Emirates preparing for 40 years celebration

Country has it's 40th birthday coming on 2nd of December and the preparations are visible in all over the city.

I'll be here on that day and going to the Corniche beach to see the party and concerts. Everybody are telling me that it gets totally crazy.. people dancing on their cars, spraying each other and having the best time of their life!

I really want to see how people celebrate in this country because usually emiratis are very calm and quiet. And also because they don't use any alcohol to celebrate and in my culture people always tell me how you can't have fun without drinking.. I want them to prove finns wrong! :)

http://en.uaenationalday.ae/

Back in South-Africa

This really is my favourite destination! The flight is amazing, so relaxed because the passangers are so nice :) And the country itself is so beautiful, they have excellent beef, wine is good and cheap, people so kind and happy and sun is shining :)

Close to our hotel is a small street market. We went there yesterday and I couldn't help my self.. I bought so many nice things for my home! All is hand made and traditional from around arfica from different tribes. I love this kind of stuff to collect, something to remember these trips later.

Today we got our roster for next month. And even that I requested Seychelles for christmas I got cold Moscow instead! So not so lucky this time but I won't complain because I've had so good flights for the past 3 months now. And I get to Kathmandu for new year's eve :)

Rainy summerday in Sydney

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Night view Singapore

Rainforests in Singapore

As I promised I will tell you what was the real experience for me in that beautiful city.

This time of the year is a monsuune season and it rains a lot. Relly a lot! But because of that the nature is simply breathtaking. And even in the middle of the city center you can find yourself in the middle of these gigantic trees and funny birds that just don't stop singing. It's truly magical!

I had time to go only to a small park but there are big nature reservers where you can spend a whole day wondering. So I will do that the next time I go there.

Marina Bay - Singapore

Singapore is a very small country and the city itself has over 4 million inhabitants. With that figures it's one of the most tensed populated cities in the world. But actually you don't really see that. Because the city lacks the slums that most of the big overpopulated cities are so well known of. Instead Singpore is one of the most advanced cities in the world. It's like Tokyo, you can see technology everywhere and everything works so well. People are working wiyh business or high tech and have a very high level of education. And compared to Abu Dhabi in Singapore the goverment wants the imigrants to have Singaporean citicenship so they grant passports to chinese, indian, indonesian and european workers who come there to live.

The main business area in Singapore is around the Marina Bay. Bay has huge skyskrapers all over and it looks very beautiful. They also have culture over there, modern museum and many five star hotels. And of course a big mall with all the intetnational brands like Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton.

It is a must see place for a first time visitor but actually I found something much more interesting on the other side of tje city later that day. I will tell you more about it tomorrow :)

Byron Bay - the real surfer's paradise

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So I went to Byron on wednesday by bus and it only took less than 2 hours to get there. But how different the place is from Surfers! When Surfers used to be the place for surfers, bikinis and beaches Byron is that now. Surfers is full of families, crowded beaches, high end shops, nightclubs and even a casino! But Byron is still a small hippie village with cheap hostels, bars, Billabong shops and young backpackers. And most of them are surfing.

Byron center is actually only one street. Everything is close. The main beach is right next to the center with 3 km white sand and strong wind. But I didn't stayed at the beach. I walked to the lighthouse that is very famous over there. There's no buses going there so you have to walk, like everywhere else in the place. But it's worth of all the struggle!

The walk starts from the beach. You walk at the very end of it. From there you find a car park and at the corner starts a narrow path right through the forest.

So off you go. Start climbing, 1,5 km uphill. It took me propably over an hour to walk there because of the view! I just had to stop every 5 meters to take pictures and amaze the beauty of the place! You have to see it for your self.. On your right opens the deep blue ocean with white beaches and on your left a green rainforest with birds singing. It is magical! And the views are just breath taking!

The view is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen! Only Capri in Italy is beating Byron. That was years ago but I still remember.. The clear greenish blue Mediterraean sea against the white mountain of Capri. The path down starts from Axel Munthe's villa and is so romantic, old and narrow like from a fairytail <3 But Byron is very close to that.

So eventually I reached the lighthouse and the view was amazing! There's even a small cafe where you can buy drinks, something you really need after that walk :)) That lighthouse is very famous not only becuse of it's beauty but also because it is the most eastern spot in Australia.

But you have to walk down as well. I hate to go the same routes and always if possible I take a new road because I want to see something new. So I continued and found another path on the other side. That pth went straight inside the rainforest, totally different experience from the first walk! It felt magical listening to all tje birds and other animals wich you coudn't see but the noise was crazy!

But the best was still to come. Between the trees I saw this completely quiet beach with only surfers in the water. No sunbathing, no shops, no lifeguards, only surfers. And the beach was so beautiful, like a secret hideaway that only few knows.. A small paradise on earth.

It's a pitty I don't surf. Actually I'm even afraid trying. But I love watching and I love the athmosphere. It is so relaxed, easy going, no worries, just enjoying life as it comes. Because that's how I want to live my life as well. I have always fought against mainstream way of life because at least for me that is not what I value in life. I don't want someone else to tell me what is a good life, how you should have a upgoing career, plans for future, a house and a car bought by a bank loan, 4 weeks vacation and a job you feel stressed and depressed in.

So I still rebell and seek the company of people who are free spirits. Who listen to their inner voice and live their life to the fullest. Who don't seek for money but values. That's why I have always been weak for people who surf, snowboard etc because in that lifestyle is this freedom, rebellious attitude, enjoying life to the fullest your own way. Not living inside Matrix but living your own life where you make your own choices.

Sunset in Surfer's

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Surfers Paradise, Australia

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Second day in a paradise. Still tomorrow to go. This definitely is a beach city. All activity is at the beach and nearby streets. Shops sell beach wear and flipflops. Restaurants offer snacks and beer. Beach has these famous lifeguards (hot) ;) and the whole lifestyle is relaxed and with "taking it easy" attitude.

But still it's missing something. The surfers. I can't see anyone surfing here. I bet the place the real surfers go is somewhere where the turists don't end up. Where they have their own gang and lifestyle without anyone watching. This place is so full of turists that it has lost it's authenticity.

So tomorrow I will take a bus and go down from here to Byron Bay. That small city should be more natural without the commercial feeling around it. So let's see how I like about it. I bet it's much better than Surfer's.

From Singapore

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This time in Singapore. We flew here on friday and stayed for 2 nights. now I'm in Australia's Gold Coast and flying back to Singapore on thursday and spend another 2 nights over there. So it's a long time away from Abu Dhabi and Ilove it!

Iwill post more pictures about the city later this week. Now I have only seen some clubs because for crew Singapore is a place to party. They have these amazing nightclubs on a rooftop above skyscrapers. What a view!

One another thing that's special about the city is the law. Singpore is propably the cleanest city in the world and there are hard fines even in littering. This sign is a good example about how strict they are over there. Even if driving a bisycle in a wrong place you can get a ticket for over $ 500 US. So be careful and check the rules. But because of the strict law tje city is so beautiful and modern, safe and clean to enjoy. Later this week I will take a long walk in the city and try to find the soul of the city.