It’s getting to be that time of the year where…well, a fucking holiday is long overdue. I know – New Year’s was no more than a month ago *shrugs* what can I say? With plans for Europe already in place, just thought I’d share with you all some other great places to check out. Enjoy, and remember, life’s too short to sit around going nowhere.
Which brings me to the first order of business – Nepal. By motorbike.
Why?
Because it’s something you probably haven’t done yet – but would be more than willing to try.
Think about it – cruising down the road, no speed limit, wind in your hair and sunglasses deflecting bugs (okay, maybe helmet), open land, culture, and nature as far as the eye can see. Just you, the road, and a few buddies. Nothing’s more freeing than the sound of that motor hum.
The bike? Royal Enfield Bullet. 500cc’s of unadulterated power – not too much, not too little…but just right for a trip like this.
Get ready for 11 days chock full of checking out Nepal’s awesome scenery including its many jungles, plains, and insane heights – and of course what would a holiday be without (naturally) getting to know the locals and some of their favorite things to do…not to mention, you know, like…stay with them. What? You thought it was gonna be all isolated hotels on this trip? Guess again.
The rundown:
Grab a friend (or three), and book your tickets, plus the reservation for the trip. Touch down in Kathmandu with nothing but a carry on and your most rugged pair of boots (you’ll need them). Hopefully you’ve researched into the culture a bit and brushed up on the language – a little cultural respect can go a long way. Rest up well and get ready for the next day – take this time to get familiar with the area and practice a few lines on the locals – there’ll be a welcome dinner later and knowing a joke or two may help break the ice. Be sure to try every food passed your way – let’s not be picky, remember, you’re here to explore.
From there it’s time to hit the road – there’s a lot on your travel plate:
No speed limits. Traffic-less streets in Bhaktapur.
Pigeon dinner and fresh mangoes (that you pick) for dessert while escaping the sun under a tree in Fattepur…speaking of, if you’ve been up trees picking mangoes, you probably stink – hit up the jungle for a fresh spring water shower.
Dessert before dinner – stuff your face with Momo dumplings in Bhetadar (they’re not your freezer variety) then eat dinner under the stars.
Learning how to make tea in Ilam…
…and 8 hour endurance rides.
You get the idea.
Like I said. Lot on your plate. Get ready. Rest well. Eat plenty. Nepal – it’s calling you – answer it.
Hopefully, all that motorbike action got you tuckered out…at this point, I personally would just wanna kick back and lounge all day. Argentina‘s the place to do it – but what trip to any Latin country would be complete without wine? Seriously…that’s like an elephant without a trunk.
So if you’re ready to come down off that adrenaline high, then it’s time to head to Mendoza. For villas, vineyards, and vino…so you can veni, vidi, vici.
First order of business: your accommodation. 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom villa? If you still wanna catch up on some work with your remote business early in the morning…or just enjoy sleeping alone…or just like a lot of space – I recommend 2 bedroom.
Think of this as your own home away from home. Treat it like your own home away from home. With waterfront and 1500 acre vineyard views, soaking tubs, rooftop terraces, and more than 2500 sq. ft. of living space, a place like this commands respect.
Besides waking up like royalty, the guys over at The Vines Resort and Spa are pretty intuitive when it comes to dining, too. They specialize in serving seasonal only dishes to all their guests – meaning the freshest taste you can find…and who can forget Argentinian beef? There’s just some things no matter how much your exercise that are like kryptonite to Superman…a good steak is one of mine.
If you’re not much of a red meat enthusiast that’s okay – they also serve other delicious alternatives like grilled salmon, pork (for you pork lovers) and even grilled fruit…a personal favorite of mine.
Hang on – don’t get the wrong idea here, this place isn’t all about relaxation – they’ve got some pretty fun activities that require you to get up and go, too. So in case you want to use more than the muscles in your arm to reach for that 3rd glass of wine, they’ve got you covered with excursions, fishing, climbing walls, bocce ball courts, and, of course, plenty of wine making activities. You know…to work those delts and lats.
Just remember – if you ever get sore from all that “heavy lifting,” you can always hit up their spa.
…but hold up – what if you don’t want all that? What if you don’t wanna socialize, don’t want noise, don’t want tours or “roughing it” – what if you don’t want any of that but instead just wanna get away from it all? Well then I’d say it’s time to take you back to (one) of my homelands…
Get ready for quality espresso, port wine, and bacalhau…’cause it’s next stop, Portugal.
I remember my childhood days in Bermuda and teenage days of visiting family in Porto and Lisbon…we used to go out to the beach house and sunbathe, relax, lose track of time and just enjoy the stillness of everything. In retrospect, it was probably the best form of meditation I’d ever encountered and between traveling to both countries probably explains my refusal to live more than 10 minutes from the closest beach.
There’s a certain calmness the ocean offers to those looking for solace or time to reflect, empty, and get lost in their own thoughts. Just thinking about it makes me want to head to the beach now…but I’ve gotta finish this post. In the meantime, I want you to check out Cabanas No Rio, a (literally) small little getaway in Comporta, Portugal.
There are two huts. Little huts. Fisherman huts…but don’t be fooled by these little huts. In each of these huts, are you living quarters. The first one? Your bedroom and bathroom, complete with shower. The second one? Your kitchen and living room. Quaint living room. Cute kitchen – decent for simple meals but small enough to not get too crazy.
Loads of relaxing activities for when you feel the urge to venture out of your little hut. Take your pick from bird watching, dolphin watching, landscape observation and more. Me? I’d take dolphin watching. Good opportunity for photography and putting that macro lens to use.
If you get hungry, there’s no need to hunt down your own food – your accommodation is far away but not too far away from humanity – so hit up a restaurant if you don’t feel like cooking what you got from the grocer a few days back. So go out, grab some grub, have a few drinks, click some photos, head back, sit back, relax.
Life really doesn’t have to be as hard as society makes it out to be. It starts with a thought…
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
For The Weekenders: Nepal by Motorbike, Wine Tasting in Argentina, Meditation in Portugal… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life