Author: peaceplaypassion

Komodo, Play

KOMODO/Flores/Labuan Bajo – diving & dragons <3

peaceplaypassion

while i have fallen in love with a handful of places on this trip, some have taken me a day or so to warm up. one of my first thoughts on Bali was there is too much traffic and why are there no sidewalks on this street, i’m gonna get swiped by one of these bikes. in Gili i didn’t like my original hostel because there was no wifi in the rooms or toilet paper (first world probs, i know) and there were too many rocks on the beach. LORD KNOWS my love for Rwanda was postponed until after the culture shock wore off.

with Flores it was instant.

and the cool thing is i know i wouldn’t have felt that way 4 months ago before i started this trip.

being off the beaten path again brought back feelings of Africa and it felt sooo good. the sidewalks are basically stepping stones in between giant cracks, dogs are prancing around the streets, local kids are playing with plastic cups in their bare feet, “construction workers” are using a jackhammer on the street while wearing flip flops and smoking a cigarette.

this is what i mean when i talk about an identity crisis. how can i love 5 star resorts and run-down tin huts with gardens of garbage equally?? who am i??

k getting ahead of myself. Flores is an indonesian island about an hour flight from Bali, located on Komodo National Park which is home to Komodo dragons and world renowned diving. i flew into a little town called Labuan Bajo and stayed at Ciao Hostel which is perched on top of the hill with hourly free shuttles to town. i will recommend this place to ANYONE ❤

the view in this town is BREATHTAKING. the most stunning sunsets i have even seen in my life. i know it sounds like i am exaggerating but i will put that on anything. ask me after the trip.

i was recommended to come here by Johanna from Vienna, who i met for like 30 mins in Koh Tao. the thing i love is we always chat on whatsapp like old bffs. some people are just your people, you know? this is what she said:

–

I couldn’t believe it

Seriously, I think Flores has been the best destination in all three months

A met a girl and she said the same, but was travelling for 6 months!

You should really come

The diving was SO freaking incredible, I freaked out completely. the other spots in indo are NOTHING compared to here, really. I’d say it was as good as on the Seychelles

–

i was sold immediately and did no further research. i was already coming back to bali for the chance of diving with manta rays in nusa penida, but this would be even better. done.

^^ me in my happy place

 

first day i dove with Blue Marlin Dive (2 dives + lunch for about $120). cruising on that lil boat through the islands and pop-up beaches of Komodo National Park i think i was as happy as i’ve been on this trip. i literally shed a tear on the cruise home cause i was like pinch me, how is this my life right now. i LOVE the dive scene, the locals are sooo fun to joke around with. my guide Fai knew Egy from Blue Marlin Gili! look how cute they are!

the marine life here is INCREDIBLE. ahhhh. so many fish, the reef is gorgeous, saw turtles to the point that i stopped taking pics of them. saw 2 stings rays, an octopus, a reef shark.

day 1 i did not see any mantas so had to book day 2 of course, this time with Diver’s Paradise because i wanted to do a combo trip with 2 dives and then the dragons.

the dragons were.. giant sleeping lizards lol and Rinca Island was hot af, we did a lil trek to a viewpoint. you have to pay about $17 for the park entrance fee (for divers too or anyone who goes out on the sea) + $6 to see the dragons.

now i have seen gorillas, elephants, orangutans, great white sharks, kangaroos, and much more this trip – but dragons were a new one! pretty crazy to know that the only thing between me and death-by-dragon was a stick held by our guide, which he said he would poke on the dragon’s neck if it tried anything lol. the bacteria will kill you in 4-5 days if you dont get treatment, as experienced by 2 people there last year. they were too stubborn to accept the antidote in the Labuan Bajo hospital and paid the price.

okay back to diving and the reason i came – so day 2 dive 2 was at Manta Point, where mantas are supposed to be abundant. we went down, didnt see any, i got swept by the current and actually surfaced after like 10 mins. tried to go back down but my ear was effed and wouldn’t equalize past a few metres.

so we hopped on a speedboat (me, my guide, my buddy) and relocated to where we saw a manta in the water, and went back down.

bit of a rough start but oh my god. that reward was insane.

we knelt down on the ocean floor and a 4 metre wide manta was just circling us, it was like a majestic graceful bat floating and flapping its wings in the water. it’s crazy cause turtles don’t give an f when you swim by, but the manta DEFINITELY takes note. a couple times it was coming at me with its mouth open and i thought it was gonna swallow me whole. you’re supposed to remain calm and let them control the interaction cause they can sense your heartbeat, but i was honestly beside myself with excitement. turns out the natural reaction for excitement is still to cover your mouth with your hands even when you’re underwater.

