SAINT MARTIN

Another week has passed but I am no longer alone in my craziness now because Jon, my boyfriend joined me in St. Martin.

• Initially, before Jon joined, I was couch surfing at a french guy’s place. He was impressive because he has visited 80 countries but he was also arrogant about it. In brief, I left my couch surfing host Romain cause he was a total a$$ liar about going out Saturday night and he kept me waiting and at the end he said he just wants to relax. And to my question “how do I go to Simpson bay and how to get back?” He just laughed and said “make some friends!” I did not leave him a reference and I am getting slowly but continuous disappointment by CS.
• I still went out with the Bulgarian sailors from the yacht I had met the night before randomly at a bar while I waited for Romain. They were a bit older tough and tired from work …and a foam party after a few drinks appeared too tiring for them, so they wanted to leave and sleep at 12:30 am. I am thankful because they escorted me home and also got me a few drinks. The Bulgarians I met so far in the Caribbeans rock! They said they have been everywhere in the world with their work and for vacations liked Bahamas the best
• I went to Rakesh s place to couchsurf 2 nights after having this disagreement with Romain. Rakesh is Indian and his Slovak wife left him 5 months ago after cheating on him. Awful! He was fat and sad (his own words lol) but now has started working out like crazy and eating healthy and doing some aromatherapy. He made me some nice vegetarian dishes but also tried to give me a massage telling me it would be better with my top off-ugh … men. To all my readers, not to worry, nothing happened except that he pissed me off.
  Rakesh had two dogs and likes hiking. He kinda convinced me to go hiking at 10PM one night through a forest leading to a beach. It was creepy and we heard some women screaming in the dark- I think they were camping there and telling us to bugger off, Rakesh got scared so we went back.

-I am glad I saw different parts of the island although my two hosts were both not exactly right in the head.

• I also had time to see one of the contacts from Bernard in Las Terrenas, the DR. It was a bar owner and they were glad to have me and to hear about Bernard and his life in the Dominican. 5 old french and Italian men. They offered me some drinks but to my surprise they made me pay afterwards and were not as nice as Bertrand convinced me. Ughhh. I am not so cheap but this island is extremely expensive and they were the ones who forced me to get a drink! One of the men gave me a ride to the beach and then took me halfway to Rakesh ‘s place. He was very silent and awkward but very nice.
  
• The day has come and I packed up, made a cute Welcome sign for Jon’ s arrival and went to Maho beach at the bar to see the French people again and color my sign and hopefully get a ride to the airport (20 min walk but feels so much longer with my backpack! ). I got a ride from some french women.
• Okay! What matters is that Jon is here. I am really glad. Not only do I feel safer, but I am so happy to share these adventures and also headaches with someone Lol. He is an amazing travel companion because he is so calm and hardly gets angry at taxi drivers trying to screw us for money. We do agree on one thing tough….it is so frigging expensive here. Hopefully the other islands are better. Jon gave me a beautiful bracelet for Xmas!

Christmas Eve on a Caribbean island 11:30pm

Me and Jon in a bar outside at Simpson bay. Its Raining . ”American pie” playing on the radio. I eat eggs . Jon eats burger . Only the drunk owner and two drunk Americans on the other side of the bar. Waw….am I in a movie?

Me and Jon had a calm Xmas. We saw Star Wars which sucked. I give it a 3/10. We did laugh a lot during the movie tough cause I had all the jokes in the world then. I was on fire! Example : “waw, are they all related in this movie?!?” The characters should all sit down on a Xmas dinner and figure out Who is Who’s father. Lolol.

On 25th, we started the day with a couple’s fight

And then went to Maho beach where Jon had some private jet captains family friends who were watching the planes. I later Skyped with all my family or at least iI tried… it is so strange to spend the holidays away from my relatives. I missed them so much and I was in a crappy mood. On 25th night, Jon convinced me to go out and we ended up having great fun at a karaoke place.

We stayed the 1st night on a catamaran from Air bnb at the sea and it was a different experience. Wowza. I am not a water child at all… then we moved to Our hotel. It was magical, right at the beach in Grand Case. Really romantic.

Important emotional states:

Faith in humanity lost lately: all taxi drivers tried to screw us over for 2 $ on Christmas!!! Shame on you! Two damn dollars…..people in St. Martin are on their way to hell.

In a Nutshell:

1. Maho beach is the famous beach where all airplanes land. Super entertaining to see and to chill there all day. 
2. Marigot is the French capital here, a small super expensive place with 2 marinas. Beach is kinda far. We did find a Shawarma for 7 euros tough. Great success!
3. Philipsburg is the dutch capital although no one speaks Dutch. Nice for clothes and souvenir shopping. The beach is very pretty. All cruise ships park here.
4. Bay Nettle is more calm and the beach is also beautiful. It is not far from Donald Trump’s villa on the island. 
5. Pic Paradis is the highest peak of the hills. Amazing views and some hyper expensive villa with Canadian mysterious owner on top. And SO MANY BUTTERFLIES.
6. Grand Case is the culinary capital of the Caribbean. Do not expect cheap dishes here as well. The water is crystal blue and calm. French Airport is near by.
7. Oyster Pond. Most dangerous isolated place on the island. Poorer neighborhoods and no public bus
8. Orient beach. Overrated tourist beach with many bars and Jewish teens all looking like Adam Sandler, even the girls. But there was a huge beautiful rainbow.
9. Simpson bay. Nice marina with hyper big yachts. Sailors parties and many bars and international restaurants. The cinema is also there.
   
   Let downs: -It is a beautiful island with many beaches, but you do need to hire a car and ….be rich 😦
   -The party was pretty lame!

January 16th 2016

Oh Boy…

Arriving in Saint Lucia came as a shock. What a polluted port!

1. We met up with Lyz at one shopping mall. She is around 50 and is really bubbly outgoing and fun. She is from Barbados and is Rihanna’s cousin (don’t be shocked, everyone is related around the islands!), her daughter is also a Miss Universe from 2006. I immediately thought she looks like an older Rihanna lol. With the same nose and eyes. Lyz is such a party girl, she parties more and drinks more than all her 3 children. She told us stories that she used to hitch plane rides very often before 9/11 and like that she traveled quite a lot. Her husband is a diplomat’s son and when she went to visit him in Barbados all the yellow press had her in the headlines for partying way too hard. Haha. Love her! Now her children live in Barbados and Dubai. Lyz usually hosts from airbnb but the bedroom was free for a while so we were free to come there for one more night after our 2 nights in a hotel in Soufriere that I booked for us because of the view of the 2 pitons. (popular travel photo is of Jade hotel but, our hotel was not 1000$ a night, it was 95).
2. Lyz told us that at the Marina there is a street party that first night and we went to check it out but there were only some restaurants. We got a beer and went back home to relax.
3. Next day we proceeded back to Castries-the capital- and then to Soufriere which is pretty far actually and the road is the same as old Dominica, full of 360 degree turns and high mountains.

Soufriere is a little gem village in a bay next to the two Pitons.

• Pitons are very pointy mountains that look very much alike. The diving site under the small Piton is called The Superman flight because it is mega steep and it is also a scene of the Superman movie Man of Steel. At 8 pm before we left our hotel room, we received a call from reception if we are okay. This was strange…
• Since it was the weekend, we went out and I got talking to a local Trustar?Chester?!?Chusta?? who followed us around through the weekend lol and took us snorkeling for a bit.
• So Friday night was crazy because Trusta’s friend who lives in Sweden usually was leaving next day so he was buying us loads of drinks, he was super drunk, and he was teaching Jon how to dance gangsta and he was having a goodbye party at his house. So me and Jon went to the house, got drinks with some Saint Lucian gangstas and then I wanted to go to karaoke. Trusta asked me: so you and Jon…uhh, he is your friend right?? And I said: uhhh, no Jon is my boyfriend (duh!)
• Next morning Jon could not find his wallet in his backpack and he thought this mysterious call is related to its disappearance. He asked reception if he can see the CCTV recordings and they said it is not allowed but they saw them and nothing is on there. I checked Jon’s suitcase because he is notorious of losing his things twice a day and his cell phone about every 2 hours. But the wallet was really missing. Inside were just sim cards from around the world and his driver’s license and a bank card.
• We proceeded to check the botanical garden and the waterfall inside it anyway. We have had enough of nature in Dominica, so the other waterfalls, sulphur hotsprings, volcano beds…didn’t really excite us. We just needed to relax and have a romantic time.
• The botanical garden was amazing, and the waterfall was the most beautiful one so far. The different minerals make the water and the rocks many different colors. A Canadian couple was there. Goodness gracious- they were so so old, could barely walk but were smiling So wide and exploring the gardens. P.S. A very common tree that is extremely poisonous used by Bulgarian police, but when boiled- it’s our castor oil.

