Category Archives: Brazil -the land of wind and caipi

Avatar pole-dancing and worldy pro’s

Alone-time finished, for now. Henriette aka Henry, Brus, Brusen, Basse, Brusebass, arrived and will stay for the next few weeks. How sweet is it to have an old friend in my Taiba! Also I’ve gotten to know a group of kitesurfers that rents at Matthiew’s. They are all very independent; One, an Indian liverspecialist in Toronto, one American having a shoe factory in Italy and another being a healthcare-investor circulating between three homes in NYC, Tahoe and Switzerland. We figured she knows my friends J.C in Verbier and Mikkel Bang (the snowboarder)! What a teeny boppy tiny world we live in, which never ceases to amaze me. Matthiew, a frenchman who owns for the 15th year, the biggest kiteschool in Europe, Tarifa Spain, hence being the Godfather himself. Then there is a group of pro kiters, riding for the international teams of BEST and Liquid Force. They call themselves the NA-blends, as they’re mainly North Americans. They travel around the world but are staying in Taiba for a few months filming “The moustache rides”. Two days ago all of us were at a Halloween-party at the Pousada Revolution, dressed up. An avatar turned out to be a poledancer and gave a full-on demonstration, while Salvador Dali spinned the music. I tried to take over the DJ’ing for a while, but got totally dismissed. It came to be a late night. But we were all invited for dinner at Matthiews last night, and lobsters and fresh fish was sizzling on the grill. Yummy… For the tummy. Pluss I won a bet with one of the pro’s, appearantly one of the worlds best, Brendan Scheid. Therefore, today he’s giving me some pointers. Hiiihaaaa!!! So going for that now. But before I “hang up” -purple thought and a new inspiration (#4): My new friends seems to share the identification of being “men/women of the world”, rather then to the limited geografics of a land inside a scattered line on the map. We’re all, by the wind or the stork or whatever, set by birth into a country, a city, a hospital, a street. But in adulthood we’re all granted with the freedom of choosing the place in which we are most alligned. I definately believe one part of me belongs to a place close to the ocean, somewhere warm (but also in the mountains). I get soooo much positive energy from being here! Loving it <3

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Being purple

There will be plenty of people, so this past week here, I’ve tried to be much alone… I’ve had time to sleep, read, walk my morning-walks, kitesurf, meditate, drink agua di coco (coconut-water). And think. Yeah I’ve definately had time to think. And I’ve asked myself why do I and so many others wish to travel? Everyone dreams of being somewhere else, somewhere warmer, somewhere tropical distant from home. Where the palmtrees stretches in unequal positions on the white beach, to get a better angle of the sun. Like here in Taiba… But what is the motive? The climate? That noone knows you? The escape from home? Or the not escape, but rather the following of ones needs? Everyone says “I wish I was there…”. But what about “I wish I was here…?” It doesn’t matter if you’re somewhere tropical if your mind is not present, if your mind is allready wandering off to some new destination. And if you’re mood is down you won’t enjoy any aesthetics. You’ll rather be insulted by the external perfection of the Tropicana. I guess we somewhat expect happiness to come naturally in perfect surroundings, but it is still only to be found inward. I haven’t found the answer of my own motives for travelling but I am going to work on and remember (#3) staying present in the presence. And therefore this blog is more for me than for anyone else. But by having an “appointment” with this, of putting what’s-going-on into words, it is more likely to be done. And I need that push since I haven’t written anything except from shopping-lists and work-stuff over the past 10 years. And I enjoy finally writing again. It might be a bit purple and eat-pray-love-ish, or in my situation kitesurf-morningwalk-meditation-ish. But why the hell not? :)

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Surfchampionship and hammocks

And yeah, as of my bad luck yesterday, boa sorte (good luck) came my way today. In Taiba this weekend it has been “the final of the Brazilian national surf-championship”. A sentence that in itself lingers the smell of excitement, music, smily happy people and coco-nut oil. Also Vincent finished the kiterepair so I just got back from some amazing few hours in the lagoon after having watched the incredibly skilled surfers this morning. Last night I was invited to a BBQ with a french family I just met: “Boogie-Franco”, his wife, their daughter and a dog named caipi (short for caiprinha).They have built their dreamhome here. And their house had the perfect ambience -with hammocks everywhere, giant pillows, a bed in the garden and a huuuge projector on the wall for film-screeenings and photos. The wall could contain any “painting” they feel like. Ironically I get to practice my french in Brazil and we had a blast! So cheers in caipi for inspiration #2; Go to, or invite, unfamiliar people for dinner. The outcome can definately be lots of laughter (the best calorie-burner of them all). Hospitality, good atmosphere and comfort makes a home, and projectors and hammocks does it for me. I did hang up two hammocks on the terrace of marsmellow-bo this summer, but both of them broke. Anyhow, a new note to self: Don’t give up on this hammock-project(or). You love’em!

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A broken kite

Today I was big time outta luck. My first day of kitesurfing and the kite broke. According to my friends it’s with no doubt a warranty-case. Crossing my fingers they’re right. But since I’m here and need it everyday it’s allready at my friend Vincent’s for repair, the areas kitedoctor. I hope my bad luck this first day, means I’ll be lucky tomorrow. Boa sorte…

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Taiba baby

There is a tiny fishing village northeast in Brasil called Taiba. It’s not in lonely planet, It’s hardly on the map, it has a handful of restaurants, one pharmacy, two grocery-stores and no bar. But rumors say there will open one next week… And rumors say it’ll probably close again the week after. We’ll see. My pilot-uncle, who has travelled all around the world, and back, fell in love with the place and bought a house here 15 years ago. Then my grandparents fell in love (with the place) and followed 5 years later. It has a very local charm. White beaches meeting raw rocks that melts into perfect natural pools at low-tide. Horses riding in the sanddunes. And really happy mellow people; fishermen, fishermens women, surfers and kitesurfers. Yep, cause the best of it all, it happens to be one of the best spots in the world for kitesurfing! And one of the best spots in Brazil for surfing. I’ve been here a few times before and have some local friends around. I also have some routines I tend to stick with, like my daily morning beach-walk or an acai on my way to the lagoon. So it allready feels pretty homy. And this place Taiba, this remote paradise, luckily forgotten by lonely planet, is where I am right now. Sweet!

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Surprises, Stefan & Anne

Sweetest Matty and Benne, which surprised me with coffee, buns and a ride to the airport at wayyyy to early this morning, made my day! With Benne’s specially made good-morning playlist for the ride, even at 4:15 in the morning, you girls rock!!! In the plane and in the backpack there were two more surprises; a buddha-notebook to write down my inner secrets and the novel “Jonathan the Seagull” with a beautifully written letter. BIG thanks Matty, Benne and Hanne for making the goodbye so special. Allthough I usually hate goodbyes and must admit I cried a few tears when you left…
I promised myself that I’ll be writing down what inspires me along the way here, to collect the memories in my first ever attempt of some sort of diary. So cheers to the first (#1) inspiration which came from you girls back home. “Surprises” are never out of fashion. Large or small, a little card or time together. Whatever they are -they are soooo aprecciated. Thanks again… Then a long planeride, some sleeping, more sleeping, a bit of reading, moviewatching, even more sleeping and a transit later, I met a really nice couple. She, a model. He, a photgrapher. She, assisting in the photoshoot. And now, allthough based in Munich, they travel around the globe kitesurfing and taking photos. Cool people, different and inspiring lifestyle. Let’s meet up again Stefan and Anne! :)

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