Your London Guide to Street Markets

I was lucky enough this summer to stay in London for just over 2 months doing some research work and some traveling. Of course I was determined to try all delicious food and get a "taste" of London culture and what better way than to check out all the street markets? I'm not talking just the Borough Market or Camden Market.. I'm talking ALL of them. So here's my little guide for which ones YOU should check out if you're more cut on time.

Before I get started, know that some of these markets can get crowded and with any crowded area in London (or anywhere really), be cautious of pick pockets. Be smart - don't just have your wallet hanging out from your back pocket. Also, always carry around some cash because not all the stalls will accept card (though a fair amount of them do!). And given that it's London weather, a bottle of water and an umbrella never hurt anyone.

1. Borough Market
I'm just going to get the big name ones out of the way. Yes this is the market where there was the shooting (article here if you somehow didn't hear/read about it), but I wouldn't let that deter you from checking this place out - just don't hang around too late at night if you want to stay on the safe side. It's a classic must visit market in London and can get a bit crowded (though not as bad as others) so best to go mid morning. It opens at 10 AM everyday except Saturday (8 AM) and Sunday (closed) and goes until 5 PM (6 PM on Friday). There's tons of little stalls in this underpass market selling mostly food items like cheeses, oils, teas, breads, fruits, and other delicious goods. There's not really any clothing stalls like other markets but there are a few stalls selling little trinkets/goodies/supplies that you can pick up as souvenirs or just for yourself. I'd definitely recommend getting the scotch egg here because it's freshly fried so toasty hot (I'm not a fan of cold scotch eggs) or a doughnut/donut (4-5 different flavors of plump custard/filling filled donuts..delicious!) or SOME sort of baked good from Bread Ahead. Notably, the Roast is also located in the market - this is a slightly upscale restaurant that does (duh) Sunday roast style dishes including roast beef with yorkshire pudding, pork belly (one of their highly rated dishes), and my favorite - sticky toffee pudding (a definite must get if you go here). It's a little pricey so save it for a special occasion if you do plan to go here.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Camden Market
Probably the largest market of them all, this spans several streets, and it's open every day from 10 AM - 7 PM. It gets jam packed with people at all times of the day so I'm really not sure when the best time to go is to avoid the crowds. There's basically everything there - clothing, food, jewelry, trinkets, the goods. Like I said, it's huge with lots of small "alleys" of stalls so it's a bit easy to get lost and be on alert for pick pockets. Lots of the stalls seem to repeat what they sell (ie same clothing items) but it doesn't hurt to take a look around. Personally I didn't find anything appealing to buy. There's a lot of different food varieties to choose from also but I think the halloumi fries are quite popular (again, personally they were just so-so for me but they're worth a try I suppose). They have a nice seating area (spots are hard to come by) that overlooks a river (though the river isn't that nice and very algae infested) where there are some boats that you can pay to go on I believe. Camden Market is definitely one you could spend over an hour at and Camden Town (the area the market is located in) has lots of shops on the highstreet where you can buy brand name clothes and other things so you can really spend half your day in this area.

Two things you should notice: the amount of people and the amount of algae in the lake.

Halloumi fries

 3. Portobello Market
Another very popular and large outdoor street market that gets packed early in the morning so again, not sure when the best time to go is besides early. Lots of antique shops line the streets and even more stalls on the streets themselves. You'll see lots of old gems/stones/jewelry, dining ware/teaware/silverware, and just random old things (age does not make them cheap). There are usually some performers on the street which add to the market feel. You'll walk for a couple of streets until you get to the end where there are most of the food stalls and let me tell you, this is probably one of the largest market food courts. They've got tons of stalls with a huge variety of foods and some will even offer your samples which is nice. They've got a pretty hipster seating area in a sand pit and outdoor loos (aka porta-pottys) that you (horray!) don't need to pay for.

People..and more people. Definitely one of the more crowded markets in London!

 

 

Seating area where you can enjoy your food

 

"Gozleme" for only 5 pounds. Super filling as it came with a heaping serving of hummus and salad. Absolutely delicious!

4. Old Spitafields Market
Nice indoor/covered market with wide variety of clothing shops, random trinkets/goodies, jewelry and hair things, leather belts and bags, etc - as well as a good section of food stalls and actual sit down restaurants on the side. It's open 10 AM - 5 PM everyday except Saturday (opens 11 AM). There's a good variety of things you can buy here and I picked up some cute dresses for a reasonable price (2 for 20 pounds). This market wasn't too crowded when I came by early afternoon which was a definite plus and the food had me drooling. Plus it's near the Peticoat Lane Market - a small outdoor street clothing market selling mostly cheap clothes (cash only) but also some other random household tools for low prices - so you can pop over there when you're done at Old Spitafields.

5. Columbia Flower Market
This Sunday only market specializes in flowers (hurdur) and antiques. It gets PACKED (possibly because it's only open on Sunday; and I mean packed like on par with, if not worse than, Portobello market) so try to go earlier rather than later. It has a huge variety of flowers for a super reasonable price. You're definitely going to see girls taking photos for Instagram here (see the classic feet and flower pose). Flower stalls line the streets but behind them are a few cafes and dozens of antique shops/boutiques selling various trinkets and random homeware goodies - definitely cute things to check out (but not exactly cheap). There's also a few food stalls at the edge/end of the market area and I picked up two vegan goodies (date brownie and banana bread) which were both absolutely deliccious!

