The Roamin’ Rose

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The Roamin’ Rose Just a girl determined to see the world! Join me on my adventures.

Another must do in Tokyo, Japan - Visit the Cafes… There a so many to choose from, eg pet cafes where you can enjoy a li...
22/01/2024

Another must do in Tokyo, Japan - Visit the Cafes…

There a so many to choose from, eg pet cafes where you can enjoy a light snack/drink while you hold and pet cats, dogs, snakes, otters… maid cafes, where ladies dress in maid costumes and serve guests, ninja cafes where you can experience ninja training, dress up in ninja costumes and enjoy special ninja dishes and desserts…. And much more.

Whatever your interest or quirks, I’m sure there’s a cafe for you to checkout while visiting Tokyo.

Which cafe would you visit? We visited the dog & snake cafes.

Still chasing sunsets… 🌅                       ✨
21/01/2024

Still chasing sunsets… 🌅 ✨

This is somebody’s backyard… I’m jealous                        ✨
18/01/2024

This is somebody’s backyard… I’m jealous ✨

Next on the to-do list in Tokyo, Japan… schedule a day tour of the city. Most tour guides will allow you to customize yo...
09/01/2024

Next on the to-do list in Tokyo, Japan… schedule a day tour of the city. Most tour guides will allow you to customize your tour to hit your must see spots! We started off with some shopping at Asasuka temple, Tokyo Skytree, Shibuya Crossing, Golden G*i, Akihabara (anime center), Harijuku St, and so much more. We ended the night at the red light 🚦 district, where we saw many interesting sights and more love hotels than we could keep up with 🏩. It was a lot of walking, but sure worth it.

Tips:
1. Book the tour on the first or second day of your stay. That way you can return to interesting places you didn’t get to spend much time at during the tour.
2. ⁠If you love taking pics, ask your tour guide beforehand if they mind snapping pics! Our tour guide even brought his own camera!

Travel testimony Tuesday… It is amazing how God gives you what you need even when you don’t know you need it.. after all...
19/12/2023

Travel testimony Tuesday… It is amazing how God gives you what you need even when you don’t know you need it.. after all, He’s our Shepherd, He’s our Good Father.

On Sunday night, I was sure I was going to miss my flight home. I hurried to the gate shown on my boarding pass… wrong gate. With about 20 minutes to spare I ran to the correct gate and took a sigh of relief when I saw that there was still a handful of people boarding.

I scanned my boarding pass and the attendant says, “you have a new seat assignment.” I wonder why, as I had already selected my window seat at the very back of the airplane so I could catch my 💤 , as I usually do! I say nothing, board and sit in 11C.

Shortly after, this beautiful soul sits beside me, and I learn her name is Grace. We talk for the entire flight… something I never do 😅 but this was different. We introduced ourselves and soon learned that we shared a very similar testimony.. we both lost loved ones, were daily navigating the pangs of grief, had similar thoughts and questions about the experience, and both knew that if it had not been for our faith and trust in God we would not be sitting next to, and encouraging each other.

We talked about the grief rollercoaster, shared coping strategies, and even had some moments of laughter… because sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying.

Yesterday I was listening to one of my favorite songs, and it brought me back to my conversation with Grace… I am so happy that we have a hope in God. And because there’s hope we know that our future is in Him, we know that ALL things will work for our good even when we don’t understand, even when we’re grieving, even when we’re angry, even when all we see in the world around us is bad, we still trust that God will turn it in our favor..

Let Him turn it in your favor
Watch Him work it for your good
He's not done with what He's started
He's not done until it's good
Hello peace, hello joy
Hello love
Hello strength, hello hope
It's a new horizon

And my favorite part….

Fear is not my future
You are (You are)
Sickness is not my story
You are (You are) You are (You are)
Heartbreak's not my home
You are (You are) You are (You are)
Death is not the end
You are, You are (Oh)

The holiday season can be so hard for those of us who are grieving.. but we do not grieve without hope, for we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thessalonians 4:14

Thank you Grace for reminding me that there’s hope…


Late post… blogging is not for the weak, busy or lazy 😂😂Soooo, last month I travelled to South Korea and Japan… over the...
18/12/2023

Late post… blogging is not for the weak, busy or lazy 😂😂

Soooo, last month I travelled to South Korea and Japan… over the next few days I’ll be sharing 5 Must Dos/ Must Trys in Japan.. eventually I’ll get to South Korea 😜

