Nepal – a source of happiness!
Posted on Jan 23, 2017
My volunteering time in Nepal was one of the best parts of my trip around the world! My friend Brad, who I met in Chiang Mai said: “Andrea, it looks like you have finally found what you were looking for in Nepal. Your face is shining and you look so happy!” And you know what. He was right!
Nepal helps you to make a difference
I realized that what was missing in my job, before I started to travel, is that my work did not really make a difference in the world. Sure, it was a nice job selling wine, that people could enjoy with friends and family, but it did not really make a difference!
When I arrived in Kathmandu and started to volunteer to teach English at the Government school, I could see that I could really make a difference here! I could influence the mindset of these children and tell them that , they can be anything they want in life! I could show them, that it does not matter if you come from a poor family or if you are a girl. And especially with the smaller children, I could make just a difference by given them love and attention or a hug!
I enjoyed giving classes about keeping the environment clean and felt proud and happy seeing the children pick up the trash from the floor and refusing to accept plastic bags in our role plays. I really felt I could contribute a tiny small thing to making Kathmandu a cleaner city. It made me shine, sharing videos on the popularity of bikes in the Netherlands and showing them how much better they are for your health and the environment than the motorbikes everybody uses there.
I enjoyed breaking all the serious and stand in line culture, where you stand up to speak and ask permission to enter the class and children fall asleep on their books with loud classes with interactive games, chaos and interaction. I enjoyed making school a fun place to go. Making children eager to learn and to show that it can be fun too! I am sure not all of the teacher saw it that way, when they passed my class and saw the chaos and loud noise coming from my room, but hey – we had a great time!
I have to say whoever that you may not compare being a volunteer for a few weeks to being a teacher at these school full time. I did not have to worry about preparing children for their exams and as a foreigner I was allowed to step out of line. I am not sure, how much my behavior would have been accepted, if it would have been done by a regular teacher!
I have big respect for the teachers at this school, because they have very limited resources and the children are very difficult to teach. There are kids of the age of 8 and 12 in the same class and their level of knowledge is very different! Try teaching English to students that are learning the past, while some of them can not even understand simple sentences you say in the present. Besides that, these children come from families that are very poor and usually also have a lot of problems. I met a very talented girl, that has a father that is an alcoholic. The mother has to work like crazy in other people’s houses to provide for the whole family. A lot of these children find it hard to concentrate and have behavior problems. Teaching these kind of children is a REAL challenge!
Happy smiles, happy children
I saw a lot of poverty at school. Children with shoes that are two sizes too big, because they get the shoes of their brother or sister. Children on slippers and flip flops – even when it is winter! Children with very dirty clothes and rotten teeth. But the smile on these children’s faces stays in my memory forever! Did I come to teach them? Or were they teaching me?
Domestic children in Nepal
I did not realize, that a lot of children in my class did not live with their parents. To be more specific: 100 children were what they call “domestic children”. These children come from families that live in remote areas. Their parents send them to Kathmandu to go to school, where they live with people that are being paid to take care of them. In order to pay for the expenses, these children have to work after school, cleaning and cooking in other people’s homes. I do not have to mention, that most children are much younger than 16! I was shocked and sad, when I heard about this. No wonder some of the children did not have time to do their homework!
Volunteering is a wonderful experience and I can highly recommend it! There are a lot of organizations. The two companies I can recommend are Helpx and Workaway. Workaway mostly offers Work for free accommodation, but you can also find some volunteering offers in here. Both website ask a small signup fee, but after you have paid that, you can use the site for an entire year.
Nepalese customs – living with a Nepalese family
Nepalese Life is a lot different, than the schedule of most other places I went to.
My host family woke up at 5.00 AM in the morning. After a few days, they asked me to join them. They explained that they went to the park to exercise. I was very surprised, because at 5 it was still completely dark outside! I decided to join them and see how they do that.
You should have seen my face, when I saw the whole park full of people jogging in complete darkness. Groups of women with flashlights and several aerobics classes only with the light of a small lamp.
NEVER – EVER did I expect to see that many people there! I asked why people come that early and the answer was very simple. If you want to exercise outside in Kathmandu, the early morning in the only time, when there is no traffic pollution. How spoiled are we in Europe, that we can go for a jog any time of the day?
But the is another reason for the early exercise. Most people in Nepal are Hindus or Buddhists. The early morning time, shortly before the sun rises is very important and holy.
My host family was very active in a Meditation center, but also had a separate Meditation Room in the house. Every morning from 6 to 7.am. they would meditate at the center.
Not only at my host family’s house, but also when I was invited at the headmaster’s house for Breakfast (They call it lunch); it started with a tea with milk and biscuits. Most houses have a roof terrace that functions as a living room. At around 8 o’clock in the morning, the sun comes out and it is warm enough to sit outside and enjoy a cup of tea.
Typical Breakfast time is at 9:30. School starts at 10.00, so you have to eat quite fast. The Breakfast consists of Dhal Bat. (Rice, Lentil soup), different kind of vegetables, a pickle and what I call a chutney (they call it differently). My host mother was the most amazing cook ever and I am waiting for her to open a cooking school for tourists ;-)!
The school starts at 10:00 a.m. in the morning, The children all line up in different rows. One of the older children shout military commands and the children step aside, turn and stand up straight again. After this short exercise the national anthem sounds and everybody sings along.
