(the.ego.tripper reaching for the pocket of his tuxedo where he finds a handwritten acceptance speech)

Dear friends, acquaintances and people I’ve never seen before,

You love me. (leave pause for possible laughter)
Oh, difficult crowd, are we? (leave another pause for possible laughter)
Well, this is embarrassing. (try not to show you’re embarrassed)
But I don’t really care, cause I’ve won. Please take a good look at what I’ve won! Isn’t she beautiful? Made of the brightest plastic ever made, the kindest words engraved in it’s valuable core. WINNER. I can imagine my competitors for this trophy are weeping now. I would be too. If I weren’t on this stage, holding this magnificent award, that is! And while I’m up here, and you’re all down there, I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you. Here we go: thank you. To all of you who took the time and energy to vote for me. We’ve participated in a hero’s journey, the hero here being the.ego.tripper. (don’t mention you stole this last line from Christoph Waltz’s acceptance speech, but with Quentin where you wrote the.ego.tripper)
(now stand still for just a sec and let the photographers do their job)
(take a bow)
(take another, deeper bow)
(smile, but don’t show teeth)
(now leave the stage while crowd applauding you)
(drink champagne)

For those of you who don’t realize the Weekend Blog Awards are still a day away, I will say this: I haven’t won and I probably will not win. And if I do win, I will say I didn’t deserve to win, but thanks anyway. Seeya! Keep coming back to the.ego.tripper for more travel adventures!

This all happened in Zeeland, which is not New Zealand, but it’s still pretty cool. So what’s going on in Zeeland, you ask? Good question! Not that much. And that’s the whole point of Zeeland: you go there for relaxation purposes. Hence the facial. But there is more. Fine dining for instance. I had the pleasure of eating at La Trinité, a great restaurant with one Michelin star, located in Sluis. The food was exquisite. Forgot what I had though, cause with every course they served a new glass of wine. Which made me drunk. I know there was a foam of something, with a splash of something else, a piece of crab, a tartare of fishy deliciousness, a marshmallow of something else and a ball of … You get the point. It was delish!

What else is cool in Zeeland? Cycling of course. Especially when you get an electric bike. And you might think an electric bike is made for the lazy and/or the elderly. And you would probably be right, but it’s also made for the.ego.tripper! Must get me one of those in the near future. From now on there is no shame in admitting you ride an electric bike. Unlike segways, you still look like an idiot when riding a segway.

What else? Shopping perhaps? Yes, Sluis is home to many fine erotic shops, where you can find gadgets and outfits from the late seventies till modern times. What else? Ah yes, outdoor sports of course. I had the pleasure to go BloKarting, which is basically wind-karting on the beach. Best time of my life? No. Fun to do with a couple of friends? Sure. If you prefer to actually go into the water, Stand Up Paddling might be your cup of tea. I let the instructor go in first, to see how he struggled with the big waves. Then I decided a facial was the better option.

Anyway, I thought I’d keep this blogpost short and simple. Textwise, that is. I’ve got a shitload of pictures lined up for you which will give you a good impression of Vienna. I also want to mention Vienna is a perfect weekend getaway. There’s plenty to see and do, but it’s not overwhelmingly big like some other European capitals. Of course, when you only have two days and a half, it’s all about choices. But I feel those choices are pretty straightforward in Vienna: Schönbrunn, Hofburg, Stephansdom, coffee and deserts, Mozarthaus, Museumsviertel, … I will let the pictures do the talking now.

But before I actually go there, I want to mention I’ve been a naughty boy. Thanks to the lovely people at Tourismus Wien I got a nice blogger discount on hotels (and also a free Vienna Card, thankyouverymuch). And obviously I chose Hotel Daniel for my stay. Is this one of the hippest hotels I’ve ever stayed at? Most def! It’s so hip, you’re not even allowed to take pictures. Obviously I felt this rule didn’t apply to me. SORRY, HOTEL DANIEL! Anyway, will I recommend this place to everyone? Good question. I don’t think so. If you’re looking for a good night sleep, the cheapest rooms of Hotel Daniel (with busy street view) won’t suit you. They are quite noisy and lack curtains, which means you’ll be blown out of your bed in the morning by the sun and the trafic. But who cares? The showers have glass walls and the breakfast – in Bakery Daniel – is honestly one of the best I’ve ever had in a hotel. Also, every member of staff at Hotel Daniel was superduper friendly and helpful.