we saw 4 mantas total and it was so so amazing i am so happy.

other recos for Labuan Bajo: La cucina for pizza + i went to Le Pirate rooftop “The Deck” for quesadillas twice, they have an infinity pool and amazinggg sunset views. they also had a projector playing for movie night which was cute.

there are some awesome treks, waterfalls, cave, kayaking etc you can do around the island, but i didn’t have much time and my priority was the mantas.

otherwise just come for 3 nights and do exactly what i did and you will have the best time of your life. unexpectedly one of my top 3 stops of the trip.

back to bali i go!!

Bali, Play

BACK TO BALI – pt. 1

peaceplaypassion

so i was in australia and dan was going to singapore.. i was over the $22 cocktails and aussie accents (no offence aussies lol).. and there were a few things on my se asia bucket list i still wanted to check off. so in true #peaceplaypassion style – BALI I’M BACK BABY!!!

thursday feb 22:

arrive 12am, go to Linda’s homestay in Sanur where the most DELISH chocolate coconut cake was waiting. wake up to stunning pool surrounded by lush bushes and balinese music playing. birds chirping. SO HAPPY TO BE BACK.

fri feb 23:

Linda and i rent a driver ($50 for the day – if anyone is reading this and needs a hookup let me know!) and basically go on an instagram tour of bali. sooo breathtaking.

stop 1 Ulun Danu Temple, very peaceful right on the lake. clouds are rolling over the mountains. beautiful.

stop 2 the cutest swing and weird eggshell thing overlooking the twin lakes. $1 for these photo opps; hey, good for them for jumping on the capitalism bandwagon.

stop 3 Banyumala Twin Waterfalls – down a bumpy “road” but SO WORTH IT. not overcrowded (read: solo photo opps), 2 giant falls crashing down with mist spraying all around. was soooo beautiful!!

dinner & dancing at my fave club that lets me dance on tables and basically my reason for coming to Bali, SKY GARDEN lol everyone go here please. $10 all you can eat and drink until 9pm. no brainer.

oh i stayed at the Kuta Bali Resort thanks to a $25 hotel voucher from jetstar, GOD BLESSSSSS. king sized bed. gorg pool with swim up bar. so happy to take a break from hostel life. but had no time to waste sitting in a hotel room!!

sat feb 24: strolling through Kuta which is cute but then also tourist-scammy and there are piles of garbage on the beach. would not surf in that. but i was happy to check out a new hood, just soaking Bali in minute by minute.

check into my fave hostel in the entire world, Capsule Hostel New Seminyak. that’s the one that asks you song requests at check in and played all my faves in a row. havana, glorious, never be the same, all the drake. rooms are clean, private capsule beds. staff is awesome. EVERYONE STAY HERE.

ubered to Canggu – Loop Pool Bar but didn’t stay cause was $15; wandering through Canggu and falling a lil bit in love. cutest shops, everything is healthy, organic. smoothie bowls left right and center. The Lawn is a cute pool bar looking onto the sea.. walked along beach (so many casual surfer beach bars) to Finns and had my third banana blended drink of the day, this one with alcohol. was loling at tom’s texts; dont even remember what they said but i love being that solo loling girl in public.

OKAY. it’s saturday so i have to rally, i stayed at Capsule specifically to go to La Favela. but first off to Motel Mexicola – was debating asking some hostel people because everyone is super chatty and friendly at the bar. but no one seemed SUPER cool so i decided to head to mexicola solo, hoping it would be the right decision.

IT WAS.

best place ever. reminds me of señor frogs. made friends with an aussie couple right away, then jumped up on the stage and kicked my feet and joined in a congo line around the restaurant. danced my ASS off and became bffs with some guys from the philippines, mikkel apollo marco etc, had the best night ever and loved that it was all platonic. they were so nice and such good dancers. wearing appolo’s double lens glasses, dancing on tables to all the classics, loving it. then off to la favela; the guys were wearing flip flops so werent allowed in, so i went on a solo mish. 2am. met people immediately, danced some more. best night.

sun feb 25: …. let’s maybe not talk about this? lol? had flight to Labuan Bajo in Flores, arrived at airport 3 hours early cause traffic can take 40 mins or it can take 2.5 hrs. 2pm they tell us our flight is delayed 3 hours. i spent SIX HOURS in an airport daze, and somewhere in that time they switched my gate and i did not hear anything. missed my freaking flight.

