An around the world jewellery haul

I landed back in England 14th April 2015. Hearing the accentuated British accent, seeing patch-worked green land and feeling a crisp freeze in the air were strange feelings I had to come to terms with after exploring the world and acclimatising to at least 30 degrees Celsius.

This was 2 weeks ago now, and I thought it was about time I updated my blog on some of the timeless trinkets I bought home with me. I wanted to buy something meaningful in every country I visited. This consisted mostly of jewellery as I find jewellery a very personal ornament that I know I will always treasure carefully.

In my photo’s showing my trinket haul I have souvinirs from…

Japan (the mini lucky cats). These were bought in the cutest trinket shop, it was hidden at the bottom of some stairs on the main shopping high street in Ginza, Tokyo.

Laos (Elephant chain necklace). Luang Prabang was my first stop in the beautiful Laos. Every evening the high street becomes a vibrant night market. With canopied tent roofs filling the main street I managed to weave around the stools to the path and I found a majestic jewellery shop selling necklaces with all kinds of animals like this one.

Fiji (Shell bracelet). I stayed at Octopus resort on the Yasawa Islands and on Wednesdays they held  a jewellery making workshop. I took part in the workshop with the local Fijian villagers.

Thailand (Elephant ring). Whilst in Chang Mai I volunteered at Rang Tong elephant camp. There is a very sweet old Thai lady at the camp selling lovely jewellery to raise money for the elephants. I decided to buy this ring with imprints of the elephants.

New Zealand (Feather). I found a bead shop in Nelson on the south island. i bought this as a charm. it resembles the kiwi fern to me.

Vietnam (doll). I fell in love with this colourful little doll key ring. I was going to buy myself one but my boyfriend surprised me and bought me the red doll.

Thailand (Bangle). Chang Mai night market is one of the best places to shop. I bought so many things from this place, included this elephant printed bangle.

Fiji (Wooden turtle). I travelled around the Yasawa Islands in Fiji. This turtle necklace is from the Blue Lagoon resorts village. I visited the village to see their town hall market. The local villagers were selling many crafty goodies. I chose this turtle.

Mexico (green turtle). I bought another turtle in Puerto Morelos. Whilst here I visited the most wonderful beach I have ever been to. It’s not particularly pretty but there are about 20 turtles feeding on the sea grass not far from the shore. I swam with so many turtles it was an unbelievable experience.

And lastly, my rings. I now wear 3 rings. They are from Brisbane in Australia, Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Solvang, USA. I don’t think I will ever forget where I bought these delights from.

Gili T’s horse shoe

 

My boyfriend and i were not sure whether to buy tickets for the boat over to Gili Trawangan from Ubud in Bali. We were not one hundred percent sure if it was a malaria free zone and we had ran out of our anti-Malaria tablets. So if we were going to go, it would be a risk. 

I was desperate to go, i had heard the island was paradise. I had to find out for myself. So with a large amount of persuasion, eventually my boyfriend agreed to get on the back of our Ubud homestay host’s moped and buy two boat tickets to Gili T. They cost us about £50 each which was slightly more than i expected but still very cheap compared to home, plus i was too excited to think of a more reasonable budget.

After a long, and rocky four hour boat journey across the ocean that seemed to have the biggest swell ever (thank god i do not suffer with bad sea sickness) we made it to Gili Trawangan. We found out later that only the Indonesian island named Lombok required anti-Malaria tablets, so my boyfriend could relax and lay off the deet.

We stepped off the boat on to soft, golden sand and we were greeted by a pony and cart. There are no cars, moped or trucks on this jolly little island, so transportation is old school. It is one of my favourite parts of the island. Hearing shaking bells and trotting ponies make their way down the little narrow lanes. The characteristics of this tiny place are one of a kind.

I spent four days on the island and did not want to leave. I’m not sure what it was about Gili T that made me love it so much. I have been lucky enough to  visit most of  Thailand’s tranquil islands, including Phi Phi which is the most similar, but i wasn’t cast under the wonderlust spell like i am with Gili T. I thought Phi Phi was a bit too commercial. Gilli T has not been ruined, so it still has its rustic natural charm. The Indonesians that live on the island are witty, gentle people who really surface a jolly, relaxed and happy aroma to the place.

As we were set to leave the island i found an old horse shoe buried in the sand. I was just walking down a land from my hotel to the main road. I decided to take it with me, so i have a little bit of Gili T alaways with me. It’s rusting quite a lotbut surviving well in my backpack. Once i am back in England i shall frame my Gili T trinket so i will always remember that jolly little island that has become my favourite place.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

I have not played this game since i was back in school. It was quite nostalgic remembering the tactics and practising my mental quick hand.