6. Greenwich Market
Probably one of my favorite markets out of them all. It's located right off the road near the Cutty Stark (historic boat), the Prime Meridian (7 pound student ticket, 10 for adults - basically to stand over a line..but hey it's worth it if you want to be east and west at the same time right?), and the Queen's House (free! and really quite nice). The market is partly covered under a building (but not exactly indoors because no doors) with some food stalls outdoors as well, and has a really nice variety of stalls selling clothing, hand made things (cards, hair bands, bow ties, etc), homeware (ie metal wire photo holders which you can customize), and of course food! I saw a lot more vegan food options here than most other markets which was cool (not a vegan myself but I can appreciate it) and I tried the vegan donut from Ruby's which was absolute amazingg!

7. Brick Lane Market
Only open Saturday (11 AM - 6 PM) and Sunday (10 AM - 5 PM), this outdoor street market is filled with stalls selling second-hand/second-ware items as well as some clothing stalls. There's an area of the street that has an opening into an old parking lot looking area with more stalls set up in a flea market fashion (random old trinkets lined on tables). You'll also see some stalls selling fresh produce in buckets for 1 pound per bucket like Whitechapel Market (see below). There's lots of surrounding building walls "decorated" in street art which is quite cool (also near Shoreditch which is known for its street art). The streets surrounding the market are filled with hipster cafes (including the notable Cereal Killer cafe and Sloane Bros froyo), the classic famous "beigel" (aka bagel) shop known as Brick Lane Beigel Bake (there's one right next to it also called Beigel Shop which is also rated well but not as many reviews for it on Google so I think it's not the MOST famous lol), and Indian restaurants known to make amazing curry (I have yet to try but the area itself has lots of local Southeast Asians so I wouldn't be surprised if their restaurants were amazing). The two beigel/bagel shops are known for their salt beef bagel but personally I thought the salt beef wasn't anything out of this world (never had it before so not saying it was bad or anything) and for 4 pounds compared to the other fillings (ie cream cheese, smoked salmon and cream cheese, cheese, nutella) which are only 1-2 pounds, it didn't feel quite worth it. But if you're into salt beef or love meat, it doesn't hurt to try it because let's be honest, 4 pounds isn't unreasonably expensive when you consider London prices - and the bagel dough itself is really nice, soft, and fluffy.

 

 

8. Whitechapel Market
This is a street market right next to the Whitechapel tube station. It's not crazy huge or long and doesn't get crowded like the other markets. It's great for cheap ripe produce (and when I say ripe, I mean like eat that day ripe or else it'll go bad). Stalls sell fruit piled in a plastic bucket for 1 pound each and while other markets may have stalls like this as well, Whitechapel's portions (aka fruit per bucket) are the most and best deal. For example, I got 5 large ripe avocados for 1 pound and 9 bananas for 1 pound! There's also lots of clothing stalls selling cheap scarves (1-2 pounds each), dresses, pants, shoes, etc. It's a bit like a market you'd see in Asia but run mostly by Middle Eastern shop owners instead. Definitely a nice place to stop by to get your daily fruit fix. Be mindful that all the stalls are cash only.

9. Brixton Market/Brixton Station Road Market
Nice market with largely Jamaican, African, and Latin American influences so you can try some more authentic foods here. It's not as clean/tidy as some other markets (lots of meat butcher shops) but don't let that stop you from walk on a bit further where you'll find an indoor market area that's cleaner with mostly sit down cafes and restaurants (so many to choose from!). There's not as many clothing stalls here as it's mostly food but you'll find some cool cultural items at some stalls on the street/road market. There's also the Pop Brixton area which is an outdoor two-story food eating area (more hipster and pricey foods ranging from steak and fries, crepes, tacos/burritos, pizza, beer, etc) with maybe 1-2 vintage selling clothing stalls. There's a nice seating area on the second floor that's covered so you can take shelter there if it's raining.

Inside Pop Brixton

Pop Brixton second floor seating area

Vintage Kilo Sale! This event goes on every so often so check Facebook to see when the next one is. They have multiple locations

10. Bloomsbury Farmer's Market
Thursday only food market (9 AM - 2 PM) located near the University College London (UCL) so you'll see lots of students here. It's well-rated online with lots of reviewers raving about the lunch options but I haven't actually found the time to make my way there so I'll leave this short for now. Prices are said to range from 5-6 pounds which isn't unreasonable and they're said to have a good range of options to choose from. The only downside is that during peak lunch hours, there can be quite long lines and since the market isn't even open for that long, you might find yourself waiting a bit.

11. Broadway Street Market
Really nice outdoor street market for lunch time foods.. which is a shame because I went there around 10-10:30 (and it says it opens at 9) and most of the shops were still getting set up (especially the ones making fresh hot foods). It apparently gets really busy during lunch time so maybe go right before the lunch rush hour or after. There are a really wide variety of foods including savory and sweet (some really nice looking meringues and eclairs and cakes!) as well as shops selling handmade clothing, jewelery, and general things you can give as gifts. Also a few shops lining the buildings surrounding the market that are good for early birds looking for a bite to eat. It's close to Netil Market which is a small market (only about 5-8 small shops in a fenced area) that sells old furniture, bike parts, art pieces, flowers, and some other random things. It opens at 9 AM on the weekdays and 11 AM on weekends but I'd suggest going around 12 or after on the weekend since when I went, they weren't really set-up or open at 11.

