Archive for interview

Interview with Dominic aka Dong Ho of Escape Islands

August 6, 2012 interview, nature, Philippines, photo, tips, travel No comments
me and Dong Ho on top of a jeepney in Batad rice terraces

Dominic of Escape Islands is a person who loves nature. So when I visited North Luzon in the Philippines and found out he with some more supersweet Filipino adventurers were going to survive Batad rice terraces, I had to join them. It turned out to be a lot of sweat, but even more fun and I am sure I will never forget those green landscapes ofthe stunning  rice terraces. Nor I will top-loading jeepneys like at the photo below with Dom 🙂 My ass still hurts from that top-loading haha.

me and Dong Ho on top of a jeepney in Batad rice terraces

me and Dong Ho on top of a jeepney in Batad rice terraces

 

Have a look at the interview with this funny Dom DA BEST 🙂

1. Who are you? Tell us something about you.

An islander. A mountaineer. A backpacker. A usual traveler from the Philippines who finds great things in going places. I love the beaches as much as I love the mountains.

 

2. What is your favorite place, city and country and why? (all three of them)

I love the Philippines but for this question allow me to answer the place aside from the Philippines.

My favorite place so far is Harbin in Heilongjiang China. I like its diversity of structures and culture having a mix of China, Russia, Japan and even remnants of a Jewish community. China is also my favorite country in terms of traditions and culture.

Dong Ho

Dong Ho outside St Sophia Church in Harbin, China

 

3. If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?

The Silk Road. It would be a beautiful long journey of what is considered as one of the most significant trade route to the four great civilizations (China, India, Persia and Arabia). Something that i find really interesting.

 

4. What do you love the most about your home country?

Seeing the people being joyous even on the most challenging moments. People’s smile is genuine.

 

5. How travel changes you?

It made me realize that the real treasures of a place are its people. They build the culture. They shape the structures. It’s when you start conversing with them that you will find the best things on even the simplest things.

 

Dominic, I love what you said about people. They are what I remember the most about every place, too. Thanks again for the interview and all the laugh when trying to survive Batad rice terraces 😀

 

Love,

Alex

Interview with Ron Cruz of FlipTravels

August 2, 2012 interview, Philippines, Singapore No comments
me with Ron at Singapore airport

After I walked around Singapore for 2 days and enjoyed night photography in there, on my way to Hong Kong I met Ron at Singapore airport for a coffee and a chat. We missed each other in the Philippines where I went after, so I guess next time 🙂

 

me with Ron at Singapore airport

me with Ron at Singapore airport

 

Hope you enjoy to get to know Ron better below:

 

1. Who are you? Tell us something about you.

I have lived in different corners of the world, but I still call the Philippines my home. Currently living in Singapore, I am an artist who has trained as a nurse, and currently works as an investigator.

I am the traveler and story teller of FLIPTRAVELS.COM, where you can read my escapades (naugthy and otherwise). I am recently joined the cast of the first reality travel web series in the Philippines, PHL360.com.

 

2. What is your favorite place, city and country and why? (all three of them)

place – My favorite place to date is that small corner on the bank of Mekong River in Luang Prabang. It’s so peaceful I forgot the whole world was moving. A place I will always want to visit over and over again to do nothing but drink a bottle of ice-cold beer.

city – I’m not really a city person, contrary to the fact that I live in one, which is the bustling metropolis of Singapore. But my favorite is the long abandoned city that was the glorious Angkor, the first densely populated city in history. I fell in love when I first saw it. The sight of the gopura behind the trees, almost made me drool. I swear, I heard a choir of angels singing symphony #9.
country – I love my home country, the Philippines. There’s so much to see and the 7,107 islands will never get short of things to see and experience, not to mention the colorful and welcoming people that will make you want to stay longer.

 

3. If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?

Morocco. I have never been there but it has been sitting in my bucket list for the longest time. I vividly dream of the Medina and I swear I can smell the myriads of street food grilling and brewing that it made me want to stay asleep until I get the time and money to fly there.

 

4. What do you love the most about your home country?

I love my home country, the Philippines. It’s amazing how a plethora of colors, cultures and anthropological textures co-exist under one flag. The flavors, sights and sounds can excite the most jaded senses.