I am sitting in a restaurant in Pnom Penh, Cambodia about to dig into my khmer curry when i am approached by a fresh skinned, sweet looking eight year old local Cambodian girl. She has a wire hanger slung over her shoulder with many home made braided bangles and bracelets tied on to it. The hanger looks bright, colourful and full of culture. She is confident, cheeky and very smart. She approaches me speaking clear and complicated english for her age. She asks me where i am from And repeats some classic british quotes in a witty manor ‘lovely jubbly’. She tells me she learns her englih by speaking to us tourists and at her sunday classes.

I am expecting her to persuade me to buy a bracelet off her hanger for a very expensive $5 (the same price as my curry and Angor beer) and then battle a negotiation just so i can eat my curry before it gets cold.

She surprised me. instead she asked me if i wanted to challenge her to a game of rock, paper, scissors. I knew that this would only end in her favour but i was quite intrigued with her sales approach. ” if i win, you have to buy a bracelet off me, if you win then i’ll give you one for free”.

I will warn you now, never challenge a Cambodian child to a game of rock, paper, scissors. You will lose every time and end up spending near $20 on bracelets as it’s addictive trying to win and suss out how they do it. Many games later and i have spent my weekly budget on rock, paper, scissors.

In the end, i didn’t mind. It was a fun dinner and she was good company. I was probably owed about 5 bracelets but i only chose one. It isn’t elaborate or anything special, just a red band with the word Cambodia stitched onto it. However, This bracelet, is special to me and will remind me of my time spent in this amazingly strong country and their culture.

The weird and wonderful flea market in Japan

I imagine a flea market to be like the British version a traditional Sunday boot fair or an American garage sale. This flea market I walked into seemed more like years and years of collecting abandoned and unwanted junk, toys and past times. The sign outside the shop building say’s ‘shopping room’, which explains this particular flea market very well. I was standing in a small box room, filled head to toe with stuff.
It was a large cuddly toy of Mickey Mouse dressed in dolls clothes and a voo doo looking witch hanging off a tree that caught my eye from across the street. I was curious and wanted to know what this odd display outside a little shop was about.
Stepping into the shop was a little more difficult then assumed. The door opened no more than thirty centimetres, so with a squeeze and a fight with whatever was on the other side of the door trapping me out, I managed to eventually stand in the entrance of the shop. As I was part-taking in this minor obstacle course the bell hanging on the door shook and rang. I decided to patiently wait for a greeting with the shop keeper as looking beyond, into the shop, I was a little worried as to what I had let myself in for. Piles and piles of old trinkets, dusty toys, books, rusting or broken ornaments, ragged clothes and old fashioned electronics stacked from the floor to the ceiling. The whole box room to the inch was filled with worthless objects. I couldn’t actually walk any further into the shop from my firm footing at the shop entrance. I felt claustrophobic and like an intruder in this space so I was ready to leave after a few minutes until I heard thumping from the wall. Suddenly, a little square hatch slide door the size of an oven, swept up in the wall next me revealing a hunched up old man crouching and climbing out of the hatch. He climbed from the hatch down onto the table below him then onto the floor to greet me with a beaming smile. He was skinny and frail with mid-length curly and wild grey hair.
I was speechless, I’m sure my facial expression must have revealed that I was confused as to what I had just witnessed. The old man didn’t seem to notice, he said hello and greeted me in Japanese with a bow as if his strange entrance was very normal. He started walking through slim gangways into the middle of shop. The shop layout started to make a bit more sense as I followed his arm gesture instruction. He had organised his stock to form a path around all the objects and beautiful trinkets. I edged my way through the path, chocking on the dust as we unsettle it with our steps. The old man passes me objects he thinks I will like. I am then trying to balance my way through the shop cradling scary looking dolls, a nostalgic brick Nokia mobile phone, Grand ma looking gypsy dresses and china ornaments.
I absolutely loved visiting this strange flea market and experiencing an odd bit of personal shopping. I saw some wonderful trinkets and heart warming objects that reminded me of my childhood. It’s sad that these things have been abandoned to a scatty, dust piling room. The old man was very sweet with his hoarding habit and energy to keep his shop alive. I only wish there wasn’t such a language barrier and I could have asked him why he came through a hatch in the wall.

Bead haul in Singapore

I was looking around the markets in Malaysia and noticed beautifully beaded necklaces, the beads were ceramic, stone and porcelain. If it wasn’t for my christmas gift shopping i would have bought one of the lavish beaded necklaces.

I didn’t find Malaysia very cheap in the tourist souvenir department so my brain sparked an idea. I was walking past a sewing craft shop in china town and noticed that they were selling a large selection of silk thread colours an cord. I decided i was going to make my own jewellery whilst travelling. I loved the beaded jewellery so much i was planning to attempt my own creation. All i needed to do was find beads.