12. Roman Way Market
Small outdoor street market selling cheap clothing and random things to use around the house (ie cleaning supplies, plastic tupperwares, etc). There's not a huge selection of things here and only 1-2 stalls selling fresh produce and it's not some market I'd say you HAVE to go to but they do have some stalls selling designer brand name clothes so you might want to pop on by if you're into that. There's a fair amount of restaurant/food shops lining the buildings surrounding the market if you're looking to get a bite to eat (Percy Ingle smells of warm melted butter and fatty goodness - definitely recommend checking out their hot pastries) but none of the usual fresh food stalls you might see at other markets.

That's all the ones I've been to so far. I'll continue to update this with more markets that I go to in the London area but hopefully you've found this helpful and enjoy exploring the London culture as I have. Let me know what markets are your favorites or if I've missed any, which ones I need to add to my list to check out!

[Travel] Havasupai / Havasu Falls

Because of my travel loving sister, I found out about one of the top "go-to-before-you-die" places in the world called Havasupai, better known by the most famous waterfall there, Havasu Falls. Havasu Falls is just one of the many beautiful, natural, and amazing waterfalls located in Arizona's Grand Canyon on the Indian Reserve Land of Havasupai Tribe (official website).

Havasu Falls (no editing! None of the pictures you see are edited)

It's kept in such great condition (so far at least) because the tribe limits how many people can go into the area each year. My sister and her boyfriend, my mom, and I all went (my workaholic dad passed on this; HIS LOSS!) in late June, which is one of the hottest times to go, and it was everything and more I could have imagined. However, we did a lot of planning, research, and preparation for this trip so to (hopefully) save you some time, I thought I'd share what I know and experienced. I strongly recommend you do lots of research as well, do NOT take this trip lightly (figuratively; literally you do want to try and limit how much you bring) as it can be potentially dangerous if you are not prepared! Before reading on, here's a short video my sister put together of our trip (please bear with the shakiness as I filmed bits of it and wasn't aware of how steady I had to be!)

Preparation
First, you must obtain a camping permit or a reservation at the hotel lodge before your trip (most people stay at least 1 night there but you can go for a day trip in some non-summer months, this also requires a permit). On their official website, they say they take requests either through email or on the phone (numbers and emails can be found on the website) but from what I read online (and what we did) it's best to call them. If you've done any research on Havasupai, you will know that you will probably have to call multiple times to (1) have someone pick up and (2) have a date available that you can make. They don't give you a time period to call between so we called multiple times a day during regularish business hours 9 AM - 4 PM (we found morning is the most likely to have someone pick up) and would ask if there was any hotel lodge cancellations in the next month until there was an opening available that we could make. We chose to stay at the lodge for the A/C + shower but also because we don't have the compact lightweight camping tents or sleeping bags but if your group is down for camping, I assume you just call and ask for any available camping permits. For the lodge booking, we had to give our credit card information over the phone to put down a $40 deposit (but this is not charged right away) and then received an email confirming the booking. You're supposed to print out the confirmation email and bring it but my sister actually forgot it but it ended up being okay when we got to the lodge and talked to the receptionist (but you should still bring it!!). It costs $145/night to stay at the lodge which has only rooms with 2 queen beds which was perfect for us 4 people.
Once you've got your dates and permit to stay there, you need to start preparing what to bring. You will be hiking a LOT. It will be hot and sunny. You will need water and food. Here's our checklist (bear in the mind that we did NOT camp so we did not include camping gear!):
-Hiking backpacks
-Clothes: Shorts, Sports Bra, Hiking Socks (3 at least), T-shirts (dri-fit), Tank Top, Sleeping Wear - T Shirt / Shorts, Swimsuit, Hats

-Water shoes (4)
-Hiking shoes (4)
-Towels (microfiber ones = light)
-Sunglasses
-Food / Beverages: Protein Bars (at least 5 per person), 3L Camelbak (3), Extra Bottles of Gatorade (2), Gatorade powder
-Camera Related: Waterproof camera (1), DSLR (1), Tripod (1), Drone (1), GOPRO (1), Camera Charger (1), Extra Battery (1)

-Toiletries : Lip balm with SPF, Tissue Packs, Mosquito repellent, Hand sanitizer, Small First Aid Kit (Band-aids, Alcohol Swabs), Wound dressing/wrap in case injury, Medicine - Tylenol, Advil, Claritin), Toothpaste (1) / Toothbrushes (4), Face wash (sample packs), Lotion - face and body, Sunblock SPF 50 (2) 

-Flashlights (1 per person) + head lamp?

