

A visit to Luxembourg City would not be complete without seeing the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Casemates!  Located in the old historical district, one finds a rocky castle-like cliff tower sitting over the River Alzette. In 963, Count Siegfried built a grand castle to protect his property.  The casemates, underground tunnels below the castles, were created and modernized by the Spaniards in 1644.  Here, one can explore a life-size human cave full of twists and turns. The lighting especially makes the Casemates into a surreal neon glow space.  

Standing above and walking within the tunnel galleries of the Casemates

We soon hopped on a bus to St. Martin's Winery in Remich. The peaceful city sits on a port and holds a certain still charm.  Perhaps I will have a summer house here one day!

Remich, Luxembourg

The wine tour brought us through 1km of traditional and modern wine cellars and ended with a champagne tasting.  Great deal for only 5euros!

Winery tour and champagne tasting at St. Martins

 Train ride view from Luxembourg back to Belgium

I unfortunately left my leftover pizza slices (the only food option that we could afford in Remich) at the local bus station, but it just gave me all the more reason to order McDonald's for the third time this week.  Delicious!

Boating in Bruges and Blankenberge's Sand Sculture Festival

After dropping off my broken sandal at the cobbler, Adam and I headed off to Blankenberge and Bruges. Note: ALWAYS pack at least two pairs of easily accessible shoes!  Otherwise, you could end up like me and wear traditional African sandals (for decoration only) all over Europe!

First stop was to see the Sprookjeswereld Sand Sculpture Festival in Blankenberg. Here, thirty-eight professional artists have hand-crafted millions of kilograms of sand into larger-than-life sculptures.  There were only three large rooms to the festival, but the Disney and storybook themes made it a sight to see!

The gorgeous and intricate sculptures of Blankenberge's Sprookjeswereld Sand Sculpture Festival

Blankenberge is a nice port town, but we had to soon backtrack on the train to Bruges for the 3pm demonstration show at The Diamond Museum.  After being lost for half an hour, we found out that the 3pm show occurred at noon!  The complimentary diamond that attendees receive was literally no bigger than half a millimeter, so I didn't feel too bad about missing out on anything.  

Bruges, a significant economic center because of its port, is considered a "canal city," so off on a boat ride we went! Though the half hour boat rides attract only tourists, how can you visit Venice without riding in a gondola?  And if anything, it's worth it to see the below statue putting in contact lenses.

Floating through the canals of Bruges

Local and Touristy Things to Do in Brussels, Belgium (Part 2)

One of the most popular attractions to see in Brussels is the Manneken Pis a.k.a. "Pissing Boy" statue. Yes, you read that right!  I wasn't particularly inclined to see it, but Adam insisted that I pay at least one visit.

The bronze statue stands over 60cm tall and has created quite a bit of a stir in terms of urban legends.  Some say that the infant was a lord and his troops put him into a basket to "attract and distract" the enemy.  Another legend describes a missing child of a merchant who became lost and was soon found in a garden in the following position.  My favorite part of the statue? Watching the many tourists come to photograph it!

The infamous Manneken Pis statue and the several dozen tourists who are excited to see it

We soon made our way over to George Henri Park for the Brusselicious Festival of PiQniQ!  Each summer, Brussels holds Sunday picnics at various parks throughout the city.  A free jazz concert is provided while picnickers can buy 12euro lunch packs that consist of salami, cheese, bread, apples, salad, yogurt, and two complimentary glasses of wine - great deal in my opinion!

Our official picnic basket from the Brusselicious PiQniQ Festival

The family-friendly event itself was great (kids could also make kites), but I loved the fact that it brought us beyond a "touristy" experience and into a very local venue. George Henri Park is located in a very suburban area of the city, so we walked up and down sidewalks of homes and spent the day with Belgian families. 

We had a planned to have a fancier dinner, so we walked down Rue des Bouchers as it's know as "Brussels Belly" due to it's many restaurants and cafes. The affordable Lobster House Ecalier won us over as the host offered to throw in some champagne to us for our business. 

