caffeine fuelled travel
A northerner with a love of solo travel, capturing life through a camera, a blue sky, flowers and coffee.
Five days, six strangers, three crew, one boat, a few dragons, a dingy, a couple of manta rays and one enormous national park; possibly Indonesia’s most famous. Where? The UNESCO recognised Komodo National Park in Flores aboard Le Pirate Explorer for a week long adventure at sea (and also one night on a relatively deserted…
Sporadic travel themed rambles form the basis of Wander with Coffee, started in 2011 as a way to count down the remaining days of backpacking life in the glorious continent that is South America. Subsequent posts have taken the form of post trip reflection or in the moment diary entries. Following a mentally (and physically) significant…
From a cup of coffee with sunrise in the middle of the Flores Sea to a mug of strong espresso underneath Tibetan prayer flags looking on to the never-ending Himalayas, a coffee with a view is how it’s served best.
Deer and diving, two things you can find together believe it or not, literally right next to each other, where the sun shines, the sea is warm, cozy and full of coral. Huh? Where? I hear you cry over the soft hum of your procrastinating brain. Well, hold on to your coffee cups (too much?)…
Volcanoes, churches, trees… not many people!
Following a lovely, long week floating around Komodo National Park (seriously THE BEST EXPERIENCE), I was fueled with some spare time and an eagerness to see what the land version of Flores had to offer. This meant that a quick decision was made to venture from Labuan Bajo in the west all the way to Maumere nearly in the very east of the Indonesian island of Flores.
Squinting at the baggage reclaim board… belt number four. My feet moved but my brain was following about a minute behind. Eugh I felt foggy. Have you ever travelled long haul? The plane journey I blimin love, honestly, unlimited films, booze delivered to my seat, just me in my noise cancelling zone. Yes, the bathrooms…
Dragon fruit, blueberres, melon, some salad, focus on the list, don’t think about it, concentrate, just pick up the fruit get to the till and get out of there. Hold your breathe, pause the podcast, you’re not listening to it anyway, and focus. Too late, I’m crying in the cucumbers. Grief will hit you everywhere….
A quick weekend visit to Pulau Kapas is very easy, if Firefly don’t cancel your flight (this did happen to me due to ‘operational issues’… luckily I was able to change it to the following Saturday).
Nine years after the magic of Palawan conquered my love of turquoise seas and empty beaches I returned to the Philippines, this time Cebu. After a one night stop in hectic Dumaguete where the distinctive characteristics of the Philippines hit all my senses at once (tricycles, horns beeping, loud church sermons, fast food, being called maam…),…
Sweat dripped down my cheek, my legs wobbled and relief started to fill my body as the finish line suddenly materialised. Smiling with all the energy I had left, I crossed the line with arms outstretched, ready to receive high fives from the M.C. and grab the elaborate medal. Two hours and twenty-five minutes after…
wander with coffee 