shed a tear, then my uber let me play my own music, got to my trusty Capsule hostel and Felipe from Colombia and our other hostel friends had vodka waiting. bless them.

silver lining: flight was only $50, i was able to get my backpack (was worried it was on the plane), had another night in bali

the key: DO NOT WALLOW, DISCOURAGED TRAVELLERS. onward to make the most of my night!!

chilled at Capsule Bar to my fave song requests, went to meet up with the philippines friends at their gorg perfect ballin villa in Canggu. then – back to La Favela, which Apollo said he knew was coming when i showed up lol. fave line: “i thought Mikkel booked a villa in Canggu, oh thats cool so we’re just going to chill, have a relaxing weekend.” they went to la favela ¾ nights LOL

okay i’ve been asked by a few people for some bali recos, so here are a few notes on the areas i’ve been so far:

Kuta – wouldn’t stay here unless you’re looking to be walking distance from sky garden (which i was lol) but it’s kind of the old bali central that’s now overrun with tourist souvenir shops and people trying to hustle you “YEESSS? SHOPPING? DREESSS? TRANSPORT TRANSPORT?”

Seminyak – nicer, amaze shopping (like beach stores, cute macrame home decor), colourful beach bag chairs on the beach. obv stay at Capsule Hostel New Seminyak & walk to La Favela & Motel Mexicola. also Potato Head pool bar.

Nusa Dua – nicer beaches, expens resorts. water sports like snorkelling diving (not great though) banana boats

Uluwatu – go here for the temple & balinese dancing at sunset. beware the terrorist monkeys ripping off your shoes/all your belongings

Ubud – the heart – zen, yoga retreats, rice fields and more of the peaceful rural Bali. shopping too. stay near Yoga Barn. Puri Garden hostel is AMAZING – comfiest hostel beds ever. TWO. PILLOWS. do a bike ride through the countryside for a look at authentic Balinese lifestyle – but haggle the price down!!

Jimbaran – come here for a fresh seafood dinner on the beach, it’s cute. also Rock Bar is your classic breathtaking bali bar on a cliff.

Canggu – healthy, organic, chill, cute, surfer vibes. rice fields interspersed between cafes & beautiful villas. pool bars The Lawn & Finns for sunset, and other going out spots are Old Mans and any of the beach bars. hostels are Lay Day and The Farm.

Gili – 3 islands (Gili T, Gili Meno, Gili Air) ~2hr boat ride from Bali. beautiful (but rocky) beaches, horse carriages + bikes not motor vehicles, AMAZING diving with turtles. reggae music & just general island vibes. party hostels are Gili Castle & Gili Mansion, and i heard mbox is good. dive at Blue Marlin and say hi to Mat and Egy for me!!!!

Great Barrier Reef, Play

diving in the Great Barrier Reef – CHECK!!

peaceplaypassion

went to Cairns for one reason and one reason only – diving in the Great Barrier Reef!!!

 

the town itself is dead and the hostel crowd at Gilligans i just couldn’t even. everyone is young and gets dolled up to go out and party every night. it’s kinda a stop where young travellers end up and stay for like 4 weeks looking for farm work to extend their visas.

 

i had a day to kill so naturally i hunted down google’s “best eggs benny in cairns”, then strolled around – there is a cute pool there along the water cause you cant swim in the ocean cause crocs – and got a new toooyyyyy, a GO PRO!!!!

 

my liveabroad tour was 2 days, 1 night out on the reef, 7 dives. about $520 which isnt too bad because it’s a night of accom and all meals were AMAZINGGGGG. props to the chef. side note what they didnt tell me was it was $15 per dive to have a guide, which is bs. especially for the night dive.

 

met my dive buddy/roomie becca and had lots of good inspo and talks about travel because she has been like everywhere in the world. so happy to have met her and had her on this tour!!

 

ok the dives!!!! the reef was actually so impressive. so happy to have seen it. saw some turtles, couple small sharks. wish i saw more but whatev. the big thing was this tour made me feel like a legit diver. my dive count went from 8 to 15. did a night dive, where we saw a sleepy turtle, shark, and a million giant black fish that hunt in the light of your flashlight. becca and i both said a year ago we would have been scared to do the night dive, but here we are today just killin it. navigated on my own with a buddy.

 

i dont know if i have ever been so exhausted in my life.

