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On 26 March 2020 from | add a comment

My first home-baked cheesecake. With everyone turn

My first home-baked cheesecake. With everyone turning to baking during quarantine, the peer pressure became too much. Also my cravings couldn't be satisfied another way, as cheesecake (unlike apple pie) is mainly sold in cafés that are now closed. With blueberries baked in and raspberries on top, it's very tasty.

Sunny Sundays are for hiking or biking in nature.

Sunny Sundays are for hiking or biking in nature. The South Limburg hill country opened up this weekend, giving us fairly empty trails past these Hansel and Gretel houses, in the Geul valley and through the Elzetterbosch. As close to Belgium as possible these days.

After 6 months of autumn, today felt like spring,

After 6 months of autumn, today felt like spring, so it was a good time for a 12km hike around the nearest castle.

Few things are more invigorating than getting show

Few things are more invigorating than getting showered under a waterfall in the middle of the jungle, especially after having just removed the second leech. Tawau Hills Park makes for a great day trip of hiking, relaxing in sulphur springs and watching the tallest tropical tree.

Diving Sipadan Island means visiting an underwater

Diving Sipadan Island means visiting an underwater paradise with huge schools of jackfish, whitetip reef sharks and of course turtles.

Paradise is only 33 euro/night (incl. full board)

Paradise is only 33 euro/night (incl. full board) on Mabul Island. Some caveats apply though:
- Only saltwater from the taps, so no way to properly rinse diving gear.
- All the chicken dishes (and there were many) had bones in them.
- Any food in the rooms (also wrapped in plastic) would be eaten by the rats.
- No sewage system, so no swimming nearby.
- Pretty worn-out diving equipment.
But still, being able to dive at Sipadan Island (120 daily permits) makes up for it.

No need to go to the market on Mabul Island, the m

No need to go to the market on Mabul Island, the market comes to you. On a related note: never seen so many houses on the water as here in Borneo.

After my longest surface interval (2+ years) since

After my longest surface interval (2+ years) since I started diving in 2004, it's time to do some dives again. Mabul Island seems designed for it, with reefs all around and most accommodation on the water.

It's a jungle out here! Today's large animals of t

It's a jungle out here! Today's large animals of the Borneo jungle: orangutans, sun bear and civet.

Daytrip to Brunei means visiting stilt villages, p

Daytrip to Brunei means visiting stilt villages, proboscis monkeys and of course mosques. Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque (with an escalator for the sultan) and Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in photo.

A good start of the week: private beach on Labuan

A good start of the week: private beach on Labuan Island, close to Brunei. The beach won the Clean Beach Award from the United Nations Environment Program. In 2008.

Suddenly sunny Sunday. A great day for a stroll th

Suddenly sunny Sunday. A great day for a stroll through the Meijendel dunes to the North Sea beach.

It's the time of year to visit Christmas Markets.

It's the time of year to visit Christmas Markets. Goslar, with its medieval half-timbered houses, was our pick this year. It even has a romantic Christmas Forest.

Floating Ice Rink next to the Floating Christmas M

Floating Ice Rink next to the Floating Christmas Market on the Nieuwe Rijn river in Leiden, both part of the Winter Wonder Weeks.

Panda time! Ouwehands Dierenpark is one of the 7 z

Panda time! Ouwehands Dierenpark is one of the 7 zoos in Europe to house giant pandas, more specifically Wu Wen and Xing Ya (in photo). Quite amazing to see these large animals balancing on a tree branch.

Sometimes you can't see the trees through the fore

Sometimes you can't see the trees through the forest. Luckily there's a very nice single track mountain biking trail winding through it, so no getting lost in these woods.

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