Spreading the Chimichurri

I don't know about you, but I find that food taste better with spices. One problem, is that from time to time, I exaggerate the amounts therefore having feeling a little sweaty unpleasantness. Another problem is that regular food seems dull in general after these exotic meals.

We are what we eat... since food is the source of energy of our body, it's reasonable to consider that what goes in has an impact on our emotional states(what we perceive as life). 

Real taste is disconnected from the eyes and had it's purpose (most likely) to warn us about possible damaging foods. With time and lack of danger, we've learn to taste the texture and colors, more than with the taste buds....

We appreciate things like the name(reputation) of a product/cook/restaurant, together with the surrounding presentation and ambiance in which we distill our emotional states.

We're hypnotized to feel a dream or relive an engineered past moment instead of just using our tasting buds in the moment.

Modern life is a man made constant dream. We bathe in the mass media clouds, indulging in what their(yours, if it's your line of work) joined efforts cook for us. In the end who's to say that the feeling we get from the taste is better than the one we get from the dream we've adhered to.

Knowing this, the logical next step should be to get the best immersion system money can get and let my feeling fortress be assaulted by other's high rank creations...but somehow...

There's a certain pleasure to creating and being the architect in any way of the surrounding Matrix. Why be a Don Quijote, when you can steer and navigate the general common flow into the unknown wavy ocean of eternity.

You look around and compare your own influenced expectations with the unpredictable real world. How do we build those inner expectations that eventually lead our modernity into the breakdown abyss (more and more work-related burnouts in a society where poverty is kept to a minimum)?

The answer is in the recipe, we keep putting spices in the dishes we cook for others, thus trying to addict them(marketing) to our own dish. We package our meals to ensure our chain in the society's link, injecting into others our chimichurri abundantly. The problem resides in how easy we adapt to new things, because we feel happy, alive, challenged when change takes place.

Let's assume that most people can only make one particular plate, then the way of changing and keep people hooked is to add more spice, leading to ... 

Personally, I love the end of autumn because it provides the space favorable for a spice desintox and although it seems though and tasteless, everything will taste better in next cycle reset in spring.

Learn to enjoy a spice-less meal and you're set to love all future dishes.

Recap while in between waves

Walk until you can't anymore...

We spend most of our life trying to fit some social circle and improving one or another skill because we want to have an edge and sell ourselves better.
Watching cartoons this morning, I clearly remember all my Disney inserted younger values. I wanted to be the good helping guy that leaves when done...a little bit like 'Hobo' the helping dog (another version of a vagabond Lassie). I've clearly achieved exactly that in my own beautiful way.

My extremelly tired smiling self

Let me present my real self:
I see myself as an artist, a life explorer, a lover of the beauty and grace.On the other side, I've been gifted with a German logical side and computer like mathematics skills that help me adapt to every situatio. I love risks and challenges, but not as much as I love life. I've been gifted with a strong, resistant body(amazing genes) that facilitates my exploration of every spot on this planet. Looks like one day I'll have SUPERBABIES.

I used to be a shy kid, never really being aware of the effect I had on women, although always had a few aroun. The idea of a single partne is such an alien concept to me, but I understand and respect it in others. I love women with every singe cell in my body and when I'm in the graceful company of one, she's the only flower intoxicating me with her exotic smell, but as soon as the infinite moment ends and she leaves...

No extra comments needed...

Sometimes it's hard to feel the scent of a woman through the petals she unconsciously puts in the way. If you think I've ignored you in the past, maybe you had a petal up, so I strongly advise that next time you grab my attention...nothing beats interesting conversation ... unless ... it's a seductive mind.

With this in mind, A MILLION THANKS to all the beautiful creatures that have opened their loving arms and have engraved their names in my heart forever. Let's hope our dusty paths will meet again for new unspoken adventures.

