BORA BORA

Bora Bora - Unquestionably the most mythical of the Pacific islands remains the island of all dreams.
 

Honeymooners and romantics from around the world have laid claim to Bora Bora where the castle-like Mount Otemanu pierces the sky above the crystal lagoon with its unique over the water bungalows that offer a magical oneness with this extraordinary environment. 

Lush tropical slopes and valleys blossom with hibiscus, while palm-covered motu circle the lagoon like a delicate necklace. Perfect white-sand beaches give way to emerald waters where impossibly colored fish animate the coral gardens. So much has been written about Bora Bora, and yet it is hard to find the right words to describe the magic that emanates from this island.

Seen from the air, Bora Bora has been compared to that of "a tiny emerald in a setting of turquoise, encircled by a sheltering necklace of sparkling pearls".

The airport, built by the US forces in 1942, is located on a palm fringed motu about 20 minutes by boat from the main village of Vaitape.

Some other remnant of the US presence are 2 large cannons hidden in the lush hills overlooking the lagoon.

The view of Bora Bora from the airport is truly breathtaking, and as you travel across the spectacular lagoon you will soon understand why it is the main area of attraction for most visitors.

Bora Bora itself is rather small, and can be circled by car in about an hour.

The lagoon is 3 times the size of the land mass and offers an amazing range of hues of blue and turquoise as you navigate its crystal waters.

To the southeast of the island is the Coral Garden, a natural underwater park where all types of fish and corals are found.

Off the Point Matira there is an area where the huge and graceful manta rays congregate for your viewing pleasure. There are other types of ray such as the beautiful spotted ray and the friendly gray ray which love to be petted during the "ray feeding" excursions.

At the entrance of the pass, the "White valley" teems with gray sharks and barracudas in a never ending ballet.

BEST OVER WATER HOTELS OF THE WORLD

Most of the temples (Marae) having been destroyed during the last century by the English missionaries, and unfortunately there is little archeological remnants left.

Bora Bora lagoon offers a multitude of activities and excursions, one of the most popular being the Shark feeding where from chest-deep water you watch local divers feed 4' to 5' reef sharks by hand. It's a lot of fun and totally safe. The same routine is done with a large group of friendly gray rays.

You can also take a circle-the-lagoon excursion with motu picnic, rent a small boat, visit the Lagoonarium near Le Meridien Hotel and take a 4x4 excursion to the panoramic view points and the US cannons. 

Bora Bora Resorts have been welcoming couples for over 40 years and their special amenities have been fine tuned to perfection. From sunrise to sunset, each resort has designed their own blend of unique romantic experiences for their guests to choose from.

Most of the recent hotel/resorts have been built on islands (motu) in the lagoon surrounding Bora Bora.  They mostly face into the lagoon and the mountain of Bora Bora and offer privacy, over water bungalows, pristine water and extraordinary views. 

The Bora Bora Hotel was the first hotel ever  to feature over the water bungalows.  With a few exceptions, overwater bungalows are still only ever found in French Polynesia due to the protected lagoons and the very even tides.

21 HABITS OF HAPPY PEOPLE

“Happiness is a habit – cultivate it.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Happiness is one aspiration all people share. No one wants to be sad and depressed.

We’ve all seen people who are always happy – even amidst agonizing life trials. I’m not saying happy people don’t feel grief, sorrow or sadness; they just don’t let it overtake their life. The following are 21 things happy people make a habit of doing:

1. Appreciate Life
Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

2. Choose Friends Wisely
Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.

3. Be Considerate
Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.

4. Learn Continuously
Keep up to date with the latest news regarding your career and hobbies. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or sky-diving.

5. Creative Problem Solving
Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right.

6. Do What They Love
Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.

7. Enjoy Life
Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future.

8. Laugh
Don’t take yourself – or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh.)

9. Forgive
Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself.

10. Gratitude
Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life.

11. Invest in Relationships
Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive.

12. Keep Their Word
Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.

13. Meditate
Meditation gives your very active brain a rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualization or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily.

14. Mind Their Own Business
Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.

15. Optimism
See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought.

16. Love Unconditionally
Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them.

17. Persistence
Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.

18. Be Proactive
Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.

19. Self Care
Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges.

20. Self Confidence
Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.

21. Take Responsibility
Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake.

Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. Work on developing these habits as you own. The more you incorporate the above habits into your daily lifestyle – the happier you will be.

Most of all: BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

BEST BERMUDA BEACHES - UNBELIEVABLE PINK SANDS

So which one do you choose from the 34 fabulous beaches of Bermuda that together offer 75 miles of dramatic coastline? All of them are so unique and beautiful in their own rights! Over the past many years, we have spent long hours at each one of those wonderful Bermuda beaches. Some beaches have long expanses, while some are just tiny coves that are separated from one another by rocky cliffs, and several have beautiful coral reefs off shore but within easy swimming distance. The reefs are generally visible above the water surface particularly during low tide. You can also clearly see them at times when you are snorkeling. 

 

 

 

And Bermuda's sand looks pink. Is that true? Yes! Why? Because red tiny organisms grow under the coral reefs and die on the ocean floor. These along with bits of corals and shells get washed up to the shore, get mixed with sands and create a pink hue. And that makes the Bermuda sand look pink in color, well almost ;-) 

 

 

 

Note that over time these red particles in the sand keep moving up the beach through wave actions and get exposed to sun. The color then starts fading and the sand tends to lose the pink hue. So for the real pink sand, look near the water line or around one of the reefs at the edge of the water. You will notice that the wet sand is far more pink than the exposed dry sand away from the waterline. If you want to collect a sample of pink sand to take back home as a great nature's souvenir from Bermuda, take it from the wet sand and put it into a plastic zip bag. Once that gets dried up, you will get a nice sample of pink sand. 

 

While there are some private beaches in Bermuda, most are public. The public beaches are open from dawn to sunset. You can not camp on the beaches or stay at night.

 

HOW CUTE I AM..............

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK, JUNGLE, MALAYSIA

OLD MILL, BLACK FOREST, GERMANY

This building has a  history of more than 500 years, but still looks gorgeous. The scenery is super cool!

 

The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres (4,898 ft). The region is almost rectangular with a length of 160 km (99 mi) and breadth of up to 60 km (37 mi). The name Schwarzwald (German for "Black Forest") derives from the Romans who referred to the thickly forested mountains there as Silva Nigra or Silva Carbonara (Latin for "Black Forest") because the dense growth of conifers in the forest blocked out most of the light inside the forest.

The Black Forest consists of a cover of sandstone on top of a core of gneiss and granites. Formerly it shared tectonic evolution with the nearby Vosges Mountains. Later during the Middle Eocene a rifting period affected the area and caused formation of the Rhine graben. During the last glacial period of the Würm glaciation, the Black Forest was covered by glaciers; several tarns (or lakes) such as the Mummelsee are remains of this period.

Outdoor Shower Spa, Italy