tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-182433452024-03-07T08:14:05.217+01:00BONZ's TRAVEL ANTICSA collection of anecdotes and short stories that began in Oct 05.
Teba Orueta took a 2 year travel sabbatical throughout Asia, then went broke and is now back in the game, but hasn't given up on her world wanderings... or musings for that matter!
Want to get in touch? email ¨teba2@mac.com¨Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-90480514832810808742009-11-19T20:15:00.000+01:002009-11-19T20:15:15.610+01:00Pics and stuff
Just thought I'd drop in here some images of the boardwalk, market and general towns pics of General Luna that faces out onto the water and looks out onto Dako Island. I love taking a "bangka" pumpboat out to Dako to surf or snorkel.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-37993753374416078922009-11-19T20:07:00.002+01:002009-11-19T20:07:42.129+01:00Fresh crabs<!--StartFragment-->
So today, as I was using the Asian brooms to sweep the floor (an aside here – on a trip to Thailand in the early 80’s my Mother bought 5 of these. They used to sit up off a cast iron cauldron in the entrance of our 6th floor apartment growing up in Madrid, back when I didn’t have a clue they were actually useful for anything. Anyway, why hasn’t anyone made the sticks Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-6982922899744957342009-11-19T20:06:00.000+01:002009-11-19T20:06:20.135+01:00Yoga at Glenn's
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I’m staying at my friend Glenn’s property. (Thi is the view from his balcony). His round house sits pretty in the middle of a 4000Sqm property dotted with palm trees and with a neighbouring plot of land that is, curiously, the home to 2 goats – the only ones I have seen on the island, and must admit, have dreamt of savouring for an oven roasted dinner, Ay gulay!!!!!
The Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-74480566624852764032009-11-01T09:21:00.001+01:002009-11-19T20:23:33.000+01:00Life these daysI couldn't have planned a better way to overhaul the frantic and very off work-life balance of the past 18 months than to come here. We often speak of slowing down the pace but frankly, some places simply lend themselves far better than others.
Over here the sun sets at 5:15 more or less, which is why my afternoon yoga classes begin at 4:30. It's just a nice, cruisy and rather mystical way of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-36453738569445703862009-10-25T11:59:00.000+01:002009-10-25T11:59:09.784+01:00A hammock by the beach<!--StartFragment-->
Yesterday I ventured out to Bones’ Sports Bar, right here in Cloud9 with wooden benches that face the water and a whole host of outdoor games to keep the young and old busy with their ice cold beer: swings, pole tennis, darts, badminton, table tennis, hoop football… you name it! It’s got that element of tacky that we sometimes cringe at in western ghetto-ised tourist Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-45818832712170093542009-10-25T11:57:00.002+01:002009-10-25T11:57:36.864+01:00Reality sets in<!--StartFragment-->
Reality has set in - I am making a life for myself out on this island. I’ve been living outside of the comfort zone of my friend’s resorts. It sure is different to be on your own, organising your water and food and getting a proper feel for things out here.
So after renting out one of the cottages on Glenn’s property facing Cloud9 surf, my friend Hippie offered me to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-31521050482659664852009-10-17T08:45:00.002+02:002009-10-17T08:49:49.149+02:00Teaching at Catangnan School
These are the 5th and 6th grade students I teach on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Now I am being asked to teach English to the 3rd and 4th graders.... hmmmm enticing enough to remain here during the rainy season? Dunno really. But I am excited about setting a reciprocal program up with my own school of some sort... at least to get some old textbooks out here. More on that when it Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-56277306235957755422009-10-03T14:21:00.001+02:002009-10-03T14:21:47.310+02:00yoga anyone?Teaching in the local school is not the only motivation I had to come here. As most of you may already know, I am looking around for some land. I think I may have finally hit on my life motivator and I think Siargao is the place to set u the next chapter of the book called my life.As a young girl I loved gymnastics, and apparently was quite good at it. However, being on a scholarship in my schoolUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-78969300411259766542009-10-03T14:19:00.004+02:002009-10-29T14:33:48.349+01:00math teacher?Ahhhh if only my 7th grade math teacher could see me now! Who would've said I would ever be seen as a math teacher myself? I know I wouldn't have. But then again, life has a funny way of turning things around on you and this has got to be one of them.
