woensdag 28 maart 2018

El ritmo Rioplatense (español)


Estaciones
Buenos Aires, donde vi cómo la primavera se convirtió en verano, luego cómo brotó el otoño. Los árboles en traje color amarillo y naranja, y la despedida del sol cada día un poco más temprano.
Mi bufanda favorita ahora sirve contra el frío, en vez de ser un tapetito para acostarme en una playa o parque. Me pone un toque melancólica sentir un viento con la promesa del invierno después de haber vivido 3 años con abundante sol y calorcito.
Me vestí con ropa prestada por mis amigas porteñas cuando salí, y luego llevé otra colección suya para abrigarme contra el frío. Los contenidos de mi mochi no sirven para la vida ciudadana, ni para estaciones que no sean primavera o verano.

Temas tensos
Buenos Aires es una dama grande. Hermosa y cosmopolita; probablemente la más europea de América del Sur, cómo algunos contaron con orgullo. Al otro lado de la ficha, hay pobreza tangible y una vibra fuerte. Tensa a veces, y no solamente durante marchas como la del Día de las Mujeres, para y por los derechos, la igualdad y la libertad de todas las mujeres en el mundo. La presencia de la policía en cada esquina y las protestas qué encontrás a menudo, me dejan con una energía un poquito ‘picante’ a veces. La injusticia y los secretos del gobierno, la desigualdad humana, el machismo y el feminismo, y más temas políticos fuertes hacen a la gente luchar por sus derechos en plazas y calles. Después del regreso de la serenidad de Uruguay, la vuelta a Buenos Aires era un choque temporal.



La vida porteña, a full. 
Hablando de temas más ligeros y felices, les dejo una ración de Happy Hippie Power otra vez. Viví la vida porteña a full. Literalmente. Me llené con medialunas, pizza, empanadas y birras artesanales. La mitad de mi, hoy en día, es una mezcla de todo eso. La otra, por suerte, todavía es ser humano.

Las tarde-noches llenas de cultura. Cumbia, conciertos, un show de comedia stand up y un lindo concierto gratis, con las pibes debajo de las estrellas. Tambores y danza en la Bomba del Tiempo, y cada domingo está el ritmo rioplatense de los tambores en ‘mi’ barrio, San Telmo. Mi ritmo rioplatense personal, en Montevideo y en Buenos Aires, consistió de siestas, largas a veces, para recuperar las horas que no dormí en la noche del día anterior que resultó ser la mañana.

Fué un placer ver chacareras y folklore. Y aunque el tango se respira en el aire, me tiene que esperar para bailarlo hasta la vuelta. El miedo y un toque de vergüenza, todavía ganaron.
Un grande ‘high’ fue el concierto de mi héroe del rock nacional argentino, Lisandro Aristimuño. En el hermosísimo Teatro Coliseo disfruté un montón de ese regalo de navidad a mi misma, y aún más por compartir esa noche lindísima con una nueva amiga y Lisa-fan. Con la mejor compañía, brillamos desde casi el front row.

La vida porteña, en paz. 
Además, dentro de todas las opciones, la joda y amigos presentes, generalmente estuve en paz. Por dentro. La locura que siempre está presente en esta ciudad, con toda su oferta y energía, te puede consumir si no te cuidás. Y más si te quedas mucho tiempo. Pero mantuve la balanza; la mía y también la de mi billetera. Buenos Aires no es barato. Y sacar plata nunca fue más costoso que acá. (Para quien viene desde Europa; traete una tarjeta Visa Débito y/ o plata en efectivo. Incluso cambiar me parece más barato que usar un cajero).



Felicidad no necesita un hogar
Buenos Aires, donde me reuní con amigos de antes, y descubrí una bocha de nueva gente linda. Me fortalecieron mi amor ya siempre fuerte por la gente argentina, y por la gente latina en general. Buenos Aires, donde encontré nuevas maneras de amar (más), a mi misma, a gente en especial y a todo el mundo. Y nuevas maneras de aceptar y dejar ir también, con amor y limitando sufrimiento innecesario.

En un momento que parecía normal, pero marcado para mi, estuve en ‘La Favela’; según algunas el dormitorio más desordenado del mundo en el hostel más copado de todos. Más que un hostel, este hostel es como vivir en una comunidad para la gente qué se queda. Lleno de argentinos, venezolanos, colombianos, chilenos y otra gente latina viviendo en el hostel, más alguna gente viajera piola de Europa, incapaz de salir o permanecer lejos por mucho tiempo de ese lugar qué nos atrapa como una cuna con muchos abrazos y risas.