 

night dive, then up at 5:45 for sunrise dive when all the animals are waking up. breakfast, then another dive. 1 hour to rest on the deck, then back in it for another dive. soooo draining but felt awesome.

 

bucket list check!

 

that’s a wrap on Australia!! current mood: exhausted, happy, ONTO THE NEXT!!

Byron Bay, Play

Byron Bay: hippies, waves & vibes

peaceplaypassion

wasn’t planning on coming to Byron but literally everyone was like YOU HAVE TO GO TO BYRON. yolo in australia.

cutest hippie beach town. people walk around barefoot and like this guy told me his breakfast was psychedelic. beaches are gorgeous, waves were mesmerizing. healthy food options (pricey af but delish) everywhere. went surfing, stood up every time and rode the waves in. you know you’ve made it when the aussies are like “NOICE ROIDE”

was there 3 nights and went out dancing every night – Railway Bar, the Northern, Cheeky Monkey. met some Chilean friends and Dan from Wales. why are Brits always the nicest. had brunch at Bayleaf Cafe and an acai bowl from Combi. had 2 lovely roomies, Hollie from England and Luca from the Netherlands, who endured our sweaty no a/c hostel room with me. but we set ourselves up for success by storing our pjs in the freezer. i love when you meet normal, fun, funny girls at your hostel.

facetiming my mom and Keira she tells me if i ever go on a trip this long again, she will put my hands and feet in the biting fish (refer to video from Thailand on my insta). she also told me she wished she could reach through the screen and hug me. my heartttttt.

at this stage in ppp i am just stressing about money. i guess all travellers with a dwindling bank account must feel like this?? torn between wanting to eat all the food and do all the things but also not go broke on a daily basis. OBVIOUSLY i can’t complain because i am living my dream life but ya feeling guilty about how broke/in debt i will be by the time this is over. Johanna, who i met in Thailand, said to me that money isn’t real; experiences are. yolo yolo yolo.

also trying not to stress about when this is all over and i have to go back to normal life. like i am so excited for stuff in the rest of my trip but then i’m like STOP THINKING ABOUT PARIS THAT MEANS PPP IS ALMOST OVER. i always do my best to live in the moment but it’s hard sometimes you know??

okay anyway. Byron’s charm lies in its live music at every corner, beside restaurant patios, on the beach. loved me and Luca’s poke date drinking wine and enjoying the sunset/music on the grass. #pokeplaypassion. then the kid singing hallelujah in the graffiti alley basically brought me to tears it was so beautiful 😥

that’s it. just 3 days of good music, good people, good times. got a good tan. onto Cairns for some diiiviinnnggg 🙂

Melbourne, Play

Melbourne: eating & drinking & cry-loling

peaceplaypassion

first thoughts on australia:

1. everyone is annoyingly nice. like the bus driver was like WELCOME TO MELBIN EVERYONE ENJOY OUR AWARD-WINNING TRAM SYSTEM AND HAVE A GROIEAT DOIAY.

2. i loved dan’s office, The Age. everyone is hustling around and it’s a big glass cube with a cafe at the front and a nice lawn. and everyone is dressed in business chic. reminded me how much i love city life.

3. lots of restaurants and grab-and-go spots on my tram ride – i want to eat everything. how do people not get fat here.

4. it’s CRAZY expensive. my benny was $19. no tip or tax at least.

5. i am happy to be able to drink tap water again

other overall thoughts:

everything is perfect and stunning here. it would be SO easy (read: too easy) to transition to living here from Vancouver. quality of life is prime, there are soooo many events, everyone is always out eating and drinking and mingling. like i dig that. the city does a lot to keep its people entertained. there is free wifi everywhere downtown and the tram system is free downtown.

Van could learn a thing or two.

however if i HAD to generalize (lol) – sometimes they’re a bit much. like they love to BE AN AUSSIE and TALK ABOUT IT and be OVERLY FRIENDLY. but then on the flip side they love to make a fuss. like i saw a raaaging argument on the tram where this kid was like “theres not much room” when a man got on and next thing you know his gf is calling this other older lady an f-ing b. also i saw soooo much road rage, aussies don’t let ANY jaywalking slide without leaning on the horn and probably swearing. and like an old lady got mad at me at the train station where i was like oh sorry i’m in line and shes like WELL IT DOESNT LOOK LIKE IT lol. like i’m sorry these things would just never happen in Canada.

weather was great – very unpredictable in Melbs and i got to experience the sweltering 38 degrees and the “i didnt pack for this” 17 degrees. i was in Melbs for 3.5 weeks and experienced EVERYTHING on my list. defs made the most of my time. also lots of sipping chai lattes, catching up on wifi stuff and planning the rest of my trip!

activity log:

– Great Ocean Road road trip with Christie, Borch, Sarah, Mike, Willy, Andrew, Dad. drove to 12 Apostles (but actually 7 because erosion), stayed overnight in Lorne which is a super gorg beach town. saw some roos on the field at dusk and then almost hit like 5 as they bounced in front of the car. they survived but a bunny wasn’t so lucky, oops. also saw 2 koalas in the wild which i’m told is rare, Dan says he’s only seen them as roadkill!! they were cute and sleepy.

