Holy Guacamole!

As a devout atheist, one tree has a much higher spiritual content for me than all the temples, churches, mosques, synagogues and other human made holy guacamoles. However, my consumer trained mind sees a price tag on something and it thinks “it must be worth seeing”! That’s how I end up visiting special holy guacamoles … More Holy Guacamole!

Monkey Business

They work in pairs. The younger one distracts me with his looks and cuteness, he’s all over me, caresses my face, plays with my hair, his soft skin against my face feels so good. While the older, more experienced one goes straight for my backpack. Monkey business, the real deal! #monkeyforest #monkeybusiness #monkey #bali #indonesia … More Monkey Business

Embracing the shadows

“We cannot erase people’s traumas, but we can give them positive memories to overcome the effects of negative ones” Jeroen taught us in his freediving coach training (diving without scuba gear). And that: lots of positive memories, he delivered! In 10 days, I got over a long list of fears, some I didn’t even know … More Embracing the shadows

Heaven and Hell

What’s the difference between heaven and hell? The same moment, circumstances and environment can be either heaven or hell depending on what we choose to focus on. I have been practicing switching back and forth to increase my capacity for choosing my reality and living consciously. It’s very simple and never fails: think of past … More Heaven and Hell

Apo Island

The Philippines consists of 7641 islands, many disappear in high tide. So if you are on one of those, forget about the multiplication tables, memorize your tide tables. Apo island doesn’t disappear in high tide despite being very small. It’s basically a couple of pointy rocks jutting out of the ocean, with a village on … More Apo Island

Traveling Sola

“Are you traveling alone? Why?” “Where’s your husband?” “Why isn’t he with you?”… are some of the questions people keep asking me in the Philippines. They might as well be saying:”Where’s your owner? How come you’re not on leash?” The concept of a free unattached woman traveling by herself seems to be alien to them. … More Traveling Sola

Filiplish

Filipino guy:”You ride me. We go wonderful. Eat the bitch. Then we come back 5″. Me:”Yes! Let’s go!”. Translation: “You ride with me. We go to the waterfalls. Eat at the beach. Then come back at 5 pm.” My fellow travelers and I were in stitches before we explained to the guy the importance of … More Filiplish

Cancer of the Earth

Two liquids of different densities don’t mix, like oil and water. But when two slightly different variants of the same liquid touch each other, you would expect them to blend together and produce a new homogeneous liquid. Right? Not in the Amazon! El Río Negro meets the Amazon River near Manaus, Brazil, they share a … More Cancer of the Earth

Into the desert

“In the desert, you can forget your swimsuit. ‘Cause there ain’t no one there to give you no pain”: My version of “Horse with No Name”!Just as there are 50 words for snow in the Eskimo language, I’m sure there are at least that number of different kinds of sand in the desert. They ALL … More Into the desert

Hawaii Big Island

Out of the belly of mother Earth, new earth is being born. With fire and gases, out comes the scalding hot molten lava, oozing out slowly with burning desire for its unknown future. It’s​ met with the powerful outreaching waves of the ocean welcoming the new baby Earth. Water and fire meet, crash and blend … More Hawaii Big Island

Into the unknown…

Mucho amor de Costa Rica! Spent the first week decompressing; delicious tropical fruits, beautiful warm beaches, birds, LOTS of rain (with temperatures in the mid 80s °F/mid 20s °C), getting over a cold and feeding the insects. We also had a pool volleyball party and went Salsa dancing. Studying about “Non Violent Communication”, Eco communities … More Into the unknown…

Dubai

Dubai in a nutshell: bla bla Mall…Mall…Tower…Tower… Mall…Mall…Tower…Mall…Tower…Tower…Mall…Mall… That said, it’s an architectural wonderland AND the safest place on earth I’ve been to; you can leave your valuables anywhere, unattended and no one will touch them. A unique phenomenon worth studying. Most say it’s because the strict laws and security cameras everywhere. I believe the … More Dubai

Costa Rica 2015

Today’s excitement: took the bus from Puerto Viejo to Limon to catch the water taxi to Tortuguerro National Park. 15 km before we get to Limon, I heard and felt a jolting thud. We got rear ended. I was hoping the driver would just keep going but there was white smoke coming from the back … More Costa Rica 2015

Costa Rica

Still processing the transformative power of Costa Rica’s beauty and magic after spending 3 wonderful weeks there. It felt like a 3-weeks long orgasm! If Kenya and New Zealand had a baby, it would be Costa Rica. Most compelling of all is the abundance of life in all its forms; birds, animals, reptiles, jungles, insects, … More Costa Rica

Travel

The Dark Side: Having lived in concrete jungles all my life, my natural instincts don’t work very well in the green jungles. I was hazardous to myself, other people and the wildlife. In my first few days in Costa Rica, I almost sat on a snake, walked face first into a poisonous spider web and … More Travel

Travel benefits

When I was young, my dad used to always say “travel has 7 benefits”. I can’t remember what they are now but, in my experience, the benefits of travel are much more than that. They are as many as the people you meet, the things you learn and the “traveler moments” you have. Those are … More Travel benefits