Enjoying a seafood dinner at Lobster House Ecalier on Rue des Bouchers

Local and Touristy Things to Do in Brussels, Belguim (Part 1)

Hello Europe!  After my two-year Peace Corps service in Africa, I took a week-long layover in Europe on the way home to the States. First stop: Brussels, Belgium!

Chocolate, French, waffles, and good food and friends?  Good deal for me!

After my buddy, Adam Persing, picked me up at Brussels Airport, we carried my 100lbs. of luggage to Hotel Eurostar Grand Place, an affordable and clean hotel just five minutes from the city center.

Tip: Looking to book a hotel?  Check out TravelShark, an online travel company with an insane database of lodgings. I had trouble finding affordable hotels with TripAdvisor, Expedia, etc. but TravelShark saved us!

First stop was the Brussel's "Hero" statue at the Grand Palace.  The statue symbolizes Everhard 't Serclaes who rescued Brussels in 1356.  Tradition says if you touch the elbow, it's good luck!

Touching the elbow of the "Hero" statue will give you good luck!

We swung by the Tourism Office which gave us great information about the day's festivities and information/coupons to the very cute Angora Arts and Crafts Fair.  The fair, just a few meters away from the Grand Place, featured local artisans selling hand-crafted goods from scarves to candles.

One of the must-see sites in Brussels is the Atomium Museum! The building's unique shape draws thousands each year as it's "neither tower, nor pyramid, a little bit cubic, a little bit spherical, half-way between sculpture and architecture, a relic of the past with a determinedly futuristic look." 

 The impressive Atomium Museum from the 1950s is a one-of-a-kind sight! 

I wasn't too impressed with the inside of the museum (unless you really love learning about water), but I did enjoy how the museum did bring up the issue of clean water access (or lack there of) in developing countries.

 

Part of the water exhibition inside the Atomium Museum.  This displays villagers in Africa.

After a quick photoshoot, we rushed back to the city to see the 4pm chocolate-making show at Planete Chocolat.  The hands-on chocolate demonstration was interesting enough in itself, but the chocolate samples and hot chocolate made it even greater.  And yes, everything was delicious!

 Chocolate-making demonstration at Planete Chocolat

Since we were lucky enough to enjoy Belgium during their National Day (i.e. Independence Day), we headed off to Parc de Bruxelles.  Like Central Park in New York, the area provides a peaceful oasis away from the city's noises and hosts a myriad of activities yearly. Today's festivities included rock climbing, face painting, fighter jet riding (no joke),  dog racing, and sumo wrestling!

 

One of the many statues found in Brussels Park

 

 Brussels Park sumo-wrestling during National Day

We planned the rest of the trip back at the hotel and then headed out for a delicious pho dinner before watching the day's fireworks.  Excellent first day in Brussels!

The Official Peace Corps Graduation: End-of-Service Gong Out

Peace Corps graduation today!  Two years of service complete and I am officially a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer!  

The next step?  I will jump on a plane to spend a week layover in Belgium and then HOME!  Thank you to everyone that followed my Peace Corps adventures.  I guess this will go back to a blog about my travel adventures now :)

Peace Corps Goodbye - The Final Weeks

A former Peace Corps Volunteer told me to really appreciate the final moments living in my community as they are the sweetest moments of one's service.  He was right.

Many PCVs tend to only inform their closest friends that they are leaving as if word gets around that the American is moving, thefts can often occur at the last moment.  Though I understand this practice, it was important for me to make sure that all loose ends were closed and nobody felt surprised or disappointed that I didn't let them know. I spent these last few weeks running around not only wrapping up projects and logistics, but giving photos/presents/clothes (I had way too much stuff to take home!) and of course, saying goodbye.  People couldn't believe that two years had already passed; nor could I.