– dancing at Apartment 29 on a Wednesday. hippies with dreadlock man buns

– biker gang trip along the Yarra and down to St Kilda. v cute, so many patio bars along the river.

– solo to an art gallery party with cute exhibits (one red flower room which everyone loves to insta); DJs; pop up bars; outdoor dance floor where people were givin’er. was soo cool. STEP IT UP, VAN.

– drinks with Willy at Madame Brussels, which is a Victorian style rooftop patio with a side of inapprop sass. BEST pimms cup. also went to play blackjack at Crown and slightly ashamed to say that wasn’t the only time. just trying to make a living out here.

– k get the cheese and bacon burger at Grill’d THIS IS THE BEST BURGER I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE

– Phillip Island at Dan’s beachhouse for Aussie Day and his bday weekend

– kangaroos boxing!!!

SYDNEY

– tagged along on Dan’s work trip to Sydney and had the BEST time living my best life in Hotel Ovolo. listen to this. free happy hour 5:30-6:30, free mini bar, free breakfast, Alexa in the room (the front desk wanted to surprise us by playing macklemore when she found out i was going to the concert), free loot bag with snacks, free slippers and bag which i took home with me. cutest hip decor and washed out brick walls. like i am obsessed with this hotel.

– wandered along Darling Harbour and hit-on bridge, walked to Opera House, dinner at Mehico, Bondi Beach including the pool with huge waves which was actually SO cool. went to an AMAZING UNDERGROUND BAR called Palmer & Co (thanks Alana for the reco!) with 1920s prohibition-style servers wearing flapper outfits, live band and then piano player playing my parents’ fave songs. dan left and i danced with 40 year olds till 3 am. had a blast.

– also met up with Jeff from Abby for rooftop gin and tonics and pizza/wedges at The Australian Hotel. explored The Rocks which was real cute and cobblestone-y. Manly Beach where MACKLEMORE POSTED THE SAME INSTA AT THE SAME TIME AS ME. i will never live down the regret of not constantly refreshing his insta feed that day.

– Macklemore concerts in both Sydney (spontaneous purch) and Melbs (bought 4 months ago) BECAUSE MACKLEMORE IF YOU ARE READING THIS I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN. that’s 3 stops for me on the gemini tour and he’s in Paris in April so STAY TUNED!!

^^ the most sweaty

okay back to Melbs:

– runs along the Yarra, strolls down Swan Street, superbowl with Andrew at Precinct Hotel and 200 loud obnoxious aussie mates, partied in Richmond at Richmond Club Hotel, Swan Hotel (“hotel” is what they call bars), Public House

– explored the CBD (central business district / their downtown), Hosier Lane and AC/DC for graffiti, Hardware Lane or Degraves St for cute alley patio coffees. coffee is huge here, everyone’s just out for coffee all the time like it’s their job.

– got a tattoo in Fitzroy which makes me a hipster badass, then rooftop bevs at Naked by Satan. tried chicken parma which is like the thing here. giant slab of meat on fries. met Bran at Corner Hotel and then St Kilda festival which the entire population of Melbourne attended i think, but was cool! lots of live music and pop-up concerts/ dancing. met Sairah for lunch in Windsor, so good to catch up 7 years after Contiki!!

– went to Eau de Vie speakeasy cocktail bar, made friends with Tanya and Liz, got an espresso martini the bartender lit on fire. was sooo delish.

– Brighton Beach Huts, Asian tourist overload but understandable because the huts are VERY cute. people rent them for like $300k/yr and store surfboards, beach chairs etc in them.

– Little Italy at D.O.C. for the best pizza oh my god THAT CRUST. servers were fob italian. also gelato. grazi grazi

– Valentine’s Day drive to watch the sunset and get ice cream, then St Kilda to watch the penguins. playing all my fave songs. happy 🙂

best dan moments:

– night 1 at dumplings, guy walks in and goes “good vibes in here!” dan goes NOPE i’m out and leaves immediately lol

– beating everyone in ping pong “OK COOL NEXT”

– story about Nonna’s new bf in the car ride to family din

– his dad blaring Ed Sheeran after dinner.. dan: “YOU ALRIGHT?!?!!?”

