KIZZTRAVELS

Georgia

‘’In Georgia, every guest is a gift from God.’’

Hi dear reader, let me tell you about the YES MAN style trip I undertook from March 9^th until March 24^th 2019.

Initially, I wanted to do a meditation retreat in India (where it’s also warmer) but I couldn’t find a cheap deal. And everyone, especially my dear friend Jeff from Prague has been raving so much about Georgia, it is very trendy at the moment. I don’t know much about the Caucasus region. I have only heard they have good wine and amazing food and my friend Nedko said they are very hairy creatures.

Without further ado, without any planning, without booking accommodation or even downloading maps, I set off to the airport.

My luggage for a 2 week adventure:

2 pairs of jeans

1 black leggings

5 pairs of undies

5 pairs of socks

1 bra

2 tank tops

2 sweaters

1 shirt

1 skirt, 1 dress

1 pair of sneakers/ fancier, not sporty

Towel

Swim suit

Make up palette, foldable hair brush

Hotel mini toiletries

Shaver

Tooth brush, tooth paste- mini

2 pairs of earrings

2 necklaces

6 rings

2 mini containers of foundation and face cream

What I regret not taking?

Face lotion and cleaner
A blazer(it was freezing)
Sporty pants
Pajamas

Let’s get down to business. Country #59

At the airport gate I analyzed the facial features of the Georgian people. They had big fish eyes and black hair. They were rather short and carried many bags and many souvenirs from Prague. They appear open to socialize and are not shy to look at strangers in the eyes. They are loud and warm.
I noticed everybody is wearing a cross and also ‘’cross themselves’’ regularly. I noticed this throughout the country. They do it every time they see a church- even if it’s in the distance, seen from the car.

When the Wizzair bus drove us to the plane, it didn’t open the doors for a while. The Georgians began protesting shortly, shouting and swearing. They are so expressive. My impression was shaped further by my encounter with the passenger sitting next to me. He spoke to me right away and offered me to visit his city after 10 minutes. Normally I would have been freaked out, but you can see the style of trip I am talking about here.

This is the say YES to every adventure, to every offer, to every opportunity. You know me, I live to blend in the culture, live with the people, learn their customs, be Georgian for week. And here the chance presents itself to me.

Tornike lives with his parents and his dog in Kobuleti, a small town at the Black Sea- close to Batumi. He explains if I speak to Georgians and I am open to conversation, I will never be stranded here. Someone would always show me around and treat me with great hospitality. When I opened the Wizzair magazine, I found a very informative article about a woman renting a car and staying at 5 stars hotels- traveling through Georgia…I thought to myself: ‘’OK- totally useless trip, but let’s read anyway.’’ And there was this quote:
‘’In Georgia, every guest is a gift from God.’’
Oh goodness, everything was tying up together so naturally.

He also told me Georgia is a neutral state in regards to the neighbors- Armenia and Azerbaijan hate each other. And that Abkhazia wanted to remain closer to Russia after the Soviet Union collapse. So now the only way through is to go through Russian border. They even use rubles and have their own language. And there are many Abkhazian immigrants/refugees who get a lot of social benefits from the Georgian government.

NB! A woman faints and loses consciousness on the seat across the aisle. At least 30 people shout, make noise, go get help, go to aid her, give their waters, and pills.
They are so…human. And we all know this species is extinct.

I learn they were all drinking Chacha (50% -the Georgian Rakya) on the Charles bridge earlier that day, dancing and singing. Toka shows me the video- I see the Czech robotic people staring with a blank expression. Hm. I am happy to be amongst the humans. They are my tribe.

After the flight, crossing the passport control is easy, it’s actually 4 AM, I don’t know where I will sleep tonight or how to get to the city- any city. I let myself be guided by my new friend.

I haven’t exchanged any currency, I don’t have mobile data, I don’t purchase a SIM card at the airport. If I disappear now, nobody would know. And that’s the absolute beauty of this.

First he helps an elderly woman passenger with her bags and we are off.
I am writing this from the little bus taking me on the next stop of my adventure-my future host Tornike (Toka- it took me a while to learn your name: D), graciously paying for my ticket.

The plan: No plan. Going with the flow. Discovering and living my best life. It’s the thrill. The thrill of the travel has taken over me again. And I hope it stays with me for a while.
–
Me and Toka arrive in his city of Kobuleti around 6AM, it looks quite small, like a village. There is nobody on the streets, only darkness and huge homeless dogs barking at us. We arrive at his house and his mother wakes up offering me food. She has already set up a guest bedroom for me. With ensuite bathroom. They have no heating, or hot water but I could have passed out anywhere.

I wake up very early. The room and bed were so cold and I hadn’t predicted that I will need an adjustment in time zones. I haven’t even researched what would be the time difference. There is breakfast already laid out for me. Tea with raspberry jam (you put it inside and mix), fresh cheese, toasted bread. There is nobody in the 4 floors house, so I explore.

Where the hell am I? I just know: It is stunning, I see the mountain tops and also the sea.

Toka’s labrador Jack is very big and sweet. The house is huge and undergoing construction, I discover also a secret room behind the library-very cool. Toka says in summer many Azeri tourists visit and they host them.
My friend and his family are not rich. They don’t have a lot, but they share everything with me- a total stranger. They made me feel so welcome, like I have known them for years.

My host takes me upstairs and to my surprise there is a dentist lab (he is a dentist) and his 3 colleagues working (on a Sunday) dental technicians. They are making porcelain teeth and make me very good coffee. They don’t speak English so my communication is a mix of broken Russian, Bulgarian and broken English (with everyone in Georgia, but my Russian got quite good by the end of this trip). It works well since we are always smiling at the misunderstandings. We go on a long walk in Kobuleti, Toka shows me a dance rehearsal which absolutely mesmerized me. Such energy and synchronization. I get teary eyed there. I am in love with My plan of No plan.
The moment comes- I FINALLY see it, the other end of the Black sea, somewhere on the other end, is my country. On this end, there is no sand, only colorful stones and the sea is as calm as a lake.
I ask Toka everything about everything. We see some workers cutting down trees and 10 men watching them and giving their opinion. Toka says this is the Georgian national sport. Haha. Georgians are truly Bulgarians first cousins. There is so much construction happening around, but nothing seems to be finished. Toka says they had 3 consecutive wars and this slowed down the progress of the country drastically. Plus Russia had cut them out for 10 years following the fall of the Soviet Union and people had no food or electricity. I meet Toka’ s sister, her children who also learn Russian at school. Everyone is together, neighbors, dogs, cousins, everyone knows each other and salutes each other on the streets. Toka tells me Georgian people have very big noses so it’s common to get a surgery. We go knock at his friend’s door, a police man with 7 cats but he is sick so he can’t offer us a ride to Batumi.
At any point when I attempt to withdraw or exchange money Toka refuses. He says he would be deeply offended.
We take the marshrutka to Batumi, clearly a much bigger and modern city. They strive to build modern architecture buildings and illuminate them beautifully at nighttime. Along the beach, on the promenade there are many love themed statues that one can take a picture with, most renowned one being Ali and Nino, the lovers that never touch. Watching this installation move was very sentimental and personal to me. It’s a sad love story. But aren’t they all? It seems the strongest of feelings is causing the most impossible of shitstorms. Mere millimeters away, yet they always miss each other and can never connect. It is tragic. And it is beautiful.
My host, ever the patient gentleman takes me for some traditional food. Exquisite food and exquisite service. He doesn’t accept my offer to pay again. We can’t finish our lunch and as per my tradition, I take the leftovers and we give them to a homeless woman. As an expert tour guide, Toka shows me around the center of Batumi, the astronomical clock, the future polytechnic University building which is also in construction and its unknown when it will end. A strange use of a massive skyscraper with a ferris wheel attached to it, so the students can take a book from the library and read with a view of the sea. Amazing idea. Let’s see if this building will be completed.
Overall, the architecture here is such a strange mix. Turkish, French, contemporary, it is a delight for the eyes to see glass walls with oriental ornamented balconies attached, Gaudi inspired mosaics, the infamous 8 legs cafe (also in construction), a few piazzas and castle like buildings, predominantly abandoned.
I spot many clubs but Toka says the city is empty now. Better to come in summer. Take a minute to reflec on how proud Georgians are from their language. The sphere building and the modern Tbilisi bridge both project the alphabet as a genetic code with innovative lights.

We stop for a coffee break although my host doesn’t drink it (and also doesn’t drink alcohol), I had the best ice frappe in my life from the most disciplined and military organize waitress I have seen.

The sea-side park has many European like fountains and the signs in the city are translated in English. I see great potential and future in the city. It is lively and it has many attractions.
People are eying me curiously. Toka says they think I’m Russian and also – I am the only tourist there right now.
I am debating whether I should spend the night in Batumi, but this 6 hour walk killed both of us. Plus, Toka offers I decide tomorrow and he was right. I think when I follow my general rule: always say Yes, I always win. It also takes the pressure off making other decisions.

Upon our return, I try their home made wine and cha cha, what can be more authentic than that?

We speak about how Toka doesn’t like to be away from home too long. He misses his bed and his house. He has everything he needs here. Food, water, friends. He says he likes how calm and lazy it is. I guess it’s good to have a place you totally feel at home at.
He also says he doesn’t understand the European women but Russian and Slavic he knows what to tell them and how to behave because they appreciate the man to be dominant and a leader. Haha!

The next day, I wake up super late and it turns out, the Prometheus cave is closed on a Monday but I have to keep going. I finally exchange money and Toka says everywhere it’s good to exchange here. Nobody takes commission.