Anyway, I took the liberty to offer you three different sets of pictures: the black-and-white edition, the colored one and the hotel views. Hope you like em.

B&W

In color

(no filter used, I kid you not)

Hotel Daniel

Anyway, I want a new one. And you can help me get it. Question remains whether or not I deserve to win again. If you ask me: not really. Competition is stiff this year. I mean, have you seen the list of travel bloggers? Take Classe Touriste for example and check out their blogpost on the polar desert. This is top notch, folks. I mean, those pictures, the text… There is more class in this one post than there is in all the.ego.tripper’s articles combined. Or take The Wonderful Unknown for example. I had actually never heard of this blog before, but it looks and feels nice, don’t you think? And then there is Tjoolaard. And Bart, the ultimate travel guru. Nice guys. And then there are five others, all doing a great job. So, question still remains: why choose the.ego.tripper?

Well, first off: I’m jedi mind tricking the fuck out of you. Yes, the others are probably better. And nicer. And more interesting. But I, ladies and gentlemen, I like plastic awards. And for that reason, you will pick me. Cause you want to see me go home with that awesome plastic award. And you will know your vote made the difference. And you will laugh out loud when you see me licking the plastic. And you will be thanked with another year of travel nonsense, free of charge.

Anyway, CLICK HERE to cast your vote. Don’t choose me.

Anyway, the sun is shining on Antwerp at the moment, the city is waking up from its winter break, people are coming back to life, terrasses are starting to fill up these days and everyone is out and about. Finally, spring’s here and summer is coming. The perfect moment to do a story on this beautiful city, isn’t it? As you all know, I’m a former east-coaster who has moved to Antwerp some seven years ago. What struck me then – and still strikes me now – about Antwerp, is how different the city is in winter- and summer-mode. Ouch, I honestly dislike wintertime in this city. Sometimes I even forget why I moved here in the first place. But when the sun comes out and the thermometer hits 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, I remember: Antwerp is fucking awesome!

One of the things that makes Antwerp so interesting during the summer months, must be ‘Zomer van Antwerpen’ (Summer of Antwerp). This Summer of Antwerp is one big party that lasts for two months and offers cultural orgasms, an open air movie theatre, a superb summer bar and library, music performances all over the city, amazing pieces of theatre, concerts, festivals, parties, a circus, … You name it, Summer of Antwerp has got it (and if they don’t, you just drink a few of their 12 euro bottles of rosé wine or headache cava). The festivities start on the 20th of June and last until the first of September (Zomerbar will be open from the 6th of July). For most of these events you’ll have to buy tickets in advance. And you really should, because almost everything will sell out in no-time. So get your tickets on the 15th and 16th of June in the ‘Zomerfabriek’. More info here.

But because June is still far away, I should point you in the direction of Antwerp’s other sweet sweet summer bars. On the 16th of May both Bocadero and Strantwerpen open their doors. Check out bocadero.be and see how they claim to be Saint-Tropez at the Scheldt river. This is a slight exaggeration, I feel, but why not? Antwerpians are not really known to be modest anyway, so why not compare yourself with Europe’s finest? I like Bocadero anyway.

On the same day Strantwerpen opens up for a new season of high-end partying. The last three years Strantwerpen was held on the Eilandje, not too far from Bocadero. But now they’re moving back to where they started: het Zuid. Which I feel is a great move. The food will be served up by chefs from the newest and hippest Asian restaurant ‘Umami’. Should be interesting.

Anyway, if these summer bars are all a bit fancy for your taste, please go to Park Spoor Noord and Cargo zomerbar, which has already opened by the way. Take your barbecue meat, your kids, your neighbors, your neighbor’s dog to this park for a lovely day of eating and drinking (and spend half a day trying to locate your kid and dog when you leave). The atmosphere is relaxed, the cues at the bar are painfully long, but still well worth it!