Lunch is served by the students and always includes a tea with milk and a different snack every day. School usually ends around 16:00. After that you usually eat another small meal. Dinner ist served at 20:00 and because you get u so early every day, your eyes close at 21:00.
Nepal and Mayanda
Teaching the children was exhausting, because you are like a police agent, teacher and mother in one. Keeping the children quiet; taking away paper guns and elastic bands that are used to shoot things at other students or just making the class interesting and entertaining was a real challenge! The school has so many intelligent students and I really wanted to do more for them!
That is when the Idea for MAYANDA was born. Nepal has so many lovely products!
Most of them are made in the rural areas of the Himalaya. In the kind of small towns, where many of the “domestic” children come from.
I wanted to find a way to build a side business and to help the children at my school. MAYANDA only started with a few products, but the first responses are really good!
At the moment 1 EURO of each sale goes to the school, but with time, I hope to be able to increase this to 5%. You can check out the products at my Mayanda Facebook Shop. To order, just send me a personal message from the page.
If you are looking to go to Kathmandu – feel free to message me! My hostfamily has a lovely homestay in Kathmandu!
So did Nepal make me happy? It definitely did! The people and their smiles make it impossible not to smile yourself!
Australia’s East Coast: What to enjoy besides SurferGuys & BeachBabes
Posted on Nov 20, 2016
Australia’s East Coast is the most popular backpacker route in Australia. On my trip, I met many people arriving in Sydney, Brisbane or Cairns that had absolutely no idea on how to travel Australia’s East Coast. I am sure I have told my stories about this trip at least 100 times! That is why, I decided to put together my experiences in this post to share it with everybody that plans to come to Australia!
North to South or South to North?
First of all the question: North to South or South to North? I was traveling in November, which made the decision very easy for me. Melbourne: 10 degrees celsius. Cairns: 30 degrees! Just check the temperatures for your Start/End cities (Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne) before you begin your travels and you will know! At the end or beginning of your trip, you will be chased by sellers that will try to offer you all inclusive packages with a bus ticket and a tour to the Whitsunday’s, Fraser Island and some other excursions. In my opinion they are not cheaper and they make your trip very inflexible! I would not recommend those packages!
In my blog post for digital nomads in Australia you will find Information about different bus companies and an option to travel Australia’s East Coast with the train.
By the way; the average East Coast Traveler is in their 20’s and has just finished High School or College and is in Australia on a working holiday visa. The age limit for this visa will be raised from 30 to 35 years soon!
SNORKELING & DIVING
in CAIRNS
Cairns is a small and (in Summer) very hot city that offers a free lagoon saltwater pool and free sport courses in the morning. From Cairns you can visit the Daintree Rainforest and the cosy little town Port Douglas. The number one attraction is a trip to the Great Barrier Reef! You can go snorkeling or diving and it is definitely worth it! A lot of companies offer a snorkeling tour with an orientation dive for first time divers. The coral of the Great Barrier reef is absolutely stunning and you will see lots of tropical fish, turtles (if you are lucky) and reef sharks.
I was very nervous to go out snorkeling at the reef and I did see a shark. At the Great Barrier Reef there are mostly reef sharks. These sharks have a small mouth and don’t grow that big. I saw one while I was in the water and to be honest, it was completely fine! Don’t worry too much and just enjoy the trip. I went on an organized snorkeling trip from the boat and I highly recommend it. You feel much safer in a group and you get loads of information about the plants, coral and fish.
There are tons of boat companies going to the reef. I recommend going to the outer reef and to invest a little more money on this trip. The sight under water at the outer reef is much better and there are not so many boats going out there. This means you get to see much nicer coral and the water is very clear. I paid 210 dollar for this trip, but it was really worth it.
SKYDIVE
in ARLIE BEACH
Arlie Beach is a great little town to hang out in. There is one café next to Woolworth that offers free WIFI and another travel agent that offers the free use of their internet. A great spot with soso WIFI is Restaurant Barcelona in the Marina Yacht Area: Great view and nice wines! The boardwalk “Coral Esplanade” takes you all the way to the edge of the town. Great to walk all the way from the city until the path ends. The best time to do the walk is when the sun sets. If did the walk almost every day and greeted my little friend at the same spot every day, while he was doing his afternoon yoga 😉
Close to Altmann Ave, there are many turtles in the bay. If you take some time and look at the surface, you will see them coming up for air. Skydiving is very popular in Arlie Beach, because you have a great view over the Whitsunday Islands. Since I am a hero on socks, as we tend to call people like me in the Netherlands, I did not go skydiving. I did conquer a lot of my fears (Read my post “Don’t be fearless, but fear less”), but Skydiving, would not be something I would enjoy very much 😉 My roommate did go and I saw her video. The view from above on the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef will take your breath away! If you want to skydive, do it in Arlie Beach!
SNORKELING & CHILLING
at WHITSUNDAYS
A must from Arlie Beach is a tour to the Whitsunday Islands. There are a lot of companies that offer sailing trips for around 500 dollars. I have heard from others, that these boats seldom really sail however! They usually use their engine! Be ready to be jammed in the bottom of the boat and share the small space with a few people, that haven’t seen a shower in a few days! Therefore, I was not really in to that; I just booked a day trip. Much cheaper – and a great experience!