!My toes are still hurting every second day for about 1 hour when I walk. As I am writing this I have bought anti-inflammatory and some cream for arthritis. Let’s hope it helps.

• Then we went snorkeling but the visibility wasn’t so good. The beach was also kind of dirty…and the water as well. On this island people don’t clean at all. Still saw some strange fish, bubbles, and brain corals. This harbor is the deepest in Saint Lucia. Many children were jumping from the rocks for money. After this we watched Wall-e and fell asleep. Not much to do in Soufriere on a Sunday except church.
• Next day we packed again for the 1000 time to go back to Lyz. On the way there we went to the markets in Castries to get magnets. Back at Lyz we relaxed and then took her out to a dinner and drinks. It was great. She talked about how her daughter had a great chance of winning Miss Universe in China and Miss World in California but the organizers told her frankly that another country has invested more into the contest so politically she won’t win. Ugh, what a bunch of BS all those contests are! She then took us to a David Bowie memorial party her friends were organizing. The party consisted of 2 miserable people drinking wine and talking about David Bowie, so we left shortly after.
• At night, Jon checked his suitcase again and Tadam, the wallet was there…ugghhh. What happened? Where did the wallet travel …no one will know. Nothing was missing but this was so weird.

Lyz dropped us off at the airport next day and honestly- no regrets.

I think we have seen enough of Saint Lucia, ate local food, met some cool people and listened to good reggae. I think the island has a lot to offer, nice beaches and also many activities and day trips, however- it is a pricey island!

April 26th, 2016

Have you noticed how South Americans and Latinos love the letter ”S”?

Salvador
San Jose
Santo Domingo
San Juan
Santiago

I visited all of them!

Yet the hardest trip I took was the travel back home.

Writing this at the airport. My current trip involves:
Costa Rica->Miami->12 hour layover (praying not to over drink there or get injured since my insurance does not cover the USA)->Montreal.

Not only it was seriously demanding with all these connections and flights but I was also exhausted hangover and dirty.

My jeans used to be white… My socks smell like a rabies radiation…My mind is still wandering around somewhere else. Still faced and numbed by the splendor of Iguassu falls, up in the ancient mountains following Inca tracks, laying and absorbing the sun on the fresh salt flats of Bolivia…where is my mind?
The post travel depression is a serious condition not to be disregarded

Advise for when you start your own personal journey:

1. Go with the mindset that people are put on this earth to help each other not to be scared of each other.
2. Be flexible. I wore my yellow shirt as a skirt when I needed an urgent fancy outfit and I am wearing my blue skirt as a shirt when nothing else was clean.
3. Know when its time to leave. This one is tough…When traveling is becoming more of a tedious obligation and plan-making than an enjoyable social time and when you don’t feel like meeting new people anymore, its perhaps time to go home and put things into perspective.
4. Think about your trip but don’t miss it. Only take the best of your experiences back with you. Did u see and discover what you aimed to? There’s no need to stretch it on just to prove you can do it. It goes like that with everything. When the smile fades away, its good to give it a break.

Another fun fact and a Bonus vocabulary lesson:

bear- oso
beard- barba
beer- cerveza
bird – pajara

jajaja

9 November 2016

My sunglasses canada
My earings south korea
My shorts south africa
My top brazil
My hat laos
My swimsuit bulgaria
My bracelet thailand
My backpack bolivia

So what about me? Where am I from?

I don’t want to travel anymore.

AS the universe has a dark side-Let’s explore The dark side of traveling.

1. Discovering everything is the same everywhere. Hopeless. All locals I met in every South American country were describing to me their corrupt government and careless politicians. Coming from Bulgaria, believe me, all Bulgarian say the exact same thing. Yet all south Americans claimed their country is The most corrupt of all the world.
2. The flight delays.
3. So many health, immigration forms to fill
4. Landing/entry/exit fees to pay
5. Directions to take
6. Not to drown
7. Not to burn
8. Not to get an exotic spider bite
9. Not to waste money but still spend enough to experience the essentials
10. Oh! And the best and worst of all- people. Such a paralyzing and powerless feeling when confronted with a terrible attitude- for no other reason other than you being foreign and unfamiliar, thus undeserving of a person’s smile, help, attention and effort. But wait. Hello people??? Aren’t we all co-dependent? Why do we act like we aren’t? Like we are Above those things.
    What if You are stuck alone on an island. What will you do? You will expect help. You will HOPE, pray and cry for help. You will depend on it. On someone else.Well, this world is going to hell and I know you all can feel it.
    One by one, the places I visited, like a plague become more politically unstable! It’s so hard to watch this beautiful world fall. I set out to explore this beauty and blend of cultures, yet I see so much More ugliness in it. A Thai man throws his garbage carelessly behind him. A Lao man answers his cellphone and has a long and loud conversation during a classical orchestra performance in the concert hall. …my head is spinning in a whirlpool of examples. A Korean man faints in the metro, no one blinks an eye (I offered him help and assisted to sit him down on the stairs and offered him from my coke but he looked too embarrassed).Hmmm, at every corner someone trying to hassle you. So this is the new trend, the fashion, the worldwide phenomenon: Loss of respect, manners, caring, being human.Gosh it’s tiring looking for them… Where did the humans go?

January 2017

…happy New Year?

Please note:

This will be a different kind of post, since I came here with primary aim to seek work.

This will be my year, I am confident that starting January, I will find a career that I don’t hate and will finally save money to accomplish something that I do love.

Having left Asia last year, me and Jon decided that I should try Holland. I always loved Amsterdam.

1-Hot men

2-Many events

3-Close to family

4-Good salaries

5-Everyone speaks English

What’s not to like? What could go wrong? Don’t stop reading and you will find out.

It has been 7 months that I am looking for work already. Arriving in AMS, I felt depressed, lost, confused and having really low self confidence.

Should I stay or should I go? This has been my mantra the past 7 months. I have also not had health insurance the past 7 months- I guess I am lucky?!? If anything happened…or happens now- that would be mega expensive.

I am aware my negative energy is what attracts all these negative experiences towards me. But if experiences caused all my thoughts- then this is a frigging maze with no way out. A spiral of – emotions and disappointments. 

So, let’s begin this tale called:

The 5 creeps of Amsterdam

1. S- a passive aggressive dutch man who wrote me a letter (!!!) that you can find here. This was my host for a night. The man wanted something I suppose, but my purpose was to find work in Holland, so I did not spend my time drinking wine. 
2. D- Then here comes the nerdy stalker on the street.  He ran after me to tell me how beautiful I am and then kept walking after me and would not leave me alone.
3. The worst of course is the Peruvian pervert feet guy in my hostel. He touched my feet under my blanket and then touched himself. I yelled at him and reported him -of course.
   No- it is not over.
4. M-The Tyrant. Oh- so arrogant. Oh- such a bully. Oh- such a manipulator. Mister Tyrant was my host for 2 nights and while he cooked something so nice, he also made me cry out of frustration and his mean remarks.
5. Can I catch a break now? No…here comes J.- the probably straight guy who was 3 hours late every time while I was out freezing in the frozen AMS. Thank you couchsurfing…

So, let’s recap quickly

Here are the 5 reasons not to go to Amsterdam:

1-Hot men (Yes BUT arrogant and selfish. Even my male friends only offered me their private parts and absolutely no help in hosting me or meeting up for a drink, or finding work. Another Dutchie told me I had a mustache over dinner, Lol! I do not!)

