"Les adolescents ont des relations sexuelle
Le mariage n’impose pas l’exclusivité sexuelle
Le divorce est courant et accepté (pcq les femmes sont responsables des enfants et de la maisonnée : on se débarrasse d’un mauvais chasseur)
La polygynie est pratiquée par certains groupes (comme les Inus et la plupart des Amérindiens de la zone du saumon)
Les enfants sont considérés comme une bénédiction (quelque soit le père). Ils sont accueillis avec enthousiasme"
La religion "dogmatique" ou imposée et leurs representants (souvent imparfaits et pas toujours justes ), ont autant a voir avec les malheurs du monde, que le capitalisme, le communisme ideologique, le consumerisme actuel, le matérialisme consommant et détruisant sans respect toute la nature, les etres etc
pour moi je place du meme coté (des injustices) les dictateurs communistes, capitalistes ou autres (comme staline, hitl.., mao ze dong, bush etc) de meme que les extremistes religieux (actuels ou passés)
pour moi ils restent tous des humains souvent imparfaits et sans respect... pour les humains et le reste de la terre souvent
De meme que les chinois communistes ont envahit et massacré les bouddhistes tibetains pacifiques, et ont ensuite crée leur "dictature militaire communiste ou socialiste etc", de meme que l'urss avec ses goulags, ses centrales nucleaires, son intolerance envers les croyances ou choix spirituels des autres (monastères brulés, spirituels exécutés etc)
pour moi l'Idéal spirituel (de la plupart des spiritualités ) est a mon sens bon et juste : la paix, le respect de toutes formes de vie, l'amour, la compassion, mais la plupart du temps ce sont seulement les humains "representants" temporels de ces valeurs qui ne sont simplement pas toujours a la hauteur de l'ideal spirituel, et restent (pour beaucoup ou certains) avec leur égo, leurs ambitions, la recherche de pouvoir sur les autres, de meme que ce que font les matérialistes, communistes, capitalistes etc a leur façon
Mais personnellement je prefère "croire ou chercher" la paix, la sagesse, l'esprit, plutot que seulement "croire a une société de consommation" du metro boulot popo dodo, où les nouveaux "faux dieux" se nomment Argent, Profit, célébrité, consommation (sexuelle, d'objets, et autres ), exploitation de la terre mère etc...et cela fait souvent encore plus de mal à la Terre, aux pauvres et exclus qui découlent de ces "riches ambitieux" etc...
en tous cas pour moi les premières valeurs me semblent plus justes c'est tout... lol
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
Mohikan, je ne te surprendrai pas si je te dis que je trouve très naïve ta vision du monde. La réalité est un peu différente du monde enchanté de Walt Disney avec son mythe du bon sauvage.
Comparer Bush à Hitler et Staline, c'est un peu juste. Où sont les millions de morts ?
La vision des méchants chinois et des gentils tibétains... Hum. Bon. Par quoi commencer ? Le Tibet n'est pas pacifique par nature, c'est un empire qui se créa par la conquête, par le feu et le sang, comme toutes les nations. Il a même parfois envahi des parties de la Chine. Le système y était féodal, organisé autour des monastère bouddhistes, et les différentes autorités religieuses se faisaient la guerre au détriment des pauvres gens. Le régime était théocratique. Bien sûr, cela n'absoud pas l'invasion chinoise.
Mettre sur le même plan le goulag et les centrales nucléaies (soupir)... En l'état actuel de nos connaissances, l'énergie nucléaire est la seule capable de nous fournir de l'énergie en quantité suffisante sans produire des gaz à effet de serre. C'est une solution imparfaite, contestable, mais elle n'a pas été conçue pour exterminer les populations.
La société de consommation, le capitalisme, feraient le malheur des pauvres ? Évidemment qu'il y a des injustices, des problèmes de répartition, de pollution, etc... Mais prends-tu la mesure des progrès accompli dans tous les domaines, grâce à cette société ? Les maladies vaincues ? Les dizaines d'années gagnées en espérance de vie ? Le confort ? L'hygiène ? Rien que la machine à laver qui a fait énormément pour la libération de la femme, mine de rien... Et puis les échanges entre les peuples, qui n'ont jamais été aussi intenses... L'internet... Les sciences... Alors oui, effectivement, il y a des problèmes de répartition entre les riches et les pauvres, entre les pays riches et les pays pauvres, et puis encore et toujours ce problème de surconsommation et de pollution... Mais c'est en elle que la société technologique soit trouver ses propres solutions (impôt redistributeur, énergies renouvelables...), car revenir à l'âge des cavernes, ben le remède serait pire que le mal.
Personne de peut affirmer que c'est une punition divine mais personne de peut affirmer que ce n'en est pas une.
Ben si, quand même. On peut raisonnablement affirmer que le sida n'a aucun rapport avec Dieu. Que c'est simplement un virus qui est apparu comme apparaissent (et disparaissent) des centaines d'espèces en permanence : par le jeu chaotique des mutations génétiques. Que tout est biologiquement explicable. Que ce n'est pas une fatalité, un fléau contre lequel on ne peut rien : non seulement on peut très facilement l'éviter si on se protège, mais on peut également retarder la maladie pendant des années, et de mieux en mieux, grâce à certains médicaments... en attendant de trouver un vaccin qui viendrait définitivement à bout du sida.
Quel besoin d'évoquer Dieu là-dedans ? Quand tu bouffes un yaourth périmé, considères-tu la collique comme une punition divine ?
Tu te places de ton propre point de vue conditionné toi aussi "d'occidental matérialiste et athée" qui "consomme" et juge aussi a sa façon, comme la plupart,
la société bouddhiste tibetaine n'etait pas pour autant "un paradis" comme aucun système ou société humaine, toujours imparfaite, car, pour moi, si le paradis ou la perfection existe, elle ne peut dependre que de "soi", ou en nous meme
aucun système ou société ou idéologie ne peut "nous rendre heureux" ou éternel, ou parfait, a part soi meme, comme disent beaucoup de "sages"...meme si certaines avaient de meilleurs choses que d'autres ( vie libre en harmonie avec la nature des amerindiens, pacifisme en general de la voie du dharma, et d'autres ) mais pour moi le "salut" ou le bonheur ne peut pas etre communautaire ou "dans un système" toujours imparfait, compliqué et dependant "d'autres", il ne qu'etre individuel, et dans "l'ame" ou soi meme, peu importe le nom que tu donnes a ca
c'est aussi pour ca que je cherche a m'en liberer toujours plus, ou en tous cas en dependre le moins possible si possible, et trouver ma voie, seul ou accompagné peu importe, mais c'est clair que je ne me reconnais pas du tout dans cette société matérialiste, de consommation, "Au nom du pèze, du Fric, et du Saint profit" comme disait l'autre lol, c'est sur qu'ils n'emporteront rien de tout ca dans la tombe, ou dans le "ciel", s'ils y croient
pour moi ce que je vois en tous cas, c'est que cette société pretenduement "civilisé" est aussi égoiste, injuste et barbares (meme plus sur beaucoup de choses) que les hommes de la nature, certains sages et autres, et pour moi les virus ou maladies ou pollutions, comme le sida, certains cancers et autres, n'arrive pas "par hasard" ou anodin, car tout effet a une cause, et ca vient forcement aussi d'un comportement et façon de vivre de la plupart des humain(e)s, que ce soit au niveau de la consommation sexuelle "anarchique" ou sans respect, de meme que l'exploitation-consommation de l'environnement et des ressources (pas inepuisables) de la planète
Comparé a l'infini de l'univers, cette terre n'est qu'une "poussière", éphémère et limité, de meme que les etres qui y vivent, d'un coté ou de l'autre du globe, c'est toujours le meme ciel, air, eau, etc, et s'ils continuent a "exploiter" ou conso(u)mmer sans cesse
je dis juste "ils verront surement", bientot ou tot ou tard
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
Comment fais-tu pour vivre un quotidien et un relationnel dans cette société que tu n'aimes pas ?