The view on the beaches from the viewing point on Whiteheaven is absolutely amazing! It is even more beautiful than the beaches I have seen in the Philippines. But like anywhere else in Australia, be careful going into the water. An Australian woman told me “Everything in this country is designed to kill you” and this is very true. The Whitsundays gets stingers that are as big as your fingernail and clear in color. No way you are going to spot them in the water! So enjoy the water, but don’t forget to wear a stinger suit!
LEARN TO SURF & RIDE A CHOPPER MOTORBIKE
in AGNES WATER / 1770
1770 / Agnes Water are tiny little sleepy towns on Australia’s East Coast, where time stands still. The place seems to have the effect on people that when they come, they don’t want to leave anymore. Maybe because it is the perfect and cheapest spot to learn how to surf! A 3 hours surfing class only costs around 17 dollars here. The water is quite shallow and the waves are small. If I manage to stand up on the board after this course; I am sure you can as well! As far as I know, they haven’t spotted any sharks here at all. From the town it is only a 5 minute walk to the beach, where it is quiet and peaceful and you can really relax and go for long walks.
Wanna be a badass? Than do the Scooteroo tour! It is a tour with small motorbikes that do not require a special license! You get a leather jacket and they take some awesome biker photos of you for free! It is an amazing feeling, riding a bike, feeling the wind in your face, and seeing the sun set with kangaroos jumping around the side of the road.
If you go to Agnes Water /1770, you end up staying much longer than you had planned. Trust me! Check out this nice article about the Agnes Water Effect.
ADVENTURE on
FRASER ISLAND (HERVEY BAY)
Hervey Bay is a good base to see one of Australia’s East Coast main attractions: Fraser Island. Another option is to visit Fraser Island from Rainbow Beach. Since the hostels there had a bad rating, I preferred Hervey Bay, where I stayed at the Whoolshed. Both towns, don’t really have anything exciting to see, but it is a good idea to spend the night there before and after your Fraser Island adventure.
I booked a one-night-trip to Fraser Island with COOL DINGO TOURS. It was a great tour with an awesome tour guide and I liked that the accommodation was in a lodge and not in tents. The Island is very nice and is made completely out of sand! You can be sure to experience a true adventure….and motion sickness if you are sensitive for it! All roads are made of sand and you will feel like sitting on a carnival ride, while you explore the island. Dingos make your Indiana Jones adventure complete and you are warned by signs all the time for these wild dogs/wolfs, because they can be quite dangerous!
The highway of this Island is the beach. This road is shared with small planes as well, that use this beach as their runway! Fraser Island is expensive, but worth it. In my opinion, two days is enough to see to main sights. The lake is stunning; the Champagne pools are not that special. in my opinion. The saltwater pools in Sydney are much nicer! Check out the Lady’s Bath close to Coogee beach if you’re in Sydney and a girl 😉
LEARN SALSA & HOLD A KOALA
in BRISBANE
I love Brisbane! Brisbane is a city with a perfect spring climate in a perfect spot. To the north on Australia’s East Coast it is only a short trip to the Gold Coast and South of Brisbane starts the Sunshine coast. I never expected that Brisbane has so much to offer: a free pool, free sports classes, and a free boat that takes you up and down the river. On Friday nights there is Open Air Salsa Dancing on the streets. Join Meetup (Appstore) and find free Salsa Classes in the city as well. If you love Salsa and even if you don’t, check out the Restaurant & Nightclub CLOUDLAND. The architecture of Cloudland is absolutely amazing. I can also recommend to visit a musical: I went to Singing in the Rain and it was fantastic! If you buy your ticket 2,5 hours before the show you can save up to 50% on the original price!
If you haven’t seen any koala’s yet, than pay a visit to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. If you are a digital nomad, also don’t forget to bring your laptop and charger. The park offers several Blogger lounges that will provide the best working view you can imagine! Get work done while koala’s and kangaroos fight for your attention! Of course you can’t leave without getting a picture with a koala. The park protects them and makes sure that this is done in a way that does not disturb the animals.
Brisbane big enough to offer lots of activities, but small enough to find your way around and walk everywhere! I stayed at the YHA and I can recommend it. They have a rooftop pool and a lot of facilities. The free internet is useless however!
TAKE IT EASY
in BYRON BAY
Welcome to Australia’s East Coast’s UBUD. A place with hippies, yoga, ecological stores and street artist. Life seems to be on half speed mode here. It is extremely popular with surfers, but the be honest: I DO NOT RECOMMEND SURFING HERE. While I was in Byron Bay, the town suffered from 6 shark attacks. The beach had to be closed several times! The surfers are not bothered by this at all! When my roommate picked up his board to go to the beach, I told him they had just closed it, because a shark had attacked a surfer. His answer was. “Nothing and nobody can stop me from surfing!”. Byron Bay is the place of addicts and dreadlocks. The addiction is either grass or surfing – it doesn’t really matter! No worries!
I know that when you think of Australia you think of snakes and sharks, and to be honest, Byron Bay seems to have them both. There is a small beach that has some bushes behind the sand in the direction of Byron Bay’s lighthouse. A brown snake (very poisonous!) came out of the bush and out on the sand of the beach, while my friend was just sitting on his towel! So be aware and most of all: stay away from the bushes!
A must see in Byron Way is the Coastal Walk to the lighthouse! In November it is migration time for Whales and you can probably spot some Whales that are making their way to the South Pole. On my hike over to the lighthouse, I could also spot dolphins and turtles! It is totally worth it to pay a small donation to go upstairs in the lighthouse, because from here you have the best view to spot whales passing by.
Of course you can continue the your Australia’s East Coast trip until Sydney! But Sydney deserves a post on its own! An update about my adventures in Sydney will follow soon!
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If you like to read more information about traveling (Australia), check out my post Australia for digital nomads: 10 tips for survival. I you have any questions, just drop me a comment. Want to read more posts like this? Follow my facebook fanpage or sign up for my newsletter. Like what you read? Share it!
Australia for Digital Nomads: 10 tips for survival
Posted on Nov 11, 2016
“Everything in Australia is designed to kill you!” is what a local told me. However, this post is not about saving your life while travelling the bush, but on how to make your life easier as a digital nomad in Australia.
Travelling Australia as a Digital Nomad can be a real challenge! Most coffee shops don’t have Wifi and don’t even ask about plugs! The internet at a lot of places would even make a snail look fast. 😉 Go ahead and try to tell people that you want to work online. You will probably get the answer: “What do you want to do, mate?” while they look at you rather puzzled.
But as a real traveller or digital nomad, nothing challenges us more, than a little resistance! To say it as a true Aussie would: No worries! What we do best is to get creative and find some solutions! By the time you leave a destination, you usually just found out all the hacks. To make sure, you don’t have to struggle and find everything out yourself – like I did- I have put some of the best tips together on how to get around Australia as a Digital Nomad, that will save you time and money!
The easiest and cheapest places to get work done
- The cheapest and fastest way is the library. Most libraries offer free Wifi and you can just walk in and work from there. Some libraries lock there plug sockets up, but all of them let me in without being a member. The Wifi is usually free and you don’t need a password.
- There are Coworking spaces in the big cities. If you stay a longer time and you are already earning a rockstar wage; they are great. I stayed for a short time and the daypasses, where not affordable for my budget. In Perth there is Hive-Coworking, Spacecubed (starting at $500/ a month, if you work fulltime) and Techhub (membership starts at $200), FLUX and Hubdesk and there are more too.
- Work from Hostels. Some Hostels have great Wifi, but most don’t. Your best bet is to have your phone ready for Tethering. Get a mobile phone package from TELSTRA (Vodafone only works well in big cities!) and use Tethering with your phone. It costs 40 dollars per month and your get 8 GB and some free calls and sms in Australia and abroad. I liked staying at the YHA’s, because they often offer a library. Usually, there are many other people working from there as well. The free wifi there is absolutely useless however, but they do offer a premium version which is ok.
- Finally, if you plan to travel around on one of the buses, Greyhound offers free wifi and USB plugs on all their buses. For this you also pay a premium price however. But there is a cheaper alternative (keep reading)!
How to survive on a limited budget on the EAST COAST:
Australia is not just a little bit expensive, it is really expensive! A night in a 6-people dorm in Sydney costs around 35 dollars per night. A beer costs anywhere from 7 to 10 dollars and if you thought of getting an ice cream, you will think twice, because the cheapest price I have seen for ONE scoop was 5 dollars! Even when you are on a budget, there are some tricks, to save some money:
- You can do a workaway. In many hostels you can work for free accommodation (and food). You work for about 2,5 – 3 hours a day and for this you can stay for free. Still a decent amount of time left, to get some work done as well! Many hostels are pretty much looking for staff all the time and the work for accommodation usually requires only a minimum stay of 2 weeks. I regret that I did not have the time to do work for accommodation at the Backpackers@1770. It is a relaxed place (the owner is a hippy 😉 and the team consists of some really nice people. The kitchen there is one of the cleanest and best organized Hostel kitchen’s I have seen on my travels and they make everybody feel welcome, no matter who you are and what you look like. If you do work for accommodation there, you can use the surf boards for free as well and in my opinion 1770 / Agnes Water is the best place to learn surfing!
- A lot of people travel with Greyhound. Not many people know that there is Premier bus as well, which only costs about half the price. The buses don’t have Wifi and don’t go as often, but you save a lot of money. Another tip is to do the trip by train. If you are a student, this can even be much cheaper than the bus and at many stations you get a free drop-off or pick up to your hostel, if the train is not stopping close to the popular destinations! Definitely worth to check it out!
- There are so many groups to get rides in Australia (Join the Facebook Groups “Lift Australia” and definitely have a look at GUMTREE. The website to find anything from a car to a job.
- The weekend food and vegetable markets are way cheaper than Coles or Woolworth. Check out if your destination has a market. By the way, some town have ALDI too!
- The water in Australia tastes the same as I remember it from the USA: like you are drinking from a swimming pool! Instead of buying bottled water every day, you can get a filter bottle at Coles or Woolworth for only about $9. It gets rid of the bad taste and smell completely!
- In some cities, you get free vouchers from travel agents or hostels. They have vouchers for a meal and a drink (beer, wine, soft drinks) for $9 dollars. In Cairns you can use these to eat at the Irish Pub P.J. O’Brien’s or the Woolshed. They even offer everything from a good looking Rumpsteak, to pasta and even a veggie burger. The quality of the food and drinks is great, which makes it a perfect way to eat out once in awhile!
In my next post, I will tell you more about all the awesome stuff you should explore on the East Coast of Australia!
A leopard does not change its spots
Posted on Sep 29, 2016
Everybody has their own story. The story of the past, that we carry like a backpack on our shoulders. Not all people have had the privilege of a easy start in life. Some were deserted as a baby or left alone by a father that ran off, when still a small child.