Day 1 - Geisha/Samauri Experience

Geishas are traditional Japanese entertainers. They are known for their mysterious lives, unique beauty, grace, and discipline. I debated on whether I should dress up like a geisha, I wanted to do my research as there are a lot of misconceptions and misrepresentations of the geisha profession. I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be appropriating culture.. but the Japanese ladies who helped us get ready encouraged the experience and the people on the street complimented us, so I don’t think any harm was done. 🙃

There are many places in Tokyo where you can rent beautiful kimonos for the day, some have different packages including hair, makeup, photos and you even get to meet a geisha, eat with them hear their stories and enjoy geisha entertainment. Unfortunately our appointment for that experience didn’t pan out… but we lucked out and found a boutique close to the train station that provided exactly what we needed to be pretend geishas! The workers didn’t speak much English, but were friendly and welcoming. They are also very strong 💪🏾 and patient… wearing a kimono involves a few layers and corsets. Talk about snatched!! Hairstyle was included in our package, but I did a little face beat prior to arrival. The boutique was clean, and had plenty options for kimonos and accessories ranging from very colorful, flowery and animated to neutral, earth tones with more geometric or simple designs. I think the rental for the day was less than $20.

Tips:
1. Some boutiques are appointment only, others allow walk-in. Plan accordingly.

2. If you are plus sized or blessed in the bust like myself you may need to shop around for a boutique that carries kimonos in your size. There I was shuffling through the beautiful kimonos, picking my favorites… the assistant kindly and somewhat shadily pointed me to the 5 plus sized options I could choose from! 😂😂😂 Unfortunately they did not carry the long sleeved style in plus size.

3. If you’re a guy, you can choose to dress up like a samaui, and brush up on your Japanese martial arts.

4. Embrace the experience, walk around town (we spent the day at Asakusa Shrine), take pictures, greet folks, go shopping, try different foods, twerk 😉, and imagine what it’s like to live like a geisha for the day… who doesn’t like to play dress up?? It’s truly a nostalgic experience.

Would you try the geisha experience?

I stumbled on my love for traveling while I was searching for an escape from grief and depression. I felt like I was suf...
01/12/2023

I stumbled on my love for traveling while I was searching for an escape from grief and depression. I felt like I was suffocating in my “normal,” mundane life.. but when I’m in a place I’ve never been before, meeting people and experiencing food and cultures that are new and different, my lungs feel open and full… I can breathe. I always say for me, traveling is spiritual. I get to see God in people, places and I’m reminded that his love is so big, deep and wide that I cannot see it all, tell it all, experience it all… but it doesn’t hurt to try.

I’ll share my testimony of how travel saves (plural tense) me at another time. I’ll share how, on many occasions, God talked to me in nature, and through people. But… I promised to share my testimony on Mt. Fuji during my recent trip to Japan so here it goes.

We left Tokyo, got on a tour bus, drove 3 hours or more through the Japanese mountains and country side to see Mt. Fuji, one of 3 sacred mountains in Japan, an active volcano and the country’s tallest peak. Imagine a tour bus of about 50 people (plus hundreds of others on the mountain), looking forward to seeing this wonder, but when we get there we see Exhibit 😢. (See pics)

It’s cloudy, cold, there’s a dusting of snow in the air, probably snowing on the mountain, so we can’t even see it. How disappointing! All that for nothing.

We went into the gift shop, looked around for maybe an hour, and returned to find Fuji still hiding behind the clouds. We were given a time to return to the bus, so decided to call it a loss and head back. We didn’t see Fuji, but we were there, counts for something, right?

My friend and I start walking to the bus, our backs turned to the mountain, and we hear people gasping, now smiling taking out their phones snapping pictures, happy and excited that the clouds were clearing and the mountain was visible again.

Disappointment turned into joy… and I’m glad we got to experience Mt. Fuji in all its splendor. 🏔️

As I stood looking on the mountain only one thing was on my mind… even though we couldn’t see the mountain for the better part of an hour… it was still there. IT. WAS. STILL. THERE.

I mentioned above that travel is an escape for me, and even during this trip to Asia I was dealing with so much that caused me to feel heavy, but in those moments at Mt. Fuji, God reminded me that even when I don’t see Him, He’s there. Even when I don’t feel Him, He’s holding me. Even when I don’t see prayers answered, He’s working on my behalf. He reminded me of his promise that He’ll never leave me nor forsake me… and if you’ve experienced abandonment and loss, that promise means a lot.