I found my beads in Singapore, the one place on my travelling list that i thought would be too high-end and expensive to buy beautiful beads.
I found beads everywhere at the famous china town market. The stools were full of inspiring metal works and designs. I bought two turquoise stone beads. A big block shaped bead and a novelty owl charm.

A few intense rummage sessions later and i found a stall with two chicken wired walls. Full of large beaded necklaces hanging from it. I found the perfect beads. My plan was to buy the necklace and make individual jewellery from the beads. I love the necklace idea but these beads were heavy around my neck, it just wouldn’t be practical to wear it. If someone got in my way they would risk being knocked out by my fashion statement.

I chose these beads because i love the paint work and shapes. I saw the mushroom and teapot and loved it.

Look out for a blog post on my home made jewellery. I’ll let you know If it was a success or a fail.

The lucky cat charms – Jen

I met Jen whilst in Singapore. My boyfriend wanted to get a tattoo whilst we were travelling, he had the idea of getting it done here. We were walking down the trendy Haji lane and spotted a tattoo parlour named ‘Visual Orgasm’. Jen is a very talented tattoo artist who took on the task of drawing my boyfriends very detailed tattoo idea.

A few days later, my boyfriend and I were sitting at Jen’s creative desk ready for the tattoo creation to commence. Whilst my boyfriend was sitting in the hot seat, bravely fighting the vibrating needle i couldn’t help but notice Jen’s colourful, creative desk space. The shelves were filled with tiny ornaments of the Chinese lucky cats, pictures of cats and cards with cats on them. I realised that Jen might be a cat lover.

Around Jen’s neck was a hand made necklace. A simple chain with two tiny porcelain cat charms hanging freely. These charms traditionally mean good fortune and luck. She has a blue and a red cat. Jen wears her culture and her love of cats around her neck. I love her idea of accessorising her favourite thing; it shows her creativity and keeps what she loves close.

Before Jen was a tattoo artist she was a veterinary assistant. Although she adores animals and loved working with them she urged to be more creative in her career. Being naturally very talented in drawing she joined Visual Orgasm’s apprenticeship scheme and begun her journey to becoming a successful tattoo artist.

A Japanese Time Piece

I boarded the sleeper bus from Tokyo to Kyoto on 23rd July, It was surprisingly a peaceful coach journey, I slept well in my reclining chair that I referred to as my ‘cubby’. The chair had a large hood attached which I hid under and drifted into a light sleep until morning when I woke up in the charming Kyoto.

Exploring Kyoto is an oriental heaven. Walking across delicate bridges over blossomed streams, bumping into elegant Geisha’s as they shuffle across the paths and smelling the woody herbs of green tea from the paper tea houses was my daily sights of my time in Kyoto.

It was here, I faced the most frustrating thing about backpacking. Shopping and space. I checked my bank balance regularly, to keep my spending on track and the nervous churning in my stomach down to a minimum, because I was seeing my savings disappear fast. I was continuously reminded that my budget doesn’t stretch as far as purchasing everything I liked. Every time I heaved my backpack onto my back the heavy pull of gravity on my body would also remind me that I have small weight and space limitations. Drifting in and out of the cute boutique shops was one of my favourite activities in Kyoto. I wanted to buy so much. The intricate Japanese craftsmanship inspired me to re-surface my creative skills.

My favourite shop named Dedegumo was situated about 5 metres from A-Yado hostel, where I accommodated for 5 days. I walked past Dedegumo everyday and peeped in to their workshop window to see the silversmiths creating the most fascinating time pieces I have ever seen.

Dedegumo watches are designed with intricate metal detail. The collections are inspired by the natural world and it’s galaxy. My favourite collection bonded Japanese culture and fine metal work together. Inspired by Japanese textiles these watched were colourful and enchanting.

Japanese textile collection

 Sighs of The Sky collection 

 

The Noble Watch Series II

Hoi An fruit market and my paint

This post, unfortunately isn’t about trinkets or jewellery. I thought i would post something i have been working on whilst on my travels.

I was a bit of a geek and brought a mini water colour painting set with me in my backpack. Whilst on the stunning beach in Nah Trang, Vietnam i decided to paint one of my favourite pictures i have taken so far. It’s of the Vietnamese fruit market in Hoi An. I’m so glad i saw this place. Markets are everywhere but i love Vietnamese markets as the stall owners pile their fruit up high and sit behind it with their traditional cone hats. You can hardly see them as they are all so tiny.