We go to the sea shore again upon my request so I can hear and memorize the sound of the waves. Jack swims and plays. Toka chats to another one of his neighbors. Everyone is so approachable.
It is time for me to go. Toka takes me to the marshrutka and pays for it again. He insures the driver knows where I am going. We say goodbye.
He tells me:Don’t cry. And I can call or write him anytime I need help.
Humanity at its best.
Do good and throw it in the sea, the elders say.

Notable facts:

-There is no Coke here, Pepsi rules the country and you see the Pepsi signs everywhere.
-Many buildings left to their own demise in the middle of construction.
-Marhrutka is the main transport and they drive insanely crazy.
-Nobody scams with the prices.
-The air is clean.
-There are a million homeless dogs / as opposed to cats in Azerbaijan
-Toka’s character, his accent, his behavior and openness, his kindness, his nose- everything reminds me of my father. And my father’s name is George 😀 I am now certain my father is Georgian.
-The toilets on the road are always Turkish style. They sometimes don’t have doors or any kind of separation. They are always awful and lack toilet paper. Just be prepared my ladies.

The adventure continues. 7PM: After the long long trip, carrying a lemon tree for a woman, practicing my amazing Russian, a guy giving me his seat on the Marshrutka, I get off in Borjomi and see no hotels or hostels. The tourist info center is closed. I ask in a bakery where I could find a hostel, they don’t know and they tell me to go up a hill. I encounter a guest house Casa owned by Spanish speaking Georgians. The son is also the mayor.
The room is cosy, but I can see they are not ready for tourists. Everyone says: come in summer. There is no paper in the toilet, no towels, no hot water.
He says in 2020 there will be the ski championships in Borjomi, there will be many tourists. He also owns a tour company and tells me what I can see around.
He invites me for homemade wine tasting but I am very tired. I take a headache pill and decide to say Yes again. The wine is great, He says if I stay one more night, I will only pay 10 lari. Big discount.
Its 11 PM, perfect exploration time. I love night touring. I go around the city and discover the central part with many hostels. Oops. The only restaurant is closing.

I decide to install tinder and see the people around. There is nobody but one guy, a blond, rare sight in Georgia! Next morning I decide to meet him and go to the Central Park and mineral baths. His English isn’t great and we eventually don’t meet.

I head to town and the park with all my luggage. The park is filled with rides, shooting ranges and amusement activities, all closed. What a perfect timing Kristina. The park ends and here begins the endless muddy climb to the baths.
People I encounter say it’s always 10 minutes away. Time passes. I get sweaty and tired. I start to sing Joe Dassin- Le Café Des Trois Colombes.

I turn around, a blond guy behind me. He says something in Georgian I say I don’t speak it. He says his name and…. It’s actually the tinder dude. Hahaha
We walk to the baths, we don’t pay because he is some sort of a famous football player and he knows everyone. There are no showers and the baths aren’t as warm but hanging out with the local guy is actually fun.

After the baths we decide to eat. And then we go get his 4×4 off road truck. We drive off up up up in the mountain.
My turn: I ask if I can drive and I am having a blast. Tourists actually pay money for those excursions. Too bad for them.

I get in touch with my friend in Prague: Jeff, and he tells me to meet his friend Gaga around 6pm, until then I visit a huge abandoned hotel where only 3 families live.

I meet Gaga and we go for tea. He is very smart and works in the national park administration. He has traveled a lot and also only travels alone.
Gaga generously offers me accommodation at his and Keti’s farm. I accept. Say YES.

I set off to Atskuri.
It’s so peaceful here.

Gaga’s directions : cross a thousand year old bridge and turn left after the castle. I am lost after the bridge and I call Keti. Thank you dear work for providing me with a working work phone. Keti and her neighbors pick me up off the road and we visit the garlic plantation to decide if they need a tractor. Keti is so inspiring to me, so connected to her land. She has a dream to build a bee therapy house. She wants to develop the eco- tourism and I really think she can succeed. Her passion is contagious. She makes a simple lunch: eggs, greens with nuts which I loooved, chacha, amazing tea.

She says she has many friends who don’t understand how busy she actually is. Because they work 9 to 5 and then are free, but working her land is a non-stop job.

The Netherlands

Dutchies just keep riding

I have been living in the Netherlands for a month now. You know me- ever so curious and analytical, I observed and studied the Dutch way of being.

This article will focus on the positives. I will not address my endless bureaucratic jams, because nobody wants to read that! The conclusion of it is that I managed. I am fine now. It was not an easy beginning. It made me want to have less and less new beginnings-that’s for sure!

I also want to get back to this submerging diversion of writing just for the sake of writing and sharing knowledge …

Well, in this case, sharing opinions.

What a nation of machines! The Trans humans that de Chardin was conspiring about- they exist. Find them right here, in the low lands.

Growing up literally battling against the elements, they grow up so independent and self-reliant. So ingenious, capable and never ever complaining or asking someone else to teach them how to do something, ESPECIALLY TO DO IT FOR THEM. They don’t wait, they plunge. They learn it themselves and make as many mistakes as it takes, as much budget as it takes, to get it right- to get it perfect. In this sense, Dutchies don’t care that much about wastefulness of resources.

Main observations:

Perfectly gelled up hair?

They gel it up since they are kids, probably when the first few hairs grow. How else will it remain in one place with the constant wind blowing in every direction? The hair shouldn’t move and should remain flawlessly, proportionally gelled up. Every. Single. Hair.

Gigantic height and strength?

Sports. They are all so sporty. Rarely will you see an overweight or short guy. My theory- the bad batch, the ones who don’t fit the image, are being exported to other countries. A Dutch guy measuring less than 1.80m? A guy who is not a sports and gym regular? That is rarer than a unicorn here. You might see him living in another European nation tough. The banished Dutch don’t feel bad about their predicament. They just didn’t make the cut.

Gulliver and the Lilliputians?

Dutch people grow in height because of space issues. Similarly to why sky scrapers were first build, territorial restrictions play a big role in growing upwards instead of sideways. The Netherlands is so small, if duchies want to stay here, they shouldn’t take too much space, so they grow Up, up up. The rest of us are the Lilliputians in this version of the fairy tale.

Going to a wedding?

Their style. Dutch people dress very elegant, calculated, simple but classy. They dress the part. (Surprise, not surprise, the Part is always an important one).

Do I look like a homeless chicken after riding my bike to school, sweat and melted makeup ornamenting my rain soaked attire? I sure do.

But they look flawless. How do they do it?

Is it just a matter of getting used to this weather? Is it a matter of practicing? Can I ever hope to reach their level of magical impeccable style?

One can only hope.

Enough of the physical traits. Let’s not be so superficial.

At this party a few weeks ago I asked a girl if she has any tips for riding the bike when wind is making you go backwards and rain is physically hurting you and cutting your body.

She laughed in my face.

Turns out she broke her ankle playing volleyball (sports,sports,sports), and biked herself to the hospital in the midst of a huge storm.

Her advice: Just keep pedaling.

Yes, rain coats and rain pants exist here, but the Dutch armor is their stamina. Their determination and confidence built from early age leaving them to their own device to figure it out. To learn to bike. To fail at sports. And by failing so many times, they eventually succeed. They know that. They know they will reach the hospital, if they keep pedaling.

They don’t dwell on this shit weather, the 30km/h wind blowing against you, the broken ankle, and the rain drenching every skin cell. Even if they advance a few cm. against the storm, it’s still an advance.
They don’t complain, because this won’t change the weather or the situation. They don’t ask for help, because it’s their life, their bike, their broken ankle.

The child-parent rapport is not strong here. There are no informal visitations. Everyone is an independent item. Everyone has their own storm to get through.

How not to admire them and pity the rest of us?

Bulgarians give up so easily, they are so afraid to fail that they never even enter the competition. They don’t build up a resilient fighting spirit, they complain against out of our control elements all the time. They expect assistance.

Hoping that you got my point, I want to focus on a last subject.

This self-assurance makes Dutchies extremely business minded. I see this in the educational system too. They are preparing us to be owners. Just like we own the responsibility over our learning. Currently our success depends entirely on us. If you don’t learn how to work with the printers, you will fall behind. Your student card cannot be charged? Figure. It. Out.

This is their philosophy and this is why they succeed.

All current greatest entrepreneurs are from the Netherlands. Amazing startups, amazing minds, amazing education, not so amazing weather.

So, we reached the roots?

My conclusions were reached after undergoing undercover anthropological observations in Dutch homes, on Dutch dates, interviewing my Dutch classmates, Artez graduates business owners and University staff.

Dominican Republic

MID-NOVEMBER TO MID-DECEMBER 2015

Hello dear fans.Thus begins my 6 months predicted trip around South America.I stayed in DR 1 month as follows:Santo Domingo: 2 weeksCabarete, Las Terrenas, Sosua, Puerto Plata, Samana : 2 weeks I am making this post a lot more formal because it used to be pretty much a diary of everyday events. There is so much that can happen in a month, but let’s focus on giving you some valuable information for your trip ahead.

After a month in the island country of DR, I can say I am a self made expert of the matters of this popular tourist destination. Tourists usually stick to resorts in Punta Cana, but being confronted with the repulsive reality of the outside the fence is slightly better than never seeing it.
I stayed at an acquaintance’s place in the capital but the dirt and never ending traffic honking drove me away…literally to seek better places. I spent 10 days traveling around the country. Unfortunately, a leg burn injury stopped me from attempting adventure excursions and even going into the sea water in risk of infection.

