Day 2 - 15th of February - Lima - Huacachina

We wake up only to have breakfast and plan a couple of hotels and bus trips while sipping on a cocktail at the pool. Have a walk along the foggy beach and some taste of delicious fresh fish with local flavors. We conclude that the local Inka cola has enough chemicals in it to preserve us fresh for the rest of the day.
We hop on a bus to Huacachina - an oasis in the middle of 50 square km of sand dunes. That's what Big Willy says. He's our pick-up, guide, negotiator and dj-driver. We get to our hostel exactly 15 min before the time they mentioned the reservation will be kept for us. But.. Oops, there is no room available, says the guy at the reception with sparkling cactus lost eyes.. We go back to Big Willy.. 3 hotels later, we're set up with 2 beds in a 10-bed dormitory with a naked man.. We understand later that the Colombian friend is just hot.. The fan in the room makes you sweat more than cool you down.. So we decide to have a go at the local discotheque and a sip of what they call wine.. Double triple distilled wine, jenever, that's what it is! And the hot air of the salsa discotheque melts us down.. We decide to have a beer and chill at the lagoon.. Such a refreshing feeling in the quiet night... We'll not so quiet, as we go back to a hot room, the strew noise is unbearable, everybody seems to be into car parties.. Meaning a group of 3 to 7 people gathering around a car with drinks in their hands. The car stereo plays max music and they hunk the horn to put on the alarm, just to intensify the fun! Madness!

Day 1 -14th of February - Amsterdam - Lima

Woke up early in the morning, with 1000 things on my mind an no to-do list. Why waste the time writing down the things to do?! Just do it and remember later the things not done.. And just do them. Live now, sleep later! Got out in the Amsterdam cold, frozen my ass to the orthodontist. Got explanations on what braces and jaw surgery might do with my teeth. Sounds dangerous. Why can't I get a punch in the face and 3-days recovery?! It might get dirty, but at least that's a fast option ;)

Forgot about breaking teeth and packed the last items for South America. Together with that, packing for London. My uncle's car seems to small to handle all luggage.. But I say good-bye to my baby and head to Schiphol.

According to the plan, I meet up Gya and take the coffee-slow way to boarding to Lima. We're lucky enough to get upgraded to business class and start the trip with a glass of champagne. We chit-chat most of the day rather than planning our trip.. Happy times! :) 14 hours later, we land flat-bummed in Lima.. Need to move. We take the first taxi to Miraflores. Literally the first taxi. We negotiate in unknown currency and the bank card doesn't even work.. The taxi driver is also a salsa teacher, his son plays cymbals and they can all dance to musica negra. He promises us to show us where they play this music.. He forgets all about it when we get to the hotel, just wants to get loads of money. We confuse him with 3 different currencies and exchange rates, after all, we work in finance ;)

We get a pick up from Goth lady M. She's a real Peruvian who lived all over the world. So she shows us that everything is happening in Barranco and the place to be - this shabby huge bar filled with Mar de Copas fans. This is the name of an oldie but goldie rock band original from Peru. We take a cocktail and enjoy the hot weather of Lima. 3 hours later, we're wasted from the flight and the concert, we slip away in a seguro taxi, the sight of the bed is just perfect.

That moment that you realize you’re not pregnant..

The 5 longest minutes of your life, waiting for a miracle, praying to God, swearing you’re never going to let that asshole anywhere close to you, cursing him, his body, his power of attraction, your lust and inner shake when he touches you, the moment, that bloody moment, his smile, his looks, your fluids exchanging in your mouth, inside you, the pleasure and now the guiltiness and that – I’m not ready for this shit, I don’t want to abort, I just want to have a child with the right man, when we’re both ready for it, a child of love, raised in a normal family, not as a product of this destructive relationship, no, I don’t want to, I want to be small, to be taken care of, to receive unconditioned love and to have no fear, to think of the mighty things I will do when I’ll be a grownup.. YES!! F_3” you, m0%#@%8)7r, I’m not pregnant!! Now I can go out again! Relief! And a big smile on my face! J

zambete

Am obisnuit muncitorii de la constructii din Hamburg sa le zambesc si sa le zic hallo in fiecare dimineata. De acum ma vad de la o posta, se opresc din munca perfectionista germana si imi zambesc. Cred ca imi place sa introduc rutina de zambete.