-Spray bottle to fill with water to spray while we hike
-Whistle for emergencies
-Poncho/water jacket for possible rain
-Map of Havasu (need to print)
-Confirmation Receipt for Lodge (1)
-Phone Chargers (4)
-GPS? (If the car we rent does not have one built in - Use Phone?)
-Cash? You can pay with credit
-Small Umbrella
-TO BUY IN VEGAS: Disposable Water Bottles, Ice (for initial hike in), Gatorade

As you should be able to see, we had camera equipment which you may or may not be brining. Drones are actually banned in Havasupai so bring at your own risk(?). The important stuff for the hike though is appropriate hiking backpacks, clothes, and shoes, water (at least 3 L), sunscreen, and food/snacks (at least enough for the hike in, you can buy more at the store in the village if you need but keep in mind that prices might be a little more than usual). It is IMPERATIVE that you have the right gear or else you will end up with blisters and a sore back if not more. We didn't own hiking backpacks before this trip but they are MADE for carrying heavy weight for extended periods of time so we asked around and borrowed 2 (though we actually had 6 to choose from) and bought 2. Hiking backpacks have sizes and you should go into your local store to get fitted. REI actually has a very good return policy (hint hint) if you don't already own a hiking backpack. A hiking backpack will distribute the weight on your hips and shoulders and allow you to fit all your goodies. We also bought 3 L waterbladders which I thought weren't necessary at first (why not just bring multiple water bottles right?) but I was actually so grateful that we had them. You need to be constantly hydrating and having the little sippy sippy easily accessible makes this super easy. You should also bring a bottle of Gatorade or some sort of electrolyte/salt replenish-er drink since you will be sweating. Also, if you plan to hike to Beaver Falls or walk around the waterfalls, you should bring water shoes or shoes that you are comfortable wearing in the water as you have to walk through multiple streams.

Getting There
Havasupai is located in the Grand Canyon. We flew into Las Vegas and then drove about 4 hours to get to the parking lot and trail entrance to Havasupai. The Las Vegas airport is actually closer than the Phoenix Arizona airport to Havasupai. The last place to fill up gas is about 2 hours from the parking lot at Peach Springs so plan accordingly. You will also likely lose signal as you get closer so have a print out map of directions or have an offline map saved on Google Maps (I would try setting it to/close to the Havasupai trailhead). I would advise looking up the directions on multiple sites to make sure you don't end up in the wrong place.
From the parking lot (known as the Hilltop Parking Lot), you must either hike down, ride a mule/horse, or take a helicopter in ($85 one way, they take cash or credit card but there is a $10 credit card fee, you need to contact them beforehand if you wish to helicopter in). The same goes coming back out; hike, horse ride, or helicopter. You can ride the horses/mules or have them just carry your things in; this needs to be arranged ahead of time and costs around $85 I think.

Get an early start on the hike!

The Initial Hike In
The total hike from the parking lot to the Havasupai village (which is where the villager live, the hotel lodge, the visitor center, and the convenience store and cafeteria) is approximately 8 miles (this is what it says online and this is also about what we got on our phone pedometers) but if you are camping, the campground is another 2 miles from the village. Going to Havasupai is going down into the canyon but it is only a steep decline for the first 1.5ish miles and then it becomes pretty much flat the rest of the 6.5 miles. For most people, the 8 mile hike takes 3.5-5.5 hours. We took just under 4 hours at a pretty normal pace (we already had too many stops in my opinion). For the spring and summer months, it is imperative to leave early to avoid the heat. When we went in late June, temperatures were already 95-100 F by 9-10 AM and peaking at 112 F at around 4 PM, so we got to the hilltop around 5:15 AM and started our hike at 6 AM (had to eat some food, get our bags ready, go to the last real bathroom you'll see for a few hours, etc). Most people were already starting the hike at 5:30-5:45 though so we were definitely the late stragglers. Luckily, when you leave around that time, you should be hiking in the shade of the canyon and there are only a few places where you'll have the sun directly beating down on you. I'll say that it really wasn't too hot (like when it's so hot the air is hard to breathe) because of the shade and there was also a steady cool breeze throughout (I assume this is due to the rivers + waterfalls located nearby?). The paths are wide and well-defined though it sometimes forks but the forked roads will converge soon after so I don't think you can get lost. The hardest thing about the hike, in my opinion, was that the path is made mostly of little pebbles and rocks. Imagine walking on sandy or rocky beach, not as easy as a treadmill or packed dirt paths! However, the hike down is totally doable and my 50+ year old mom was able to do it so don't be scared! Just be prepared and walk around a bit with your pack stuffed with weights beforehand so you're not completely caught off guard. Hiking back up is another thing though as the, now last, 1.5 steep part will be much harder as you go uphill but it's not impossible (we chose not to hike back out and took the helicopter instead which is another challenge in itself actually, more on this later).

Be aware of the pack mules and step out of their way when they come by!

The Village
The people of the Havasupai tribe live in the village area where, like I said earlier, there is a visitor center, hotel lodge, supermarket/convenience store (limited fruits/vegetables/meats), and a cafeteria/restaurant with a good selection of hearty foods. We ate at the cafeteria for dinner on our last day but it closes around 7:15 PM so we actually missed it on our first day but we had brought packets of tuna and some sandwich thins (more portable than normal bread) so were able to eat that instead. Again, the campground is 2 miles from the village so you can rest up/refuel at the village before going to the campground if you are camping. You can refill your water using the water from the hotel lodge sinks or from a natural spring pipe in the campground.

