General ramblings, Green news, Green travel, Nature, travel, Where to shop

The cruel case of the Jaisalmer Camel

October 27, 2015 A lazy Girl Goes green 2 Comments

Silhouetted against a backdrop of rolling golden mountains of sand and a deep orange sunset, a dozen camels stroll just a few metres in front of me. The distant smell of rich spices catch my nose and the fading heat of the day gives way to a cool desert breeze.

But this isn’t the relaxing Indian sunset dreams are made of, surrounded by hundreds of tourists as I sit fighting back tears for the wheezing camels who are overworked and tired. This is the popular Sam sand Dunes in Jaisalmer, and it’s left nothing but a bitter taste in my mouth.

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Green fashion, Green travel, travel, What to buy

Staying cool with Royal Robins for an iconic royal visit

October 18, 2015 A lazy Girl Goes green 1 Comment

The last two weeks in India has flown by in a magical, colourful blur and it feels like I have been here for years. I have seen sunrise ceremonies on the river Ganges in Varanasi, been serenaded by Indian army veterans on a steam train in Shimla and browsed through rainbow markets of fresh produce in Ragasthan. The sights, sounds and smells of India charm the senses and no day is ever the same. Well, there’s actually thing thing which stays consistent everyday: the scorching heat! Due to an irregular monsoon this year (is this the effects of climate change?) India is experiencing higher temperatures than what is normal for October and we have been facing days of 36-40 degrees in most areas. It’s almost impossible to walk around for long during midday and I spend every single day red faced and sweaty as I try to find yet another sweet lime stall to quench my thirst.

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Green food, Green travel, Sustainability, travel, Vegan

Ethical dining in Varanasai: The Brown Bread Bakery

October 14, 2015 A lazy Girl Goes green Leave a comment

Nestled within a matrix of narrow, winding streets – jammed with street stalls, motorbikes and roaming cows – The Brown Bread Bakery of Varanasai is a jewl within an already sparkling crown. Ascending up countless flights of stairs – which dangerously lead to floors within a colourful cotton shop jammed with delights – the German style resturant and live music venue enjoys a cool rooftop view over the River Ganges.

But the views and welcome breeze isn’t the only perk which has made the venue a popular hang out and Loney Planet favourite. Aside from the extensive bakery choices, global cheese selection (no vegan cheese on there quite yet though!) and homemade apple cider, the charm is in the ingredients used in the majority of the menu.

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Green travel, Sustainability, travel, War on waste, zero waste

Rubbish India: tackling waste management

October 9, 2015 A lazy Girl Goes green 4 Comments

Before I arrived in India there were several things I expected to see on its dusty, crowded streets: cows, tuk tuks and a lot of stinky waste. From plastic water bottles, discarded food and shredded clothes, to human excrement of all varieties; India’s public spaces are a breeding ground for illness, yet a source of shelter and food for the many stray dogs, goats, cows and humans who rely on them.

In large built up areas such as Delhi, or even small deprived towns like Pathankot, you can almost become accustomed to the sheer scale of rubbish; envisioning the infrastructure needed to keep on top of such an overwhelming demand. But what’s surprised me the most is the street side trash in the stunningly serene pine tree foothills of Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh areas in the North. Here, you’re surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful mountains, cheeky wild monkeys swinging from the trees and acres of discarded crisp packets!
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Giveaway, Green health

Giveaway: Win a pair of Tickets to the OM Yoga Show this Month

October 1, 2015 A lazy Girl Goes green Leave a comment

Eekkk it’s time…I’m flying to India today!! I’m so full of excitement and anxiety I might actually burst on the plane! 🙂

I will be keeping up with A Lazy Girl Goes Green on my travels, but please forgive me if I’m a little quiet from week to week; I’ll be exploring a Temple in Thailand, or a beach in Bali!