Acostándome en el medio de las cosas de 8 vidas sueltas y dispersas en todo lados, me llegó el sentimiento fuerte de la felicidad que siento. Vivir en esta convivencia da una felicidad simple, pura y tranquila. Por la vida que elegí vivir, por el amor que siento, por mi y por los otros. Por ser más capaz de compartir amor de otra manera, amar cada vez más en todos los niveles. Por seguir estando contenta. Completa. Suficiente y abundante. Balanceada.

En otras palabras: todo tranki.





vrijdag 2 maart 2018

Qué viaje, che… (español)

Estoy de vuelta; soy feliz de verte de nuevo, Buenos Aires! Casi tres meses han pasado desde el día en qué llegué a Montevideo, la capital de Uruguay. Cómo siempre sin tener un plan fijo de lo qué iba a hacer, ni en donde hacerlo. No tenía idea qué iba a enanomarme de un país más y qué iba a conocer gente para añadir a la lista de mis favoritas. De hecho, capaz es la ganadora de todas las que conozco hasta ahora.

Compartir es amar
Perdí la cuenta de las veces en qué gente desconocida, o poca conocida, me dió la bienvenida. Dormí en ranchitos en lugares hermosos con esa misma gente hermosa, y no me dejó pagar. Por el hecho qué nos conectamos a primera vista, o por ser amiga de un amigo (de un amigo de un amigo) en común.
O simplemente porque a alguien le gusta ayudar a otras. Como la genia, 100% desconocida, quien me ofreció acampar en su patio y usar su cocina y baño, después descubrir qué el departamento qué ella tenia para alquilar era demasiado caro para mi. Nuevos amigos y amigas me llevaron a sus hogares, campos, familias y amigos sin conocerme tanto. Sin dudas y siempre con un abrazo calido, comida rica y una sonrisa enorme al llegar.

Dormí en camas para 2 personas, las cuales compartimos con 4, simplemente por el deseo de compartir de los anfitriones de la casa. Resultó qué estuvimos sin electricidad y água muchas veces, pero nadie se quejó de eso nunca. La familiaridad, la conviviencia, el conjunto y el amor universal es mucho más valiente qué una ducha caliente.

A veces me siento un poco amarga por recibir todo esta hospitalidad, porque supongo qué no puedo prometer darles lo mismo cuando vengan a Holanda en un momento en qué no estaré allá para hospedarlos y compartir todo lo que tengo yo. La diferencía en la predisposición a abrir las puertas de las casas y hogares generalmente es imenso, aún más a desconocidos.

Aparte de la gente linda, adentro y afuera también, hay mucha naturaleza preciosa. Rocha, la parte de la costa que conoci es hermosa, con sus pueblos mágicos, lobos marinos y noches fresquitas con luz qué solamente viene de las velas en las casitas, la luna y las millones de estrellas. Muy pocas veces en mi vida qué las vi brillando tan fuerte.





Lecciones de vida
Aprendí una pila de cosas en aquellos meses. Cosas interiores mías y cosas del amor, de todos tipos. Crecí como ser humano, y esa es una de mis rázones (para) vivir de esta forma que elegí. Igual tuve algunas epifanías tratando cosas universales y diferencias culturales, interesantes y educativas.

Una diferencia re-marcada entre ‘Holanda de Latino America’, cómo algunos anombran Uruguay, es la repuesta a la pregunta posiblemente más frecuenta de todas; “Che, cómo estás?”, ósea “Hee, hoe is het?” en holandés. Mientras la respuesta preferida en Uruguay suene “Todo tranki!”, la respuesta en Holanda sera al contrario: “Ocupado, ocupado, ocupado!”. El objetivo parece ‘estar tranki’ versus ‘estar ocupado’: la explicación más clara porque prefiero vivir en esta parte del mundo.

Otra tremenda epifanía me llegó durante las ‘Llamadas’ del carnaval, mirando las procesiones coloridas, con carritos decorados, tambores, actores y bailarines. Las hermosas mujeres, de todo ‘tipo’ y forma, bailan en las calles mostrando los cachetes y barrigas; incluso cuando no son cachetes y barrigas ‘perfectas’, según las revistas qué nos dejan creer en una realidad falsa.