Filling up our water bladders at the campground natural spring for the long hike!

The Waterfalls
You will reach the village after approximately 8 miles. However, the actual waterfalls are located 1.5 to 5ish miles away. We went to 4 of the main waterfalls but there is at least one other one that we missed. There are 2 waterfalls, Little Navajo and Havasu Falls, located in between the village and the campgrounds (2 mile distance between the two sites). The path from the village to the campground is a bit sandy/dusty but otherwise it's not too bad of a hike and is downhill (going the other way around is definitely a little tiring). Both waterfalls are pretty visible and you just have to go a little off the main path to get to them.

Walking to Havasu!

Little Navajo was actually my favorite waterfall of them all because you can jump off of it (yes I'm very into cliff jumping now haha *__*). It's about 30 ft at the highest point at the main fall but if you walk a bit from it (not on the main path), you'll reach another part of Little Navajo (this is the waterfall we missed) and apparently that part is 50 ft. The rocks aren't very slippery and I just wore lightweight shoes instead of water shoes (my sister and her boyfriend had water shoes though) and didn't have any issues. I would definitely recommend wearing some sort of shoe (and not flip flops) when going on the waterfalls since you'll be stepping on and over rocks. You can choose from multiple places to jump from the waterfall but please please be careful because there are a few rocks so jump wisely. Lots of the local kids and other hikers will be jumping around there so watch and ask where to jump from if you aren't sure.

Lots of people jumping at Little Navajo!

Havasu Falls is located less than 0.5 miles from the campground and is the most famous waterfall. I don't think it's safe to jump from it because it is quite high and the water pool below it is not very deep but I did see someone on Instagram post a video jumping off (not from the very top though). It's a beautiful waterfall and worth the swim around or some time spent there as there are a few picnic benches. Some people even bring tube floaties to play around with.

Casually floating around

There are 2 other main waterfalls that are further out from there, Mooney and Beaver Falls. Mooney Falls is just past the campground edge (the entire campground is a bit less than 0.5 miles in length?) but you have to go through 2 short caves and down a steep set of stairs made partly from the cliffs and partly from wooden ladders and metal chains. Know your limits!

Steep climb down!

Some people only go to Little Navajo and Havasu which is totally fine but since we stayed for 3 days and 2 nights, we were able to go to Mooney and Beaver. The round trip from the hotel lodge (in the village) to Mooney and Beaver and back was about 11 miles total and since we spent time at Beaver eating lunch, we got back around 5 and spent some time at Little Navajo since it was so hot and then returned to the village around 6. I would advise carrying 2-3L of water/person as well because we only brought 3 water bladders that day (3 L each) and actually drank up 1 of them and came down to about 0.5 L in the other 2 bladders when we reached the campground where we were able to refill our water. We also had 4 bottles of Gatorade (made from powdered mix), 1 for each person.

Mooney Falls was maybe my least favorite because it's SUPER tall (not jumpable for sure..) and water sprays out so as you're climbing down the cliffs, you're getting sprayed by the mist. Beware the the water is very high in lime (which is what makes it so beautifully blue) and if you don't wipe it right away from your camera lens, you'll get water spots/stains that are little difficult to get off. Nevertheless, it's still a nice waterfall and there's a large water pool surrounding it including a swing off a smaller water drop!

Beaver Falls is supposed to be about 3 miles from Mooney but the path to Beaver is not very clear in the beginning so it could take your longer. If you want to go to Beaver Falls (which is a collection of multiple somewhat smaller waterfalls), you have to go past Mooney Falls (away from it). You want to leave early if you're going to Beaver to avoid hiking in the heat of day; we planned for 6 but ended up actually leaving at 7 and we were definitely still hiking around when it got pretty hot. You will need to bring your water shoes or wear them instead of hiking shoes (up to you) as you will be crossing multiple streams of water (not super strong current ones that might knock you over). You'll also be walking on paths that are overgrown with plants so if you're antsy about being touched by plants, well either wear long pants and bear the heat or suck it up I guess? You don't have to worry about ticks or anything and the plants aren't sharp/won't cut your legs up. Soon after Mooney, you'll see a fork in the path. If you take a right, the path will end at a stream which we thought meant it was a dead end but on our way back, we somehow ended up crossing a stream and having to follow it while wading in it and ended up back at this supposed "dead end" we had seen earlier. I think I'd advise going this way on your way to Beaver Falls as we took the fork left and went on a path that is pretty narrow and covered in green bushes and vines.

Crossing the river!

It gets kind of confusing from there as there are multiple forks and paths, some of them less defined than others, and we sort of just trampled our way through and ended up at a stream (which I suspect is connected to Mooney's water runoff?). We saw some other people walking around who were coming BACK (and this was only at 8 AM!) from Beaver and they told us to cross this stream so we put on our water shoes and did so. You have to be smart and choose and area that isn't too deep because there are areas of the streams that get relatively deep but you should be able to find a place to cross that won't go past your thighs/get your shorts wet. We had walking/hiking sticks which were super useful in judging the depth of the streams. After that, the path to Beaver is pretty well-defined and doesn't branch off like crazy. We had to cross about 4-5 more streams (2 more big ones and then a few more other smaller ones). You will pass by/see lots of streams with little falls and can stop there to rest/play in the water if you want..