Never judge a book by its cover
This is why I try to never judge a book by its cover, because I do not know the story that is behind the person and I can’t feel the weight of their backpack. I try my best to accept everybody – if old, young, handsome, ugly, cool or insecure the way they are. And it was my friend Ruby, who gave me one of the most beautiful compliments ever on my going away party, that the people I invited showed my personality – that I like all kinds of people. It was a great compliment, because it is not always easy not to judge, because we all tend to put people in drawers, because of our own fears and because of the things we learn when we grow up.
Indiana Jones
In Cairns (Eastern Australia) I got to meet a guy I call Indiana Jones. He was the responsible tour guide for all excursions of our hostel, which took place 5 times a week. A blond curly surfer guy, that was good in shape. In the 40 minutes we sat in the bus he told us, that he is a skydiver and that he is being sponsored to Kite Surf. He had worked as a professional bodyguard for the Olympics and for famous people all over he world. He also mentioned that he is actually a coach and asks 10,000 dollars up front from his clients. He told us he lives in a penthouse by the beach and he owns 30 boards.
I was quite entertained by all of his stories and just played along saying how great that all is. I was laughing about him on the inside! Come on! If you are earning 10.000 dollar per coaching, than why are you working on a hostel bus 5 days a week!
I asked him some questions and found out that his dad was 60 when he was born and his mom just 35. His dad was a bestseller author, but in order for Indiana Jones to read his dad’s books, he had to buy them himself.
I spent a long time thinking about this guy. Next morning at breakfast an older man started chatting to me. It turned out that “Indiana Jones” had told him that his dad used to beat the shit out of him and it seemed like his dad was a very bad guy. He also said that our Indiana Jones could never survive working with other guys in a team here in Australia. They would take the piss out of him and tell him to stop his bullshit stories.
Do you see me?
And then it came to me. He is riding the bus, so he can tell his stories and other people admire him. Young backpacker girls from all over the world come on the bus and he has his audience. He has done all kind of crazy and dangerous stuff to be seen and acknowledged..
I went from feeling, he was a bullshitter, to feeling compassion that he is handling his backpack as good as he can. He is not hurting anybody, telling his stories. They were actually quite entertaining and it made him feel acknowledged and better. Some people had a tough start in life, but they get over it. They see the patterns and slowly work on changing. They grow stronger and make the best of it. They still struggle, but they do the best they can not hurting others.
The leopard – no game without pain
Indiana Jones reminded me of a friend I once had, that is quite the opposite and I call the leopard. The leopard has a totally different strategy. He thinks he is cool and in charge of it all. Though his back yard is the worst you can imagine. He is addicted to the chase. He loves to chase, what he can not have, cause what he can, does not interest him. He despises anybody that really likes him. He has hardly any friends and if you would want to love him, he couldn’t accept your love and his unconscious would find a fast way to sabotage it. You want to help him, but he can not be helped. Well at least not by you, unless you are a psychiatrist! You want to be his friend, but even that is impossible.
When you try the first time and he hurts you: “shame on him”, but if you keep trying to come back for more “shame on you”. We should not judge, but a leopard will always be a leopard. Life is a game to him. A game that only he can win. The only way to win, is not to play. If you meet a leopard, there is only one thing you can do. Turn around and go the other way. It still means, you accept people how they are, but you take the responsibility to protect yourself and stay away, because a leopard just doesn’t change its spots.
Travel teaches you about people
When you travel you meet a lot of interesting people. There is no coincidence and everybody has a message for you. I feel truly blessed for all the amazing people I have met on my travels. Every single one of them has taught me something. This morning, while taking my morning run on the boardwalk of Arlie Beach, I bumped into “Brad Pitt”. I will keep you posted…;-)
“Yes mam” – Feel like a Hollywood star in the Philippines
Posted on Sep 10, 2016
The Philippines are part of Asia and in general the asian people are really friendly. People smile a lot and getting angry is “getting you nowhere” because the worst you can do is lose your face. This takes some practice especially when things are not working or service is slow. Losing your face is a drama in Asia. People will do anything to prevent it. In case you do not know what to do, you can save the situation by just starting to giggle. A smile goes a long way 😉
The Philippines is the politest country
In the Philippines however people are not just friendly. They are SUPER polite. They answer every question with “yes or no mam”! They are very interested to know more about you and they seem like very genuine people. Everybody is eager to help! We met a nice lady on the ferry to Bantayan Island. She wanted to make sure we would not pay to much for a tricycle, so she walked all the way to the terminal bargaining with drivers to make sure we would get a good price. Before that she had already tried to call our hotel to ask them to pick us up (which for some reason did not work)… She was a complete stranger that we only had a short chat with on the boat.
We also met Mae and her great family while we went on a boat trip to the islands around Bohol. This Filipino lady took tons of photos of me and my sister while snorkeling, because we did not have a GoPRo. We had exchanged Facebook accounts, so she could send us the pictures, but for some reason the request did not go through. So Mae went all the way back to the place were we had both booked the excursion on the evening after the trip to ask for my phone number to text me about sending the pictures! We got the pictures on the same evening! People go a long way here to make you smile!
The beaches
The Philippines has some amazing beaches. Turquoise blue water. Giant Sea Turtles, Whale sharks, sea stars as big as a pizza and much more. The sand, the water and the coconut trees make you feel like you are on bounty island. Since locals stare at you, want your pic and call you “mam”, you feel like a true hollywood star while visiting the Philippines. Not to mention that the super strong sun gives you an amazing tan, that makes you look like one too 😉
So if you want to relax and pump your ego – visit this amazing country! …And read my post about Cuba!