Ese mostrar de partes del cuerpo probablemente no pasaría en Holand, donde a menudo intentamos ocultar las partes qué no son cómo ‘deberían ser’. El cuerpo, para muchas, nunca esta bueno o suficientemente lindo, y nunca somos ni estaremos contentas con lo qué tenemos. Me parece qué las mujeres en Uruguay, o Latino America en general, posiblemente tienen una autoestima más alta por eso. Me encantó ver la alegría, facilidad, libertad y orgullo con qué se mueven sus cuerpos y sobre todo por la sonrisa hermosa y brillante.

En aquel momento sentí profundamente que el cuerpo es nada más que nuestro auto en esta vida. Deberiámos cuidarlo bien a seguir adelante, pero tenemos todos lindos ‘autos’. Ni importa la marca, color o tamaño. Pero capaz tiene sentido qué hay más tiempo a preocuparse por lujos cómo autos en lugares con menos pobreza y menos problemas económicos.

‘El pueblo Uruguay’
La seguridad, aúnque escuché mucha gente hablando del subir del nivel del peligro hoy en dia, todavia es más alta qué en la mayoria de los países latinamericanos. La tranquilidad qué experimenté en Uruguay es algo especial y única; incluso en el capital encontrás muchas calles verdes y vacías, cómo si fuera un pueblo.
Encontrar conocidos en la calle por casualidad y a menudo descubrir tener amigos en común, me dió el sentimiento de ser parte de ese pueblo. Un beso y una charla en los cafés donde era cliente regular en la mañana, ser recibido con una ‘choca cinco’ en la tarde en el gimnasio donde se conoce mi nombre, y más amistad y amor en el barcito de algunos grandes amigos en la noche me dieron cositas cuando salí de ‘mi’ Uruguay.




Nostálgia
Una vuelta por las calles de San Telmo en Buenos Aires, con más hombres incapaz de suprimir su deseo a decirme algo sucio o molesto, más vagos y borrachos y una vibra qué te pone un poco más atenta en lo en qué andás, me da un sentimiento de nostálgia fuerte a la tranquilidad de Uruguay.

‘El pueblo Uruguay’ me dejó enamorada de él y de su gente. Y cómo siempre, despedirme de un amor duele un poquito. Felizmente el amor no tiene límites, ni comparación, y ni tiempo ni distancia cuentan. Los recuerdos lindos quedan para siempre, y tengo un hogar más a donde regresar ‘pronto’.



donderdag 19 oktober 2017

Ten million dollar feeling


5.57AM, Saturday morning, October 7. Waking up by the unmistakable sound of someone who had a bit too much fun, puking under the windows that open to the street outside. Realising I am in a room I've never slept in before. And that it's the exact time of my birth. And that that was a Saturday as well. Interesting. Or well, maybe more to me than to anyone else. Anyways..

Getting it straight in my fuzzy head that I'm in Barcelona, where I moved out of an expensive hostel into the future luxurious air castle of a generous cruise friend. Not too posh yet, without hot water and with construction materials and old pieces of house scattered all over the place, covered by a grey-white filter blanket of dust. But who cares, if you're living in the centre of Barcelona for free? Posh has never really looked good on me anyway.

Also, I have never felt richer in my life. Ten million dollars at least.
As I have plenty of time on my side. And tons of connections. Existing ones that deepen, while new ones cross my path in unexpected situations. On top of that, I'm adding stories to my personal collection of adventures, meanwhile growing personally on the go. Everything is simply perfect and flowing at the moment!





Every day I wake up happy, knowing I am not expected to show up anywhere at any certain time and that I can do what I really feel like doing.
Read. Write. Lose track of time studying languages by listening podcasts, music and look up its lyrics. Sit on steps. Sit on benches. Sit on anything you can sit on really. Watch people. Have a coffee. Talk to strangers and get 'unstranged' with each other. Play and cuddle with dogs.
Catch up with friends that are around or hang out with new people. Have conversations, from deep and meaningful to silly and entertaining. Walk, run, skip rope, swim or do nothing. Draw, color, sing or try other creative (and scary) things, as I used to do as a kid. Cook, with love, time and attention and enjoy eating it slowly.
See the sun, hear the wind and feel the ocean while facing the beach with my eyes closed. Stare, drift away and dream. Enjoy that peaceful place inside. That place where sometimes suddenly the best realisations of how good my life actually is, pop up.

Like in this very moment.