Alot happened this last week especially.  My replacement(s) came, my community host cried, my Tae Kwon Do instructor woke up from his coma. There were surprise goodbye parties and planned parties with gift given to me after gift.  I don't know how I will ever thank the community of Ngaoundere for opening its heart to me these last two years.

I will miss this.  See below for my final goodbyes - I still can't believe the amount of gifts that I received including a snake-skinned purse and an official "talking stick."

Peace Corps Project: Village Savings & Loan Micro-Credit Cooperatives

I joined the Peace Corps for many reasons, but the biggest one of all was to serve.  Serve my country, serve others, serve the world.  In the world of international development, it can be hard to know what works and if it makes a difference.  From two years of primary research, I can say: The Village and Savings Loan Association works.

The Village Savings & Loan Association, created by CARE International, is a global microfinance model that provides access to capital and a means of savings for the most impoverished and illiterate members of our world. If you care to learn more logistics, see my previous post or watch the video below.

I've had the opportunity of creating and maintaining 14 of these groups with 375 members.  Ninety percent of the participants are women and 80% are illiterate. Our average group ROI is 30% annually and the project is done in almost 60 countries with 6 millions participants worldwide. Like I said, it works.

Small Donation to African Farmer Greatly Helps His Cabbage Farm

Before I left for Peace Corps, a friend's mom told me that she wanted to help in any way she could. She was hesitant to just donate funds directly to organizations because she never knew if the gift actually made it to the people she wanted to help or got lost to others along the way.

I often do not believe in first world countries just providing monetary aid to third world countries as this creates a sense of dependency.  For example, just the fact that I'm a foreigner, people will assume that I am rich and will ask me for money because they've seen so much financing going towards the country.  After two years; however, I found a very sweet man that was deserving of such a small gift without expectations.

Zachary and his new farm

After two years, I had made a very good (and honest) friend named Zachary.  I won't go too much into detail about Zachary's story, but know that he was fired from his job for unjustified reasons and was the sole provider for a sick wife and three children.  He worked to get his life back together by renting farm land and a simple donation allowed him to buy a starter pack of fertilizer for his farm.  See below to see what $60 can do (and an embarrassing video of me losing my shoe):

Behind-the-Scenes: Making a Vampire Movie in Cameroon

When my buddy, Biya, asked me to act in his film, how could I say no?  In my eyes, there would be no better way to wrap up my Peace Corps experience than to star as the heroine in a vampire movie!  This was also not just any movie.  This was a grand production of the "Who's Who?" of Ngaoundere's artistic outlets.

The movie premise?  As I put on makeup in the bathroom of a nightclub, I see the vampires approach the dance floor.  I run out to save the nightclub goers and stake the vampires.  Unfortunately, I myself die in the process.  It's a goodie!

Unfortunately, the timeline of the film is on "African time," so I really will never know when it gets finished.  Until then, all I have are these behind-the-scenes photos and videos until the world premiere of "Easy Blood."

Peace Corps Project: The Grand Opening of the Mbideng Market!

After two years of serving in the US Peace Corps, it is only fitting that my capstone project came to a close (or rather opening!) today. For the past six months, community leaders, volunteers, and I worked to create an outdoor district market for the poverty-stricken neighborhood of Mbideng. Lying in the outskirts of the city of Ngaoundere, the 8,000 residents had to previously walk into town or pay for transportation to buy basic food and goods. Now the community has its own market providing such benefits as better nutrition and increased income

The past months included many tasks including building a coalition of leaders, holding multiple community meetings, negotiating with landlords and government officials, drafting contracts, performing word-of-mouth and radio publicity, and finding creative solutions amongst limited (i.e. zero) resources. Welcome to the Mbideng Market!

Traditional scarfs and prayer mats

The very first vendor!

Vegetable section

*By July 4, 2012, 136 vendors had come to sell their goods from all over the city. The mayor aided in publicity by securing announcements with public and private radio stations. Ninety percent of vendors surveyed stated that they have seen their daily incomes increase. One hundred percent of clients surveyed stated that they save time, money, or both by buying from the community market as opposed to going into town.