My main objective when coming to Siargao this time around was to fulfill a long-time dream of volunteering at a school where the means are scarce Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-15527322856875292522009-09-24T06:45:00.002+02:002009-09-24T06:51:09.181+02:00Happy 33rd birthday
I woke up today feeling great. Yes, it's 33 but I don't feel a year over 28.... I haven't felt a year over that age probably since I quit work at P&G and took off travelling. Definitely a turning point in my life. So working up to my birthday I retreated to revisit my yoga teachers in northern Thiland and re-acquaint myself with the practice that gives me so Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-83714696927240769982009-09-16T04:56:00.000+02:002009-09-16T04:57:42.278+02:00statues in Nong KhaiI figured I'd go see the park hidden amongst a forest of trees in Nong Khai, the main attraction here (although I still think the draw here is the Mekong). Cycling down a dirt road all of a sudden I could see concrete face smiling at me, towering over the coconut palms and various foliage along the path I was on, and seemingly coming up from within the low hanging clouds. It was one of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-13754375990068516182009-09-13T13:30:00.000+02:002009-09-16T04:57:01.970+02:00Flower shops and other musingsChiang Mai- where else can you get fresh jasmine necklaces and lotus flowers folded and prepared for you, for the temple or for the Buddha, on a sleepy Sunday afternoon? When I am an old woman with a cane, I will own a flower shop...it's one of the many businesses I hope to own in my lifetime. I made a list the other day, which included:Flower Shop (this one is reserved to old age somehowUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-12921557575256347792009-09-07T17:10:00.002+02:002009-09-07T17:37:51.728+02:00Yoga retreatThe gift is today... it really is. As I write this I am conscious of being and moving in better balance, physically, intellectually and emotionally. It is a feeling and a motivaiton I trust will indeed accompany me forever. The last time I came to this retreat was three and a half years ago, knowing nothing of yoga, what it's based on, the 8-fold enlightenment path, the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-50732804031144662812009-09-02T14:50:00.001+02:002009-09-02T14:50:31.003+02:00Day 2 of the yoga retreatI had a hard time waking up this moring, even though I had 9 hours of sleep. Aside from the cramps all over my body, I stuggle with early mornings, no matter what. Also, meditation at 6AM was nver my idea of fun. That would mean I should go to sleep at 8PM to be somewhat ready. SO I showed up at 7AM for the start fo the retreat. My head was all over the place this morning, ans sure enough, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-10110666874937453912009-09-02T14:26:00.001+02:002009-09-02T14:33:51.476+02:00Life's LessonsPeople are often unreasonable and self centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-11397176071049378422009-08-31T10:18:00.000+02:002009-08-31T10:19:35.122+02:00yoga in Nong Khai, ThailandHave arrived in Nong Khai, overlooking the banks of the Mekong river, brown with the rainy season waters and filled with fresh Tilapia for my favourite dish, Laab. My temporary lack of a camera means I've taken these pics with the Photo Booth option but hey, at least it gives you an idea of the views from the garden of my guest house, Mut Mee. The rooms are decent, nothing fancy really, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-64477430157640028522009-08-27T19:28:00.003+02:002009-08-27T19:43:22.456+02:00La Cartuja de Escaladei
The Cartujos, a religious branch of the Catholic church, set up camp below the stunning limestones "sacred Mountains" named as such "Montsant" here in El Priorato. Aside from their despotic stronghold on the local lands and it's peoples (proof being how their monastery was sacked and burned down within 3 days of their demise by local townsfolk), they seem to be the ones who began wine productionUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-35330548748347295122009-08-27T19:18:00.000+02:002009-08-27T19:19:03.838+02:00Winding paths with fig trees1st half of August 2009 - Cycling a sweet lonesome road between the town of Torroja and Escaladei, in Spain's Priorato region, drunk with the aromas of fig and almond trees lining the melting asphalt, whilst every other bend hid a blackberry bush waiting to be pruned of it's deliciously black fruit. Ahhhh and not to mention the vines and grove after grove, row after row of olive Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-14986429091347682072009-08-26T17:10:00.001+02:002009-08-26T17:10:34.375+02:00YUMMYAfter 11 hours of rest in the balmy Chiang Mai night with the soft purrr of the fan in the background I awoke to the warmest welcome from Aun, the owner of Walai House and a good friend. Didn't really make breakfast after our catch-up sesh so had Som Tam (green papaya salad) for lunch, then snacked on kao new ma muang (Mango with sticky rice) for merienda, finishing off with Kao Lao SoupUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-37282766697477009902009-08-25T20:00:00.001+02:002009-08-25T20:05:16.347+02:003 planes back to Chiang MaiThe blog is back on, new look and all!! I kinda promised myself to dedicate some time to creating new posts on the various flights over. Instead I spent most of the time sleeping, watching movies or finishing my book on male PUAs (pick-up artists). Whaddaya know! It's good to know the tactics of the opposite sex.
The past 24 hours have consisted of me dousing myself numerous Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-22659011407377288442008-07-29T07:06:00.003+02:002008-07-29T07:15:59.668+02:00A long long time agoI guess I've been neglecting the blog for way too long, what with me trying to get my butt in gear and back into the rat race. After a year and a half of bliss, the moolah ran out, so it was time to get a job again.... one with a constant stream of earning.It found me in the most bizarre fashion, but most interesting things often do, and truth be told, I had been throwing out the need and desire Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-88643676440123058492007-10-26T15:10:00.000+02:002007-10-26T15:46:21.781+02:00Why I love Chiang Mai - part 1I've spent the last 12 days floating as if on a cloud, down the streets of Chiang Mai, past my favourite hole-in-the-wall neighbourhood eateries, delighted to be back. Why do I love this city so much? Is it perhaps because it doesn't feel at all like a city and yet offers everything I could possibly need around me to be happy? well, except for my beloved family and close friends, who I wish I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-85927343058754578042007-10-11T06:50:00.000+02:002007-10-11T07:04:11.926+02:00LearningLess than two months away will mark a very important anniversary: 2 years of on-and-off travel, discovering the real meaning of work-life balance, and cementing lifetime friendships.Early December will mark the time I met Gai, Sue and Deb in Chiang Mai and began a series of adventures I hope to be able to tell my grandchildren some day. No need to say it has been the best decision of my life. ButUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-52418134029707465792007-10-11T06:45:00.001+02:002007-10-26T15:57:36.519+02:00To freedomRum and coke in hand, with a little calamansi lemon frozen into an ice cube, finds me writing about my travels once again. To think I nearly cancelled this trip… time and thought tells me it was the fear of getting carried away again by the life of travel, of easy riding down the coast of a white island, surrounded by only sandy roads, fishermen in their wooden bangkas and the smell of Pandan Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18243345.post-46018069360424257822007-10-11T06:18:00.000+02:002007-10-11T06:40:00.098+02:00RevisitingComing back. The hope and anticipation mix with expectations and the dread; that you may return and find the charm has gone, that nothing is the same, that it would have been better to keep the great memories intact. All this went through my head before getting here. And the truth is that this is not the second or third time… it is the fourth! I knew what I was coming back for. And so I put the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0