Albums with pics since last post:
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140516_CiudadDelEEste_Paraguay
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140520_20140525_RioDoJaneiro_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140526_20140527_Macapa_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140528_Cayenne_FrenchGuyana
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140528_20140529_Paramaribo_Suriname
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140529_20140601_PortOfSpain_TrinidadAndTobago

Stefan Tajti playing everybody's emotional chords with his violin in our hoste in Rio

A little something about death:
With all this adventure, I'm aware that my chances of not existing are incresed and I accept that risk gladly if it allows me to experience life in it's purest form. This being said, if my life ends and you feel like you should respect my memory, please get out from your routine and tell your loved ones how you feel about them in the most passionate and loving manner (just don't do anything I wouldn't do...virtually nothing).

One free beautiful life

Partial blog from a tired night:
Left Rio with two tears in each eye, because of such wonderful and special people. These two and many more opened up from normal standards and we had beautifully sparked adventures. Travel dipped in passion, caring and affection, perfect recipe for Free Love, giving everything to the moment and bringing down our invisible walls. This is what I have always preached for. Give without expecting, be honest and explore whatever common desires are matched. How can you lose someone if you HAVEN'T misplaced them first.

Surrounded by feminine energy...

What a crazy ride it was from Macapa to the border with a crazy pick-up that killed its passenger's backs in the last 150km of the 700. The good news, I got flirted with by two lovely females and one not only kissed me but also gave me a hand job while the others where too busy looking away or sleeping. Right after she said she had a 50 years old boyfriend for her youngish 20 years. I love this place. Also, the night before I had to turn down, not one, not two, not three, but four gorgeous girls from Tinder that all insisted to come to my hotel room later. I was too tired after a long ride from Rio and before today's messy adventure...

Watch where you put your foot, because your body will follow

Life is what you make out of it, Pierre-Emmanuel Dénès :
A year ago, I was coming back also tired from a 4 month tour around Europe. It was an exiting experience through my colder birth place. I open the door of my apartment just to find a dirty mess. Pierre-Emmanuel Dénès with whom I signed a temporary furnished lease (went through a lot to make it legal) had left damages, missing property and almost everything inside was dirty (and I still have the pictures to prove it). To this day, he hadn't paid anything and in his letters he chose arrogance instead of good human behaviour. Now being a year later, I can only say that you get the results of your previous choices. That bad experience allowed me to get rid of that place and I'll move into a more central one soon. I've travelled the world again and at the last news he was begging for money in the street. Let it be a lesson for whoever thinks that their decisions have no impact on their future. No matter if Karma exists or not, a reputation is very easy to dirty our days with the power of the Internet.

Nice waves

Quick recap:
Started this trip 4 months ago, thinking that I was going to spent at least 2 months in the same spot, Jericoacoara, surfing, learning Capoeira, learning Samba and teaching kids. I overspent and chose instead to visit Brazil in all it's migthyness, at least the whole coast. Nothing revives my heart like a tropical beach with good visibility or waves or both. I've met people from around the world and my Portunol is perfect...
Unfortunately, during this trip, I crossed without meeting at least 5 previously met cool free souls, but I had the short and lovely opportunity to meet one of them, Sarah.

Sarah, who has one cool artist surfer boyfriend living in treeless tree house

I've learned that there's a machine that can accelerate the healing process and it's funny because I've learn that from a veterinarian. I tried teaching passively and after about 5 failed attempts, I've decided to get back to the beach. I've spent most of my time surrounded by lovely people and learned that Tinder is a great 'hook-up' application, that I haven't used a lot...in this trip. One big thanks to Google Maps for getting me home safely.

Surrounding by amazing people

Samba should be made a sport and not a dance, also it has the great side-effect of giving you an ass of steel. Capoeira looks amazing, but it require such core strength and flexibility that it's aimed to super slim muscular type of people. Always great to try it, sometimes attitude counts.
I've fallen in LOVE with a country and it's people(unless we have to wait in line)...

Let me hug so you so hard, so HARD...that it will break your fears!

You deserve everything you feel in life

The virtual source of reality

I'm on the verge of becoming an outlaw in Brazil, which would make me an outlaw for the third time in a foreign country (Indonesia for overstaying visas arranged with a fine, Argentina for selling a vehicle illegaly 5 years ago arranged with having a second nationalty and now forced to overstay my Brazilian visa for 7 days probably fixed with a fine).