Hamburg time under the Elb

So we have a big river here in Hamburg - let's not cross it on a bridge, why use a bridge?! let's just go under it, in a tunnel! Built in 75 for horse carriages, you can still take a car down there. Massive bulky construction – it’s like stepping into a Kubrick movie. It must have been really impressive 100 years ago! Now it just seems bulky, it gives you the feel of an old spa. I recommend you try the underwater feeling of Elbe. If you’re in luck, you might hear a musician play in the huge tunnel. Magical! 

Fishy time

Getting more experience with travelling doesn’t necessarily gets you closer to the destination.. almost missed my flight today, cause I forgot to check the flying time. Enjoyed walking to the gate nevertheless, just for a change to my usual running.. made it on time with a light luggage and attended meetings. Went to a weird restaurant with a discoball between the two classical candelabras.. explain this! Tried a specialty of Hamburg – fish with roasted potatoes, bacon and onions, almost felt like eating pork.. one hour of gym later, I still felt the food! What’s up with the fish in Hamburg?! 

Zmeura

Aceasta madlena proustica a copilariei mele.. oriunde ma voi afla, orice varsta voi avea, imi va ramane mereu in minte ca purtandu-ma spre zilele de vara, unde in curtea bunicilor mei, abia puteam astepta sa mai se-mpurpureasca una! O zmeura!! Iar bunica mea imi strangea cateodata cate un borcan plin, cand nu eram acolo.. si-l punea in frigider, iar sucul sangeriu se scurgea pe fundul paharul rece si aparea aburind dupa o masa copioasa.. ca-ntr-o reclama: profundul intens papilo-gustativo-revelatorul gust al zmeurei! Pana si cuvantul asta zmeura, cu alura lui de zmeu fructos.. pai ati mai auzit voi fruct cu un animal basmo-mitologic in antet? Ce, avem vreun fruct balaurara si nu stiam io? Sau opusul, printzesara.. Pe mine zmeura ma face sa salivez mai mult decat lamaia.. a copilarie.

Happy 28!

I know, it doesn’t make any sense not to turn 30, turn 29.5 and then just go backwards.. but then again, what does make sense nowadays?! And because my life is Chaos and I’m loving it, join me in a small celebration at Café Chaos!

I’m OK!

Wonderful sunny morning! This means it’s time to bike to work. I take my small red bike and head to Amstelveen. People are slow on a Tuesday morning… I’ll go faster, I’ll get in front of them. I pass by other bikers. I’m passing by another biker----BOOOOM!! ---- A car explosively hits me and I fall. One – two freaking seconds and I’m on the ground, hitting it shockingly hard! Ouch!

It’s not true what they say – that you see your entire life in 2 seconds. Not true at all. I had 2 thoughts, only 2 thoughts came across my mind at that moment: 1) F/&@*$g bastard! I can’t believe he just hit me!! And 2)

My head! So while I was falling, I brought my arms to my head so to protect it. I fell on one side, so I seriously injured my elbow and my hip. The sudden impact of the hit made the wheel of my bike turn to 90 degree and it immediately fell touching the bike of the woman whom I was passing by. From behind there was a guy on a scooter speeding up, so he hit the break just before running over me. They all stopped, even the idiot in the car.

Such nice people in Amsterdam, why do I need to meet them in these kind of situations? They all stopped, gathered around me, asked me if I was fine.. I was a bit shocked, I don’t even know what you’re supposed to do in situations like this.. I exchanges phone numbers with the witness and the murderer took me to my doctor.

I discovered he has the same type of stupid humor I have.. on the way he was afraid of bikes, he was letting every one bike in front of his car.. So we were saying at the same time something like, oh you don’t have any more place in the car?! And we laughed. Then he asked me if I was ok – NO I’M NOT OK!! It freaking hurts, you idiot! But I’m not going to cry!

The doc says nothing’s broken. Oh yeah! Bike’s also ok, only the bell is total damage.. I get a brand new Ozzy bell on the wrong (right) side. After one more day I re-start biking carefully.. veeerryyy carefully! For one week I drink daily, ‘cause I realize life’s so short and we can die every moment. Or we can chose to live every moment!

I chose life!

I'M OK!!