2-Many events (me and a girl from Scotland went out to the clubbing area. We got refused 3 times. Firstly, because it is a guest list. Second because it is a private event. Third, because it was 20 euros entrance and not even a free drink included!!! Also- for the duration of my stay-everyone at all times only asked me which drugs I have done or plan on doing and bragged about their incredible accomplishments in drug taking)

3-Close to family

4-Good salaries (AMS is mega expensive. The ticket to my 1st interview by train and bus cost me ultimately 7 euros. The attractions are all 20 euros+.The food and drinks. The clubs. The tax you pay on your salary; The rental system is insane- you need to be registered at an address in order to get a bsn number, in order to get a job, but no rental ads offered registration, so it became such a vicious circle; Mainly I received replies for internships. 6 months and 200 euros a month…while having a rent of 900 euros a month !?!?)

5-Everyone speaks English(I went on an interview at Booking.com and we were 12 people applying for a very simple job. Anyone can do this customer service job. Everyone in the room was SO over qualified. PHD’s, Apple software engineers, 10 years manager experience,5 languages, people who have already Worked this exact same position in Booking.com and ETC. We had to do a 1 hour very demanding test with a lot of math- like we are applying for NASA. Then you need to wait your turn for an interview. I was last- I had to occupy my time for 6 hours. They chose someone else, but said they liked me a lot.)

• As for the positives, what can I even say? I went there for a reason. This was my 5th time in Holland and I find it ”fairy tale charming”. The views, flowers, canals and little hidden bars, an intriguing language, all added to my admiration.

1. DO go and enjoy a party week in SUMMER.
2. Hit a music festival or King’s day.
3. Try the blends of weed and see everything typical in the downtown like Anne Frank’s house if you don’t mind waiting hours on lineups.
4. But also, visit the museums (Van Gogh, hello?)
5. And check out the free walking tour. I learned a lot there but won’t spoil it for you.

Holland was ruled out as an option.

I was homeless and hopeless after meeting so many creeps and so many challenges. I did try to find an apartment, I did try to find work, but what I found was only COLD cold wind.

My interview was at a fashion company for an internship- well, they never called me back because I don’t have a BSN number.

February 2016

Durban

Bru?

Brai?

Ballies?

Boop?

Boot?

Bra?

Byron, Tyron, Myron and Lyron!?!

A little bit of south African vocabulary…hmmm, don’t they love the letter B? Could make up many poems with those.

My seeking for work continues here in Jon’s home country.

Let’s call this place, the end of the world. I literally (and I don’t use this word slightly like the Kardashians) went till the END OF THE WORLD. I went on most ends actually- Asia, Europe,Africa, Middle East until now to look for work- to start a life!!!

Let’s call this land, the land with Load shedding (which means no electricity), no internet and hitch hikers who will steal your car.

Our aim for work was Cape Town.

Meanwhile, I want to let you all know of what I will be skipping this February while in South Africa:

1. Trinidad carnival
2. Brazil carnival
3. Venice carnival
4. Eduardo’s Euro trip
5. Vlad’s Euro trip
6. Sheila’s invitation to go to Morocco and Ibiza

There were never any guarantees.

SA scared me even before taking the leap- So far, So different, Opposite traffic, Sharks and really Unclear visa/immigration rules.

For immigrants who wish to establish themselves in SA, read here:

1. We found a way to get a couples visa in SA but a very costly way :1200usd that is not guaranteed to get me a work visa. Foreigners wishing to work here, especially if they are Caucasian will be…pretty ignored. Preference is given to dark skinned people and locals- no matter if you are more experienced.
   After seeking advise from Fb groups, Bulgarian communities, immigration agency and forums- I received the same response.

I spent merely 3 weeks in S.A. because it wasn’t very fruitful, so I don’t have many tips:

1. You Need a car. No public transport exists there.
2. Don’t go downtown even if you want to visit all galleries and museums. It’s dangerous.
3. You will like it if you enjoy wild life.

From MARCH – JUNE 2017

My labyrinth has no exit

My crossword’s words don’t cross

These pieces from my puzzle won’t fit

My life-an unsolvable riddle,

But I won’t quit

Is it really a coincidence that Dubai rhymes with Lie?
Well, just use your imagination.

I have spent 3 months going back and forth between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in attempts to find work or more precisely- the work of my dreams.

In those 3 months, I managed to get robbed, assaulted, lied to that I will get a call back, lied to that I will begin work, lied to that they are preparing my visa, lied to that the company has an HR department, lied to for interviews and positions, did not get paid for work I did, betrayed by trusted people, being offered indecent and immoral proposals for work, ditched, sworn at, yelled at, kicked out of my own place, etc.

My mom is eager for me to get away from this strange blend of money hungry individuals forming a society with not an ounce of humanity left.

Most of the time in Dubai, I had nowhere to sleep and I didn’t eat regularly. Often, I waited 6 hours for a friend to give me a ride back to his far away neighborhood after his working hours where I stayed a week. P.s. I want to thank him for his hospitality.

The WORK

• I have sent 1000 cv’s or More, my right eye began flickering and vibrating from exhaustion and staring at the screen until the early morning hours.
• I went in person, taking people’s recommendation to give away CVs, presentable in high heels and well dressed. It brought me 8 blisters, 3 bleeding and no callbacks.
• I then proceeded with Linked in connections. I added people and chatted them up. No response.
• Networking was my best chance. With my charisma and ease of communication I met many people who were however much more interested in having drinks, going to a tango class or inviting me to stay in their villas.
  A multi-billionaire Indian man also offered me to take me shopping. He said I need a new purse, and dresses. He said I could stay for as long as I want at his house with 7 pools across the Burj Khalifa. He said I have a great ass and asked to know about my bra size. I was too shocked to respond. After all-this was a business meeting discussing job opportunities. He promised me work by next week as admin in one of his companies. Then we met his connection-the director of a major fashion brand for Dubai. He also showed me the job listings for this brand and said I could pick. As I refused all his advances and offers outside the professional limits, he then stopped responding to me. I messaged him very nicely that I am ready to begin work. Sent him my passport copy for visa processing. Silence.
  Then there comes another Israeli individual working in fashion who was encouraging me like a proper bully manipulator to flirt with these older men, pretend that I am interested in order to secure a job, to accept their offers for free clothes and play their game. He actually yelled at me twice that I am way too honest and don’t know how to lie.
  The one person I met networking was actually the man who became my boss for a month- Fadi Al Baghdadi. He lied to me the most-about so many things. At the end, he ended up Not paying me my salary at all. Hurray Dubai~~~

Is it still worth it? To compromise my own beliefs and myself for an unreachable promise, buried behind the blinding blinking sparkly glitzy lights of this world wide famous mega-polis.

I had what is called the Bright Lights symptom.

I came here because of the Expo 2020, people’s promises created great expectations for me for well paid career in Exhibitions and Events with no taxes, an exciting and upper class lifestyle, my own place, car, a view of the beach. That was the vision. But the reality of Dubai is this:

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT MOVE TO DUBAI:

1- Currently the market is so slow that you have better chance to find work (and maybe better-paid one) in Pakistan. Literally, my first friend from Pakistan left Dubai for this reason. Everyone is getting laid off. The job ads are so few, since I monitored them daily.

2-The pay. I am a Canadian and got offered a few times to come in for interviews for a salary of 500 USD, including accommodation in a shared room with 4 more girls and food. 500 USD monthly…in one of the most expensive cities in the world. It was outrageous. I now was supposed to make 2500 USD, which sounds down right incredible. My rent is half that. The transport, cellphone bill and food- and maybe I could have saved enough to send for my student loan in Canada.

3-The rent. Never in my life would I have imagined seeing so many grown-ass men and women living in a shared flat OR worst- shared room!!! No privacy, a thousand rules, no guests allowed.
Terrible landlords. They moved my things out of my room at night when I was out attending a concert because they found someone who can pay 100 USD more for it. Then they did not allow me to go in and see if everything is indeed moved because it is not my room any longer. They are always late, never reply, never keep their promise, and never care about you at all. They called me just the other day to tell me the price will be higher because I am not staying more than 3 months. They keep changing the rules of the agreement because here no one signs anything.

4-The people. You know from my posts that I am all about the people. But these creatures here are not human. LOL. Just a quick brainstorm: flaky, liars, slow, show offs, just talk and no follow through, terrible work ethic and no integrity, materialistic, players, fake.

5-The Indians. Yes, they are people too and I am sorry that I have to make this a separate point. There is an 80% chance a girl is asked numerous times if she is married when she enters the taxi or for her phone number or to take the driver’s number because he can be her personal driver. One man started creepily describing all the girls who he liked in his taxi and that he cannot handle himself. Once I went to an interview in the industrial part of Dubai and when I got off the cab it was as if I was in India. Hundreds of Males staring me down. Where are the women? I was dressed well and it was extremely uncomfortable to walk down the street under their watchful looks. They really have no common sense and are very pushy if you make the mistake to talk to them.

6-The driving. In Dubai, there are no police officers, they only trust the speeding cameras, therefor all other road infractions are disregarded. People drive like maniacs, never signaling and zigzagging. One thing I noticed is that traffic lights are significantly slower than anywhere I have been before. You can take a nap and have a dream while you wait for them to turn green.

7-The rules. It is a Muslim country, so modesty is recommended, but this is not even what I mean! They are so inconsistent with their own rules, be it dress code, showing ID, smoking weed.

I mentioned earlier that I was robbed. Well, this was a great welcoming. It happened on Bulgaria’s national day- March 3rd. Also- my 1st night in Dubai. It was a traumatic experience and I cried for 3 days and 3 nights after. My friend brought me away to Abu Dhabi where I stayed with his mother the following 2 months. However, I could not report the robbery to the police, because I was staying at a guy’s place and I would have gotten in trouble as well.
A bigger infraction that happened at the end of my stay was the fact that I did not get paid for a month of work in the company Abstract brand communications. The boss was a pathological liar and never even processed my working visa application. He knew I had to leave the country  because my visa will expire and avoided my calls, emails, messages and coming to the office for a week. He then locked me out of the office and told the other colleagues to not let me in. I told him that I will raise a complaint to the authorities. I did- and guess what. Nothing. I have no rights here without a Labor ID even though I am allowed to begin work while my work visa is being processed. I would have been the one to get in trouble! I am still in shock that I practically lost 2500 USD and nothing wrongful was committed according to Dubai’s laws. There is so much I can talk about my work space, but let me just say that all the workers were owned 2 salaries and everyone’s medical insurance was expired which is completely illegal. Those workers (99% Indian with a salary of 500 usd a month) did not protest and were very passive about it.

Dear darling Dubai…why don’t you try and control the rent and labor regulations, but you try to control if a foreigner drinks water on the metro?

8-The nowhere. Unless you like desert, there is really not much else around. I miss pedestrian areas, sidewalks, pavement and parks. Be aware that Dubai is one giant construction site. And a construction site is not a pretty sight.

9-The green factor. Locals throw their garbage on streets out their cars and in parking lots. They don’t recycle. They built all those artificial islands destroying a lot of sea life. All the water here is from the sea and is treated and retreated to be drinkable.

10-The sand storms. Sand in your ears, eyelashes and hair for days!  Happened to me before an interview.

If however you come to visit Dubai, you will enjoy it.
I call this place the Vegas of the Middle East. This is why I am here. I actually enjoyed my previous 2 visits, so I decided to give it a full go and made it my 4th destination in 4 months for Looking for work.

Take a look at the top 10 things you have to check out in Dubai or Abu Dhabi:

1-Ladies night, free drinks, free appetizers! Usually on Tuesdays but you can find one any day of the week. Yes please <:)

2- Boa club. Dubai has many venues, always new ones to discover but this one is my favorite

http://www.dubainight.com/dubai/boa-lounge-club–dubai/bar-boa-lounge-club–dubai,2,0,72558.html

3-Many expos, check world trade center schedule; Many free concerts

http://www.dwtc.com/en/Events/Pages/default

4-Food from all over the world, I recently discovered Poke Poke, Hawaiian fast food

5-Many events for expats, both professional and for entertainment. It is easy to make friends here, but be aware- those are party friends
www.internations.org  and www.meetup.com

6-The beach is clean and free. (to this point I add Miracle garden and Global village)

7-The weather is always nice, no need for winter clothes, but have a jacket for the AC offices and malls

8-The giant mosque in Abu Dhabi is beautiful

9-There is free gym and pool in each residential or office building

10-The mobile services are cheap, internet and calls. Du mobile did a fine job.

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If you want to reach some cool people:

Herbin, the guy who robbed me with his girlfriend: +971 55 947 7002

Ameer, the rich man who asked my bra size and lied for work: +971 55 468 7700

Fadi al Baghdadi, the guy who didn't pay me: +971 55 882 77892

http://www.abstractbc.com/  : (the company)

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• 

www.couchsurfing.com

(Acronym: CS)

Through this website, you can stay at locals at your destination. There is no need to reciprocate the service. Sometimes the local can show you around and take you out. The host can also give you the key to their place and let you organize your own schedule. Likewise, you can host travelers in your city! Do you have a couch, bed, or even some floor space? Both couchsurfing and hosting is an enriching experience that costs nothing but creates a lifelong memory and sometimes-friendship.

My experience with CS accounts to more than: I was a couchsurfer 40 times; I hosted 25 times; I have 90 references; I have attended CS meetings in 5 continents; I have found work through CS connections; I have found sports activities and daily trips; I have found love and friends

Tips:

• Coushsurfing also holds weekly events. Even if you are not a frequent user, or you are new to town for example, you can come socialize and meet people. The biggest event I have attended was in Rio with 200 people. We each had a name tag. Delicious food and all fun people sharing one interest: Traveling.
• Fill out your profile and get some references. That always helps!
• Be aware of hosts with negative references, who request money for your stay, or for creeps. I have had negative experiences (7 being hosted and 2 hosting) but the positive ones outshine everything.
• Bring a little souvenir for your host! Make a good first impression.

DAILY SAVING: 60 $

www.warmshowers.org

Although I haven’t used this website, it follows the same pattern as CS. However, this site is focused on travelers traveling by bicycle.

www.workaway.info

Combining volunteering work and travel, this platform gives you the chance to really become one with the locals. I have tried this in Colombia and South Korea, but I wish I discovered it sooner. There are all kinds of activities from farming to graphic design. The concept is: a roof and food for a few hours of work daily. You are not getting paid, but you are saving so much and learning at the same time!

Tips:

• You can meet fellow workawayers around you and connect.
• You need to register to this website and pay a small symbolic yearly fee.

DAILY SAVING: 90$

Google: free walking tour *name of the city*

I would say with confidence that 90% of developed countries capitals have a free walking tour. The concept is simple: a local gives you an entertaining tour of the city and you tip them if you appreciated the time spent. Usually a tour lasts 2-3 hours. All tour guides I have encountered were charming, knowledgeable and presented amazing curious facts that not even a citizen of the country knows! I love the free walking tours and I have been on many across: Asia, South America, Europe, and Middle East.

My favorite part is the end! Haha. Not because it ends but because I can ask the tour guide anything- from the cheapest bar to the best souvenir deals. Afterwards, we usually also form a group of people who want to continue the fun and party.

Tips:

• Free walking tours also organize cheap Pub Crawls, Food tours, Art tours!
• So, please, just google: Free walking tour + the name of the city = enjoy!

DAILY SAVING: 40$

www.showaround.com

This is a similar idea but the guide usually takes a higher wage and serves private groups like you and your friends! You can still save $ because this is not a certified guide employed by a travel agency and you can make a friend! For nights out, you can also check out: Zoolafix.com

www.groupon.com

Why a vouchers site? Well, because, believe or not, there are a LOT of deals on popular attractions or day trips. Just sort the site to where you are and research. You can see the Burj Khalifa for half the price if you search well. Also, never forget that this is a local tool. You can get really discounted food deals.

