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Third part of my Thailand trip: from Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya

Welcome all, to the third part of my trip!
This is a short one, but in my opinion an important part.
After 3 nights in Kanchanaburi it was time for me to pack my bag and go to Ayutthaya, for 1 night.
I wanted to leave early, because that way I had 1,5 days to explore.

A short history lesson:
‘The kingdom of Ayutthaya’ was a siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 till 1767.
The king at that time(Ramathibodi I) founded the city of Ayutthaya, their capital city.
t was a wealthy city and very friendly towards foreign traders(and they still are very friendly!).
Foreign country’s referred to the kingdom as Siam, but the people living there called themselves ‘Tai’ and therr country ‘Krung Tai'(The Tai country).
In 1367 the king also took over the kingdom ‘Sukhotai’ and quickly the Tai/Siam kindom became a large nation, almost covering all ground from Thailand now a days.
When the Burmese invaded and destroyed the city in 1767 that was also the end of the kingdom..
General Taksin and his troops escaped the kingdom just before the downfall.
After the downfall the kingdom was divided in six parts. Taksin controlled the east shore.
In 1767 he conquered back central Thailand, founded the new capital city called ‘Thonburi'(which is referred to as Bangkok now) and he was crowned as king!

So reading and knowing all of the Ayutthaya history you might guess what Ayutthaya is all about..
Temples! Old ruin temples, active temples, buddha statues..
There’s a relaxed vibe in ayutthaya.. very peaceful.
Not many influences from western country’s yet so it’s a great place to experience ‘real Thailand’. Just like Kanchanaburi!

First things first now..
HOW to get there!?
That was quite the puzzle, but when you figure it out how to get there from Kanchanaburi it’s actually really simple.
The Thai people know what they’re doing 😉
From Kanchanaburi there’s no direct bus/train/van to Ayutthaya.
First you have to take the bus(busstop B5) to Suphanburi. The first one leaves at 05:10 and I think there’s one leaving every hour..
When you arrive in Suphanburi the first thing you do is buy a ticket for the minivan towards Ayutthaya.
They leave from busstop 2.
Everyone on the van gets dropped off at the same location, and lucky for me it wasn’t far from my hostel!
After walking for a few minutes I arrived at my hostel and boy what a place! It’s called Allsum hostel and I HIGHLY recommend!
It was nicely decorated and looked very clean. Everything was well organised and there was a nice Thai boy behind the counter arranging everything for everyone. The hostel attracted other friendly backpackers it seemed.
The boy behind the counter gave me a map of ayutthaya, pointed out the highlights and told me how to get around.
The best way to get around in Ayutthaya is by bicycle! The hostel rents out bikes for only 50 baht a day.

My first (half) day in Ayutthaya:
The check in at the hostel wasn’t until 2pm, but I was allowed to leave my bag(make sure to put it in your flight bag and LOCK it).
I went out for lunch and according to Happycow(an app telling you where to find vegan/vegetarian food near you) there was a Jay restaurant near me. Only a 10 minute walk.
What’s a Jay restaurant you ask?
Jay restaurants are all over Thailand and are fully vegan.
Next to avoiding animal products they also avoid 5 kind of plants for health reasons, those 5 are:
Tobacco, garlic, onion and chinese chives.
There’s much more to this kitchen so I will dedicate a separate post telling you all about the Jay kitchen soon!
Jay restaurants or food stands are recognized by flashy yellow flags with a red sign on it which looks like the number 17.
Their food is offered in buffet style with some and very cheap!
A serving of rice + 3 dishes and unlimited water for 30 baht..
Most of them also offer very good mock meats made from soy or some sort of mushroom.
It’s like 10 baht for a piece of mock meat or anything else they offer next to the buffet dishes, Like springrolls!

After I checked in at my hostel I decided to visit the nearby temple ruins of ‘wat phra mahathat’ and did everything by foot.
The old temple ruins are located in a big park including more than just the ruins.
There are some market stalls selling clothes, food, fresh coconuts, ice cream and souvenirs.
Don’t be fooled by the busy crowd there! After buying your ticket(50 baht) and entering the temple area it actually gets really peaceful.
Well, not all parts. The temple is most known for the fascinating buddha head entwined in tree roots.
Nobody knows exactly how the stone head came there!

It could get a bit crowded in front of the tree, because everyone wants to take a selfie with it.
Be aware that you’re supposed to lower yourself when standing close the the buddha head or when taking a picture.
It was indeed a beautiful sight, but after taking a few pictures I decided to escape the crowd.
I wandered around the ruins, enjoying the sun on my skin, feeling peaceful and free.
Even saw some squirrels and of course I stopped for a photo shoot!

After my wat phra mahathat visit I wandered around in the park.
I kept on walking and walking making a stop ever time I saw some sort of ruin or anything else worth to look at.
At one point I had a really nice talk with a Thai guy who wants to visit the Netherlands really bad, he’s a fan of the dutch soccer team Ajax haha!
Aaaall the way on the other side of the park is the famous, enormous reclining buddha statue(wat lokayasutharam).
A reclining buddha is a statue that represents Buddha lying down on the right flank, his head resting on a cushion or relying on his right elbow, supporting his head with his hand. This is how he lied down during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana.
When I arrived the only people there were some locals burning sandalwood incense and it was a peaceful sight.