 

5. How travel changes you?

I realized that traveling is more than just posting the pictures in Facebook and telling the whole world that you’ve been there. It’s a dynamic learning experience. The world is a beautiful creation, a gift from Someone and we shouldn’t miss it. Our planet is a book, and we can only flip its pages if we travel.

 

Was nice meeting you Ron and I enjoyed your answers. Thanks again!

 

Love,

Alex

Interview with cool Monika Molnarova I met in Bangkok

July 30, 2012 Cambodia, Europe, interview, Slovakia, Thailand 2 comments
me and Monika in flooded Siem Reap

I used Couchsurfing when I visited Bangkok for the first time in October 2011 and surprisingly found 2 Czech girls and 1 Slovak girl in there. We soon became friends, especially with the Slovak girl Monika. After exploring Bangkok with her for a few days and having fun in a rooftop swimming pool with the view of whole Bangkok (for free), we took our adventure to the next level and went to explore Cambodia and a bit of Siem Reap and breath-taking Angkor Wat. It was a lot of fun with the area flooded. Just check out our photo together in Siem Reap when trying to find our hotel Mandalay Inn 😀

 

me and Monika in flooded Siem Reap

me and Monika in flooded Siem Reap

 

Afterwards, we reunited with Monika in Thailand again and then in Slovakia and we are very good travel buddies so I am sure more trips together will come soon 🙂

 

Find out more about this funny girl:

 

1. Who are you? Tell us something about you.

Cool chic with diverse background, lived in 5 different countries for past 6 years. I love traveling and getting to know new people.

 

2. What is your favorite place, city and country and why? (all three of them)

 

My most favorite would be Mexico where I spent a year during my studies, loved the people, food and culture (*another thing we have in common with Monika and our favorite country Mexico).

My favorite city would be my hometown Bratislava ’cause I know it so well and have my family and friends based there. 

Then it’d be NYC a place I felt in love with immediately. 
Favorite country Italy ’cause the Italians are so gooood looking and they make amazing pasta LOL
My another favorite one is Monte-Carlo despite its glamour I know some nice places there and I still have some friends left from my studies.

Monika Molnarova

Monika

 

3. If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?

Caribbean or French Polynesia but I have it on my list for honeymoon destination but if I could have a chance to get on a plane … I’ll go to NYC for some shopping or to Mexico to visit my friends.

 

4. What do you love the most about your home country?

Food, atmosphere, our passion for hockey and hospitality.

 

5. How travel changes you?

I became more open-minded, don’t judge people based on the 1st sight..maybe on the 2nd hahahaha.

 

Thank you, Monika for the answers. Will definitely see you again soon, I think in Bratislava for some party 🙂

Love,

Alex

Interview with Journeying James I met in the Philippines

July 26, 2012 interview, Philippines 9 comments
smoothie time - me and James

When I was in the Philippines in November 2011, I met this cool guy James – pretty famous one in the Philippines. He runs a travel blog Journeying James. He showed me and my friend Mica a lot more of Manila than we knew before – Chinatown and Intramuros. It was a day of lots of food. And if you know me, you should know that where is food, I love it 🙂 And we also went to the beach to Lingayen, again my thing! 🙂

smoothie time - me and James

smoothie time - me and James

James is one of those travelers showing us that you can definitely do it on a budget and that you should explore your home country first because it is beautiful!

 

I hope you enjoy interview with James:

 

1. Who are you? Tell us something about you.

I’m JourneyingJames, a backpacker and adventurer based in the Philippines. I write about dirt cheap travels in hope to inspire my fellow countrymen to explore our magnificent country. Recently, I traveled the whole Philippines for 100 days, non-stop and spent less than 1,000 euros all-in. I’m writing the book now and hopefully be published by the end of the year.

 

2. What is your favorite place, city and country and why? (all three of them)

I’m in love with El Nido, Palawan. I love pristine white beaches and spectacular marine creatures in it. I also like Puerto Princesa City because its a chill-type city, tropical, cheap foods and kind locals. Country? Of course, I love my own. But I’m fascinated with any country in Eastern Europe, I don’t know why.

Journeying James

Journeying James

 

3. If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?

France, baby. I want to experience the Parisian life (hahahaha), to kiss the love of my love on top of the Eiffel Tower, to walk along its roads and just enjoy the sights, to drink coffee in a coffee shop, have wine and cheese. Someday, someday…

 

4. What do you love the most about your home country?

I love the weather, yes its humid but I just love summer and the beach. Ultimately, I love the genuine hospitality of the Filipinos. Everyone here smiles at you.