Nevertheless here in order are the reasons why the Dominican Republic is probably to be avoided:

1-The variety of food is next to none. Everywhere I went (yes, even a Chinese restaurant) all there ever was, was chicken, beans, rice. Believe me…at the end of the month I was beginning to hallucinate chickens everywhere.2-It is impossible to walk alone if you are a girl-anytime of the day. My friends still don’t believe me when I tell them the policemen followed me 3 blocks slowly with their police car whistling at me, making the typical ´´Psssst´´ sound and catcalling. Men on the island don’t see anything wrong showcasing their disrespect towards women because this is how they prove their masculinity.3-Public transport in the country is limited to…absolutely anything that has wheels! My enormous burn mark is infamously called a Dominican tattoo. I have this precious souvenir from taking a moto concho (motorcycle taxi) in Samana, who of course did not wait for me to sit properly nor adjust my big travel back pack on the seat. After which he had the audacity to try to cheat me out for a 5x payment.4-The Air conditioning giving the fact that outside is 30 degrees…is ridiculously lowered as a sign of superiority. I got a bad cold just going dancing. I wished I could order tea inside.5-Be careful when walking since hanging cables or giant pot holes are certain to be in your way. Most sidewalks end in a huge ruin that you need to jump over or you could be falling a few meters deep.6-The tedious bureaucracy and laziness of staff in customer service positions. Trying to visit a palace in the capital resulted in a security guard asking 2 other security guards who then told us to ask the guards on the opposite side of the palace who told us to go inside an office at the other end of the palace and ask. The employees told us to queue even tough there was no line up and they were all on their phones. One employee behind the counter told us to ask some of his colleagues because this is not his job. We did ask and the person said to call a number for visitors. We did call and they said to apply online for a pass to visit which takes a month to process and be approved. Another glorious visit to a cellphone shop provider faced me with an employee laying on the floor and resting while she had customers in the store. I cannot count the many times the waiters brought me the wrong order or just didn’t bother bringing my order at all.7-If you think an airbnb reservation can spear you…do not be mistaken. In this post, I will include pictures of my airbnb place I reserved originally for 2 nights, but I escaped after 1. The unit came without any electricity, hot water, shower curtain, kitchen, towels, toilet paper, breakfast but at least it had a bed, about 6 huge spiders and 3 men drilling in my bedroom coming in and out all the time.8-Tourist traps exist everywhere but Boca Chicka beach is a confirmed scam that you can trust me on. The famous beach front is barely 3 cm big because local scammers restaurateurs have built their ultra expensive restaurants basically on the water. There is no space for a towel or relaxed tanning. You have to pay everywhere you go, everything you do. And the chance that you pay the incorrect price is guaranteed. As for Punta Cana, the beaches are very well maintained by the hotels and resorts but the city is a tourist illusion. A moto concho that usually costs 20 pesos elsewhere in the country is 100 pesos there.9-The girls in DR have a …minor obsession with nail salons, selfies and using tinder to demand money from foreigners. If you go up the north towns and beaches, you will find all the couples of retired foreigner and a 20 year old Dominican girlfriend. My own acquaintance has tried to meet women aiming for a serious relationship but he claims they only show him their nails via whatsapp and before the next date is even offered, send a text asking for money.10-I am very environmentally conscious. I went shopping for groceries a few times and I never seen such a tradition before: the cashiers responsible for packing your groceries uses at least 3 plastic bags for 1 bottle of water for example! It is not a joke. I returned the bags and they were in shock.

Side notes*

Dominicans don’t improvise in their dance moves. Weather is salsa or bachata, you need to know the steps or they’ll get annoyed.
In the cinema (I watched hunger games 4) people won’t turn off their phones and they would laugh and yell at the screen characters. Do take a coat as it is freezing inside.

I may have discarded many locations for you over there, but don’t give up all hope.

The positives:

DO visit Las Terrenas for friendly fun and gorgeous endless beaches.Now I will take it mild on them. One morning at 6 am I had to take the bus from Las Terrenas and took a random moto concho from the road to get to the bus stop as he was going this way. He didn’t charge me anything and even smiled. Later, I waited 1 hour at the bus stop at dark (the moon was insanely amazing) with only 20 men around and no one harassed me…but then again,maybe they were too sleepy. Lol.

Afterwards, DO continue to Cabarete with a very refreshing bar scene, beach bars lightened bright and adorable crowd. Cabarete is also a popular place to kite and wind surf.
When in Cabarete, take a short ride to Sosua. Labeled the sex capital of the country, you can spot many Americans with young girls. But what will stay with me forever…forever in my heart is Castillo Mundo King. A modern palace built to honor aliens. A must!

Castillo Mundo King in Sosua
Best restaurant in Santo Domingo
Los tres Ojos cave in Santo Domingo

Dominica

Waw! In Dominica I got the most islandy feelings out of all other islands. The nature island is a true hidden pearl and no one really knows about it.

2016

3th January Sunday:

Arrival at 10am. The boat made me pretty sick although I did not puke but many people did. That is why there are not a lot of ferries connecting the islands, as my Trinidadian friend said-because the ocean is pretty rough. We had to manage to go up the mountain to Bellevue which is our Cs Mitch host place. Sunday island transport doesn’t work and we ended up carrying our bags about an hour to the intersection with the mountain road… Coincidence’!!! We saw at this road intersection our CS host. We went to buy some groceries cause there are no shops in the mountain, and we all hitched a ride up the mointains. The roads in Dominica are INSANE. They have many land slides, holes, falling rocks and randomly formed waterfalls from the rains in the middle of the roads. Not to mention you drive up up up in the mountains on 180 degree turns.
Our host: a 50 y.o. american who is retired and works for the Peace Corp now building a library. He is 3 meters high with white hair and beard, super funny guy. Mitch’s place is very nice and we had our own bedroom and he showed us on the map where the waterfalls,snorkeling,diving,volcanoes,boiling lake,trails,Indian river and other Pirates of the Caribbean shooting locations.

4th January Monday :

I told Jon we should hire a car but men never listen even tough for a pilot he should have excellent hearing. We ended up taking buses or random rides in the heaviest rain i ever experienced. People here stop for hitch hikers stuck under a massive tropical rain up a mountain. Some drivers who stuck out were 2 German girls who dropped us off at the Titou Gorge. They recommended we go to the Calypso pre carnaval singing trials on Wednesday where locals dress weird and sing about political problems in their country. German girls also said we shall ask for James Bond when we visit the Indian river.-Trafalgar waterfalls: beautiful!
-Titou gorge: kind of a cave where you swim and swim and reach a waterfall. Life vest recommended but Jon went in without and everyone was amazed and called him a hero. I was too chicken to go!
-Middleham waterfalls: we could not reach because we were a 1000 million % wet from walking under tropical rain.

We went back to the city on the back of a pickup still under rain lol and went straight to buy rain coats and a towel. Our rain coats were with a little rabbit and a sheep, intended for kindergarten kids and we got many laughs.
We did’t give up and went towards Scott’s head, the southest part of the island. There, we stumbled upon the hot springs (sulfate pools from the volcanoes that smell like fart, that look like mud and are good for the skin). We swam there and relaxed. All free- ladies and gentlemen.
We then took the bus again to Scott’s head where Caribbean calm sea meets angry wild Atlantic ocean. It is an interesting and quite unique sight.
On our walk back we noticed the grandeur of the sunset, we knew the moment for a silhouette photograph has come. Jon gave money to the guy who took it because he did such a great job.

5th January Tuesday :

We rented the car and picked up our stuff to change couchsurfers to stay at the other side of the island for 2 days which was a mistake.

Before going to the new cs guy Thierry-we went to Middleham waterfalls. A 45 min walk-my A$$!!! The walk was SO challenging. It took us 1:30 hours just to get to the damn waterfall crawling through mud,rain,climbing like goats, hanging on branches and jumping through rivers. When we went back to the car, both our shoes were destroyed, we were stinky and wet.
We went back to town for a well deserved greasy pizza.
We made our way to the new cs host. The road to there was like a nuclear bombed road with huge holes…we feared for our rental car. The host Thierry is French and lives very Eco friendly. That is fine…… but he put us in a tent out the house and he had no warm water or….not much really. The view from his self built house was beautiful tough and he had a cute dog. He had a few workers from workaway.info and some other couchsurfer. French and Israeli.
Jon spent 2 hours talking about types of monkeys with the people, so the sun was already about to set and it wasn’t wise to go anywhere else.

6th January Wednesday :

It was cold at night in that tent! We messaged Mitch again and he accepted to have us back at his place. It is funny because not many people host in Dominica and a couchsurfer had stayed at Thierry but got kicked out after they argued about breakfast price. Thierry did not treat us badly but this tent place is not what was advertised on cs….
We packed up, said goodbye and went to the Indian river where Johnny Depp went to see Calypso, the witch in her river house. At the gas station we asked about James Bond…and as we turned around, we heard: I AM JAMES BOND.
Woah! This was too funny, as was the guide himself. He paddle boated us up the Indian river and explained with much humor how they filmed the scene there. They put heavy black smoke on the river so that it seems like nighttime and the actual witch house was actually very small(you can see on pics). Johnny Depp gave this mister the name James Bond. The Indian river was beautiful and pretty shallow, we saw a few different types of crabs and tried local liquor- YES! There was a bar in the middle of the river.
Even tough Dominica doesn’t advertise well all the Pirates of the Caribbean shooting spots, they were marked on the map, so we proceeded towards them. We found the cartwheel fighting scene on an amazing volcanic black sand beach where ocean meets river.
We then drove around the coast of the whole island and stopped at another location, where Jack Sparrow runs from the tribe.
We reached the native territory and it is crazy! People looked completely different here. They looked native and not as dark as the locals. Who would have known! This island is pure magic.