It was getting darker, I was getting hungry and I didn’t know where I was exactly.
My internet connection was failing me and I think that was because the surrounding looked very poor and old.
I asked a local lady on a motor bike about a certain restaurant, showing her the address on my phone.
She told me to hop on the back of her bike and took me to a tuktuk driver with more navigating knowledge.
He didn’t know either. I thanked them and decided to start walking back to where I cam from. A one hour walk.
After walking about 2/3 minutes the tuktuk driver catched up on me and offered to drive me(for free!) to the night market!
How generous, I was so grateful!!
The night market is more in the centre of Ayutthaya with some restaurants close by.
I found a restaurant offering vegetarian food and I ordered a pad thai without egg and fish sauce. Jum!!
After that I went to the night market and had my first ever mango sticky rice.. JUST WOW!
What at treat! I was hooked ♥

My second full(and last) day in Ayutthaya:
After a good night rest I took a refreshing shower and ate fruits for breakfast.
I packed my day bag, put on clothes to cover my knees and shoulders, rented a bike and went out exploring for the entire day.
But not before I let the boy behind the counter fix me a ticket for the night bus to Chiang Mai the next day!

The ‘centre’ of ayutthaya is surrounded by a river and there are some temples located on the other side of the river.
I dedicated this day on visiting 2 of them. These are ‘active temples’ with monks walking around, people burning incense and sometimes a ceremony going on.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon(20 baht):

It was a long bike ride, but WORTH IT!
I loved this temple complex!
It was relaxed and alive at the same time.
There are some buildings, huts where monks live in(they live in some sort of community there), lots of intact buddha statues and a very high Chedi. It’s worth to climb it for the view and also just to challenge yourself!
The crowd is mostly where the statues and buildings are, but I found myself in the peaceful gardens with small path walks.

My guess was that the gardens are for the monks to do their walking meditation etc.
Around the complex you’ll see signs with the thirty-eight blessings on it , like this one here on the picture.

Wat Phanan Choeng(20 baht):

This temple is known for the big golden buddha statue.
That’s it.
I was glad that there was a ceremony going on, otherwise it would’ve been a waste of the horrible bike ride haha.
There was.. a strange vibe and I felt like it had something to do with the location. It was weird.
After watching the ceremony I left, because it wasn’t really an enjoyable place.
What I did enjoy was the barefoot walking there!
I don’t know what kind of ceremony it was, but the people there all had an orange cloth and at the end the monks collected the cloths + money and they clothed the big buddha statue. It was a nice experience to see something like that!

Food tip on the other side of the bridge:
Somewhere in between those temple visits(or after, I can’t remember) I had lunch.
I did my research of course and I started looking for a restaurant called Jintana service.

I think I burned off all the calories I ate after my search by bike for this restaurant!
First I crossed the bridge back to the other side of the river. It’s a big uphill bridge with busy roads so quite intense.
Google maps was all over the place and told me to go back over the bridge. So I did.
I crossed it a few times, because everytime I was on one side it looked like I had to be on the other side.
I. WAS. ONE. BIG. HOT. SWEATY. MESS, but determined to find this restaurant!
And I did. I asked some locals and they pointed me in a direction.
First it looked like I wouldn’t find anything there, but all of a sudden.. a street with lots of restaurants, hostels, shops and other travelers!
Yes! I found Jintana service and they knew exactly what veganism is.
I had a delicious curry, rice and spring rolls with peanut chili sauce.

After my adventures I went back to the hostel and met some nice people at the hostel.
One of them was a dutch guy and we went out for dinner together, at ‘tony’s place restaurant’.
A restaurant with a really nice vibe and good music!
They made me a pineapple fried rice without egg and fish sauce + a mango coconut milk smoothie ♥
Back at the hostel we sat outside in the dark with more travelers, talking and laughing.
Until I had to head off to catch the night bus towards the next chapter in my trip.. Chiang Mai!

How to save up money for the thing you want, without ruining your present life!

Geke Keuter 0

Hello there all you beautiful people.
What brought you to this blog post?
Are you saving up for something big like long-term traveling or something smaller like a good quality yoga mat?
Both means spending money you won’t get back. Is that something to think about or worry about? No!
Never worry about spending money on things that will make you happy and will make your life experience a better one, for you.
There are always jobs to fall back on. Friends, family and random friendly people to fall back on when things don’t go as planned.
But this post is not about this side of the story!
I will share some tips on how to save up for the thing you WANT, without ruining your present life.
So without saying no to fun trips, eating out, potlucks and just anything that wants to make it’s way into your experience.
Of course you shouldn’t make these things a habit, but if you feel a pull towards something.. follow your intuition and go!
Don’t go for someone else’s sake, like a friend wanting you to go out when you don’t want to.
Listen to your own wants and needs.

The following are my ‘tips and tricks’ and to be honest.. I apply most of them in my life without actually saving up for something.

–Sell everything that’s not serving you. From clothes to an old laptop, books, jewelry, paintings, your CAR.. you name it. Go through all your stuff and put the things you use all the time a side. It gives you perspective on how much you actually really need/use.
It will also give you a peace of mind when decluttering and minimalising the stuff you own!
A tip on top of this tip: stop magazine subscriptions, maybe your gym subscription(and start working out at home), downgrade on your phone subscription, BUT get yourself some sort of subscription on public transport and other things you use a lot.

A car.. do we really need it? Are you working a one hour drive from your home and they are not compensating public transport costs?
In that case you need a car. Don’t buy a car because it’s easy and it will get you places. A bike will get you everywhere you need to be and when that place is too far away to travel by bike, think about: carpooling, public transport(keep an eye out for cheap day tickets and subscriptions) + it will make you realize how often you went somewhere just because you could when owning a car.
Like grocery shopping in the city next door, because they have more stuff. Stuff you don’t really need 😉
A car brings lots of costs and it could drain your bank account without you noticing it.
Just like cigarettes.

