Up Up and Away!

So where to next? Well, this time I took a little different route and went to East Asia. I went to the Big Country, also known as China. But when people think of China, they think of Beijing and the big city with all the pollution, which actually has been said to be a really big problem now, but I wanted to be different.
While I was there, I only visited two cities; one of which was considered more of a town than a city. The first city was Chengdu. Me and a few of my friends stayed there for only two days to be able to get settled and learn what we were going to be doing in the next city.
Chengdu is home to the biggest national Panda reserve in the world. Other than that, it is a fairy big city. Meaning, there are a lot of people in the city and a lot of cars. The first day we were there, it wasn't very evident that there was a lot of pollution because the sky wasn't that misty. But while we were driving up to our next destination, Songpan, the pollution really showed.
It wasn't as bad as picture you see online of Beijing and how bad the air pollution is, but it was definitely visible. Where I live, the pollution is still there, but it isn't that bad so it becomes visible.
When we arrived in Songpan, it was a totally different atmosphere. It was a small, really old, town in the mountains of the Eastern Himalayas. We were approximately about 9,500 feet in the mountains and we would go up even more later in the week.
Seeing the differences of these two places was quite drastic. It comes to show you that humans cause more damage than is visible. Like in Chengdu, there were a lot of cars and a lot of people, which created a lot of pollution. Then you get up to Songpan, and it's clear and fresh and there doesn't seem to be any pollution at all.
Going to China was amazing and I really hope I get to go back to the beautiful Himalayan Mountains someday.

Flooding Disaster in India

So recently I got back from India, yet another country that was on my bucket list. For some reason I've always wanted to explore India for its vast plains and humongous mountains, and I finally got to. Before I went there, I never realized how many environmental problems they have to face. Having two very large rivers located in India, many floods happen.
Whenever I go to a new country, I like to experience it two ways: the urban way and the rural way. So that's exactly what I did. When I first got there I spent about a week exploring the major cities in India and even getting to see the Taj Mahal. Once I was done with that I got to go to the rural side of things, which personally is my favorite thing to do because I view it as seeing a little bit of the past. The local people have been living like this for centuries and even though some things have definitely changed, there are some things that haven't.
I got to choose where I was going to base and I chose Lahore. I wanted to see what it was like living right on the river and how the people there went about their daily life. I had never known about the real struggles until I went. Because of monsoons and dams built on rivers, flooding happens way too often. This leaves crops flooded and no water for the people to drink. I hope to find a way that the Indian people will not have to deal with this problem for much longer.

My next adventure happened in a city that has always been on my bucket list: Dubai. Living in the Philippines I always experience the hot, humid side of things, so I wanted something a little different. And why not experience it in a place that I have been wanting to go to for a long time. So I flew to Dubai to see what it would be like living in a desert-type place.
When I first got there, I was in complete shock on how beautiful it was. I have never been in such a country that is so rich and wealthy and has so much luxury. Not even that, but that it is normal to have that much luxury. All the fancy cars, and restaurants, and apartments. Everything was the highest level of luxury it could be.
What surprised me though, what the weather. Looking up what the temperatures would be like, I was expecting the worse. But the thing with desert climate areas, the temperature is hot, but there is little to no humidity in the air which doesn't make it as hot as it could be.
Because I wanted to know what it would feel like living in a place like this, I decided I would stay for a whole month. It was probably the best money I have ever spent. It was so much fun and I really hope I get to go back again sometime. I stayed with a friend I have there so that cut the cost back a dramatic amount. My day everyday looked about the same. I would wake up, walk around the city some, maybe do a little shopping, but mostly window shopping, and just explore everything I could. I tried to talk to a lot of people there too, to get their input on living in Dubai and what they usually do on a daily basis.

My Caribbean Dream

So recently I just returned from going to Cuba. It was simply amazing. It's white beaches and rolling waves were simply breathtaking. I learned a lot while I was there. But I have to admit that this trip was more of a vacation then anything. It was amazing to just sit on the beaches and seep in the vitamin C from the sun. I could definitely do that again. What interested me in going to Cuba was one of my family members. I actually have an extended family member that is from Cuba but had to escape during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
While I was there I spent the majority of my time in the capital, Havana. Havana is full of old architecture and history. Living in the Philippines, the weather is pretty much the same. Cuba is a little less humid, but the sun is shining most of the time which is amazing.
The hotel I stayed at in Havana was called Hotel Palco. Hotel Palco was considered as a four-star hotel and I would have to agree. I decided to chose more of an expensive hotel just for leisure sake and that I wasn't going to be in Havana more than three days.
In Havana I did a lot of walking. Kind of what I do everywhere. Just a little summary of what I did: I went to the Plaza de la Catredal, the Old Square, and went to El Morro. One activity for everyday I was there. Those were the big things I did while being there but I also just walked around the city and explored what there was to see.
To get away from the big city of Havana, I decided to go desert myself on an island. So I headed to Cayo Largo del Sur. I can't describe how beautiful it was. While I was there I stayed at the Villa Lindamar. It was a resort right on the beach. Sadly, I only got to stay there for two days. But it was two days well spent. While I was there I actually got to go horseback riding.
This trip was amazing and I'll never forget it. I learned so much about Cuban history that I never know. Don't forget to keep updated and see where I'm headed to next.

All About Me
 My name is Betsy Jennings. I live in the Philippines. I go to an international school called Faith International Academy and I'm a sophomore. I love playing sports and simply hanging out. I also have a weird obsession with deep quotes and have actually started to make my own and really enjoy it. People have described me as a bubbly, outgoing, introvert. I guess I have to agree with them. I have lived in the Philippines my whole life and I love it. So when people ask me where I'm from, my answer is from the Philippines even though I'm technically American. This year I will be going to several countries. Those include different countries in Asia, Europe, America, maybe even Australia, and last but not least Africa. It's going to be a great year and I can't wait. Keep in touch and I'll tell you all about it.