It's still early and I'm still half asleep when I had just realised all the above. Already smiling, but smiling a little extra to the feeling of being sober and well-rested after a night of 'bear time'; the necessary, spiritual animal downtime with myself, after 2 weeks of quality friend-time with lovely people from all over the world, sharing October's Indian summer days in Berlin and Barcelona.

After the concert of puke, I overhear a couple, the girl asking the boy if he really loves her. I listen until the chatter is too far for me to hear. Friends of the puking guy, who was apparently still sitting next to his own produce, find him and pick him up. I smile a bit more at how cute life can be.




My belly is done sleeping. It wants to put this crazy current reality into words to be able to read back later. For a possible future, rainy day when things will definitely be different than today. My brain answers "Go back to sleep, you fool. It's too early". But my belly knows that time is not relevant right now. We can have a nap later. Any time we like.

And that realisation made my grin even bigger, stretch like a cat, jump up and put the laptop on my lap. Typing with a close to maniacal grin, sitting on the bed, in the middle of this perfect room, in this perfect moment, while the sun shines her first light over Barcelona Barrio Gótico.

Oh. And life got even better just now: I can shower on the beach. Ha!

x


=====





donderdag 22 december 2016

A lot more of Panamá

A lot of no hello’s
I didn’t fall in love with Panamá. And besides the littering behaviour of many people, there is another reason why. It seems to me that, compared to many other countries I’ve been to, Panamanians are not very into tourists and gringos. ‘They’, to continue generalising, might have issues with or hard feelings against ‘us’, because of historical, political or whatever kind of reason, but that’s not just the case in this country. And in most other places, I would at least be greeted back when giving someone a ‘hola’ and a smile. But even in (should be) service orientated places as super markets, there were many silences and unfriendly looks in return to my always friendly greetings. It got under my skin and felt kind of unhappy when stepping into supermarkets at the end, as I felt disappointed and sad, realising that I couldn’t continue being super friendly myself anymore.



A lot of love
Because of the complaining it might look I didn’t enjoy my time, but let me get things straight here. First of all, the many friends I made, from a ton of countries, have been amazing. Besides enjoying ourselves and exploring the country’s stunning nature, they help me grow and become a better version of myself. Sometimes by listening and speaking to them and having the most interesting chats, sometimes just by being around them and letting them be a mirror.
I’m very thankful for everyone I’ve spent a little or a lot of time with; from the ones with whom you share a deep understanding from the moment you introduce oneself, to the ones that you first need to figure out a bit more.



Tons of heartwarming moments
And let’s not forget the first times and magical moments, such as that lucky night that the rock steady Playa Venao crew saw a 70-year-old sea turtle laying her eggs under the full moon night. Someone mentioned a Hawaiian tradition, while we were hoping and waiting for eggs to hatch on a turtle project area, which says that we should draw what we really wanted. Clearly, a variety of turtles started to grow in the sand. Small and huge ones, flat ones and 3D ones, all created in moonlight only. And we played Pictionary too, to be honest.
On our way back, no babies seen, our shared wish became reality, when we saw a trail and found the hard working momma turtle. To be so close to this dinosaur, hearing her breathing heavily on laying her eggs whilst we sat with her, made everyone happy and silent.


And then there was the day that I woke up the first morning in a new place, getting ready to try the early morning waves, when I was yelled at to come quickly and see two adult whales and a little one flapping around in our bay.


So, there’s been lots of magic, but for what I know of it, it is not really ‘my’ country. Which I’m actually happy about, because what if you never want to leave every place you visit? So.. up to Costa Rica, a whole new country is awaiting me!

A lot of Panamá

And there goes Panamá. A 3-month adventure stuffed and packed with, well… a lot. A lot of new unforgettable people and moments, to start with. Tons of monkeys and sloths hanging about in hostel gardens. A true gem for animal watching, hiking and exploring natural wonders. Slightly less pleasant were the days of non-stop, fierce showers. The fact that I actually believed I didn’t need a rain coat or bag cover, as I would 'just avoid going outside' during the wet season, was a bit of a beginner’s mistake.



Lots of wildlife
The upside of that, in togetherness with Otto, the latest tropical November storm ever, waterfalls grew and colours exploded. An unreal kind of green took my breath away many times, making me having to stop, stare and sigh. A green so bright and vivid that made me feel like starring in a 3D computer game.