Later in the day we were chatting with a guy from the tour group about the events of the morning and he said verbatim (I took out my phone and wrote it down), “I was getting ready to walk away then all of a sudden the clouds just went away…”

Can you say my mind was blown… 🤯 and I wanted to do a shout, a praise dance on Mt. Fuji?????? I’m reminded of a song we used to sing on the choir:

There's been a change in me
Once blind but know i see
God gave me victory
And he did it suddenly
He changed the way i walk
He changed the way i talk
He changed my attitude
And he did it suddenly
Jesus did it oh yes he did and he did it suddenly
God changed me I'm not the same and he did it suddenly… suddenly SUDDENLY

There’s just something about that sudden turnaround! Than sudden breakthrough!

So many times I was also getting ready to walk away… but God rolled back the clouds. I’ve spent days trying to see through the clouds, months, years even.. but God always comes through.

This is my testimony on the mountain. If you’ve taken the time to read this far, I don’t know what the cloud is, that is obscuring your view of God… but I want you to remember that even on cloudy days, when you can’t see Him, He sees you, He’ll never leave you, He’s there and He always has His hands on you.

So many people missed seeing Mt. Fuji because they left and went back to the bus. But, dont give up. Don’t walk away.

As I encourage you, I also encourage myself.

“Trust in God, even when you can't see or feel His presence, no matter how dark or painful your situation is. Stay faithful, until God shows you His divine will.”

CAPTION THIS PIC… Coming up on the blog “5 Epic Must-dos in Tokyo, Japan.”
18/11/2023

CAPTION THIS PIC… Coming up on the blog “5 Epic Must-dos in Tokyo, Japan.”

You’ve guessed the continent (Asia), but not the country… here’s a hint. Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a ...
12/11/2023

You’ve guessed the continent (Asia), but not the country… here’s a hint. Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a guess. Up next on the blog…

Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a guess. Up next on the blog…
12/11/2023

Where did my roaming take me this time? Take a guess. Up next on the blog…

I see skies of blue and clouds of whiteThe bright blessed days, the dark sacred nightAnd I think to myself: What a wonde...
22/10/2023

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed days, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself: What a wonderful world… 🎶 ¿Dónde en el mundo está Camille?

Food is usually a major highlight of my vacations. I do my research before arriving to my destination and prepare a list...
21/09/2023

Food is usually a major highlight of my vacations. I do my research before arriving to my destination and prepare a list of “must-eats.” I knocked quite a few dishes off my Cartagena list and I must say the flavors did not disappoint…

When you visit Cartagena you have to try the national dish - bandeja paisa! This was so good, I had to have it twice! Reminiscent of what we in Jamaica call stew peas and rice, this popular dish consists of rice, minced meat, red beans, chorizo, arepa, a fried egg, chicharron (fried pork skin), morcilla (black pudding), sweet plantain, and a slice of avocado – all served on one plate. I don’t eat pork, so I made sure to order without oink oink - literally 😂😂😂

What else did I try… fruits and juices, lulada, arepas for breakfast, empanadas, pan de bono (I literally followed my nose to a bakery), cocadas (coconut sugar candy akin to Jamaican coconut drops), sancocho, and red snapper to my little heart’s content!

It’s amazing how similar our foods are, from Colombia to Jamaica to New Orleans… all around the world that African influence is ever so strong.

My favorite part of the Palenque tour was making music with  and  .. and visiting the “doctor.” We even got to try some ...
15/09/2023

My favorite part of the Palenque tour was making music with and .. and visiting the “doctor.” We even got to try some medicine. 🤪

Day 3 in Cartagena de IndiasTo do: Volcan de Lodo El Totumo (Mud Volcano)Travel Tips: Book a private tour (do not go in ...
14/09/2023

Day 3 in Cartagena de Indias
To do: Volcan de Lodo El Totumo (Mud Volcano)

Travel Tips: Book a private tour (do not go in a tour bus!), get there early to avoid crowds, lines, and have a longer time in the volcano.

Enjoy a full body massage as you float in the viscous mud of this “active” volcano, said to have healing properties. Afterwards, follow the local ladies to a nearby river, as they get you all cleaned up… as much as possible, anyway.

Day 2 in Cartagena de IndiasTo do: ATV Beach Tour Food(s) to try: Coconut Water/Jelly & Ceviche Feeling adventurous? Tak...
12/09/2023

Day 2 in Cartagena de Indias
To do: ATV Beach Tour
Food(s) to try: Coconut Water/Jelly & Ceviche

Feeling adventurous? Take a break from the walled city to explore the Colombian countryside on an action-packed ATV tour! Visit several beaches, trails, dirt roads, and rock formations that can't be found in the walled city. Stop to enjoy a swim, enjoy refreshing coconut water, delicious patacones and ceviche! The locals are really friendly and helpful along the ride.