March in Amsterdam

Seems there’s a company theme to go out to the same bar. Last company van Puffelen was the favorite, for this one is Green Light. I’m curious where other people from other companies go.. In the Green light you can smoke the water pipe, that’s about the only advantage I can see. The good thing’s I can ze Polish with her getting in love stories and new life in Muenchen city. She’s so efficient in getting a new life for herself. I wish I were the same when I got here.. every one has her own rhythm. Mine is on the slow mood.

I was late again with cooking the big dinner and moving on to the Gotan Project concert. My Sailorboy was sailing somewhere in Germany. I was in charge of drinks as well. This is mostly unfitting

for a lady. So we arrive late at the venue, but well enough to see the sangre getting caliente! I love this band. I get high on the images and hot music. I can feel the passion all around me. I feel like I want to dance with 10,000 people, I want to change my voice for the singers and fall in love with Buenos Aires. We have some drinks to cool off after the party.

I’m biking with 2 huge bags, feels a bit dangerous, I can barely catch my breath. What a girl needs to do to look nice on a picture. I got a photoshoot arranged by Sailorboy. All I need to do is look pretty. It takes two huge bags for me to comply. I’m packing clothes, make up and cream, nail polish and smiles. 3 fashion and backstage ladies guide me through the scene. I’m not allowed to smile, I feel artificial, it’s not really me if I’m not smiling.. But here are some pics.

As if I didn’t have enough bruises on my body from the MMA, I go to a more dangerous sport. Pole dancing it is, repeat after another workshop I had, getting better. Better watch a real sport instead. I got tickets to Ajax – Spartak Moscou. It’s the first time I go on the Ajax stadium. It looks great! Much better than Ghencea, Steaua’s place, my team.

The Ajax fans are not as warm as the one of Steaua. They don’t keep on screaming, cheering, feels like the football players work in accounting. Yeah, whatever, just doing our job. Seems for the fans it’s more important to sing everything’s gonna be alright during the break. But anyhow, the fan tells me they’re only like this when they’re playing home, otherwise they’d cheer more. I sure hope so! Good match, too bad Ajax lost.. I had good tickets, so I could watch them closely. I just love football!!

Back to some girlie stuff, I meet Latina’s next to Café Nol. We’re chatting about languages, future and past, education and men. The latter is a theme with predilection on our table.

Hot weather in Amsterdam.. well, what can be considered to be hot weather. We need to take advantage! First barbeque this year will take place in March! Visit Carmen and her man for some really nice food and catch up on our lives.

It takes about a week for our team to decide where we go for dinner on Thursday. After making the reservation, some other option appears. Change reservation now. It’s confusing. It’s confusing when your GPS doesn’t work, the car is vibrating African music and you’re getting advice on the way from me.. so we lose our way straight to the highway. After 30 km back and forth, we finally reach destination. The one guy in the car (with 3 confused women) is seeking compassion from the other guy. We like surprises. Buenos Aires resto in Amstelveen is the place to be if you want loads of meat pilled up in front of you. Vegetarians, avoid this place! Almost felt like home; we had some good laughs and I got picked on.. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The highlight of the month was of course Familiedag. Or the family day. Sailorboy’s family was getting together. Spouses were welcome. OMG, I’m going to meet the extended family, with uncles, aunts, cousins and everything.. should I run and hide?! Oh no, I’ve been trained for this my entire life, I am such a family girl. So we start by waiting 15 minutes for Sailorboy’s sister (with bf). I’m happy. This is the first time a Dutch person has been late to a date/meeting. I’ve never seen this in my life, so they are humans after all. We find our way to Kamerick, that’s where it all happens. It’s a wonderful location, so typically Dutch: green fields, spots of water, sheep and goats, cows in sheds, 100% natural. The weather’s gorgeous. My name is too exotic for most of his family, they get it whom I’m with. We have some cake and chat with the family. Then we get sporty. We’re playing boerengolf. What’s that, aha?! It’s a sort of golf, but played with wooden stick with a klomp on top and with a bigger ball. It’s not that easy at it seems. We had lots of fun and chats in the meanwhile. All ended with a barbeque and sjoelen. Oh yeah? What is sjoelen? It’s a board game where you try to get some wooden pieces to the end of the table. It’s like a barman would send you the beer over the bar. You get more points if you get the pieces more to the center between some wooden plates. Sailorboy’s sister wins.