From Traveling Tourist to Living Local...Really Local: Life in the Peace Corps

This blog post was originally published for Do It While You're Young, a community and network for women ages 18-35 who previously or are currently traveling, studying, working, or volunteering abroad.

The best travel experiences occur when one breaks out of “tourist trap” attractions and into the local scene: where locals eat, how locals live, etc. It’s then when one can really experience another culture and therefore begin personal growth and mutual understanding.

What if, though, beyond traveling like a local, you actually became one? Not just going through the motions for a few days, but living abroad for an extended time? Now, to take it further, what if you forwent a traditional American salary for two years to live in a developing country all the while providing your talents to a greater cause?

Welcome to life in the Peace Corps!

What exactly is the Peace Corps?

The Peace Corps is an independent government agency that places volunteers in developing countries in various sectors across business, education, health, environment, and community development. Volunteers serve for 27 months (two years of service after three months of technical, cultural, and language training) living at a level next to those they are serving. Simply put, not only are you aiding in grassroots development, but it’s your job to foster cultural exchange too.

Where Volunteers Serve

Peace Corps Volunteers serve all over the world from Latin America to Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia. I live in Cameroon working as a Business Advisor for the Community Economic Development program. Contrary to popular belief, no, I don’t live in a small African village without electricity (though my best friend does!), but rather a second-story apartment in a city of 400,000 people, mostly Muslim and Christian.

Work Volunteers Do

In Cameroon, we have everything from Science teachers in schools to Community Health Volunteers in hospitals providing HIV/AIDS outreach. I’m a Business Volunteer, so I consult a microfinance institution and organize illiterate men and women into micro-credit cooperatives to provide a means of savings and lending for business-related activities. I also work with A2Empowerment to help girls who have dropped out of school return to school. Each Volunteer’s community is different, so it’s impossible to predict the work you’ll do, but you can create the experience you want.

Basic Essentials

The Cameroonian government provides private housing and Peace Corps provides a stipend that is more than enough to cover food, travel, communication, health, and miscellaneous expenses. I find it more than sufficient to cover all my needs; some Volunteers end up saving a couple thousand dollars through the experience while others dip into American money that they’ve saved – it’s all about money habits!

It may be Sub-Saharan Africa, but the world is a globalized one. Being in a large city, I can Skype my friends and family (well, if internet is working) and even the Volunteers who live “in the bush (i.e. WAY out there!)” have cell phones. We’re provided a bicycle, but I much prefer to ride motorbikes all over the city or to a local waterfall that’s 15km away (my friend in Panama received her own canoe!).

What I Love About Being a Local

I came to Cameroon with a bare understanding of French and now I find myself thinking and leading meetings in French! There is a high degree of illiteracy in my city, but since I’ve been here so long, I’ve been able to pick up the African language of Fulfulde. Do you know how much Cameroonians love it when you speak their native tongue? A lot.

It’s the moments that I could have never predicted that I love the most. For one of my birthdays, I ended up riding on the back of a motorbike for six hours in the rain. We stayed at a notable’s house and climbed caves the next day that were 30 meters below ground. The rest of the afternoon was spent war dancing with the Nyem Nyem people. Forty-eight hours earlier, I had no clue this would even happen. Knowing fair prices at the market, playing on the local soccer team, developing close relationships – this is life!

What I Hate About a Being a Local

I may be sporting clothes from African fabric, but Americans stick out worst than pimples on prom night. Some days I enjoy the celebrity status, and other days, it’s like a self-conscious fishbowl! No matter what I do is weird, so I just tell everyone else how weird they are too. I’ve also definitely picked up my fair share of foreign diseases, but hey, now I have good stories right?

Though it’s a tough and humbling experience, I’ve loved seeing Cameroon from the most first-hand perspective possible as I was able to combine my passions of public service, travel, and business. It’s no wonder why Peace Corps’s current tagline is “Think local. Act Global.”