Crossing streams!

When you're close to Beaver (maybe 0.75 miles?), you'll reach a huge palm tree (not tall but just wide) and you can either go left or right. If you go left, you'll have to cross a stream of water and then continue onward to the falls. If you go right, you'll have to climb a ladder and continue to the falls basically walking on a cliff. Some people who had gone to Beaver already told us that that way was more "sketch" and advised we go left (which they took coming back). If you go left though, you will have to cross a few more smaller pools of water (all shallow) when you can see the falls/you're right next to them, you'll actually want to go through them to find a place to put your things. To do so, you have to go down a cliff which has a rope for you to hold onto for dear life, but that last part, you definitely want to be a bit cautious.

This is the bit right BEFORE the sketchy cliff shuffle (remember this is the path if you go LEFT at the palm tree)

Clinging on!

Crossing the pool of water connected to Beaver was difficult because it is initially deep (up to my waist but I'm short so maybe up to the average person's thighs/definitely will get your pants wet) and we had to carry our backpacks over our heads to avoid getting them wet (camera gear remember!). It's only deep for a short bit and then gets shallow and you can cross easily to get to the other side where you can put down your stuff.

This area was shallow!

It felt like a long hike initially though especially when you're not sure when you'll reach the falls but hiking back it really wasn't too bad. You can jump from a few of the waterfalls but you need to be careful because the water isn't super deep so you may touch your feet if you go straight down so I'd advise canon balling or flattening out when you hit the water. Be SAFE!

Leaving Havasupai on the Helicopter?
The helicopter only runs on certain days (Saturday and Sunday for sure, I forget the rest so you should look this up) and costs $85 per person. Cash or credit card is taken (credit card preferred apparently but there is a $10 credit card fee). If you choose to take a helicopter out (which we did since we were sore and tired from hiking 10+ miles for 2 days in a row), you will have to wait at the fence surrounding the helicopter pad (next to the cafeteria) early in the morning the day of, around 4-5 AM. You can only "book" the helicopter flying into Havasupai but no reservations are taken for helicoptering out. Other people will start lining up early as well so it's best to get there early and be first in line even if you can't write down your name until 9 AM (supposedly. We actually didn't have the paper sheet passed out to put your name down until maybe 9:30?) and the helicopter does not start flying until 10 AM. The Havasupai tribe members have priority and do not need to wait in line to take the helicopter out so do not be surprised if you are not the first to leave even if you are first in line. The helicopter ride itself is maybe 5-7 minutes? But it takes 15-20 minutes for one full helicopter trip (loading on, flying out, loading off, flying back) which can hold 4-6 people each time. We got in line around 5:15 AM but unfortunately for us, there was a group of 14 people who had just a few people get up early and get in line around 4 AM or something so this really pushed us back in line (and was quite irritating to be honest). Not including the 14 people in front of us, there were only 2 other people before us so total 16 people before us and we ended up flying out at 1 PM. So yes it would have been faster to hike out but my sister's boyfriend's knee was swollen and hurting so it wasn't an option really.


Last Precautions
It is recommended that you do not hike during peak heat hours which are 10 AM - 4 PM (we did end up hiking during this time on our second day to Mooney and Beaver and it definitely got hot between 12-3)
It is possible there could be flash floods so review safety guidelines on what to do for a flash flood (get to higher ground!)
There are sightings of snakes (we didn't see any) so review what to do in case of a snake bite.
ALWAYS carry more than enough sunscreen, water, and food.
Do not hike alone. Havasupai is an amazing experience to share, go with your friends and you won't regret it.

Lastly, we created a Google doc which you may or may not find helpful. It contains more information on how to get to each fall and other info (courtesy of my sister and online research).  I hope this post (which has taken me quite some time to write!) is helpful in preparing for your trip to Havasupai. It really is one of the most beautiful places you will see and the hike makes it worth that. Treasure the land and keep it in as pristine shape as when you came.

Havasupai you were AMAZING! (taken on top of Little Navejo)

My 2016 Spring Bloom VoxBox

As we near the end of May and into June, I can definitely say spring is going by fast and summer will be upon us all too soon. The weather is warming up, my nose gets itchy and my eyes water if I don't use Flonase in the morning, and I'm starting to feel comfortable wearing T-shirts and/or a skirt without thick woolly leggings! I got some products from Influenster that are all too perfect for the season and have put them too the test and want to share my thoughts with you all now.