Don’t be fearless, but fear less!
Posted on Aug 3, 2016
Before I started travelling, people asked me: “Andrea, are you sure you want to quit your stable job to travel the world?” “What are you going to achieve by doing that?” and “What will you do after that? You might not find a job like that again!”.
The fear of letting go
All of above questions did not make it easier for me to overcome my fear of quitting my job, giving up my apartment and selling a great deal of my stuff. There were a few people, however, that asked me different questions. They had a complete different message.
One of them was my old boss at SEA LIFE, Britta. She was the best boss I ever had. She told me: “Andrea, Listen up. By doing this – quitting your job and following your dreams you will achieve more than most other people ever will in their lives!”.
First, I thought, she is just being nice, encouraging me, because I was in doubt and overwhelmed with fear. I strongly felt I needed to achieve something. Start a business. Learn Chinese. Anything that was accepted on the business- or work side of things. But being on the road for 10 months now. It finally came to me, that I achieved something much more important. I have trained myself to face my fears, and do it anyway. Britta was right all along!
The fear of no security
Quitting my job forced me to give up my “imagined security”. Why is security imagined? Because there is no such thing as security in life. The only thing that is absolute certain on this earth, is that we will all die one day (and even that might not be true in the future any more). Companies go bankrupt, merge with other companies, jobs get cut and people get fired.
I trained my fear of letting go, by selling a lot of stuff, I didn’t really needed in the first place. And boy did I have a lot! I think collecting and holding on to things was my strategy to give me a sense of security. To challenge that, was a difficult thing to do. I sold online, on a flee market and donated lots of things to charities. I still have more than enough left. But this was so liberating!
I faced the fear of making big decisions without knowing the outcome. All I knew was that I would leave and travel. I bought a one way ticket to Tenerife and from there it all started.
The fear of travelling alone
Only recently I spoke to a dear friend, who wrote: “I have many countries, I would love to visit..but not by myself” This means she chooses not to follow her dreams, because she did not have someone to come with her. In her case it was not that easy, because she has a wonderful husband and small children. But many people are alone and still don’t find the courage to go for it.
Don’t get me wrong. I was afraid travelling by myself in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. But I knew it was the thing I wanted and had to do. You know what is weird about that? If you have this inner voice that knows that this is what you want to do; the fear just goes away and only comes to visit you once in a while.
There were moments I was afraid. Living alone in an apartment in Santiago de Chile was scary. Walking home at night alone in Buenos Aires was sometimes scary too. Getting into a taxi at night in Colombia was a little edgy. But the more I dared; the less fear I had. The only country I felt in constant alert state was in Brazil. But I didn’t wear any earrings, did not take a handbag or mobile phone and just stuffed some money into my bra. And everything was fine.
Many people are just too afraid of changes: to break up a relationship even if it makes them unhappy, quit their jobs and to start something new, like going on a big journey.
The fear of flying
While I am writing this, I am at the airport of Chiang Mai. Today I will fly to Kuala Lumpur, because I need to do an visa run. The other possibility to do this, is to go on a mini bus for 9 hours to Laos. In the past I would have chosen any other opportunity over flying. As long as I can remember I have been afraid of flying.
Because there is hardly another way to see South America and other “far away” countries. I needed to face that fear. I have now flown more times than the fingers on my both hands can count.
Hypnosis
Before I left, I went to hypnosis to help me overcome it. But I am not sure this really helped. The only thing that helped is to just do it (best slogan in the world). I still do not like it. And there are times, that my old feelings of panic come back. But I also have flights now, where I do not really think about my fear anymore. The only thing that can make it better, is to get on the plane and do it. Even if you are terrified!
I have some tricks and tips that have helped me:
- Pick an isle seat (you do not feel the movement of the plane as strong as when you are sitting at the window. It is easier to pretend you are not in a plane and you can get up and do not feel like sitting in a box).
- Pick a seat close to an emergency exit. It is all in your head. And when the plane crashes, you probably will not survive it. But sitting a row away from an emergency exit just makes you feel better. So why not make it a little better if you can?
- Distract yourself: Watch a movie, read a book. Dream you are at the beach.
- If starting and landing is the worst for you too: Close your eyes and pretend you are lying on the green grass and the sun is shining in your face. If you need a picture in your head that goes with the movement. Pretend you are on a train or a bus. Or pretend you are Nils Holgersson and flying on the back of a giant bird. Sound hilarious, but I feel less afraid thinking in a fairytale style
The fear of the Ocean
Those who know me, know that I love water and swimming. But if it comes to oceans and lakes where I can not see the bottom I am a hero on socks (Dutch expression for being a chicken). When I was a child a stepped into a sea eagle and all the needles needed to be pulled out of my foot – one by one. I do not know if this is the reason for my fear, but I have been afraid of going into any other water than a swimming pool as long as I can remember. The most scary of swimming in the ocean is that there could be sharks (don’t laugh!). The movie in my head starts with the giant white sharks that comes up out of the middle of nowhere and pulls me under water and drags me away. If this movie in my head starts; I panic completely and all I can think of is to run out of the ocean. I am still very afraid, but I keep trying. In Koh Tao I even swam with baby black tip sharks! Getting there!
My tips and tricks:
- Get in the water!
- Try how far you can go. If you need to go out, that is fine. Just get back in again and try again!
- Ask someone to come with you. You will feel so much better.
- Use snorkeling glasses in clear water to see what is going on underneath and around you.
- Take a swim noodle or something that you can hold on too even when you are a good swimmer. It makes you feel more comfortable.
The fear of not being (good) enough
I think I can write a book about this topic! (no my book is not about that 😉 ) Most people I know suffer from this huge fear of just not being good enough. Not being enough to be successful. Not being enough to be loved and not being enough to live and deserve a happy life.
A few months ago, Marlies a friend of mine told me that I need to be nice to myself. I need to be sweet to myself. I did not really know how to do that. But in the last two months I have started to understand that better. If I am not taking care of myself, than who will?
I have started exercising every day and changing my diet. I started to work on installing new habits and challenging old beliefs. I am still at the beginning of this path, but I have learned that the only thing limiting me, are the beliefs I have about myself. And the only one that can change these is….me!
What have I achieved?
Since i started travelling many of my fears have gone away or have gotten a lot smaller. I am so much more healthy now. Taking care of my body. Listening to it and respecting my limits. I have never had a strong constitution and many times I just kept going not respecting that I need a rest.
I have met so many incredible new people. I have heard so many inspiring ideas. I have seen many amazing places and I have tasted the best food of my life. I have danced, like there is nobody watching and sang as if nobody was listening.
I woke up almost every day with a smile on my face. Eager to get up and see what the new day has in store for me.
This bird is no longer chained. It is not quite ready to fly, but it is a free bird. It is spreading its wings….
Feel the fear and do it anyway!
I have shared so much about my fears. I would be interested to hear about yours. Please leave me a comment and let me know, what you are doing (or will start to do) to look your fears in the eye!
Now in Chiang Mai. Have I seen everything?
Posted on Jun 20, 2016
I have had a really, really nice – really really amazing (insider joke 😉 sorry!) time in recent months: I’ve been to the most amazing beaches, met tons of interesting people, and I have seen incredible nature, buildings and attractions. But now my head is full and I feel no desire to move around for a while. Isn’t it nice to be able to say your hunger for adventure is satisfied for a while?
After traveling Thailand for about 4 weeks, I have now settled in Chiang Mai. The city of expats, nomads, entrepreneurs, yogis and vegans! The city has gone crazy after hundreds of people from all over the world invaded with their bikes and vegan t-shirts for the vegan festival ! They all go crazy about the banana girl. I’d never heard of her before so I checked it out – you should too, it’s really funny! Chiang Mai is a great city, with loads of cafes and delicious food! I have an apartment here – let’s see how long I’ll stay!
Learning
Those who know me well know I not only love traveling, but I always LOVE learning new things. That’s what I’m doing now. I’m letting everything Chiang Mai has to offer soak-in. You Tubers earn money by making “crazy” videos – there are authors, writers, coaches, marketeers, developers and many other interesting people. Everyone tells you about their projects and skills, and I have been taking it all in! Next week I will visit a school to learn about Thai massage! And I have learned my first Thai words: Sawasdee Ka! See you in Chiang Mai!
10 Things I learned while traveling Cuba
Posted on May 6, 2016 Leave a Comment
When I first thought of Cuba, I thought of old cars, cigars and rum! Be honest, are these not also your first thoughts? Since their alcohol and tobacco are luxury goods, I was not aware that Cuba is still a third world country! That means that unless you are staying at 5 star hotels, expect Indian standards! I was also not aware that Cuba was blocked by the USA. That is why there are hardly any goods and the internet is so bad.
Did you know that Cuba is a third world country?
Cuba was a very interesting country! It reminded me a lot of what the DDR must have been like, but tropical. The stores are empty; there is just not much to buy. The people get vouchers that they can use to buy flour, salt, sugar and other things they need for daily life.
The Revolution is very important to the people and you’re reminded of this by signs at every corner. Tourists pay with CUC, locals with CUP. An entry to a museum may cost 8 CUC (dollar) for tourists, but 8 CUP (24 CUP = 1 CUC) for locals. As a tourist it is very difficult to eat in CUP restaurants, or to find stores where you can buy things with CUP. I was on tour with a local for a few hours in Havana and saw a completely different Havana than the week before, walking around as a tourist! Phone conversations may be eavesdropped and, if you are lucky to find a WiFi spot that is not too slow, the things you do on the internet are watched too. So I thought it would be a better idea to post after my return to Holland.
10 things I learned in Cuba
Here’s a list of the 10 things I learned in Cuba:
1) Wait and have patience. You need to wait for everything and queue for everything. “Espero” is the word.
2) A day without music is a lost day. The cubans make music everywhere and do everything to music. Isn’t doing the dishes so much more fun this way?
3) Keep it simple! In Cuba everything is simple. There are two brands of beer. You want a or b? …done. there are mainly 4 kinds of fruits and about 5 vegetables. Shampoo? One kind… no more thinking. Take it or leave it. And a bodega has nothing to do with wine in Cuba. This is the store where you buy your food.
4) Toiletpaper is a luxury item… no comment… a toilet seat too. A 4 star hotel without it? They have it in Cuba.
5) The world always has two sides. See Havana as a tourist and see ” la habana” with a local. You will not believe it’s the same city. The two roads do not even cross!
6) Kiss, hug, be warm… with everybody! Everybody is so nice and warm in Cuba! Great people!
7) Outdoor living rooms are so much nicer! Buy a bottle of rum and a bottle of coke. Bring your music and sit at the Malecón. So much more social. Or how about a round of dominos? Outside. next to the road – who cares? The world is our living room…if you want it to be!
8) If you kill a cow in Cuba you can get a more severe punishment than killing a person! It has nothing to do with religion. More about this on Wikipedia. A local told me that cows are not eaten here; they’re saved for lean times because they provide so many products. I could not find anything about this. But other than in Varadero I didn’t see beef anywhere.
9) Not all the World has wifi and internet around every corner. You sit on the curb with 50 others to send a few whatsapp messages. You get used to it and you stop watching your phone every 5 minutes! It has its good sides too! More about the internet in Cuba here.
10) Dance! Dance! Dance! Grannies, mothers and fathers, teenagers, children, salsa, bachata. Dance on the road, in the kitchen and at the Malecon! As long as you dance! (If you love to read more about dacing, also read my post about learning Tango in Buenos Aires)
The future of Cuba
The prices for hotels in Cuba are supposed to rise about 20% in the next months. Buildings are being renovated on every corner. New hotels are being built everywhere in Havana. Chanel just had a fashion show at the Prada. If you want to go, do it fast. It will not be the same in a few months from now. We stayed in “casa particulares”. If you want to know more about Cuba and the culture I would advise you to do the same!
If you want to get a feeling for Cuba than listen to the song Malecon.
Brazil! “It’s not dangerous here!”
Posted on Feb 9, 2016 Leave a Comment
I have told my story about BRAZIL many times and every time I tell it, the person would say “you have to write that down!” Like many of you know, I went on a cruise from Las Palmas to Brazil! I met many digital nomads there and in the evening we would sit together to have dinner. One day at the pool I met a bunch of Brazilian people and they invited me to come and sit at their table that evening. I had a blast. These people know how to enjoy life! It was extremely funny.
A visit so Sao Paulo in Brazil
After the boat, I stayed in touch. And as I was in Sao Paulo I was invited to visit their house in a small town close to Sorocaba – an amazing private area (yes people live behind fences and with 24 hour security here) and if you saw the houses, you’d know why! It was an amazing time and I felt like I was part of the family.
After a while I found out that one of the sons was “adopted”. He took me to the area where he had lived before and I spent hours saying hellos and goodbyes, shaking hands and giving kisses to complete strangers. Socializing in Brazil takes time. And so does saying goodbye. You need a lot of patience here!
It is not dangerous here!
I found myself standing in a street at dawn in my cocktail dress after church (you have to wear your best clothes to the church here in Brazil!) in an area thats, let’s just say, not exactly Beverly Hills… The people here had no doorbell, and clapping your hands is the way to draw attention to the fact you are standing in front of their fence. Yeah that’s right, almost everybody has a fence or a gate in front of the house. We stood outside on the street, with a bunch of people around me… when we came it was bright daylight, but slowly it was getting dark… and every person passing by, either walking or sitting in a car, was staring at me like I was an alien from outer-space. I was getting more and more uncomfortable! Why is the sister taking so long to pick us up?! I have to be honest, I was really afraid! They kept on telling me: “Andrea, don’t worry! It is not dangerous here!” I didn’t really trust those words and soon I found out my gut was right!
…to be continued!
Tango Challenge in Buenos Aires!
Posted on Feb 9, 2016 Leave a Comment
I arrived in Tango City!
What do you do when you’re in Buenos Aires and you love dancing! Yeah Tango! That right! Two days ago I had my first encounter with Tango, as a girl from my hostel, who had lived in Buenos Aires for a year, took me to a Milonga. It was not far from my hostel, but it was dark outside and my new friend was going to join me later at the Milonga after the (beginner’s) class finished.
So there I was…walking alone in the dark through Buenos Aires on my really UNcomfortable fancy high heels. Everything was fine as I was passing streets with bars and restaurants and people outside. But the street kept going, and it got more and more quiet. I needed to turn right… and walked straight into two homeless men staring at me… Nope! Not going down that street! Accepting that I was going to miss the class, I started walking back, looking for a taxi, as two women were heading the right way. So, I asked if I could join them and I arrived on time! 🙂
At the door I met a bunch of people and swoop… I was sitting at a table with really nice people enjoying myself. The tango class was really nice… I was ready for more! Bring it on!
A tango teacher
Am I really going to do that? Take private lessons.. .from a stranger in my apartment? Hello comfort zone!! ….I felt the fear and decided to do it anyway! Ok I admit! I had a small push from Esther Jacobs. She had done it before…
But still… that morning I was sitting there, feeling extremely uncomfortable! Do I really want to do this? What if I fall? What if I look like an idiot? What if I get a face as red as an tomato! Ok … relax… you can do this. I cleaned up the place and put on my shoes. These were the shoes from our last carnival, which I brought on the cruise for the formal dinner. As I started walking I noticed it immediately! I couldn’t believe it… The bottom part of my heel was missing! Great! What do I do now?
I ended up taking my first tango lesson in a skirt and… trainers! But hey, it went well and it was so much fun! And no I did not fall, neither did I make a complete fool out of myself! I was surprised to experience what you can learn in 90 minutes! I am taking up the challenge! You learn a new habit in 21 days! Let’s see how I tango after that! 😉
P.S. I even have homework! To use a nice German saying: “From nothing comes nothing!” Haha!
