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Beyond Babeesh

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An Adventurous Travel Blog

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WHO AM I AND WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?

Hello and thanks for visiting! I'm Babeesh, a Michigan girl who loves solo and adventure travel. I'm obsessed with eating raclettes and I have had the honor of visiting over 100 countries. Want to learn more? Check out my about me page!

pamir highway

DESTINATIONS

Click here to see where I have been. From here, you can navigate to all my posts and pages related to each continent or each individual country. I have been traveling since 2012, but this blog is still new so I need to catch up! Stay tuned as I fill in the gaps!

Blog

Click here to see all of my posts related to travel and expat life. Read about my best, worst, ridiculous, adventurous, honest, and embarrassing moments here!

MY LATEST POSTS - NAVIGATE TO 'BLOG' TO SEE MORE!

Ouagadougou national museum things to do

7 of the Absolute Best things to do in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

street art in Benin

8 of the Absolute Best Things to do in Cotonou, Benin

The Lomé cathedral is one of the best things to see in Lomé

7 of the Absolute Best Things to do in Lomé, Togo

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tajikistan

See my adventures on Instagram @beyondbabeesh


For more resources and information check out @naac
For more resources and information check out @naacp @aclu_nationwide @reclaimtheblock @rachel.cargle ...and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! And a reading suggestion: Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon.

Hating a country and having a bad experience visit
Hating a country and having a bad experience visiting a country are two very different things. 
I found myself frustrated in Samoa- in the beginning my only interactions with people were negative- pushy, dishonest guides...aggressively and exhaustively flirtatious men, disinterested people who were never looked up from their phones...interactions that seemed genuine ended up being veiled attempts to get me to open my wallet...not to mention some tragedies involving other tourists happening while I was here...it was all really bringing me down. The terrible weather (that was just bad luck) didn’t help. It was the first time in my life that I considered changing my flight and heading home early.

But I didn’t. Instead I got out of the main streets and city center. People were friendly. Store owners asked me questions. At first I was skeptical- where’s the part where this will all be another way to get me to book a tour? I feel guilty when I let those feelings take over in a new place. But the more people I met when I got away from the tourist path, the more wonderful the place became. If I had only wanted to cross Samoa off a list/ only spent a few days here, those early on negative interactions would have been my only experiences. I would have hated Samoa, even if in reality I just hated the early experiences I had in Samoa.

Incredible Samoan tattoos!
They are a symbol of st

Incredible Samoan tattoos!
They are a symbol of strength. In the capital city Apia, tourists can go to a cultural center to learn all about Samoa and its people- usually I don’t like this sort of stuff but Samoa’s cultural center was pretty impressive and I learned a lot! And they were kind and open to me taking pictures! They explained about the traditional tattoos and we could even see people getting tattoos. The tattoo is done by the traditional poke  process and it looks just so painful- I can see how going through that process would show your community how strong you are! But the most beautiful thing is that when we saw the men being tattooed, their whole family was also there for the process to support them. In contrast- I did everything I could to hide my tattoos from my family!!! The history of European exploration and missionaries once almost eliminated the tradition of tattooing in Samoa- but you don’t mess with Samoans and it is beautiful and powerful to see these tattoos represent not only strength in one’s community, but also strength and resistance against cultural genocide. The first mention of Samoans by Europeans was in 1722 (according to the airline magazine 🙃) and they wrote that all the men wore nice black silk pants- they had no idea that they were all tattooed! 
These photos were taken at the cultural center in Apia. The men are demonstrating the traditional way to cook, since traditionally the men did all the cooking of there! There is a massive fish in that braided palm! 😋

#samoa #apia #solotravelsamoa #solotravel #butdonttravelnow #stayhome

I have been debating on whether or not it is a goo
I have been debating on whether or not it is a good idea to share travel photos right now.  I have been self isolating at home and these Samoa photos are from a while ago. But revisiting these photos makes me smile and brings back happy memories. It may be a long time before I can get back on the road, and so as I sit here at home I am so thankful to have been able to see and experience so much already. I hope, if I do continue posting during all of this, that my photos will at least inspire curiosity about different places in the world. But I hope everyone is staying safe and staying home if their situation allows for it!
At the end of this gray and dead Michigan winter I seriously would do ANYTHING to be able to go back to this trench in lush Samoa. I swear I miss seeing the color green in nature so much that I took some spinach out of my refrigerator the other day just to LOOK at it!😂

Samoa was a huge contrast from the other countries
Samoa was a huge contrast from the other countries I visited on my South Pacific trip- I wouldn’t call it touristy because I often found myself to be the only tourist around (especially on the island of Savai’i), but it was a big change of pace for me to travel there. I went from hiking all day to see one waterfall in Vanuatu or Solomon Islands to sitting in an air conditioned car and seeing 4 waterfalls in one afternoon. I admit I thought the waterfalls in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands were more beautiful, but that’s probably because I had to work much harder to see them!

I also admit that I had low expectations when I arrived at the To Sua Ocean Trench (photographed here)...it felt too much like one of those photogenic, yet lackluster tourist hotspots...but I was wrong. It was SO fun...but that very very slippery ladder down was terrifying. The water in the trench ebbs and flows with the waves from the ocean nearby and so what you don’t see in pictures is that everybody in the water drifts back and forth in a clump as if we all were in a fish bowl that some eager kid is shaking. 
NOTE: I was in Samoa months ago and am not currently traveling. Also thank you to the young boy from Tuvalu who took the photos of me!
#samoa #samoan #samoatourism #beautifulsamoa #samotravel #apia

SAMOA!
The final Island of my South Pacific trip!