DAILY SAVING: 20$

www.around-the-world.com

If you plan a trip of a lifetime, this is your chance to save big. Do you want to see the whole world? Do you have a year off? Buying an around the world ticket could end up being 80% off all the airfare you would have bought separately. This is a package of 4, 6, more tickets taking you to pre-determined destinations and be careful to respect the timeframe and not to miss your flight. I met people on an Around the world tickets in Santiago, Chile and they said it works very well.

SAVINGS DEPEND ON TRAVEL PACKAGE

www.fly4free.com

Discounted deals for flights, packages, last moment offers.

www.kiwi.com

www.skiplagged.com

Both sites follow a similar idea. They will book you on multiple connections, separate tickets and sometimes airlines, so you can get the cheapest possible price. Prepare for a lot of transfers, don’t be afraid of flying and don’t bring check-in luggage because you will have to recheck it.

www.blablacar.com

Ridesharing is not a new model, but people forget that this exists across the globe!
Perhaps the locals will use another site or a facebook group, but imagine how much cheaper and more exciting traveling could be. I have taken blablacar in North America and Europe and it was always pleasant.

DAILY SAVINGS: 15$

www.backseatsurfing.com

This website aims for hitchhikers.  You could also just hitchhike on the side of the road and I totally embrace and support that but this is a more organized platform. I have only hitchhiked across the Caribbean islands and it was incredible! It warms my heart when people help each other like that. I think I am just unfamiliar with the logistics otherwise. I am not sure how to hitch a ride hence why I haven’t done it more.
But, oh! The stories I have heard. Friends have toured the whole of South America hitchhiking. A girl I met in Maceio, Brazil, from Turkey has done it in the Middle East as well. She also only slept in tents or the occasional CS, but she was indeed a very brave individual. A couchsurfer at my place had hitchhiked from Ukraine to Laos. The savings here can be huge for the patient ones.

Tips:

• Please ask a local if it is safe to do hitchhiking in their respective country and most importantly- if it is legal! I am not 1 to follow rules, so my rule is if you see someone else doing it- then it’s a go!
• In some islands you had to put your index finger to the side. These small difference apparently made a big difference.

DAILY SAVINGS: 50$

www.fromatob.com

I love this website! When it comes to comparing which transportation option is cheaper, this could save you. In some parts of the world, a train is the cheapest, slowest option and in others- a very exclusive method of getting somewhere.

www.peopleperhour.com

Hmmm, I am not, unfortunately the most adept on this topic. As much as I would love to be a digital nomad, most of these jobs have to do with technology and technology is not my friend. Just look at the speed of which I am maintaining this blog. One day, with your amazing help, this blog will be so mega popular, that I will have the motivation to just go and support myself writing on the road. J One can dream.

However, can you program, code, design, Photoshop, content edit ETC.? Well, through this website, you can accomplish tasks for employers who will pay you and then you got your travel money! Everything is done virtually and payments are through paypal.

There are multiple sites for remote jobs if you do a simple Google Search. I have indeed applied for a few but have had no success yet. Most require you to be in a specific country or time zone tough or to have a working visa for a specific country.  But hell, if you can combine sunbathing and making an income, you are my hero!

www.hioffer.com

Another example for remote work but this time for English teachers. If you are a Native English Speaker, you have a much higher chance, and believe me, they check your accent on the interview. The hours + pay are simply amazing. The students are Asian mainly Chinese. You want to work 10 hours a week and make 25 $ per hour? Yeah, don’t we all! Imagine living in Thailand with this pay, you could be able to afford amazing things.

www.meetup.com

Meetup resembles Internations and Couchsurfing but it is very popular now. There are social groups and activities for every taste. Hiking, dance, reading club, language exchange, party. I like Meetup but the interface sometimes hides events around you if you aren’t part of the specific groups. Recently, I used it in Prague where there is a weekly Expats meeting or picnic (50 people).

Tinder social

Tinder isn’t only a dating app. On the right side of your swiping options is the Social part of Tinder where groups of friends can match your group and you can all plan an outing together. I have mainly used this feature in Dubai and had a lot of fun! To be honest, I have also used Tinder itself for making friends while traveling and it has worked fine especially in South Korea and Portugal! Try it out 🙂

Couchsurfing hangouts

CS also has a social part just like Tinder where you can form groups and organize a meeting. My experience so far has been a bit chaotic.

DAILY SAVINGS
AREA	ACCOMODATION	TRANSPORT	TOUR	Others	Total Daily Saving
				Deals
	Workway	Hitchhike	Free Walking Tour	Flights, Attractions, Meals
	saving on Bed+Food	saving on Bus, Train, Public Transport	saving on Privately operated tours	savings vary
	90$	50$	40$	n/a	180$

June 2016 and throughout summer of 2016

First and foremost, if you can AVOID flying with Aeroflot, DO IT. Do Not use this airline. They were extremely rude, wanted to overcharge me for luggage, did not understand their job and almost made me miss 2 of my flights. I had to run, they did not accompany me.

Thailand is the most popular South East Asian country to visit because they give out visas on arrival easily. Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya are all framed extremely cheap, beautiful and the locals- smiley and friendly!

Since I lived in its northern neighbor (Laos) I had the opportunity to travel to Thailand on a numerous occasions and get to know the culture a bit better than the regular alcohol and ladyboy curious tourist.

Bangkok:

Upon my arrival, we stayed in fancy hotel So- Sofitel beautifully decorated, and they welcome you with flowers and a purple drink. We took a hotel tour as every few floors the design and theme of the rooms changes. Ours were the bestest- see pictures below. We were also lucky, since there was a very popular pool party (once a week in different hotels around town) in our hotel that is free for hotel guests. Stunning views, drinks, and hot people. I loved the music and how my outfit glowed in the dark. That was my first impression of the city. In the banquet hall area of the hotel there was a BMW employee’s party and I found the locals dressed extremely stylish and original.

We started touring the city and went to get some pad thai at the Asiatique riverfront. A very modern and quite expensive touristic place.There were robots/transformers to rent for kids and I found that really awesome. Wish I was a kid again. What I noticed as unique were the soaps shaped like boobs or penises! They also smelled so good.

The following night, we went to Nana Plaza where we were told we can spot the ladyboys bars. There was heavy rain that night. I also tasted street food and it was cheap and tasty. We proceeded to visit a few strip clubs. Ladyboys were grabbing Jon’s bum, catcalling him and I found that hilarious! A country where girls are not harassed, ouf! Finally! Inside the strip clubs however, it is really expensive to drink and they are so pushy for you to order drinks while the strippers act so so bored, barely moving and some of them looks like 12 year old boys /or ladyboys, as only their breasts were showing, I was really not sure about genders.

NB! Do negotiate with the tuktuk drivers because they always rip off the tourists.

Once, we witnessed a taxi driver who was not happy with a foreigner and showed him his gun!

My second time in Bangkok, it was to meet a friend from Canada. We managed to watch some Thai boxing which was super exciting. At least the first few fights. I was shocked how expensive tickets are, so please don’t bother buying the front seat tickets since you can move freely once inside. Buy the regular tickets. Unfortunately, they put tourists far from the locals who scream their bets like crazy all the time. I would have loved to be amid this crowd but maybe I wouldn’t have been able to focus or hear my thoughts. They were also the decisive power when it came to disqualifying one opponent who was not very energetic or passionate about winning which surprised me! We met there a Dutch guy and proceeded to Khao San road where we met more people. Together, we danced on the streets till dawn and I tried scorpion, it was awful! We were drunk and happy in a tuktuk trying to find a karaoke place!

Khao San Road it’s where I had the most fun in Bangkok! There is so much to do! Little streets, lights, massages, buckets of booze, scorpion or spider sampling, street food heaven, funky t-shirts and souvenirs, open air street bars, offensive bracelets makers, the couch surfing meeting, dark tunnel streets with homeless cats and dogs, balloons with funny air inside.

