I run into expats like Alan quite often.  Their theme is usually the same, they decide to move abroad with some money in the bank but no income. After a few short years of fun in the sun, they run out of savings. In an effort to avoid ending their “retirement” and returning to their former life in their home country, they often start a small business to make money.

You’re not living the dream until you have the financial freedom to enable yourself to do what you like, whenever, with whomever and
for as long-ever as you desire.

In Alan’s case he choose to become the owner of a 20 passenger boat service, shuttling customers on a daily 8+ hour journey from the small island of Coron to El Nido, Philippines and back. Often, setting up a small business doesn’t take much money but Alan’s time commitment is extraordinary. Luckily for him, it’s not difficult work since Alan’s boat has a full crew but he must still begin his day at 8:00 AM and doesn’t finish till past 6PM. Alan is now married to a business that occupies at least 10 of the prime hours of his day for the rest of his life. Alan is no longer retired, he’s now back to being a small business owner/operator.  Sadly, I’d say, his retirement dream is no more.

To fully live the dream you must first possess the financial means to do whatever you want, whenever you want, with whomever you want, for as long-ever as you desire. The attainment of the real dream is nothing more than the expression of your real freedom. Money is not the root of all evil, it’s actually the root of freedom. Until you embrace money and allow wealth to abundantly flow to you, you’ll be unable to attain the dream.

It is of special importance to note that money itself does not make you happy, but freedom certainly does. In the same sense, decoupling from your personal possessions can bring you a deep sense of relaxation and inner peace. Eliminating most all of ones possessions is a path that few choose to take, but is one that also exponentially increases personal happiness.

May your travels be as pleasurable as mine,

//-FOXY-\\

Expats: How To Truly Live The “Dream” is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

On the ride up to our mountain top launching point I felt like a Mexican piñata. Pablo was more like a high-speed race car driver than a pilot. The tires were screeching, and the g-force of the zigs and zags were physically throwing me left and right. It seemed like at any moment his car would lose control and we’d be tumbling off the mountain. Pablo kept the race car pace up for 10 more minutes until we hit the final roadway to the top. First gear was all the car could manage up the very steep 45 degree angle road as Pablo honked the car’s horn over and over, all the way up.

Up top, I observed ~20 hang-gliders, spectators, pilots and co-pilots that ranged in emotion from elated to petrified. I was in the right place. My first steps towards the edge of the mountain opened up a view of Rio de Janeiro that can only be described as breathtaking. I was really going to jump off this cliff. Incredible!

Ok, “Now, run, run run!” Pablo and I now securely strapped into the glider made a mad dash off the side of the mountain. As the ground left my feet and we soared into the air a feeling of awe came over me. Flying in a commercial airliner is neat and being in a small plane (like a Cessna) is really cool, but nothing compares to the incredible – open to the elements – feeling you have in a hang glider.

Towards the end of the ride our glider crested over the beach and ocean. Pablo skillfully turned our glider towards final approach much higher than a glider that had gone before us. As we were over the beach, the first glider below was still out over the ocean. It looked like they were dropping way too fast and all of a sudden I watched their feet and legs dragging in the ocean waves! Lucky for them, they caught a small wind and were able to land on the beach. Their landing though was not too smooth and they both ended up with their heads planted in the sand like ostriches. Ouch!

Luckily for me, my pilot with 17 years of experience effortlessly landed our glider right on target. Our ride was over way too fast, 10 minutes of exhilarating flight felt as though it had been compressed down to 30 seconds. Just like a kid at Disneyland, all I could think was, “I want to go again!”

//-FOXY-\\

Hang Gliding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

The cost of this 11 beer taste test challenge amounted to R$85.78 ($53 USD), ouch! Brazil is getting much more expensive than it used to be. I can’t remember what my last taste test cost, but I’d have to guess it was at least half this cost.

Let’s move on to the beers:

Eisenbahn – Dunkel – 4.8% Alcohol – This dark beer has a very light texture coupled with a smooth malty flavor. You’ll detect the aroma and slight taste of a barely noticeable roasted coffee flavor. Nothing super exciting or distinctive in this beer but it does go down quite easily. Overall 6 out of 10.

Schmitt – Ale – 4.5% Alcohol – This is one of the lightest color ale beers I have ever seen or tasted. No hop smell to speak of. It has a weak taste, slightly bitter on the tongue, with a uniquely dill pickle sort of after taste – talk about weird! It’s certainly not my new favorite beer, 3 out of 10.

Petra – Weiss Beer (German wheat beer) – 5.2% Alcohol – This beer has a light mellow yellow color and is a cloudy German style hefeweizen beer. Drinking this beer in Brazil tastes fantastic vs their standard lager beers. It’s medium bodied and the recipe seems to have a touch of orange spice in it. As the beer slightly warms while sitting in your glass, taste complexity pleasantly appears. Very similar to a refreshing glass of Blue Moon beer from America. Overall a respectable 7.5 out of 10.

Black Princess – Escuro (dark beer) – 4.8% Alcohol – First thing I noticed on the ingredients label was the addition of “corante caramelo”. I’m not sure if that’s caramel flavor or caramel coloring but either way this is not a “proper” beer. This is a prime example of your typical crappy dark Brazilian beer. This is not a mans beer. Instead this creamy, sugary sweet mix of beer and caramel is a tasty treat for a childhood girl, not a connoisseur . The only thing they got right was the name, “Black Princess”. Overall a score of 2 out of 10, i.e. not even recommended for homeless alcoholics that drink from paper bags.

Petra – Escura (dark beer) – 4.4 % Alcohol – This beer is not highly popular with the locals because it’s not sweet enough for their palate. Unlike traditional dark Brazilian beers, Petra is more of a real mans beer with no sweet syrupy taste. It’s a dark beer with a light body and a balanced ever-so-slight roasted coffee taste. It’s nothing super special, but for a Brazilian dark, it’s great. Overall 6 out of 10.

Petra – Schwarzbier (German dark lager) – 6.2% Alcohol – This beer is almost identical to their Escura line of dark beer. I’d have to do a blind taste test to tell the difference between the two. Overall 6 out of 10.

Cervejaria Colorado – Indica (India pale ale) – 7% Alcohol – I’ve got big hopes for this 600ml bottle of craft brew. Pouring a glass, the color is right, a dark red and yellow mix and as my nose gets closer, I’m presented with an aromatic hoppy smell that emanates from my glass. First sip grips my taste buds strong, this is a real IPA with a medium bodied citrus sensation that finishes with a bitter grapefruit taste. The brew gets better the more you drink but don’t let it warm up too much or the flavor loses much it’s appeal. This beer makes me smile, a solid 8 out of 10 and the #1 beer so far!

Cervejaria Colorado – Appia (German wheat beer) – 5.5% Alcohol – A strong smell of honey is the first characteristic you’ll notice with this craft beer. You’re first swig will leave you intrigued, uncertain if you really like this unconventional brew. It’s an odd sort of cross between a hefeweizen and a very light ale. A bit of bitter coupled with a flavorful honey taste and aroma. With high hopes but little delivery it won’t be our #1, but it is certainly enjoyable, nevertheless. (6.5 out of 10).

Baden Baden – Stout – 7.5% Alcohol – It’s a good stout but nothing special. Overall 5.5 of 10.

Baden Baden – Red Ale – 9.2% Alcohol – This beer packs big taste, big smell , big price and a big ass punch of high alcohol content. The color is a dark red with a bright hoppy citrus/fruit inspired craft beer smell that lofts out of the glass. Very full bodied, but sadly, has little drinkability due to the overwhelming heaviness of the beer. The flavor begins with a rich red ale taste that gently turns into a bitter aftertaste. It’s extremely good for Brazilian beer, but it’s certainly not that great worldwide. Overall, 6.5 out of 10 (on the right track but not there yet). P.s. I came up with a slogan for them, hope you enjoy it: “If you’re looking to crash your car – make it a Ba, Ba, Baden Baden’s Red!”

Brazilian beer is on its way up. They’re starting to make brews that are unique, different and actually have flavor. There are some bumps in the road, like the pickle “ale” from Schmitt that won’t make it long term, but then there are also uniquely flavorful brews like the Indica IPA from Cervejaria Colorado that will. In time, Brazil will come up with some unique brews that the rest of the world just might copy. For now, it’s heartening to see them pushing forward with real craft beer progress.

//-FOXY-\\

So I thought the challenge was over… But no, not yet! I went back to the super market to buy another bottle of Indica and found a lone bottle of:

Cervejaria Colorado – Demoiselle – 6% alcohol, sitting in the back. On the label it’s described as a porter, which I enjoy drinking, so of course I had to include it in the competition…

I cracked open the bottle, poured a glass and gave it a nice 3/4 inch head of foam at the top. As I placed the glass to my lips I could smell a mild porter aroma emanating from my glass. I took a big sip, cutting through the head to get to the dark black brew below. As the glass left my lips, and I swallowed, I uttered out loud, “Holy S**T this is good!” but no one but me was there to hear my excitement. Demoiselle, tastes even better than a glass of Hershey’s chocolate syrup with milk! But understand, this is not a sweet beer and it does not overpower like so many coffee flavored porters do, instead, this brew seems to find just the right balance. I polished off the 600ml bottle in record time and as soon as it was done I wanted another! Ideally, this is one porter that should have a bit more carbonation added to and for sure you’ll need to chill it to a VERY low temperature before consuming. Overall, this porter is outstanding and could easily compete with those produced abroad including – your current favorite porter!

As such, Demoiselle wins the 2011 GetFoxy “King of Brazilian Beers” challenge at 9 out of 10 marks! Congratulations Cervejaria Colorado, from São Paulo, for producing the #1 and #2 best beers in Brazil!

The 2011 King of Brazilian Beer Competition is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

Anyways, Brazil is just as good as I remember it.  The beaches here have a special place in my heart.  Where else on the planet can you see such hot women with GIGANTIC bundas (butts) having fun splashing in the ocean waves?  Only in Rio baby!

It’s such a tough life here in Ipanema.  All day I had to sit in my beach chair, umbrella over head, drinking fresh coconut water, while sexy Brazilian girls splashed in the water and surfers cut waves.  It was such a rough life in fact, that I figured I’d better photograph it as evidence, you know, just in case I need to put in a workers compensation claim for my stained neck muscles…

FOXY

Sexy Ipanema Beach Day in Rio de Janeiro is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

Next up Steve and I rock Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!

Anyways, for now, enjoy these final nighttime photos of Medellin. They were shot from the roof of the Holiday Inn Hotel where all 3 of us each had a super inexpensive $50/night suite room!

FOXY

The Twinkling City Lights of Medellin is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

We started the day in Poblado, with a breakfast of fresh orange juice and scrambled eggs and then we were off to the Medellin Metro for a big adventure up to Parque Arvi!

To get to the park, we took the Medellin, Metro system ten stations to the Acevado stop. From there, we walked up the steps to their Metrocable system that propels passengers thousands of feet into the air, up the El Tambo mountain, towards an intermediate stopping point up the slope of the mountain.

Wooooooaaaaahhhhhhhh!

The system utilizes Monocable Detachable Gondola technology which consists of cable cars connected to a fixed cable through means of a detachable grip. The haulage cable is pulled by large wheels allowing the cabins to move at an average speed of 10 miles per hour (16 km/h). At times the system is a bit clunky and results in somewhat scary sags and jerks of the cable car that you’re in…

As you head up the mountain and the altitude increases, you’re left with an ever expanding view of beautiful Medellin. The further you go, the better the vistas get. It’s quite dramatic as time passes and the city below seems to shimmer like a pearl in an oyster. Over and over, you get the sensation that you’re at the top of the world, that nothing could ever be so high.

We had a wonderful time on the ride up as well as the way back down to civilization. The view from our cable car was legendary! That night, we went to a boutique hotel, the Charlie Hotel in Poblado, and my Mom enjoyed a wonderful birthday desert to end her day of birthday fun!

FOXY

Mom’s Birthday Party in Parque Arvi, Medellin is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

In LAX, I met my mother where I picked her up and we flew together on Spirit Airlines to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and then on to Medellin, Colombia in big seats 1A and 1B on both flights!

Most guys don’t take there Mother to Colombia with them, but my Mom is cool. There have been times in the past where we’ve been out of touch for extended periods of time but I hope those times never come again. I’ve never felt as close to my Mother as I do now and I cherish every moment with her.

When we landed in Medellin we were both a bit exhausted. Halfway through the trip I actually slept on the floor of the Fort Lauderdale airport and if you haven’t already seen, that’s why I now pay for airport lounge access.

Anyways, Medellin is a straight up slice of totally unexpected heaven. I can never get enough of this metropolitan city. I challenge you to name a city with more beautiful women everywhere you turn, coupled with inexpensive highrise lodging, good food and prices that make Mexico look expensive! Medellin has it going on!

My room's odd shower/tub/sink/toilet setup

We stayed for 5 nights at the Parque Lleras Hostel in the Poblado, neighborhood. The place offers nice accommodations and a perfect location with direct frontage to Parque Lleras which is famous for it’s high-end coffee shops, bars and fine dining restaurants. This is where Medellin’s upper class go to eat, drink, see and be seen.

More soon…

FOXY

Taking My Momma to Medellin, Colombia! is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

Sleepy Siargao Island

My first day on the island I was walking to a sari-sari (a small filipino store) to get some water and Milo powder. On my way I smiled at a girl and she chatted me up. During our conversation she asked if I liked it here. I told her, “Yes it’s paradise.” Then she asked if I had a girlfriend. I told her no and her mouth turned from a smile to a broad cheek to cheek grin. She quickly replied that she would be my girlfriend if I wanted! As I walked away it sure felt good to be the one pursued and not the other way around as it is in America!

So on to the nightlife… Where’s a guy to go to get some drinks in and chat up the ladies? First spot on your list should be the Nine Bar. This is nothing much of a bar, but I’m telling you if you hang for a while, you’ll have a lot of fun. On the first night I was there, they were actually having a poll dancing competition!

What could possibly be cooler, haha? I was now on a tropical island with pristine beaches and sitting in a bar at night that was about to have a poll dancing competition with beautiful Filipina girls… Amazing!

First up was 21 year old Michele. Her sexy outfit and stellar dance moves rocked the audience. She spun around the pole like a rockstar and seemed to be a shoe in!

Then 18 year old Tina was up. She works at the Nine Bar as a bartender / waitress. Her performance was pretty good but you could tell that Michelle was the audiences favorite.

Final contestant was Vanessa, my friend Chris’ girlfriend:

I knew going in that Vanessa was a good dancer, but seeing her dance first hand was amazing. She rocked the audience like Mike Tyson’s Ultimate Punch-out. The way she moved was like a pilot doing aerobatics in the sky. When she began gyrating from the ceiling – barely holding on by only her tiny leg muscles and one hand – the crowd erupted in cheer!

As the judges decisions came in at (2) 9′s and a 10 she thoroughly decimated the competition and won our table a huge jug of Boracay alcohol. Throughout the night we shared the booze and had a fantastic time. Siargao is a very fun place and the friends you’ll meet along the way are legendary. If you’re not already booked you might as well do it… right now!

FOXY

Unexpectedly Sexy Siargao Island Nightlife is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

On the way from Surigao to Siargao

Sorry, but I don’t have any photos of Surigao to share. I wasn’t impressed by the place, even though I stayed in the “famous” Tavern hotel where apparently, lots of “famous” people have stayed in the past. You want famous, go to Hollywood or Europe, not Surigao, Philippines. Call me a snob, but I wasn’t that impressed with the city, the hotel or anything about it, it was only a stopover point for me.

In the morning, Chris and I boarded a ~40 passenger boat that took us from Surigao City to the beautiful island of Siargao, (A) below. The trip was wrought with heavy rains and high seas that forced the captain to slow us to a snails pace. Our trip had become a 4 hour trek that never seemed to end. When we saw the harbor appear in the distance, I think everyone was glad to have arrived.

Siargao Island is where people go when they want to truly get away. It’s a spot that makes you smile as soon as you see it. Imagine a beautiful island with friendly Filipinos, fantastic surfing past the reefs, yet tranquil turquoise waters for swimmers and inexpensive accommodations directly on the beach.

For me, Siargao island is paradise. Surfers worldwide know it as terrific place to go surfing and enjoy the local Filipino nightlife. Surprisingly though, outside the surfing community, this island gets little tourism.  The photo on the right has not been touched by Photoshop, it’s straight out of the camera and shot on a crappy day. Imagine a nice sunny day and – you get the picture as to why I call this place paradise…

Siargao is protected by a huge reef approximately a half a mile away from the shore line. That means that as a surfer, you can go out to where the waves are epic or as a swimmer, you can lounge at your white sandy beach and relax in thousands of feet of tranquil turquoise waters. The choice is yours!

I miss it already...

I stayed at Patricks Hotel and overall it was great. Every morning I would wake up to the gentle sounds of the ocean waves crashing on the beach. I could shower up or simply throw on the swim trunks and go swimming in the ocean first. The food was also downright decent. Nothing you’d write home about, but for the money and the “remoteness” of the place, quite good!

If you get the chance you really should visit, it won’t disappoint.

FOXY

Cebu to Surigao, to Paradise on Siargao Island is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog

The Marriott's Pool is Fantastic

Without a doubt, the #1 hotel in Cebu is the Marriott, a 5-star hotel located inside the Terraces of Ayala Mall. For me, it’s more than a hotel, it’s my traveling home. It’s a place that makes me smile just thinking about it. I’ve now stayed enough nights there that I’m fortunate enough to be a Marriott Rewards Platinum Elite Member.

Marriott's Executive Lounge Dinner Buffet

Along with the title comes a big-time room upgrade to a top floor (executive level) luxury suite, daily complimentary breakfast and dinner buffet with unlimited cocktails.  All this and much more for less than $89 USD per night! A comparable hotel in a Western country would set you back $300 to $400 USD per night.

After a good breakfast and a day of leisure at the pool, it’s time to enjoy the dinner buffet, take in a few cocktails and then hit up Cebu’s nightlife.

My favorite venue is Juliana’s disco inside Mango Square. It’s a short 15 minute walk or 5 minute cab ride away. After paying the 100 Peso ($2.50 USD) entrance fee (which comes with one drink) you’ll be inside the best club in all of Cebu for meeting girls and having a great time. All eyes will be on you if you dress the part and carry yourself well. Occasionally I hear foreigners say that they don’t like Julianas because a few of the girls there are hookers.  That’s true, a few of them are, but those really should NOT be the girls you’re focusing on. Walk up and talk to the real women. If you treat these ladies with respect they’ll treat you even better. I’ve never paid a single Peso to any of the girls I’ve met there and I’ve had more fun than a midget in the circus.

Ayala Mall - One of my best photos ever!

I can’t get enough of Cebu. It’s more than a fun place, it’s a place for me to relax and get internet website work done as well. A perfect combination that just works.

If you’re travel plans allow, I’d highly recommend you plan a trip to the sexy city of Cebu.

FOXY

14 Days of Cebu’s Sexy Disco Nightlife is a post from: Get Foxy - World Travels Blog