As a special leaving pressie to all you lovelies, I have two pairs of three-day passes, worth £44 a pair, to give away for this year’s OM Yoga show!! Continue reading Giveaway: Win a pair of Tickets to the OM Yoga Show this Month →

Green Living, Green travel, travel, zero waste

Minimalist Living on the Road: My Backpacking Essentials

September 26, 2015 A lazy Girl Goes green 7 Comments

Well my lovelies, the time has finally come to start packing up my backpack and triple checking my to do list ready for next weeks great departure!

One of the most exciting things about packing up an ambitiously small 46L backpack for a year of travels is that it highlights just how little you need to get by in life. Once you realise that you have to lug all these belongings on your back almost every where you go, you soon get ruthless to what makes the cut in your final packing list!

What’s been the most interesting about my final backpack contents is just how flexible I’ve had to be with my own ethical interests, in order to weigh up practicality, durability and, naturally, cost. But I’ve tried to stay as balanced as possible, and suspect that as I go on I’ll slowly go without less in my bag in order to keep my arms from falling off!

So whilst not everything I’m packing is 100% ethical, vegan, Fairtrade etc, they will help to serve me in living as minimalist and zero waste for as long as possible. You will also see that a lot of the items below have also been gifted to me by my lovely friends, family and colleagues, so I haven’t spent much money on my final contents!

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Green news, Green travel, travel

A Backpackers Fears: Preparing to Let Go

September 22, 2015 A lazy Girl Goes green Leave a comment

What a difference a week can make. Especially when you feel like you’ve been moving at 100 Mph for the last 6 months, on an unsatisfying energy source of cheap coffee, hummus and Sex and the City reruns! Life for the first half of 2015 has seemed to move both mind numbingly slow and overwhelmingly fast in equal measures.

On the one hand, I’ve impatiently anticipated the day I finally fly the UK nest and take my lazy green ways on the road trip of a lifetime. The days have dragged as I’ve lived as frugally as possible to save for my dream one year trip around the globe.

On the other hand, days have seemed to blur into weeks faster than the TGV, and I’m left with just 9 days to go before I fly (and an ever escalating to do list!)

I know, I know, it’s hard to feel sorry for someone who has quit their job and is about to embark on a year of galavanting around the world! But there is unfortunately no calm before the backpackers storm, and it seems that the most stressful part of a round the world trip is the preparation period itself, where your whole being has a last minute freak out, and yells: “what the hell are you doing?! Lets just run back to where we came from and hide under a rock where it feels safe!” Continue reading A Backpackers Fears: Preparing to Let Go →

Green fashion, Green Home, Upcycling, War on waste, zero waste, Zero Waste Week

Easy T Shirt Hacks for the Lazy Seamstress

September 11, 2015 A lazy Girl Goes green Leave a comment

I can’t believe its already day 5 of Zero Waste Week and what a week it’s been!! I must admit, I’ve been a terrible blogger and been so knee deep in my last week of work and packing to move house, that I haven’t had much time to blog!

But it’s not all been zero waste naughtiness over here, and I’ve been having lots of fun passing all my unwanted belongings on to friends, and on sites like Gumtree and Streetbank.

However, some items – especially clothes and small reusable containers – are actually easily upcycled with a few very easy tweeks, to breathe new life into them. So, though I have been looking at things as I pack thinking “will I miss it in the year I’m away, or should I part with it now?” I’ve also found myself asking “could I use this in someway in my backpack?” It’s a travel hoarders dream!!!

My very good friend Emily recently inspired me with the idea of T Shirt Hacks; quick and easy fashion updates which don’t involve a thread or a needle. My idea of upcycing heaven! This is perfect for making the clothes I’ve been wearing all summer in the UK, new and exciting for my summery days on the road!

I had a little dig to find some examples of how Emilys hacks works in reality before I braved a pair of scissors to my clothes on my 2 weeks off before my flight, and it appears there are 100s of ways you can update a simple T shirt with no sewing skills whatsoever! Here’s just three of them:

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