– so intense watching Olympics, Aussies don’t make it – “NAH LOST ALL. MEDALS. LOST ALL MEDALS.. waste of my LOIFE. waste’a my WHOLE NOIGHT”

– struggling to close the window for 10 minutes, getting soooo angry amd swearing loudly lol

– then goes in the shower and literally STOMPS and CLAPS to his 2 favourite songs. this is his routine and he does it every single day

– (i literally just burst into a lol remembering this one): thinks he lost his key card for work. just goes into a RAGE looking for it. finally gasps as he realizes it’s at the back of his phone case. and i quote: “OH F THIS I’M GONNA KILL MYSELF. F THIS LOIIIFE. GONNA BE A SHIT DAY.” storms out of the room. i was BAWLING.

– just general road rage

– sticks his head out the window while driving and his hat flies out onto the highway

– comes across a choir rehearsing his fave song This is Me in Little Italy. is DELIGHTED to find they are still rehearsing as we walk back to the car. dances and sings along like a kid in a candy shop

– i just also want to say that while dan is the most outrageous obnoxious aussie in all the land, he is one of the most thoughtful, low maintenance, supportive friends i have. at the macklemore concert he was like “if you get a chance to go to the front, go” (so i did). he ALWAYS lets me do my thang. he took me to all the melbs hot spots and always provided recos. he was an amazing host. i say WHATEVER comes across my mind and he will engage in that conversation. i value his opinion (which he has in spades) so much. so so grateful that tom brought him along to New York 3 years ago – even though he thought we would hate each other – which led to Toronto, Rio, Vancouver, now Melbs. cannot wait to see where we reuny next!!

k i need to get out of Australia soon or i am going to get very broke and fat, but just a couple more stops first!!

Play

peace play passion: the midway point

peaceplaypassion

it blows my mind that i’m only halfway through peace play pash, mainly because i have no idea how the second half could ever measure up to the first. i have made memories to last a lifetime and then some. and i am savouring every. single. moment.

wrote some thoughts on feb 2, 2018 – exactly halfway into my trip. here’s where i’m at:

#1 highlight: gorilla trekking in Uganda. nothing will beat that. ever.

other so-happy-i-could-cry moments:

– diving with turtles in Gili. this is what they mean when they say it’s a different world underwater. i never wanted that tank to run out of air.

– hiking up Lion’s Head at sunrise. taking in the view of Table Mountain. trail running down the mountain. looking at that INSANE view, feeling so happy and deciding that whatever the rest of my life holds, i will make sure it’s epic

– walking around Cape Town’s waterfront on my first day and feeling that butterflies-in-my-stomach, falling-in-love-with-this-city feeling. Paris and New York, you know what i mean.

– shark diving in Cape Town and getting a surprise visit by a Great White at the very end. lost my shit. that was so epic.

– safari at Akagera in Rwanda. rounding the bend with the thrill that there may be an elephant around the corner and pinching myself this is my life.

– of course, finding out Janice was prego while in Rwanda. bawled my eyes out.

^^those feelings of 100% contentment and happiness in Africa – those defined my “peace” leg.

 

living my best life moments

– dancing every. damn. night. in southeast asia. koh tao, sky garden in bali, gili. all my favourite songs. discovering that it is so fun being me. that is my “play” leg.

– when Capsule Hostel in Seminyak took requests for my fave songs and played Macklemore x2 and Slow Hands. i love when people get me.

– obviously New York with Carmy for the #pregame. all the free drinks and dance floors. thriving.

other highlights:

– bike tour through Ubud countryside, getting a reminder of that untouched local lifestyle that i fell in love with in Rwanda

– double rainbow from the back of Christine’s scooter in Kigali

– guests of honour at a small village’s soccer game in Rwanda. that was the CRAZIEST.

– seeing baby turtles run into the sea and out into the world for the first time, against insane odds, on a slice of paradise called Turtle Island

current internal dilemma:

– which lifestyle is really me. who even am i. walking through Louis Vuitton in Melbs i was remembering how i used to want to grow up to hustle at a high-paying job and be wealthy and live a life of luxury. i was always about designer purses, nice shoes, name brand everything. now i think i just want to travel and stay in hostels the rest of my life if it means getting to see the world?? i feel like i’ve changed??