7th January Thursday:

We have finally arrived at my favorite day of the Trip !!!!!!!!!
We still had the car until 4 PM and we decided to go to Champagne beach and diving place. (Unesco protected again like most of Dominica). Jon does free deep diving and when he heard there are bubbles underwater unique trait in the world caused by boiling water when it touches the volcano lava underground, he Had to go dive. But that was too $$, so we rented snorkeling gear instead.
OH HOLLY MOLLY JESUS DOLLY!!!
Even tough I snorkeled with a life jacket because I am chicken, we saw sea turtle, amazing glowing fish, eel, brain corals, a thousand other ocean stuff that I cannot name and The bubbles (hence the name Champagne bay and beach). It was so gorgeous that i wished I was born a mermaid and not a dumb-ass human ;(
We went back to town and had breakky. We had to return the car before 4 pm, so we hurried to our last destination
Emerald pool is a natural pool under a waterfall. It is said the most touristic thing to do here and Mitch did not recommend it but it was untouched and empty when we got there. Tourists from the cruise ships don’t like rain and with our Superstar rain coats-we ruled the island. We took pictures and swam a little under the waterfall. It was really amazing.
We dropped back the car and took the deposit back. We hanged around town a bit , did groceries and went back to Mitch. We played cards with Mitch and his friend and I won!

8th January Friday :

The ferry was at 10am, the departure tax was 40USD$ per person. Ugh. We sat at the back this time, so I did not get sick. We stopped at Martinique (but no way man-after Guadeloupe fiasco!), and continued to Saint Lucia.

NOTABLE Funny moments:

walking around with Jon in town
Some guy said: I love your A$$.
I say: thanks, it’s from my mama
Jon laughs!
another 5 guys: maaaaaan, daaaamn, welcome to Dominica. Hello!
I say: goodbye
Another guy: hey boy, you can have my van for your girl.
I say: wowow! I am worth more than that!
Jon says: thanks, ahahah
( the hell?!)

—

Side notes:

Dominica should advertise better the Pirates of Caribbean sites. We saw no signs and got lost. They could make a lot more money this way.
Everyone was asking us if we are from the ship (there are many cruise ships at the port). We decided to say next time that we are from the space ship.
We decided to pay back and when we had the rental, we gave many many people rides.
Jon drove to perfection given the insanely hard conditions. I am a proud girlfr.
The supermarkets do not have any vegetables or fruits. I was craving some healthy food!!!
Dominicans should also change their island’s name cause everyone thinks of the Dominican Republic. A lot of reggae on radio. And radio hosts always discuss flirting methods when we turn on the radio. It was hilarious!
We saw many rainbows and all around was green green jungle green.
German girls were wrong about Calypso. It really didn’t look that entertaining!
A lot of people (gringo tourists) refuse help because of their pride. We offered rides, offered to take photos of people. They were just plain rude because of pride. I will never understand such travelers. Keep the negativism at home and go abroad to broaden your horizons. Be open to all opportunities, couchsurf, be one with others.

Costa Rica

The only thing Rico (aka-rich) about Costa Rica…are the people visiting it

Before beginning this article, we probably should discuss the dangers of a girl traveling alone. I have heard and witnessed myself improper behavior from couch surfing hosts and locals. And in Costa Rica I experienced the worst yet.

Strangely still, I find this way of traveling much more gratifying than being stuck with someone who might not share your ideas and ideals of traveling.

I was really excited and looking forward to arrive in this country. The name itself sound so exotic, untouched and unexplored to me. I also planned a whole month there to have a chance to volunteer and help out the community. I ended up staying 5 days.

Reasons to exclude Costa Rica from your travel plans:

Costa Rica is extremely expensive! Clothing was ranging from 50 to 75 American Dollars! Being used to 5 to 10 dollars clothing in the open markets of Brazil or Bolivia, my hair went white seeing those price tags. A cocktail was 10 AMERICAN DOLLARS! A beer was 6$. Zip lining was 70 dollars (neighboring Nicaragua is 30$). If I wanted to have higher prices than back home in Canada, I would have rather stayed in the comfort of my couch.
If the first reason did not do enough to convince you, read here. The Costa Rican beaches are below ordinary .The main beach in the most touristy town of Tamarindo was so muddy! I haven’t seen this kind of sand before. Costa Rican beaches serve only one purpose- for beginners surfers who take on small waves. Not surprising that most tourists were hanging out in the resort pools.
As a Canadian tourist put it :” I have the feeling the locals talk to me only because they will need something from me or to do some shady business”. I had 2 negative experiences with couch surfing hosts here and they were both strangely similar. The first night, the guy seemed really friendly and he had a big bbq with all his flatmates. I was tired from traveling and went to bed around midnight. Later that night he came in the bed and tried spooning me. I said ” Oh, hell No!” and went in another room. That night his flatmate also would follow me around and try to make me drink. I was changing and he didn’t want to leave the room. The following morning the guys were supposed to wake me up for a touristic tour of some beaches in their van (this was their occupation). They didn’t wake me up and when the host came back later at night, he basically told me I can’t stay any longer and I should find another place. And so I did.Another host came with his motorcycle to pick me up. I had a great feeling about the new host. He was a photographer and he smiled a lot. Unfortunately things started going down the hill when I said I have a boyfriend. Before he knew this, he wanted to show me some amazing places the next day and go out to grab some drinks at night. When the time came, he texted me from work that he didn’t want to do either of these anymore and told me his imaginary girlfriend has just landed at the airport and I need to leave. That was the last drop for me, I got upset and I just cried! Cried for the inhuman treatment, for the lies, for the fake and hypocrite people here, and also because this time, I had nowhere to go.
Eating the unique deliciousness that is Peruvian or Brazilian cuisine probably spoiled my taste receptors, but in my opinion, the Costa Rican food was just lame. I ate out in the capital of San Jose, but honestly, my only motivation was to get the free wifi.
If you wonder weather to venture into Nicaragua, don’t hesitate but read this first. Border crossing between these two countries is tricky and enervating. I was wrong to arrive at the border at 7 PM. In the darkness, no one checked my back pack and there are no indications of where to get a passport stamp or pay the different fees.

Crossing the border

From Costa Rica to Nicaragua: (in order)

You need to pay an exit fee of 12 American dollars.
You need this paper to get an exit passport stamp.
Then, you need to walk on a road full of trucks being examined and cleaned in order to get to a little white house which is the beginning of Nicaragua. This takes 15 minutes.
You get a passport check on the road (they have had many problems with Cubans crossing over to get to the United States) and the policemen said I don’t look like any of my 2 passport photos. They obviously wanted a bribe but it was late, I was tired and I had no more cash to give.
Note that is safe to exchange money at the border, as sketchy as it looks, the rate is actually okay.
Going to another big empty building, you need to pay 2 dollars entrance tax and then get an entrance stamp for Nicaragua.
The policemen were smiling and laughing, they will probably try to flirt, but eventually, they will let you in.
After 5 PM, you cannot get a bus, so I ended up taking a 20 dollars taxi (don’t pay more than that) to my 1 hour away beach destination of San Juan del Sur.

From Nicaragua to Costa Rica:

This was easier as it was daytime but do expect to get a bag check. Be aware of scam artists wanting money for a fast track rendition of documents. I just told the guy to bugger off, but not everyone has Eastern European scam detector given by birth. 🙂

As a little conclusion, this country has been way too Americanized and the only tourists that I met who were enjoying their vacation in the resorts, of course, were Americans. People please plan your holidays somewhere else! I realize I am biased because of the unfortunate experiences I had, but if you are looking for a getaway that combines affordability, cultural and historical rich background and nature adventures in Central America, you can find better.

Costa Rican tips:

I can count on my fingers the photos I took in Costa Rica. I didn’t get the chance to go, but a friendly local on my flight said Rio Celeste is really stunning. The water is a unique blue color and you won’t need to photoshop your pictures! If you venture on Costa Rica’s coast, you might be losing your time. The country’s lush jungle is closer to Liberia and the border with Nicaragua. Therefor, if you Must go to Costa Rica, I recommend you Not a beach getaway, but an eco-resort one. This way, you can spot a rich variety of flora and fauna unique to this region.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celeste_River

To observe turtles and the miracle of life is a once in a lifetime kind of activity but I will abstain from going to disturb them. The massive groups of curious and ignorant tourists has driven away more than 90% of these animals to seek more peaceful hatching locations. Maybe you can check out this phenomenon from far.

https://www.myplayagrande.com/portfolio/turtle-watching/

Cambodia

(Siem Reap-August 2016)

The train from Bangkok to the Cambodian/Thai border took forever to depart. One hour and a half of unexplained delay (plus a 7 hour trip). I was still super excited to see Cambodia, although the trip was bitter sweet. Jon was working and he wanted to see Angkor Wat and the temples So badly! Instead, I went with my Canadian friend L who was awesome company and knew how to drive a scooter fairly well, well….. hahaha!

Cambodia for me was the most culturally interesting as well as cheapest south East Asian country.

Still, please take my opinions with a grain of salt because I only stayed there 4 days. I wish I could have explored other cities more south as well as the capital (that I never remembered the name of). I do plan to go see their seaside on another occasion.
I managed to discover a lot in those 4 days, mainly good things, but some sad things too. Poor Cambodians look much poorer than Laotians or their Thai neighbors. There are signs everywhere: ‘’don’t give money to begging children, because they need to be in school and not to take on begging as a career.’’ Well, that explains Angelina’s serial adoptions of Cambodian kids.

Let’s return at the logical chronological order of events.

In the train some locals came to sell Really bizarre looking snacks, so I did not buy any because I needed my stomach functioning to try Cambodian food.