Pour ma part, le mal être dans cette société fut le motif de mon départ et pourtant il me semble être plus sociable et plus cool que toi, malgré que mes idées sur la vie te rejoigne assez.
pour moi les virus ou maladies ou pollutions, comme le sida, certains cancers et autres, n'arrive pas "par hasard" ou anodin, car tout effet a une cause, et ca vient forcement aussi d'un comportement et façon de vivre de la plupart des humain(e)s, que ce soit au niveau de la consommation sexuelle "anarchique" ou sans respect, de meme que l'exploitation-consommation de l'environnement et des ressources (pas inepuisables) de la planète
Eh bien tu te trompes. Sauf si tu considères avoir raison contre toute la communauté scientifique, tous ces gens, ces "Sages", comme tu dis, qui ont consacré leur vie à étudier cette maladie.
Tu dis "ça vient forcément"... Évidemment, ce serait la seule réalité qui se plierait à ta vision des choses. Mais les faits sont têtus, et la réalité ne se plie à aucune idéologie toute faite. Rien "ne vient forcément" : cette façon de parler témoigne de ton incapacité à adapter ta pensée à la réalité des faits.
vie libre en harmonie avec la nature des amerindiens, pacifisme en general de la voie du dharma, et d'autres
Tu n'as pas répondu à mon message où j'explique que ces Amérindiens, que tu sembles admirer, jouissaient d'une immense liberté sexuelle, sans partenaire fidèle, mode de vie que tu désapprouves pourtant. Tu n'y vois pas comme une légère contradiction dans ton discours ?
Et pendant que tu y es, tu n'as toujours pas répondu à mon message de 14h21. Je le recopie donc là, car je suis vraiment très curieux de la réponse que tu vas apporter à toutes ces questions :
Mohikan, tu dis qu'il est naturel et normal que le sida se développe avec toute cette dépravation sexuelle... Alors comment expliques-tu que les pays qui connaissent le plus cette dépravation soient aussi les pays les moins touchés par le sida ?
Autre question : toi qui sembles aimer les animaux, que penses-tu des bonobos, cette espèce de singes pacifiques qui régule tous les conflits internes par le sexe ? Sais-tu que ces bonobos sont peut-être les animaux les plus proches de nous génétiquement ? Que c'est la seule espèce, à part l'homme, qui pratique la position face à face ? Que les individus changent fréquemment de partenaires, se livrent à l'homosexualité, à la fellation et à toutes sortes de pratiques sexuelles avec une fréquence extraordinaire, et pas dans un but procréatif (malgré cela, la femelle donne naissance à un bébé tous les 5 ans seulement) ?
Que penses-tu des peuples où règne une grande liberté sexuelle, sans amour nécessaire pour se faire plaisir, comme les Moso tibétains, qui ne vivent même pas en couple et ne se soucient d'aucune fidélité ? Et les Yaos d'Asie du Sud-Est, où les femmes (mariées comme célibataires) sortent tous les samedi soir à la recherche d'un nouveau partenaire ? Comment juges-tu tous ces gens ?
Une dernière question. Tu considères que la répression et la dépravation sont deux extrêmes également condamnables. Mais si tu rejettes la répression, comment comptes-tu empêcher les gens de se livrer à la dépravation ?
Tu parles sans cesse de relations irrespectueuses...mais le seul qui est irrespectueux et envers nous tous ici...c'est toi.
Comment veux-tu respecter la nature, ton environnement si en quelques phrases tu n'arrives déjà pas à respecter tes interlocuteurs...
mais je crois (excuse moi de me méler finalement d'un post qui ne m'est pas adressé) qu'il ne répond jamais au question, je l'ai déjà constaté et l'ai déjà relancé... sans obtenir de réponse.
pour repondre,
de mon coté dans la "vraie vie", je suis justement plus respectueux que tous les "consommateur-trices qui prennent ou jettent les gens, y compris dans ce domaine, et vos jugements envers moi ne sont pas forcement respectueux envers moi, depuis le debut, pire que moi meme sur certaines choses, car je ne pense avoir jugé ou critiqué pas grand monde en particulier contrairement a vous envers moi, mais c'est logique, la raison du plus "grand nombre" est toujours la meilleure, meme s'ils ont tort... lol (d(où mon peudo) (comme les vautours d'une société gregaire qui s'abattent sur les etres "differents" ou qui osent avoir un avis different de la "masse soit disant bien pensante", comme sur une proie, car c'est bien connu les systèmes pour qu'ils continuent a fonctionner (meme injustes) n'aiment pas des "électrons libres", pour continuer leur "multiplication d'atomes crochus"... lol
Je crois aussi que tu "extrapoles" trop sur ce qui t'arrange en "generalisant" sur certaines tribus d'amerindiens par exemple, mais aucune n'avaient tout a fait les memes coutumes, et ce qu'en rapportent certains n'est pas toujours le reflet de la réalité, mais chacun et chaque cas est different et unique
de mon coté je n'ai rien a me reprocher dans la vie, contrairement a beaucoup d'autres, ici ou ailleurs, mais ceux qui se permettent de juger (un seul contre tous parfois lol) sont souvent bien moins honnete en vrai, et ont forcement bien moins de courage, car leur situation est plus facile... mais pas forcement juste
Pas la peine de me repondre ou de "débattre" sur un sujet sur lequel la plupart des homosapiens "actuels", n'ont pas la meme vision des choses que moi et d'autres, j'ai donné mon avis, (par le texte entre autre lol) parfois rebelle je l'accorde, mais parfois assez vrai et realiste je trouve...
the end
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
non c'etait juste un "embellement sur /ou des homosapiens"... lol
rien d'autre
bonne nuit 🙂
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
Je crois que Bison Futé veut dire qu'il a raison mais comme il est seul à le savoir et que nous sommes tous des mécréants, lui, c'est le gentil persécuté.
"Quelle est la difference entre une femme et une cloture ? Tu n'es pas obligée de dire "je t'aime" a la cloture pour pouvoir la sauter" (bon blague primaire, mais assez vrai parfois... lol)
Bonjour Mohikan,
tu apelles ca du respect, tu respectes les autres en disant ce genre de chose!
29 ans je reve😮
j'ai lu ca hier soir mais j'etais tellement enervee que j'ai prefere rien ecrire sous le feu de la colere que j'ai prefere attendre l'acalmie
en fait, tu as une vision triste de la vie, je t'accable pas, je te plains
j'aimerais savoir comment tu te fais plaisir ? quest ce que tu aimes faire pas sur le plan de l'ame,
je sais pas tu aimes entendre les oiseaux chanter le matin, courir dans l'herbe pieds nus, l'odeur du café chaud...