I've just reached 100 followers! Thank you for continuing support. I could never have made it without each one of you. 🙏...
12/09/2023

I've just reached 100 followers! Thank you for continuing support. I could never have made it without each one of you. 🙏🤗🎉 Please keep sharing my posts… We’ve got a lot more roaming to do!!! 🌎

Day 1 in Cartagena de IndiasTo do: Walled City Tour Food(s) to try: Cocadas (Coconut Sugar Cookies), fresh fruit and jui...
12/09/2023

Day 1 in Cartagena de Indias
To do: Walled City Tour
Food(s) to try: Cocadas (Coconut Sugar Cookies), fresh fruit and juices, most awarded coffee in Colombia San Alberto’s

You simply cannot visit Cartagena without visiting the heart of Cartagena… the Old/Walled City… why is it called the Walled City? Because there was literally a giant wall constructed around the city to protect the people from foreign invasions. Walk the streets, take in the beautiful scenery, mingle with the people, snap pics with the beautiful palenqueras, do some shopping, enjoy coffee at San Alberto (the most awarded coffee in Colombia), admire the art… and so much more. Return to the wall at sunset for a gorgeous view and fun vibe at Cafe Del Mar.

When art imitates life…          🇨🇴
08/09/2023

When art imitates life… 🇨🇴

I can spot a Jamaican flag 🇯🇲 from a million miles away…. Did you know that the Jamaican flag is the only national flag ...
02/09/2023

I can spot a Jamaican flag 🇯🇲 from a million miles away…. Did you know that the Jamaican flag is the only national flag that does not contain a shade of the colors red, white or blue?? The Jamaican people are quite unique, and so is our flag.

✈️ wheels up…. Can you guess which country I’m roaming to next?? 🧳 🌹 🌎
29/08/2023

✈️ wheels up…. Can you guess which country I’m roaming to next?? 🧳 🌹 🌎

But God ✈️
29/08/2023

But God ✈️

My friends back home (Jamaica) often make me jealous with their “I live where you vacation” posts… and I find that I don...
18/08/2023

My friends back home (Jamaica) often make me jealous with their “I live where you vacation” posts… and I find that I don’t get as excited about US vacations as I do international trips. I’ve had great experiences stateside, but I don’t
post or share them, until now that is. Here’s my first “I live where you vacation” post.. 🤣🤣 My New England Staycation

A couple months ago I attended my cousin’s graduation in Nantucket, Ma.

Take a trip with me to Billionaire’s Isle…

I always enjoy visiting my family in Nantucket, a tiny island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, marked by its cobblestone streets, unpainted buildings cedar-shingled buildings, and beautiful beaches. It’s the celebrity/billionaire summer destination, think rich aunty vibes.

Here are 10 things you should do/try in Nantucket…

1. Visit the lighthouses
2. Visit the oldest house
3. Go fishing
4. Take a boat tour
5. Go shopping
6. Get ice cream at The Juice Bar
7. Stay in a multimillion dollar mansion
8. Visit the beach
9. Enjoy delicious seafood
10. Attend an event (eg. Daffodil Festival, Film Festival, Wine Festival, Christmas Stroll)

Read more on our page The Roamin Rose

-influencer ✨

I can’t be the only one 🤣🤣🤣🤣
27/06/2023

I can’t be the only one 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Coming up on the blog… 10 Must Dos in this New England Summer Destination.  Be sure to pack your Lilly Pulitzer and Ralp...
20/06/2023

Coming up on the blog… 10 Must Dos in this New England Summer Destination.

Be sure to pack your Lilly Pulitzer and Ralph Lauren outfits as we head to… can you guess where?

Hello fellow Roamers! On my last post I shared my love of trying new foods while I roam. However, the main reason for my...
16/06/2023

Hello fellow Roamers!

On my last post I shared my love of trying new foods while I roam. However, the main reason for my roaming is the people I meet along the way! I love to see how people live, experience their culture and daily lives with them, like one of them and most importantly, hear their stories.

Today’s post is about touring La Rochina, the largest favela in Latin America with over 200k people living there! There are over 200 favelas in Rio, over 20% of the population live in favelas.

If you go to Rio, consider doing a favela tour. It’s really eye opening and informative. I say consider… because this tour can also be very unpredictable… anything can go down at any time. So just go in with a prayer.