Zomerbar

Bocadero

Badboot

Strantwerpen

Park Spoor Noord

Zomer van Antwerpen

Zomer van Antwerpen

Zomerbar

Zomerfabriek

Zomerfabriek

Cinema Urbana

Zomerbib

Don’t answer that. This isn’t about movies or dead people on a lounging chair soaking up the sun. This is about young, cool and very much alive peepz soaking up the sun. In Brighton! You figured that out huh? Well done! But before we proclaim Brighton is wonderful, amazing and all that jazz, I must tell you that I’ve never actually been there. But for some reason it’s on my radar now (advertising money is not the only reason by the way). It might have been the article in last weekends ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’, which is the newspaper I read.

That made me think. Do I want to go to Brighton? Sure, why not? I’ve got a trip planned to London in the beginning of May and all the cool kids from the big city seem to like this daytrip. But why stay a day, when you can stay two, or three, or four (you might find it interesting to book Brighton hotels from Travelodge)? That way you can not only enjoy the beach, but also the Pier, the Royal Pavilion (this actually looks quite brilliant), the ferris wheel, Banksy art and North Laine. This ‘North Laine’ seems to be Brighton’s bohemian quarter, filled with bars, restaurants, shops and museums. Needless to say, this is where I’ll be spending my time.

If you have the fortune of flexibility, it’s certainly worth travelling out of season. Or so I’ve been told. As soon as half terms and summer holidays come into play, you can expect prices to increase to coincide with demand. If you are able, take your break in Brighton during the off-peak times. After Easter, before July and avoiding the May half term will often provide reduced rates on accommodation as well as off-peak entry fees to attractions.

And if it rains and all else fails: buy and watch the ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ dvd. Have fun!

And when it comes to hipsters and hipness, there’s only one capital in this modern world: Portland. I know, the word hipster comes with a slight connotation nowadays, but as far as Portland is concerned there’s nothing wrong with being hip. Au contraire, mes amis, Portland oozes cool. And beauty! Ah mah God, it’s so pretty. Especially that Japanese and Chinese garden. According to TripAdvisor, the Lan Su Chinese Garden is one of the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China. It has hundreds of native Chinese plants and many different tree specimens. I would say the same about that Japanese garden, but since I can’t find that information on TripAdvisor, I will only say: pletty, pletty, pletty.

But back to the coolness. Voodoo Doughnut and Ace Hotel. Need I say more? Man, this donut shop is the proverbial shit (I mean it’s very cool)! Not only do they make delicious doughnuts, you can also get married there. Really? Yes, really! A legal voodoo wedding, with coffee and doughnuts for 24 people, free parking and doughnut centerpiece will cost you 225 dollars. Can you say ‘I do’? If you’re looking for some more ‘cool’, check out Hopworks Urban Brewery and their Bikebar, where you can donate your own energy and have a nice local brew. For sleeping, I recommend the Ace Hotel. No explanation necessary, I presume.

But there’s more. How bout Powell’s City of Books? This is more than just a bookstore. There is an art gallery here, a cafe and a machine that allow you to publish your own book. Also check out Portland Saturday Market (strangely also open on Sundays).

Oh, one last thing about the hipster quality of Portland: it’s in the Urban Dictionary!

Portland Hipster
Usually defined as a person who:

A. Drinks PBR
B. Has the money to bath, but doesn’t
C. Cuts their own hair, badly.
C. Wears “Ironic” 80′s clothes
E. Has a bike
F. Has a beard
G. Rolls their pant legs up to high

So, peepz, I was actually writing this story for a luxury magazine, but I thought I’d offer you the preview. Why? Because you guys are frikking awesome. Damn, lied again. But you are pretty okay, I must admit. Anyway, back to the hot springs. So the idea was to make a list of the six/ten most amazing natural hot springs in the world, hence the title of this blogpost. Damn, sometimes being a blogger is amazingly simple, isn’t it? Oh, one more thing. Normally I would have come up with a more spectacular title, like ‘don’t burn your ass’ or ‘jump in, mofo!’, but it seems like I get more visitors from Google when I write boring shit like top ten lists. We’ll see if this one makes the all-time favorite list. If not, I will never bother you again with lists and top tens. Or sixes.

But back to the hot springs. Yeah, well, not much to say about them, is there. They’re hot? Correct! They’re jawdroppingly beautiful? Most of them, yes. They’re infested with monkeys? One of them is… This blogpost should never make anyone’s favorite list? YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT. Enjoy the pics, folks!

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone NP, USA.

Same as previous one.

Glenwood Springs, somewhere in the US of A.

Blue Lagoon in Iceland.

Saturnia, Italy.

Arenal, Costa Rica.

Jigukudani, Japan. Where else?

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’ve lost my travel edge. Could be the case, you know. I don’t know. I did book a short getaway to Prague, to celebrate the last days of freedom of Sebastian, one of my best buddies. Don’t worry: I’ll show you pictures when that’s done. And you will like em! And also I am planning a trip to Venice for the Biennale di Venezia. Exciting. This must mean the traveling part still gets my blood flowing. Still gets me hard, if you know what I mean. It must be the blogging part then. Nah, who am I kidding? I love writing stuff the three of you love to read. Sometimes it just gets difficult to find the time and energy, you know…

But, here we are again, with a fucking amazing story. About a mansion in Bellagio, Italy. This is magical, man, I tells ya. It’s not a story anymore, over the years it’s turned into a legend. But first things first: explain where Bellagio is. I will keep this short and simple: GOOGLE IT! So, you just found out Bellagio is – except for a ridiculously cool casino in Las Vegas – a small and very picturesque town on the shore of Lake Como in the north of Italy. But what Google failed to mention is that I went there for the first time exactly ten years ago when I was traveling through Italy with my mate who is getting married soon and who’ll motorboat many of fine Czech boobs. We weren’t actually staying in Bellagio, no, we got lucky with a hotel on the other side of the lake, in Menagio. A fine town itself, I must say. But obviously we took a boat to Bellagio and found a mansion. Ow boy, a beautiful mansion indeed.

I know you think you will read an amazing story about this mansion now, but that will not be the case. It was for sale. That’s all. But it was fucking beautiful. And if I had many millions in my pocket at that time, I would have bought it on the spot. Instead of putting it all down g-strings of Czech strippers in June 2013, you know.

Anyway, back to Bellagio. This place is called the Pearl of the Lake. Don’t ask why, because it’s beautiful, you dumbass. It’s romantic, it’s pretty, it’s small, it’s infested with celebrities. But so is Menagio. And probably the rest of Lake Como. So please go there. ASAP.

This is actually the back of my buddy’s head, back in 2003, when he still had hair. When he wasn’t motorboating Czech boobs.

Anyway, if you are following me on twitter or facebook, you will have noticed I spent a week in Havana for the cigar festival, called Festival del Habano 2013. I got invited by the lovely people of CubaCigar and I kindly accepted, although I’m not a big cigar afficionado. But you know, also I am growing old, so chances are I’ll start doing old men stuff, like grow inner ear hair and smoke Cuban cigars. So I tagged along. You might remember I’ve been to Havana before and that I wasn’t too convinced of the touristy stuff the city has to offer. Well, I’m still not. Havana is still a derelict place, with colorful cars and colorful houses that used to be beautiful. Havana is still perfect for drinking cheap ass rhum, but everything else is way too expensive. Spending CUC’s – the convertible peso – is a must for tourists. And especially for those wanting to go to the Festival del Habano without an accreditation. Luckily I was freeloading.

But – and you know I’m an optimistic kinda guy – Havana is something special at the same time. If you half-close your eyes, it is even kinda magical. With kids playing football on little squares, laughing and jumping, with pretty old buildings that could use a facelift-light, with young pretty girls trying to jump your bones in a crowded discotheque, … You’ve got to love it! Sure, Cuban food is about the worst you can get. But does this really matter (the actual answer is yes, but for the sake of my story we’ll say this:)? No! Because the country will always have cigars! And cigar smokers are king! Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagas, … Ah man, those names sound like porn in cigar lover’s ears.

Sorry, I was gonna keep this shorter and simpler. But I’ve still got something to tell you. The Festival del Habano is a very VIP kinda event. I stayed in the famous Hotel Nacional de Cuba and I shared the top floor with peepz like Medvedev (is he the Russian president of PM, I forgot). Also present: Boris Becker. And if you’re from Belgium this will impress even more: Goedele Liekens. Yeah, she’s cool. Anyway, guess I should stop bothering you now and start showing you pictures. Here we go. Enjoy, amigos!

(previous pics all shot with my Canon EOS M, the following three with my Samsung Galaxy S3 cell)

Boris Becker

the.ego.tripper

City view (it was kinda stormy and rainy at the time) from the Hotel Nacional de Cuba