For research purposes, me and my friend one day attempted to find the Bus terminal. Well, we got frigging lost. It was so so hot! After some time spent in desperation and wrong directions, we found some fenced off gardens and jumped the fence with our backpacks. No matter who we asked, they gave us different directions. Well, it was a workout. Note that any thai person can offer you a ride on their motorcycle, but they really ask too much! (in any case, just accept if you are super lost).

I stayed a night in my friend’s hostel which was containers stacked and super colorful called the Wanderer Hub. I liked the hostel a lot. We also tried another close to the train station. It was clean and modern. However, I found reviews really matter in Bangkok…uhhh,just keep reading.

Me and my friend then departed to Cambodia by train. But man…that’s a whole new story.

On my return, I was alone and I wanted to be close to Khao San road, so I booked the closest and cheapest hostel around. Hello Guest House. I would certainly name it Bangkok’s most disgusting hostel with rude staff and a used tampon in shower: http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hello-Guest-House-Bangkok/Bangkok/69824#propname

On my last trip to Bangkok, I was with Jon again as he came to say Goodbye to me. I was done with Laos and was going to head back to Europe. Coincidentally the king of Thailand had passed away and the whole country was grieving. No parties, no noise, everyone and everything, every building, every public toilet, every clothing shop- ALL BLACK. They adored their king. So, needless to say, I wasn’t going to make it to Full moon Party. It was all cancelled. That is still on my list!

Be aware of taxis in Bangkok. Most drivers are from the villages. They have no clue where you are going. They do NOT speak English or use google maps, not even paper maps. Once we took 1 from the hotel and it wasted 2 hours looking for a robot restaurant. We requested to take us back to the hotel and argued not to pay. At the end, the hotel paid him.

Eventually, I found this robot restaurant! It is really tasty and fun. Quite far away and hidden in an abandoned shopping mall. But the robots are dancing on Lady Gaga while serving you delicious food!

We visited as well the floating market Khlong Lat Mayom which was so far away and was not floating at all. But we tried some unique foods, saw a salamander and discovered another area! Bangkok is so big.

Please remember that the area where all fancy hotels are is boring as hell. There is nothing to see and nowhere to eat. And only taxis available.

Anyway, when the king died, cops were patrolling even Khao San road to make sure no music is played loud. It was awfully depressing.

The best part of my experience was visiting the Unicorn Café. Like designed for me! It was paradise. I so want to bring this concept to life in Europe and even have the interior design in my head. If you are an investor or someone with nice savings, please write to me lol.

At the top of our hotel Banyan tree (beautiful big rooms, best pillows, robes, fruits and exotic fruits brochure, flowers, and scent of the day, free massage) there was the most famous roof top bar- Vertigo. On the 61th floor! The service was lacking tough. No one came to serve us and when they did, they never brought our orders. We just left.

Our last night together, we enjoyed some New Zealand food-fish! It was so so so good! Always wanted to visit NZ.

Pattaya and Ko Lan island:

Me and my friend from Canada went to Cambodia and then I came back alone to Pattaya. In a few short words, this city is: For rich Indians who can pretty much only get visas for Thailand and extremely surgically modified Russian prostitutes. I was excited! To get to my hostel was a whole new adventure. I arrived very late in a huge tropical storm. The bike guys wanted too much money, so I got onto some kind of truck which didn’t even know where to stop. Well, I got there anyhow. I stayed in 18 Coins hostel. They set up the AC to -100 degrees and the staff is the rudest I have seen so far. No facilities for socializing, luggage, no one cleaning the toilet areas, etc.

The main avenue in Pattaya is full of Ping Pong show promoters, clubs, Indian tourists, massive packs of Indian older men. Subsequently, I changed my hostel to a faraway one, a much calmer place: Jomtien beach- Jomtien Hostel. Oh what a bliss! Breakfast included. Beautiful, clean, peaceful rooms.

But getting to this part of town, was a whole other adventure! From the ferry port, I asked so many bikers, tuktuks, trucks and even random cars for a cheap ride, but was out of luck. At the end, a touristic private mini bus told me to hop in at the front seat. The man drove me around with his clients to a hill with amazing views, but my phone was dead to take photos. The driver who didn’t speak much English and was around 50 years old kind of liked me, so he drove me for free and even paid my lunch (it was amazing to try local food ordered by a local!) and told me at night, he will pass by my hostel and pick me up to go party! Well, uhhhhhh. I, of course told the receptionist to tell him I left already. He did indeed came looking for me, but I was out with my roommate.

My roommate was an Indian guy. It happened to be his birthday! He had a scooter and we hit the downtown. We also met a Pakistani friend of his who he met in Phuket. The Paki guy was staying downtown in a fancy hotel. He was not as poor as us! I have to say- I had a BLAST with those two! We got drinks, danced in an Indian club (the music was epic!!! The men were throwing their money on the floor as a thanks to the club owners for organizing this soiree!!! There were buckets of cash! Tempting to reach down and pretend to tie my shoe while I grab some….oh well. One old prick asked me ‘’how much?’’ They thought I was a Russian prostitute. L It was kinda sad.) We danced with an old funny grandpa on gangsta rap. His whole family taking photos. We saw a ping pong show and Thank God for my friends who basically negotiated for it to be free with free drinks! I will spare you the details of the Ping Pong show as some of you might be sensitive. But I thought it was entertaining! I loved the bars in Pattaya. So many to choose from.

Gotta tell you, even after this unforgettable party, the moment that will stay with me FOREVER is this one: Me and my two friends on a blanket on Jomtien beach sipping wine and eating rice watching the beautiful sunset. This is when the Indian guy (we never exchanged contact information) recited a poem he wrote. He is a philosopher. I just felt at peace, complete harmony and admiration. I learned SO MUCH from them. About their culture, their differences, the Kashmir conflict, the food in North and South of India, the Pakistani language, what brings them together. It was what traveling is all about!

The rest of days, I spent tanning, trying some shallow swimming (there were giant jellyfish), drinking coconuts and reading The 10 rules of Love on the beach. I loved it but I was missing my boyfriend. It was time to head back to Laos.

Ko Lan island is super super super super, extremely polluted island and I felt so bad, I started cleaning the beach and got 2 bags of garbage. I was there just for a day with the ferry. If I were you, I could skip that.

Noticeable things: Bulgaria Yogurt milk in the 7/11. P.S. There are 7/11’s everywhere!

Best hostel: http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Jomtien-Hostel/Pattaya/34389?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuaLP8K2x1QIVLhbTCh3ZxgmLEAAYASAAEgKPGPD_BwE&s_kwcid=AL!591!3!183293718124!b!!g!!&source=adwordsdynamic&network=g&creative=183293718124&adposition=1t1&uniqueclickID=9825965108907239422&sub_keyword=&sub_ad=b&sub_publisher=ADW&ef_id=WSrP9wAABcTYMC7z:20170730155047:s

Worst hostel: http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/18-Coins-Cafe-and-Hostel/Pattaya/99328?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0PObla6x1QIVx-AbCh35cgOcEAAYASAAEgKwnPD_BwE&s_kwcid=AL!591!3!183293718124!b!!g!!&source=adwordsdynamic&network=g&creative=183293718124&adposition=1t1&uniqueclickID=454126764723653218&sub_keyword=&sub_ad=b&sub_publisher=ADW&ef_id=WSrP9wAABcTYMC7z:20170730155123:s

Koh Samui:

Getting to those islands is kind of a struggle! Flights are impossibly expensive, so go to Surat Thani and take a ferry. As mentioned, since the whole country was in mandatory 1 month grieving, the island was pretty calm. I walked for 2 hours because the tuktuk dropped me far away from the main area. Along the way, I checked 5 hostels and even beach mini huts. I said No each time. Something was pulling me forward and I knew it when I saw it. The best hostel I have seen in Asia! Modern, sharp, cheap, clean, colorful, social. Hell Yeah! Stay there- Behind the scene hostel.

I thought the island generally was a bit boring or maybe I did not want to spend any money and visit waterfalls or ride elephants- I have done it all already! And I had a stomach issue. I found an amazing Italian restaurant and swore to go there on my last night. Incredible food and atmosphere! I love lights. I am in love with lamp. Go there – Taverna Samui.