Secret Outlast Deodorant
This is a bit of a weird one but honestly don't we all use deodorant and who wants those nasty pit stains or that weird sour stinky who knows what smell coming off of them? Certainly not me. In general, deodorant lasts me forever so it's hard to get to try a new one but I got a travel size of the Secret Outlast Deodorant in the completely clean scent and it's been working really well. Spring is like the time when it can get warm and dresses and T-shirts are out..basically all the more reasons to wear deodorant. I like how this doesn't mix with my sweat scent like my previous Secret deodorant sometimes did and it really does a good job at keeping me from getting those sweaty pits.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil
I'll start off by saying I've never used a "dry oil" and have only ever really used jojoba oil (once for my hair) and coconut oil (multiple times, also only for my hair). I've never used an oil to moisturize my body or face but have heard of such uses so was interested in trying this product for such purposes in addition to using it on my hair. I wish there were better instructions or directions for this product though because for someone who is new to dry oil or any oil for this matter, they might just apply the oil throughout their hair thinking it would have some shiny/silky effect on their hair and then be left with a greasy head all day.
The full size version of this comes with a spray pump but the sample I received was so small that it was just an open bottle with a screw on cap. This forces you to tilt the bottle and pour the product out which, like any oil or liquid, can cause it to dribble down the bottle and create a bit of a mess - which with oil, is more difficult to clean up then say, water. So already, my first time using this, I had some issues with pouring out the oil and having some of it go on my desk and not my hand. This wouldn't be a problem for the full size of the product which comes with a spray but it is something to keep in mind if you're looking to get a smaller size of this product.
-For the hair: The first time I used this, I poured it into my palms, rubbed it in to distribute it evenly, and combed it through the ends of my hair only. I did not go anywhere near my scalp for fear of a greasy head which was a good thing because my ends definitely looked a bit wet and piece-y for the whole day (signs of oily hair). I didn't use very much product, which means a little bit goes a long way, and the instructions on the website say you can spritz this in your hair
-For the skin: This doesn't leave your hands feeling super oily IF you rub it in completely. So start with only a little amount and rub it in thoroughly; that means MAKE THAT SMALL AMOUNT GO THE DISTANCE. The price is $36 for a full size which okay, isn't off the charts but it is more than the $3 Cerave lotion I usually use right? I think it does a good job at moisturizing my skin and doesn't make me feel all sticky or wet like other lotions do. Your hands will definitely feel different but with lotion your hands feel different too. I think it just takes some time getting used to.
-For the face, I have yet to try mixing this in with my foundation (not sure how oil and makeup go together...) but apparently it's supposed to give you a healthy natural glow. Someone else can try this out I suppose ;)

Sunbelt Bakery Chocolate Chip Bar
I brought this with me on my hike in South Lake Tahoe and ended up eating it back at my hotel when I was doing nothing exciting. Nevertheless, this was delicious. A bit on the sweet side and very similar to a Quaker Chocolate Chip granola bar but thicker. I wouldn't mind buying this again in a 6 pack (vs individually) to have as a healthier snack or dessert option for those days when I'm craving the sweeties.

Not Your Mother's Plump for Joy™
This is a hair thickener which is so great for people like me who have thin limp boring hair. I know how bad teasing your hair is for you so I rarely do it (that and I'm pretty bad at it) so having this was the perfect way to get the volume from teasing, without having to actually go through the teasing process. It's better than hairspray because it doesn't make your hair super crunchy and nasty and well the sample size of this is so perfect for traveling when space is limited and you can only take so much with you!

Cutex Nail Polish Remover

This is kind of amazing for travel because who wants to be lugging around a giant bottle of nail polish remover when they go on vacation right? I'm not even sure TSA would let you bring on a full size nail polish remover bottle and I don't know if there are travel size bottles of nail polish remover. So here we have the solutions - Cutex nail polish remover pads. These are thick pads (they wont just rip on you as you scrub away hard at your nails - trust me I tried with glitter polish) that are completely soaked in nail polish remover so they'll get your nail polish off in no time. The pads are so big that I swear they could do your fingers and toes all with one pad. Definitely one of my favorites. I wonder how long they last unopened though since I'm planning on going to Croatia in about 1.5 months and I don't want these drying out on me! (Which reminds me, even those these have acetone, they're not THAT drying because they have flax seed and other oils combined so it doesn't leave your nails gasping for moisture.

Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Bling it On! Teal Midnight

Because I had my Cutex pads, I was also able to easily try out my new Sinful Colors polish Bling it On! in Teal Midnight. Apparently it's limited edition so if this appeals to you, you better find it quick!
In the above picture, I tried on various combinations and coats of the Teal Midnight nail polish as well as my other Sinful Colors polish, Ingr, which is part of their extra shine collection.
-Index finger: 2 coats Ingr
-Middle finger: 1 coat Ingr + 1 coat Bling It On Teal Midnight
-Ring finger: 2 coats Teal Midnight
-Thumb and pinky: 1 coat Ingr
Both polishes are pretty sheer which isn't a bad thing. You don't need to make super thick coats since they'll go on sheer even if you glob it on so it's better to work with less product, let it sit and then do at least one more coat (probably 3 total would be best). Ingr with 2.5 coats was really great - opaque sea sky blue with fine shimmer (it really makes it look like the ocean). It has a nice glossy and shiny finish too. Teal Midnight is definitely a glitter top coat but it's not PACKED with glitter so if you're really looking for the glitter aspect, I'd suggest putting it on a sponge and then dabbing it onto your nail. I just brushed on the nail polish and would have liked more glitter but it was hard to get the glitter without getting the polish and making a huge glob/mess on my nail. You'll for sure need a clear top coat over Teal Midnight though because you can feel the glitters (that roughness doe). I wouldn't suggest using Teal Midnight on its own because it's way too sheer even with 2-3 coats which is pushing it because you get so much empty sheer nail polish and not enough glitter. This would definitely be perfect though if you just need a hint of glitter to boost your nail game.