– where is MY city?? Paris obviously has my heart, like i NAMED my passion leg after it. but for the past few years i have been a New York girl. then i absolutely fell in love with Cape Town. it’s stunning, liveable, but has that African edge. on the other hand, i THRIVE in that no makeup, no shoes, beach life. but then arriving in Melbourne i was like oh nonono not another city i love. i’m already with Paris, New York, Cape Town, and Vancouver, my home – I AM AT CAPACITY. (luckily i have since realized Melbourne’s not MY city – it’s perfect in every way, but my heart is somewhere with a little more grit. a little more magic.)

– like you know when you’re growing up you’re like “i’m going to get married when i’m 25 and live in Abbotsford my whole life.” then i moved to Vancouver, visualize the rest of my life there, and loved travelling to Europe but that’s it. didn’t even want to go to SE Asia cause it was dirty and i get seasick. then i went to Rio and fell in love in every way and all bets were off – i wanted every adventure and i needed to see the world. enter peace play passion. Africa, Asia by myself, gorillas, sharks, leeches, waking up to cockroaches on my lips, making new friends every night. 2-years-ago me did not see THIS comin’. so what’s next???? who knows??

what ppp has taught me:

– i am strong and independent and i take no bullshit. i woke up with a cockroach on my lips in Railay and i demanded the hotel manager give me my money back. same thing when i got screwed out of a ferry in Koh Phangan. Mat from Gili told me i have a “tough” vibe and i was like oh that’s weird because i am just a small unintimidating blonde girl but i know what he means. it feels good to travel the world and know i can 100% hold my own. to quote Christine on the phone a few weeks ago, “YOU CAN’T F WITH ME” !!

– i have crazy fomo for cities outside of vancouver. like i can never stay in. because what if i miss the best night of dancing ever?? what if macklemore shows up?? what if i could have met a hilarious, smart, tall dark and handsome latino gentleman??

– when i was leaving Bali our driver Bagus told me i am positive and i love music and dancing and vodka. i loled because he nailed it, that is me in a NUTSHELL. i am really that simple – play me my fave song or give me a shot of vod and i’m happy.

– all this self love feels so good because i am the happiest i have ever been in my life, and it’s because of me. not a guy, not work or anyone or anything else. that’s what ppp was all about – taking my happiness into my own hands. i sincerely hope everyone else finds their own peace play passion.

– there have been a couple times i pushed MYSELF out of my comfort zone (sleeping in Akagera Park amidst the lions and elephants, rock climbing in Railay, walking up to live 400 pound gorillas.. travelling Africa in general..) and there have been times when i’ve GOTTEN pushed out of my comfort zone (near-death ferries in Thailand, maybe a couple vibes in Zanzibar and Cape Town). it’s been wild. now if something comes up that is out of my comfort zone i literally just take a breath and get’er done.

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travel tips:

– obv research everything. i paid about $100 more for the turtles in Borneo than i should have if i had looked online first. same with our Ubud bike tour. ROOKIE MISTAKES.

– i did not want to travel alone but now i wouldn’t have it any other way – i believe anyone can do it. stay in party hostels (or at least make sure they’re busy) to meet people. learn to appreciate your me-time. and LOVE YOURSELF – i am now my favourite person to hang out with. like i am a blast.

– i never thought i could travel without my hair curler and straightener – they just make me feel presentable/human. i have used my curler twice and i sent my straightener home – scrap ‘em.

– bring only thin beach clothes to southeast asia. like even my aritzia dress was not worn once. too fricken hot and sweaty.

– walk on the side of the road where the cars are coming at you. so far Rwanda was the only place where they drive on the right side of the street. and in most places i’ve been, the rules of the road are slim to none.

– use XE currency app for converting mula.

– use maps.me or google maps to download offline maps, it’s been so helpful

– bring a portable charger, earplugs, eye mask, neck pillow. small quick drying towel. i havent needed my sheet liner.

– check if any stains on sheets at hostels = bed bugs

– just count on a chunk of money going down the drain. booking issues, flight delays, rip offs. but barter every chance you get. EVERYONE is trying to scam tourists – lowball them hard right at the beginning and then you can meet in the middle. taxis, tours, food, clothes, everything. also google like how much the taxi should cost from the airport to your hostel. if there’s uber, check what the rate is and don’t pay much more for a taxi.