In my hostel, there was a German girl and we hit it off. Went for shisha and beach fire performance on the shore. It was a blissful moment. The moon, low music, cocktail and shisha on beach beds.

A French Egyptian from the hostel rented a scooter and we went to the big Buddha statue to see the sunset. Meh. Nothing special.

Best hostel: http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Behind-The-Scene-Hostel-Club-Samui/Koh-Samui/85336?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoaaX4K-x1QIVajPTCh1KmAVQEAAYAiAAEgKd-vD_BwE&s_kwcid=AL!591!3!183293718124!b!!g!!&source=adwordsdynamic&network=g&creative=183293718124&adposition=1t2&uniqueclickID=8905767434955813536&sub_keyword=&sub_ad=b&sub_publisher=ADW&ef_id=WSrP9wAABcTYMC7z:20170730160010:s

Best restaurant: https://www.facebook.com/tavernasamui/

Surat Thani:

I was pretty damn exhausted and stayed 1 night in this city. Very local. No tourists at all! Found a nice hostel. Very clean. Saw the night market and got some street food. Don’t experiment too much with that…since it disturbed my stomach.

Udon Thani:

Flying from Vientiane to Thailand was too expensive! So we drove to the border, crossed and took a tuktuk to the city airport. The city is really….ugly. They do have shopping malls, fast food and supermarkets at least, unlike Laos, so I could finally buy some much needed products like a frigging hairbrush lol!

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The Bottom Line

What I loved about Thailand:

1-The street food is tasty and unique. Beware that the pad thai includes little warms traditionally.

2-The tourists are so friendly and in such a good mood! They are up for anything and make traveling alone special. Jordan from Jordan- you the man!

3-I loved being treated like a royal with vip rooms, free massages and cocktails in the hotels we stayed at.

4- Pool parties and roof top bars

4-The thai massages

5-Coconuts and mangosteen

What I didn’t love:

1. The tuktuk and taxi drivers always trying to cheat or don’t know directions
2. Most clubs, you need to pay an entrance. A Club we visited in Bangkok was 10 dollars!
3. The pollution and traffic!

Why I WILL be back:

1. I know…so stereotypical, But I Have to see Phuket and Ko Phi Phi of course, I heard such good stories
2. FULL MOON PARTYYYYYYYYYYYY in Koh Pha Ngan. I cannot believe that I didn’t go yet. It is everything that represents me: Neon, Beach, Drinks and Dancing
3. Chiang Mai mountains
4. Chiang Rai white temple
5. Real floating market
6. Beach hut stay and snorkeling in Koh Tao

September 2016

Manila

Upon arrival, I immediately purchased a sim card because I was sure many people would want to call me for my Birthday and shared the number with my closed ones. Please remember this detail.

Well, where to begin? I am sure you are familiar that the Filipinos are the latinos of Asia. Music, openness, selfies.

Jon had booked a very central hostel for us http://www.tambayanhostel.com/  It was at least where he thought the center is. Haha

Manila has the slowest and heaviest traffic in the world (official stats) and it is a Huge city.
(the densest in the world — at 46,000 people per square mile, twice the density of New York City )

To go to any island, you need to go back to this airport and then head back to the islands. To go to the airport and not miss your flight, depart a few hours in advance.

A lot of people from the islands come here to make money.
Filipino workers are notorious for cheap labor in Dubai for example. In multinationals such as Microsoft and SAP, we open service centers there. They also make excellent English teachers because they all speak English. As a dominant immigrant population in Dubai after the Indians, I met many when I lived there. And once you meet 1, they introduce you to 20 more, they all want to have a white girl friend. Yes, that is exactly what they told me lol.

The hostel had an interesting set up and Jon and I shared a room with a bunch of guys who snored. The area was quite strange. There were many clubs but they were all empty and the streets were dark and looked dangerous. On our exploration of the hood, we discovered:

-Robinson’s mall http://www.robinsonsmalls.com/mall-info/robinsons-place-manila where we saw the Sully movie (10 stars) and stumbled upon a dance competition

-We also went to the biggest mall SM City Manila and there was Xmas music and decorations (it was beginning of Sept!!) and  we also stumbled upon a taekwondo competition, the kids were super talented

-Jollibee restaurants, which offer Filipino fast food. Fries with pasta!….yay

Typical of me, I made friends with the receptionists and when they were leaving work, I invited myself and Jon to their friend’s birthday party in some other part of town. It was exciting to party with the locals. Getting there gave me a real impression about the city: super noisy, dirty, over populated, but smiley people who all speak English.

The bar was really large like a warehouse, but it had little light and no air so I felt a bit claustrophobic. We let our new friends order food for us, it was mostly chicken fried in different ways with sauces.  Please note the abundance of chicken fast food here. They love it so much. The drinks were a variety of cocktails that came in huge plastic containers. The Filipino crowd was super fun and approachable and also quite handsome/beautiful, well dressed and in a way- Americanized. I noticed a prominence of gay guys that I did not see anywhere else in Southeast Asia. (without counting the ladyboys). We tried to change bars but the entrance fees were quite high, so we went back to the hostel instead.

I loved how active Filipinos are. However, just judging by interaction, they are a bit…NON-serious. They don’t take commitments or friendships very seriously.  They are chatty and always maintain an adorable smile but are not completely reliable. (of course exception for my great friends F and M who helped me in Dubai or tried to)

Well, we just wanted to head to the islands. Jon was taking me somewhere as a surprise for my 27’th birthday.

The next day we headed to the airport and we had to pass security scans even at the entrance. Shortly inside, a tv crew and a journalist interviewed me and asked if I heard about the bomb scare and where am I going and what do I think of the country ☺.

It was amusing and I was proud to be able to improvise and make up so many random answers.

FAME- An early bday present I guess.

I never found the footage, but here you go:  a photo caught in the moment

 CORON

The secret location was not EL Nido- as many of you might have expected. El Nido has beaches and lagoons, and islands, and paradisiac beauty, virgin nature and colorful aquatic life.

In Coron, there is all that Except the beaches and for a Big fraction of the price of the touristy El Nido. ☺

Jon was smart about it and when we landed with the small plane- there was nothing around-no signs of where we might be headed and no tourists.

We arrived at the port and our hotel sent a boat to fetch us. The hotel was on another island, a 10 min boat ride away. The hotel island had coconuts, a friendly dog, the rooms were simple,no pool,  no wifi, had its own restaurant and many spaces to relax. I wish I had brought a book then.
http://www.discoverydiversresort.com/

We explored the city and climbed Mt Tapyas -720 stairs to the top of the highest hill to discover an amazing view of all the little island hills. I still don’t know how we made this walk up, please bring a lot, a lot of water.

There was not much to see around Coron city/village and Jon probably saw more of it because he went looking for medicine for me (it has become some weird birthday tradition for me to get sick) also sunscreen and aloe vera for his massive sunburn. 
We negotiated for 40 $ extra a private boat tour of 9 beautiful stunning locations because Jon insisted we don’t follow the touristic tours and we make our own way not waiting for other passengers. We also picked the food and drinks that they were going to serve us during the tour.
This day will forever stay in my memory as the most amazing nature and clearest turquoise waters I have ever seen. EVER.

We visited those locations:

A private little island that you can rent for a party/birthday with its own beach. The water was shallow but there was a bit of garbage on the shore.

A coral garden to snorkel and explore the tropical fish and amazing corals.

Hidden Lagoon is the most notorious place in Coron. It is putting it mildly: paradise on earth. Awestruck by its beauty, I still get shivers thinking of how lucky I am to have been there: the wind in my hair, on our private boat, tasty fish and rice being cooked just for us, rum and drinks in the cooler waiting to cool us down and this view all around us.

After our swim, we visited a shipwreck where Jon dove.

We spent the rest of time having lunch (most delicious Fish and rice I ‘ve Ever had, plus we were starved from  jumping in and out of the water) and exploring Kayangan lake and its caves which was equally stunning. I didn’t want to leave and I should have stayed there….forever.

