Everywhere I Live

After sleeping merely a few hours in our tent parked at the edge of the lower end of Mount Rinjani's active volcano rim, the sound of the alarm clock resonated time to begin our ascent to the summit at 2h30am.   Hiking the first hour on the rim consisted of a steep and slippery trail.  By the time I figured I had outpaced some members of the group and been outrunned by others, I was standing on my own at the start of the final stretch.  I could have waited for others to join me and risked missing sunrise or attempt solo trekking the remaining.  Let people walk at their own pace and know your own, you'll find people alike matching your speed along the journey to opportunities.   In the darkness of the night, a path of bright little stars formed by the headlamps of fellow trekkers ahead lit the way up.  I felt high altitude kick in as my heartbeat raced.  With every step I took, I was taken half a step back by the steep brocken rocks slipping under my feet.  With every breath I took, my mind fighting the thought to rewind. Next to where I was laying to take a break, the moonlight shined through an Edelweiss flower pointing towards the way to reach my goal.  The most beautiful things will unexpectedly bloom out of the harshest conditions to inspire you if only you open your mind to appreciate them. Following what then appeared to me as the most physically and mentally challenging thing I had done in my life, I reached the top of the 3,726m summit just in time.  The horizon gradually appearing in a golden glow gradiant over the clouds gave place to a spectacular scenery of the Anak Laut (Child of the Sea) lake filling the bottom of the crater, named after its color matching the one of the sea (Laut).  I captured this beautiful moment, frozen in time, that I am now sharing with you. Unfortunately minutes after this blissful moment a 6.4 magniture earthquake shook Lombok island, the epicenter being right under my feet at the summit.  For the weeks following many earthquakes including a 6.9 magnitude left many homeless with a death toll now at more than 550 and rising.  Help those in need if you can @lombok_strong .   I'll write about our escape in my next post (at Rinjani Summit) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm80E8GHAhb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rke6cuw947q4

Reflections are sometimes blurry images of the truth. Only you can truly cut through the noise and forge an opinion of your own reality. Be bold and challenge perspectives from other people with your own, you'll be suprised how they often only look at what's on the surface without thinking to look upwards and discover your true colors. ________________________________________ The tick stone walls of the #hue citadel towering above the #perfumeriver protected the royal capital of #vietnam 's Nguyen Dynasty for more than a century. The massove fortress was deemed unbreachable with mutliple layers od defense, protecting around 160 buildings at it's apogee. ________________________________________ #hue #vietnam #fortress #travelwriter #nomadiclife #nomadiclifestyle #natgeotravel #wanderlust #beautifulearth #awesomeearth #earthpeek #citadel #reflected #ig_colors #ig_captures #photooftheday #reflectionshot #marbltravel #authenticliving #quotesforlife #quotestoliveby #inspirationalquotes #inspirationalwords (at Imperial City, Hue)

Success should not be a goal but a vision. An allucination you keep daydreaming about. An alternate future reality you build for yourself not to escape, but to improve. It's not the oasis neither the mountain but going through the desert that will bring you achievement. ____________________________________ For those who have been wondering why I wasn't very active last month, I have been traveling through Vietnam on a motorbike from south to north. I coveted a total of around 3200km in 23 days. Needless to say continuous planning while being on the road and unexpected change of plans took basically all my time when I wasn't working or hiking to the next hottest spot. I however made sure to capture every moment and here's the first post of the vietnam series. ____________________________________ The famous #whitesanddunes in #muine , #vietnam were definitely not a piece of cake to hike in the heat but it was all worth it! If you go with a motorcycle just make sure you go early in the morning to avoid the police speed traps confiscating your bike or making you pay the local bribe just outside the city on the ocean road. You can also do same kayak in the lake near by and do some carpet gliding down the dunes which was quite the experience! ____________________________________ #sanddunes #explorevietnam #earthpeek #wondeful_places #wonderfulglobe #travelwriter #nomadiclife #instatravel #marbltravel #authenticliving #oasis #lifequotestagram #successquotes #viewpoints #motivateyourself (at White Sand Dunes Mui Ne)