Healthy and blossoming conditions for animals of all sorts, so the little vampires that need human blood had me as their main piece of Christmas haute cuisine. Mosquitos, lice and mites feasted on me way before the holidays started. Newest member of the stinging, itching or burning kind are a mean type of algae and the ‘chitra’ (sand fly or flea).
Upsides are; many people love to hang out with the perfect bait, and in comparison to chitra horror, mosquito bites became peanuts. 


Lots of islands
Stubborn me almost missed out on the beautiful islands of Bocas del Toro, trying to stay away from crowded party heavens & expensive tourist traps. But the weeks spent there, moving between islands on little boats, enjoying jungle hikes and crazy bike rides to secluded beaches, tiny red frogs jumping around my legs, knee-high into the mud, turned out to be lovely in many ways.
Hearing Guari Guari, a mix of Spanish, English and maybe Jamaican-ish, makes for a true Caribbean feel. Bioluminescent water worms with a circular motion (don’t have any other way to describe them), fire flies, flying fish and friendly caimans probably make many foreigners decide to buy one of the many tropical islands that are for sale. The yummy coconut bread makes you (or at least me) forget about the numerous tourists that are being robbed on the desolated beaches. 





Lots of trash
‘A lot’ also relates to the amount of trash and plastic waste. It’s everywhere. It’s been a common sight: me in my bikinis, speeding after plastic cups that got picked up by the wind, carelessly dropped, thrown or left behind by ‘Sunday Funday’ locals on the beach. Carrying a bunch of empty beer cans that I picked up from the road while doing a little run to the beach and back, has raised an eyebrow here and there.

Panamá is still a new country and economy and with that it seems to be slightly behind on how things have developed in Western countries and especially neighbouring Costa Rica. Trash, how much harm it does to our Pachamama ('Mother Earth') and the possibilities of recycling are not yet on the awareness and priority list of Panameños.
Luckily there are initiatives and places where good work is being started. Bocas del Toro in general is trying harder than most other places I've seen. And then there are things going on already for a while in projects such as ‘The Plastic Bottle Village’, where a small village is being formed by houses constructed by the use of empty and otherwise unusable, plastic drinking bottles, all collected from the Bocas islands.

A relief to come across this positive and hopeful project at the end of my stay in Panamá. It was not that long ago that packaging was all still organic here, so often people have no clue that plastic does not dissolve when you throw it into the ocean or the woods. Even worse: every piece of plastic ever produced, still exists..

To be continued! 

zondag 20 november 2016

366 days of Gratitude

Exactly one leap year ago I left my sweet Amsterdam to go travel again, but without packing a return ticket this time. Doing my work online to fund for living while traveling had until then only been an idea buzzing around for long. I ‘just’ had to pick up my laptop and go. So I did. There’s no way I could have imagined what taking that leap of faith would bring me; 12 months and 1 lucky extra day of ongoing learnings, epiphanies and growth whilst enjoying the good life and getting to know some new parts of this amazing world I’m so curious about.

Within the 366 days I had the pleasure to spend more than a month on the Atlantic during 3 magic cruises, live 6 unforgettable months in my newest big love, Brazil, and have a brief but sweet catch-up with Cartagena (Colombia). I got to know Portugal much better (hurray!) for 2 months and spent summer in Amsterdam during a ‘working holiday’ seeing loved ones right there. And now, the latest cruise brought me to Panamá, where getting back to speaking and learning Spanish is fighting for my attention with continuing to study more Portuguese and where the coconut oil is liquid again.



Slowing down, pleasuring up
I know that to some I might sound like the typical happy traveller that got bitten by the spiritual bla bla bug, but living outside a money driven rat race system, changed a lot within me. I believe I’m still the same person, but then better. The world looks different to me. Stardust of golden glitter is drizzling around in a rainbow coloured world, like the tiniest and shiniest of raindrops. Love, care & positivity for everyone, even including myself. I never felt more real, awake, at peace and am finally thankful for all that I am and have.

Soul findings
Serious soul digging resulted in many new found ‘treasures’. Fears are faced with confidence and love. And love itself got a new, open, unconditional and unattached meaning to it. Keep buckets close now, because I indeed keep on ‘finding myself’ more and more; the number one cliché that some might puke on the hardest. I actually believe I know what I am supposed to be doing here now – how Zen can you go? Learn from everything and everyone around me, see what positive I can do with all that happens and, with that, create the best possible ‘me’ on earth. And then the best part: try to rub off some of that onto others and leave a positive footprint wherever I am. I consider it my new career.