Okay, to be honest with you all- we were quite DUMB lol. We put sunscreen once, did not always wear the hats, drank booze. We both got sun sickness. Me more extremely with fever, throat pain and voice disappearing. ☹ damn you sun, you saw how much fun I was having and punished me for it. Jon had some serious burns that bubbled up. The hotel gave us some aloe but it was too late for it.

What we did not like in our hotel is that they charged us for the boat rides to town, the food was pricey and the cocktail I had was awful, there was not even tv lol, and they charged around 20% tourist charge (always read the small Expedia print!!!! Remember when you book anything that this is a special Filipino law). We got out of paying the boat rides because Jon defended his rights. Always negotiate or try to.

No words, even in my genius creative writing, can’t properly describe our one day excursion. Just look and salivate:  

Coron was finished for us and we needed to go back to Manila, in order to go to the next place–→ BORACAY!

Boracay

From the old airport, it was a long bus ride and then a ferry to the island. Beware as there are scammers drivers offering rides to the ferry, just line up at the little tents where most people go. They offer a package, Bus+ferry+van to hotel + Van from hotel, ferry, bus to Airport when you depart.

This is where I was going to celebrate my birthday and even though I was sick, I was so so excited because I have only dreamt of one day going to Boracay!!!When I heard the song in my youth, I thought it was a made-up place.

It’s very real. Boracay is how you could expect it to be: very small streets, 2 cars barely pass, a main beach lane, many restaurants along it, touristy activities like jet ski, para sailing, excursions and tours, pub crawls, shisha bars, young people (most of them were filipinos) and ONLY the most perfect Beaches I’ve seen in my life (except the ugly white nylon protecting the restaurants from wind blowing the sand. Well, that was Fugly. Lol )

Still the main beach was amazing, please check my video below of angry Chinese man throwing Crock at the harmless water.

Also note, there is a midget bar where all staff are little people!
https://www.facebook.com/HobbitTavernBoracay/?rf=189572161053332 

Boracay is also the place where I met my future assailants who robbed and assaulted me when I visited them in Dubai, so I will avoid focusing this story on them.

The Boracay sunsets, the softness and pureness of the sand, the crystal water, the charming restaurants, the transparent canoe we rented- well, Boracay is one destination I would Love to come back to.

On my birthday night (September 10th)

Taking a moment here to describe our Airbnb place
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/8622654
(quite difficult to find) Ultra modern, at the beach with a pool in the living room in front of the TV! Well, this is how a girl should be spoiled. Thank you Jon and thanks to the Universe. And also- screw you Universe! Because on my own birthday, I had zero voice to say thanks to the well wishers, could not drink a lot because of medications, and had such low energy. The rentable apartments were owned by a Canadian. So all you rich readers of mine, Philippines is a 100% Krissi guarantee place to invest in. I would if I could.

We toured the markets because I needed a new bikini but found nothing for my taste. I got my nails done and this was the longest service I had. It took 2 hours but the nails lasted forever. We did find some unique flip flops shaped like fish and other animals which were hand made and a typical souvenir. I loved them! Jon also took me para-sailing which was something I always wanted to do- but those guys in the boat jetted us 10 km up in the sky and I freaked out. They didn’t understand to go lower and just took us completely down which made me look like a bit of a pussy. But I am. I dislike all extreme adrenaline hype attractions like roller coasters.

We decided to ignore my sickness. I put a lot of makeup, dressed up with my Texas dress (bought 5 years ago, always fits like a glove) and went to a restaurant and then a Pub crawl. The attendance was 95% filipinos, the rest was us and some Indians. Check the photos! I looked for them really hard especially for the blog post! Good times. It brought back memories of photo sessions on the beach, shot glasses necklaces and cutting and styling off my pub crawl tshirt. During the pub crawl, we made some local friends, we saw a few bars on the main beach shore alley and some hidden ones in the city, we danced a lot and also met a fun british couple. The lady was a professional dancer in a circus and with my charming and approachable personality I convinced her to dance in the circle and show us what she got. Well, she got nothin. Lol. 😀 but she was very lovely and her boyfriendo got us many drinks. They live in Singapore.

Here comes the sad part, get the tissues. At midnight NO ONE called me to wish me Happy Bday on my filipino sim card. 😀 Eventually, I was the one who skyped out to receive my wishes. Oh well!

We ended the pub crawl at very Late o’clock, quite drunk, we headed home under heavy rain and the next day the little streets were super flooded.

On my actual BirthDAY (September 11th)

I woke up to a surprise breakfast, coffee, juice, huge cake, a homeless cat by my bed, a gift and a card.

It was very romantic and lovely.
Later, we got the big cake and joined our new friends( I still did not know that those Bastards will be the ones who will rob me in Dubai). I would have never imagined my future robbers would be those people who shared so much laughters, dance and fun times with me on my birthday. We got many drinks, took many pictures. We partied with them and I cut the cake in many, many pieces and went around the bar to share my birthday joy with strangers. They were all sweet and I found it was the perfect way to begin this new year of my life. We went to another bar that had black lights and everything glowed neon- which is basically my dream lol, and also- hosted a beer pong competition.

I personally prefer flip the cup, but we played and I performed amazingly. By the time I turned, a big crowd had gathered watching my successful throws and cheered for the most beautiful birthday girl.

I think what happened ultimately (i don’t remember anymore) is my parents tried to reach me on Jon’s phone and I was talking to them on the beach. It was emotional. We were very far apart. I had grown up! Not a little girl anymore.

Still pretty bad at taking the right or mature decisions, but still look at where it led me, just look at where I was then: hopefully all wrong decisions lead me to these destinations.
Here, readers is my daily wisdom. Don’t be afraid of screwing up, it’s part of growing, it’s indispensable for pushing yourself further. I failed and made mistakes, maybe I didn’t even learn from them, they stung, life kicked me when I was already down, I was digging my own hole deeper and deeper. But when you are out of the hole, you observe the hole and you say: Hell, yes. Hell, yes. Look at all I lived through. I truly lived and it looks glorious. I am a legend! Cheers to me!

It’s a colorful life, so my advice is as hard as it seems is to Enjoy the time in the hole.

The next day we wanted to do some touring around the island. We took a random tuktuk to take us to the other beach: Puke. Then, we drank coconuts, took romantic beach pictures (this is where there are a lot of wedding photoshoots) and I saw those Instagram worthy transparent canoes! I begged Jon and he paddled me around in it while I kind of helped and observed the sea life. So many blue star fishes! Amazing, I wish it was much longer but Jon was rushing everything. To be honest, I would have loved just a complete beach day, but he wanted to go explore all the time. Men!

It was time to head back. Be aware that the sea could be quite uneasy so take the ferry in advance.
Our return was marked by an unfortunate event. We had to get the bus to the airport but the office did not let us because the house keepers had reported that we have broken a vase in the Airbnb place. We were shocked that they lied in such a way and we were afraid we will miss the flight because of dishonest people. This ruined a bit my impression of filipinos as well as my birthday mood. But at the end, we were let go and Jon received an apology email from the Canadian airbnb owner.

The end of this glorious trip was in the same Manila hostel where me and Jon had to say goodbye for a bit- I was going to south korea to teach English for 1.5 months.

What I loved:

1. The friendly and easy-to-talk to locals
2. Every experience we had in Coron was out of a fairytale. THE CAVES! Out of this world beautiful nature.
3. Boracay was everything I dreamed about for my birthday and much more! The main beach, I could stare at this water for centuries.
4. Our Airbnb place
5. The fact that the nature is still VERY preserved. Not too touristy yet and I hope it stays this way.
6. EVERYTHING! -Thank you Jon!

What I did not like:

1. Okay, be cautious. Filipinos might seem friendly but could have ulterior motives and the country is very Americanized in the sense of them embracing Kardashian behavior and culture. (SO MANY SELFIES)
2. There is terror and disturbance in the south of the country, be careful when choosing which islands to visit
3. The local food for me was nothing special
4. Manila is as dirty as a dumpster
5. Transport between islands is inconvenient

*notable moment: in Dubai i met a Filipina named Fetus. Her parents thought she was majestically white, hence this name…..oh … OK :S