48 Hours at Guana Island - Part One
“The most amazing place on Earth we have ever been to”
There are places on earth that are just unique. Unique when it comes to nature, location, expectations, feelings and so much more. Well, one could say that these places just don’t exist. But sometimes life has surprises for us and we get into something that turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. It’s impressive how places and cultures change us, no matter if it really goes under skin or just slight differences in our daily life. One can immediately tell. My life changing experience began somewhere in between Croatia and Greece, on a point on the map I would have never thought of going, but as said, life always comes different than we could expect. For me, it’s the most extraordinary resorts in the world that break into my brain. It was the moment when I was standing on the edge of the infinity pool with the waves breaking towards the private island somewhere on the Montenegrin shoreline until I realized life is not about meeting the criteria of others. No indeed life is about you making the best out of every situation. Somewhat one year later, I found myself lying on an island just like Robinson Crusoe when I realized that every moment is a gift and all I have reached too. It’s absolutely not naturally to be the only one lying on a beach that is nearly as big as the Vatican. That’s the moment when you stop thinking and begin living the life you have always dreamed of. You just lie there and go through the things you achieved and a state of happiness is coming up.
You close the eyes, open them again and you’re just still there. There, on the same spot, finest white sand underneath you, turquoise sea in front of you and not even a single soul around you. That’s a feeling that is just priceless and extremely valuable. To be honest, that’s what travelling is all about. And yes, it needs situations like that to realize the difference. We shouldn’t be travelling to fulfil a lust, no we should go and explore. Explore what the world offered us before it’s just too late. After swiping out too much, it’s time to come back to that white sandy beach underneath my feet which is located somewhere south of Miami, in between Cuba and the infinite-seeming Atlantic on the other hand. A place that couldn’t be any more of a battery recharging than it actually is. Ever since I was stressed and had the feeling that a provider of accommodations (eg hotel) is only good if all criteria are fulfilled. Actually this traditional pattern is so terribly incorrect just like the fact that the world is a slice. As a travel blogger, you get to see a lot of places and yes, some of them are doing well so they reach a 10 out of 10 on the scale – simply because they deliver and there is nothing missing. But there are places that come in deeply and totally change your mindset. These places can be remote locations, such as my life-changing Amazon tour, but it can also be an 850-acres private island in the British Virgin Islands, which changed my opinion on a lot of things recently.
Think about yourself: Think of how many times you got upset when travelling. Let’s be honest, there rarely is something like a flawless trip. It’s either the private jet that hasn’t got the right staff, a not well maintained hotel room or the absence of your favourite champagne brand in the suite’s private bar. You can’t change some things that just happen, that’s true but sometimes places come up for all with their uniqueness. When I landed on the most peaceful airport I have seen so far (that means a lot being grown up in Innsbruck, Austria) with the most terrible airline I have ever chosen, I was literally anything but happy, relaxed nor friendly. The 5-minute luxury car ride from the terminal to the harbour of Tortola didn’t come up for it, but it didn’t ruin my day more. Once boarding the speedboat, my life somehow reached a low point: empty stomach, worst flight, loosing 200 USD for hand luggage that is normally included in each and every airfare, the want to go back to Europe plus the need to travel for 4 more weeks. I admit other hotels have had a much better basis back in days when I had my good days.
But from one second to the other everything changed. I was sitting in the speed boat that I entered over a black carpet indicating the final destination - Guana Island – when I began to think of all the amazing things I have had the chance to experience together with some of the most amazing people one can meet. It was the second I was asked if I would care for a drink and I politely ordered “orange juice” when I was actually served an “Aranciata” from San Pellegrino (my favourite drink) when I got goose bumps and was first overwhelmed by this service. A terrible airline seemed to be the less important thing one can think of. Isn’t life just too short to spend any thoughts about things that are not even worth the money? There was I, somewhere in between an airport with no more flights for the day and an adventure I could not even imagine a bit. The sun was slightly setting, the sky turned orange and the speedboat was whisking towards a huge island that looked like the mainland of Montenegro to create the gap to Sveti Stefan. The nearer we got to the island, the more I could spot an array of staff waiting for something. As the boat slowed down, my eyes fixed to the snow-white 200 metres beach with just ten empty sun beds, I was actually waken up by the request to embark the boat.
Continue Reading PART TWO of the Review - HERE!
