Because jumping while traveling is awesome!
After Hanoi’s cold winter, we decided to head back south to Singapore and found some cheap flights to Boracay, Philippines. We actually landed in Kalibo and had a bus to drive us to Caticlan where we took a ferry to the tiny Island of Boracay. The long journey was totally worth it!
We loved the chilled and relaxed atmosphere of the Philippines along with the gorgeous white sand beach and turquoise waters.
After wandering up and around Guatemala, we went to Útila, a backpacker island in Honduras. We were too busy doing nothing there that we didn’t even think about jumping… oops ?
After that, we headed to Roatán Island, the big sister of Útila. Journey from Útila to Roatán went on-board a little privately owned motor boat… and let me tell you that the ride was bumpy. None of us were talking much during the 2 hours of the ride, just looking at the horizon hoping the breakfast would stay down.
On Roatán, we stayed in a nice little hotel in West Bay. The place was amazing, with its beautiful beach and turquoise waters. We had such a nice time here in the pool, at the pool bar, at the espresso coffee bar, at the sea, in the various restaurants along the beach that we extended our stay from 4 days to 7 🙂
After Las Vegas, we rent a car and headed to San Francisco. The thermal difference was a bit of a shock.
Of course we visited the Golden Bridge and this is when we realized that the whole SF was under the clouds, but all around, it was all nice and sunny.
Last weekend before starting the trip around the world! I am J’s +1 for a wedding in Breda, south of The Netherlands. I haven’t been back in this country since 2007 when I had been working in and out of Amsterdam for 3 months during a loooong and rainy Dutch winter).
I’m happy to be back here, and what’s more, to be back for a non-work related activity :). The wedding on Saturday in Breda was much fun. Although I was one of the very few non-Dutch onboard, I never felt excluded as everybody spoke great English. Even the civil Servant, spoke a few words of English towards the few non-Dutch!
On Sunday, we had a few hours to kill before getting back to the airport. We went back to The Hague to spend some time on the beach under the sun. And of course to Jump!
We spent some time in one of those Lounge Bars along the beachside where they have proper beds to chill the heck out. Time was so great that I conveniently decided to forget my camera there. I only realized when back in Schiphol Airport… to late for coming back. Fortunately J is a very resourceful, powerful and wonderful gal and got the camera back in less than 24 hours! Merci, merci, merci J !!!
The past 2 years I had taken advantage of the Christmas and New Year break to go travel abroad and jumping in funny place like in the Sahara or above the Arctic Circle. But this year it was back to basics. Spending the New Year with many great friends in France.
This year’s destination was Lorient, in Brittany, where Géraldine had arrived a few months before and had a big apartment all by herself. I was more than thrilled when she suggested we could use her place for this year’s celebrations. If I look back, the best New Year’s were not the ones in fancy public places or fancy destinations abroad. Best New Year’s were at somebody’s home, with your best friends around where you spend the days cooking altogether, eating altogether, playing games altogether and celebrating altogether. You don’t need to go to a posh restaurant and eat fine food. You want to go buy your product yourself and spend the whole 31st of December peeling potatoes and trying not to burn your Gratin Dauphinois. That’s when you will have a really good time and great memories.
More to that, something really strange happened during those days. We were in Britany, and it didn’t rain ! (well, it didn’t rain the whole time would actually be more accurate).
So, we couldn’t resist to go on a stroll to the beach, between two potato peeling sessions, and jump !
That picture was taken on the 31st, on Saint Sylvester’s day, a very particular day for me 🙂 After the stroll, we went back home and got ready for the night under the theme : Hippy New Year ! That was… hum… fun 🙂