Whilst writing this I am sitting on another beach, this time in Mui ne, Vietnam. The waves are so high and violent here, i am a little worried about braving the sea in a few moments.

The beach a am sitting at right now;)

War medals found in the Vietnamese jungle – Quang

I was on my way to visit the Vietnamese castle Citadel. It was my second day in Hue, Vietnam. Occasionally along the paths in this city are laid out rugs with china pots, souvenirs and various other trinkets to buy from the Vietnamese locals. I was walking past one particular arrangement of little metal coins on the floor, for some reason i was curious enough to stop and take a closer look. It wasnt rusting coins like i thought it was but badges and medals. I guessed they were war related so i asked Quang, who owned the little street stall for more information.

My story isn’t just about the trinkets he sold but also about his passion for the medals and the history of his country. I was with him for hours on the side of the road while he told me about each individual medal and what it meant. He had medals from the Vietnam war In 1972 between the south (with USA) and the north. He had medals belonging to US soldiers too, from when they invaded North Vietnam.

Quang had many dog tags and medals that belonged to US soldiers, these were found in the jungle so they were not in great condition. I felt Strange reading the names and the information off the dog tags that belonged to the soldiers. I did a bit of research on how the US army coped in Vietnam as many of them lost their lives. They call it Guerrilla Warfare as it took place in the jungle. The vietnamese soldiers knew how to fight on their land, hiding in the trees and using traditional tactics gave them a better chance. The medals Quang had found in the jungle were quite heavy. Some were deformed and the markings on the medals were barely readable. The medals belonged to the US army, navy and Marine.

The trinkets Quang was most excited about belonged to the north Vietnam soldiers. He was so cute and his eyes lit up when he was telling me about these, he would grab my arm and excitedly hurry me to the next rug on the floor full of these medals. He had many trinkets in good and bad condition. He told me that the one’s in good condition were found in houses. The one’s in bad condition were found in the jungle.

I bought 2 from him as he gave me a deal. They belong to North Vietnam. The US medals were quite expensive as they are probably more rare so i stuck to the Vietnamese historic trinkets.

My first trinket was a badge from 1972 which means North Vietnam won the war as its labelled with Chien Thang. Quang was telling me what all of the sayings on the medals meant. I got him to write them down for me as the language barrier was causing confusion.

Chien thang- victory
Quyet thang – corps with determination to win, part of of Ho Chi Minh campaign
Khang chien- resistance (war against America)
Toan thang- attempting to scale

I also bought a medal which was found in the jungle, it belonged to the north Vietnamese army. It is very fragile so i hope it doesn’t break in my huge backpack. Engraved on the medal is the saying Giai Phong, which means its a liberation medal and also means “release the south”.

These trinkets are special as they are a part of history and Quan is a person from my travels who i will never forget.

The torii gate treasures (Kyoto, Japan)

Shrines are symbols of a holy place here in Japan. I am currently in kyoto which is a traditional and historic city in Japan. Faith is a very strong characteristic of Kyoto and its people. I have learnt that a lot of their faith is expressed through art, architecture, craft and trinkets. One of the more popular shrines is the Fushimi Inari Taisha of Inari. Located in Fushimi-ku.

When i first stepped out of the vintage looking Fushimiinari train station the place reminded me of a british countryside village. The train track just outside the station was a pedestrian rail crossing and the streets heading up the hill towards the temple were narrow and lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and Japanese cake shops. Of course they didn’t look like little english brick buildings but like Japanese paper houses made from wood and with sliding doors.

The temple was the classic colour of red and behind the temple is a small mountain. At the top of the Inari mountain is the most popular shrine. The trek to get there is up thousands of steps and in 30 degrees heat im sure you can imagine my ever so attarctive state once we got to the top. What made this journey interesting and worth it was the torii gates you have to walk through. They lead you right to the top from the normal ground to the holy ground. There was monkeys roaming around the higher you got and every so often I found clusters of mini shrines.

The trinkets hold a wish
In these mini shrines are candles and interesting trinkets. They have been left at the shrine for the shinto gods.
I saw china pots which collect water for the gods or an ornament of an animal. In this shrine i saw many komainu variations. This trinket is two guardian foxes (or dogs) that traditionally sit on each side of the shrine for protection. Ema’s are carved wooden plaques left at the temples that people write their wish onto in the hope that it comes true.

Whilst peering into each shrine i loved looking at the trinkets left behind. The trinkets are put there to complete a shrines wish and holy worship. Each trinket holds someones wish and prayer to the gods. Its magical knowing that in the pieces of china, jewels or wooden plaque is a persons deepest secret or sacred wish.

I have taken photos of the shrines wonders as they are special trinkets. I hope the worshipers wishes, dreams and hopes came true.