Anyways, this is one of my more thorough reviews and I feel like I covered the key aspects and points of each product. I hope it helps you make your decision if you're looking to get any of these products. Please know that even though I got these products for free, all opinions are my 100% true to me. What works for me might not work for you so take everything with a grain of salt! Skin tone, skin type, hair type, etc all factor in to how a product works with you! Well, that's my spiel for the day. Have a wonderful day all you wonderful people reading this :)

Good Eats - Hong Kong Edition - One Dim Sum (Ep. 4)

Address: Shop 1 & 2, G/F, 15 Playing Field Road, Kenwood Mansion, Prince Edward

On this lovely day, I will be taking a break from my sweetie Good Eats posts and sharing with you my experience eating at One Dim Sum, a Michelin Guide Recommended dimsum restaurant located in Prince Edwards (also known as Tai Zi in Cantonese). It is only about a 5 minute walk from one of the Prince Edward MTR subway station exits (I forget which one ;P) and you can easily spot it by the long line of people waiting in front of it. Nicely enough, they have stools outside for waiting customers to sit on (uncommon for most Hong Kong restaurants!) and Fa Yuen Street is also located closely by so you can walk over there (about a 5-10 minute walk) and shop around while you wait for a seat. My cousin and I arrived around 3 PM on a Saturday afternoon expecting not much of a wait seeing as dimsum is most popular from 11 AM to 1 PM, but when we arrived at One Dim Sum, we were surprised to see quite a bit of people waiting in front of the shop. We were given a number and told that the wait would be about half an hour so we decided to walk over to Fa Yuen Street to do some shopping and returned a little less than half an hour later and were given a seat about 10 minutes after returning.

Obviously we were pretty hungry as we hadn't eaten since breakfast (aka 8 in the morning!) so we decided to order 6 dishes (yes my cousin and I can EAT!). As a standard, we ordered siu mai, baked (not steamed as there is a difference!) barbeque pork buns, ha gao (although I've seen online people spell it har gao), deep fried tofu skin (also known as fu pei), cow intestines (not sure if that's the exact right English translation and I know it sounds a bit gross but trust me, IT'S DELICIOUS!), and turnip cakes (pronounced lo bah gou in Cantonese).

Siu Mai - basically shrimp dumplings with orange fish eggs on top and covered in a yellow rice sort of wrap

Baked Barbeque Pork Buns - this type of pork is known as cha-siu (or char siu) which is sweet and super yummy!

My attempt to beautifully rip the bun in half to show you the inside which obviously didn't turn out so well but hey at least you can see the delicious yummy inside! As you can see, the top is shiny which, I'm not sure what they do, but it makes the bun super sticky so be careful if you want to use your hands to eat these little suckers!

Ha Gau (or Har Gau) - another shrimp dish which is literally just a steamed shrimp inside a glutinous rice wrap but is SO freaking yummy.

Fried Tofu Skin with vegetables inside

Cow Intestine - I absolutely love this dish and always love to get it when I go eat dimsum so don't be afraid to order it!

Turnip Cake - another one of my favorites. The turnips are mashed into a fine paste and then mixed with some tiny dried shrimp and some other goodies and then pan fried to create a firm somewhat crispy on the outside but soft on the inside cake.

One thing I love about soley dimsum restaurants are their incredibly fast service. We received our first plate (or well wooden dimsum container.. not sure what they're called really) steaming hot in about 5 minutes after we had ordered and all our other dishes came in about 15 minutes so we were soon overwhelmed with our six dishes crowding up the tiny 4 seater table we were sharing with another couple (yes most small food shops will shove multiple parties into large tables in order to get you in and out as fast as possible). The food was definitely fresh and straight out of the kitchen and I thought all the dishes were delicious except... (try and guess? ;D) the fried tofu skin. Honestly I'm not sure why we ordered it since I've never gotten it at any other dim sum restaurant but my cousin suggested it so we decided to just go for it. I like tofu skin when it's normally cooked (usually steamed or in a soup) but the whole fried thing.. not really my thing. All the other dishes were definitely good, but I'm not exactly sure why One Dim Sum is Michelin recommended as the dishes I tried seemed to be at the same level as any other dimsum restaurant I've been to in Hong Kong. But then again, my grandma and relatives usually take me out to dimsum so I'm assuming they know the better places in the area so I've never had to try a particularly mediocre dimsum restaurant ;P Nevertheless, I think One Dim Sum is a good dimsum shop for tourists as it has an English menu and I think lots of tourists do stop by it because when I went, there were quite a lot of foreigners (myself included really). The shop has a wide selection of traditional dim sum items for you to try and the food is definitely fresh and tasty and best of all, it's cheap! My cousin and I split the bill and if I recall correctly, it was only around 100 HKD in total (maybe give or take a few but IT WAS LIKE CHEAP!). The service and waiters are also quite nice which is a plus for a Hong Kong restaurant as most places have pretty meh service because waiters want to just get you out of the shop quickly and are more about efficiency than politeness really. So yes another successful shop knocked off my list of food places to try ^__^ Leave a comment if you've been to One Dim Sum or any other dim sum places you thought were better and would recommend me to try out ~! xoxo.