SAMOA! 
The final Island of my South Pacific trip! It is a very Christian place- I read in the airline magazine that among over 300 villages in the country there are over 1000 churches. Here is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in the capital Apia. I thought the woodwork on the inside was especially impressive!
If you turn the sound on you can hear some women singing (praying the rosary, I think...)! #samoa #apia #southpacific #cathedrals #immaculateconception  #polynesian #solotravel #sheisnotlost #dametraveler #pacificislands

I always meet interesting people on the beach. Her
I always meet interesting people on the beach. Here’s a nice guy who let me photograph him on the beach in Fiji. 
Things have been crazy for me but I’m busy prepping for my trip in May. Just got word that my Eritrea visa has been approved and then I have to hurry to send my passport back out to get more visas. I also may move soon so that adds to the to-do list! 
I’ll start with my photos from Samoa soon! And then I’ll share from my trip to Cameroon!

Have a great weekend!

I’ve only bought Fiji Water once in my life…an
I’ve only bought Fiji Water once in my life...and it was in Fiji! So it was local? When in Fiji...
⠀⠀
Going to Fiji after Solomon Islands and Nauru was an...adjustment.
⠀⠀ From rustic to parties. From no tourists to only tourists. I once again found myself in a party hostel and felt the culture shock. But I don’t want to come across as too bitter- there was a time when I did really love the party culture that goes with some destinations. I could also save myself the misery and just book more expensive accommodations and avoid the party scene, but I’m cheap and love to complain. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Also this isn’t an ad! 😂 
#fiji #hindutemple #nadi #southpacific #exploretheworld #solotravel #solofemaletravel

NAURU 🇳🇷 One strange thing about going to th
NAURU 🇳🇷 One strange thing about going to this tiny country is that  I realized I was having the same experience as a bunch of other travelers. We all come to Nauru, we stay in the same Airbnb room in the same house with the same family. My host Matthew told me he has had the same conversations with all of his guests a hundred times. They all complain about how expensive postcards are. They all ask the same questions about the refugee camp and mining operations and the environmental impact. We all visit the same few sights. He still enjoys it, but it’s sort of weird to be following a sort of mold down to your personal interactions and conversations- especially when you’re in one of the most remote countries on the planet!
Here are some other photos from Nauru I wanted to share:
1, 2. More views of the phosphate deposits.
3. An old Japanese bunker from WWII.
4,5. A rusting old Cadillac from when Nauru was one the richest countries per capita in the world. You can see remnants of this wealth all over the island!
6,7. Some people I met! The first man told me his favorite thing about Nauru are the gorgeous flowers. The second man (with the sousaphone) conducts the police band and kindly gave me a tour of the rehearsal space!
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#nauru #100countries #southpacific #pacificislands #offthebeatenpath #solotraveller #solotravel #mining #cadillacs #travelblogger #travelphotography #offbeattravel #hellofrom

Hi from Nauru! This country receives only about 20
Hi from Nauru! This country receives only about 200 tourists a year, so that makes me 0.5% of this year’s tourists!
When I first learned that number, I thought this place would feel so isolated. Nauru is remote, but definitely not isolated. The numbers 200 refers to TOURISTS but doesn’t refer to the sheer number of international people in the country. It starts with mines and refugee camps, and then there’s a trickle down stream of people who are tied to these two main things. I’ve seen a larger variety of ethnicities and backgrounds here just walking down the street than I saw in Vanuatu or Solomon Islands. Maybe it’s because we’re all crammed onto one tiny island (you can easily walk around the entire island in a few hours) and so we happen to be around more people. Regardless I was apparently a unique enough sight for a local wrestling club of about 40 guys to all stop, stand up, and quietly stare at me as I walked by on the sidewalk. It wasn’t an annoying catcalling stare. It was more of a where in the world did she come from stare haha! 🙈
My time in Nauru was pretty intense- It has taken a long time for me to process some of my experiences there. But for now here is a photo of me in front of some of the iconic phosphate deposits.
#nauru #southpacific #pacificislands #solofemaletravel #solofemaletraveler #goalone #offthebeatenpath #globetrotter #dametraveler #travelblogger #traveltheworld #hellofrom

Here’s one more shot of the wreckage of the Worl
Here’s one more shot of the wreckage of the World Discoverer in Solomon Islands for you all! Can you spot the snorkeler again?

This will also wrap up my photos from Solomon Islands (for now!!). Next up I’ll be sharing shots from Nauru, Fiji, and Samoa. Then I’ll finally share photos from Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire. AND THEN I’ll share from my Caribbean trip...I’m so behind on everything! But thanks so much for following along!

#shipwreck #solomonislands #abandonedplaces #travel #solotraveler #globetrotter #passionpassport #natgeo #lonelyplanet #hellofrom #southpacific #solofemaletravel #dametraveler #wearetravelgirls #culturetrip #passportready #getoutside

1. A girl paddles her canoe near the wreck of the
1. A girl paddles her canoe near the wreck of the World Discoverer.
2,3. A dugout canoe, before and after!
4,5. Scenes from the village about a 20 min walk from the shipwreck.

One thing I loved about visiting villages on islands (and countries) all over the South Pacific was that it seems like people take their gardening and landscaping very seriously! Call me naive, but I  assumed that people who practically live in the Garden of Eden (like all these tropical villages) wouldn’t need to spend time gardening. Then when I kept on noticing their gorgeous gardens or just public gardens in the village I was wondering why in the world I thought that!? People everywhere are drawn to make their homes beautiful! ☺️ #solomonislands #shipwreck #abandoned #abandonedplaces #villagelife #canoeing #southpacific #hellofrom #pacificislands #culturetrip #worlddiscoverer #globetrotteuse


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