If I'd have to choose one passion in life,...

...it would be to observe,...

...where the sky meets the ocean.

Looking back on this marvelous trip, I can't but feel love for this oversized country bringing together so many different cultures. The costs exceeded expectations mostly because of my uncontrolled desires to accomplish and live intensly all available possibilities. Here are some marvels since the last post:
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140503_20140508_Florianopolis_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140509_20140510_Uruguayana_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140510_20140514_BuenosAires_Argentina
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140515_20140518_FozIguazu_Brazil

Sweet engraved memories in the greatest color vibration

Observing my other self in the mirror. Almost 4 months through irregular sleep, gorgeous adventures, chilling on sexy beaches and with the skin worked by the sun... I can't but love and appreciate the effect.
I've been touched by many lifes and shared moments in great company filled with love, beauty, grace and excitement.
If there's one secret about captivating someone like me, it's to keep my mind excited with new beautiful possibilitites that haven't yet been imagined. It's mainly why I travel, to discover the unimagined.

Unexpected beauty

I look at my numerous scars and each has it's own story. This body is a library where life is storing it's books second after second.

Remember when you were amazingly loved in your life or when you felt horribly sad. Now overlap those 2 memories and remember that everything outside your head was the same. You deserve every bit of reality you're feeling, since reality is greatly influenced by your emotional state wich is the only thing over which you have great power.

Some symbols...

...have more effect...

...than others.

Now think about how you'd feel if someone that you care about shows you his love in a deep and caring way....On the opposite side, think about how you'd feel if someone you deeply care and love, betrays your trust and rejects your love in the most horifying way....
Do you see the outside difference? You shouldn't because there isn't any.

It's saner to go through life knowing that emotional states are temporary and don't affect surrounding reality. You won't feel the need to end it all because of a difference between expected outcome nested in your inside world and more important, you'd be more enclined to continue on the "best" path in life.

You are the only ruler of your life through your decisions, meaning that only your actions will get you the results you want(love, bussiness, travels, etc). We give too much power to outside factors when everything really happens inside of us.

This is very important in a world where what is sold is packaged into a dream to make it more addictive or more competitive. Choose your path before others choose it for you or at least understand how the game is played(relations, heath and beauty products, electronics, lifestyle). Fooball for example seems to have an almost religious symbolism at least in this part of the world, aldo it is just a game opposing 11 people of each team trying to get a ball into a big net...I can feel the comments coming along, but it's just a way of entertaining masses from more important worries and a also a big money making machine.

Be attentive!

Participate!

Please your senses!

It's as easy as it gets....life is simple: Take care of the outside first(drinks, food, sleep and other body functions that will optimize your perfect machine) and go fulfill the inside AFTER(dreams, desires, wants).
You deserve everything you get, because it's all about how you react to what's happening outside.

Crossing the far away bridge,...

...into the fog of the unknown

Free flowing LOVE ... enjoy the wave

Perfect place for FREE LOVE

It's that time again, where I get to share impressions about travelled places and add a personal touch by sharing a point of view on something afterwards. But first, some stats:

Today, I'm celebrating three quarters of my trip with a little sadness in my heart knowing that this amazing trip will have an end. This last month costed much more than usual, but necessity creates new possibilities.
I have my flight back and if all goes as planned, all my goals should be attained, except for being a teacher.
I should be back "home" in 31 days to see my dad, friends and work. One amazing thing in my life is that I'll get to experience being one of the best man of a really great brother like friend, so thank you, you know who you are...
Motorcycle will be out and routine will show it's boring nose as soon as all these humming birds get to disappear or maybe after this tasty cold local beer.
Right now I'm in Chapada Damantina, which is a jewel of a national park filled with caves, waterfalls and great people. Nothing better to get inspired.
Urgent matters are under control, since I'll have a place to sleep when getting back.
After the last post, I've finally visited and had to spend 5 days on this fantastic nudist beach, enjoying a full portion of freedom. Followed by inspiring Olinda and smooth beaches south of Recife. Then there was a short lived Salvador with Morro de Sao Paulo and here in Chapada Damantina. Tomorrow I'll be heading to Florianopolis, but let's leave the unhappen in its place and concentrate on past presents.