gallia
Vous ne serez riche que lorsque vous serez en possession d'une chose que l'argent ne peut acheter
Pour le voyageur amoureux, cent km ne paraissent pas plus longs qu'un km( proverbe japonais)
Si j'aime beaucoup de choses dans l'univers ou la vie, mais (le plus souvent) c'est tout le reste en dehors des "systèmes ou sociétés humains",
biensur y a certaines choses d'eux que j'aime aussi et utilise, et (en ce moment en tous cas) je ne vais pas cueuillir la nourriture dans la nature (quoi que ca m'arrive d'aller cueuillir des pommes, mures ou autres, sauvages ou pas) : donc j'utilise encore des trucs de base surtout : vetements mais l'essentiel, livres parfois, nourriture (céréales, chocolat, et autres), le net en ce moment meme si c'est loin d'etre ce qui fait mon bonheur, mais il y a des infos utiles parfois et ca permet d'echanger... ou de s'engueuler lol, j'aime bien aussi le vtt parfois ou les voiliers (creations humaines donc à la base), les sages, les filles sympas, certains peuples ou hommes de la nature, voyageurs, babacools, certaines musiques, mais je regarde très rarement de films, ni concerts ou ni autres trucs
En dehors de ca, plus specifiquement humain, j'aime tout le reste, meme sans faire une liste exhaustive : le ciel, les forets, les plaines, l'ocean regarder les oiseaux, méditer en tailleur dans l'herbe ou par terre, donner à manger aux chevaux, chats, chiens et autres, tous les animaux et plantes en general, le vent, les orages, les fontaines, les nuages, faire des katas, observer, ballades, manger des fruits dans la nature, m'approcher du samadhi, l'esprit, le silence, les étoiles, l'infini etc
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
j'ai lu sa prose deja en long et en travers
mais justement je trouve pas cela explicite du tout
Vous ne serez riche que lorsque vous serez en possession d'une chose que l'argent ne peut acheter
Pour le voyageur amoureux, cent km ne paraissent pas plus longs qu'un km( proverbe japonais)
Vous ne serez riche que lorsque vous serez en possession d'une chose que l'argent ne peut acheter
Pour le voyageur amoureux, cent km ne paraissent pas plus longs qu'un km( proverbe japonais)
C'est bien ce que je disais : tu tournes en rond ! On a déjà lu et relu tout ça au fil de tes posts !!
Sais-tu que je vais finir par te trouver drôle 😮 !
Je connais un excellent cuisinier (je dis bien un cuisinier) qui pourrait peut-être faire quelque chose pour toi, ne m'en demande pas plus, tu verras bien 🙂...
Dolma
un chemin et la caresse du vent, alors je pars en voyage...
Etant donné que chacun a sa vision des choses en general, c'est logique que je parle souvent de la meme façon (d'apres moi), ou des memes, de meme que les autres a leur façon,
est-ce que chirac ou sarko (phage) ne parlent pas souvent des memes sujets et de leurs memes ambitions pour etre élus president de la "raie publique" ? lol
Je trouve qu'ils se repetent souvent aussi...
Enfin chacun son avis
quel cuisinier ? Je prefère me faire mes plats moi meme 😉
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
non je n'ai jamais lu de livre d'Yves paccalet, mais j'avais hésité a m'en acheter un, j'ai juste lu parfois entre la fac et un peu apres, certaines de ses chroniques "humeurs sauvages" dans le magazine Terre sauvage, mais je ne sais pas s'il en fait toujours,
autrement j'aimais bien ca vision des choses décalée souvent, j'ai souvent eu la meme vision des choses (de meme que bernard werber sur certaines choses aussi) regardant les etres vivants, dont les humains, a egalité, quitte a se rebeller, quand les humains empietent trop sur les autres formes de vie
Est-ce que tu trouves normal qu'il y ait (rien qu'en france) 60 millions d'humains, contre a peine 7 ou 8 ours (ou je sais plus combien) réfugiés dans les montagnes, et souvent "massacrés" ou emm.. par les hommes ?
tu trouves que c'est un "juste equilibre" entre les espèces et etres vivants ?
moi non... lol
c'est tout
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
Je viens juste de lire le résumé d'un de ses derniers livres, il y va fort aussi a sa façon... lol
mais deja Hubert reeves, Theodore monod, et nicolat hulot, l'ont souvent dit a leur façon aussi... sur les ravages des humains envers la terre, la nature etc...
"L'humanité disparaitra, Bon débarras !
L'espèce humaine provoque des bouleversements irréversibles de son environnement. Notre avenir est aussi bouché que celui des dinosaures ! Peut-on encore espérer que l'Homo sapiens acquière enfin la sagesse dont il se rengorge, alors que toutes les grandes questions (pollutions, saccages des terres et des mers, climats, nouveaux virus...) sont négligées ou méprisées ? D'où vient cette folie suicidaire ? De ce que l'homme est un grand singe égoïste. Il obéit à trois pulsions : sexuelle, territoriale et hiérarchique. Sa soif de domination le pousse à tous les crimes, y compris contre lui-même... Guerre nucléaire, climats en folie, empoisonnement de l'air et de l'eau, nouvelles maladies... Tout cela sera très drôle. Et après ? Rien... La vie créera de nouvelles espèces jusqu'à ce que le Soleil brûle définitivement la planète, dans environ un milliard d'années. "
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
Je trouve au contraire une évolution dans la réponse que t'a faite Mohikan. IL t'a livré ce qu'il aime et ce qu'il n'aime pas. Il a parlé de lui personnellement.
Tu parles beaucoup de toi dans ce post, tu dis ce que tu aimes et ce que tu n'aimes pas personnellement et pourtant il ne me viendrait pas à l'idée de penser que c de l'orgueil ou de la frime😏. Comme quoi ...
Tu connais "coup de gueule" de Tiken Jah Fakoli (Musique africaine) ?
re Natha,
je connais Tiken Jah de nom surtout et visuellement, j'avais entendu un ou deux titres de lui assez engagés et rebelles, donc j'aime assez souvent "L'afrique en a marre" un truc comme ca
De mon coté, j'écoute diverses choses encore parfois, surtout du pop rock, ou folk, genre Tracy chapman, Ben harper, mais je peux aussi passer à Goldman, Cabrel, Dire straits, Queen, certaines de Bob marley, Bruce springsteen, et autres pour les plus "recents" j'aime assez Coldplay (groupe), De palmas, et d'autres, d'autres bandes originales de film (biensur le grand bleu lol et d'autres d'eric serra, vangelis, john williams et autres) autrement j'apprecie aussi le silence 🙂 la musique de l'univers, source de toutes les autres lol
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
Peut être cela t'interressera-t-il si je te dis que j'ai recueillis chez moi un jeune aigle qui ne peut encore voler. La personne qui me l'a donné voulait le vendre, je lui ai demandé de me le laisser jusqu'à ce qu'il puisse voler pour qu'on le relache après. Peut être comprendras tu mieux qu'un autre la sensation de plaisir et l'émotion que je peux ressentir à son contact.
oui je connais ca, assez souvent, avec les autres etres vivants, qui n'ont pas de langage "parlé humain", ou plus simple et naturel, on peut communiquer avec eux vraiment, surtout par le coeur ou notre "façon d'etre", donc la communication non verbale, par le silence, est en faite plus directe, et vraie (car les discours et paroles ne sont que des pensées, souvent dénaturées et faussées, qui viennent voiler le silence éternel, qui est eloquence permamente)
Donc dans ce sens tous les discours, paroles des humains entre eux, ne fait au contraire (paradoxalement ou logiquement) que les empecher de communiquer entre eux ou de se comprendre, car le vrai dialogue est "i shin de shin" comme disent les maitres zen, d'ame à ame, donc les animaux ou les etres vivants plus "simples" et moins compliqués que les humains, peuvent en realité communiquer mieux souvent, que les humains entre eux, de meme que certains humains arrivent mieux a communiquer avec les autres animaux (là on va me prendre pour un autiste qui parle aux dauphins lol) mais y a une part de vraie là dedans,
de meme qu'un regard, entre humains, ou entre humains et autres etres vivants, en dit souvent plus long, que toutes les paroles qu'on rajoute dessus
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
non j'ai lu aucun bouquins de Rampa lol
c'est pas le gars dont on dit "faux gourou" ou autre ?
Donc en m'informant là dessus, j'ai preferé ne pas le lire, mais je ne le connaissais pas beaucoup deja,
j'ai lu plutot certains livres de Ramana maharshi, du Dalai lama, Thich nhat hanh, et d'autres (dans le domaine spirituel)
« L'amour c'est d'abord respecter la liberté des autres êtres, là où il y a désir personnel, il n'y a pas d'amour. La terre n'appartient pas à l'homme, l'homme appartient à la terre »
Je disais ça parce que tu as la meme façon d'exposer les choses, les mots, mais il est pas aussi fermé qd aux relations entres humains!...Lui aussi croit en son message, maintenant c'est surement un faux guru quoique bien instruit sur le boudhisme ss doute; ses bouquins sont classés ds la rubrique"aventures mystérieuses"!!
lol!
rampa, j ai lu pas mal de ces livres il y a presque 20 ans.
ce st du mysticisme de foire, dans la lignee de tous les delires new age, et en plus il donne des exercices a faire sans mettre en garde les gens sur les dangers que de tels exercices peuvent faire courrir a la sante mentale quand on n a pas eu une tres longue preparation avant de les aborder.
je ne recommende donc pas de lire ces livres, il en existe de beaucoup plus serieux sur la question mais qui ici a envie de les lire?
C'est biensur évident!! C'est ce que je voulais dire en disant qu'ils sont classés ds "aventures mystérieuses"!!
Maintenant comme tu dis, ils ne sont peut etre pas recommendables pour tous.Quand on voit certains faits divers inspirés de la TV ou autres...C'est vrai!
Mais la façon de parler de Mohikan, le ton, m'a d'un coup fait penser à ces bouquins... C'est peut etre ce genre de ton, cette façon de parler qui se retrouve ds ses autres lectures??
non mais franchemment le rampa, il y a des fois ou ca tournait au delire:
genre il s est fait trepanner entre les deux yeux par un bout de bois pour ouvrir soi disant son 3 eme oeil, tu vois le genre...
heureusement que personne n essaie de faire de meme dans sa salle de bain😎
Le Dalaï Lama, c'est pas le mec qui roule en limousine, dort dans des 5 etoiles a New yok, Paris ou Londres, mange dans les 3 etoiles Michelin ?
Vive la simplicité...
Dernièrement, le Dalaï Lama a choqué je ne sais plus quelle assemblée européenne (le conseil, ou un truc approchant) en disant que l'Afrique va mal, c'est que les Africains devraient arrêter de se plaindre et se mettre au boulot.
La soit-disante sagesse du Dalaï-Lama est l'une des pires escroqueries du monde moderne.
Que pensez-vous de ce phénomène arnacoeur et anarcoeuse? Ces gens de l'étranger, qui, par amour du matériel se mettent en couple avec des européens, leur…
La discussion de benharper m'a touché, mais je pensais qu'il falait faire une discussion inversé aussi Je vous explique mon cas: Depuis mon plus jeune enfance,…
J'ai eu l'occasion dans ma vie de visiter pas mal de pays et ce que j'observe c'est la terrible agressivité de l'occident. Les sociétés occidentales veulent…
Par habitude, mes textes sur ce forum sont plutôt sur un ton léger, j'aime aborder les choses avec humour, surtout quand il s'agit de choses sérieuses. Mais…
Who’d like to share their best and worst travel memories in a few lines?
For me, it’s watching the TAJ MAHAL at sunrise and getting chased by dogs at the top of a mountain pass in GREECE on the way back from ISTANBUL.
THANKS GUYS
hello to all travelers with their eyes wide open to the desert...
I’ve always wondered what I was "doing" on this earth. And why my father, who died a few months after I was born—a former youngest French resistance fighter—joined the First Saharan Motorized Company in Atar and spent the rest of his life repairing army engines in Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali (which didn’t exist under that name back then), Morocco, and finally Algeria, where my mother was born and raised. (Believe me, it’s not "cool" being the child of a soldier in a country occupied by France, and even less so the child of a "pied-noir.")
Of course, I never got an answer: the dead don’t talk, and the army doesn’t either.
But here’s the thing—I had photos...
So naturally, one day I hit the road. I wanted to see, to understand.
It’s thanks to VF that I was able to do a little research on crossing the Morocco-Mauritania border, and I’m grateful to its members, just as I’m grateful to all those who welcomed me on the road for 14 years.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been wondering if I should talk about this or not...
It turns out the Mauritanians changed my life by asking for my help... And that started as early as February 2012... (Did I owe them something? No answer to that question.)
Ah, the irony—they saw me coming. But when you’re handed sick children and begged to do something, what would you have done? I’d worked in a hospital, so I knew a bit about the rules to follow. I didn’t hesitate.
And well, over all these years, I met doctors, surgeons, and together we organized care, evacuations of children, training for surgeons—even trying to stop children from having to travel outside their country. It was never easy. I’d like to thank those who supported us, as well as *La Chaîne de l’Espoir*, *La Fondation Face au Monde*, and everyone who built bridges between our two countries.
Unfortunately, despite the constant efforts of Mauritanian doctors and surgeons, some children couldn’t be helped in time. Today, I want to talk about four siblings—orphans of their mother—suffering from congenital glaucoma causing irreversible blindness. Their case was entrusted to me in 2020, just weeks before the big lockdown. We couldn’t do anything for them then, but when their father asked me for a gift, I rushed to my computer and wrote a story.
Through a tale, the children take a great journey, explore their country, and fulfill a dream. I never thought this book would be published—it was, in 2023.
This book pays tribute to Mauritania. It’s a message for those who know nothing about the hardships of life there, carrying both the harshness and beauty of an immense desert where you can travel by 4x4, bike, on foot, or by camel in complete safety. It bears witness to the kindness of Mauritanians toward travelers.
As a woman traveling alone in my vehicle—a now-rusted old Mercedes that no longer runs—I had the most beautiful encounters of my life there (I’ve seen other parts of the world...). The blind children of Choum, Atar, Nouadhibou, and Nouakchott will forever be in my heart.
Volunteer readers transcribed the book into a free audio version for the visually impaired. It’s available in sound libraries in France, the *Fondation Valentin Haüy*, and the Swiss Romande library.
I made my last trip to Mauritania in my old 4x4 to distribute the book everywhere, especially to its heroes and the school for the visually impaired in Nouakchott.
After that, I thought it was time to close the chapter because I no longer have the means or the strength to travel.
My publishers chose this title for it: *The Blue Eyes of the Desert*.
This publication helped a mission of Swiss volunteer ophthalmologists come to operate on glaucomas in Mauritania. I’m thrilled because they come back every year!
This adventure is ending, yes—everything must come to an end—but ultimately, it was born here, on the VF site!! So yes, I had to say it: THANK YOU!!!!!
Hi everyone,
I’m Loulou, a French expat who’s been living in Southeast Asia for about fifteen years, currently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A passionate walker at heart, I’ve trekked in Nepal (Thorung La, Mardi Himal), India, Vietnam, and I’m still planning new hikes (Char Dham, Langtang, Annapurna).
I’ve just published my first travel journal, recounting three months of walking and encounters across India. A portion of the sales goes to an educational center I support in Kep, for children whose parents work in the salt marshes.
I’m also working on a second book about Nepal with a musician friend, focusing on the Mardi Himal trek—two independent perspectives on the same journey.
Happy to swap stories with you about the Himalayas, India, Southeast Asia, or just the urge to hit the road and walk far from home.
Safe travels,
Loulou
Hi! It was totally by chance that I stumbled upon VoyageForum (an ad online and a story lol), and I’ve been reading some really old posts from 2011 about Thai massage schools—discussions on how to get by, accommodation, prices, etc. It reminded me of my own experience: I kept things simple by staying with a local family during my entire trip. I only shared all the expenses with them, which, I’ll admit, was super cheap… and I often traveled with them, which naturally opened a lot of doors for me. To start, at the school in Salaya, my Thai friend immediately connected me with Teacher Phong (the school’s mentor and teacher of teachers, a former monk). I was supposed to join a group session with other foreigners, but for some reason I don’t know, I got two days of private lessons for free with this expert… incredible! And on top of that, he loved France! It was an amazing experience. I "discovered" massage by chance—the Thai family just told me: "Try it, you’ll see!" (I’d had a pretty intense massage in the capital before 😅… but the next day, I felt unbelievably great!))
Every morning, I’d take a taxi (chosen by the Thai family at prices that beat all the competition) to this school—I’ve forgotten the name of the little village now… right in the heart of the countryside. Then, in the evenings, I’d keep practicing massage on all the family members… and they’d teach me Thai at the same time!))
Since then, I’ve practiced a bit, with lots of positive feedback. Following Teacher Phong’s advice—he thought my pressure was deep, firm, and precise—he strongly encouraged me to take this seriously.
I love Thailand so much. It’s a whole different way of living… and it’s a real blessing, even if I couldn’t live there full-time. Anyway, that was an unforgettable memory, and sometimes the Thai family and I still say hi—from 2011, 2013… right up to today!
"It seems to me that poverty would be less painful in the sun" wrote Aznavour...
Not sure...😕 Who can prove that people in hot countries are happier than others?
What do you think?
Is it better to live in Montpellier than in Lille?
Are the Pygmies happier than the Inuit?
Are Canadians less happy than the people of Louisiana?
Are there more French expats in hot countries?
And your travels? Do you choose your destinations based on the climate?
Do you rejoice when a bit of sunshine appears?
Hi everyone, just this once I’m not posting for a travel story, but to share a thought for Venezuela.
If you didn’t know—since it’s not making headlines—the country was hit by two 7.5-magnitude earthquakes last week. Over 2,200 people have died, more than 50,000 are missing, and some coastal towns have been completely destroyed.
Maybe when the scale of the humanitarian crisis becomes clear, our media will cover it a bit more... especially since earthquakes with this many casualties usually make the front page, but there’s been nothing in France.
So here’s a thought for this country, which, whatever you think of its politics, is a true jewel of South America, both for its landscapes and its people.
hi there
I’d like to invite you to discover my coastal province in central Vietnam: Quang Ngai.
This year, my province has really improved its infrastructure—mountains, countryside, and sea are all authentic here.
No harassers or thieves, and no Russians either.
A local lunch costs around 1 €.
A *** hotel room is about 25 €, and you can find hotels right on My Khe Beach.
We have a specialty: *banh xeo*—10 crepes for just 1.5 €.
You can rent motorbikes to explore the province and maybe visit the many ethnic minorities.
I live here—I’m not selling anything, but I can help if needed (my father-in-law is a traditional Vietnamese doctor and he’s very skilled).
Hi everyone! 😉
I’m Typhaine, 35 years old. Five years ago, I left France for a solo round-the-world trip—no planes, just a van, hitchhiking, cycling, and even a canoe in the Amazon! Today, I work as a naturalist guide in Argentine Patagonia.
Wherever I go, my compass stays the same: observing and photographing wildlife, which I deeply admire and respect.
My project: I’d love to share this experience through a sustainable, authentic, and immersive nature tourism initiative. But to build something meaningful, I need to understand how other nature enthusiasts experience their own adventures.
If you:
Are over 20 years old
Have a true passion for Nature
Have already taken at least one trip lasting more than 3 nights (in your country or abroad) in your life
Promise: I’m not selling anything, this isn’t marketing. Your answers are 100% anonymous and will only help me shape this wild project.
A huge thank you to everyone for your help and kindness! Looking forward to chatting in this thread 😛
(Dear admins, this is purely a collaborative effort for my project study, with no commercial purpose. Thank you so much for your support!)
Photo: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), female on the left and her cub on the right. Photo taken by me in Alaska, Denali National Park.
It’s something we often notice in this forum—and many others—this behavioral shift.
A long-time member, or even a new one, asks a question.
They get one or more answers, some brief, some detailed, and then... nothing???
Not even a simple thank you!!!
From what I’ve gathered, if the answers don’t align with what they wanted to hear, it seems natural for the asker to just disappear!! 😕
Unless—(and I fear this is the case)—basic politeness is no longer part of our society????
I spent 3 weeks in Bali last summer (+ 3 nights on Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java). So I wanted to see what ChatGPT could suggest for comparison...
Here’s the prompt I gave:
"You’re a local expert guide for Bali.
- Plan a 20-day itinerary for Bali with a side trip to Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java without staying overnight.
- I’m traveling with my wife, and I love visiting historical sites, hiking, relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, and exploring rice terraces...
- For the duration of the stay, I don’t want more than 8 places to sleep, and I’d like to stay at least 2 days at each stop to avoid unpacking too often. Except for the last night, where I’m okay with just one night near the airport.
- I prefer neighborhoods that are walkable and try to avoid typical tourist traps, though I don’t want to miss the must-see spots. So suggest a mix of iconic sites and hidden gems.
- Recommend hotels or guesthouses with a budget of 50 to 100 € per night, including breakfast. Make suggestions in areas popular with travelers, specifying the vibe (I prefer quiet), and consider safety and proximity to attractions.
- For lunch and dinner, suggest two to three restaurants that are well-rated by customers.
- Give me a day-by-day program with details on travel times, visiting times for each point of interest, and recommendations for transportation (taxi, train, bike, etc.).
Estimate the total cost of the trip, including accommodations, food, transportation, and activities, and suggest two tips for saving money in each category.
- Don’t make anything up—be realistic about travel times, take into account the opening dates and hours of sites, and give me the entry fees for places to visit.
- Ask me all the questions until you’re 95% sure you understand what’s being asked. Don’t generate your response until you’ve understood."
The AI asked for a few clarifications:
"Great request—I can build you a really optimized and enjoyable itinerary, but to be 95% sure I hit the mark, I need a few key clarifications (this will really influence the pace, areas, and accommodations)."
In the end, it proposed a program very close to what we actually did.
I’ll skip its accommodation and restaurant suggestions...
Its proposal:
"Ubud (4 nights) => we did 5 nights
Sidemen (2 nights)
Amed (3 nights) => we’d planned 2 nights
Gili Meno (3 nights) => we did Gili between Sidemen and Amed
Munduk (3 nights) => we did 2 nights before Pemuteran
Pemuteran (3 nights) with Ijen => we did 4 nights
Sanur (2 nights + 1 last night) => we chose Jatiluwih instead of Sanur
It suggested "activities" (and accommodations too):
IN UBUD:
- Walk around central Ubud (1–2h)
- Campuhan Ridge Walk
- Tegalalang Rice Terrace
- Tirta Empul
- Gunung Kawi
- Massage / market / slow café
IN SIDEMEN:
- Rice terrace hike (2–3h)
- Cooking class
IN AMED:
- Snorkeling
- Japanese Shipwreck
- Beach + relaxation
- Volcano sunset
ON GILI:
- Snorkeling at Gili Meno Turtle Point, Nest Underwater Statues
IN MUNDUK:
- Jungle & waterfall hike - Munduk Waterfall + Melanting Waterfall
- Loop: 3–4h (perfect for your level)
- Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
- Twin Lakes
IN PEMUTERAN
- Snorkeling: Menjangan Island
For Kawah Ijen, it detailed the day well:
👍 from Pemuteran = best possible option
12 PM: leave hotel (we left at 10 PM)
1 PM: ferry
3 PM: arrival in Java + transfer
11 PM: start ascent
2 AM–6 AM: volcano
Return to Bali around 11 AM–12 PM (we got back at 4 PM)
👍 still very intense, but doable with an agency
💰 ~80–120 €/person all-inclusive
IN SANUR:
- Relaxation
- Quiet beach
- Proximity to airport (30 min)"
I’ve kept the habit of blowing my nose in the sink and then washing my hands—a custom I picked up in India. Sometimes, non-travelers are shocked when they catch me in the act... 🤪
Also, when I run out of toilet paper, it doesn’t bother me—unless I’ve got company over... 🤪
Just got back from walking a friend’s dog (while they’re on vacation), wearing a djellaba and Tibetan boots... 😏😏😏 Oh, for sure, if I’d run into locals, I probably would’ve shocked them? 😏
Anyway, as long as I’m not spitting on the floor at a restaurant or squatting on the side of a highway with a water bottle in hand...
After taking a little trip around the world, I came back a few months ago with an idea in mind.
I mostly do diving, and I love observing animals in their natural habitat without disturbing them.
During the trip, I realized it was quite complicated to know where and when to see certain species.
For example:
where to dive with sharks or manta rays
where you might get a chance to swim with whales
I even discovered thresher sharks during my trip… I didn’t even know this species existed before, even though they’re incredible to see.
We spent a ton of time searching for info all over the place, especially on social media, without ever getting a clear picture.
So I started putting all this together on my own, in the form of a map, to make it easier to visualize where to go depending on the seasons.
I recently put a first version online (it’s called Fauneya).
There are probably mistakes, inconsistencies, or things to improve, and that’s partly why I’m posting here.
I’d really love to know how you all go about planning this kind of trip.
As part of my Master’s thesis, I’m currently conducting a public survey on a topic that concerns all of us when planning a trip: artificial intelligence and the role of human contact in travel planning.
These days, we’re using more and more digital tools to find ideas, compare options, and book trips... but is the role of human advisors still essential? At what moments? And for what types of trips?
The survey is anonymous and takes about 7 minutes.
It’s aimed at anyone who travels (or has traveled) for leisure, whether you plan everything yourself or go through an agency.
While browsing the forum to gather info for my upcoming trip to Thailand, I often see the terms "traveler," "great traveler," and also "tourist"—so what’s the nuance for you?
I've traveled quite a bit in Vietnam over the past few years—from the southern delta to bustling cities and even some small islands—but what really sticks with me is the north, the high mountains.
Up there, there's something different—maybe slower, more raw. The morning markets with ethnic groups, women in traditional clothes, the colors...
The stilt houses, kids following you and laughing for no reason, the terraced rice fields—it almost feels unreal at times, so vast and quiet, yet so human and simple.
You often hear that Sapa has become too touristy, and that's partly true, especially in the center. But as soon as you move a little farther away, everything changes quickly. The landscapes open up, encounters feel more natural, and you rediscover something truly authentic.
I think it's that contrast that struck me—the difference between what you imagine before going and what you actually discover when you take the time.
And you—what memory do you hold onto from Vietnam? A particular place that touched you more than others?
Hello,
We’re finalizing the plans for our upcoming trip to China in May 2025. The second-to-last stop will be in Zhangjiajie, where we’ve planned to stay for 2 full days before heading to Shanghai.
We’re traveling solo using local transport and have arranged to stay in the city of Zhangjiajie.
We’ve seen that there’s a lot to see:
Tianmen Mountain, the Grand Canyon and the glass bridge, Zhangjiajie National Park, and that the sites are quite far apart with fairly expensive entry fees.
We’re thinking of dedicating one day to the national park and the Grand Canyon (glass bridge) and one day to Tianmen Mountain.
But we’re not sure if this plan is realistic—any thoughts would be much appreciated!
I should be serving a warming drink to the participants in the discussion about gardens and parks that provide us with beautiful photos, I could mention the delicious buttery scent wafting from bakeries in the thread about returning to France, but my heart, its powerful pulse that nourishes my entire being, is elsewhere.
Dasht-e Lut, Yazd, Esfahan, Bam, Kerman, Qeshm, Hormuz—a melody, a prayer at the heart of desire.
A dream, an unattainable fantasy? No. Not anymore.
A very serious Italian travel agency is organizing this trip for 6 people this winter. I’m signed up, I’m going, I’m living. Maybe.
"But you’re completely crazy!!!!"
I know... I know that every civilization, every society has a vital need to create scapegoats to define and justify itself, pathetically. And Iran is one of them, top of the list. I laugh or sigh, and it doesn’t bother me.
But that unchanging red, deep red and garnet, so beautiful in itself, in all the Western chancelleries repeats, whispers, shouts: don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, you’re putting yourself in danger and we can’t do anything for you. You’ll be turned into mere bargaining chips, into arguments for endless negotiations. Fear must be instilled, its power absolutely preserved, no concessions made to the enemy. The information (how many French hostages, real or fake, compared to the number of travelers?) is always lacking.
Traveling becomes a merciless confrontation between desire, the vital pulse, and anxiety, its ghosts.
Hi everyone, here’s our itinerary. Arriving on the evening of December 13th. Departing on January 7th.
Thanks in advance for your tips and valuable feedback.
Manila – 1 night
Coron – 4 nights
Coron to El Nido cruise – 2 nights
El Nido – 4 nights
Port Barton – 5 nights
Flight from Puerto Princesa to Vigan
Vigan – 2 nights
Sagada – 2 nights
Banaue – 2 nights
Bagabag – 1 night
Manila – 1 night
I’ve only booked the flight to Manila and the Manila/Coron flight so far. Is it possible to book boat trips, accommodations, and the Puerto Princesa flight last-minute?
Really disappointed with Costa Rica! Pura vida? The scam of the century!
(Costa Rica pure emptiness).
The country where animals are free and people are in cages.
3 weeks in December in this country and never again. Imagine the trailer of a movie that seems interesting, and when you go see it, you realize it’s a flop and the best moments were in the trailer.
Well, that’s exactly how we felt with Costa Rica pure emptiness.
My wife and I have traveled quite a bit and didn’t expect to be so wrong about a place.
On the main routes, we visited:
San José
Alajuela
Limón, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo (Caribbean side)
Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio (Pacific side)
And a few short stops in intermediate towns.
Our dissatisfaction grew gradually like this:
When we arrived at the hotel, the taxi dropped us off on a small street in front of a white metal gate with ground-floor windows barred. We looked at it skeptically, but the sign matched.
He approached the gate, rang the bell, the buzzer sounded, and the door opened slightly. The hotel wasn’t bad for the price, a 10-minute walk from downtown, but with a "Fleury-Mérogis" vibe guaranteed.
So far, so good.
After showering and regaining our bearings, we headed downtown.
What started to unsettle us on the way was seeing houses with bars on the ground-floor windows and even on the second floor.
At first, we thought the hotel’s neighborhood wasn’t great.
Downtown San José:
It’s a generic city, not very exotic, with a pedestrian street and a small mercado where you can eat local food without frills. Very few tourists—if any—which let you blend in with the locals. We had lunch and struggled to make ourselves understood because, aside from one or two shops, English wasn’t spoken.
On the way back to the hotel, we took a different route, and while chatting and strolling, my wife pointed out a beautiful two-story white house completely barricaded like Fort Knox.
From that moment, we started noticing the facades of houses and buildings, and wow, it was creepy—most looked like prisons, some even with barbed wire.
Though put off, we told ourselves it was probably a big-city thing and the rest of the country couldn’t be like this.
So far, so good.
We relaxed at the hotel and had a drink at the bar. Night falls early, around 5:30 PM. By 7:30 PM, we headed back downtown for dinner. A bit unsettling for a capital—downtown was almost deserted, and aside from fast-food chains, very few restaurants were open, with hardly anyone on the streets.
Bars with security guards out front.
I won’t say we felt unsafe that night, but once it got dark, we realized the bars on the windows weren’t for nothing. First day in, and our impression was already mixed.
The next day, we explored the city and surroundings, and our feelings didn’t change.
So far, so good.
Off to Cahuita by bus—4 hours of travel.
The landscapes are very green but quickly become monotonous. The road runs alongside the forest and passes through a few towns and villages, and even in the countryside, there were just as many prison-like houses.
The bus dropped us off at Cahuita’s terminal station—only four of us got off. It’s a village, or rather, a small town. Cahuita is basically one straight road and a perpendicular one, and honestly, doubt started to creep in.
A few restaurants that add 13% tax and 10% service charge—so 23% extra. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and went to explore. In 20 minutes, we’d seen it all. We had lunch and planned to check out the famous park.
Entry is by donation—well, the "entry" is a joke. There’s a path along the forest by the sea, and that’s it.
Nothing’s going right anymore.
We thought it was a total scam, but since we hadn’t gone far, we decided to come back the next day to explore further.
We returned to the hotel, relaxed, and around 8:00 PM, we went out for dinner. Only two restaurants were open, and the streets were deserted.
Creepy!
The next day, we explored the so-called park more thoroughly and really got it.
A path along the forest by the sea—2 hours there and 2 hours back, where you see animals that feel like showing their faces.
A total joke—"all that for this?"
The beach was full of wood debris and coconut husks. We wondered if the photos online were edited because the sea, very rough, wasn’t the azure blue we’d seen in pictures.
But calling this a park is a joke—it’s like a new concept.
When we thought about the reviews online, we started to suspect that professionals with interests in the country were monitoring and countering any negative feedback that could harm their business.
Too bad we didn’t check the negative reviews beforehand—we did while we were there, and it helped. We wondered if we’d become too demanding after all our travels, but no—when something’s bad, it’s bad.
Manuel Antonio’s park is even more ridiculous—there’s a short path along the sea for about 500 meters, and then nothing. You have to climb through mud and hack your way through the forest. We ended up barefoot because the mud was up to our calves. All that to see a raccoon and a few parrots flying overhead.
We didn’t expect Noah’s Ark, but we’ve seen more animals in Bali, Mexico, and Thailand while visiting temples or just walking around than in these so-called parks!
Puerto Viejo, not far from Cahuita and supposedly livelier—well, it couldn’t be worse!
According to Lonely Planet, it had a Caribbean vibe and wild nights, but maybe that was a long time ago. The good reggae music playing everywhere isn’t enough.
In the evening, Puerto Viejo was a bit livelier than Cahuita, but that’s not saying much. Very few tourists—if any—no night market, just two or three shops open selling $20 T-shirts. Same vibe as San José.
No big deal—we enjoyed the beach and the sun, which was reliable.
Our itinerary was supposed to include Tortuguero Park, but after talking to other travelers who’d just been, we changed our minds, knowing we’d be visiting Manuel Antonio Park on the Pacific side.
To get back to the Pacific side, you have to take the bus and go through San José again—5 hours this time—then switch bus terminals and another 4.5 hours to Quepos.
A stopover town to get to Manuel Antonio’s beach and park!
A town just like the others we’d seen—deserted as soon as the sun sets, and not exactly bustling during the day either. (Where are all the tourists?)
Still as many bars on the windows and that feeling of being in the wrong place.
7 km later: Manuel Antonio beach and park.
The beach is very beautiful and quite large, but don’t expect turquoise blue water—the waves stir up the sand, giving the water a brownish color.
Along the beach, shops and restaurants for about 300 meters, and then nothing. At night, after sunset, the town shuts down too.
Manuel Antonio Park is highly praised for its wildlife, so we were eager to see it. When you express dissatisfaction with Cahuita or Manzanillo parks, the response is always, "But you should’ve gone to Monteverde or Manuel Antonio!" No matter what you do or say, they’ll tell you, "You should’ve gone there or here."
Back to our famous park—entry was about $16, and contrary to what we’d heard, it wasn’t crowded!
Guides at the entrance with spotting scopes offered their services for about $30.
The park: a mix of boardwalk and dirt paths through the forest, sometimes running alongside beautiful coves and beaches.
As soon as we entered, a crowd was taking photos of a deer eating leaves.
A little further on, a guide with a group of five stopped. The guide raised his arm and set up his spotting scope! He showed them, about 100 meters away, a hummingbird perched on a branch. Some, looking through the scope, exclaimed, "Oh my God! Amazing! Incredible!"
For a moment, we thought they’d discovered a unicorn or were in Jurassic Park and had just crossed paths with a T-Rex!
The concept is comical—looking at a bird or another animal through a spotting scope because it’s too far away. Isn’t that what TV is for?
For our part, we saw monkeys, ants, an armadillo, an iguana, and the backside of a sloth climbing a tree. Amazing, incredible!
We stayed a few days in Manuel Antonio to enjoy the beach, changing hotels often because prices varied wildly from one day to the next for shameful services. On top of that, they’d quote a price in dollars and convert it at their discretion—thieves!
Alajuela, a city near the airport, has a two-story mall and a local market downtown! No interest except its proximity to the airport.
What we liked:
The climate and, in hindsight, San José—the most authentic city we visited.
What we didn’t like, in addition to what we’ve already mentioned:
Costa Ricans aren’t very friendly or communicative. English is barely spoken, not even by doctors at Quepos Hospital, where my wife ended up with food poisoning (thanks, Google Translate). The widespread obesity among Costa Ricans, who eat like Americans. The insecurity. The eco-hipsters who leave their $150 lodges in minivans with guides to visit parks and other sites, then return to barricade themselves in their fortresses at nightfall (oh my God, amazing, incredible). The blue signs at the entrance of towns that accept this payment method: "We accept American Express." Parking lots that become paid just because a guy is watching your car. Prices displayed in dollars. The cost of living (hotels, restaurants, taxes). Landscapes that are too green and not flowery enough. Beaches—nothing exceptional. Pollution in cities where big American trucks rule. Sewage dumped directly into the sea. Aside from the jungle, there’s nothing to visit—no ruins, monuments, or anything worth seeing.
In short, my wife and I think the hype about this supposedly eco-friendly country is overrated. It’s just the trendy destination of the moment. There are much better, cheaper, and more authentic places.
In hindsight, we keep the good memories and our beautiful photos, but if we had to do it over...
Before signing off, a little message to those who don’t like hearing opinions different from theirs:
Well, some things aren’t up for debate. And to those who’d have us believe that in 3 weeks, we don’t have the right to criticize a country or express our feelings—how can you praise it in so little time? What a scam. Costa Rica is a money pit. Pura vida? Pure cosmic emptiness.
If you like spending your evenings barricaded in your cozy hotel after dark, this country is for you.
For everyone else: run!
Hello,
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine, nothing is simple anymore for traveling to Belarus due to sanctions.
No more direct flights from the EU to Minsk.
Driving is a huge hassle, especially crossing through Poland at the only open border in Brest—you can wait 2, 3, or even 4 days just to get through by car.
The least painful driving option is to come via Lithuania and cross at the only open border, with a minimum wait time of 8 hours, sometimes up to 20 hours or more!!
Controls are very strict and annoying on both the Lithuanian and Belarusian sides. Avoid bringing alcohol, food, or cigarettes—everything will end up in the trash, especially when leaving Belarus for Vilnius, where the Lithuanians are tough, even with EU citizens.
The joy I once knew when visiting my wife in Minsk is sadly over—it’s now a real ordeal.
The fastest solution is to fly. My wife travels to France by taking a bus to Kaunas in Lithuania, where you can catch a flight (though not daily) to Paris Beauvais or Charleroi in Belgium with Ryanair, for example.
For the return trip, it’s the same: a flight to Kaunas and then a direct bus from the airport to Minsk.
