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The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
To set foot in a country where you know nobody, where you barely know the language, and you don’t really know what to expect, is a thrill that too few people experience. Will you able to get around, buy food, manage to not get your drink spiked and your organs involuntarily donated to a sicario’s trust fund? Probably. But you can never be quite sure until you stare into yourself and find the courage to do something a little crazy.
Your friends might be supportive of your decision, or they might try to scare you with wild third-hand stories that they’ve heard repeated, dumping all their fear and insecurities on you to prevent you to do something truly interesting. In any case, the ultimate decision must come from you, guiding your finger onto the mouse, to trick it into pressing “confirm”, before you can chicken out.
In this episode, Kurt tells a story about his first trip in Colombia, deciding to make a journey to Cartagena to visit a costeño friend, armed only with the words “Come to the Isla de Barú my friend; don’t worry – it is easy to find,” and a little faith. Unfortunately, arriving at the island wasn’t as simple as it first seemed. Join us on another adventure, in this episode of The Paradise Paradox.
I tell a story about getting an unusual inside look into the sex industry in Colombia, and accompanying a friend to an unusual job interview. Read more →
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
Destination set, arrival time approximated and all essentials packed. Vehicle of choice: not just any old VW sedan, a special VW beetle named “Vocho-Vochito”, but to his friends, he is “Vochilango”. Just as it’s bad luck to set sail without first naming your ship, giving your trusty vehicle a name brings your ride to life. Something special happens and a soul is born, your car will adopt a personality and accompanying behaviours. Unfortunately, this also allows your newborn friend to misbehave.
Vochito and I work as a team, with Vocho deciding many important things for me – such as when, or if, I’m going to arrive. The beetle acts as a channel for divine providence, allowing him to stop in unexpected places and enjoy magical coincidences. Anything can happen and everything is possible.
In this episode I tell a short story of a Vocho weekend adventure. The VW bug was well-behaved as I stretched all gears around the Mexican country side, bending time and entering G-force on the hairpin turns. Heavy on the breaks as the wheels lock up, in an attempt to avoid being swallowed by the holy trails created by the hurricane the week before. It’s time to enjoy yet another trip through … The Paradise Paradox.
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link.
The Story:
Cuba is Cuba! There is no other! A real human life time capsule.
Today, Cuba is known for its cigars, old cars, beautiful women, sandwiches and suppressed economic state. For most travellers and for the weekend visitor that is all that they are going to see. What you may not see is how fast Cuba is changing, very soon it will be returning to what it once was, a buzzing, popping, trading hub of activity.
With a mega rich history, connected to the Spanish Empire, this colony up until early in the 20th century continued to benefit from foreign investments, hence industry development, and of course high immigration. All this positive movement was drawn to a halt once its relationship status with the United States became complicated.
On the dark side of Cuban history we find pirates, the Cuban revolution, the cold war and the trade embargo. This US government imposed trade barrier was the seal that closed Cuba off to the world. Totally effecting trade, production income and the country’s economic health, a travel ban was also imposed on U.S. citizens visiting Cuba, a bullet in the head for the tourism industry.
Cuba has shown its resilience, sustainability and creativity, naturally taking on a hacker culture, where everything becomes repairable. Most household objects might find themselves a second or third life. This changes the way the communities view experiments, science and innovation. Harsh limitations on materials, open the peoples minds and changs what they are willing to experiment with. This completely new perspective of innovation can be seen impacting other areas of the society. In particular we can see how this collective mentality has impacted the medical establishment, where research is less bound by status quo judgements and predispositions. Within this culture we can see homeopathy taken seriously, where these medications are now being mass-produced.
This is an example of how Cuba is in a time of change. As this blockage is lifted the Cuban industries will begin to pick up the pace. Tourism will find the next gear and continue to boom, manufacturing will increase, consequently exports will rise and their will be employment for the people. This integration of economies will be beneficial to all parties, except for perhaps the local tourism in Miami. We are only weeks away from seeing commercial ferries opening routes from Miami ports. We already see Cuba welcoming three million visitors per year, new waves of tourists should bump that up. Who knows, Cuba may be the new spot for spring-breakers!
In this episode, we are again joined by Niki and Rav for part two of their Latin travels. They share more travel stories such as: taxi adventures, how they dealt with the two Cuban currencies, struggles with the local Spanish language and tips for all the future travellers to Cuba. We also discuss communism from a tourist’s perspective and from other sources – what we do know about the system, in particular regarding the education system and research in the field of medical science. These were just a few topics amongst many more. Please enjoy another episode of The Paradise Paradox.