It's all about happiness! Find things that truly reveil that smile of yours and pursue them relentlessly; whatever they may be. Living life is so much better than looking at it slip through your fingers because you don't grab opportunities to do the things you love now. My passion is to travel today. Tomorrow might bring something new, but as long as it makes me happy everyday I'm giving it my 110%. ________________________________________ #maeyenwaterfall near #pai in northern #thailand has 3 levels, the second hosting a small #pool where you can cool down after the 2,5h hike in the jungle to get to it. The hike is in itself the best part of the journey, following a river with truly untouched nature, vines, all colors of moss and fungus aplenty. There are also multiple river crossings in the trek which makes it more exciting, however I stopped counting how many there are after 24. Best day hike in Pai in my opinion for nature lovers. ________________________________________ #travelawesome #marbltravel #quotesforlife #quotestoliveby #malemodel #nomadiclifestyle #waterfallhike #wonderful_places #wondefulglobe #earthpeek #hikingadventures #authenticliving #nomadiclife #travelersnotebook (at Mae yen Waterfall)

No matter what you're going through there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. Paddle your way through deep waters with confidence and vision to achieve your goals. Find people who are doing the same and who lift you up! They'll make your journey much more exciting - and even change its course to explore unknown territories you'd never thought of on your own. _______________________________________ Wandering on the Nam Lang river flowing through the 1,666m long #lodcave on a bamboo raft in #soppong, #thailand was an amazing experience. Back to the basics, my guide and I slowly made our way through the darkness of the cave only equipped with a single gas lamp. As you make your way through the different chambers thousands of bats take care of sound effects while you can catch a glimpse of huge black cave fishes swarming below your feet when a bit of light reflects on the water surface. Such a scenic moment when you reach the gaping entrance of the cave at the end of the shallow #waterway ! _____________________________________ #travelawesome #marbltravel #wanderlust #instatravel #travelwriter #travelersnotebook #caves #bbctravel #earthpeak #wondeful_places #wondefulglobe #authenticliving #lifequotestagram #lifequotes #quotesforlife #digitalnomad #nomadiclifestyle (at Thum Lod Cave, Mae Hong Son)

Trekking through the majestic #lodcave in #maehongson close to #pai felt like being part of a movie. As you arrive close to the caves you're being met by a small community of villagers that have been guiding people through the darkness of the #caves using gas lamps for years. Not so long ago an archeologist found the remains of a 35,000 years old women preserved in a wodden coffin - she could even reconstruct her face using the skull. Inside the caves you can also see pre-historic drawings on the walls and oddly shaped #stalagmite. ______________________________________ #travelawesome #traveldudes #earthpeak #wanderlust #travelersnotebook #digitalnomad #thailand #wonderfulglobe #instatravel #authenticliving #nomadlifestyle #marbltravel #explorers #stalagtites #cave (at Thum Lod Cave, Mae Hong Son)

Life is all about balance they'll say. I say absolute symmetry will make you crazy. So if you're in the group of fishermen on the right, one of the introvert on the left or the one that's running towards; there will always be plenty of fishes in the sea for your to catch. Get out there and live - there's no better time than now. (at Ko Phangan, Surat Thani, Thailand)

Keep a good (at Ko Phangan, Surat Thani, Thailand)

There are no walls in life - unlike many will tell you. You'll go through a serie of small obstacles that can make it seem like you're hitting a wall when they all happen at the same time. You can't see through a wall but you can definitely go trough obstacles; most of the time the obstacles will end up being part of who you become. Embrace them like you'd do seeing thousands of fishes swarming your way and the journey will be much more rewarding than the destination. ____________________________________ Another great #deepdive moment at #chumphonpinnacle near #kohtaoisland . As our leader paved the way, the massive fish school gently morphed its way around us organically - an amazing choregraphy orchestrated by mother nature. ____________________________________ #underwaterphotography #scubadiving #wanderlust #diver #pinnacle #traveldudes #wondeful_places #wonderfulglobe #earthpeek #passionpassport #fishschool #travelersnotebook #authenticliving #travelawesome #discoverearth #marbltravel (at Chumpon Pinnacle @ Koh Tao)