Upon arrival at the train station close to the border, me and L met another Canadian/Indian girl who was super friendly and we decided to figure out this mess together. And believe me- BOY! It was a mess and a half.

1-We got a tuktuk that promised to take us to a place where we fill in Visa on arrival documents and take passport pictures. Tuktuk took us to some sketchy empty back offices next to some sort of mall. They tried to scam us but did not succeed, gave us some papers to fill in but I was very skeptical. They took L’s passport pictures and we were out of there. We did not pay them anything, so I am still unsure to this day what their scam idea was.

2-Out of the office, we grabbed some food in the mall and went to the border. There were various line-ups and just a huge mess. We asked around and everyone gave us different directions.

3-We just proceeded to cross the border basically just kept going straight…I felt like I am already in Cambodia but I wasn’t even sure! We saw many casinos.

4-Much later, after some walking along and inside buildings, corridors and through barriers, we encountered an office asking for our stamped passports and some papers.

5-Time to backtrack (Lol) to find which offices or officials we didn’t see. We found a tent on the opposite side of the road which apparently was the Visa bureau. We gave them some cash and hoped for our change back which took a while. They stamped our passports and gave us some papers to fill.

6-Time to go back to this other office. They accepted our papers and we were in Cambodia!
Okay, it doesn’t sound That bad but believe me it was really confusing, reminded me about the Nicaragua/ Costa Rica border.

We received a thousand offers for rides to Siem Reap and accepted a comfortable van to take us there. I thought it was just another scam, but the price we paid was alright divided by the 3 of us although we had to change tuk tuks a few times and it was confusing.

From my ride I remember two things:
-When does it end!!! Why in SE Asia distances look so short but in reality it takes you 10 frigging hours?!?
-Cambodia is as flat as a pancake! There were not even mini-hills in the distances! Really interesting.

No matter, we had different issues to solve –which hostel to stay at? LOL. I wanted a big pool, social atmosphere, free breakfast and cheap rooms of course. And all that is entirely possible in Siem Reap for as low as 6 dollars a night in shared dorms!!! L wanted comfort and not to share rooms.

I changed three hostels because I wanted to explore, so I was not always with my friends although we did meet.

You dear reader are perhaps not interested in the details of our accommodation, but just know- there is anything and everything in Siem Reap. Just check out the below video of our hostel barman and barmaid having an epic karaoke. I absolutely LOVE this town and even considered working a bit there.

I tried to do a quick search but can’t find the names anymore. One of my hostels was this one:

Onederz

I did not get to fully enjoy the party scene, as my friends were tired of touring temples all day and I was not in the mood to venture alone. The bars are frigging amazing tough, the restaurants as well. The city center is walk-able and safe. My second hostel was in some dark alley, and I walked through dark local side streets which was really sweet! I love going Deeeeep and trying to blend in with the locals. See how they really live and how their houses look like. But, of course, kind of impolite to take photos of it. Sorry!

Second day:

We booked a tuk tuk for a small tour which must have cost us 15 dollars each.

The tour was from 7 am until 6 pm. IT WAS EXHAUSTING, not only physically but emotionally. There was so much to absorb: thousands of years of civilization and their cultural footprint. At moments, I was absolutely out of words of how breathtaking it all was. How did they carve the stone? How the hell is it still intact? Absolute geniuses. The Khmer empire.

Be aware that the tuk tuk driver won’t explain you much and they often don’t speak English at all. Book a tour guide or research in advance as L had done, so he was reading us the stories as we switched temples. The small tour we took-you can see below here in red. We saw 7 temples and ended the spectacle to see the sunset at Angkor Wat: the biggest religious temple complex in the world. Everywhere we looked- there were MORE temples. If I remember well, there were 60 temples around Siem Reap!!! So, if you can afford the time and energy, DO rent a scooter and visit them at your leisure.

I do regret not doing the Big tour the following day, but I was so exhausted, I just wanted to relax in the pool and rest my destroyed feet. My Canadian/Indian friend described the Big tour as something even more incredible. Temples with water gardens with orchids, buffalos, elephants and big birds swimming around. It’s a fairytale! It’s the most inspiring place with a very special creative energy. I have to say hanging out with her was really enriching as well. She was someone very environmentally friendly and nature oriented. She had just done a climbing camping trip in Thailand and was also a photographer and artist. She sketched in the middle of the jungle covered (Lara Croft) temple and it was such a pretty sight. Please see pictures bellow:

I LOVED

1-The Bayon temple with more than 200 exquisitely crafted engraved faces. You can see my attempts at taking fun photos bellow.

2-Ta Prohm temple where Lara Croft movie was filmed was also spectacular and immense. Lara Croft’s temple just made me feel like inside a video game! It was unreal how the trees have invaded and blended into the rock. All those temples require your full attention, in eyes and mind. There is SO MUCH to see. So many details and it just keeps going. (Very easy to get Lost!)

3-AMOK! Cambodia has the best food hands down in the region or the world. ❤

4-Noone tried to scam us. People are really poor but not as sketchy as Thai Generally I found them humble and helpful.

5-Siem Reap was a perfect little town that does feel touristy but is incredibly fun and you can’t grow tired of it.

I did not like

1-The children begging around all temples

2-Angkor Wat is definitely NOT the most spectacular temple but it is the most popular (so there are big line-ups AND very slow Chinese tourist afraid of climbing down steep stairs). Please be aware when you divide your visiting time. Also- the sunset experience was a bit lame to be honest Lol.

3- Me and L took a scooter to explore the neighboring cities and get to the big lake Tonie Sap where we were hoping to see the floating villages. Well, scooters or cars or nothing is allowed around the lake. You HAVE to take a boat which is the only way. We were quite disappointed.

Speaking about the unfortunate scooter adventure, Haha! On the way, we almost crashed (1) after putting gas in at the gas station and everyone laughed. We took a coconut break along the river where they have hammock bars. So relaxing! And I needed intense hydration in the heat and with all the exploring we were doing. Missing coconuts SO MUCH. We discovered a floating village with houses on stilts and people there were living in very poor conditions. I was still glad for the reality check. This was the real Cambodia and not the modern Siem Reap. L

We proceeded to explore temples we saw on a map and ran into our other travel companion completely accidently! Small world ^^. When L went to take the scooter though, he pressed the gas instead of break, so that was the mini crash (2). On our way back to the center and hostels, there was a Giant tropical rain storm. As L was operating scooter for the first time, we seeked shelter in some car/motor repair big warehouse. We braved the rain afterwards which was imminently led to mini crash (3)! It was just so slippery and so much damn rain.

Thank you L for being so brave ❤ I know I couldn’t have done it. Also, thanks for making my Thai and Cambodia trip 10x more fun. It could get lonely traveling alone and it could get annoying traveling with someone, but with you- it was great!

The following day, I decided to head back to Pataya Thailand but took the plane instead.

Argentina

”Argentina stands high… on a fake platform”
Article published originally on the Travelicious platform

The first week in Argentina for me was an ugly shoe. The kind of post-apocalyptic shoe that looks retro Japanese mixed with the Spice girls thick platforms and sparkles. Who would wear that?

Let’s find out.

Let me begin this first article with a little Prequel. I am realistic enough to spot everything that is downside up in the countries I visit. If something is dysfunctional, I will report it to you. You will think I focus on the negative and I don’t enjoy my trips, while in fact I am a very positive person, but hey, at least you will be warned.

I began my trip in late November of 2015. I went through the Caribbean islands, down to Brazil, and now I find myself in Argentina. My adventure is ought to last an approximate 6 months after which, I plan to move to Asia. I am just a regular girl…just kidding! I am nothing but ordinary. I was always an outsider, way too creative to even try to fit in. We moved a few times, so I have no bff aka best friend forever. I get along much better with guys. I love caves, modern architecture, crisp white angular white buildings that look like from another planet, fashion, cats and dogs, crazy colored hair, grandmas, sky bars, trying strange food, imagining that I am a perfect dance choreographer, etc. And what I don’t love, you will find out soon enough!

My traveling style is a bit insane. I do mainly couch surfing which is the most rewarding thing since traveling was invented and I am very sociable. I love to make people laugh, to dance and organize activities. I don’t plan a budget and I should not. I noticed, as soon as you start worrying about money- you shall run out of money. So, please, if you are reading this now and you are filled with doubts whether you should travel, there is only one answer and you can find it in all the motivational travel quotes. There are always excuses. Just use the same philosophy as going to the gym. Is it needed? Is it good for me? Is it easy to start? Will I regret going to the gym? I am sure you can answer all these questions without lying to yourself.

Argentina in its colonial times.

It didn’t begin well for this country. A couple of hundred years ago, the only interest the Spanish showed towards the territory of Argentina was because of a gossip that the rivers carry silver in abundance. When they discovered the sad truth, they just created the city of Buenos Aires as a port to get the gold from Bolivia easier hence why a citizen of the city is called a Porteño.

Over the course of the years, Argentina has had a huge earthquake, a couple of scary military dictatorship including prison camps, kidnappings and 30 000 murders, public corruptions causing riots and tear gassed babies, inflation of 500% from one year to another, 5 presidents in 10 days, 4 different 100 pesos bills and millions of forged notes, anti Semitic terrorist attacks and … the new fashion trend: the Mule mega platform shoes.

Even today, as recent as this week, I witnessed a massive protest and military police with anti riot gear standing by expecting the worst. Do not be afraid, this is by no means a warning for you not to travel here. The public demonstrations just showcase how tired the people are of incompetent politics. Argentina is perhaps the only country who had a former prostitute as a president in the not so distant 1974. The grandmothers demanding justice for their kidnapped daughters still reassemble every Thursday since 1977 at plaza de Mayo and are a growing pressure in the parliament. Enough politics. This topic is not even closely as shocking as what I found out on my first walking tour around the capital.

This for me is the biggest fashion crime ever committed in the 43 countries I have visited. (Yes, you can expect 42 more articles!). Curious to investigate the origins of the trend I inquired to my couch surfing hosts who is a 28 year old banker.

K:Hello Augustin I wanted to ask you about the new trend of shoe wear in Argentina. What is your opinion on that and how did that start?
A:I am Not sure I think that the retro fashion is coming back or maybe the fashion from the 70’s in Europe has finally gotten to Argentina but I can tell you that I really don’t like it and I don’t find it sexy at all. I think only brainless girls can wear this.

I wanted to get another male opinion so I asked my second Couch surfing host, an anesthesiologist named Federico.

K: Hi Fede! Can you tell me what you think about the new fashion trend: the platform shoes? It is difficult for me to find different shoes when I go shopping to the mall.
F:I have been also seeing that everywhere and I have to say it’s very unattractive. I think the girls only buy those shoes to make themselves look taller but it’s becoming very ugly and we as guys don’t like the girl to be taller than us.

On the streets, in the supermarket, at work and mostly at the club the girls torture themselves with these 20 centimeter platforms without realizing they all end up looking like clones (or clowns on stilts).

I don’t know about you but I can connect this to this country’s current situation. The young people are lost and they have lost their identity. It is not for me to judge how people should dress but you are invited to look at the pictures and decide for yourself.

It’s not like I haven’t tried to be open minded and accepting. I went shopping with my friend from Wales because I really needed to update my wardrobe…after traveling 3 months I am very tired of my clothes. I went to one shoe shop and after laughing for a while, I tried the highest platform shoe they had; 15 cm & it wasn’t expensive -around 30 USD. In fact they were very light and it was easy to walk on them. I felt more confidence but I also felt like an Avatar. I was standing out too much, they give me a bird view. I suppose they would be useful going to the Maroon 5 concert in a few days and spotting the sexy singer on stage. Thankfully my friend woke me up from my daydreaming… I think I was getting the effect…

I’m sure you all had it before: when you are bored and really want some love in your life but haven’t seen any potential guy, you are just starting to like whoever is on the horizon because it’s easier. Needless to say, I quickly took the shoes off and continued on my way.

Argentina is a great wine exporter and brought us the sweetness of dulce de lece, but Argentinians, please don’t do politics, please keep away from economics and I beg you… don’t introduce any fashion out of your borders.

Azerbaijan

To get to the Azeri border I have to change 3 marshrutkas and at the end take a taxi. Thankfully I meet a lovely lady who is an English teacher and she finds a cheap taxi for me. The taxi even stops so I can exchange my last lari to manat. No commissions, no scam.

I walk through the border and the Azeri side is surprisingly strict. They inquire a lot if I had visited Armenia. Since I didn’t know they are at war, I am smiling and telling them: I didn’t have time on this trip, but maybe another time…ha-ha-ha.

They don’t smile.
Nevertheless, I go through. 10 taxi men immediately attack me and ask me where I am going….when I say ‘’I don’t know’’ they are even more confused than me.

I avoid the taxis and go into a marshrutka with an unknown destination. I decide to head to Naftalan…or Ganja- anyway-in that general direction. An elderly man, hereby known as perv #3 tries everything in his willpower to convince me to go to the north-the mountains with him. He pays for my marhsrutkas and keeps talking me into it. Little does he know, that I have reached my patience quota of pervs, so I pay him no heed and when we reach Zaqatala, I proceed to board a marshrutka headed to Gandja. It is already a very long trip, a long day, and I have 3 more hours ahead of me.

First impressions:

-Azeri people are darker, looking more Gypsy or Turkish-like
-Their music is very oriental- Turkish like
-There is no WiFi anywhere as opposed to Georgia

-The country doesn’t feel Muslim
-The country feels much richer, buildings are modern

-The people aren’t so nice or hospitable towards me, they are more avoiding me.
-The drivers drive muuuuch muuuuuuuuch slower

Upon arrival in Ganja, I realize I am in the middle of nowhere- taxi drivers attack me- but what am I supposed to tell them?
I begin looking for WiFi, asking a blond good looking merchant guy about directions. He says there’s no WiFi, no restaurants around, he basically says no to all my questions.
That starts well. I get a weird vibe of pushy but generous men, curious but prude, careful but very into your personal space.
I walk for a while and stumble into a hotel. I take WiFi , book a hostel and order a taxify. There is construction on the road leading to the hotel, so I go on the road where there is only 1 car parked appearing to be waiting for …me?!? I check quickly the plate number and it looks legit similar.
I get in and I am surprised for a moment that there are 2 men at the front seats. Never mind, I give my presumed driver the hostel address and he starts driving…
After a minute…he says in broken English :’’Well, I am no taxi, but I drive you. No problem.’’ I say: “You are not a taxi? Not taxify? You are not ‘’name of driver’’?’’

This can only happen to me. Most people do everything their power not to get kidnapped on holidays, but I walk right into my own potential kidnapping.

The confusion is absolutely hilarious. The two men probably think I am crazy because I burst into a wild laughter- it brings me to tears. This image in my head still makes me smile so wide-from ear to ear.
The men still drive me to my hostel. I learn they are army men and had just finished a very long 37 hour shift.
Ganja looks very pretty and nicely illuminated. It is the old capital of Azerbaijan. I learn there is a 4 day holiday/ spring welcoming/Novruz in the country. There are central markets with decoration and music stages.
They park the car and we walk at a pedestrian street- very clean and modern.
They carry my bags without asking. It is hard for me to make sense of the situation. But I roll with it. Are they actually sweet or trying to take advantage of me?
They don’t speak good English so they give me wifi hot-spot and I use google translate.

They assure me that they are conscious citizens and I should not worry. They are definitely sweet. We ring my hostel bell but nobody answers ( a sign). My new friends tell me this place isn’t good-they will take me somewhere else and they will take me to eat. I don’t accept the crazy offer right away. They say ‘’Don’t worry, don’t be afraid, we are good people’, my brain clicks- YES. Just say YES.

The wind is very cold and strong here. I am smelly, cold, exhausted and hungry.

They take me to eat in a typical place and I notice there are only men everywhere, both on the streets and in the restaurants. The traditional food resembles Turkish aka Bulgarian (sarmi, rice, meat and potatoes.)
There is no alcohol on the menu. Ayran and tea are mandatory.
They sit across from me to reassure me and show me not to be afraid. My new friends have 20 years contracts with the army during which aren’t allowed to travel Anywhere!!! They are at war with Armenia for territories and tell me not to visit there. Well- that explains the border questions.
I promise to return the favor when they travel abroad but my heart aches for them being prisoners of their government. I avoid telling them about my travels or the Georgian cuisine.
One of them says not to worry in case of problems to call him because his dad is the chief of police or something like that and they will help me at any time.
My army friends label me as interesting, original and funny.
They book a state run hotel for me and drive me there. The rooms are so fancy and I am so happy!!!
We make arrangement to meet when they don’t work tomorrow night.
I have this amazing big bed and I’m alone. I take the longest shower and pass out. The reception tries desperately to call my room all morning and invite me downstairs for breakfast.
I wake up at 12 when they call again and I finally understand that this breakfast is included and it’s Today! My Russian knowledge is growing by the day. The staff in the hotel is so friendly and curious about me. I am again- the only woman. It feels somehow like an apocalyptic men world so far.

Important Notice!!! Everyone here has a uni brow.

I decide to check the bazaar. It is time to get some fake branded Guccis and Chanels/Manels. I take a taxi to the markets and I try to negotiate with the merchants- things are not as cheap as Bulgaria.
Going through the bazaar shops is tiring because the merchants all follow me and then want to know where I’m from etc. I try to smile and be polite, so I drive most prices down.
A shoes merchant gets curious about me too- like everybody- he asks me why do I travel alone? He offers me coffee and his business card-if I run into trouble.
I end up buying: 2 shirts, 1 jacket, sneakers, 1 skirt and a dress for 65 euros. I could buy a lot more, but I remember the amounts of clothes I have back home.

Ganja’s tourist attractions are not too exciting for me, and I am super tired from the shopping.
I only go to see the famous house of glass bottles.

I see many gypsies. And every single man has a uni brow.

An interesting phenomenon: there are so many cafes but they don’t offer anything sweet, they are in fact restaurants.
The tea culture is very rich here: they drink a lot of black tea, and not much coffee.

After the markets I go to one of those cafes and end up just getting a hot cocoa. Nothing is as simple as it sounds. There are 6 servers-all men again- trying to serve me and everything I ask about, they call for someone else to help them out, although I ask in Russian. ‘is this building the university?’.
They really have a blank look about them. The same situation occurs with the taxi drivers.
I try to get back to my hotel: A very prominent hotel. I say the name of it, I show them the map on my phone and on a paper map, I tell them 10 different street intersections, locations and landmarks, I tell them to check their Google maps and nothing. Just a lot of shouting and talking. And that same blank look. There are around 8 taxi drivers discussing this complex situation. (sarcasm) They expect me to guide them in their city. I become exasperated. That 15 minutes of my trip was the most annoyed I ever get.

Back at the hotel I agree with my friend to go eat but he says he can only at 10 pm and I’m already starving.