To end this as cheesy and happy hippie as can get: it simply all feels right, this is what I should be doing right now.


maandag 3 oktober 2016

To never forget: Cruise #3 | Portugal – Panamá


*Note: clearly, all the used nicknames are nothing but sweet, cute, little generalizations with not a pixel of bad intentions. Only L.O.V.E. for the Russians, the gays, our Jesus Guy and all other stereotyping!
                                                                               
What happens when you put a hot gay couple, three Russian-ish guys, a missionary of Jesus Christ and a bunch of colorful traveling birds on a cheap, all-inclusive cruise and let them set sail to Central America? A 24/7 playground full of love and laughter and new experiences. An unforgettable journey that, without a doubt, has left a trail of smiles and special memories on many, if not all, of the hearts involved.




Worlds apart
The differences between us, all with our own ideas, standards, dreams, pasts and purposes were sometimes gigantic. And already for that reason alone, the trip started off as a rollercoaster in Lisbon harbor and ended without anyone wanting to disembark at arrival in the locks of the Panamá canal.

It took a day or two to settle in, to find each other and connect either on the dance floor, the dining table or at the pool, getting introduced through the friends that we already had since yesterday. Not always like minded in every way possible, but more or less ‘like aged’, our gang grew and spread over the decks like a giant, happy and sticky oil slick.

Drinking life like a Piña Colada
The 13 days on the ocean were pure magic. Cruising has that effect, I know by now, but this one was something else again. Most of us would probably never have met each other back home; no mutual backgrounds, religions or cultures in many cases. The boat put us all on the same spot and we couldn’t get away – even if we had wanted too. That, plus all the time in the world, made us open up, really listen and empathize with each other. Slurping up the exciting stuff to be found in all those exotic creatures, like we did the free piña coladas.

It wasn’t rare to see one of the Russians meditating with a Buddhist guy, sometimes opening an eye to check out the Latin babe working her ‘small tits, big booty’ in the gym in the background. The gays were sometimes found praying around with Jesus if not drinking gin-tonics, sunbathing, fumigating the room with kilos of deodorant, smoking the e-cigarette or doing an almost daily session of staying pretty in the gym.

The Jesus movie: new and improved
Our personal Jesus Guy turned out to be a sublime director, leading a serious production of the new and slightly more explicit version of the movie he uses to spread the word during his mission. Under the influence of the free bar (with a lot of Coca Cola for the director), we made our own Jesus movie, starring some of us on a wet and stormy pool deck.

There was the cripple, who actually had some trouble walking, because of some miraculous injury he got earlier on. Then the evil devil bullied him for limping, laughing like a maniac, doing back flips on the piled up sun chairs. But luckily there was Jesus, or his stand-in if #1 was too busy drinking beer, to exorcise this child of Satan.
The whore, because of her many sins, committed suicide by jumping off the boat after chugging another glass of cava. Strangely enough, she was alive again in the next scene, but who cares, really? What mattered, was that we were all healed in Jesus’ name in the end. So we ordered another round of free cocktails and told the miracles that Jesus made happen to our new friends; happy cruise people, printed life-size with a drink in their hands on the wall paper. The last detail needed for before the release date is the soundtrack, recorded on a drum computer.

Today
Months later, while most of us are not in the same place anymore, there is still quite a bit of contact between many of us. Sometimes the same cruise next year pops up as a reunion idea. But even when it’s quiet on WhatsApp or Facebook, there’s an invisible line of inerasable connection. I know for sure we’re all smiling this special grin thinking back of the many crazy, intense moments, of which I only know the part that I was attending. So many stories..!

The cuddling pile of people for example; lying across each other, hand in hand under the shooting stars on the runner’s deck, me as some sort of center pillar in the middle. Or the midnight basketball games, where no one knew who was with whom and therefore had more similarities to wrestling. The rumours about a possible orgy whispering in different corners on the ship, the epic wake up session, running through the corridors to wake up the birthday boy and take him to the bar. And the 5.00AM plan of how to take over the ship and live there forever on our drifting and self sustainable dream world.

Me might or we might not meet again, in this or another formation. Either way, I’m sure it has been a life enhancing experience for some of us. It sure has been for me and I’m truly happy to have had the chance to live this insane trip.

This blog is dedicated to never forget this crazy and loving happening, to all your faces, to friendship and of course to Dr. Bob; who will hopefully find love soon after spreading so much of it himself.

Amen.