You always take breathing air for granted until you're 30m in the deep with a limited supply. Take some time to appreciate the air you breathe - focusing on your respiration also helps you to find your inner self and get away from your mind. Understand how is primordial to your survival. Now think about what you've done recently towards reducing air pollution? Think again? We do have a limited supply on land and you wouldn't want to realize about it only when it's running out. _________________________________________ When did my first deep dive at #chumphonpinnacle in near #kohtao island in #thailand , I could simply not believe what I was seeing. Enormous schools of fishes filled the horizon, swimming in harmony with the corals and shining back the sun's beams on their colorful scales. It felt like a dream, floating like astronauts towards the darkening sea floor surrounded by fishes like stars. _________________________________________ #underwaterphotography #scubadiving #wanderlust #diver #deepdive #pinnacle #traveldudes #wondeful_places #wonderfulglobe #earthpeak #passionpassport #fishschool #travelersnotebook #authenticliving #travelawesome #discoverearth #marbltravel (at Chumpon Pinnacle @ Koh Tao)

The only limits are the ones you set for yourself. By widening your horizon you can push your limits further up to the point they feel invisible - freedom. ________________________________________ I had such a blast getting my #scubadiving license at #saireecottagediving in #kohtao island ! Good thing about having the license is you can dive with a buddy anywhere the world. Think about how much land there is. Now think about how much ocean surface there is. Ya. There is a completely different world to explore underwater; yours to discover! _________________________________________ #scubadiving #travelersnotebook #thailand #traveldudes #bbctravel #earthpeek #wondeful_places #authenticliving #underwaterphotography #discoverearth #digitalnomad #islandlife #wanderlust #marbltravel #travelawesome #backpackerstory #wonderfulglobe #passionpassport (at Koh Tao Island)

Sometimes changes will hit you in the face like my cold shower that morning at #namuangwaterfall . Embrace it and let it transform you; the pond of experience you'll accumulate will make you stronger. ________________________________________ With its majestic 80m altitude, the Na Muang Waterfall scenery in #kohsamui #thailand will reward you for the strenuous hike you did to get to the top without a doubt. While traveling budget (or feeling adventurous) , take a left at the split roads near the waterfall to skip entrance fee! Highly recommend hiking to the top for sunset as you'll almost always be alone there and the view is just amazing. (at Na Muang Waterfall)

Life is like a balloon. If you never let go you will never know how high you can rise. The #lamaiviewpoint in #kohsamui rests on a stunning rock formation overlooking the #gulfofthailand - a must see on your way to chaweng or your day trip around the #island ! (at Lamai Viewpoint)

Vlog4 | Exploring Bali's Ghost Palace Hotel

Much like the flow of the Khun Si #waterfall in #kohsamui is carving its way through the rocky land of #thailand, you should take a path you've forged yourself. In following a path someone else made, your surrendering the merits of the end result to them. Build your own path instead and reap the rewards. I've found this beauty out of nowhere with a small sign indicating waterfall on the shortcuts to #maenam moutain road; glad I went on a unexpected exploration! (at Khun Si Waterfall)

Most of the time beauty lies within. #phangngabay in #thailand has some of the most magnificent #scenery I've seen in the world. limestone islands as far as I could see sparkled the horizon, as I was making my way on the #charter to the caves within the #rockformation locally called #hongs . I would definitely recommend (no sponsor) #johngreyseacanoe for visiting this area - way worth the extra dime. (at Phang Nga Bay)

Following your stay on #kohphagan in #thailand for the full moon party, enjoy beautiful #rocks and #sea #views directly from the #haadrinbeach ! If you #dare to go over the #cliffs on the left, there is a beautiful private beach that you'll probably have for yourself, if you make it. (at Haad Rin Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand)