Breathe Culture
where beautiful mistakes thriveArchive for travel
Maori Art
While in New Zealand back in 2006 I fell in love with the Maori people and culture. The tattoos specifically were something that drew me in. Many of the tattoos are traditionally on the face, of course I doubt I will ever be that brave. I love the strong bold designs as well as the flowing curved lines.
The most recent tattoo of mine is Maori inspired and I am proud to have a piece of their culture as part of my art.
Check out some more pictures here.
Check out some more about the culture here & here.
My favorite thing about Washington DC.
Ok so I really don’t know much about Washington, DC, but what I do know is that is where Jake Brewers profile says that he’s from. Jake added me as a contact on flickr a few months ago, and without him doing that I might still not know about him. He has travelled over much of the world and has wonderful intent “…to travel the world, recording with words and pictures the incredible mystery, wonder, horror, and beauty that is humanity. To thereby raise awareness of world issues for the unaware; to the end that world problems might not go unnoticed or ignored, but be exposed and healed for the greater good of humankind.…to connect people, organizations, ideas and resources so that anyone, anywhere can imagine and act upon building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives. “As of today he has 10 photos in Flickr Explore, which as those of us who are wise in the Flickr ways, know is quite special. So basically, he’s a great photographer who is friendly, knowledgeable, well traveled, and constantly adding more photos for our enjoyment. So if you want to see some culture, some diversity and some simply spectacular photos pop on over to Jake Brewer and give yourself some time… It’s hard to leave his photos without looking at them all!!
Wedding Schmedding
This morning I decided to make a list of all my friends who are engaged as lately its seems barely a week goes by without a new engagement. So I took out my pen and paper and came up with a list 21 couples long. SO FAR. I’m sure I have forgotten people. Two of the weddings this summer are “must go to’s” you know, the close friends you would really regret not celebrating this day with. But I’m finding it a little difficult living way up in the middle of nowhere as I do to try and get places for these events.Air Canada and Westjet are the best options I suppose, but there is a smaller company Central Mountain Air that seems to be fairly reasonable.My question is, how come it cost me double to fly to Toronto than it would if I decided to fly to London? Something is seriously wrong. We are being ripped off.The other alternative is driving, but having averaged it out I would pay almost the same as the flight in gas, but be spending hours on the road and putting miles on the vehicle so it’s not worthwhile. Damn buying and SUV.I guess I should just get out there and land me a pilot, I hear family members of airline employees get mad discounts. 🙂
Armenia
Today I was reading the Lonely Planet Blue List book for 2008, when I came across a section about Armenia.I honestly knew nothing about this country before today and probably would have struggled to place it on a map. However after reading this article today I have a sudden urge to pack up my belongings and enjoy some time exploring the over 40,000 historic monuments Armenia has to offer.I think I should plan my trip there for the third Sunday in July when the locals will be celebrating “Vardavar“. This is the national day of randomly soaking strangers with water. How fun! Not only can I wander around in Noah’s footsteps while drinking amazing wine and brandy, I can throw water on complete strangers with a gaggle of Armenians!Overall, this Country sounds like a place that I would enjoy visiting, mountains, history, and locals with a sense of humor! *my apologies for the short post today, I was without internet until 6:30 this evening, I will make up with it tomorrow, don’t you worry!*
Couch Surfing
I had heard about this website before, but never took the time to actually go and check it out. Couch Surfing, is a unique site dedicated to matching travelers up with a couch, a new friend, or simply some great travel tips. There are over 200 different countries represented and over 600,000 positive experiences documented on the site.I must encourage every person who has ever thought ” I would love to travel, but it just isn’t possible for me” to check this site out. Put your belongings in storage, rent out your apt for a month, take the insurance off your vehicle and get yourself a plane ticket. Travel has never been easier and more available than now!Through couchsurfing.com you can do a few different things. You can find a place to stay, find a new friend to have coffee or drinks with (great if you are traveling alone), get tips on beaches, tours, events, and so much more. There is also a part of the site for those of you who simply cannot pack up and go, to welcome others into your home. The site uses a fairly good screening process and users leave ratings based on the experiences they have. There’s no guarantee against creepy people, so be sure to use your brain and be cautious. (as you always should when traveling)I personally signed up for the site yesterday, and will be looking into some people to meet up with when I head to Maui on vacation in March. Although I will not be looking for a couch, it would be great to have a local showing me the surf breaks rather than trying to figure out a good one on my own.Do a couch surf search and see what’s out there!
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