I go explore a restaurant similar to the other last night in the neighborhood.
Why why why- there are again ONLY men on the streets and in the restaurant. They are all staring at me. I attempt to order and a man helps me. He speaks English!
He is a Turkish Construction/Real Estate businessman eating there with his employees. He invites me to their table. I say Yes.
He tries to flaunt his wealth in awkward ways.
‘Usually I don’t eat in such shitty places, usually I have 2 security guards with me, I have a flat in Baku facing the sea on the 22nd floor, you can stay there if you want, I buy only original brands, I have businesses in a few countries, I had scholarship for university, I have 3 degrees, my employees respect me a lot, I have 180 employees.’
He says: don’t look at me now, now I’m after job. (because he was dressed sporty).
I say: don’t worry, I’m not looking at you (And I laugh internally).

But him and his colleagues are nice and funny, I sample more cuisine.
The Turkish guy offers me a drive back to the hotel and says to call him after I meet my friend so we can smoke shisha or drink jaeger with coke. (The drink I hate the most- bad luck).
He says women are Queens in this culture and puts me in front seat of the car- while his employees are behind. He even asks if I need any money.
Both him and my army friends are quite dumbstruck when I talk about how I travel alone and how I don’t like kids. I don’t think other women ever told them this.
Everyone is also surprised I’ve come to Ganja.
What most fascinates me about my new friend is when he shows me the buildings they are working on. All the modern architectural wonders in Baku. I am deeply impressed and interested to hear more about their process. From idea to realization.

Later on, he brings his business card at the hotel and says he has stayed in this hotel for a few weeks while working on projects.
He offers if I need, I could stay in his empty apartment in Baku, I could just call him. He needs to fly to Turkey soon though-for work.
He has such a superior attitude, it’s laughable. I immediately get a bad vibe from him, so I don’t respond to his messages and don’t accept his generous invite.
Until I leave Azerbaijan-he keeps texting me and I keep ignoring him. Then he miraculously texts from Baku/so did not go on his business trip/.

Always trust your instincts.

My army friend cancels and it’s OK.
I lock the door of my fancy hotel room, watch some Kazakhstan music channels and fall asleep.

Next morning I have an offer to wait for my army friends to finish work at 13, go smoke shisha and they drive me to the bus station but I know it will take too long and don’t want to arrive in Baku too late/too dark.
I research Naftalan which was my original plan because of the petroleum spa treatments and decide it is not worth to spend a night there. I don’t have so many diseases that need curing yet.
I feel guilty I will not get to see again my two guardian angels from Ganja. Rest assured- I will never forget the goodness of your hearts.

It is time to see Baku- the pearl of the Caucasus

————————————–

The bus station is completely surrounded by men and their cars offering a ride to Baku, only 5 manat more expensive than the bus. I consider the option but decide I don’t want to be quizzed again about my travels and life history.
Little do I know, the woman next to me on the bus is going to do exactly that…and more.

This time, I make some kind of plan (wow). I contact my Azeri friends from the Tbilisi hostel and one of them says he will greet me at the bus station. He recommends a hostel too.

The bus to Baku takes forever. Not because it’s a long trip, but because every driver here is also a postman. He delivers 3 packages and makes 3 stops in the first hour.

The lady who is sitting next to me starts trying to speak to me, and I can’t even pretend to listen to music because she insists I go to her town and meet her nephew who is an 18 year old boxing champion.

The bus makes a stop midway and we go for tea. There is no food or any other options on the menu. Everyone is just sitting in a large room drinking tea accompanied by candies.

The lady insists to pay for me. I draft a plan in my head and reach my friend in Baku to tell him to write me in Azeri we have dinner plans. The translation works and the lady leaves me alone.

Suddenly- I see it. The Caspian Sea and all the oil platforms. It’s so gray. The landscape is very deserty with sandy colors.

BAKU- final stop

The arrival at bus terminal leaves me speechless. Women- at last! LOL- just kidding. No women!!! Once again there are 1 million men and taxi drivers. As well as in the metro.

My friend meets me and I am actually relieved that someone will guide me and I don’t need to ask directions.
Unfortunately, we discover the hostel I booked is quite shit, so we explore a few meters down the street and end up in Amsterdam hostel. Cool vibe and employees.

I am sure at that point Booking.com can’t keep up with my change of plans and are probably getting annoyed with me. Thank you in advance for accommodating my change of plans.

Tonight celebrations are on the menu. My friend contacts his cousin (that I also know from Tbilisi’s hostel) and his girlfriend and we head out to the center to eat delicious food.
His girlfriend is so beautiful and confident, strikes me as such a strong, independent and intelligent woman. One is immediately drawn to her aura.

My friends say:’ don’t be surprised if you get someone following you. Men are quite shy here, but this is their way of showing they like you.’

They tell me of a case from England where a girl was being followed for days and she called the police. The Azeri man was detained and said they should call the embassy which explained this culture deviation and he was released.

We walk around the pedestrian city center of Baku which reminds me so much of any other European city with lights and chandeliers, and paved streets with boutiques and souvenir shops. We go through the old town with its little streets, hidden alleyways and dead ends. We listen to traditional music and I feel like I’ve landed straight into a fairy tale. We see the Formula 1 fences and seats being installed. The race is just a few weeks away. We reach the sea-side boardwalk. Everywhere is very clean and in order.

My friend was a tour guide during the Eurovision contest, so he tells me a lot about the country’s history. This was the first Muslim country to become a republic and Baku means Windy city. (Wholeheartedly agree with this as it is freezing).

We get some unique tea, olives jam and shisha.

The next day, I change hostels and chose a very modern and clean one, although not social. I am very surprised to see there are no walking tours and pub crawls. It seems like I am on my own. The receptionists always says : I don’t know-look around or ask other travelers. She spends most time crying and arguing with her Indian boyfriend on the couch. The care and hospitality here can’t reach the Georgian level. There is free and unlimited tea in the hostel .The other travelers are mostly Iranian and Indian. What was also quite strange is that the other tourists are always inside the hostel?! They never go out to visit anything.

In Baku, there is a Nutella caffe with amazing creations. This is where I get breakfast and I am certain then I have never had a sweeter breakfast.

I also see a Kinder place to eat other incredible desserts.

I tour the seaside and am amazed to see the Carpet museum and the new mall that takes inspiration from the Sidney opera. I LOVE how creative they are with architecture.

Here is also where I get myself a stalker! It is actually a guy whom I’ve asked to take pictures of me about 20 minutes prior. He was walking around with his friend/girlfriend and now here he is -stalking me. Ugh! So creepy.

Just following me and staring without saying a word.

Unfortunately for me, there is no wide-spread wifi in Baku, but I manage to take a taxify and see him in the back window brooding. He looks so sad! WTF!

The taxify takes me to a huge meat and food market instead of clothing one. Oops. I see pork meat being sold. I walk from there to the train station- kind of getting used to the outlook of the city . I withdraw money and go to the shops there where I get my infamous red dress and some fake brands.

I return to my hostel to rest. We have a pizza dinner with my new friends then head to a popular wine bar. They always insist on paying!!! We get quite drunk with my friends and begin playing Never Have I Ever. Crazy game. The live music inside this wine bar is amazing. Then we proceed to another bar in old town which is small but super fun. We dance a lot and sample all the shots on the menu. MY TIME HAS COME AND ON THIS TRIP This time- I pay. Finally. Its 1AM, we take a taxi to a viewpoint. The ride is a blur but the taxi driver is racing like a race driver. The flame towers are not illuminated sadly but the rest of the view is stunning. The Eurovision building is twinkling like stars, you can also see the new building that will be a half moon. Oh, there is no beach in the city, you need to drive to villages around. Me and Hikmat continue the party by asking the taxi driver which club is open but the others go home. Here, as well as Tbilisi, partying is only on Friday and Saturday. It’s Thursday so clubbing is limited.

Me and Hikmat end up in a huge Arabic club which he did not like. He gets annoyed how many local girls there are dancing to the Arab music and Arab tourists. I feel bad for my friend, having to witness this unpleasant image. Oh, have I mentioned that he lives in Latvia, so he is also kind of a tourist in his own country. We dance a bit and I am having fun but he wants to leave and we take the eggplant style taxi.

Eventually I book a walking tour online but when I show up on location, only the tour guide is there. Wow! I decide to skip.

My friends are busy on the weekend, so I make my own plan.
NOTE: I am so thankful for having met them in Tbilisi- They make my trip a thousand times better and memorable. At the end, we mostly remember how we were treated . And I remember laughing and smiling a Lot.

I visit the Heydar Aliev cultural center- absolute highlight of my trip.
I spend 4 hours there and it is not enough.
4 hours- I smile from ear to ear. I am the last one to leave, they have to literally kick me out.
Adding another tab on my life chapters. Another deeply personal and emotional moment for me. The visits to Oslo’s opera, Amsterdam’s The Eye, Rio’s Museum of Tomorrow, Niteroi’s Art museum, Valencia’s city of Arts and Sciences..and now Baku’s cultural center. Each and every time is the same intensity of feelings. I am in utter awe facing the genius of white, smooth, modern architecture. And it is just as stunning(if not more) from the inside.
The exhibitions leave me speechless. Here is where I gain respect and deeper understanding of the Azeri history and culture. Their iconic president Heydar Aliev absolutely deserves this homage.

I go back to my hostel and decide to stay in. I am really cold and emotionally drained. Friday night I am boring and anti social. I watch some Netflix and reflect on how long this trip feels like. It’s the first time I feel that 2 weeks might be a bit too much. I could have done it in less time. I wander upon if I am just lazy or exhausted. My clothes are all dirty and I am so tired of combining them. My face and back are splatters with pimples. I need more makeup but I am tired of applying so much makeup.- HEY! Traveling isn’t always unicorns and roses.

Since it’s my last day-I need to go get souvenirs and the promised Georgian and Azeri books for my colleague.