–Only buy what you need. When shopping think twice with everything you THINK you want to buy.
Will it serve you? Will you use/wear it, often? Do you really NEED it? Everyone needs a pair of good black jeans so if that’s the case, go get yourself those pants. Is it a top with a bright color inviting you to buy it, think twice.. you probably have enough tops.
When it comes to grocery shopping: go once a week and make a list of the things you think you’ll need. Grains, vegetables, fruits, herbs, peanut butter.. Keep this list with you and don’t look at all the other stuff inviting you to buy it. On that list is everything you need and you know it, because you wrote it!

-Do chores. Easiest way to earn some quick/extra money. Let people know you want to earn some extra money or just that you’re saving up and some will ask you to do something for them. Like cleaning a car/house, babysitting, walking dogs..options are endless.
What I did for my trip to Thailand: I put out a message on facebook that I wanted to earn some extra money including some ideas of different chores I could do. I cleaned 2 cars and went babysitting twice, I earned 150 euro’s total!
Chores take up way less time then work, but you’ll earn more for the amount of time you’re actually busy with it.

-Move in with your parents or live with roommates. I totally get that you want your own space, trust me. Also trust me when I say that it’s possible to create this ‘own space’ just about everywhere. Your own room, a garden or park, a barn, the gym, the attic, the library, a room at a friends house? Think outside the box when needed and think about the unnecessary costs being saved!

-Find the beauty in thrift shopping and replace your ‘normal’ shopping trip with a thrift shopping trip.
Personally it gives me such a good feeling to give used clothes and stuff new life! The fact that someone didn’t want it anymore doesn’t mean it can’t be used or worn anymore.. that’s why they sell it! Ask around for the nicest (and cheap) thrift shop places and write them down for when you actually need something.. 😉 Also, the fact that it’s cheap doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think twice before buying!
ONLY. BUY. WHAT. YOU. NEED.
Oke?
Oh and.. stop buying books. I’m sorry, but yes I said it. Books are very expensive and it’s so easy to borrow a book or to buy them second hand. Or, or.. go for an E-book over the printed books, much cheaper.
Fun idea: start a book sharing group in your area and exchange books with each other 🙂
Or start one online and send each other the books. That way both parties only pay for the shipping costs and you both get a book(or a few at once). Lots of books are also available ONLINE. On the INTERNET. PDF. Type in the book you want + PDF and when you’re lucky you can download a PDF file of this book. Download the app Aldiko (for android) on your phone and start reading.
You’re very welcome.

-Write all your financial stuff down and check your progress. Watching your ‘saving progress’ really helps to motivate you for further saving!
It’s like getting into a flow, a ‘saving flow’ haha(watch out that you’re not getting obsessed and are letting other fun things slip).
Also write down how much you’re earning every week/month, what you’re spending on groceries, clothes, subscriptions, bills..all your fixed charges! And make an estimation of how much money you have left, how much you want to set a side and how much you are willing to spent on other things(the fun things, the things enhancing your present moments).
Next to those things also write down what motivates you, why you’re saving up, what you’re working towards and what kind of feeling it will give you when you reach it.
Accept the fact that you’re not there yet and appreciate the journey! You should make the most of every present moment, not just live towards something in the future.

-DIY. It’s not that hard. Make your own toothpaste, body/lip scrub, snacks (!), house cleaning stuff, air freshener, peanut butter, tomato sauce. The DIY options are endless 😀 I love to make my own toothpaste and I definitely want to make more stuff myself in the future!

-Make a wish list for your birthday, Christmas etc. I never know what to ask for my birthday, but I started writing things down I want/need/use for the upcoming one.
It could be all kinds of things: books, skin care products, toothpaste, socks, table ware, a yoga mat/block/strap/pants ehm..yeah you know best what you use and need. Maybe a subscription to Netflix or spotify?
Or just ask them to give money like I always do.

-Take every opportunity to save some, but don’t be greedy. The kind of opportunity’s I’m talking about: 2 dishes on the menu and you feel attracted to both. 1 of them is cheaper. Go for the cheaper one.
What I’m not talking about:
The waitress at the restaurant was very friendly and helpful, the food was amazing and the vibe was great. You ask for the bill and you pay the exact the amount. Not a cent more. Don’t do that! That’s just bad karma and unfriendly.. just give a small tip. That money will find it’s way back to you.

”Beware of small expanses,
a small leak will sink a great ship.”

Here you go guys!
I’ll leave it with these tips, for now.
I bet more tips&tricks will be added and I ask you to tell me yours so I can add those too!

I hope this is helpful for all of you and I’m curious..what are you saving up for?
What are your plans and dreams? Wants and needs?
I would love to hear about it! <3

Believe it or not, but I have a song fitting our topic!
(for the people who don’t know: I try to find a fitting song with every blog post)

Second part of my Thailand route: from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi!

Geke Keuter 0

Welcome back! If you’re reading this I suppose you also read the first part of my trip.
The first part was a long tiring flight, figuring out how traffic in Bangkok works, eating my first real curry..
and now we wake up early after a worthless night of sleep in my hostel at the always loud Khao san road.
Worst. idea. ever.

Tip:
Don’t book a hostel directly on Khao san road(you won’t sleep) or not in that area at all 😉
It’s busy, lots of travelers and backpackers, but it’s definitely not where all of the fun happens.

I wake up early so I can catch the slow train to Kanchanaburi.
This train departs 2 times a day(7:50 and 13:55) from Thonburi station in Bangkok.
It will take the train about 3 hours from there to Kanchanaburi(the train has more stops).
It’s just one train so the second ride is often delayed, just wait patiently if that’s the case.

My original idea to get from the guest house to Thonburi station:
Walk to the ferry pier, catch a ferry and from there walk to Thonburi station. I wasn’t trusting my own plan that much, because I didn’t trust the information I found online and I didn’t yet have a clue how things go in Thailand.
I checked out from my room, walked outside and what happened was:
all the tuktuk driver started seeking my attention and ask questions. That will happen for you too.
If you’re not interested in any of that; just keep walking with a polite smile on your face.
One driver started talking to me and I decided to let him take me to Thonburi station.
That way I knew for sure I would get there, but.. way too early now ofourse.

Oh well, after I got there I bought my train ticket, killed some time by reading a book and around 12 I decided on taking a look at the food stands to get some lunch.
How to find vegan food in the middle of nowhere at foodstands where they hardly speak English..
Yes there it is, the word vegetarian! Now I had to find out what I should ask them to leave out.
The friendly Thai men already started asking me what I wanted to eat in his best English.
I explained what I can’t and can eat and trusted him and his wife to make me some food.
A few minutes later I got a plate with fried rice, mushrooms, lemon and pepper.
Very basic, but just what I wanted! And it was only 40 baht people.. 40 baht!

On the slow train it’s hard to do something else than look outside the window.
You’ll see fruit and vegetable plantations, mountains covered with beautiful trees, small local (poor) villages..
oh and the train mechanic likes to honk the horn. Constantly.
You’ll be able to buy fruits, nuts, water and even fried chicken (gross?) from lady’s walking up and down the train.

After about 1.5 hours a Thai man decided to point out everything we saw and teach me the Thai word for it.
He couldn’t speak English, but it all worked out 😉
I got off the train at the stop close to the famous bridge over the river Kwai so I could check off one highlight from the list.

The Thai man also got off and decided to take me on a small ‘tour’.
I was still carrying my backpack, but it was bearable.
We walked the bridge to the other end of the river, walking towards the enormous buddha statue.
It was part of a temple and he tried his best to explain things and teach me some thai words.
”mother buddha, mother buddha” were his favorite English words.
Such a sweet, sweet man!

Vegan food tip in Kanchanaburi:
On’s thai issan! It’s a fully vegetarian kitchen and they know what veganism is.
On is the nicest lady and an amazing cook! I think it’s my favorite restaurant in Thailand..
I recommend the thai iced tea with coconut milk, massamam curry and pad thai.
She also gives a cooking class (on request) so sometimes they are closed without any notice before hand.
It happened to me once, but I walked 30 minutes so she let me in and still made me some awesome food.
+it was my friend Joe (we met the other day at the restaurant) doing the cooking class and they made so much food so he let me taste everything. Yeeey!

Main reason you should visit Kanchanaburi:
-The erawan waterfall!
This waterfall is located in Erawan national park.
The waterfall has 7 levels and I suggest to climb all 7!
The higher you go the less people you see.. well, no that´s not entirely true.
Along the way you´ll see some hidden spots and once I saw one I decided to make it my main stop.
I did some swimming and relaxing there before going to the 7th level!
From level 4 or 5 it gets tough, but so worth it.
The last bathroom is at level 2.. don’t make the same mistake I did. Go!!
Instructions on how to get to the park:
I suggest taking the earliest morning bus to the park, because the last bus back to Kanchanaburi
from Erawan national park is around 4 pm.
Be at the bus station 30 minutes before departing to claim your spot.

Things I didn’t do, but definitely should have:
-Hellfire pass
-Riding the ‘death railway’ with the slow train from Kanchanaburi (they say this view is amaaaazing!)
-Visiting the dragonhead cave temple

In Kanchanaburi you’ll experience real Thailand and not the one set-up for tourists!
The locals there are amazed by tourists(not that tourists don’t come there, just less) and are eager to help you out.
Another thing about Kanchanaburi: there are no tuktuk’s. Only motorcycle taxi’s.
What I should’ve done was renting a bike.. so cheap and easy!

I wasted the time I had in Kanchanaburi, because I was still afraid to undertake most activity’s on my own.
I couldn’t figure out how I had to travel back from hellfire pass. I got frustrated and decided to skip it.
It’s something I regret now. Just ask the hostel owner if you can’t figure stuff out!
They know everything and they take care of everything haha!
My body was also very tired, because I just kept on going since my arrival in Thailand.
That’s something I forget easily, but writing about it makes me think about every detail.

In this video you´ll see me traveling from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi and the friendly Thai man guiding me!
I also have a video up where I´m exploring the Erawan waterfall <3

Review: (the friendly) juicebrothers in Amsterdam!

Geke Keuter 0

What is it with health/vegan spots and their aim to connect more with their costumers?
Through their food and through their employees. I love it!

Juicebrothers in Amsterdam is one of those places.
http://www.juicebro.com/nl/
The employees let you pick out a health shot, for free, when you connect with them!
Juicebrothers has a few locations in Amsterdam, 1 in Amstelveen and 1 in Haarlem.
I went to 2 locations in Amsterdam: Raamsteeg and Haarlemmerplein.
The one at Haarlemmerplein is Juicebrothers x van Leeuwen.. ICE CREAM!
A vegan ice cream bar people..

A few weeks ago I visited them for the first time, location Raamsteeg.
Me and my sister wanted to sit down after some shopping with a drink before dinner(at Jackson Dubois).
We saw Juicebrothers and I was wondering if they would have a chai latte, coffee or tea.
They didn’t have it at that location(don’t know about the others), but they have lots to choose from!
Juices(duhh), health shots, smoothie (bowls), açaí bowls, snacks..
The 2 guys working there catched us staring at the cheesecake and told us we could have a taste before deciding to buy. Whuuut? Really? They were sure we would love it haha!
And it was amazing indeed.. we both had a slice instead of sharing one+a drink/juice (I had the chocolate mylk which was A-MA-ZING, was it the Himalayan salt that did the trick?) and we got a free health shot.

This location, at Raamsteeg, is more for on-the-go food.
Still they offer a few seats for people wanting to sit down for a little bit.
My sister and I ate our pie and drank our shot in the window seating.
We decided to have our juice at home the next morning. That’s also a reason to go back (and try one their açaí bowls!) because they reuse their plastic bottles and I have 2 at home.
So yes it is lots of plastic packaging, but the bottles are being reused and they recycle.
Their juices are definitely not cheap, but.. you pay for quality!
I’d rather have a real fresh (expensive) juice instead of a ‘fake’ cheap supermarket one.

The second location I went.. Juicebrothers x van Leeuwen!

Van Leeuwen Ice cream is originally from New York, but they ‘teamed up’ with Juicebrothers
and now they are selling their vegan ice cream at the new Juicebrothers location at Haarlemmerplein!
Their ice cream is free from soy, but based on all organic cashew milk, coconut milk, coconut oil, cane sugar, cacao butter and carob-beans.

Picture from lauriekoek.nl
This turned into a vegan hotspot immediately, because it’s the first vegan ice-cream bar in the Netherlands.
So that’s one thing, but is the ice cream any good?
My friends and me wanted to try it out and see if all the rumors were right..

We came in late and a few flavors were sold out, but they still had some awesome ones to choose from.
(think spirulina, pistachio, matcha, banana walnut, chocolate, vanilla cherry toasted coconut..
and they have vegan coconut whipped cream, disco dip, cacao nibs, fruit, chocolate and caramel sauce..)
The employees were just as friendly and social so that was a big plus already.
He let us taste every flavour we wanted while telling us all about the shop and their ice cream, second big plus.
Vegan ice cream cones.. another big plus!
The ice cream is RICH, flavorful, fresh, filling, made with love and not even expensive!
I ordered 3 scoops(chocolate, banana walnut and a vanilla jam yogurt something for 5 euro’s) and got about 10 scoops :’)
He had to use up one flavor+gave me two scoops from the other flavors instead of just one.
(I’m sorry to set you up for disappointment if you go, because I was just lucky haha, but their regular scoops are also big)

I was one happy, but slightly embarrassed (because of the size my ice cream) girl!
It made the amazing day with my friends even more amazing, talking with the founder of this concept about
veganism, sustainability and what not 🙂
We were totally overcarbed at the end of the day, we talked (while sitting on the rooftop of a house in Amsterdam) until midnight
and after that I had to bike for 30 minutes with Jolien on my luggage carrier for a 1 hour car drive home.
That day was just amazing and beautiful..

It’s a beautiful and spacious looking shop with some indoor and outdoor seats.
Next to their vegan ice cream they also sell their juices, smoothies and acai bowls
I was too hyped to take my camera out for a blog/insta worthy shot haha, but I took some with my phone!

One more fact about Juicebrothers:
They offer juice cleanses/detox 🙂 More about that on their website.

I’m a sucker for spots with vegan food (options) so it’s hard to break them down and come up with less positive things to say, but I really do love Juicebrothers.
I think it has something to do with the connecting part 😉

Part one of my Thailand route: the big and scary city called Bangkok!

Geke Keuter 0

It’s time to face my overwhelming trip!
Or should I say: the overwhelming amount of pictures, experiences to tell about,
restaurants you should know off, the best way to get to places..
Every week I’ll share a part of my trip/route with all of you and it wouldn’t be me if I
didn’t share some deeper stuff with it 😉
The travel tips are in bold or noted as tip, so it’s easy to find them!

For me my journey started the moment my boyfriend left me at the airport and I was all alone.
All alone for the first time in.. well I think ever. I’ve never been alone, fully depending on myself.
To be honest it really sunk in at my first layover in Moscow, Sheremetyevo airport.
I literally knew nobody and they didn’t
speak my language, hell they hardly spoke English.

Tip:
You’re vegan and craving some ‘food’ there besides the food you brought yourself?
At one restaurant at the airport they sell a random vegan cookie and deeelicious smoothies!
I can’t remember the name, but it was close to burger ging and they don’t have a lot of options there so it won’t be hard to find.
Next to that, nothing vegan to be found! They don’t even know the word..

After a long journey I finally arrived in Bangkok, but I wasn’t there yet..
nope, nope. A hour long line at customs, no food(and already craving the vegan thai food),
couldn’t find my backpack at first, trouble getting thai money from the ATM.
But I figured everything out, bought a thai SIM card and told everyone I arived safely!

(disclaimer: it was the anxious me thinking Bangkok was scary and dangerous!
It’s actually really fun to explore Bangkok and find some ‘hidden treasures’.
Another disclaimer: the picture quality will get better because I was figuring out the camera,
but unfortunately I didn’t have my DSLR with me.)

From bangkok suvarnabhumi airport to the city: just take the skytrain! Easy, fast and cheap.
In Bangkok I felt extremely overwhelmed, hungry and overheated while trying to figure out
how to get to my hostel.. yes I was anxious to say the least.
At one point my inner confident self stepped up, waved for a tuk tuk
and I rode off to my hostel without haggling about the price(the price was actually fair to be honest).
I really enjoyed the drive and trusted the tuk tuk driver in Bangkok’s wild traffic,
but I was telling myself to get away from Bangkok as soon as possible..
The tuk tuk driver dropped me off at Khao san road, where my hostel was, and lots of local men
greeted me and were asking where I was going.
”Is there something behind these friendly gestures?” I asked myself,
but no.. thai people really are that helpfull!
But watch out for Indian guys, they will ask you out and won’t stop until you say yes or just walk away :’) It happened to me a few times..

Tip:
Don’t book a room at Charoendee boutique hostel. You won’t sleep, because you hear everything happening in Khao san road. Also it’s not really a fun hostel. Make sure you book a room around Khao san road(not in) or a different, nicer area in Bangkok! Don’t assume Khao san road is the place to be..

I went out for food as soon as possible.
While booking my hostel back home I made sure there would be vegan food close by.
I went to May kaidee’s(samsen) vegetarian restaurant!
Not knowing, at that point, I would eat there many more times..
The waitresses weren’t really friendly and I felt awkward, but the food was great!
It came down to Massamam curry and a banana flower salad.
My first real curry and I was hooked!

Tip:
I learned later on that there’s another establishment of May kaidee close to Khao san road and
that’s the place to be. It’s May Kaidee Tanao 🙂 Every Saturday they offer a vegan buffet
from 6-8 pm costing you 150 baht, cheap! And don’t forget to book a cooking class there, you won’t regret it!
https://www.maykaidee.com/

After dinner it was dark outside and I felt anxious again.
My family made sure I was scared to walk around on my own..
I was also afraid to take my camera out, because my boyfriend made sure I would think other
travelers are out there to steal from me.
While walking back to my hostel, with my friend google maps, I bought some baby bananas and
had my first 7-eleven visit(for a bottle of water).
7-eleven is a supermarket you’ll find everywhere on every street corner in Thailand!
They have drinks, food, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, cutlery, sunglasses, a microwave to heat up your food and many more handy stuff.

Tip:
Make sure your sunscreen and other lotions don’t have any whitening in them!
Thai people looove their whitening.. the banana boat sunscreen is a life saver.

This was literally all I did in Bangkok.
Back in the hostel I finished my first vlog(while finishing a vegan white chocolate bar) and went to bed early, just to wake up early for the second part of my trip..
Kanchanaburi!

Stay tuned for that because it will include how to get from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi in the first place, way more tips and way more fun adventures <3

A big thanks to all of you who were following me on my adventures while I was there.
It means a lot to me when people show interest and want to connect.
Also tell me about your adventures and plans!

The mind loves limitations

Geke Keuter 0

I literally don’t know where to start.
There’s so much to this topic, it overwhelms me.
So I’ll just start..

We are born as unlimitless beings, but are raised according to others their rules and believes.
Limiting our way of thinking and keeping us from being our true self.
It’s a great gift when you are born in a house hold where they are aware of the lies of society
and the truths of the universe..

Our way of thinking is like a circle. We are raised to think and act inside this circle.
It’s not that parents do this on purpose, but that’s the problem.
That we are not aware of this ‘brainwash’.
We’re making this circle smaller and smaller, eating it away ourselves, as we go.
Spiraling more and more inwards.. The mind becomes more limited and it gets harder
to find your way back. It will acquire something drastic to happen.
Something that will challenge your limited way of thinking.

”You can never be free, because everywhere you go is your prison.”

As we stay in this circle we remain a slave of society.
A slave of our own unconscious mind.
Wherever you go you take yourself with you, and thus your prison.
But coming places, learning more people and more about the world can definitely
enhance your way of thinking. It might make your circle even want to spiral outwards..
It will still need you accepting and acknowledging this growth and ignoring the
unconscious mind. Otherwise all will remain the same.
Let your intuition, your inner voice, take over.

”I have my family here, I can’t go away for a longer period of time. I belong here with my family, this place and my friends.”

A limit of the unconscious mind!

We are endless beings. We are not bound to people. A city. Our life experiences.
These outer aspects don’t define who we are and where we are supposed to be.
We are all one in the end. Wherever you are, there’s your home and there’s your family.
The fact that we are born in a certain house hold and became accustumed to them
does not mean it’s where we belong and where we should stay for a life time..

”People always want to blame something outside themselves for the state of the world or
their own unhappiness.”

That is what will happen when you don’t follow your inner voice.
Anger, frustration, sadness and what not will overcome us.
We’ll act out on loved ones or people we don’t even know. We’ll discriminate other races,
gossip about someone you and your friends don’t like for some reason..
It’s all a part of this society and seen as normal.
What is seen as normal is still different in every household, every country and so on,
but.. just overall speaking.

My personal experience:
Maybe it was a good thing my father wasn’t there, for a few years, when I was growing up.
From age 8 till 13.
My father is someone who sees his believes as the one and only truth and he pushes it, while he can.
My mother also has certain believes, but doesn’t push. She gives in at a certain point.
She let me define myself and do my own thing.
When my father came back he immediately started pushing his rules and believes on me and my sisters.
I loved wearing black nail polish, but my father said it was a ‘devil thing’ and pushed and pushed until my willpower was gone and I gave in.

Still I kept on fighting and doing what I liked, but we had a hard time as a family with
all this fighting and hate towards each other.
Because it wasn’t just me fighting him, but my sisters also.

As more outer influences on my own thinking came(like going to a school where
we started to work towards our future and learning the job we would want to do,
for the rest of our lives probably) I started to develop this limitless way of thinking.

I spiraled inside this circle.

It was in a slow sneaky way. In a way that it made me think it was me consciously making these
decisions to change and adjust myself.
I turned into a sad human being and discovered alcohol.
Alcohol made me more free in my talking and doing and I liked it.. it was a side of me I’ve never experienced.
Week days were about school and weekends were about drinking and going out.

Still I kept on searching for ways to be different/do things different.
I told myself(and others) it was me being myself.

At one point a deep depression and an eating disorder overcame me.
All I saw were these walls around me of limiting everything in life.
I was constantly asking myself why I’m on this planet and hoping something
would happen to me. Like.. just vanishing from the earth..

What makes it hard to snap out of this circle is because we know what to expect in there
It’s easy and more people have been there and done that.
It comforts us and the unconscious mind likes comfort.

It was veganism that got me spiraling more outwards!
The wonder of social media that got me interested in it!
At the same time I also got into yoga and meditation.
Something changed inside of me and things are changing more and more since then.

My mind is unlimitless.

My father? He changed. He is more laid back and minds his own business more.
He’s interested in my things(up to a certain point) and I let him do his things.

I feel like I’m not adressing everything I wanted to, but my mind is blank now.
There were so many words and sentences coming to me over the course of one day,
overlapping eachother which made it hard to put it all together.

Please do leave a comment with your thoughts on this endless topic.
Lets connect!

Like always, a song for you guys fitting the addressed topic!
I immediatly knew which one.. and it’s my favorite.
Eddie vedder – Society

The way we look at food is all messed up, lets talk balance!

Geke Keuter 0

Balance.. what IS that thing called balance?
Something I’ve struggled with for a long time and so many people did or still are.
Oh and I mean balance food wise by the way!
This might be one of the hardest things to understand or grasp for a lot of people,
because our view on food is all messed up.
With all these so called diets
Healthy weight loss plans
Girls (and also boys) exercising to compromise and it’s seen as something normal, at first..

How in the hell should we know what under eating and over eating is?!

For people who haven’t had an eating disorder it’s already hard to know what a normal way of
eating and exercising is, but for people with an eating disorder past it’s even harder.
Especially when you’re still recovering!
It’s what makes recovery so hard..

So about balance.. I’m all about balance and I have one or two things to tell you guys about it.
I always tell people to never restrict on anything you crave(I hope it’s all vegan though),
but there’s also a degree to that.
Especially when you’re overweight.
My mother, father and sisters have experience with this.
It’s so hard to stay away from the food and they wouldn’t know when to stop or when it’s
enough ‘’unhealthy’’ food.
When that’s your relationship with food I suggest educating yourself on the harm food can do
to your body and the health benefits of a diet filled with vegetables, good starches and fruits!

People with an eating disorder set this bar(of not restricting) real low for themselves.
One piece of bread more than they planned might freak them out already. That’s when I say:
never restrict on anything you crave!
Your body needs it!
But.. one big but.
I ask you to always watch your health!
You might be on a healthy weight or trying to gain, but these so called ‘’junk foods’’ are ofcourse
never of any use to our body.
I am not saying this to create orthorexia, but it’s the truth and I’m just putting it out there.
Imagine what we are putting our bowels through with all those high fat and/or sugary foods..
Gut health is one of the most important things!

When a tree soaks up poison with it’s roots, it dies..

Our bowels are our roots!
In there everything is soaked up, into our arteries.
These ‘’junk foods’’ irritate the bowel.
On the long term fatty foods clog our arteries.
Sugary foods bring our internal environment out of balance.
It can cause diabetes (yes also when it’s vegan people).
And the food we eat has such a big impact on our mental balance!
Going vegan and eating healthy was the trick for my mental well being.

So like I said: there’s a degree to listening to your cravings.
To recover(gaining weight and getting my period back) I went all in at one point and slowly,
but surely I figured out what this ‘balance’ is about.
Because in my eating disorder I ate too little and too healthy and then at one point overeating
a lot of the time + not listening to the signs my body was giving me(once again).

I love whole plantbased foods and at moments I indulge on all the vegan junkfoods,
while listening to what my body is telling me!
Sometimes I still lack in listening to my body and just eat and eat and eat (like with potlucks and
food meetups) while knowing how I will feel and what a hard time my bowels are going to have.
I’m learning 😉

Let me know what your view on balance is and how you handle it!
Where do you stand in this area?
Struggling or not?

As song fitting this blogpost.. the only song I can think of is this one haha:
Hailee Steinfeld, Grey – Starving ft. Zedd

‘’I didn’t know that I was starving till’ I tasted you’’

True happiness

Geke Keuter 0

True happiness,
has it’s roots in your soul and radiates from every cell in your body outwards.
For you to feel.
For all to see.

True happiness is real. It’s there.
I’ve felt it and I’m feeling it more often.
It’s something I’m working towards and I always have been.

Still I often let feelings we describe as negative or bad
(like low energy, pain, discomfort and so on)
fade this happy state of mind, but this really shouldn’t have anything
to do with each other. When we experience those feelings we have to act
upon it with an action that will let us maintain the happy and peaceful state of mind.
When I’m low on energy and I lay down I feel happy.
When I feel discomfort and I escape from the situation causing it, I feel happy.
We are designed to act upon how we feel.
We feel happy and good when we do just so.
But with the nowadays society (well, a society that’s been here for a long time now),
with all that is expected of us, we can’t just act upon our own feelings.
Thus maintaining our own happiness and the ‘feeling good’ state of mind.