The bus crossing is quicker than driving—the 250 km journey, including border checks, takes about 6 to 8 hours for buses leaving Lithuania around midnight, but controls are still strict at the border.
The biggest challenge is finding flight schedules that align with the bus routes between the two countries, given the unpredictable border crossing times.
Now, my wife travels via Charleroi in Belgium (near Brussels), and you can take a train to Paris. Alternatively, you can fly into Beauvais and take a bus to Paris (Porte Maillot).
For those driving, note that EU insurance and assistance policies no longer work in Belarus or Russia. You’ll need to get local insurance, usually limited to third-party liability (I don’t think full coverage exists?), as well as mandatory medical insurance. This is available at the border.
You now have to pay highway tolls—no more BELTOLL boxes. Instead, you pay a flat fee for the duration of your stay. Stop at the first gas station after crossing from Lithuania to fill up on fuel and cigarettes.
From what I know, Lithuania bans carrying more than 60 € in cash, but there’s no limit for USD (though it’s capped at $10,000??).
With a Visa card, you can now withdraw 1,000 rubles per week (about 270 €)—two months ago, it was only 500 rubles!!
For now, you can still pay by card in shops and gas stations.
However, major retailers like KORONA (which may be Russian-owned??) no longer accept foreign Visa cards.
Unfortunately, the additional sanctions announced by the U.S. on August 5, 2025, against Russia—and possibly Belarus—aren’t promising for the future.
After 20 years of visiting Belarus, I’m truly saddened to see the joy of living in this country with my wonderful wife turn into such a bleak situation, all because of human folly.
Hi everyone!
I’m putting together our travel itinerary for Veneto at the end of April. And the more I look and research potential sites to visit, the more I find!
We’ll only be there for a week—my family and I—including 3 days in Venice. So we have to make some choices...
I plan to rent a car when we arrive in Venice and head straight to Bergamo, which would be our first stop. We’d leave the car at the airport when we return to Venice so we can explore the city at our leisure.
What do you think:
1 night in Bergamo (a 2h15 drive from Venice airport),
1 night in Garda,
1 night in Verona,
1 in Padua, and
3 in Venice—would that be doable?
Thanks in advance for your tips and experiences! :)
Now that the curtain has fallen on the past year, it’s time to see what’s happening around here.
It seems pretty quiet, but I’ll read more in detail later.
First, I need to tell you all an anecdote.
My eldest little girl, in her third year of law school, was really scared she wouldn’t pass the year.
I told her:
“Trust yourself, you’ve worked so hard, and worst case, if you fail, you’ll just redo the year.”
“But I don’t think I’ll make it—they changed the rules, and if I mess up even one unit, I have to start all over.”
I knew her grades weren’t exactly stellar, and with what I was about to say, I wasn’t taking much of a risk.
“Here’s the deal, sweetheart: if you pass, I promise I’ll take you to India, just the two of us.”
I have to admit, India is a country I’ve talked about so much to all my grandchildren that in their minds, it’s become a magical, mythical place (hmm).
July had barely begun when my phone rang, her name flashing on the screen.
“Mamido, I did it!”
My promise came rushing back—oh no, oh no, oh no!
“Congratulations, sweetheart!”
A little shyly, she said:
“Is the India trip still on?”
And me, replying:
“Of course it is!”
And that’s that—a promise is a promise, or you risk losing that precious trust that keeps hearts warm and at peace.
We’re leaving in February. Only 8 days—yikes, the carbon footprint!
But we can’t miss her tutorials, or she’ll be kicked out.
Personally, that works just fine for me.
Going to India has become a challenge for me. It’s far, it’s exhausting, I sweat, I hate mosquitoes, the spices bother my mouth when I used to love them. There’s noise all the time—at night, the dogs bark nonstop, and we almost get run over. I’ll get lost in the streets because my sense of direction has vanished. I don’t like rice anymore. All that chaos and those cultural differences that once enchanted me now just overwhelm me.
But I promised.
The upside—and it’s a big one—Raman, the same driver I’ve had forever, will be at the airport with a sign with our names. We’ll stop at the same little shop for chai (or tea, plain and simple) with that aroma that intoxicates me, halfway through the trip.
It’ll be a tiny trip—staying with friends, I’ll show her a few places I love: Chidambaram, Mamallapuram, and the clinic where I worked. Then we’ll head back.
My little girl will go home to her parents.
As for me, I’ll leave right away for our Scottish island with Homme for our chilly winter.
How can you love a country so much you want to live there, then suddenly reject it, no longer able to appreciate what once made it special?
That’s the mystery of love, I guess.
I’ve visited the U.S. four times myself, including two long road trips. The last one was just this past August...
I won’t be going back. I already felt guilty last August, but recent policies have finally convinced me: the humiliation of Zelensky, authoritarian excesses, Gestapo-like methods for detaining people of foreign origin, the murder of innocent people (a mother shot dead), corruption, insane "tariffs," skyrocketing healthcare costs for Americans, the abduction of foreign figures to secure oil, the requirement to disclose social media accounts, and now... threats and blackmail to forcibly take Greenland—a region that belongs to Denmark and thus the European Union!
The reality is that simply posting this could get me denied entry to the U.S.!
In this context, I just can’t keep spending money there. I loved my trips, but there are so many other countries with stunning landscapes to explore.
So I get why you’d want to travel there. I did, and I loved it. But once a country no longer respects any of the values that made us love it, why go?
How can we even consider traveling to a country that threatens to take one of our territories by force?
Hello everyone,
Controversial topic? Not necessarily—maybe just a reflection on a world to come.
I spent the last 15 days of August on a cruise in Greenland, from Kangerlussuaq to Tasiilaq.
I was utterly amazed by this unique world of rock and ice, the little houses in every color, a simple life that’s also complicated by isolation and climate, among other things...
I carry in my heart the kindness of the people I met, the raw and gentle majesty of the icebergs, the colors of the sky...
So, I can’t even imagine a massive presence of raw material prospectors, heavy machinery requiring roads to be built—if that’s even possible—changing their way of life... putting sled dogs out to pasture!
Do fast food and Greenland’s northern lights really mix?
I wouldn’t trade my memories for an ESTA!
All opinions are respectable, which is why this isn’t a controversy—but I’m sorry, I have a soft spot for *my* Greenland.
We’re a couple aged 58 and 63. We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to South India in Tamil Nadu and a few days in Kerala. We traveled with a local French-speaking guide and his friend, the driver. They both live in Pondicherry. We spent 3 weeks with them in the most authentic way!
We covered just over 2,500 km and visited not only temples but also archaeological sites, museums, and small artisanal businesses making tiles, tea, sculptures, bronze, and silk spinning. We were lucky enough to visit a public school, attend a wedding, and even a death announcement in a small countryside village. We were fully immersed in the culture, food, noise, and colors—it was incredible!
The hotels and guesthouses we chose were very clean and mostly quiet. We’re returning from India with amazing discoveries!
We’re happy to share more info if you’d like!
M-Claire and Jean
This catchy and somewhat mysterious title comes from several questions I’ve been asking myself.
VF has been back open for a reasonable number of weeks and months now.
The number of visitors overall matches past averages, but the number of members online in the last 24 hours seems relatively lower than what we used to see.
Yet, to my surprise, I’m seeing fewer travel journals, way fewer messages, and way fewer questions.
I don’t see many new registered users online, and I notice a number of members who are logged in but either aren’t participating or have stopped participating.
Something’s not adding up for me because, in my opinion, VF is still appealing, and I don’t see which other sites could really compete.
Was there a real break between pre- and post-Covid?
Does it just take more time for some people to discover the site or learn that it’s active again?
Do people now prefer quick consumption on sites like FB or others I’m not familiar with?
Where have the site’s old-timers gone, and what are they doing with their time now?
What’s really going on here?
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