There it was, right in front of me, finally. The tocororo. Cuba’s national bird sat on a high branch, her red belly just about bursting with the effort and blue-green back shining in the sunlight. That was it. After five weeks, on my second-to-last day in Cuba I’d finally seen the elusive tocororo. My trip was complete. I could leave now.
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Once in a while I get stuck in a place. Actually, ‘stuck’ is the wrong word, it’s not that I am trapped in any way, it’s just that I don’t want to leave. Valladolid was the ideal spot for some much needed R&R for me, but it felt like a place I could stay, and just like I have in a few other places I started to imagine myself settling there permanently.
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Suddenly the ocean was surrounding me on three sides. Ahead, it stretched out for miles, all the way to the horizon and beyond my range of vision, interrupted only by a few small islands. To my right it collided with the steep cliffs, carving narrow caves and crevasses in the soft rock. And to my left it was calm and shallow, lapping gently on the bay’s long sandy beach, and I could see right down to the bottom through the swaying kelp and stands of coral.
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What is house sitting? How does it work? In my Ultimate Guide to House Sitting I tell you everything you need to know from finding your first house sit to following up after, as well as a chance to download more details and a comprehensive list of questions to ask your homeowners!
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House sitting is not all sunshine and rainbows! Just like anything, there are downsides. This is the second in a three-part series on house sitting, where I give you the complete low-down and tell you what’s good, what’s bad, and finally a full guide on how to make it work for you.
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In my year in New Zealand I house sat at five places, ranging from a length of four days up to nine weeks. Each house sit was unique in its own way, with both good and bad points, and I’m glad I did all of them. I wish I had been able to do more. In this three-part series I’m going to tell you what’s good, what’s bad, and finally a full guide on how to make house sitting work for you.
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Just a short drive outside of Dunedin city is Tunnel Beach. Invisible from the car park, a short walk down a steep path through some farmland gives amazing views. Continue down to the rock arch and through a hand-carved tunnel to a gorgeous cove full of cliffs, boulders, and sea stacks. And keep an eye out for sleeping sea lions!
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If you’re visiting Shaxi, China, you might notice that there’s a very specific fashion trend for women. You must wear a hat. And not just any old hat; my baseball cap with a band logo simply would not do. So here’s my special guide on how to be chic in Shaxi!
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I almost didn’t do the Bealey Spur Track, but I was so glad I did! It’s an easy, steady climb through beautiful forest, swamp and along a ridge line with a gorge on one side and the wide Waimakariri River valley on the other side. The views were spectacular!
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After so many amazing experiences in my year in New Zealand, everybody’s been asking me where I”m going now. While I still have plenty to share about NZ, here’s what’s next in 2015 for Jenny Far Away!
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