I make a surprise last minute friendship with my room mate from India and we go for dinner. She is an English teacher here. In the restaurant, we meet one of her students who is Turkish and is so happy to see her and practice her English.

She has to greet some professors at the airport , so we agree to go clubbing later. I google some popular bars in the area that I can check before I fly away at 4 am.

That’s a whole new adventure.

Bar1: cute barman! I sit next to a prostitute with fake hair, eyelashes, boobs and lips. She is nice but later on becomes a stalker ;(

Bar2: empty

Bar3: very dark and cozy atmosphere. Funny menu. I make friends with the 2 guys next to me. A guy across the bar buys me a drink, comes talk and offers to show me around the national parks. He is organizing events like the formula 1 and inviting famous singers. He says this year is James Arthur. I tell him I leave in 2 hours to the airport 😀

I say I need to go to another bar and return to the 1^st bar.

Bar 1 The prostitute offers me to chat up the barman who likes me. We take a picture and I see he has already added me on fb!?! How!? 😀

I meet some expats working here in gas and oil. They are Irish and we head to another bar.

Bar 4: It is still quite empty but I need to head to the airport at 2AM, so I cannot wait for it to fill up.

Bar 5: Funky bar, but my new friends are a bit too calm, and I don’t want to get drunker.

I head back to my hostel having made 7 new friends and I take a short nap.

I get a taxi to the airport, a 30 min ride for 4 euros, and along the way, there are so many amazing designs and modern buildings. The roads are super clean, new, smooth and large.
I take a last glimpse back at the Cultural Center. I am SO IN LOVE with it.

The airport is also an emblem of modern architecture. Inside of it there are different capsules: for painting, music, cuisine, etc.
I take the watercolors and paint away.

I am super sleepy because of all the booze so the flight feels short. In Minsk I also make a bed and sleep on the benches. When I fall asleep the airport is empty and wake up, there are so many people around me. The Minsk airport is very poor with horrible design, very strict border control, and no food options. I however spot 2 celebrities going through: A Metal band and an Italian singer from the older generation which names I will not disclose.

I am back to Prague. Taxis are exactly 5 x more expensive.

Guadeloupe

or…the island from hell.

DECEMBER 2015

No public transport, no airport transfers, no cars for rent because of the holidays, no change bureau, no wifi, no open restaurants.

Jon (who has grown in Mauritius) said that strangely all french colony islands function the same- meaning- They don’t.

We had booked couchsurfing in Basse Terre, Deshaie, an hour and a half from the aiport in the capital Pointe a Pitre. After walking 1 hour to some bus stop around the airport that we never found- I spoke to some ladies at a supermarket parking lot and they pitied us…We were super sweaty and tired. As a Christmas miracle and great gesture they gave us a ride all the way to Deshaie. Some more angels on the road.
Once in the Fort Royal hotel, we were to find Eldar, a Serbian Swedish barman who was to be our Couchsurfing host. Holly crapoly!!! His place and the whole hotel was filled with Swedish guests and employees. The flat (20 min walk from the hotel) had a party the same night with Swedish traditional bread and hot spiced wine and to add to that 50 blond blue eyed 20’s year olds Swedish girls and boys.

-We were super tired but somehow joined the celebration and spoke to many Swedish. They are so beautiful, hehe. I won’ t go into details describing all the people we met the next 5 days.

3. We went back and forth to the hotel because the house had no wifi and honestly- there was no damn transport in the whole island so we could not see much else. So everyone in the hotel knows us and likewise.

-During our short stay, we visited 3 beaches, a forest, botanical garden, the city of Deshaie and the capital.

There is so much more to do in Guadeloupe but the locals or retards there made it damn impossible for tourists. There is a volcano, waterfalls and great turtle snorkeling.

We tried hitch hiking with not too much success. Jon even hid in the bushes but my women charms did not work either. Gotta admit, that took a hit on my confidence.

One advice from me: do not go to Guadeloupe. It is one frustration after another.
Now is time to break it to you dear readers:
TRAVELING IS NOT ALWAYS COMFORTABLE. Traveling is not laying under the palm tree and someone serving you a cocktail, someone else massaging your feet. No, traveling very often is:
-having 3 swollen toes, a big ant bite and a nasty burn on the right leg
-having 2 fall wounds and one inexplicable wound on the right leg
-having to scratch on average 5 mosquito bites per minute
-not having a proper meal for 2 days. We did have cookies.
-feeling like puking everything inside during a 2 hour roller coaster ocean ferry ride

So, New years.

We had no choice guys. We sneaked into the hotel where all our new friends were working. It wasn’t easy. The security did not let us in then attempted to check out our bag filled with mixed booze. But I lied, Jon lied, we showed some staff uniforms and we got in. The rest is history, or some drunk memories. Hehehe. Happy new year dear readers, dear friends :*
New years was fireworks, live music and loads of champagne on the beach. We basically got a hotel package we never paid for 🙂

I want to underline that we had more plans to go to Gosier (the only city with bars) to another CS place but due to the lack of transport, we stayed more in Basse Terre. We never made it to the other cs, instead I reserved an airbnb 40 min walk from the Port where next morning 8 am we were to take the ferry to Dominica. The airbnb was absolutely adorable with sweet hosts and yummy breakfast. Since in Deshaie our bed/couch was super small and the Swedish were partying every night, we did not get much proper sleep. We were happy to have a calm night before departing this crappy island.

We departed and i want to honorably mention here a lovely french couple who saw us walking with heavy bags and gave us a lift to the ferry.

-The only amazing thing in Guadeloupe was the music, my zouk, zouk love. But they don’t have any clubs. So you cannot dance on the music. UGHHHH.
We saw many restaurants that say OPEN. And when we asked, they told us it has been closed since 2 years or it will open in 2 weeks or they close at 2 pm cause lunch is over and don’t do dinner. Hence why we almost never ate for 4 days. The people are just too damn lazy to work.

*typical Creole fast food: bokits, angoulou. Which basically means a sandwich and a burger.

Let ‘s put this behind us okay?

7514_10153479527054613_4561136849320895223_n

156268_10153479524129613_2603164622889223722_n

184562_10153479519649613_2321859880367512756_n

734893_10153479516914613_5750754406700135844_n

944950_10153479514834613_3950980879476371296_n

981248_10153479522999613_7387881901338627585_o

1170662_10153479525209613_6467978861129102508_n

1619613_10153479515219613_6204993570292657133_n

1933252_10153479514979613_3071182221150626094_o

10259874_10153479514149613_7119053729820996746_n

10313803_10153479523969613_378622376226641394_n

10352605_10153479524274613_117169730211024760_n

10374883_10153479518779613_8334902678024466170_n

10600486_10153479525139613_214249001724643943_n

10603425_10153479518144613_5552701242636170950_n

10603536_10153479518434613_3405070738246969373_n

11227766_10153479517369613_3223271342447019939_n

12400830_10153479513494613_5617061463887294610_n

12401652_10153479514564613_7775600241305174432_o

12401847_10153479517459613_5766442105852057449_o

12402007_10153479517134613_8579080651027094734_o

12402037_10153479519239613_5862417714205998526_o

12418825_10153479518289613_8214395615385753774_o

12439202_10153479514034613_7330401806065782908_n

12465795_10153479520124613_8770259317431380269_o

12466041_10153479523284613_851402862363944295_o

12466227_10153479520844613_2000579206596121113_o

12469601_10153479517249613_4104194663086418269_o

12471357_10153479513469613_2824548702431500098_o

12471525_10153479523599613_6523797467276039271_o

12471586_10153479520404613_5811903859883536517_o

12471698_10153479521234613_5992576438052977625_o

12471816_10153479521024613_8498023208598697498_o

12487205_10153479521144613_3235921768681356995_o

12489209_10153479521574613_2440395944080110276_o

12493852_10153479514729613_6557888188754707589_o

12494654_10153479518659613_7528716676296630350_n

12496122_10153479520709613_4917437453718994033_o

12496122_10153479523839613_7241447364319730194_o

12496252_10153479515149613_5278931584506066863_o

The People I meet

I knew if yesterday was a lucky day, today something ought to go wrong!

Boy…was I right? I woke up not being able to move my neck sideways at all. It is such a pain. Even writing, well…typing, comes as a difficult task. This is one of the most annoying body problems because no matter when I will rest my neck, it will be uncomfortable. And forget about trying to sleep…
Then, I wanted to arrange my sister’s photo and there was a domino effect avalanche of things that all fell on my foot.

But yesterday…oh it was so wonderful! I got paid for my first published article, I got reimbursed for some airline mistakes, my mom left an amazing mint chocolate for me, I prepared a healthy salad and did my abs challenge (day 9) and talked for a whole hour with my boyfriend (he is in Laos, we have an 11 hours difference!).

Hey!

Imagine…

A Turkish professional football player, a 5 Grammy Hollywood music producer winner, a tour operator, a guy who gets piercings as souvenirs from visited countries, a stripper model, a renowned beach photographer, a competitive graffiti artists, a Dominican arts festival organizer, a male nurse, an air hostess, a Mauritian cruise photographer, a touring guitarist, an Indian wine producer, a Colombian tequila producer, a Vietnamese fashion designer, an African bush pilot, champion in kite boarding and cancer survivor, an acro-yoga master who works with the Dalai Lama!, a boredpanda featured Chilean tattoo artist, Bulgarian yacht engineers and crew traveling the exotic islands, a south Korean soldier, a British DJ, mega yacht salesman to the stars, Belgium music festival organizer, a Czech para glider, a Norwegian beard model, a Dutch raves light engineer…
2016-so many more since then.

No, you are unlikely to meet all these people in one room or in your backyard.