Bathing in LOVE

http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140412_20140417_Tambaba_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140418_20140423_OlindaPrayasRecife_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140424_20140428_SalvadorMorroDeSaoPaulo_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140429_20140502_ChapadaDamantina_Brazil

If you've read until here, please check the pictures from the last two links, since they're world renowned places that you should visit if/when you'll be in this part of the world.

Don't forget to feel the waterfall

I think the images speak for themselves, so I'll leave words out the way of imagination.

Today, I feel like writing about LOVE and it's implications, because I get to see many  use cases for this strange state of mind:

Tiroleza pra paraiso

Every morning we open our eyes to a strange new world and with every second that passes by, memories and habits show themselves to make our life "easier". Sometimes, worries and hurtful feelings are part of the morning package also, but it's all for the purpose of having a better resolution from our life picture.
What would be life without love and "what's love got to do with it"?
Lets just assume that we all have a need of sharing things intimately and bonding with other fellow humans. The obvious source of this process is a programed need to share with other alike souls.

I have three problems with regular society brainwashing love:
1) No expiring date
2) Number of loved ones
3) Forget yourself in the name of love

Amazing food, shrimps and fish

Let's develop my viewpoint on FREE FLOWING LOVE:
1) Do you clearly remember saying the LOVE word to someone dear and some time after, you hated them. Most likely because love and hate are very intimate with each other. If you don't remember, just look at the divorce rate of your city and put yourself in the place of them saying "I will support you forever, until death do us apart"? LOVE is an emotional state that you alone create, it's an addiction for an outside element that you believe will fill your own personal void. It's also a beautiful emotional state if it's shared by the other person. Main key word is TIME, how long it will last. Usually the honeymoon period will last from a week to 18 month and after that passion decreases and ... you know where this is going, you've been there...

Hot pussy

2) You can only love one person and it's immoral to love more at one time... Really, so society has bent your mind into actually believing that your feelings for a second person can't be related to LOVE. Whatever you feel is reality and what people tell you isn't...this goes for what I say also. If you feel that you are in LOVE with 2 people or more, then it's the reality that prevails, knowing that every person is unique and brings you something different(not a competition). Morality is just a society standard that you decide freely to follow or not. You don't have to force yourself to LOVE more, just be free to know that you or others can LOVE more and it's just nature.

Go deeper

3) There this huge myth that you should make sacrifices for the loved one. The reality is touchy and has to do with fear more than with LOVE. The three reason that you'd make sacrifices for someone are:
a) To please them out of REAL LOVE
b) To please them (sign of neediness and insecurities)
b) You're afraid to lose them (sign of neediness and insecurities)
Usually a) happens a lot during honeymoon and much less with time. The problems are b) and c) that like the crusades, do horrible actions in the name of something beautiful.

Butterflies and Clouds ... Beauty and Grace

LOVE is a cloud that dissipates with time. You can multiple colored clouds around you and the colors are just separate dimension that everyone fulfills in your life. Most relations I see are about trapping those coloured clouds with mosquito nets. First the clouds lose their colour and second the smoke dilutes. The more we try to catch it, the more we push it away.

Fill your inner void before chosing someone

You will only be alone if you let fear govern your life and if you stop interacting with others. FREE LOVE is about giving your all in order to experience a sense of bliss with another person that interests you. That person is free to chose at any instant wether thy want to remain in the boat or go float elsewhere in the flow of life.

Bring them down

I see more and more relations hidding behind a mask of LOVE based on material possessions, without any real soul connection and enduring a lots a negative emotional states, just because we try to fulfil this society's image of "LOVE". Why not, as long as you understand it's a system, you're free to chose the path that you believe it's the best.

DO IT!

The best kinds of LOVE are free and filled with vibrating colours. So enjoy the present emotional states, before it ends(because another emotional state will have to replace the current one). Cherish the beauty and grace inside each passionate moment and it will enforce the colour of LOVE. Be open and free and the cloud will get bigger and wider for you to experience new things transporting you over your own self made limitations.