– music on travel days is obviously so key (so is gravol !!!!) so make sure you have your fave songs or a new album lined up. i’ve been so busy that i actually love those transit days to catch up on music

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okay this halfway point status update has mostly been about self love but i do have to acknowledge the amazing people who have shared this journey with me from near and far. how lucky am i that i got to stay with my best friends Tommy and my newfound soul sister Christine in Rwanda, Dan in Melbourne, that Christie had her Borchelorette while i was in SE Asia, that i got to frolic with Carmen in the pregame and she is coming to join passion as well. i SO appreciate my fam and friends that have been so supportive and happy that i’m happy. i’ve gotten so many lovely messages from people. then there’s everyone i’ve met along the way – too many to list, but including my other soul sis Jen and pull-at-my-heartstrings Eric in Kigali, the Uganda triathlon crew, my Cape Town bodyguards Andrew Derek and Pedro, the Goodtime Koh Tao crew Logan Ian etc, fellow dancing queens Diana Caroline Michu etc, Mat and Egy from Blue Marlin. i haven’t spent a day fully on my own this whole trip, and honestly so many people have touched my heart along the way.

okay – is that a lot?? it’s been a crazy amazing 3 months, so it should be a lot lol. i can’t even imagine how the latter half could even compare but let’s give it a shot, here we go!!

Borneo, Play

Borneo – welcome to the j u n g l e

peaceplaypassion

went to Borneo for 2 reasons:

1. orangutans

2. survivor season 1

this was a total ppp spontaneous addition that cost me way too much but like i just couldn’t think of any other logical way to follow up gorillas in Uganda.

Borneo is 26% Malaysia, 73% Indonesia, and 1% Brunei. i went to the Malaysian part to a little town called Sandakan, which is about 30 mins from the orangutan samctuary called Sepilok. it was a reminder of Rwanda because everyone stared at me or yelled “hello” because i was white. stayed at Sandakan Backpackers and booked my tours through them – Borneo is all about the excursions. it really is a jungle out there, and i only scratched the surface!!!people were overall friendly (like my lil uber driver named Ming) but i was a wee bit creeped out with all the stares 😐

– met Rina for delish pizza and drinks on a rooftop restaurant above Nak Hotel and good life chats

– River Jungle cruise at Kinagatangan River – was cool because you stay overnight in the jungle. the cruise felt a lil like a safari but we didnt see any elephants (they actually have pygmy elephants there) and it was so hard to see the animals in the trees. did a night walk with lots of weird creatures like a bird-deer and raccoon-cat, lots of colourful sleeping birds that made me feel like i was in a Planet Earth episode. leeches that stuck to our guide’s neck and came into our room with my roomie. this is my life lol. i didn’t even know about leeches before, except i think in one book if a Series of Unfortunate Events. ppp has pushed me out if my comfort zone in ways i didn’t even know were possible. went on 2 cruises and saw an orangutan and its baby, lots of monkeys including Proboscis monkeys with the big nose, a croc hidden in the water. lots of tropical birds, a snake, lizards.

– Sepilok orangutan sanctuary – was SUPER cool to see the orangutans cause they are hilarious and like where else would i see them. they’re only in Borneo and Sumatra. but i was hoping for an experience more like the gorilla trek, while this was more like a zoo – watching them play in the nursery through glass, and none showed up for the feeding lol. (there’s a feeding at 10am and 3pm). but anyway they are so goofy and just hang and swing and eat. one did like 8 somersaults to get across the lawn lololol. they seem like a fun time, i wish more humans were like them.

– Turtle Island – 1 hr boat with Aussie Ben and a fam from Barcelona and from Denmark. great meals, hung out at the perfect picturesque beach all day, pretended i was on the same beach where Richard Hatch won the title of the FIRST SOLE SURVIVOR. we waited after dinner for our little guide to come out yelling TURTLE TIME! which meant a turtle had come onto the beach. was around 9:30 pm for us. we watched her lay 82 eggs (felt weirdly intrusive but kinda amazing to watch), then the ranger buried the eggs in the fenced area to keep them safe from the giant lizards. then we let 152 little newly hatched baby turtles run into the sea. only 1-2% survive because or predators, current, etc and i almost cried i was rooting for those little guys so hard. i like to think our group had a higher success rate than 1-2%.

Borneo is off the beaten path, and basically every animal i saw was one that i have never seen before or even heard of. not exaggerating. if you’re looking for a real adventure in southeast asia, this is it. didn’t quite fit in my “play” theme (didn’t make friends really, didn’t dance) but definitely was something i needed to do! yolo!