Koh Chang, Thailand

Since reaching Koh Chang, we dawned our island attitudes, and have been enjoying having nowhere to be but in a hammock or on the beach.

The laid back pace of life on this lush island is a refreshing change from the bustle of Bangkok.

With one main road going most of the way around the island, we are thankful to say it nearly impossible to get lost or wander for hours in search of our desired eating establishment (which can’t be said of either Bangkok or Chiang Mai.)

Though we have certainly not tired of Koh Chang’s alluring blue waters, towering coconut trees and sunshine, we have decided to say hello Koh Kood, a neighboring island to the south. Our feet should touch Koh Kood’s sands by 2pm tomorrow.

Sounds like a really nice place to just be!

Check out hearts unmapped !

Winchelsea Beach, East Sussex, England

The Art Of Skimming

Wow, you really have the knack for it!

Check out Forever and Ever A.M.E.N. !

Extended Summer, Sydney, Australia

This year’s exceptionally warm Autumn weather in Sydney and the whole of Australia doesn’t just mean we get to save on heating energy bills – we get to go to the beach mid-May and Winter officially starts 1 June! Hard to beat this one. The surf’s up, the sun’s up and I’m down, on the sand.

Fantastic shot, hard to believe you are near a city!

Sydney, Australia

Looks like someone is pretty excited about this shark action…

Great shot, though we probably wouldn’t venture very far past that sign

Check out The Magic Camera !

Podstrana, Croatia

Croatia is beautiful with many historical sites, scenic coastline, and wonderful people. I highly recommend a vacation there…off-season to avoid the crowds and heat of summer.

Nice shots! We hear only wonderful things about Croatia!

Check out mdorandotcom and  Build With Rose !

Anna Maria Island, Florida

It’s been a chilly week in England; the rain was expected, but I’m more surprised by the fact that it keeps hailing. Over the winter, I coped with the cold by thinking of our 110-degree stay in Las Vegas over the summer. And now, as my teeth chatter during my wanders around Birmingham, I can’t help thinking about a very warm day that I had last month during my stay in Florida.

As somebody who doesn’t like swimming, dislikes spending too much time in the sun because of sensitive skin, and is actively terrified of going in the ocean (our beach vacations have always coincided with sting ray mating season), I shouldn’t have had much motivation for wanting to spend a day on Anna Maria Island. However, I was in a mood for some sort of adventure, and I decided that an afternoon at the beach was just what I needed.

After slathering myself with sunscreen and grabbing a big sunhat, I was ready for a day with the sand, the ocean, and my Josh. We started our trek at the north tip of the island, determined to wander along and find as many scenic views as possible.

The views of the ocean were beautiful. Despite my fear of swimming in them, I absolutely love being near oceans, and the Gulf Coast of Florida was no different. And after a cold, dry winter in Ohio, I was very glad for warm weather on a beach.

Awesome shot, and proof that you don’t have to be a surfer or a swimmer to enjoy the beach!

Check out …love, elizabeth !

São Paulo, Brazil

Lovely painting!

Check out Luciana Mariano !

Irondequoit Bay, Ontario, Canada

So I can start going outside to tan, finally!

So ready for it. And yes, we do have beaches on the Great Lakes.

Nice shot! Yea, it’s that time of year again!

Check out Johanna Mustico Designs !

California

Ocean Beach Spiral

bare feet, a rake or two, and a steady vision

Pretty cool. Check out Anna L Conti’s Flickr Photostream !

And here is a video about Jim Denevan and his art.

The Art of Jim Denevan

North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia

Footprints

Clare’s, to be exact: imprinted on the sand of Home Beach, North Stradbroke Island.

Nice shot!

Check out Being 42 !

Adelaide, Australia

Semaphore Beach

Nice shot, love the light shimmering!

Check out feraldata’s Flickr Photostream !

Beaches in Australia

Having lunch one day in Hyde Park when I saw “Toothy Dancer” getting up and dancing to a busker like nobody’s watching for a good 30 minutes or so. He was having an absolute blast and it didn’t matter whether or not there were people walking past poking fun at how he was dancing or that he was singing along to some of the tunes. He looked happier than everyone else around him.    (edit: I’ve uploaded a video of him in action to YouTube – see it here)

Bit shitty about missing the focus of the girl jumping in the last photo but what can you do? I’ll try to be better prepared next time!

Manly Beach, Australia

Bondi Beach, Australia

Great shots, look pretty darn good to us!

Check out Nicholas Leach !

Haiti

Trip to Haiti. Paradise vs. Reality

It was a great trip and I am really thankful to people who invited me there and hosted it. As in pictures, Haiti is a mix of paradise and tough life. Being at the beach there, drinking wine and enjoying a conversation with friends while being treated like royalty was an incredible feeling. But driving through the streets and having an army protecting me during the night out was another thing. To see how people live there at the moment was heartbreaking, yet surprising, as they haven’t lost their dignity at all. These are strong people that still hold strong values no matter the circumstances. To be there on a holiday was a feeling I haven’t experienced before. It was a mix of feelings. I felt blessed and very lucky, sometimes guilty for that me and  my friends are same people but living such different and luxurious lives comparing to those on streets. There even was a sheer feeling of danger, although we were so greatly protected. It wasn’t just floating in the air, as if I sensed the fear of that people have there for their lives. Not fear of violence as much as what tomorrow brings when there’s no roof over head and no food to eat.

I look at the way the world lives now and it seems like people are just focusing on such things that won’t ever make them happy but all people really want is to be happy. Helping others is happiness. But I believe not helping by donations but by changing the systems of beliefs, by being more aware of what’s going on around us and making small everyday choices to make the world a better place.

You have painted a very poignant picture of people under duress, and how the rest of us can only feel torn between gratitude for what we have and helplessness at not being able to help in any direct way. The Haitian people have been through hell, yet they continue to inspire the world!

Check out modeljourney !

Montego Bay, Jamaica

The view from our honeymoon. Par.uh.diccce. 

 

Why yes, we’ll take another round – please and thank you.

We do a little blogging over at: www.montgomeryfest.com

 

Great shot, and a terrific place for a honeymoon!

Check out Montgomery Fest !

Tobago and Spain

“Happiness is the longing for repetition” from the Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.

The top is my mother circa 1985 in Tobago.

The bottom is me in 2012 in Spain.

Wow, what an amazing pair of pictures. We rarely post double locations but these two together are all awesome!

Check out Imponderabilia !