Road trip in a road trip

This was an amazing trip for ten days. Taking a boat from Sengigi on Lombok to Labuanbajo on Flores Island, with multiple stops on the way. It took us three days to reach destination, with the first stop, a warm welcome on Perama Island: white sand beach, snorkeling, campfire BBQ and guitar songs. Mostly sailing during the night, sleeping on deck under the stars with great people. More stops on remote beaches for snorkeling and Komodo Island, to see the Komodo dragons, which can get over 3 meters long!!!

After arriving in Labuanbajo, a day of doing just nothing, before visiting the rest of the island. With 2 'crazy' Polish guys, Maciej and Pawel, and Maxi, girl from Germany, we decided to rent a car with driver. We have seen all the beautiful highlights of the island. Rice fields in the form of a spider web, a traditional village of the Ngada people, Blue Stone beach, Moni village, Kelimutu mountain lakes.... Staying overnight in simple home stays... A lot of driving over narrow and winding roads in 4 days, flat tire on our way back, but worth the sore bums!!

Back in Labuanbajo, back on the boat for Christmas party, and then back to Lombok. Another two days of sailing. And now: chillin' out on a tiny island just off the coast of Lombok, called Gili Trawangan....

Bali part 1

OK. Bali. Where to begin... So far, so good!! Love it here!! Been here for just a few days and I already have the feeling I left France weeks ago. Slowly, slowly...that is what I hear during the whole day, nice habit. Don't worry, be happy: just to quote Bobby McFerrin, hahahah!

The first few days, nothing more than sun, beach, waves and trying to surf: good fun although I will never be a real surf dude. Lunch and dinner at one of the many, many warungs. Real good food for a very good price. So much choice with all the different regions in Indonesia, that it is sometimes hard to choose where to eat. In the evenings mostly chilling out at the beach or at a friends house. Few times to a reggae bar in Kuta, awesome!!! Live-music the whole evening.

The last three days I made a first trip on the island, for a short visit to Ubud and Lovina, to see where I will be staying when I get back from a boattrip to Lombok, Flores and the Gili's.... You will be a be to read that in my next post!!! For now: Selamat tinggal...

Bali, first stop....

Finally, I can't count the days till my departure!!!! I will be leaving France, for the wonderfull island Bali on december the 8th, and apparently I will be back somewhere in February. In between those dates a few weeks in Goa as well. Yeah, happy, happy, happy! So looking forward to this, you can't even imagine. New things and areas to discover, challenge of travelling with less then 5kg of luggage (....), making lots of new friends. And I will give it my best to get everyone up to date with tons of pictures and stories!!!

Holiday!!!!!!!!!

Finally, I have sorted out what I will be doing over the next 3 months or so. It has taken me some time, but this was a very 'interesting' year so far. I have met some great people down here in St Clair, although most of them are coming over on holiday or weekends. What I already said a few entries back, this winter is mine, not working. So, what is the plan?

Backpack is my luggage, flipflops are my shoes, hahahahah!!!!

Leaving first week of December to Bali, meeting up with Botak and his family for a little while. NYE probably in Koh Phangan, and a few days at least to recover.... After that heading over to Goa on the westcoast of India, meeting up with some friends, and relaxing some more... I will keep you all up to date off my whereabouts, will post plenty of pics. If you wish to join me somewhere: let me know!!!

After a few weeks of silence...

What is going?! What is happening?! Having a great time here in the south of France, have met lot's of old and new friends... Which made me make the descision not to go back to the beautifull mountains of Colorado for the next winter season. Although I wil miss everyone overhere, have seen enough snow over the last few years and feel like exploring different ways of life, in every meaning. And of course, I think I would love a few months off, without thinking about work, work, work. There is more in life then just working; there is fun, pleasure, sharing a good time with friends. Right now, I will just continue what I have started years ago....: LIFE!!! Love to all of my old and new friends!

Living at a 100%

These last few weeks have been amazing, and is getting better every moment... No worrying about what is to come, just enjoying the present. Vivre a fond, profiter au maximum de toutes les sentiments, rire, rire beaucoup... C'est la vie qui est aussi beau, c'est domage de ne pas profiter...

....back in Saint Clair

After a few weeks in Suriname, back to the Netherlands to see Ellen and her family, baby Dex was born five minutes before I landed in Amsterdam... Another beautifull boy! Congatulations and celebrations! After having stayed with them for a few days, back to the south of France. Who would have thought it would be that interesting on so many levels and directions....? Well, it is! Running the best cocktail bar at a very beautifull Mediterranean beach, with a very nice crowd and two great bartenders... Was a bit strange to be back here after being in Saint Tropez and Vail over the last few years. But feels good to be here, although it is hard work. So come over to Bar Les Flots Bleus at Saint Clair Plage, if you feel like having a nice afternoon or evening, fresh made Mojito's, cold Champagne or a nice Tequila Sunrise... Some very good music, which varies from Buena Vista, Rod Stewart and Solomon Burke to The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Kings of Leon.

Riddle me this, riddle me that...

A small riddle a 9 year old told me today:

99 Men are in a boat, when the boat capsizes...how many man are left in the boat?

(The answer is 66 men in total...)

More stories to tell, more pictures to show...

Where to begin?! First a nice tropical rainy day, which resulted in....flooded streets for a big part of the city, which of course resulted in some creative driving. There where so many places where you could not define the end of the street and the beginning of the canal. This is called "driving on memory". Remember where the roads and canals are and, don't forget, remember where the potholes in the streets are, especially for the people on bikes.

The flooded canals are still not down to the normal level, that will take a few days...till then I just have to trust my memory, ahum...

This morning a little tour in town, to the daily market and some shopping: gold and silver, clothing, if you like fake designer stuff... Here an impression of the historic inner city of Paramaribo, which is on the list of Unesco World Heritage ("gradual fusion of European architecture and construction techniques with indigenous South America materials and crafts")

Spoiled? Yes.

After having spent six months in the cold, way too much snow and many American miles driving over icy and slippery roads in Colorado, I am very hard trying to spoil myself with a sun and heat overloaded break in South America. Which, concluding from the photos below, I am doing a pretty good job trying, if I may say so...

Roomies

Let me introduce you to my new roommates for the next few weeks... The biggest is called Redi (Red in Sranantongo) and we do need some help to find a name for the little one...any suggestions???

Four seasons in one day...

That is what happens if you go to San Francisco, for a day of playing the game: I am a tourist... But it was great and I will go back very soon. Everything we could visit and do in one day, has been done, with getting the full San Francisco weather on top. Maybe not long enough, but that gives me a good reason to go back, soon. Riding the famous Cable Car, by boat to see the Golden Gate and Alcatraz from up close, Fisherman's Wharf, China Town, Lombard Street (famous from a few movies, we walked from the bottom to the top...) and Russian Hill to name a few! First night dinner in, I may say, the best Supper Club in town, Bix. Hard to find, it is in a small alley on the foot of the Transamercian Pyramid. Great food, brilliant service and excellent life jazz music!!! You could wonder back to the early 1900....

My next visit will be longer, to spend some more time there...you gotta feel the vibe, man!

The first picture is a detail from the Argonaut Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf, highly recommended.... Second is taken from standing at the entrance of the Transamerican, a landmark which you can see from every angle in the city. The Golden Gate does not really need an introduction I think... Last picture is taken from the top of Lombard street, just to show off how steep it is to walk up the hill:)

Who would have thought this

to happen. I had two days off, after we had been pretty busy over the last two weeks. Yesterday I had to do all kinds of boring stuff, but had to be done. And on top of that, it was raining, at this time of the year!!!! This morning, I went up to Beaver Creek all alone, to have my first snowboarding lesson, and I think I am converted. I loved it, had the best time ever. Always had good fun when I went skiing, but this is more 'me' then I would have thought.

OK OK, it was just the bunny hill, but I did pretty good, if I may say so. Look at the pictures and you might want to come out to Beaver Creek yourself, to see with your own eyes that this is a beautiful part of the United States....

Choices...

Making a choice and settle down in 1 place? Too difficult! Who could make a choice, for example this beautiful ski resort in the Colorado Rockies, with besides all the Americans with their very strange (very, very strange) eating habits, people from every corner of this globe (globe is round, do you have corners in something that is round....might have to work on expressing myself in English).

For the summer season, I will be heading back to St Clair, one of the 12 beaches in the community of Le Lavandou on the south east coast of France. In between seasons, a break from about four weeks = 2 months holiday? I do not really want to make that choice yet, I think my life is great! Keeps me young and you only live once, better make the best of it!

Life

Where are you going, what's next? For years I am asking myself this same question, and to be honest, I do not know...

When I was about 10 years old, I could not answer the question: What do you want to be when you grow up? Around the age of 16, we had to make choices at school. What do you want to be when you grow up? No idea what to answer. This continued all these years, with all the different choices I have made. I do not look back and feel sorry about each and every road I have taken in life. My friends and family have stopped asking me, don't you want to settle down (and do what is expected...)?

I am happy with my life, happy with myself and if you want to be a part in my life, know how to deal with the unpredictable choices I make. Because if you are my friend or my family, I do love you all...

Kids...

A few days ago I had my first run for Premier, the limousine service of the company I work for. I had to pick up a family of four in Breckenridge and take them to the Denver Airport. Nothing special, but kids can say real funny things. The couple had two sons, the youngest one about 2 years old (or young?) and his big brother was about 5 years. The little one, didn't stop asking his mum: Mummies car? Daddies car? Then all of a sudden, his brother answers him: No, it is the car of the lady. Then he turns around to me and says: Ma'am, you sure have a nice set of wheels!!

His parents and I, really had to laugh about it, when he climbed in the back after having said this beautiful phrase. And true, it is a nice set of wheels that took us to the airport that day...