One life, plenty of LOVE to share and souls to be touched, be present and enjoy the colorful cloud...

Let the LOVE flow

Midlife crysis ... or not ... smooth sailing across mid-point : FREEDOM and REALITY

It's really not the destination that counts, is it?

Now with mid point sailed across, full wind in my sails and with my dearest element in front of me, I can clearly say ... many things ... but before, let's see some stats.

2 full months have passed, budget is as planned (a little less than 2000$CAD per month including everything, even planes, new phone 300$, one week of Carnaval accommodation 500$, 3 tattoos for 125$). Stayed mainly in the North East coast of Brazil, chilling and discovering new beach beauties. Here are the pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140228_20140309_RecifeCarnaval_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140303_20140304_PuertoGalina_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140309_20140319_NatalPipa_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140319_20140323_Jericoacoara_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140324_20140327_SaoLuisLencoisMaranhese_Brazil
http://picasaweb.google.com/braikoff/20140328_20140411_NatalPipaMaracajou_Brazil

It wasn't easy to cover one week of travel time in a blog page, so 5 weeks are a monster. To continue on the last article, I left over just before my first Brazilian Carnaval experience, where my backup came and from where we made history in Northern Brazil. Carnaval was huge party with millions of people dancing and enjoying the sounds and colourful energetic people.
Here are the main parts, Carnaval in Recife, chilling in Natal, finally deceiving Jeri, Sao Luis, Lecois Maranhese and finally closing the loop in Natal around beautiful Pipa.

Also, to celebrate mid-points, I'll share my version of FREEDOM and REALITY.

Carnaval in Boa Viajem, Recife, Olinda:

Bathing in happyness

One of any traveler's main problems is to NOT BE ALONE, for many obvious reasons. So, the news of a Canadian friend coming to party here, was music to my ears, especially in such a chaotic event like the famously renowned Brazilian Carnaval.

What pink glasses?

The only down part of Carnaval was the expensive hostel price, but it was worth every single penny because that money served to create a beautiful family and friendships that will most likely last forever. It was an alcoholic's heaven partying non-stop in all parts of the cities, Olinda, Recife and Boa Viajem. Together with my brother in arms, we shared the craziest memories surrounded by magic and beauty.

 Sometimes chaos has this amazing beauty and grace surrounding it, creating possibilities. Since every one was there to party, the vibe was amazing. Only one way to find out and I wish you the best memories when you decide to witness Carnaval with your own eyes. Met plenty of cool people that would usually keep their social masks on, but decided to be free and enjoy themselves giving the best and purest gift to all others by being themselves. Did you had to put a mask on today?

Natal:

Lua Cheia Hostel in Natal

Aldo Recife was great, eventually all the members of our family left and the next destination included a place where sharks didn't infest my dearest element and forever passionate lover(the ocean). Natal sounded perfect, safer, cool beaches and filled with beautiful women(on tinder). Our first night was amazing in a hostel that not only look like a castle but really was one. This place was surrounded by "piranhas" which is the name given to prostitutes here. We even had the chance of seeing an over friendly ex-he who gladly showed us the result of how well a sex-change operation can go. Of course the red light district is filled with Italian originated Brazilians.

El Dorado

Eventually the 2 Roman emperors ended up in marvelous Pipa which I highly recommend to all travelers that love beach and hippie places. It surpasses Jericoacoara by far ... in my humble opinion. Aldo I don't talk much about the people I meet, it's really them who make all these adventures memorable and worth while.

I love reading

Jericoacoara:

Magnificent sunset every single time

In a bus filled with 4 members of my new family, we covered the lovely distances separating my initial goal from the last city. After 2 cool friends told me about this mystical and hippie place, Jeri was supposed to be my home for 3 months, unfortunately the ocean was not bold enough for surfing purposes.

Taking a break from travel worries

Still enjoyed the buggee ride, the lagoons, the beach capoeira, the live concerts in the small city and most of all more great company.

Amazing art well performed every sunset

If you love kite-surf, this place is a MUST, since there's good winds ALL the time.