How crazy is that?
Our society is decorated in a way that we can’t do what we are supposed to do.
We can’t act upon a certain feeling with the right action.
Like taking a nap when you’re tired, because you’re probably at work or school.

Our time is not our own time.

Most of our time is filled with things we’d rather not be doing.
Unnecessary talks, conflicts, chars, deciding what to wear,
deciding what and how to say something,
learning what others want you to learn and what they think we’re supposed to learn,
homework, mandatory birthday/family visits(well, it’s expected of you), watching commercials
and ads, hearing news that isn’t of any use to you, filling in paper work,
cleaning your house(which is probably too big so the cleaning takes up so much unnecessary time)..
there’s just too much taking up our precious time.
Time we could use interacting with people/animals/nature, educating ourselves, meditating,
working in your sustainable veggie garden and interacting with nature(so you don’t have to waste
time and money on grocery shopping), cooking up your favorite dish and so on!

How happy and peaceful would I feel..
To be able to act upon my own feelings, wants and needs anytime of the day.
Almost nothing being expected of you and free to go wherever your intuition tells you to go.
Follow the path of least resistance. The path you choose yourself and not what is expected somehow.
You’ll get there.
I’ll get there.
(Example: I don’t want to work a job where I have a boss, rules or where I have something
to do with meat. I had the option to work in a fish production company or as a waitress in
a restaurant. With the waitress job I felt the least resistance and I went for that while I work
on my own plans and myself.)

For me freedom and happiness feels like one and the same thing.
When we’re free, that’s when we also achieve the feeling of true happiness, anytime and any day.

”The secret of happiness is freedom, the secret of freedom is courage.”
-Carrie Jones

There’s a song that has the ability to make me really, reaaally happy and I think
it can make everyone happy haha!

Pratt&McClain – Happy days

High plantprotein chocolate pancakes

Geke Keuter 0

Filling pancakes.
That’s what they are.
And healthy.
Using a good flour, extra PLANT protein, unrefined sugar and delicious cacao.
I loved them and that’s why I’m sharing the recipe.
Oh and my 6 year old nephew also loved them, he even asked his mom
to ask me for the recipe haha!

Here it goes!

Ingredients (for 1 person):
-40 gr of flour (oat, buckwheat, spelt, other gluten free or a mix of different flours)
-15 gr of vegan protein powder chocolate flavor (I use vegan blend from myprotein)
-5 gr or more cacao powder
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 a mashed banana
-115 ml plant milk (your mixture shouldn’t be too runny and not too thick)
-optional: sweetener, flavored stevia drops, vanilla bean powder/extract, raisins, cacao nibs, flax seed,
blueberries..

Instructions:
1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl
2. Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl
(heat up a non stick pan. I don’t have to use any oil with my pan)
3. Put the wet and dry ingredients together, mix well
4. Put the heat to LOW and pour in some batter to make small pancakes
5. Flip them when you see some air bubbles and it looks like the bottom is dry. Be patient!
6. Put the pancakes on a plate and cover them to keep them warm while you bake the rest.

I topped my pancakes with a peanut butter+water mixture(to make it more runny, like a sauce),
shredded coconut and almonds.
Top the pancakes with whatever you feel like! Fruit, chocolate sauce (cacao+agave+water), nuts,
cacao nibs, dried fruits..

Let me know if you made them, would love to know if it worked out!

There’s more to us

Geke Keuter 0

Do you often find yourself judging one in your mind or
even out loud the first time you see that person?
I did and I sometimes still do, but it’s something I really
don’t want and feel bad about. I thought myself something
to do instead and it really helps! But first we have to be
aware of the fact that we’re judging or talking about someone.
Sometimes we do it without actually thinking, it’s melted into our system.

For most people it isn’t in their own behavior to judge people,
but it’s thought by their surroundings.
Your friends or family judges someone out loud and you join them.
Most probably you’re feeling bad about it, I did(and do)..

There is so much more to a person then what you see in
them and think of them.
Even to a person from which you think you know all of.
Take a person close to you, like a friend, for example.
Is he/she how you thought he/she was when you first met each other?
And did he/she remained completely the same over the time you two
have known each other? Big chance the answer is no.

Even when the person itself doesn’t know there is more to him, there is..
We all need something to realize it again and again that we can accomplish things,
that we are meaningful, that we have a purpose and that there are others who care
about us. That something could be a person, a certain event,
written words or maybe even an animal close to you..

The way someone appears to others is the way society made that person.
When you grow up in fear, you will stay fearful.
When you grow up in a loving environment, you will love others and probably yourself.
It takes time for a person to change a certain mindset,
lots of time in a different environment than what they grew up in.

The thing I do now when I catch myself judging someone is,
when this judging is negative, I start summing up things(in my mind)
I find beautiful in that person or what I respect about a certain behavior and so on.
That way you see someone in a whole other light and you open yourself up to things
maybe unknown or weird for you.

Try it, you will find yourself wanting to learn more about people you don’t even know.
I found out everyone has something to learn another, the same counts for ourselves!
We should all start being busy with our own life, our own mind, our own growth and
stop being busy with someone else’s. It’s so unnecessary and leads to a wrong mindset.

Here it is! The song I chose fitting this topic:
Billy Joel – My life
I didn’t knew the song before, but it’s so happy and
true. Listen and enjoy 🙂

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