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The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link.
The Story:
Trippa? Taking a Trip can blow your mind! Nothing to do with hallucinations, mushrooms, ancient rituals, or drinking goats blood under a full moon while rotating your arse on a ouija board.
We are talking about going old school, boots, bag packed and exploring the real world. Travelling is a mind expanding experience because it gives life a chance to question itself. Perhaps decades of routine and familiar rhythms have created a comfortable lifestyle, yet many of us find ourselves numb and occasionally find ourselves slipping into a feeling of emptiness. Travelling is often a natural calling, something spiritual which the soul begs for. Gaining new perspectives and changing the lens in which we see the world is healthy. The mind and character needs it for personal growth and development. The best part is that, it’s always the subtle things that take one by surprise. Keeping it simple lets you soak it all in, new smells, new foods, new clothes, mix it up and live a little.
What about the language change? Have you ever thought about a language as the tool for creating new realities? Okay, so even if you are not interested in becoming or pretending to be a wizard, a new language is the way to upskill: increasing your own self worth and something to be proud of. Learning a new language is not an easy task, it may leave you struggling for years but once it clicks, it can be one of the most rewarding challenges and an adventure in itself.
For those who have already conquered a second language, why not go for the third? Language has been said to be a primary factor in the evolution of man, this was because language has the capability to re-wire the human mind by creating new connections and associations.
In this episode we were lucky enough to enjoy the company of Nikita and Ravinesh, great Aussie mates visiting Mexico and bringing a homegrown perspective. As they were travelling through the Americas, specifically Latin America, we had the chance to catch up and share a little paradise. In between commentary of a trip of a life time (which now become a lifetime of trips) we discus cultural awareness of australians (or lack of), how language affects thought and how swearing in multiple languages can open your eyes to many beautifully obscene ways to express yourself. These were just a few of the side topics amongst many more, please enjoy another episode of The Paradise Paradox.
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link.
The Story:
In 2007, two graphic designers were having troubles making ends meet in their San Francisco apartment. They had some space that they could free up in the loft which they thought they could use to accommodate travellers, and thought about putting it on Craigslist, but they thought it was too impersonal. Instead, they decided to create a website, offering people passing through a chance to stay cheaply on some air mattresses and eat a home-cooked breakfast. Pretty soon they were receiving emails asking when the service would be available in Buenos Aires, London and Tokyo, and they began to formulate a vision.
They contacted their old roommate, an engineer, to join the team. In a clever move to raise funding for the project, they designed custom boxes for cereal to appeal to voters in the upcoming election, selling 500 boxes of both Obama O’s and Cap’n McCains for $40 each, raising $30,000.
Inviting the hosts to share their listings on Craigslist helped build their guest numbers and traffic considerably, as did spamming existing listings on Craigslist for similar properties. Then by developing their philosophy of offering personalised service, hospitality and something that guests just couldn’t find in a traditional hotel, they solidified their place as a key player in the accommodation industry.
Today, millions of people use AirBNB to travel cheaply, and to make money, subverting the conventional model of tourism and helping people to enjoy cities in a friendlier way. How has this business opened up the world to travellers, making it more affordable and interesting? What is the value of travel in general? Why do some people resist travelling adamantly? We explore these questions and more, in the next breathtaking chapter of … The Paradise Paradox!
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The Story:
The year is 400 ACE. A scholar dutifully reads Sanskrit from a decaying fern leaf, contemplating the words, arranging them within the forefront of the mind, and again writing them in fine caligraphy onto another leaf. The scholar couldn’t have known that even more than a thousand years later, people would be referring to those words and the wisdom contained within. That scholar’s name was Patañjali, and the words are known as the Yoga Sutras.
Not even Patañjali could trace the exact moment, or even the exact millenium, in which the first person decided to sit down and contemplate, to calm their mind, to say some sweet words to themself, representative of some idea greater than their own personal existence, to explore inner space, and attempt to find some kind of transcendent truth. Nobody knows exactly where this practice started, individually, or in parallel. Nevertheless, the threads of this first meditation, this first yogi, extend all over the world today, permeating every major religious tradition in the world, in what’s known as “mysticism”.
One such tradition continues today. Thousands of people all over the world chant the mantra “Om Namah Shivaya“, patiently waiting to experience divine gratitude, happiness, and grace. In this episode, Kurt interviews his close friend Link McElvenny to find out about his three month trip to an ashram in India. Join us on a spiritual journey as we are transformed, in this exciting chapter of … The Paradise Paradox!
– psychical and bizarre research in the US military