Sao Luis:

Surrounded by beauty and grace, my new life goal

It was a short trip, mostly so my senses can re-feel one missed soul. The old city is unfortunately falling apart and filled with drugs addicts. The good side of the old city is that after the sundown, plenty of soon to become circus artists come to the main square to practice and it's a blessing for the eyes to see such determination and skill. Also there are plenty of schools and centers for those who'd love to improve their artistic expressions. It was a marvelous old city but it's slowly falling apart, now the new city takes over with it's long empty beaches.

Where clouds come to vent

Only 4 hours away, there's one huge tourist attraction with immense dunes and natural sweet water pools, but it's also the ONLY real thing to see almost making it unworthy to spend the night in Lecois Maranhese. One thing that I see often here is the price difference in restaurants. Like every respectable tourist place, there are bigger restaurants with a better ambiance, better view and higher prices. For example, a pizza would go for at least 50 reais and it seemed pretty slim, while the local food shop sold a immense portion (could feed at least 2 people) of fish, rice, vegetables and more for only 12 reais. These 2 places were about 50 meters away.

Natal:

Hello LOVE

Since Jeri and Sao Luis didn't stand a chance of impressing my senses after Pipa, my path made a sudden U-turn and decided to surround myself with the beauty and grace that I previous found in Natal.

Bolo do pao do queijo

FREEDOM and REALITY:

Sweet rebel

I've been a rebel for a long time, always trying to find new ways and "optimise" what's already in place. I guess my brain excels at understanding the surrounding system and finding flaws that I could exploit. In all math courses my marks were way above average and they remained even in engineering school, so thank you amazing genes from Romania where famous mathematicians and physicists were born.

Choosing a ship

When is the last time your focus stopped on a "how to have a better life" article in the news or on facebook? They seem to be everywhere surrounded by famous quotes about how to live a better life. Are you happier?

Don't forget to look behind

I remember coming out of polytechnique and after only one year of corporate work, I felt such a disconnection between what I imagined my adult life to be and reality. And that was only the first year. I really believe that I've achieved a better life quality for myself accomplishing almost all my dreams in the last 8 years.

In my case, it helped a lot understanding about freedom and reality.

First, there's this Amerindian legend about two wolfs, one white(good) and the other one black(evil). The legend says we have both of them fighting within us and the one who wins, is the one we care-for(feed, nurture, give attention) more.

Two options, help it or squash it ... so tempting, shut up blackie

Seconds, a new way of looking at this is to go back to the first human(no beliefs, no knowledge, no social standards). Imagine being a caveman, looking at yourself in a lake. In this case, REALITY  is that we're a complex machine that transports ourselves in the best way for all environments. This machine has 5 senses that make the bridge between REALITY and our brain.
Everything outside of the realm of these 5 senses isn't reality and it's AT BEST a very close story to reality. In our days, our brain is flooded with man made desires and fictitious needs that we assume being real part of us. How much of your processing power is used on REALITY?

Hello reality

Third, seeing REALITY for what it is, FREES us to make more enlighten choices, considering that life is only a suite of emotional states as a side effects of our machine's pre-programming. FREEDOM means that you understand the true boundaries of REALITY.

Fourth, and getting back to the wolves story, we can figure out which emotional states are on the side of the white wolf and then find what makes him happy(in my case if to be surrounded by beauty and grace). This mainly means that you have power over the emotional states that you go through. It means that at any point in time, you can feed the white or black wolf setting a precedent for a future resembled action. This means that if you've been having a long term affair with the black wolf in obscure emotional states, you can start befriending again the white one by shifting your focus. This also means that you can increase the time you pass in a white wolf emotional state ... as one of my friends would say "choose your own drug".

My favorite drug H2O

Fifth, you can't control ALL emotional states, but you can know that at worst, all emotional states are temporary(especially LOVE), so breath in and let time move you into the next realm of possibilities. Also, even if society or anybody tries to push false boundaries on you, know that it's not REALITY, it only exists because you choose to accept it as a reality(money value, territory borders, politics, religion, social status, normal sexual life, etc).

Because it's easier when your wolfs merge

Enjoy the FREEDOM OF REALITY ... NOW, go feed the white wolf!