So what’s a favela? It’s what we’d call a slum or ghetto… really it’s where most of the working class people of Rio live. That’s how they started anyway. People moved to the city for work, but could not afford to live in the city and needed to be close to work, so they started building their homes on the sides of the mountains. And it went from one house to thousands. One family to hundreds of thousands.

Here are my take aways from the favela:
1. You can find beauty in everything. As we walked through, people were just living! Just like you and me, they were going about their daily lives laughing, dancing, children playing, going to school… I guess what I’m saying is while the situation probably wouldn’t be ideal for me or you, it’s someone’s ideal. People love living in the favela (and I’m sure some people don’t), some people try to get out of the favelas and some people don’t. As Alicia Keys said it’s just a true ghetto story, a survival story.

2. So many stories in favela art, check out the pics, share your thoughts.

3. You have to be fit to live in a favela! So many steps! Up down, and around. I stayed at the back of the tour group, stayed out of breath! But seriously, because of the steps older people can’t leave favelas. The main transportation through very narrow alleys are motorcycles. Motorcycles zip up and down and around corners like the favela maps are programmed into the tires! It’s crazy! What if there is an emergency? How will the emergency vehicles and workers gain access? Will they know where to go due to the confusing address system? I would say this is one of the main differences that I’ve seen between a favela and other “ghettos,” the topography and issues that it causes.

4. Another topography issue, because the houses are built on top of each other and around each other, as you go deep into the favela it gets dark and cold. There aren’t many windows, just small spaces in the concrete to let light and air through. Our tour guide explained that this led to an uptick in tuberculosis cases especially during COVID. Stamped on the favela walls in Portuguese “stay in” or “stay at home,” but is that really good advise when home is dark, cold and there’s very little air circulation? Also, when it rains, the lower homes flood because there’s no place for the water to go! Sigh. This made me think of the public heath implications and wonder if better advise could’ve been given or if the situation should have been handled differently.

5. For my Jamaican Roamers, if you think you’ve seen bridge light, you no see nothing yet!!!! Tour guide explained that there are many illegal electricity connections because that’s how the poor take back from their neighbors, the rich.

6. I noticed election posters plastered on the walls. The tour guide informed us from ages 16-18 voting is optional. Voting is mandatory after 18 and people can be fined or denied benefits (passports, IDs, etc) if they don’t vote. This blew my mind! I want to know what y’all think about this!!

7. My last takeaway from the favela, someone is always watching you! It’s like walking though an action movie, talk about ORGANIZED crime. If police dare enter, a signal is made, there are price lists for hard drugs and stalls selling drugs like candy on the streetside! As we were leaving there were about 40-50 young guys with machine guns… and it was at that moment I knew that my tour was over and I’d seen enough.

There is so much more to share about La Rochina, but I’ll let you discover them yourself! Would you take a favela tour? How would you feel about people touring your community/home?


Food is the main reason I travel! There’s no shame in my game… I love to eat, and I especially enjoy eating overseasssss...
13/06/2023

Food is the main reason I travel! There’s no shame in my game… I love to eat, and I especially enjoy eating overseasssss. ✈️

When I travel I do not want to eat anything I’d usually eat at home. No McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC… although I find that fast food abroad is usually better than their US counterparts (insert plug for Jamaican KFC). With that said, the food I tried in Brazil left much to be desired… and I should have known I would be underwhelmed when I asked my friend who previously visited Brazil what I should pack for my trip and she said SEASONING!!! 😔

If you’re planning a trip to Brazil, be prepared for a lot of meat and cheese! Since Rio is a coastal city I expected and wanted fish, fish, fish!! I asked for fish recommendations everywhere I went, but was told by the locals that they don’t really eat fish… it’s all about the meat.

So, here are my Brazilian food takeaways:
1. Lots of meat and cheese
2. Quit asking for fish!! Whole fish!! Red snapper 🤣🤣🤣
3. A lot of cornmeal, corn, and coconut especially in desserts 🍮
4. Be careful when ordering pao de quijo!! You could be ordering tasty cheesy bread, or a cheesy something else I’m sure you don’t want 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
5. Ask for vegan/vegetarian options! I was able to try a vegetarian acaraje. Acaraje is usually served with shellfish!
6. If you can’t try feijoada or moqueca due to dietary restrictions, make your own version when you return home! I sure plan to.
7. Their hot sauce is very flavorful and actually hot!! 🌶️ I wanted to pack 20 bottles in my suitcase.

Travel tip: before your trip do some research and determine what foods are a must try! I was able to knock quite a few off my list, but couldn’t try a lot because they contained shellfish/pork, which I don’t eat.

Enjoy these pics of dishes I tried while in Rio!

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