 

5. How travel changes you?

Travel teaches me to focus on the essentials. During long-term travel where everything you need is in your backpack, you get to learn that things don’t define a person, relationships and character do. You get to trust total strangers, you begin to find good in everyone’s heart, you begin to be awed by the simplicity of other’s life, you begin to value the intangible. Travel changed me in how I view success and richness. Nowadays, man pride himself with the money he has, the car he drives and his job and his house. But strip all those and what do you get? I have seen people without those, but when you talk to them, their wisdom, their kindness, their heart, those are their success, their richness.

 

Thank you James for this interview! You gave me goose bumps with your 5. answer! Miss you! All the best with your book 😉

Love,

Alex

Interviews with travelers I meet around the world

July 23, 2012 beach, interview, love, personal 2 comments
Alex of we travel around the world in Mexico

Like I said on my We Travel Around the World facebook fanpage a couple of days ago, from now on there will be interviews with travelers I met when traveling around the world. Some are travel bloggers, random travelers, family or friends that ever took a trip with me will be interviewed by me and then published in here. I will also publish a lot of photos on this blog. July 2012 is Philippines month so for Philippines lovers, check out the other posts. Still the main blog with the articles, videos and other photos will remain Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler.

Just to show you how it is going to look like, I interviewed myself to start with 🙂 Every traveler will get the same 5 questions and include 1 photo of her/him, and one with me. In case we did not take any, there will be 2 photos of the traveler. If the traveler is a travel blogger, I will link back to her/his website.

If we ever met around the world, I would love to get an interview done with you so please send me an email to travelaroundtheworldcouple@gmail.com. Looking forward! 🙂

 

Here are my answers:

 

1. Who are you? Tell us something about you.

 

I am Alexandra, owner of this travel blog and Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler. I was born in Slovakia but have not been living there for the last 9 years already, moving from a place to a place and enjoying our beautiful Mother Earth. I am basically a crazy girl who loves travel and since March 2011 traveling around the world and blogging about it has been the only thing I do and enjoy. I think I have the best job ever. I am a huge lover of beaches, sun, sea, sunbathing, ships, motorbikes and adventures … so put me to the beach, or force me to do skydiving or snorkeling, I will enjoy all of them! Read 39+1 secrets about me if you want to find out more 🙂

Alex of we travel around the world in Mexico

Alex of we travel around the world in Mexico

 

2. What is your favorite place, city and country and why? (all three of them)

 

My favorite country is Mexico since I started its history years ago. I love the Mexican accent, Mexican food (not spicy but all the rest), the people are super simpaticos, beaches are breath-taking and the archaeological ruins even more! It is one of those countries I could easily live in and never get bored of.

From disgust to my favorite city is what happened with Barcelona. I stopped counting the times I have been there, it is kind of my rules to go there at least once a year (usually it is more times per year). I love everything about Barcelona, its beaches, architecture, markets, people, atmosphere …

My favorite place? I have many, but our biggest mountains in Slovakia – High Tatras are one of those places on top of my list. I cannot stop looking at them, not even from the train each time I go by.

 

3. If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?

 

I dream big! I would start in Slovakia and then visist every country in the world, spending in each at least 2 weeks or 1 month. That is my biggest dream and I am working on it!

 

4. What do you love the most about your home country?

 

Our mountains. We have 9 national parks and all of them are stunning in their own way. Mountains, forests, lakes and rivers are what I miss the most about my country when I am abroad (after my family and friends!) I realize I should write more about them to show people Slovakia is a small big country 🙂 Castles and caves too.

And I cannot live without Slovak food either which is not healthy at all, but very delicious!

And I really enjoy all the Slovak accents and slang words we have as I cannot use them almost anywhere else in the world, just at home.

 

5. How travel changes you?

 

There are many reasons why I travel. And also many things how travel changes me. I started seeing things from other people’s point of view. I started to see other cultures and understand them more even if they live in a different way than I do. I started to realize it can be always worse. I started enjoying simple details every day as you never know, it could be your last day. I started to dedicate all my life to seeing the beauty of our world and show people it is worth it. Travel changes me completely. It makes me a better person. It makes me happy. It makes me to travel more.

in Tierra del Fuego national park

in Tierra del Fuego national park in Argentina

 

Love,
Alex

  Recent Entries »